History of the Baltimore Orioles

Lore & Background

The franchise began as the Milwaukee Brewers in the Western League in 1894. When the Western League renamed itself the American League in 1900, the Brewers remained a member. After the American League declared itself a major league in 1901, the Brewers finished last among eight teams. In 1902, the team moved to St. Louis and became the Browns. Despite usually fielding mediocre teams, they were popular at the gate. In 1916, Robert Hedges sold the team to Phil Ball, who made efforts to make the Browns competitive but committed errors, including firing Branch Rickey, which benefited the crosstown Cardinals.

The Browns won their only St. Louis-based American League pennant in 1944, becoming the last of the 16 teams that made up the major leagues from 1901 to 1960 to play in a World Series. In 1951, Bill Veeck purchased the Browns and introduced promotions and antics. After failing to drive the Cardinals out of St. Louis, Veeck sold his stake to Baltimore investors, and the team moved to Baltimore for the 1954 season, renaming themselves the Orioles. The Orioles' early years in Baltimore saw a gradual climb to respectability, leading to their first World Series title in 1966. They enjoyed sustained success from 1966 to 1983, winning three World Series titles and six American League pennants (all as the Orioles).

Reader's Guide

The Baltimore Orioles franchise is significant as one of the oldest continuously operating teams in Major League Baseball, with origins dating to 1894. Their move from St. Louis to Baltimore in 1954 revitalized the franchise, leading to a golden era from 1966 to 1983 that included three World Series championships. The team's 1944 pennant as the St. Louis Browns marked the last of the original 16 major league teams to reach a World Series. The Orioles' legacy includes pioneering ballpark design with Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which opened in 1992 and influenced a wave of retro-style stadiums. The franchise also experienced notable lows, such as losing the first 21 games of the 1988 season, and periods of rebuilding in the late 1990s, 2000s, and 2020s. Their history reflects the broader evolution of baseball, from the minor-league Western League to a modern major league franchise.

Did You Know?

• The franchise began as the Milwaukee Brewers in the Western League in 1894.
• The Browns won their only St. Louis-based American League pennant in 1944.
• The team moved to Baltimore for the 1954 season and renamed themselves the Orioles.
• The Orioles lost the first 21 games of the 1988 season.

Origins in the Western League and the Birth of the American League

The franchise that would become the Baltimore Orioles began as the Milwaukee Brewers, a member of the minor-league Western League that reorganized in 1894. When the Western League rebranded itself as the American League in 1900, the Brewers remained part of the circuit. At the close of the 1900 season, the AL severed its ties to the National Agreement of 1883—the longstanding compact between the National League and the minor leagues—and declared itself a rival major league. The 1901 campaign marked the AL's first year operating at the major-league level, and the Brewers, playing at Lloyd Street Grounds between 16th and 18th Streets in Milwaukee, finished dead last among the league's eight clubs with a 48-89 record. Despite plans to relocate the team to St. Louis for that inaugural season, those efforts fell through due to a series of franchise shifts. The Brewers were one of only two former Western League clubs to survive the upheaval without folding or moving, the other being the Detroit Tigers.

The St. Louis Browns and the 1910 Batting Title Scandal

In 1902, the team relocated to St. Louis and adopted the name Browns, a nod to the original moniker of the 1880s club that had since become the Cardinals. Although the Browns rarely fielded competitive rosters—logging just four winning seasons between 1901 and 1922—they drew enormous crowds and enjoyed gate prosperity. The franchise became nationally infamous, however, during the 1910 season's final stretch. Detroit's Ty Cobb sat out the last game, confident his slim lead over Cleveland's Nap Lajoie would secure the batting title. Browns catcher-manager Jack O'Connor ordered rookie Red Corriden to guard shallow left field, enabling Lajoie to bunt safely down the third-base line in five at-bats. O'Connor and coach Harry Howell even attempted to bribe the official scorer into recording a hit. The resulting uproar led AL president Ban Johnson to insist that owner Robert Hedges fire both men, who were informally banned from baseball for life.

Phil Ball, Bill Veeck, and the Journey to Baltimore

Cold-storage magnate Phil Ball purchased the Browns in 1916 after years of gate prosperity under Robert Hedges. Ball reinvested all profits into the team and pushed the Browns into contention, including a second-place finish in 1922. Yet his tenure was marred by costly missteps, most notably the firing of Branch Rickey—a decision that ultimately benefited the Cardinals, who shared Sportsman's Park. Decades later, in 1951, Bill Veeck acquired the Browns and injected the franchise with a wave of promotions and theatrical stunts. Veeck's scheme to force the Cardinals out of St. Louis collapsed when Anheuser-Busch bought the rival club. He then lobbied to relocate the Browns to Milwaukee and subsequently Baltimore, but both moves were initially blocked by fellow American League owners. Veeck ultimately sold his stake to a group of Baltimore investors, and the team arrived in Baltimore for the 1954 season, reclaiming the Orioles name that Baltimore baseball clubs had used since the late 19th century.

The Golden Era, the Long Decline, and Modern Rebuilding

After a steady climb to respectability in their early Baltimore years, the Orioles captured their first World Series championship in 1966. From 1966 through 1983, the franchise enjoyed a remarkable stretch of sustained excellence, collecting three World Series titles and six American League pennants. That golden run ended abruptly; the 1988 season saw the Orioles lose their first 21 games, a nadir that defined a long period of mediocrity. The 1989 Why Not campaign brought a brief resurgence, with the team finishing second in the AL East. The 1992 opening of Oriole Park at Camden Yards signaled a new era, and the Orioles returned to the postseason in 1996 and 1997. The late 1990s and 2000s, however, were defined by losing seasons and rebuilding. Under manager Buck Showalter, the Orioles made the playoffs in 2012, 2014, and 2016, only to struggle again by decade's end, triggering another major rebuild. The 2020s have centered on developing young talent and laying the groundwork for future competitiveness.

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