1969 ALCS: The Orioles Sweep The Twins

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The League Championship Series round was brand-new in 1969, and the first edition of the ALCS was between the Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins. Two young, aggressive managers who would both become very familiar with each other and to baseball fans everywhere were in the dugouts—Earl Weaver and Billy Martin. There was some extremely tense baseball played, but it was the Orioles who consistently came out on top and captured the pennant.

You can read more about the key players for each team and their regular season journey to the playoffs at the links below. This article will focus exclusively on the games of the 1969 ALCS.

LCS play began as a best-of-five round and would stay that way through 1984. Homefield was done on a rotation basis rather than by regular season record. The rotation for this first year called for Baltimore to host the first two games, with Minnesota being at home for the balance of the series.

So, on a Saturday afternoon in old Memorial Stadium, the Orioles sent Cy Young Award winner Mike Cuellar to face Twins’ ace Jim Perry. Both pitchers got settled in quickly and the first three innings of Game 1 passed by without a serious threat.

Frank Robinson delivered the first big offensive blow with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. But the Twins answered right back in the top of the fifth. Tony Oliva doubled to right. When Robinson made an error on the play, Oliva was able to take third. And thus, in position to score the tying run on a sac fly from Bob Allison.

Baltimore shortstop Mark Belanger wasn’t known for his power, but he delivered a two-out, solo blast in the top of the fifth to put his team up 2-1. But in the top of the seventh, Oliva was again the one to answer. After a walk to American League MVP Harmon Killebrew, Oliva homered. The Twins had a 3-2 lead.

In the top of the ninth, Minnesota got a rally going when Cesar Tovar worked a leadoff walk and then stole second. Pete Richert came out of the Baltimore bullpen. The big guns of the Twins lineup had a chance to add on. But Richert struck out Rod Carew. After intentionally walking Killebrew, Richert K’d Oliva. Then the reliever got Bob Allision. The game stayed 3-2.

Richert’s heroics proved consequential when Boog Powell homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth and tie the game 3-3. Brooks Robinson then singled and took second on an outfield error. Ron Perranoski came out of the Minnesota bullpen. Carew, playing second base, committed an error, but Brooks Robinson was unable to advance to third. Still, there were runners on first and second and none out.

But now it was Perranoski’s turn to do some heroic relief work. He got Davey Johnson to pop up, then retired Belanger and Merv Rettenmund. Extra innings awaited.

In the 11^th, the Orioles got one-out singles from Powell and Brooks Robinson. Chico Salmon came of the bench to bat for Richert (there was no designated hitter until 1973). Salmon hit the ball hard, but he lined out to right and Perranoski got out of it.

The Twins threatened in the 12^th, with a walk, a single, a wild pitch, and an intentional walk. Weaver lifted Marcelino Lopez and brought in Dick Hall. The latter struck out Leo Cardenas and killed the threat.

Baltimore got a soft rally going in the 12^th that started when Belanger legged out an infield hit. Andy Etchebarren bunted him up to second. A groundout by Don Buford got Belanger over to third with two outs. Paul Blair was at the plate. He put down a bunt. And he beat it out. Ballgame. The first American League Championship Series game ever played had been an instant classic.

Both cities had contending NFL teams to keep track of on Sunday. The Baltimore Colts had lost a memorable Super Bowl the prior year, and the Minnesota Vikings would suffer a similar fate this year. The Colts and Vikings both won today, while their baseball counterparts battled it out in a game that, in an era where the NFL hadn’t taken off yet, was by far the signature sporting event.

Dave McNally was pitching for the Orioles, facing off with the Twins’ Dave Boswell. Baltimore threatened in the second. Powell and Brooks Robinson started the frame with singles. Davey Johnson put down what was supposed to be a sacrifice bunt, but he beat it out and loaded the bases.. But Boswell buckled down. He got Belanger to pop out. Etchebarren’s fly ball to left was too shallow to score the run. And McNally struck out.

Minnesota threatened in the top of the fourth when Oliva singled, stole second and moved up to third on a fly ball. But with one out, Rich Reese popped up and the Twins failed to score.

McNally and Boswell were both dealing and starting rolling through each team’s lineup. No one mustered so much as a threat until we were again in extra innings. The 10^th passed without incident. So did the top of the 11^th. Both starters were still in the game when Powell came to bat in the bottom of the 11^th.

The big slugger worked a walk. Brooks Robinson got a bunt down to move the runner into scoring position. Davey Johnson was intentionally walked to put the double play back in order. Belanger missed another chance when he popped up. Reserve outfielder Curt Motton came to the plate. For the second straight afternoon, two-out heroics delivered the Orioles in extra innings. Motton singled to right. Baltimore had a 1-0 win, and a two-zip lead in the series.

There was no travel day, and there was also no night baseball in the postseason, so they were back at it on Monday afternoon in Minnesota’s old Metropolitan Stadium. The Twins gave the ball to Bob Miller to try and keep their season alive. The Orioles turned to young Jim Palmer to try and win the pennant.

Buford and Blair began the game by beating out infield hits. In keeping with the tone of the series to date, a pitcher got out of it. Miller induced a groundout from Frank Robinson, and then a double play off the bat of Powell.

In the bottom of the first, Minnesota struck with two outs. Oliva continued his strong series with a double, and took third on a wild pitch. After Killebrew was intentionally walked, Reese knocked an RBI single. The Twins had given the fans reason to have hope.

But the Orioles wasted no time snuffing it out. Brooks Robinson opened the top of the second by doubling to left. Davey Johnson hit a fly ball to right that Oliva flubbed. There were now runners on the corners. Elrod Hendricks doubled in both runs and Baltimore had a 2-1 lead. After Belanger and Palmer were set down, Buford knocked a two-out RBI single to make it 3-1. Miller was gone.

The Birds had some momentum and they kept it going in the fourth. Belanger tripled to lead it off. After Palmer struck out and Buford worked a walk, Blair slashed a two-run double. It was 5-1, and for the first time in this series, a team could feel comfortable.

Minnesota got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when Killebrew doubled and Reese picked him up with an RBI single. But Baltimore got the run right back in the top of the sixth when Bufrod’s one-out double was followed by singles from Blair and Frank Robinson. It was 6-2 and the Orioles had just twelve outs left to get.

Buford singled again in the top of the eighth. This time Blair followed him with a home run. It was 8-2, and it was all over but the shouting. For good measure, Baltimore tacked on three runs in the ninth, capped by a double from Blair.

Palmer had gone the distance. The future Hall of Fame pitcher faced another future Hall of Famer in Carew with two outs in the ninth. Carew grounded out to second and Baltimore had swept the first-ever American League Championship Series.

There were heroes aplenty for the victorious Birds. They were led by what might be called the Killer B’s—Buford, Brooks, Blair, and Boog. Buford had gone 4-for-14 with three walks and set the table in some key rallies. Brooks had gone 7-for-14. Blair went 6-for-15 and drove in six runs. Boog went 5-for-13.

The American League didn’t start picking an LCS MVP until 1980. Who would you have taken? I’d go with Blair, thanks to the RBIs, and his big two-out bunt to win Game 1 really being the biggest single play of the series. A hat tip can also go to McNally, for his 11 scoreless innings to win Game 2.

Oliva had swung the bat well in defeat, going 5-for-13. But he was the only one. Carew’s struggles were most notable, as he went 1-for-14. That also made it possible for Baltimore to pitch around Killebrew, issuing the big slugger six walks.

For Baltimore, it was on to the World Series. They were a heavy favorite and won the opener. But the New York Mets completely turned it around, won the next four, and broke Oriole hearts.

But both the Orioles and Twins would be back—they would rematch in the 1970 ALCS, with the result being another three-game sweep for Baltimore. And this time, the Birds finished it off with a World Series title.