Today we add Hall of Fame Baltimore Orioles legend Jim Palmer to my 1971 “Minor League Days” thread, celebrating the man’s incredible career:
Palmer’s road to Cooperstown was a bit rocky at first, with a couple of
jumps and starts because of injuries between 1964 and 1968.
As a matter of fact we’d probably be looking at a 2300-game winner if
not for over a season of missed time between 1967 and 1968.
Though he had a great first professional season in 1964 as an
18-year-old, going a combined 15-5 in the O’s system, he found himself
on a Major League mound in 1966, still a teen, going 5-4.
In 1966 he’d improve to a record of 15-10 for the surprising eventual
World Champs, shocking everyone with a sweep of the reigning champion
Los Angeles Dodgers, with Palmer contributing a complete game shutout.
But injuries derailed him until 1969 when he hit his stride, going 16-4
with a 2.34 ERA and six shutouts, completing 11 of 23 starts.
From there, all the man did was top 20-wins in eight of the next nine
seasons, winning three Cy Young Awards, the first American League
pitcher to do so, helping the Orioles to another championship in 1970,
eventually finishing with a career 268-152 record along with a brilliant
2.86 ERA and 53 shutouts before he was done in 1984.