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Just why the Orioles have never really excited Baltimore remains something of a mystery. Other blue-collar cities, such as Detroit and Pittsburgh, have supported baseball teams over the years. And the sports fans are certainly there: the pro Baltimore Colts are heroes. One reason why the Orioles do not draw better during the long, hot summer may be that the beaches and boats of Chesapeake Bay are just a short drive away. Another could be Memorial Stadium itself. The parking is limited, and any game that draws over 10,000 is sure to cause a traffic jam. For years fans have protested about having to wait in long lines for beer and bathrooms.
But this year, finally, there are signs of fresh support. Home attendance is averaging 20,531, compared with 14,407 last season, and there are some young faces in the generally middle-aged crowd. Occasionally, people having a backyard beer bust will even break out in a cheer, college-style: "O-R-I-O-L-E-S!"
There would be much more to cheer about in Baltimore this year had not the free-agent era dawned in 1976. Other teams stripped the financially strapped Orioles (operating losses last year: $232,141) of a gallery of stars. Reggie Jackson went to the Yankees for around $2.9 million. Second Baseman Bobby Grich got an estimated $1.75 million from the California Angels. Slugger Don Baylor went there too. Pitchers were hired away, Ross Grimsley by the Expos, Wayne Garland by Cleveland and Dick Drago by the Red Sox. "Yes," admits Orioles General Manager Hank Peters, "that's a good All-Star team. Believe me, it hurts, it hurts."
Yet nothing truly seems to hurt Baltimore. With a development program that has become a model for the rest of the major leagues, the club constantly replenishes its supply of first-class ballplayers. Says Cleveland Indians General Manager Gabe Paul: "Baltimore has made a tradition of having great scouts. They seem to have better eyes and better judgment " Fifteen of the 25 players on the current Oriole roster were brought up through the farm system, and with plenty of talent on the big club, Baltimore has the luxury of seasoning their young players before pushing them into the lineup. Example: Shortstop Luis Aparicio shared a season with Newcomer Mark Belanger in the late '60s while he developed the skills that have made him the American League's Gold Glove Winner eight times. Now Belanger, 35, is bringing along his understudy, Kiko Garcia, 25.
Thus the Orioles have maintained a remarkable continuity over the years blending age and youth. Oriole Coach Frank Robinson, a Triple Crown winner with the great clubs of the late '60s, which included Brooks Robinson and Boog Powell, explains: "A lot of clubs sit down at the end of spring training, pick the 25 best athletes and head north.
Here, they sit down and look for the right mix, and they do it in detail like no other ball club I've ever seen It's not just the best athletes or the best starting nine, it's who can do the best job of sitting on the bench for a week, then get up and get a hit? Who can steal a base as a pinch runner in the late innings? Who can play more than one position if someone gets injured? Nobody in baseball can put all those elements together better than Earl Weaver, because nobody can judge baseball talent as well as he can."