The Original Orioles 1891

The great players revolt was over and the PL had folded.  The American Association limped into the season, its final one.  The losses taken in the 1890 Players Revolt had done damage beyond repair and the now open warfare with the NL over obtaining the star players proved too much for the Association at the end of the year  the AA would fold, but that is another story.

Manager Billy Barnie led his Orioles onto the field this year in two different ball parks. They played 14 games at Oriole Park and then 56 games at the new Union Park (although both parks were known by both names creating confusion for historians).   The beginnings of the rough and tumble, feisty Orioles were born this year.  John McGraw, Sadie McMahon and Wilbert Robinson came together to form the beginnings of the core that would change the baseball world.  It would take 2 more seasons of struggles but the pieces for the future were starting to show up.

It was a very good year for the Birds this year. A 71-64 .526 -22  4th place finish caught the attention of the NL when a few teams of  AA and the NL merged at the end of the year.  It was the right type of season at the right time for the Orioles.

The Orioles as a team this season hit .255 good enough for 5th in the AA.  The big bat was LF George Van Haltren who led the team with a .318 BA (5th in the AA), 75 Stolen Bases (3rd in the AA), 9 Homers, 136 Runs, 180 hits and a .443 SA.  Perry Werden the 1B  led the O's with 104 RBIs and 18 Triples and CF Curt Welch led the club with 22 Doubles.  As a team the Orioles stole 342 bases this year 2nd only to the Boston Reds who led the Association with 447.

On the pitching side of the coin the Orioles were led by Sadie McMahon who led the League with 503 IP and 53 CG.  He led the team with a 35-24 2.81 ERA with a League leading 5 Shutouts. His 219 Ks led the team as did his 61 G and  58 GS. Sadie McMahon would only get better and would prove to be the cornerstone upon the which the future O's staff would be built.  Although he was not the ace of the great Orioles teams he would prove to be a very effective pitcher during the coming dynasty.

The Orioles record against the other clubs this year was as follows:

Boston 8-12, St. Louis 7-12, Philadelphia 9-10, Columbus 12-7, Cincinnati 7-5. Milwaukee 5-3, Louisville 12-6 and Washington 12-6.

While it was a very satisfying season for the O's, there was to be two more years of wandering in the wilderness before they got to the promised land.  A move to the NL was the next step and as the season ended it was the end of the American Association who had so strongly competed with the NL.  A huge turning point in the history of baseball was about to happen and those involved definitely had no knowledge of changes they were to unleash upon the baseball world in the next decade.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!!!