September 17, 2026
September 17, 2026
The 1997 Baltimore Orioles: A Division Title and a Deep October Run
Coming off a disappointing and controversial end to their 1996 campaign, the Baltimore Orioles were looking to correct what appeared to be an obvious error on the part of the umpiring crew, and most of the 1996 roster would be kept intact for 1997.
The 1997 Baltimore Orioles went 98-64 to win the American League East division by just two games over their bitter rivals, the New York Yankees. The Orioles went 8-4 against the Yankees in head-to-head play, finishing 46-35 at home and 52-29 on the road. Though they slowed down in September, the Birds were solid on a monthly basis, going 16-7 in April, 20-8 in May, 15-12 in June, 16-11 in July, and 18-10 in August.
The 1997 Baltimore Orioles offense was deep and productive across the lineup.
Second baseman Roberto Alomar batted .333 with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs off 137 hits, 23 doubles, and 9 stolen bases in 112 games. Center fielder Brady Anderson batted .288 with 18 home runs and 73 RBIs off 170 hits, 39 doubles, 7 triples, and 18 stolen bases. Left fielder William James “B.J.” Surhoff batted .284 with 18 home runs and 88 RBIs off 150 hits, 30 doubles, and 4 triples. Third baseman Cal Ripken Jr. batted .270 with 17 home runs and 84 RBIs off 166 hits and 30 doubles. First baseman Rafael Palmeiro had 38 home runs and 110 RBIs off 156 hits and 24 doubles.
Right fielder Jeffrey Hammonds had 21 home runs, 105 hits, 19 doubles, 3 triples, and 15 stolen bases in 118 games. Catcher Chris Hoiles had 12 home runs, 83 hits, and 15 doubles in 99 games. Signed by the Orioles in free agency on December 13, 1996, shortstop Mike Bordick had 7 home runs, 120 hits, and 19 doubles. Designated hitter Geronimo Berroa had 10 home runs, 78 hits, and 13 doubles in 83 games. Catcher Lenny Webster had 7 home runs, 66 hits, and 8 doubles in 98 games. Right fielder Tony Tarasco had 7 home runs and 8 doubles in 100 games. Signed by the Orioles in free agency on December 19, 1996, right fielder Eric Davis had 8 home runs and 11 doubles in 42 games. Davis would go on to win the Roberto Clemente Award and the Hutch Award.
Starting pitcher Scott Erickson went 16-7 with 131 strikeouts and a 3.69 ERA, recording 3 complete games and 2 shutouts. Signed by the Orioles in free agency on December 10, 1996, Jimmy Key went 16-10 with 141 strikeouts and a 3.43 ERA, recording 1 complete game and 1 shutout. Mike Mussina went 15-8 with 218 strikeouts and a 3.20 ERA, recording 4 complete games and 1 shutout. Scott Kamieniecki went 10-6 with 109 strikeouts. Shawn Boskie went 6-6 in 9 starts with 1 save. Rick Krivda went 4-2 in 10 starts.
Closer Randy Myers had 45 saves and a 1.51 ERA. Relief pitcher Armando Benitez had 9 saves, 106 strikeouts, and a 2.45 ERA, while Arthur Rhodes went 10-3 with 1 save, 102 strikeouts, and a 3.02 ERA. Terry Matthews went 4-4 with 1 save. Jesse Orosco went 6-3 with a 2.32 ERA. Mike Johnson had 2 saves from the bullpen.
The 1997 MLB All-Star Game had plenty of representation from Baltimore, as Cal Ripken Jr., Roberto Alomar, and Brady Anderson all started for the American League, while Mike Mussina and Randy Myers were used as reserves.
The Orioles also went on an impressive seven-game winning streak that began on May 26 with an 8-6 win over the New York Yankees and ended on June 4 with a 9-7 victory over the same Yankees.
The 1997 Baltimore Orioles took on the surprise of that year’s Major League Baseball season, the Seattle Mariners, in the American League Division Series. Thankfully for the Orioles, they were not taken by surprise, as they eliminated the Mariners three games to one.
In Game 1 on October 1 at the Kingdome, the Orioles beat the Mariners 9-3. Mike Mussina pitched 7 innings and gave up 5 hits and 2 walks while recording 9 strikeouts. In the top of the 3rd inning, Mike Bordick had an RBI double, and in the bottom of the 4th, designated hitter Edgar Martinez hit a solo home run. In the top of the 5th, Brady Anderson had an RBI single, Eric Davis had a 2-run single, and then Geronimo Berroa hit a solo home run. In the top of the 6th, Chris Hoiles hit a solo home run, Bordick had an RBI single, and B.J. Surhoff had a 2-run double. In the bottom of the 7th, right fielder Jay Buhner tried to keep Seattle in the game with a solo home run, and shortstop Alex Rodriguez hit his own solo home run in the bottom of the 9th, but it was too little, too late.
In Game 2 on October 2, the Orioles beat the Mariners again by the score of 9-3. In the bottom of the 1st inning, center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. and Martinez struck first for Seattle with RBI groundouts. In the top of the 2nd, designated hitter Harold Baines hit a solo home run, and in the top of the 5th, Roberto Alomar had a 2-run double. In the top of the 7th, Anderson smacked a 2-run home run, and in the bottom of the 7th, pinch-hitting outfielder Rob Ducey had an RBI single. Baltimore ran away with the game in the top of the 8th as Lenny Webster drew a bases-loaded walk to score Jeffrey Hammonds, Bordick had a 2-run single, and Anderson finished the scoring with an RBI double.
The Mariners got their only win of the series with a 4-2 victory in Game 3 on October 4 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Jeff Fassero pitched 8 innings and gave up 3 hits, 4 walks, and 1 run while recording 3 strikeouts. Left fielder Roberto Kelly had an RBI double in the top of the 3rd inning, and Griffey Jr. had an RBI single in the top of the 5th. In the top of the 9th, Buhner and pinch-hitting first baseman Paul Sorrento both hit solo home runs. Hammonds had a 2-run double in the bottom of the 9th for the Orioles, but it was much too late.
Thanks to Mike Mussina’s bold performance on the mound, the Orioles eliminated the Mariners in Game 4 on October 5 with a 3-1 victory. Mussina pitched 7 innings and gave up 2 hits, 3 walks, and 1 run while recording 7 strikeouts. In the bottom of the 1st inning, second baseman Jeff Reboulet hit a solo home run, and Ripken Jr. followed with an RBI single. In the top of the 2nd, Martinez hit a solo home run. In the bottom of the 5th, Berroa hit his own solo home run.
The American League Championship Series in 1997 was not at all controversial, unlike the ALCS in 1996, as the better team simply emerged triumphant. Unfortunately for the Orioles, that team turned out to be the Cleveland Indians, as the Tribe eliminated the Birds four games to two, claiming the American League pennant for the second time in three seasons.
The initial signs were promising for Baltimore, however. In Game 1 on October 8 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the Orioles blanked the Indians 3-0. Scott Erickson pitched 8 innings and gave up only 4 hits while recording 3 strikeouts. In the bottom of the 1st, Brady Anderson hit a solo home run, and in the bottom of the 3rd, Roberto Alomar smacked a 2-run home run.
Down three games to one and facing elimination, the Birds went back to flying and kept the series going. The Orioles beat the Indians 4-2 in Game 5 on October 13 at Jacobs Field. Scott Kamieniecki pitched 5 innings and gave up 4 hits and 1 walk while recording 4 strikeouts. Jimmy Key then provided solid relief, pitching 3 innings and giving up 1 walk while recording 3 strikeouts. In the top of the 3rd inning, Geronimo Berroa had a 2-run single, and in the top of the 9th, Eric Davis hit a solo home run, and Cal Ripken Jr. followed with an RBI single. Cleveland tried to rally back in the bottom of the 9th, as third baseman Matt Williams and pinch-hitting second baseman Tony Fernandez both had RBI doubles, but it would be too late.
While the mid-1990s saw the Birds go back to flying in the postseason air, the 1997 Baltimore Orioles and their fans wouldn’t experience a similar run for over a decade, as it took 15 years to get the team back onto the postseason stage — a return that finally came in 2012.
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