His acquisition from the Cincinnati Reds in 1966 was a fateful move that put the Orioles on top of the American League. But they ended his tenure in Baltimore when he was still productive.
Steve, the interview took place in the bowels of Camden Yards, a locker room, after an offseason workout by a pitcher. I'm not sure what the noise was, but people were working in the clubhouse, keeping it clean, etc.
A lot of GMs would have been fired for that trade, or fired when the club finished out of the running in '72. So, you had Baylor coming up and needed to make room for him. Well, if the best offer you can get is what the Dodgers offered, then you just don't make the trade, or keep looking. It's as if Cashen focused on trading with the Dodgers come h* or high water. Heck, just keep looking, or don't do it.
You're very right the a GM that makes such a trade and sees his team go from the World Series to out of the running could easily come under scrutiny. But Hoffberger was intensely loyal to Cashen, who'd worked for him for more than a decade at that point in horse racing, at the brewery, etc. Not a normal situation.
Great read. Like Brooksie said, we were a very good team, Frank made us a great team. The reverse happened when he left and the A's took over. I love Paulie's comment about the O's owing him 3 more rings.
John, Baltimore sportswriters Bill Tanton, Phil Jackman, and Bob Maisel, and editorial writer. James Bready expressed plenty of concern about losing Frank Robinson‘s productivity and leadership despite the up-and-coming Bobby Grich and Don Baylor poised to join the roster. Fans who were teenagers and older in 1971 who I interviewed were distraught over the loss of Frank from the club. It’s all covered in my new book “Baseball Fever in Baltimore: Frank Brooks, Boog, Earl and the 1969 to 1971 Orioles.”
Just read Part 1 of the Elrod interview. Interview itself was good in many ways. But what was all that banging in the background all about?
Steve, the interview took place in the bowels of Camden Yards, a locker room, after an offseason workout by a pitcher. I'm not sure what the noise was, but people were working in the clubhouse, keeping it clean, etc.
A lot of GMs would have been fired for that trade, or fired when the club finished out of the running in '72. So, you had Baylor coming up and needed to make room for him. Well, if the best offer you can get is what the Dodgers offered, then you just don't make the trade, or keep looking. It's as if Cashen focused on trading with the Dodgers come h* or high water. Heck, just keep looking, or don't do it.
You're very right the a GM that makes such a trade and sees his team go from the World Series to out of the running could easily come under scrutiny. But Hoffberger was intensely loyal to Cashen, who'd worked for him for more than a decade at that point in horse racing, at the brewery, etc. Not a normal situation.
Great read. Like Brooksie said, we were a very good team, Frank made us a great team. The reverse happened when he left and the A's took over. I love Paulie's comment about the O's owing him 3 more rings.
Thanks, Ron. A great what-if subject.
John, Baltimore sportswriters Bill Tanton, Phil Jackman, and Bob Maisel, and editorial writer. James Bready expressed plenty of concern about losing Frank Robinson‘s productivity and leadership despite the up-and-coming Bobby Grich and Don Baylor poised to join the roster. Fans who were teenagers and older in 1971 who I interviewed were distraught over the loss of Frank from the club. It’s all covered in my new book “Baseball Fever in Baltimore: Frank Brooks, Boog, Earl and the 1969 to 1971 Orioles.”
Thanks for adding that context to the post, Mark. For Bird Tapes subscribers interested in his new book, here's a link:
https://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Fever-Baltimore-1969-1971-Orioles/dp/1937943658?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER