1968 Baltimore Orioles season

{{Infobox baseball team season

| name = Baltimore Orioles

| season = 1968

| misc =

| league = American League

| ballpark = Memorial Stadium

| city = Baltimore, Maryland

| record = 91–71 (.562)

| league_place = 2nd

| owners = Jerold Hoffberger

| general_managers = Harry Dalton

| managers = Hank Bauer, Earl Weaver

| television = WJZ-TV

| radio = WBAL (AM)
(Chuck Thompson, Bill O'Donnell)

|}}

The 1968 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. The team finished second in the American League with a record of 91 wins and 71 losses, 12 games behind the AL and World Series champion Detroit Tigers. The team was managed for the first 80 games by Hank Bauer (who won 43 of them) and he was replaced right after the All-Star break by Earl Weaver. The Orioles' home games were played at Memorial Stadium.

Following the season, it was announced that the American League, along with the National League, would be split into two divisions for the 1969 season in order to accommodate the admittance of two new franchises to each league. The Orioles were assigned to the new American League East division.

Offseason

November 28, 1967: Elrod Hendricks was drafted by the Orioles from the California Angels in the 1967 rule 5 draft.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hendrel01.shtml Elrod Hendricks page at Baseball Reference]
November 28, 1967: Eddie Fisher was traded by the Baltimore Orioles with Bob Scott (minors) and John Scruggs (minors) to the Cleveland Indians for Gordy Lund and John O'Donoghue.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fisheed02.shtml|title=Eddie Fisher Stats}}
November 29, 1967: Luis Aparicio, Russ Snyder and John Matias were traded by the Orioles to the Chicago White Sox for Don Buford, Roger Nelson and Bruce Howard.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/n/nelsoro02.shtml Roger Nelson page at Baseball Reference.]
January 27, 1968: Tom Walker was drafted by the Orioles in the 1st round (9th pick) of the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/w/walketo02.shtml Tom Walker page at Baseball Reference]

Regular season

On April 27, 1968, Tom Phoebus would throw a no-hitter versus the Boston Red Sox. Frank Robinson would contribute with three RBIs in the win.100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Dan Connolly, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2015, ISBN 978-1-62937-041-5, p.213

= Season standings =

= Record vs. opponents =

= Notable transactions =

June 15, 1968: Bruce Howard was traded by the Orioles to the Washington Senators for Fred Valentine.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/valenfr01.shtml#trans Fred Valentine transactions at Baseball Reference]

= Roster =

class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%;"
colspan="10" style="background-color: black; color: white; text-align: center;" \| 1968 Baltimore Orioles
colspan="10" style="background-color: #F87217; color: white; text-align: center;" \| Roster
valign="top" \| Pitchers {{MLBplayer\|17\|Mike Adamson}} {{MLBplayer\|50\|Fred Beene}} {{MLBplayer\|32\|Gene Brabender}} {{MLBplayer\|27\|Wally Bunker}} {{MLBplayer\|25\|Moe Drabowsky}} {{MLBplayer\|44\|Jim Hardin}} {{MLBplayer\|16\|Bruce Howard}} {{MLBplayer\|40\|Dave Leonhard}} {{MLBplayer\|19\|Dave McNally}} {{MLBplayer\|37\|John Morris}} {{MLBplayer\|35\|Roger Nelson}} {{MLBplayer\|28\|John O'Donoghue}} {{MLBplayer\|36\|Tom Phoebus}} {{MLBplayer\|24\|Pete Richert}} {{MLBplayer\|39\|Eddie Watt}} \| width="25px" \| \| valign="top" \| Catchers {{MLBplayer\| 8\|Andy Etchebarren}} {{MLBplayer\|34\|Larry Haney}} {{MLBplayer\|10\|Elrod Hendricks}} Infielders {{MLBplayer\| 7\|Mark Belanger}} {{MLBplayer\|1,59\|Chico Fernández}} {{MLBplayer\|30\|Mike Fiore}} {{MLBplayer\| 2\|Bobby Floyd}} {{MLBplayer\|15\|Davey Johnson}} {{MLBplayer\|26\|Boog Powell}} {{MLBplayer\| 5\|Brooks Robinson}} \| width="25px" \| \| valign="top" \| Outfielders {{MLBplayer\| 6\|Paul Blair}} {{MLBplayer\| 3\|Curt Blefary}} {{MLBplayer\| 9\|Don Buford}} {{MLBplayer\|12\|Dave May}} {{MLBplayer\|21\|Curt Motton}} {{MLBplayer\|14,47\|Merv Rettenmund}} {{MLBplayer\|20\|Frank Robinson}} {{MLBplayer\|16\|Fred Valentine}} \| width="25px" \| \| valign="top" \| Manager {{MLBplayer\|42\|Hank Bauer}} {{MLBplayer\| 4\|Earl Weaver}} Coaches {{MLBplayer\|31\|George Bamberger}} {{MLBplayer\|41\|Vern Hoscheit}} {{MLBplayer\|55\|Billy Hunter}} {{MLBplayer\|48\|Ray Scarborough}} {{MLBplayer\|48\|George Staller}} {{MLBplayer\| 4\|Earl Weaver}}

class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%;"

colspan="10" style="background-color: black; color: white; text-align: center;" | 1968 Baltimore Orioles

colspan="10" style="background-color: #F87217; color: white; text-align: center;" | Roster

valign="top" | Pitchers

| width="25px" |

| valign="top" | Catchers

Infielders

| width="25px" |

| valign="top" | Outfielders

| width="25px" |

| valign="top" | Manager

Coaches

Player stats

= Batting =

== Starters by position ==

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

bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="5%" \| Pos ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="16%" \| Player ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| G ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| AB ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| H ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| Avg. ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| HR ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| RBI
class="wikitable sortable"
align="center" \| C	{{sortname\|Andy\|Etchebarren}}	74	189	44	.233	5	20
align="center" \| 1B	{{sortname\|Boog\|Powell}}	154	550	137	.249	22	85
align="center" \| 2B	{{sortname\|Davey\|Johnson}}	145	504	122	.242	9	56
align="center" \| 3B	{{sortname\|Brooks\|Robinson}}	162	608	154	.253	17	75
align="center" \| SS	{{sortname\|Mark\|Belanger}}	145	472	98	.208	2	21
align="center" \| LF	{{sortname\|Curt\|Motton}}	83	217	43	.198	8	25
align="center" \| CF	{{sortname\|Paul\|Blair\|Paul Blair (baseball)}}	141	421	89	.211	7	38
align="center" \| RF	{{sortname\|Frank\|Robinson}}	130	421	113	.268	15	52

== Other batters ==

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

bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="16%" \| Player ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| G ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| AB ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| H ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| Avg. ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| HR ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| RBI
class="wikitable sortable"
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Curt\|Blefary}}	137	451	90	.200	15	39
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Don\|Buford}}	130	426	120	.282	15	46
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Elrod\|Hendricks}}	79	183	37	.202	7	23
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Dave\|May}}	84	152	29	.191	0	7
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Fred\|Valentine\|Fred Valentine (baseball)}}	47	91	17	.187	2	5
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Larry\|Haney}}	38	89	21	.236	1	5
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Merv\|Rettenmund}}	31	64	19	.297	2	7
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Chico\|Fernández\|Chico Fernández (baseball, born 1939)}}	24	18	2	.111	0	0
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Mike\|Fiore\|Mike Fiore (baseball, born 1944)}}	6	17	1	.059	0	0
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Bobby\|Floyd\|dab=baseball}}	5	9	1	.111	0	1

= Pitching =

== Starting pitchers ==

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="16%" \| Player ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| G ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| IP ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| W ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| L ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| ERA ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| SO
class="wikitable sortable"
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Dave\|McNally}}	35	273.0	22	10	1.95	202
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Jim\|Hardin}}	35	244.0	18	13	2.51	160
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Tom\|Phoebus}}	36	240.2	15	15	2.62	193
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Mike\|Adamson\|Mike Adamson (baseball)}}	2	7.2	0	2	9.39	4

== Other pitchers ==

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="16%" \| Player ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| G ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| IP ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| W ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| L ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| ERA ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| SO
class="wikitable sortable"
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Dave\|Leonhard}}	28	126.1	7	7	3.13	61
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Gene\|Brabender}}	37	124.2	6	7	3.32	92
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Wally\|Bunker}}	18	71.0	2	0	2.41	44
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Roger\|Nelson\|Roger Nelson (baseball)}}	19	71.0	4	3	2.41	70
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Bruce\|Howard\|Bruce Howard (baseball)}}	10	31.0	0	2	3.77	19

== Relief pitchers ==

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="16%" \| Player ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| G ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| W ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| L ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| SV ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| ERA ! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" \| SO
class="wikitable sortable"
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Eddie\|Watt}}	59	5	5	11	2.27	72
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Moe\|Drabowsky}}	45	4	4	7	1.91	46
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Pete\|Richert}}	36	6	3	6	3.47	47
align="center" \| {{sortname\|John\|Morris\|John Morris (pitcher)}}	19	2	0	0	2.56	22
align="center" \| {{sortname\|John\|O'Donoghue\|John O'Donoghue (1960s pitcher)}}	16	0	0	2	6.14	11
align="center" \| {{sortname\|Fred\|Beene}}	1	0	0	0	9.00	1

Farm system

{{MLB Farm System|level15=AAA|team15=Rochester Red Wings|league15=International League|manager15=Billy DeMars

|level16=AA |team16=Elmira Pioneers|league16=Eastern League|manager16=Cal Ripken Sr.

|level17=A |team17=Stockton Ports|league17=California League|manager17=Joe Altobelli

|level18=A |team18=Miami Marlins|league18=Florida State League|manager18=Harry Malmberg

|level19=A-Short Season|team19=Aberdeen Pheasants|league19=Northern League|manager19=Bill Werle

|level20=Rookie|team20=Bluefield Orioles|league20=Appalachian League|manager20=Ken Rowe

}}

Notes

References

{{Cite book| editor1-last=Johnson| editor1-first=Lloyd| editor2-last=Wolff| editor2-first=Miles| title=The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball| edition=2nd| location=Durham, North Carolina| publisher=Baseball America| year=1997| isbn=978-0-9637189-8-3}}
[https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BAL/1968.shtml 1968 Baltimore Orioles team page at Baseball Reference]
[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=1968&t=BAL 1968 Baltimore Orioles season at baseball-almanac.com]

Category:Baltimore Orioles seasons

Baltimore Orioles season

Baltimore Orioles

Category:1960s in Baltimore