Brooks or Frank? Cal or Eddie? Try to decide. Really, go for it. Everyone has a favorite player ? a hero who awakens their spirit in a time of despair.
Perhaps Jim Gentile’s All-Star season of 1958 or his .302/46/141 season in 1961 made you a fan. There was Doug DeCinces’ home run in 1979, credited with giving birth to Oriole Magic as we once knew it. The entire 1989 team has a place in the hearts of O?s fans. Maybe Mike Devereaux?s amazing catches in center field, or Brady Anderson?s 50-homer season sparked your interest in the ?90s.
The current Orioles could use some of those old flames as they head into a year hoping to snap a nine-year streak of losing seasons. Could any of these young Birds crack the team?s all-time greats? Miguel Tejada, Nick Markakis, Adam Loewen, Erik Bedard and Brian Roberts could find their way onto that list some day. You could argue that Tejada is closing in on the bottom end of the list right now. But he?s only been in black and orange for a few seasons. Markakis, Loewen and Bedard are certainly off to nice starts, but they?d have to hang around for quite a while longer. Only time will tell.
The top five players in club history can be identified by one name each. They were no-brainers. Sure, guys like Reggie Jackson made a stop, but he was only passing through.
So here it is: A list of the greatest Orioles of all time. Which player is the best?
