Al Bumbry

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Bumbry's path to the majors began after he played basketball on scholarship at Virginia State College, where he later joined the baseball team for its final year before being drafted by Baltimore in the 11th round of the 1968 draft. After a brief start with Stockton Ports in 1969, his career was paused from July 1969 to June 1971 while he served as a platoon leader in Vietnam, earning a Bronze Star Medal. Upon returning, he dominated the minor leagues in 1972, batting .345 across two teams before earning a September call-up. His 1973 rookie season was historic; he hit .337 with 7 home runs and tied an American League record by hitting three triples in a single game on September 22 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Defensively, he started 82 games in the outfield that year. Although his team lost the ALCS to Oakland, Bumbry secured the Rookie of the Year honor with 13 of 23 first-place votes.

In Their Own Story

The 1979 season saw Bumbry emerge as a defensive stalwart and offensive catalyst for the Orioles, batting .285 with 37 stolen bases. He anchored center field in all seven games of the World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, though his series average was just .143 (3-for-21). Despite leading the series 3–1, Baltimore lost the final three games to fall short of the title. Bumbry's most successful individual campaign came in 1980, where he played in all but two games, including 152 as a center fielder. He finished with a .318 average and career highs in RBIs (53), runs scored (118), stolen bases (44), walks (78), and hits (205). This performance earned him an All-Star selection at Dodger Stadium, where he grounded out in his only plate appearance. He became the first Oriole since 1948 to collect 200 hits in a season and finished 13th in AL MVP voting.

Reader's Guide

Bumbry spent 13 of his 14 MLB seasons with the Orioles, establishing himself as a consistent leadoff hitter and center fielder. His career peaked during the early 1980s, culminating in the 1983 World Series championship where he started every game except the third against the Philadelphia Phillies. While his batting average dipped to .275 that year, his defensive reliability was crucial. In 1984, Bumbry appeared in 119 games before becoming a free agent when the Orioles declined to renew his contract on September 28. He signed with the San Diego Padres for the 1985 season, where he served primarily as a pinch hitter after regular left fielder Carmelo Martínez recovered from surgery. Bumbry retired after that season, finishing with 1,496 games played, 54 home runs, and a .281 batting average. He was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 1987.

Did You Know?

• Bumbry served as a platoon leader in the US Army during the Vietnam War and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
• On September 22, he tied both AL and MLB records by hitting three triples in a single game against the Milwaukee Brewers.
• In 1980, he became the first Oriole since 1948 to record 200 hits in a season.
• He played for the Baltimore Orioles from 1972 through 1984 before finishing his career with the San Diego Padres in 1985.