MLB Network celebrates '70 O's with marathon

June 23rd, 2020

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1970 Orioles, one of the best and most dominant ballclubs in baseball history. Relive the magic of that special season with MLB Network as it celebrates with an all-day marathon on Friday.

The all-day slate of programming begins at 6 a.m. ET, with a highlight compilation from the 1970 World Series, which the Orioles claimed by defeating the Reds in five games. Then MLB Network will rebroadcast the series in its entirety, beginning with Game 1 at 7 a.m. Tune in at 9:30 a.m. for Game 2, followed by Game 3 at 11:30 a.m., Game 4 at 2 p.m. and Game 5 at 4 p.m. Game 3 will replay at 11:30 p.m. All told, the Network is committing more than 15 hours of programming to commemorate the ’70 champs.

The Orioles were a juggernaut in 1970, led by Hall of Famers Jim Palmer, Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, American League MVP Award winner Boog Powell and others. Baltimore resided in first place for all but seven games in April, taking hold of the position for good on April 26 and winning the AL East by 15 games. The O's finished the year on an 11-game winning streak, swept the Twins in the AL Championship Series and topped the Reds in five games to claim their second Series title.

The Orioles squeezed out one-run victories in Game 1 (4-3) and Game 2 (6-5), then took a commanding grip on the series with a 9-3 win in Game 3, but they dropped Game 4, 6-5. The club clinched with a 9-3 Game 5 victory behind homers from Frank Robinson and Merv Rettenmund and a Mike Cuellar complete game. Brooks Robinson earned Series MVP honors by the virtue of his nine hits (two homers) and several key defensive plays over the course of the five-game set.

When the dust settled, it was the crowning moment for a team that reached three consecutive Fall Classics from 1969-71, and earned Earl Weaver his only ring. The Orioles’ 108 regular-season wins remain the franchise’s second-highest single-season total. And their mad dash through October remains one of the most dominant postseason runs of all time, five decades later.