The Baltimore Orioles have had many players come through the organization that have left their mark and helped in shaping what has been called ‘The Oriole Way.’
‘The Oriole Way’ emphasizes teamwork, a strong work ethic and player development. This is something that has led to the most recent turnaround for the organization.
With Black History Month coming to an end, we want to look into some players who helped to establish and carry forward what ‘The Oriole Way’ embodies.
Alonza “The Bee” Bumbry was a late-round draft pick (11th round, pick 267) in 1968 who became an all-time Oriole great outfielder.
Bumbry starred as a basketball player at Virginia State. It wasn’t until his senior year that Virginia State reinstated the baseball program, and scouts got to see what Bumbry could do on the diamond.
Bumbry would serve in the Army after serving in ROTC during college. From 1969 to 1971, Bumbry led a platoon in the Vietnam War where he won the Bronze Star.
Making his major league debut in September of 1972, the former Virginia State product would burst onto the scene in 1973.
Bumbry would play 110 games in ’73 and slash .337/.398/.500/.898, collecting 23 stolen bases and leading the league with 11 triples en route to Rookie of the Year honors, the first Black player for the Orioles to win the award.
Bumbry went on to be an All-Star and won Most Valuable Oriole in 1980, helping to win a World Series for the Birds in 1983.
He was one of the better leadoff hitters during his time with the Orioles. He still ranks in the top 10 in stolen bases and runs scored for his career.
Bumbry was talented enough to be able to play any of the outfield positions but spent most of his time playing center field. Of the 1,416 games Bumbry played in, he was credited with starting 85% of them (1,200).
Bumbry’s speed is what was valuable and his ability to get on base, as evident by his .343 career on-base percentage. He collected 40+ walks in a season six times during a seven-year stretch, with a career-high of 78 set in 1980. He also struck out no more than 88 times in a season during his career.
Though he played one season with the San Diego Padres, Bumbry played 13 seasons with the Orioles and will always be remembered as an Oriole legend.
Al Bumbry and Gary Roenicke joined Rob Long to reminisce on the 1983 WS championship. pic.twitter.com/sSABuseSxd
— Orioles on MASN (@masnOrioles) August 5, 2023
The Fredericksburg, VA, native was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1987 and is also a member of both the Virginia and the Maryland Hall of Fame. In November of last year, Bumbry received a Life in Baseball Award from the Middle Atlantic Scouts Association.
Bumbry set the standard for leadoff hitters for the Orioles, but it was his selfless attitude and willingness to do what was needed to help the team win that makes him special.
Alonza Benjamin Bumbry carved out a legacy in Baltimore that will have him as one of the best Orioles of all time. We celebrate him and his contributions to Birdland this Black History Month.
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