Baltimore Orioles Earl Weaver in his last game in 1982 as described by Howard Cosell

[hansk1955]

This was one of the greatest regular series in Orioles history we needed three wins to win the division and won three and lost the last game of the year. While watching this game, I know just what I was doing. I will never forget that game.

[Tony63909]

I respected Howard Cosell, but I think it inappropriate for him to have covered the the last game of Earl Weaver because it is a well known fact that he considered the inportance of the job of baseball manager greatly over rated.

[jackpark7927]

WOW. The Brewers have just beaten the Orioles to take the AL East title...but the story (in Howard's mind) is Mugsy....and it was truly an exciting game to watch...for a Brewers fan at least. Managers today are pretty "vanilla" compared to those a generation or two ago. No one was better than Earl at baiting an ump.

[ClassicRocker61]

The Earl of Baltimore-trhey don't make them like him anymore

[lpydb]

I remember this like it was yesterday. This was the most emotional moment in Orioles history and not even Cal Ripken breaking Lou Gehrig's record comes close to this night.

[pannoni1]

I believe the O's "jumped the shark" when they released all players under 40 after the 1997 season when they last had a winning record; let alone make the playoffs! They signed past-his-prime Joe Carter, Doug Drabek; and not one starting hitter was under 30 for the 1998 season. Cal Ripken of course was starting to decline as well. And there might not be much football to save O's fans from jumping on the Ravens bandwagon this year.

[flibideegibbit]

from 1964 to 1984 no team in baseball won more games than the Birds.

[KutscheetAmsterDam]

Rip Earl Weaver 1930-2011.

[TheMadStork83]

@KutscheetAmsterDam The poor guy isn't dead yet!

[SARDiverDave]

@KutscheetAmsterDam

He's not dead yet.

[OriolesSeatingChart]

Classic moment, thanks for uploading this.

[jiw1330164]

earl is the man, and we need to go back to those uni's now

[chopsy61]

I'm not by any means an O's fan.. but I do both respect and admire earl.

[FRSFreeStateES]

The perfect way to tribute the most successful manager of his era or along with Sparky Anderson. The people of Baltimore and the State of Maryland truly loved Earl Weaver.

[Kram6298]

I was at the Friday night double-header two days before this final game. The O's had to sweep the 4 game series to win the division and that obviously meant winning both ends of the twin-bill. Incredible atmosphere. That was also the final time I was in Memorial Stadium. Earl Weaver was an original and a great manager.

[VolumedMusicMan]

I remember how Earl's teams won on power (Baltimore special), pitching, and defense. I miss him, Sparky, LaSorda, Martin, Herzog and Williams the last of the true great old school managers.

[Kelski1998]

@VolumedMusicMan

Great managers that you mentioned there! I miss those days! Now its all whats the right image I can here Weaver and Dick Williams now who gives a f*ck about image!!! LOL!

[koryclarke1991]

Brewers 10 Orioles 2, Sunday October 3 1982!

[Antrizzle2009]

The year I was born...back when Baltimore Oriole baseball was relevant. It's a shame cuz this has always been a great baseball town, especially when the Colts left and even before then cuz the Colts really weren't good the last 10 years they were here. Now it's clearly a football town.

[FRSFreeState]

Great tribute to the "Earl of Baltimore"

[generationll]

It is ironic that the Orioles went onto win the 1983 World Series the following year

[witgw]

Earl rules.

[STU676]

Howard was awesome in that piece

[fawkyou3]

George Steinbrenner asked Earl Weaver to quit the Orioles managing job and come to the Yankees after the 1979 season and Earl told him to stick his money up his fat ass.

[STU676]

@fawkyou3

Good for Earl

[stevedrums]

Earl is one of a kind and when I was a kid growing up in northern NJ during the mid 1970's, there was always a funny bet as to whether Billy Martin or earl Weaver would kill each other or the umps when Baltimore came to town.

[backstretch]

what if he brings palmer with him.

It makes me think of the simon and garfunkel song ... "Where have you gone, joe Dimaggio?" . . . Where have all the Oriole heroes gone? The franchise and the suffering fans deserve so much better.

[torontodave]

@backstretch The Orioles need to get moved out of the AL East. Toughest damn division in baseball.

[backstretch]

Earl Weaver. Please come and rescue our sick Birds. 

[TheMadStork83]

@backstretch Earl Weaver in his prime couldn't help the Orioles.

[Spr463]

Just wait, we will see the same scene repeat itself in Atlanta when Bobby Cox manages his last game at season's end.

[vitoduval]

@Spr463 yeah Bobby just got kicked out of a NLDS game in SF....I enjoyed watching the 79 series with the pirates, it was sad someone had to lose that one, great players on both teams...

[johnnyfive22]

@vitoduval

The braves fans did the same thing to Bobby as well and the Giants stayed to honor him. That was emotional as well. It was like a flash back. Earl and Bobby two great managers. :)

[Lennon4life1968]

A great time....Earl and Billy Martin in the AL...two tough guys who's character might be considered a liability if they were to manage now.

And that would be a shame.

[dzanier]

I think Earl could perhaps manage now, but Billy would have no chance. In today's game they would have to be open to being flexible about how they handle players. Their "people skills" would have to show, and I can see Earl perhaps gaining a following because though he's tough he's got a compassionate side. Billy would not last 5 days, because in today's age you can't play favorites, place other players in the doghouse, create division in the clubhouse and antagonize the media.

[deltapunk21]

COSELL AND IDIOT

[strukhoff]

It's a lot nicer with the sound muted and Cosell's typical self-absorbed theatrics removed. My loathing for him returns all over again...

[hellrider127]

I wish I had been born earlier so I could have witnessed this magical era.

I'll never leave my O's.. no matter how tough things get.

[rebeccaabdallah]

@hellrider127 Me neither I'll never leave 'em. It's frustrating but it'll be that much more worth it when we finallly win again.

[micrip]

...the greatest moment I ever witnessed at Memorial Stadium (except for maybe the last game) I wish I could turn the clock back to those days. You don't have moments like this in sports anymore.

[sirka067]

Good old days but god were the all the stadiums dumps. Every field looked like Stevie Wonder was the groundskeeper and even the "newer" stadiums looked like they were falling apart from day 1.

[Ariamaluum]

@sirka067. Yes, they were. Now, with stadiums with one sport, it is better.

[Canal138]

Something wonderful has gone out of my nonetheless loyal following of the O's since then. W/o Earl, whole dimensions of the O's experience disappeared--from the strange, but masterful choices he made composing the roster and strategizing in-game to the outrageousness of his protests vs. bad umps. Earl, Brooks & Frank Robby, Palmer, "Motormouth," "Boog," "The Blade," prankster Moe Drabowsky, on & on--what colorful inspiring teams those were! Great entertainment that baseball no longer provides.

[confusion719]

I was at this game. Still get choked up watching this. This is what sports used to be about!

[1MrVIewer]

What I remember was Don Sutton doctoring/scuffing the baseball the entire game. He was warned like 2 or 3 times. He should have been thrown out.

[sp2834aa]

The good old days.

[bluechao]

I was at that game; too bad the O's didn't win. (Damn you Don Sutton! Why did you have to pitch so well?) It's a bitter-sweet memory, but certainly an experience. My parents and I stayed the whole time and cheered along with the rest. Didn't hear Cosell's call of it until seeing the replays on the news later that night (or maybe it was the next day).

[xtos1961]

i saw this when it happened and will never forget it. Both Earl and Howard inspired a lot of imitators, but there'll never be another one, Earl or Howard.

[northernflicker]

I miss these old school guys like Weaver...

[THECLARENCES]

Goosebumps!

xoxo

The Clarences

[Epic410]

just saw this on mlb network yesterday....1982 looked like quite a season I was born in 1984 so I wasnt even around when the O's won the series in 83

[saveusfrom1983]

1982 was an epic run to the AL East crown for the Birds. Came up one game shy of winning the crown, but it was a great and magical run.

[mylegsareswollen]

Baltimore will never experience the likes of Earl and those O's again.

Magical indeed.

[FrsBigeasy]

Earl Weaver was probably the MLB Manger of the 1970's.

[search4theyeti]

sparky?

[FrsBigeasy]

You could make a case for him.

[Epic410]

I wish Dave Trembley could get the Birds going like Weaver

[EvanGrayForger]

Earl Weaver was the BEST!

[joedits1]

He went on to manage the 85-86' Orioles as well. Mediocre teams with Ripken and Murray. This is one of the sweetest videos on YouTube.

[GUEROMEXICANO831]

I wonder if he had a very emotional conversation in 0:22-0:30 but with lots of cussing.

[TheLimpwristed]

Orioles and Weaver were baseballs best team from 1968 to 1982,won close to sixty percent of his games with a low payrole and millions of wonderful fans..those were the days my friend!!!

[dave4248]

@TheLimpwristed, I often wear my O's cap from those days, the same one Weaver has on in this video. A stranger will sometimes walk up to me and say words to the effect of ...."Orioles of the 70's,greatest team ever." The strange thing is, I don't live in Maryland. I live in Michigan. That's how far this teams legend stretches.

[loyaldude10]

@TheLimpwristed ---u r correct. I think I read where the Orioles, from 1968-1985, had the bestrecord of any team in sports (certainly in baseball). Earl was the best ever--best at playing percentages, platooning; his mind was liek a computer--great memroy and knew the rules better than anyone. And the Orioles were such a class act, right down thru farm system, whereas now they r a joke

[mattstengel]

I'd love to see the Orioles this successful and Oriole Park this packed in the near future.

[Cshiz72]

first of all, I'm a diehard red sox' fan, but damn it they don't make'm like earl anymore, and it's a damn shame, baseball needs a man like earl now and days!

[conmanduck]

true!!!!!

[TheShipin]

yep, they were down by 3 games to the Brewers, won a double header Fri nite, won on Saturday, then got crushed on Sunday with Palmer on the mound. What a story it would have been for Weaver to go out with 4 straight wins over the Brewers and win that division. Weaver built a very good team in 82' sadly the O's win the series in 83' without Weaver. I knew Palmer would get crushed on that Sunday, Robin Yount went deep on him twice.

[BullpenBoss]

Even with the defeat...the O's fans showed how much love they had for that ballclub and Earl. I can't help crying when I see that. So many good years at 33rd Street.

[carl32357]

AND THANK YOU MR LARRY MARTIN

[carl32357]

I WAS THERE THAT DAY, UNBELIEVABLE !!

[SmakkWitt]

ME TOO!