Baltimore Orioles: Best first basemen in Orioles last three decades

The Baltimore Orioles franchise has had some outstanding men who have played first base throughout the team’s last 30 years.

These top Baltimore Orioles first basemen not only could scoop a ball coming in at Major League speed, but they could poke one out of the yard, too.

But, before we discuss the three best first basemen in the last 30 years, it’s worth noting the criteria that makes one great.

Glove Work

First base might look like an easy position. All you have to do it catch the ball and tap the base before the runner gets there, right?

Not so fast.

When making the out, the first basement needs to be ready to field the ball and get back to the base in time. They need to be able to catch the throw that’s coming in at serious speed. And, those throws aren’t always coming in with pinpoint accuracy.

First basemen also need to be able to field a ball that is hit to the right side. But, they also need to know when to let the second basemen get it, too. Remember that if a runner is on first, he has to be able to keep that runner from stealing second. It’s an important position that can affect several aspects of the game.

Hitting Ability

On most teams, the first basemen is a big guy so he can be a big target. He has to be athletic enough to cover the base. Usually, the man on first is one of the best hitters on the team. In today’s game, the first baseman is often one of the big power hitters on the team – think Albert Pujols or Miguel Cabrera. In the AL, many first basemen eventually transition to the DH position.

These three men are the best to man first base in the last three decades of the Orioles.

In the 2000s, a handful of men played first base for the Orioles: Jeff Conine, Rafael Palmeiro, and Kevin Millar. While Palmeiro was force in the 1990s, at age 39 and 40, he wasn’t the same player (and there was that little PED issue).

None of the first basemen in the 2000s had WAR numbers that were worthy of notice. But, when comparing the best of the decade, Conine wins. Palmeiro’s two years in 2004 and 2005 were a combined measly 1.1. Millar’s weren’t much better at 2.2 over three years.

Conine, on the other hand, played first base between 1999 and 2003. His WAR for those three seasons was 5.1. No one was outstanding in the 2000s, and it’s easy to see this with Conine’s 2001 season having the best WAR for any first basemen in the decade. He recorded a 2.9 WAR that season.

As a jack-of-all-trades, Conine played between 116 and 139 games per year during his tenure in Baltimore. He joined the team in 1999, after several seasons with the then Florida Marlins and one with the Kansas City Royals. He was traded back to the Marlins at the August deadline in 2003.

During his time with the Orioles, he hit .287/.341/.442. Only his numbers with the Marlins were better. He played primarily first base, but also found his way around the outfield. In 2000, he played a few more games at third than he did at first. Will Clark was at first more frequently, until he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals and finished his career.

Conine was reliable at first base. In 2002 and 2003, his range was above average. He finished his short time with the Orioles with a fielding percentage above .990.

The best first baseman on this list manned the position during the majority of the 1990s. Rafael Palmeiro spent most of his career playing for the Orioles and the Rangers. He earned four All-Star Game invitations, and one of those was during his tenure with the O’s.

During Palmeiro’s five seasons with the Orioles in the 90s, his WAR was 23.5. During that time, he finished in the top 20 in the MVP votes. His highest MVP finish was sixth in 1996. That year, Juan Gonzalez won the MVP, with Alex Rodriguez, Albert Belle, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mo Vaughn rounding out the top five.

He also earned a Gold Glove in 1997 and 1998. He went to the All-Star Game in 1998 and that same year, he won a Silver Slugger Award, too.

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Between 1994 and 1998, Palmeiro hit .292/.371/.545 with 182 home runs and 162 doubles. He had 33 intentional walks.

At first, his best seasons were 1996-1998 where his range was always above average. His fielding percentage was never below .993.

Of course, he and several other players of his age will be haunted by their PED records. He was suspended in 2005, while he was with the Orioles. In his final season of baseball at age 40, he missed 10 games for testing positive. He denied the charges and said he has never taken PEDs.

Despite being one of the best to have played the game, he most likely will never get into the Hall of Fame. He is one of a handful of players with over 3000 hits and 500 home runs (Palmeiro has 3020 and 569).

But, he will be remembered as one of the best first basemen in Baltimore Orioles history.