Earl Weaver Baseball HOF Stats Bat

Pitching, defense and the three-run homer.  It was a formula that manager Earl Weaver and his Baltimore Orioles honed to perfection during their ascent to become an American League powerhouse in the 1960s and 1970s.

Weaver was a struggling second baseman in the minor leagues who was ready to leave baseball when the Orioles hired him to manage its Class D club in tiny Fitzgerald, Ga. He slowly worked his way up the ladder while the Orioles stocked the farm system with players he would later manage in the big leagues.

His career winning percentage of .583 ranks ninth all-time among managers, and his average of 94.3 wins per season is the top rate in history. In 1996, Weaver received the ultimate recognition when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Asked to comment on his legacy, Weaver reflected, “On my tombstone, just write: ‘the sorest loser that ever lived.’”