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The modern Orioles franchise can trace its roots back to the original Milwaukee Brewers of the Western League, beginning in 1894 when the league reorganized. After a series of re-locations of the team from Milwaukee to St. Louis, the team finally ended up in Baltimore in 1953. The O's began the development phase of the team throughout the remainder of the 50's, and stars such as Brooks Robinson, John "Boog" Powell, and Dave McNally were emerging in the strong Orioles farm system. In 1966, what is considered one of the most lopsided trades in the history of baseball was made. The O's sent Milt Pappas to Cincinnati for slugger Frank Robinson. That same year, Robinson won the Most Valuable Player award.
Between 1966 and 1983, Baltimore proved to the world that it was the best team in the major leagues. The Orioles won three World Series and six American League pennants during this time. Cal Ripken Sr.'s coaching philosophy of the "Oriole Way," based on the idea that every coach instructs in the same manner, with a high level of professionalism and dedication, can be attributed to the success of the organization.
After a long drought the Orioles look to a new direction for the upcoming season. They began rebuilding in 2008 under GM Andy MacPhail. To start the process the O's traded away star players Miguel Tejada to the Astros and ace pitcher Erik Bedard to the Mariners. In return they received minor league pitchers Kameron Micholio, Chris Tillman, Tony Butler along with prospects Adam Jones and George Sherrill.
Going into 2009 the O's recently announced a six-year, $66 million contract for star player Nick Markakis. Markakis had a .299 batting average in his first three seasons. His numbers seem to get better every year, as he posted a .306 average with a .491 slugging percentage in 2008. The Orioles seem to be in the process of building a young supporting cast to go along with Markakis as their franchise player. The AL East is one of the toughest divisions in baseball, but with all of the new moves in place things may be looking up for Baltimore.
