Since the start of the century, the Orioles have had 34 different players and a total of 50 different All-Star campaigns. But which of those were the most odd?
We have constructed five of the most weird, strange or odd All-Star seasons from Orioles players this century. From the number of games played to stats not really being “All-Star” worthy, let’s discuss the five weirdest All-Star seasons since 2000 for the Baltimore Orioles.
Matt Wieters – 2014
Matt Wieters was a four-time All-Star with the Orioles, so he has proven himself many times to be sent to the Mid-Summer Classic. However, his 2014 campaign is really intriguing.
Wieters slashed .308/.339/.500 with a .839 OPS, a line that certainly looks worthy of being named an All-Star, except Wieters only played in 26 games during the 2014 season, with his final appearance being on May 10.
Wieters was sidelined due to an elbow injury and would eventually need Tommy John surgery, regardless of being the top vote-getter for AL catchers come June of 2014. The switch-hitting backstop would be the top vote-getter and be named the starter for the AL team but was replaced in the lineup by Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez and in the reserves by Minnesota Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki.
It was a big “What if?” season for Wieters, as the Orioles would win the AL East that year. Who knows if the 2014 postseason would have panned out differently with Wieters behind the dish?
Melvin Mora – 2003
From 2003 to 2005, Melvin Mora was an unstoppable force offensively for the Orioles.
In 2003, Mora, in the first half, hit .349/.443/.560 with a 1.003 OPS, collecting 96 hits, 17 doubles, 13 home runs and 45 RBIs. That production was good enough for him to be invited as a reserve for the All-Star Game, but not for the position O’s fans knew him to play.
Mora would go to the All-Star Game as a left fielder for the final time in his career. In fact, after the 2003 season, the Venezuelan native would only go on to play four games in the outfield for the remainder of his career.
Mora would eventually fall apart in the second half and finished the season with just 96 games played due to injuries in his wrist and knee. What is strange about his 2003 All-Star season is that his 2004 season was miles better, yet he only got nods for 2003 and 2005. In 2004, Mora slashed an impressive .340/.419/.562 with a career-high .981 OPS.
Ty Wigginton – 2010
Ty Wigginton is probably the most random Orioles All-Star since the 2000 season, but it was not him being named an All-Star that was an oddity. It was where he was placed for the game.
Wigginton slashed .252/.334/.434 with a .768 OPS in the first half of the 2010 season, compiling 76 hits, 13 doubles, 14 home runs and 45 RBIs. He was named to the 2010 AL All-Star team as a reserve at second base.
Wigginton played a total of 40 games at second base in 2010 due to Brian Roberts being injured with a lower abdomen injury while also just coming back from a herniated disk in his back.
The San Diego native, who played 683 games at third and 336 games at first during his career, had his only All-Star nod as a second baseman, where he played 168 games throughout his career.
B.J. Ryan – 2005
In his final year with the Orioles, B.J. Ryan finally got his All-Star nod.
During the 2005 season, Ryan pitched in 39 first-half games and collected 19 saves over 39.1 innings pitched. He gave up 31 hits, 11 earned runs, 12 walks and 59 strikeouts in that span.
Ryan finished the season with 36 saves, which was his first season of having 30+ saves. However, the lefty converted the fewest saves by an All-Star reliever on the AL team that year.
That season was also the first year that Ryan was named the Orioles’ closer, and he took full advantage of his opportunity, to say the least. He would finish his career with 117 saves to his name.
George Sherrill – 2008
The 2008 season was George Sherrill‘s first and only full season with the Orioles, and he played well enough to earn an All-Star honor, but it was a weird season for the Memphis product.
Sherrill, in the first half, posted a 4.08 ERA in 43 games and converted 28 saves. He tossed 39.2 innings of work, gave up 32 hits and 18 earned runs, walked 24 and struck out 43. However, the oddities did not happen until after the Mid-Summer Classic.
Sherrill went on to convert just three saves in the second half and posted a 6.59 ERA in 14 games and 13.2 innings. What started out as a promising campaign for the southpaw took a dive quickly.
Which All-Star oddity intrigued you the most? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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