1996 Baltimore Orioles season

The 1996 Baltimore Orioles season in which the Orioles finishing 2nd in the American League East with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses and qualifying for the post-season as the Wild Card team. The Orioles broke the all-time record for most home runs hit by a team (set at 240 by the 1961 New York Yankees) with 257. During the season, four Orioles scored at least 100 runs, four drove in at least 100 runs and seven hit at least 20 home runs. The Orioles pitching staff allowed 209 home runs, 1,604 hits and had an ERA of 5.15. The Orioles defeated the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS and then lost in the ALCS to the New York Yankees.

1996 Baltimore Orioles
1996 American League Wild Card
Major League affiliations
Location
Results
Record88–74 (.543)
Divisional place2nd
Other information
Owner(s)Peter Angelos
General manager(s)Pat Gillick
Manager(s)Davey Johnson
Local televisionWJZ-TV
Home Team Sports
(Mel Proctor, Josh Lewin, Mike Flanagan, Jim Palmer)
Local radioWBAL (AM)
(Chuck Thompson, Jon Miller, Fred Manfra)
< Previous season     Next season >

Offseason
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, September 1996

Regular season
  • On September 27 in Toronto, Roberto Alomar spat at home-plate umpire John Hirschbeck after getting thrown out of a game for arguing a called third strike.[6]

Opening Day starters

Notable transactions
  • December 21, 1995: Roberto Alomar was signed as a free agent.
  • December 26, 1995: Traded Curtis Goodwin and Trovin Valdez to Cincinnati Reds for David Wells.
  • April 19, 1996: Luis Polonia was signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Orioles.[8]
  • June 6, 1996: Todd Frohwirth was signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Orioles.[9]
  • August 12, 1996: Luis Polonia was released by the Baltimore Orioles.[8]
  • August 23, 1996: Gregg Zaun was sent by the Baltimore Orioles to the Florida Marlins to complete an earlier deal made on August 21, 1996. The Baltimore Orioles sent a player to be named later to the Florida Marlins for Terry Mathews. The Baltimore Orioles sent Gregg Zaun (August 23, 1996) to the Florida Marlins to complete the trade.[10]
  • August 29, 1996: Traded Calvin Maduro and Garrett Stephenson to Philadelphia Phillies for Todd Zeile and Pete Incaviglia.

Season standings
AL East W L Pct. GB Home Road
New York Yankees 9270 0.568 — 49–31 43–39
Baltimore Orioles 8874 0.543 4 43–38 45–36
Boston Red Sox 8577 0.525 7 47–34 38–43
Toronto Blue Jays 7488 0.457 18 35–46 39–42
Detroit Tigers 53109 0.327 39 27–54 26–55

Record vs. opponents
1996 American League Records

Sources:
Team BAL BOS CAL CWS CLE DET KC MIL MIN NYY OAK SEA TEX TOR
Baltimore —7–66–64–85–711–29–39–37–53–109–47–53–10–18–5
Boston 6–7—8–46–61–1112–13–97–56–67–68–57–66–68–5
California 6–64–8—6–64–96–64–87–54–87–66–75–84–97–5
Chicago 8–46–66–6—5–810–37–66–76–76–75–75–78–47–5
Cleveland 7–511–19–48–5—12–07–67–610–33–96–68–44–87–5
Detroit 2–111–126–63–100–12—6–64–86–65–84–86–64–96–7
Kansas City 3–99–38–46–76–76–6—4–96–74–85–77–56–65–8
Milwaukee 3–95–75–77–66–78–49–4—9–46–67–54–96–75–7
Minnesota 5–76–68–47–63–106–67–64–9—5–76–76–67–58–5
New York 10–36–76–77–69–38–58–46–67–5—9–33–95–78–5
Oakland 4–95–87–67–56–68–47–55–77–63–9—8–57–64–8
Seattle 5–76–78–57–54–86–65–79–46–69–35–8—10–35–7
Texas 10–3–16–69–44–88–49–46–67–65–77–56–73–10—10–2
Toronto 5–85–85–75–75–77–68–57–55–85–88–47–52–10—

Game log
1996 Game Log: 88–74 (Home: 43–38; Away: 45–36)
April: 14–12 (Home: 10–6; Away: 4–6)
May: 14–10 (Home: 8–5; Away: 6–5)
June: 14–14 (Home: 6–6; Away: 8–8)
July: 11–16 (Home: 5–13; Away: 6–3)
August: 19–11 (Home: 7–4; Away: 12–7)
September: 16–11 (Home: 7–4; Away: 9–7)
Legend:           = Win           = Loss           = Tie
Bold = Orioles team member

Detailed records

Roster
1996 Baltimore Orioles
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

  •  8 Cal Ripken, Jr.
 Outfielders

Other batters

 Manager

Coaches

Player stats
= Indicates team leader

Batting

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player G AB H HR RBI Avg.
Chris Hoiles1274071052573.258
Rafael Palmiero16262618139142.289
Roberto Alomar1535881932294.328
B. J. Surhoff1435371572182.292
Cal Ripken, Jr.16364017826102.278
Jeffrey Hammonds7124856927.226
Brady Anderson14957917250110.297
Bobby Bonilla15959517128116.287
Eddie Murray64230591034.257

[11]

Other batters
Player G AB H HR RBI Avg.
Mike Devereaux12732374834.229
Luis Polonia5817542214.240
Billy Ripken5713531212.230
Todd Zeile2911728519.239
Gregg Zaun5010825113.231
Tony Tarasco31842019.238
Mark Smith277819410.244
Manny Alexander5468704.103
Brent Bowers21391203.308
Pete Incaviglia12331028.303
Mark Parent1833626.182
Jeff Huson1728902.321
César Devarez1018200.111
Gene Kingsale30000.000

[11]

Pitching
Position Name Games Pitched Games Started ERA Wins Losses Saves Innings Pitched Strikeouts
Starting Pitchers
Mike Mussina [12] 36 36 4.81 19 11 0 243.3 204
Scott Erickson [13] 34 34 5.02 13 12 0 222.3 100
David Wells [14] 34 34 5.14 11 14 0 224.3 130
Rocky Copinger [15] 23 22 5.18 10 6 0 135 104
Kent Mercker [16] 14 12 7.76 3 6 0 58 22
Relief Pitcher
Jesse Orosco [17] 66 0 3.40 3 1 0 55.7 52
Roger McDowell[18] 41 0 4.25 1 1 0 59.3 20
Arthur Rhodes [19] 28 0 4.08 9 1 0 53 62
Alan Mills [20] 49 0 4.28 3 2 0 54.7 52
Archie Corbin [21] 18 0 2.30 2 0 0 27.3 20
Keith Shepperd [22] 13 0 8.71 0 1 0 20.7 17
Terry Mathews [23] 14 0 3.38 2 2 0 18.7 13
Armando Benítez [24] 18 0 3.77 1 0 0 14.3 20
Jimmy Myers [25] 11 0 7.07 0 0 0 14 6
Esteban Yan [26] 4 0 5.79 0 0 0 9.3 7
Mike Milchin [27] 13 0 5.73 1 0 0 11 10
Garrett Stephenson [27] 3 0 12.79 0 1 0 6.3 3
Brian Sackinsky [28] 3 0 3.86 0 0 0 4.7 2
Jimmy Haynes [29] 26 11 8.29 3 6 0 89 65
Rick Krivda [30] 22 11 4.96 3 5 0 81.7 54
Nerio Rodríguez [31] 8 1 4.32 0 1 0 16.7 12
Closer
Randy Myers [2] 62 0 3.53 4 4 31 58.7 74

[11]

Return of Eddie Murray

On July 21, 1996, the Baltimore Orioles re-acquired longtime Oriole Eddie Murray from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for pitcher Kent Mercker.[32] Murray, a member of the 1983 World Series Champion Baltimore Orioles, would subsequently hit his 500th career home run later in the season. As a commemoration of this event, an orange seat was installed in the outfield stands where Murray's 500th home run landed. The Orioles had a record of 49 wins and 46 losses before the trade, and 39–28 after the trade, not including the playoffs. During the 1996 playoffs, Eddie Murray hit .333 and hit HR while producing 3 home runs.

The trade for Eddie Murray sparked the Orioles to have a better record after his arrival, than before. One can attribute that to his great leadership, which is well documented, as a Sporting News correspondent, Michael P. Geffner said, "To think of Murray as anything other than a great player these days is not to have a dissenting opinion anymore but to be dead wrong, blind not only to the inner game but to an understanding of what truly raises baseball to something classic and beautiful--when the game is executed purely and seamlessly. Which is Eddie Murray to a T.".[33] The Orioles success after the trade can also be attributed to the theory of "Power, worth, and recognition,[34] " which Thomas S. Parish who is an associate professor of psychology at Upper Iowa University, Fayette, Iowa, describes as a type of motivation where athletes attempt to out do or "show off" to each other, which leads to better statistics, and more wins. In Eddie Murray's last at-bat with the Orioles he hit a home run off of New York Yankee pitcher, Andy Pettitte.

ALDS

Game 1, October 1
Main article: 1996 American League Division Series

Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland

Team123456789RHE
Cleveland0102001004100
Baltimore11200510X10101
WP: David Wells (1-0)   LP: Charles Nagy (0-1)
Home runs:
Cle: Manny Ramírez (1)
Bal: Brady Anderson (1), B. J. Surhoff (1, 2), Bobby Bonilla (1)

Game 2, October 2

Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland

Team123456789RHE
Cleveland000003010482
Baltimore10003003X790
WP: Armando Benítez (1-0)   LP: Eric Plunk (0-1)   Sv: Randy Myers (1)
Home runs:
Cle: Albert Belle (1)
Bal: Brady Anderson (2)

Game 3, October 4

Jacobs Field, Cleveland, Ohio

Team123456789RHE
Baltimore010300000482
Cleveland12010041X9100
WP: Paul Assenmacher (1-0)   LP: Jesse Orosco (0-1)
Home runs:
Bal: B. J. Surhoff (3)
Cle: Manny Ramírez (2), Albert Belle (2)

Game 4, October 5

Jacobs Field, Cleveland, Ohio

Team123456789101112RHE
Baltimore0200000010014141
Cleveland000210000000371
WP: Armando Benítez (2-0)   LP: José Mesa (0-1)   Sv: Randy Myers (2)
Home runs:
Bal: Rafael Palmeiro (1), Bobby Bonilla (2), Roberto Alomar (1)
Cle: None

ALCS
Main article: 1996 American League Championship Series
GameScoreDate
1Baltimore 4, New York 5October 9
2Baltimore 5, New York 3October 10
3New York 5, Baltimore 2October 11
4New York 8, Baltimore 4October 12
5New York 6, Baltimore 4October 13

Jeffrey Maier incident

During Game 1 of the ALCS, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter hit a deep fly ball to right field. Orioles outfielder Tony Tarasco appeared to camp under the ball and prepared to make a catch. However, a 12-year-old boy seated in the first row of the bleachers named Jeffrey Maier reached over the wall and caught the ball just above Tarrasco, costing the Orioles an out. Although it appeared to be fan interference, the umpire ruled the ball to be a home run. While Maier became a hero to Yankees fans, he immediately became a "symbol of the Orioles futility."[35] The Orioles would go on to lose the series in five games.

Farm system
Level Team League Manager
AAA Rochester Red Wings International League Marv Foley
AA Bowie Baysox Eastern League Bob Miscik and Tim Blackwell
A High Desert Mavericks California League Joe Ferguson
A Frederick Keys Carolina League Tim Blackwell and Julio Garcia
Rookie Bluefield Orioles Appalachian League Bobby Dickerson
Rookie GCL Orioles Gulf Coast League Tommy Shields

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Bluefield[36]

References
  1. https://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bellicl01.shtml
  2. Randy Myers Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  3. B. J. Surhoff Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  4. Billy Ripken Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  5. https://www.baseball-reference.com/o/obandsh01.shtml
  6. The Spit Hits The Fan Time
  7. 1996 Baltimore Orioles Roster by Baseball Almanac
  8. Luis Polonia Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  9. https://www.baseball-reference.com/f/frohwto01.shtml
  10. Gregg Zaun Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  11. 1996 Baltimore Orioles Statistics and Roster Baseball-Reference.com
  12. Mike Mussina Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  13. Scott Erickson Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  14. David Wells Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  15. Rocky Coppinger Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  16. Kent Mercker Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  17. Jesse Orosco Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  18. Roger McDowell Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  19. Arthur Rhodes Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  20. Alan Mills Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  21. Archie Corbin Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  22. Keith Shepherd Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  23. Terry Mathews Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  24. Armando Benítez Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  25. Jimmy Myers Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  26. Esteban Yan Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  27. Mike Milchin Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  28. Brian Sackinsky Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  29. Jimmy Haynes Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  30. Rick Krivda Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  31. Nerio Rodríguez Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
  32. Prodigal Slugger Murray To Return to the Orioles; Encore
  33. Eddie Murray: Biography and Much More from Answers.com
  34. International Journal of Reality Therapy 26 (2007): 39-40. EBSCO. 29 Feb. 2008
  35. From Way Out in Right Field – washingtonpost.com
  36. Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007
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