Earl Weaver

Earl Sidney Weaver (August 14, 1930 – January 19, 2013) was an American professional baseball manager, author, and television broadcaster. After playing in minor league baseball, he retired without playing in Major League Baseball (MLB). He became a minor league manager, and then managed in MLB for 17 years with the Baltimore Orioles (1968–1982; 1985–86), winning a World Series championship in 1970. Weaver's style of managing was summed up in the quote: "pitching, defense, and the three-run homer." He did not believe in placing emphasis on "small ball" tactics such as stolen bases, hit and run plays, or sacrifice bunts, though these views developed somewhat over time. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.

Early life

Weaver was born on August 14, 1930, in St. Louis, Missouri.<ref name=":0" /> He was the son of Earl Milton Weaver, a dry cleaner who cleaned the uniforms of the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns (who would later become the Baltimore Orioles), and Ethel Genevieve Wakefield. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer, who pitched under Weaver for 14 seasons in the major leagues, wrote that his manager was "brought up in St. Louis on the bad side of a street where even the good side isn't too good."<ref name="page xi">Palmer and Dale, p. xi</ref> The Weavers lived in a crowded section of St. Louis, within a mile of Sportsman's Park, home to the Cardinals and Browns. As a child Weaver saw the players on the great St. Louis Cardinals teams up close, when he accompanied his father into the team's clubhouse, or made pickups and deliveries of their uniforms.<ref name=":0" />

Weaver was an avid baseball fan. His baseball hero was Cardinals' shortstop Leo Durocher, who would go on to become a hall of fame manager.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was fascinated with managers and studied them carefully, even as an adolescent and teenager. Among the managers he studied, the hometown Cardinals were managed by future hall of famer Billy Southworth (1940-45), whose teams won at least 105 games each season from 1942-44.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The next team to win over 100 games three consecutive years was Weaver's Baltimore Orioles (1969-71).<ref name=":6">Template:Cite news</ref>

Weaver was also an avid baseball player as a youth. As a young teenager, he played on his father's St. Louis city league team that won three city titles, with a 53–2 record. He starred as an infielder on the baseball team at Beaumont High School in St. Louis, was co-captain of the football team, and was also on its state championship basketball team. His baseball coach, Ray Elliott, was disciplined and detailed in fundamentals in shaping his players; and loved Weaver’s fight as a player. Weaver also played four years of American Legion baseball in St. Louis.<ref name=":0" />

Playing career

The St. Louis Cardinals signed the 17-year-old Weaver in 1948 as a second baseman.<ref name=":5">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Playing for the Class-D West Frankfurt Cardinals in 1948, he had a .268 batting average, with 92 bases on balls and 96 runs scored and only 24 strikeouts. He was named an all-star. Playing Class-C ball in 1949, his average improved to .282, with an on-base percentage of .382, 75 bases on balls, 101 runs batted in (RBI), 80 runs scored and 17 stolen bases. In 1950, he hit .276 playing Class-B baseball for the Winston-Salem Cardinals of the Carolina League; though he had been hitting around .300 before a thumb injury. In 1951, he hit .279 with the Single-A Omaha Cardinals, and was again an all-star. He was a flashy fielder and hard base runner, and the fans loved him for competing all out when he played; though he did not hit with power, lacked speed, and had a mediocre throwing arm.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":4">Template:Cite book</ref>

Weaver's best, and essentially only, opportunity to make the Cardinals major league roster came in the Cardinals' spring training of 1952 when he was part of the team's 40-man roster. He performed well and many believed he could make the team as a backup second baseman. But his competition for backup second baseman was the Cardinals new manager, 35-year old Eddie Stanky, who had final decision making authority over who made the Cardinals final roster. Stanky ultimately chose himself over Weaver. Weaver became dispirited, falling into drink and depression. He played 1952 and the following eight years in the minor leagues, never reaching above the Double-A level except for a handful of games.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" />

After 1953, his rights were sold to the Denver Bears in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. In 1956, he wound up playing for the independent Montgomery Rebels in Single-A baseball, who would become the Knoxville Smokies. By 1957, he was in the Orioles farm system.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":1" />

Two of Weaver's minor league managers influenced his own future as a manager: George Kissell at Winston-Salem and Andy Cohen in Denver. Kissell had worked with Branch Rickey in building the Cardinals farm system and developed the Cardinals way of playing baseball; and Cohen, who taught Weaver about the psychology of handling players, had played under hall of fame manager John McGraw.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Weaver considered Kissell and Orioles manager Paul Richards as his greatest managerial influences.<ref name=":5" /> In addition to Weaver, Kissell was a teacher to hall of fame managers Sparky Anderson, Joe Torre, and Tony La Russa.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Managerial career

Minor leagues

Weaver started his minor league managerial career in 1956 with the unaffiliated Knoxville Smokies in the South Atlantic League. He joined the Orioles in 1957 as manager of their Fitzgerald, Georgia, club in the Georgia–Florida League. The Orioles moved him up to their franchise in Dublin, Georgia, in 1958, and to their Aberdeen, South Dakota, club in 1959. In 1960, he managed the Fox Cities Foxes in Wisconsin in the Class-B Three-I League. He advanced to the AA Elmira Pioneers in 1962 and to the AAA Rochester Red Wings in 1966. As a minor league manager, he compiled a record of 841 wins and 697 defeats (.547)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> with three championships or first place finishes in 11½ seasons.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Citation needed

In 1956, the Orioles established a spring training camp for all of their minor league players in Thomasville, Georgia, where they were taught what came to be known as "the Oriole Way". The players would be evaluated by farm team executives, managers and coaches who gathered in a conference room called "the Bird's Nest", and either assigned a player to one of the Orioles minor league teams or cut him from the organization. Weaver became the director of the Thomasville camp in 1961.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Baltimore Orioles

Weaver was appointed to replace Gene Woodling as the Orioles' first-base coach on October 3, 1967,<ref>"Orioles Tab 3 Coaches" Associated Press, Tuesday, October 3, 1967</ref> and spent the first half of the 1968 season in that capacity before succeeding Hank Bauer as manager on July 11.<ref>"Earl Weaver New Orioles Manager" United Press International, Thursday, July 11, 1968</ref> His contract was for one year; he would continue to work under one-year contracts throughout his tenure with the team.<ref>Palmer and Dale, p. 74</ref>

File:Earl Weaver 1977.jpg

Weaver in 1977 with umpire Ken Kaiser

During his tenure as major league manager, the Orioles won the American League pennant in 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1979, each time winning 100 games.<ref name=":7">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Weaver was the first manager since Billy Southworth (1942–44) to win 100 games in three straight seasons.<ref name=":6" />

1969-1971

In 1969, the Orioles were defeated in the World Series in five games by the New York Mets team known as the Miracle Mets.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was ejected in Game 4 of that series by umpire Shag Crawford for arguing balls and strikes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1970, the Orioles won the World Series by defeating the Cincinnati Reds (The "Big Red Machine") in five games.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1971, the Orioles had four twenty-game winners,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> swept the Oakland Athletics in the playoffs,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but lost the World Series in seven games to the Pittsburgh Pirates.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Pirates pitcher Steve Blass pitched a complete game and gave up four hits in the deciding seventh game, allowing the Orioles to score only one run in a 2–1 loss.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The key to the Pirates World Series victory, however, was the relief pitching performance of rookie Bruce Kison in game 4, that Weaver said turned the series around.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Ironically, Kison would become a pitching coach, scout, and trusted advisor in the Orioles organization for twenty years, and the team mourned his death.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Blair house rebellion

Before the 1972 season, the Orioles traded 36-year old team leader Frank Robinson, though they added rising stars Don Baylor and Bobby Grich.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":7" /> They went from four twenty game winners to only one 20 game winner (Jim Palmer), and missed the playoffs for the first time since Weaver became a full-time manager.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Orioles returned to the playoffs in 1973, losing to the Oakland Athletics in the American League Championship Series, 3–2.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Weaver loved scoring with three-run home runs, "a great plan if you have Boog Powells and Frank Robinsons and Brooks Robinsons," according to Palmer.<ref name="page 51">Palmer and Dale, p. 51</ref> The 1974 team still had Powell and Brooks Robinson, but they hit only 19 home runs between them that year; and the team hit only 116 total home runs, with no player reaching even 20 home runs.<ref name=":8">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Orioles weakest home runs years were 1972-74, during Weaver's initial reign.<ref name=":10" /> Yet Weaver insisted on continuing to use the strategy. With the team eight games behind the Red Sox in late August, the Orioles held a secret player's-only meeting at gold glove center fielder Paul Blair's house.<ref name="page 238">Wilson, p. 238</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Their new strategy, according to Palmer, was "Squeeze every hit and every base and every run you can out of every play."<ref name="page 51" /> To accomplish this goal, the players came up with secret signs they would use in games.<ref name="page 51" /> The new strategy worked, as Baltimore overcame the deficit to clinch the division at the end of the year.<ref>Wilson, pp. 238-239</ref> According to Brooks Robinson, "It took Earl about three or four games to finally figure out what the heck we were doing in that situation, and I think he ended up saying, 'Well, you'd better be right.'...It worked out well. And Earl loved us all, anyway."<ref name="page 238" />

The Orioles turned the season around, finishing first in the American League east; but losing to the A's again in the ALCS.<ref name=":8" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

1975-81

With the advent of free agency,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the dismantling and decline of the Oakland Athletics in the face of free agency,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the New York Yankees began to dominate the American League, winning the eastern division five times between 1976-81, with four American League pennants and two World Series wins over that period.<ref name=":9">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> From 1975-81, the Orioles finished second in the division five times, fourth once, and won the division in 1979.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":9" />

In 1976, among others, the Orioles traded Baylor and pitcher Mike Torrez for A's superstar Reggie Jackson and pitcher Ken Holtzman, but Jackson moved on to the Yankees in free agency in 1977.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1977, however, the Orioles added rookie of the year and future hall of fame first baseman Eddie Murray.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Weaver's 1,000th MLB career victory as manager was a 5–3 Opening Day result over the Chicago White Sox at Memorial Stadium on April 6, 1979.<ref>Boswell, Thomas. "Orioles Blow by Chisox," The Washington Post, Saturday, April 7, 1979. Retrieved December 11, 2021</ref> That year, the Orioles, which saw Weaver use 140 different lineups during the regular season,<ref>100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Dan Connolly, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2015, ISBN 978-1-62937-041-5, p.192</ref> would reach the World Series again, this time losing in seven games to the Pittsburgh Pirates.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He expressed plans to retire following the 1982 season prior to Game 6 of that World Series on October 16. He had originally targeted the expiration of his contract upon the conclusion of the 1980 campaign to step away from the sport.<ref>"Weaver to Retire After '82 Season," The New York Times, Wednesday, October 17, 1979. Retrieved December 10, 2021</ref>

Cal Ripken Jr. and the modern shortstop

In 1981, future hall of famer Cal Ripken Jr. joined the Orioles from the Orioles minor league system. Ripken's father, Cal Sr., had been a long time player, coach and manager in the Orioles farm system, and Weaver had known Ripken Jr. his entire life. Weaver had seen Ripken play shortstop as early as high school, knew Ripken was an excellent fielder as a shortstop, and saw shortstop as Ripken's best position on the Orioles. However, general manager Hank Peters insisted the 6 ft 4 in 210 pound Ripken play third base, as Ripken did not fit the prototypical lithe light-hitting, or at least non-power hitting, shortstop model of the time (such as Orioles gold glover Mark Belanger). In 1982, even after Peters had traded away Doug DeCinces to make room for Ripken at third base, Weaver eventually moved Ripken to shortstop, where he went on to be named rookie of the year, and redefined the position to open the way for future power hitting shortstops.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

1982 and first retirement

In 1982, Weaver announced he would retire at the end of the season. After Palmer posted a 6.84 ERA in five starts, GM Hank Peters announced that "Palmer is never, ever, ever going to start another game in an Orioles uniform. I've had it."<ref>Palmer and Dale, p. 151</ref><ref name="1982 Palmer">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Weaver moved Palmer to the bullpen, but with the team needing another starter, he put Palmer back in the rotation in June. Shortly thereafter, Palmer went on an 11-game winning streak.<ref>Palmer and Dale, pp. 152-53</ref>

The Orioles played poorly for the first half of the year before climbing in the standings to just three games behind going into a season-ending four-game series against the division-leading Brewers at Memorial Stadium. The Orioles beat them handily in the first three games to pull into a first-place tie. The final game of the series, and the season, on October 3, would decide the AL East title. Televised nationally on ABC, the Orioles suffered a crushing 10–2 loss. After the game, the crowd called for Weaver to come out. This tribute to the retiring Weaver provided intense emotion against the backdrop of the season-ending defeat, as Weaver, in tears, stood on the field and applauded back to the fans, and shared words and an embrace with Brewers manager Harvey Kuenn. On TV, broadcaster Howard Cosell captured the moment: "Thee Er-uhl of Bal-tee-more. They love...troo-lee love...this man, Er-uhl Weeev-ver! A man of the people. The Weeeve! One of a kind. A baseball gar-rate!"<ref>Palmer and Dale, p. 157</ref> Joe Altobelli was appointed his successor one month later on November 12, 1982.<ref>Buchanan, Robert F. "Altobelli has tough act to follow," United Press International (UPI), Saturday, November 13, 1982. Retrieved December 10, 2021</ref>

Orioles 1985-86

Weaver finished his first stint as manager of the Orioles with a .596 winning percentage, never having a losing season.<ref name=":11">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":12">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The year following Weaver's retirement, Baltimore won the World Series, under Altobelli.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Palmer wrote, "We won with a team Earl put together."<ref>Palmer and Dale, p. 164</ref>

Owner Edward Bennett Williams coaxed Weaver out of retirement midway through the 1985 season,<ref name=":11" /> but he retired for good after the 1986 season, the only full losing season of his major league career (73–89).<ref name=":12" /> Weaver's total major league managerial record is 1,480–1,060 (.583), including 100+ win seasons in 1969 (109), 1970 (108), 1971 (101), 1979 (102), and 1980 (100).<ref name=":12" /> Weaver had a record average 94.3 wins per season, an all-time record at the time of his death.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1989, Weaver managed the Gold Coast Suns in the new Senior Professional Baseball Association.<ref name=Senior>Template:Cite news</ref> Less than a week into the season, Weaver was ejected from his first game. He later commented, "These umpires are high school rejects. The league went for the cheapest umpiring association. There should be no league if this continues."<ref name=Ejected>Template:Cite news</ref> The Suns failed to make the playoffs in the 1989–90 season and folded after one season.

Disciplinary actions

Weaver never got along well with umpires. Palmer described their relationship: "Earl Weaver hated umpires with every fiber of his win-or-die being. He yelled at them. He screamed in their faces. He kicked dirt on them. He tore up rule books. He taunted and tortured them."<ref>Palmer and Dale, p. 53</ref> Weaver was ejected from games at least 91 times during the regular season (98, according to one source)<ref name="caple">Caple, J (August 21, 2003): Piniella, Weaver amongst kings of confrontation. ESPN archive Retrieved August 24, 2011</ref> and several more times during post-season play. One list has him fourth all time, with 96, immediately behind childhood hero Durocher.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was ejected from both games in a doubleheader three times. He was twice ejected from games before they even started, both times by Ron Luciano.<ref name="bang">Luciano, R (March 1, 1982): "Bang! Bang! You're Out." (Part II.) Sports Illustrated archive Retrieved August 22, 2011</ref> Luciano alone ejected him from all four games of a minor-league series and eight games in the majors.<ref name="Ump">Luciano, Ron (March 1, 1982): The Ump and the Manager. Sports Illustrated archive Retrieved August 24, 2011</ref> Sometimes, even after Weaver had been thrown out of a game, he would phone the Oriole dugout to tell the coaches what moves to make.<ref>Palmer and Dale, pp. 84-86</ref>

He also received four multiple-game suspensions. He was well known for the humor that often accompanied his ejections. During one particular tirade with an umpire, Weaver headed to the dugout screaming, "I'm going to check the rule-book on that" to which the umpire replied, "Here, use mine." Weaver shot back, "That's no good—I can't read Braille."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He once told an umpire that he could appear on What's My Line? wearing his mask, chest protector, holding his ball/strike indicator and still nobody would guess he was an umpire.<ref name="caple"/>

Weaver had a penchant for kicking dirt on umpires, and for turning his cap backwards whenever he sparred with umpires in order to get as close to them as possible without actually touching them.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His rivalry with Luciano was legendary, to the point where the AL rearranged umpiring schedules for an entire year so that Luciano would not work Orioles games. A year later on August 26, 1979, in the third inning of the opener of an Orioles-White Sox doubleheader at Comiskey Park, he ejected Weaver who then publicly questioned Luciano's "integrity" and received a three-game suspension.<ref name="bang"/> Weaver once derisively called Luciano "one of the few umpires that people have paid their way into the park to see."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Marty Springstead was one of Weaver's least favorite umpires. On September 15, 1977, in Toronto, Weaver asked Springstead to have a tarpaulin covering the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen area removed; the tarp was weighted down by bricks and Earl argued his left fielder could be injured if he ran into the bricks while chasing a foul ball. When the umpire refused to order the Blue Jays to move the tarp, Weaver pulled the Orioles off the field. The umpire declared a forfeit, the only forfeit in Orioles history. On another infamous occasion, in Cleveland, Weaver stormed to the dugout and returned to the field with a rulebook in his pocket. "Don't take that book out or you're outta here," Springstead warned. Weaver pulled it out anyway and was ejected.<ref name="page 122">Palmer and Dale, p. 122</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After that game, Weaver said of Springstead, "He's a terrific guy...He's just not a very good umpire."<ref name="page 122"/>

One of Weaver's most infamous tirades came on September 17, 1980, in a game against the Detroit Tigers. First base umpire Bill Haller, who was wearing a microphone for a documentary on the daily life of an MLB umpire, called a balk on Oriole pitcher Mike Flanagan. Weaver charged out of the dugout and began screaming at Haller, who was already angry at Weaver for publicly questioning his integrity by suggesting he be prohibited from working Tigers games in 1972 because his brother was the Tigers' backup catcher at the time.<ref name="Ump"/> After Weaver was ejected, he launched into a profanity-filled argument in which he accused Haller of blatantly calling the game out of the Orioles' favor. He also accused Haller of poking him in the chest, and after Haller denied doing so they called each other liars.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Weaver's contempt for umpires was often mutual. One night in 1973 Weaver threw his cap to the ground and began a vehement argument with Luciano. Luciano's crew-mate Don Denkinger walked over to Weaver's cap, stepped on it with the sharp cleats of both shoes, and slowly twisted back and forth.<ref name="Ump"/>

Philosophy

File:EarlWeaverSig.jpg

Weaver's signature, circa 1992–1993

Weaver's oft-quoted managerial philosophy was "pitching, defense, and the three-run homer." Weaver expanded on his philosophy in three books he authored: Winning! (1972); It's What You Learn After You Know It All That Counts (1983); and Weaver on Strategy (1984), which was republished as Weaver on Strategy: The Classic Work on the Art of Managing a Baseball Team (2002, with co-author Terry Pluto). Weaver eschewed the use of so-called "inside baseball" or "small ball" tactics such as the stolen base, the hit and run, or the sacrifice bunt, preferring a patient approach ("waiting for the home run"), saying "If you play for one run, that's all you'll get" and "On offense, your most precious possessions are your 27 outs". Weaver claims to have never had a sign for the hit and run, citing the play makes both the baserunner and the hitter vulnerable, as the baserunner is susceptible to being caught stealing and the hitter is required to swing at any pitch thrown no matter how far outside the strike zone it may be or how unhittable the pitch is.Template:Citation needed

Rather than being fixed, Weaver's practices developed over time, or were more flexible than his simple maxims. He was willing to let capable players steal bases. From 1969-82, Weaver's Orioles were fourth in stolen bases, and third in success rate. And during the first part of his managing career (1969-75) his teams averaged approximately 70 sacrifice bunts/year, and were above the league average five of those seven years. The Orioles were still among teams most commonly using the sacrifice bunt even after pitchers stopped hitting after 1972 with the advent of the designated hitter rule. It was only mid-career that he started reducing use of the sacrifice bunt, and from 1977-1981 never had more than 48 sacrifice bunts in a year, and was never above the league average during that time.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":10">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Weaver strongly believed in finishing as high in the standings as possible, even if a championship was not involved: In 1977, the Orioles entered the final weekend of the season tied for second place in the AL East with the Red Sox, three games behind the division-leading Yankees, to play a scheduled three-game series against the Red Sox in Boston, while the Yankees played three at home against Detroit. The Red Sox won the first game of the series, 11–10, on September 30, eliminating the Orioles from division title contention; however, after the game Weaver insisted, in an interview with a reporter, that "we're still trying to finish second." The following day, the Orioles won, 8–7, eliminating the Red Sox (the Yankees having lost on both days) and leaving the teams tied for second place headed into the series' and the season's final game, which was rained out, resulting in the Red Sox and Orioles finishing in a tie for second place. Weaver also insisted his players maintained a professional appearance at all times. He allowed mustaches, but not beards, and, as a rule, players had to wear a suit or jacket and tie on board an airplane for a road trip.Template:Citation needed Weaver "was fiercely loyal to his players," said Palmer, who recalled that in 1976 the manager took his side when he was negotiating for a raise with the Orioles' owners.<ref>Palmer and Dale, pp. 77, 161</ref> "He just never got to know them," Palmer remembered, observing that the first time Weaver ran into Dennis Martínez after retiring, all he had to say to Martínez was, "How's your curveball?"<ref>Palmer and Dale, pp. 161-62</ref> After he became the Orioles' manager, he hated being referred to as "Coach," complaining even when players mistakenly referred to him as that out of respect.<ref>Palmer and Dale, pp. 86-87</ref>

Use of statistics

Weaver made extensive use of statistics to create matchups which were more favorable either for his batter or his pitcher. He had various notebooks with all sorts of splits and head-to-head numbers for his batters and against his pitchers and would assemble his lineups according to the matchups he had. For example, despite the fact Gold Glove Award shortstop Mark Belanger was a weak hitter, in 19 plate appearances he hit .625 with a .684 on-base percentage and .625 slugging percentage against Jim Kern and would be slotted high in the lineup when facing him.<ref>Mark Belanger Batting vs. PitcherTemplate:Dead link at baseballreference.com</ref> Similarly, Boog Powell, the 1970 American League MVP, hit a meager .178/.211/.278 against Mickey Lolich over 96 plate appearances and would be substituted, possibly with a hitter like Chico Salmon, who hit a much more acceptable .300/.349/.400 against the same pitcher.<ref>Boog Powell Batting vs. PitcherTemplate:Dead link at baseballreference.com</ref><ref>Chico Salmon Batting vs PitcherTemplate:Dead link at baseballreference.com</ref> Palmer said, "Earl scribbled stats, piles and piles of figures and percentages on everybody and everything. All those sheets with all those numbers made him a better manager."<ref name="page xi"/>

In 1984, Weaver was credited by sportscaster Craig Sager, then of CNN, with being the first major league manager to have used computerized statistical records as part of his decision-making process.<ref>"Bill Welch Featured on CNN Sports Show ," Chillicothe [MO] Constitution-Tribune, February 8, 1984, p. 3.</ref>

Use of the bench

In the Orioles teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Weaver made frequent use of platoons, with the most obvious example being the use of Gary Roenicke and John Lowenstein in left field, without affordable full-time solutions. Weaver also exploited a loophole in the designated hitter rule by listing as the DH one of his starting pitchers who would not be appearing in that day's game, who would then be substituted before their first at-bat. This gave him another opportunity to exploit pitcher-batter matchups, in the case the opposing starting pitcher left the game early because of injury or ineffectiveness before it was the DH's turn in the batting order. A rule was created to stop the use of this tactic, allegedly (by Weaver) because it was distorting pinch-hitting statistics.Template:Citation needed

Weaver used radar guns to track the speed of pitched balls during the 1975 spring training season.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Lack of knowledge about pitching

Palmer said, "I learned a lot from Earl Weaver. The first thing I learned was that he didn't know a thing about pitching."<ref name="page 91">Palmer and Dale, p. 91</ref> Palmer once noted: "The only thing that Earl knows about a curve ball is he couldn't hit it."<ref name="Quotes">Template:Cite news</ref> Dave McNally agreed: "The only thing Earl Weaver knows about pitching is that he can't hit it."<ref>Palmer and Dale, p. 88</ref> Weaver was a fan of sliders for some reason.<ref>Palmer and Dale, pp. 89-90</ref> Mike Flanagan figured out that Weaver got less angry when pitchers gave up hits on sliders than when they gave up hits on other pitches. "Every hit after that, I told him it was off a slider," Flanagan said.<ref>Palmer and Dale, p. 90</ref> While Palmer was pitching for Rochester for 1967, with the bases loaded against the Buffalo Bisons and Johnny Bench coming up to bat, Weaver came out to the mound and told Palmer, "Throw him a fastball down the middle."<ref>Palmer and Dale, p. 14</ref> Palmer complied, and Bench hit a grand slam.<ref>Palmer and Dale, p. 15</ref> Palmer did, however, credit Weaver's ability to recognize good pitchers. "He could spot them, trade for them, stick with them. He might have driven them crazy, but he knew which ones to drive crazy."<ref name="page 91"/> "I always said I gave Mike Cuellar more chances than I gave my first wife," Weaver maintained.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Weaver did have a pitching philosophy: throw strikes, change pitch speeds, limit walks, do not try and pitch to the corners, and keep the defense engaged. Weaver demoted pitchers who did not throw strikes. During his initial tenure as manager (1968-82), Oriole pitchers won six Cy Young Awards (Cuellar/1969, Palmer/1973,1975-76, Flanagan/1979 and Steve Stone/1980). His pitchers had 22 different 20-win seasons, the most for any manager in over a century (since 1920). Within this overall philosophy, he placed full trust in his pitching coaches, George Bamberger (1968-77) and Ray Miller (1978-82), to guide and teach the pitching staff. No other Oriole manager has had a Cy Young winner before or after Weaver.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

As a minor league manager, Weaver was the only manager who came close to helping legendary pitching enigma Steve Dalkowski become a major league pitcher. Dalkowski is considered among the top handful of hardest thrower pitchers in baseball history, but suffered an extraordinary lack of control. In 1958, Dalkowski struck out 203 batters in 104 innings, but walked 207. Over his minor league career, he walked over 1,200 in 956 innings. However, in 1962, Weaver managed him with the Elmira Pioneers, and worked with Dalkowski to simplify Dalkowski's approach to pitching. For the first time, Dalkowski averaged less than a walk an inning, and his earned run average was over two runs less than any prior year. Dalkowski was on his way to making the Orioles major league roster the following year when an arm injury effectively ended his career.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="delving">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Managerial record

Team	Year	Regular season					Postseason
		Games	Won	Lost	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
BAL	Template:Mlby	82	48	34	Template:Winning percentage	2nd in AL	–	–	–	–
BAL	Template:Mlby	162	109	53	Template:Winning percentage	1st in AL East	4	4	.500	Lost World Series (NYM)
BAL	Template:Mlby	162	108	54	Template:Winning percentage	1st in AL East	7	1	.875	Won World Series (CIN)
BAL	Template:Mlby	158	101	57	.639	1st in AL East	6	4	.600	Lost World Series (PIT)
BAL	Template:Mlby	154	80	74	Template:Winning percentage	3rd in AL East	–	–	–	–
BAL	Template:Mlby	162	97	65	Template:Winning percentage	1st in AL East	2	3	.400	Lost ALCS (OAK)
BAL	Template:Mlby	162	91	71	.562	1st in AL East	1	3	.250	Lost ALCS (OAK)
BAL	Template:Mlby	159	90	69	Template:Winning percentage	2nd in AL East	–	–	–	–
BAL	Template:Mlby	162	88	74	Template:Winning percentage	2nd in AL East	–	–	–	–
BAL	Template:Mlby	161	97	64	Template:Winning percentage	2nd in AL East	–	–	–	–
BAL	Template:Mlby	161	90	71	Template:Winning percentage	4th in AL East	–	–	–	–
BAL	Template:Mlby	159	102	57	Template:Winning percentage	1st in AL East	6	5	Template:Winning percentage	Lost World Series (PIT)
BAL	Template:Mlby	162	100	62	Template:Winning percentage	2nd in AL East	–	–	–	–
BAL	Template:Mlby	54	31	23	Template:Winning percentage	2nd in AL East	–	–	–	–
		51	28	23	Template:Winning percentage	4th in AL East
BAL	Template:Mlby	162	94	68	Template:Winning percentage	2nd in AL East	–	–	–	–
BAL	Template:Mlby	105	53	52	Template:Winning percentage	4th in AL East	–	–	–	–
BAL	Template:Mlby	162	73	89	Template:Winning percentage	7th in AL East	–	–	–	–
Total<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref> || 2540 || 1480 || 1060 || Template:Winning percentage || || 26 || 20 || Template:Winning percentage ||

Broadcasting career

ABC

Between his stints as manager, Weaver served as a color commentator for ABC television, calling the 1983 World Series (which the Orioles won) along with Al Michaels and Howard Cosell. Weaver was the lead ABC color commentator in 1983 (replacing Don Drysdale,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> who moved over to secondary play-by-play for ABC) but was also employed by the Baltimore Orioles as a consultant. At the time, ABC had a policy preventing an announcer who was employed by a team from working games involving that team. So, whenever the Orioles were on the primary ABC game, Weaver worked the backup game. This policy forced Weaver to resign from the Orioles consulting position in October so that he can work the World Series for ABC.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Weaver later called the 1984 National League Championship Series (between the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs) for ABC alongside fellow hall of famers Reggie Jackson, who played for Weaver in 1976, and Don Drysdale.

File:Earl Weaver with trophy.jpg

Weaver with the 1970 World Series Trophy in 2000

Manager's Corner

While managing the Orioles, Weaver hosted a radio show called Manager's Corner with Baltimore Oriole play by play announcer Tom Marr in which he would give his views on baseball and answer questions from fans. Weaver and Marr once recorded a prank version of the program, giving hilarious off-color answers to queries ranging from Terry Crowley, "team speed" and even growing tomatoes (Weaver and groundskeeper Pat Santarone had a friendly rivalry on this topic, and the latter had a fenced off tomato patch in left field foul territory at Memorial Stadium.). The tape, which was not broadcast at the time, has since become legendary in Baltimore sports circles and has even been aired (in heavily edited fashion) on local sports radio.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In media

Weaver wrote three books: Winning! (1972),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Weaver on Strategy (1984),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and It's What You Learn After You Know It All That Counts (1983).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1987, Weaver assisted in the development of the AI for the computer game Earl Weaver Baseball, which was published by Electronic Arts. The game was one of the precursors of the EA Sports line.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Death

Weaver died about 2 a.m. on January 19, 2013, of an apparent heart attack while on an Orioles' fantasy cruise aboard the Celebrity Silhouette in the Caribbean Sea.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to the SilhouetteTemplate:'s itinerary, the ship had left Labadee, Haiti, on January 18 and was expected to dock at Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 20, 2013.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Weaver's wife of 49 years, Marianna, was at his side when he died. He was 82 years old.<ref>Hall of Fame skipper Weaver passes away at 82 MLB.com</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By coincidence, another Baseball Hall of Fame member, the St. Louis Cardinals' Stan Musial, died later that day.

Upon Weaver's death, Bud Selig, then-commissioner of Major League Baseball, released the following statement: "Earl Weaver was a brilliant baseball man, a true tactician in the dugout and one of the key figures in the rich history of the Baltimore Orioles, the club he led to four American League pennants and the 1970 World Series championship ... Having known Earl throughout my entire career in the game, I have many fond memories of the Orioles and the Brewers squaring off as American League East rivals. Earl's managerial style proved visionary, as many people in the game adopted his strategy and techniques years later. Earl was well known for being one of the game's most colorful characters with a memorable wit, but he was also amongst its most loyal. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my deepest condolences to his wife, Marianna, their family and all Orioles fans."<ref name=Commish>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Orioles managing partner Peter Angelos added: "Earl Weaver stands alone as the greatest manager in the history of the Orioles organization and one of the greatest in the history of baseball ... This is a sad day for everyone who knew him and for all Orioles fans. Earl made his passion for the Orioles known both on and off the field. On behalf of the Orioles, I extend my condolences to his wife, Marianna, and to his family."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

His remains were cremated.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball managers with most career ejections
• List of Major League Baseball managerial wins and winning percentage leaders

References

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:Bbhof
• Template:Baseball-reference manager
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