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What Really Happened in
1963
The
Baltimore Orioles
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"[General manager Lee] MacPhail's choice as the next manager, Billy Hitchcock, presided over a slide to seventh place [in 1962]; worse, he lacked the respect of the players. [Milt] Pappas attacked him openly in the press, [Jim] Gentile ignored club rules and taunted him in the clubhouse. MacPhail's contribution was to cut the salaries not only of Pappas and Gentile, but of [Steve] Barber and [Ron] Hansen as well. The result was a fourth-place finish and increased resentment among the players...."
---- Dewey & Acocella
Total Baseball
 "Billy Hitchcock, the one-time infielder, managed the Orioles in 1962, when we dropped to seventh place, and 1963, when we moved back up to fourth. Billy was the nicest guy you ever wanted to meet, but we didn't play very well under him. It was discouraging because I had thought the Orioles were on the verge of catching up to the Yankees.
"The major addition the Orioles made in 1963 was getting Luis Aparicio from the White Sox. Luis was just a sensational player offensively and defensively. He was the era's best-fielding shortstop. He had so much range that I could cheat more to the line than I did with [Ron] Hansen. Luis had led the league in stolen bases all 7 years he had been with the White Sox, and he led the league his first year with the Orioles, stealing 40 bases. I don't know if he had a special technique -- he just stole because he took a big lead, got a great jump, and had outstanding speed.
"We also got starter Mike McCormick and reliever Stu Miller in December of 1962 in a deal that sent Jack Fisher to the Giants. McCormick had several good years with the Giants before having arm problems in 1962. Unfortunately, he didn't have much success with us, although he'd revive his career in the late '60s.
"Stu Miller wasn't a flaky relief pitcher but a pretty serious man who liked to be left alone. I liked him. He was a nice man. On the mound he was great. There were a few phenomenons that would come along every now and then, and Stu Miller was one of them. No one was like him. Relief pitchers usually throw hard, but he got you on that unusual change-up -- batters knew it was coming but could do nothing. He could make hitters look funnier than any other pitcher.
"Another good relief pitcher we had was 6'6" Dick Hall. He had come to the Orioles in 1961 and was an excellent reliever for us for several years. In 1963 he had a streak of getting out 28 consecutive batters. In 1964 he would win 9 out of 10 and have an ERA under 2.00. He wasn't a flaky reliever -- in fact, he worked as a CPA in Baltimore. He was a student of the game .... He had perfect control and just pitched away, away, away all the time...."
-- Brooks Robinson
We Played the Game
Luis Sparkles at Short
Luis Aparicio never got the kind of attention in his time that Ozzie Smith [enjoyed], but he was every bit as good a shortstop. Aparicio either holds or shares almost every major career fielding record for American League shortstops, as well as the major league mark for most games by a shortstop (2.599). In 1963, Aparicio topped the circuit with 40 stolen bases.
--The Baseball Chronicle
 Boog Powell
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Team Leaders
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1963 Season Results
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Transactions
 Signed Lee Bales (IF) as an amateur free agent.Signed Wally Bunker (P) as an amateur free agent.Signed David Leonhard (P) as an amateur free agent.Signed John Matias (OF) as an amateur free agent.Signed Jim Ray (P) as an amateur free agent.Signed Don Secrist (P) as an amateur free agent.Signed Ron Stone (OF) as an amateur free agent.(1/14)Traded Hoyt Wilhelm (P), Dave Nicholson (OF), Pete Ward (OF) and Ron Hansen (SS) to the Chicago White Sox for Luis Aparicio (SS) and Al Smith (OF).(1/19)Sent Tom Baker (P) to the Washington Senators for future considerations.(3/26) Received Tom Baker (P) back from the Washington Senators.(4/29)Claimed Curt Blefary (OF) from the New York Yankees on first-year waivers.(5/8)Sold Hobie Landrith (C) to the Washington Senators.(5/15) Claimed Bobby Darwin from the Los Angeles Angels on first-year waivers.(5/23) Released Pete Burnside (P).(6/9) Signed Ike Delock (P) as a free agent.(7/1) Sold Charlie Lau (C) to the Kansas City Athletics.(7/14) Purchased George Brunet (P) from the Houston Colt 45's.(7/19) Released Ike Delock (P).(8/16) Signed Jim Palmer (P) as an amateur free agent.(10/11) Sold Fred Valentine (OF) to the Washington Senators.(11/27) Traded Jim Gentile (1B) and $25,000 to the Kansas City Athletics for Norm Siebern (1B).(12/2) MAJOR LEAGUE DRAFT: Selected Lou Jackson (OF) from the Milwaukee Braves.(12/2) MINOR LEAGUE DRAFT: Selected Don Wallace (IF) from the St. Louis Cardinals.(12/2) FIRST-YEAR DRAFT: Selected Mike Fiore (1B) from the New York Mets.(12/2) FIRST-YEAR DRAFT: Jim Ray (P) was selected by the Houston Colt 45's.(12/2) FIRST-YEAR DRAFT: Don Secrist (P) was selected by the Cincinnati Reds.(12/4) Traded Al Smith (OF) and $25,000 to the Cleveland Indians for Willie Kirkland (OF).(12/13) Traded Ozzie Virgil (3B) to the Milwaukee Braves for Ted Kazanski (SS).(12/14) Traded Dick Yencha (Minors) and cash to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Harvey Haddix (P). |
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