2003 Baltimore Orioles

The Saint Louis Browns officially became the Orioles when they relocated to Baltimore in 1953. They held their home games in Memorial Stadium until 1991, and since April 6, 1992, the Baltimore Orioles have hosted opponents in Oriole Park in Camden Yards located in Baltimore, Maryland. Approximately 2.45 million tickets were sold for 81 home games in the 2003 season. The amazing baseball-only facility has natural glass turf and a sunroof over the upper deck.

The Orioles have many accomplishments to brag about since their debut in Major League Baseball, including three World Series championships (1966, 1970, 1983). They also have won numerous American League and Eastern Division championships. Loyal fans help make the Oriole club such a terrific one. They average 30,302 ticket sales per game, placing them at number eleven in Major League Baseball, which consists of thirty teams.

The presence of big-name ballplayers has always been very prevalent in Baltimore. The most notable player in the history of the Orioles franchise is Cal Ripken, Jr. He holds the all-time record for consecutive games played by a Major League player, has a grocery list of awards, and has led the Orioles to many championships. Many other key players have committed to playing baseball in 2004 for the Orioles squad including Javy Lopez, Rafael Palmeiro, and Miguel Tejada. Currently, the highest paid athlete on the Baltimore Orioles is outfielder Albert Belle, formerly of the Cleveland Indians, who earned approximately $12.4 million in 2003. Following closely behind are designated hitter Rafael Palmeiro and catcher Javy Lopez, who received $9 million and $7 million, respectively. Palmeiro has recently announced his plans to retire as a Baltimore Oriole, whenever he does decide to retire. He recently signed a $4.5 million contract for the 2004 season. He describes his former years with the Orioles as 'the best five years of [his] career.'

The 2003 season did not end up as the Orioles had hoped. They had 71 wins and 91 losses, finishing fourth in the American League East with a winning percentage of 43.8%. They finished the year 30 games behind the New York Yankees, and also ended behind the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays. The sub-par performance of the Baltimore Orioles might be linked to a head coaching change in 2003.

The ball club has a great coaching staff consisting of manager Lee Mazzilli, who took over in 2003 for Mike Hargrove, hitting coach Terry Crowley, and pitching coach Mark Wiley. Mazzilli has recently coached in the minor leagues and was a player on the 1989 American League East champion Toronto Blue Jays team.

There are other exciting sports teams in the Baltimore area. Such teams include the collegiate Maryland Terps and the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, who made the playoffs in the 2003 season and are expected to do so again next season under the leadership of the incredibly strong yet light-footed running back Jamal Lewis and hard-hitting defensive linebacker Ray Lewis.