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Baltimore Orioles Greats: The Mount Rushmore of Birdland

By Kristen Bentley

BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 06: Hall of fame player and former Baltimore Orioles Cal Ripken Jr. stands next to the statue of him that was unvieled before the start of the Orioles and New York Yankees game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 6, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 06: Hall of fame player and former Baltimore Orioles Cal Ripken Jr. stands next to the statue of him that was unvieled before the start of the Orioles and New York Yankees game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 6, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 24: The Baltimore Orioles mascot waves the American Flag during the seventh inning stretch against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 24, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /

In the Black Hills of South Dakota, lies the epic monument, Mount Rushmore. The monument features the best presidents the United States has had. But, what if the monument was all about the Baltimore Orioles?

If you had to choose four of the best Baltimore Orioles to put on Mount Rushmore, who would you pick?

The presidents on the mountain include George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Thomas Jefferson. According to the National Parks Service website, “they represented the most important events in the history of the United States.”

So, if the Baltimore Orioles had their own Mount Rushmore, what four Orioles faces would represent the most important events in the history of Birdland. The key is deciding what the most important events actually are.

And, even though the Orioles have technically been in existence for 117 years as the original Milwaukee Brewers, then the St. Louis Browns, and then the Baltimore Orioles, this list will only include players from 1954 to present.

The most important events are rather easy to pick out. The team has three World Series wins, in 1966, 1970, and 1983. Therefore, players from those teams should be considered. Another important event has to be Cal Ripken‘s consecutive-game record. The other choices are not so clear.

A problem that arises when selecting only four players to represent the best of the Orioles is covering decades. Clearly, the Orioles were outstanding in the late 60s and early 70s and it is quite easy to pick four men to represent that era. But, what about the 80s, 90s, and 2000s? Since many top players manage to play for 15 to 20 years, should the four representatives be from four groupings of years: 1954-1969, 1970-1985, 1986-2003, 2004-2017? Because, if this is the case, then only one player from the 1966-1971 years could be chosen.

The other big question involves whether or not to include men who played for other teams. Should the Mount Rushmore of Orioles only include career Orioles? Should only players be included? What about managers? These are all tough questions.

The first choice is easy. The rest get a little more difficult.

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