Billy O'Dell, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #337

It's not likely that rotund Oriole infielder Ty Wigginton, who could make his All-Star debut tonight in his ninth major league season, will have a big impact on the outcome of the Midsummer Classic. Of course, you never know who will shine in this July showcase. Just ask Billy O'Dell.

Back on July 8, 1958, Baltimore had the honor of hosting the All-Star Game for the first time. It was the 25th annual game; no game was played in 1945 due to World War II. The O's were in their fifth season in the league but were still battling to get out of the second division (they would finish sixth out of eight American League clubs in 1958 at 74-79). But there was cause for optimism, as manager Paul Richards was working to rebuild the club with his shrewd eye for talent. Catcher Gus Triandos, acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Yankees, had been selected to start behind the plate. He had already hit 16 homers en route to a career-high 30 (still a record for Oriole catchers). It was the second of three straight All-Star years for Triandos, and the first of two starting nods. Making the roster as a reserve pitcher was a 25-year-old southpaw from South Carolina named Billy O'Dell.

O'Dell had been signed by the Birds in the early going, back in June of their inaugural 1954 season. They gave him a $12,500 signing bonus, making him their first "bonus baby". He debuted with the O's two weeks later and never played a game in the minor leagues. Military service halted his development early on, but 1958 would be his breakout year. Shuttling between the rotation and the bullpen, he was only 8-9 at the break, but had strong peripheral stats (3.00 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 2.68 K/BB). His luck turned around in the second half, allowing him to finish the year with a 14-11 record and eight saves.

A capacity crowd of 48,949 packed Memorial Stadium, and scores of fans watched at home on NBC. Vice-president Richard Nixon threw out the first pitch, and then it was time to play ball! It was a tight, brisk game from beginning to end. American League starter Bob Turley of the Yankees (a former Oriole) was shaky in the first inning, giving up two runs on singles by Willie Mays and Stan Musial, a hit-by-pitch to Ernie Banks, and a walk to Frank Thomas. A Hank Aaron sacrifice fly and a wild pitch accounted for the runs. Three of the first four A.L. batters reached in the bottom half of the inning against Warren Spahn, but a Jackie Jensen double play ball brought in the only run. The clubs traded runs in the second inning on singles by Bob Skinner for the Nationals and Nellie Fox for the Americans, and the score would stay put at 3-2 N.L. until the bottom of the fifth.

The A.L. loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth, but a Jensen RBI grounder was all they got out of it. So the game was tied for the moment. Boston's Frank Malzone led off the next inning with a single, and Triandos (1-for-2 with a single) was due up. American League skipper Casey Stengel pinch hit for the hometown hero with his own player, Yankee catcher Yogi Berra. The partisan crowd booed the Ol' Perfesser lustily. (Sound familiar?) An error by third baseman Frank Thomas (the fourth overall in the game) proved critical, as Gil McDougald singled home the go-ahead run. 4-3, A.L.

McDougald had pinch-hit for pitcher Early Wynn, so Stengel had to go to his bullpen. Perhaps trying to appease the Charm City fans, he called upon O'Dell. It may have been the smartest move he made all day, as Billy was flawless. He pitched three perfect innings, nine up and nine down, to earn the save with no margin for error. Five of the nine Nats that he retired were future Hall of Famers; he even struck out Bill Mazeroski and Ernie Banks. The American League won by a 4-3 score in two hours, 13 minutes. O'Dell was praised by Stengel, even though the Yankees didn't clinch home-field advantage in the World Series with the win or anything like that. Go figure.

Vintage Fridays: Billy O'Dell, 1959 Topps #250

Did you know that the foul lines in Baltimore's old Memorial Stadium used to be wooden slats painted white? Well, they were, and that proved crucial in a 2-1 win over the White Sox on May 19, 1959.

The game was a classic pitcher's duel, pitting Chicago's one-time 20-game winner Billy Pierce against 27-year-old Billy O'Dell, who was on his way to a second straight All-Star Game. Both clubs were off to a good start: the White Sox, who were 21-12, would eventually win the American League pennant, while the young O's were 19-14. Baltimore eventually faltered, but laid the foundation for a surprising 89-win season the following year.

In the bottom of the second inning, Pierce got the first two Oriole batters out before walking second baseman Billy Gardner (lots of Billys in this game!). That brought O'Dell to the plate. The pitcher wasn't much of a threat with the bat (.125 career average), but on this occasion he sliced the ball about 120 feet down the first-base line. It struck the wooden plank squarely and bounced all of the way over the head of Pale Hose right fielder Al "Fuzzy" Smith. By the time Smith chased the ball down and threw it in, Gardner and O'Dell had circled the bases. It was the strangest of home runs, the second (and last) round-tripper that O'Dell ever hit, and it won him the game. He allowed just one run in seven innings, and reliever Jerry Walker closed out the 2-1 victory.

As far as home field advantage goes, that's a little more interesting than just having a short right field porch, eh Yankees fans?

Billy O'Dell, 1957 Spire #376

A few months ago, I told you about my growing addiction to the online baseball card game known as Baseball Boss. I eventually gave in and decided to purchase one of the more budget-conscious monthly memberships, but even so, I realized that trying to collect all of the cards in their various virtual sets would be a tall order. I'm trying to keep it simple by focusing on certain themes; for instance, I'm attempting to assemble the best possible All-Kevin team (per another recent blog entry). Unsurprisingly though, my main focus is the Baltimore Orioles.

Today, I completed one of my team sets: the premium 1957 Spire 39-card set. I love this design, as it's low-key and uses a darker shade of orange that adds to the retro feel. These cards commemorate an important milestone in team history. In just their fourth season in Baltimore, the young Birds finished at .500 (76-76) for the first time. Paul Richards had laid the groundwork for a future dynasty. By my count, all but four of the players who suited up for the O's in '57 are included, including 20-year-old Brooks Robinson and 18-year-old Milt Pappas. The card I've highlighted is that of Billy O'Dell, one of the most heralded of the "bonus babies" and the most valuable Oriole in the set. He was given this honor based on his 2.69 ERA and career-best 1.04 WHIP.

Now that I've completed this set (and only need four cards from 2007), I can turn most of my attention to the new sets that are rolling off the...um...presses. Last week the 2008 cards hit, with Aubrey Huff and Jim Johnson slotted as the big prizes. The set that I'm anticipating the most is being released tomorrow: 1998. While this season was the zenith of the steroid era (topped off by the McGwire-Sosa home run battle) and marked the beginning of the Birds' lengthy decline, there are lots of great names and notable individual performances to be found in that group of Orioles. Rafael Palmeiro (.296, 43 HR, 121 RBI) ended his first stint in Charm City on a better note than the second one, and Roberto Alomar, Chris Hoiles, and Eric Davis (.327, 28 HR, 89 RBI) also bid farewell to the O's. There are also fan favorites like Cal Ripken, Jr., Brady Anderson, Harold Baines, B. J. Surhoff, Mike Mussina, and Scott Erickson...

If they ever churn out a 1970 or 1983 set, I'm going to be in trouble.