MLB 9s: Baltimore Orioles—Frank Robinson, Miguel Tejada Greatest Ever

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The Baltimore Orioles may not have been to the postseason since 1997, but the Maryland franchise has a rich history which includes three World Series victories and a string of first place finishes in the AL East under Earl Weaver in the 1970s.

One question, hundreds of answers. Which Oriole had the greatest offensive season at his position?

Major League baseball has been asking fans this same question in an effort to choose each team's best ever collection of stars. They are calling it MLB 9s.

Here I have separated the contenders from the pretenders in an effort to pick my dream Baltimore Orioles lineup. Have your say by commenting below or by voting on the MLB site here.

To view my archive page with the rest of the teams' All-Time 9s, click here. The links are at the bottom of the page.

Catcher: Chris Hoiles (1993)

Hoiles took over the starting catcher’s job in 1991 and developed into a legitimate threat at the plate, as his 1993 season can testify.

Hoiles had career highs in home runs (29), RBI (82), walks (69), batting average (.310) and runs (80). His OBP of .416 and slugging percentage of .585 were both good enough for fifth in the American League, and he even made his way onto the AL MVP ballot.

Highlight Game: June 22, 1993 vs. Detroit. Hoiles recorded his first of three multi-bomb games of the season, going 3-for-4 with six RBI and a walk.

Competition: Mickey Tettleton hit 26 homers in 1989 and Javy Lopez batted .316 with 86 RBI in 2004. I was torn between Hoiles and Lopez, but more walks and fewer strikeouts was the deal-breaker.

First Base: Jim Gentile (1961)

Back in the early 60s there was apparently no such thing as the sophomore slump. Six months after being selected to the All Star Game in his rookie season, Gentile hit 46 home runs for the Orioles, lighting up Memorial Stadium with his ferocious swing. Batting .302, Gentile recorded 141 RBI , 96 runs and 96 walks.

He finished third in the AL in home runs, second in runners batted in, and he lost out in the MVP race to a pair of Yankees called Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle who hit 115 jacks between them.

Highlight Game: May 9, 1961 @ Minnesota. Diamond Jim—a former Brooklyn Dodger—had one of the best ever starts to a game against the Twins in the spring of 1961 when he hit a grand slam in both the first and second inning.

Gentile cooled down the rest of the game, finishing 2-for-3 with nine RBI, a walk and a sacrifice fly. Gentile’s nine-RBI game still stands as an Orioles record, almost 50 years on.

Competition: I would not be annoyed if George Sisler wins the first base battle, because his .407 average was just incredible. Unfortunately, things from the 1920s just aren’t viewed in the same way. It may have been a different era, but Sisler hit 19 home runs in that 1920 season and also stole 42 bases.

Rafael Palmeiro’s 1996 season was a close third for me because of his 39 homers and 142 batted in.

Second Base: Roberto Alomar (1996)

Alomar was the unsung star of the ’96 Orioles team which included a 50-home-run hitter in Brady Anderson, 100-plus-RBI threats in Rafael Palmeiro, Cal Ripken and Bobby Bonilla, and 19-game winner Mike Mussina.

Alomar’s 22 home runs ranked sixth on the team, while his 94 RBI was fifth. But Alomar led the team in batting average (.328), runs (132), doubles (43) and walks (90). An All-Star, Silver Slugger and Gold Glover in ’96, Alomar had the greatest single season of any O’s 2B.

Highlight Game: August 15, 1996 @ Oakland. Alomar racked up four hits with a home run, walk and double in a 3-RBI blowout 18-5 win against the As in California.

Competition: Alomar hit for both average and power and had the ability to run. Brian Roberts (2005) put up similar numbers with a .314 average, 18 home runs and 27 steals, and Delino DeShields swiped 37 bags in 2000 but only launched 10 bombs. It is Alomar’s 132 runs which puts him ahead of the competition here.

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