george barnard wrote:Oriole possibilities for pitchers:
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1971 Jim Palmer 20-9 2.68/1.195
1973 Jim Palmer 22-9, 1 save 2.40/1.141
1976 Jim Palmer 22-13 2.51/1.076
1977 Jim Palmer 20-11 2.91/1.135 (is Palmer doomed never to perform well in ATG? '73 & '76 Cy Young winner)
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I think the community did a great job on suggestions for new Oriole cards, especially Bill, ratioman and Andy. Jim Palmer, especially, deserves to have a good card. Palmer won 3 Cy Young awards in a span of 4 years in the 1970s and would have gotten a fourth in 1977 if some members of the NY press weren't tired of giving it to him and voted for Sparky Lyle instead.
Palmer won more games than any other pitcher in the '70s. Yes, more than Seaver and Carlton, who had the benefit of pitching in the non-DH NL. We have great cards for Seaver and Carlton, but the best SOM can do for Palmer is 3 mediocre mid priced cards and a bad low priced card?
Several years ago, The Last Druid rightfully complained that Seaver didn't have any good cards, and a short time later, Seaver's two highest priced cards were added to the ATG card set by SOM.
I'm not sure which remaining uncarded Palmer season would produce the best card, as it seems cards for his seasons with the best numbers have already been issued, but SOM should figure that out and issue a good usable top notch Palmer card.
Also, I'd like to see the 1998 Eric Davis card. Davis was coming back from a fight with colon cancer and put up arguably the best numbers of his career, although he had lost a step or two defensively.
1998
Eric Davis OF, Orioles, .327 28 89 .388 .582 .970
Also, I think the 1999 Harold Baines card might be a little better than the 1993 card suggested by Bill (most of us could never live with an injury on a 9)
1999
Harold Baines, DH .312 25 103 .387 .533 .919
Lastly, I'm not much of a fan of an improved Al Bumbry card. Although Bumbry had some speed and could steal a base, he played poor defense, had a big drop off against lefties and never hit for much power. He's kind of like a poor man's version of Ralph Garr. While I guess he'd be OK to DH against righties on a smallball team, it seems that there are so many more players deserving of cards than Bumbry. Here's the cards for his best seasons:
1980
Al Bumbry, Orioles, OF .318 9 53 .392 .433 .825 44 SBs (bulletproof!)
http://365.strat-o-matic.com/player/831515/1680/1/801973
Al Bumbry Orioles, OF .337 7 34 .398 .500 .898 11 TR 23 SBs
http://365.strat-o-matic.com/player/731515/1670/1/70I think cards for Nick Markakis and Adam Jones would be much better alternatives than Bumbry.
2008
Nick Markakis RF, Orioles .306 20 87 .406 .491 .897 (bulletproof!). Career highs in BA, RUNS, DO (48!) OBP, SLG, OPS & OPS+. RF 1(-3)e3
http://365.strat-o-matic.com/player/706/2008/1/207142012
Adam Jones, CF, Orioles .287 32 82 .334 .505 .839 (bulletproof!). Career highs in RUNS, HITS, DO, BA, OBP, SLG, OPS & OPS+. Gold Glove. CF 1(-3)e8
http://365.strat-o-matic.com/player/580/2012/1/20714Lastly, I like the 1969 Mark Belanger card better than the 1976 card suggested elsewhere in this thread.
1969
Mark Belanger, SS, Orioles .287 2 50 .351 .345 .696. Career highs in HITS, RBI, BA, TB, OPS; Gold Glove
http://365.strat-o-matic.com/player/730727/1670/1/701976
Mark Belanger, SS, Orioles .270 1 40 .336 .326 .661 27 SBs. Career highs in DO, SBs, OPS+; Gold Glove