70 in 70. Celebrating the Orioles 70th season by showcasing a handful of pictures from each season of Orioles Baseball. Day 8: 1962

Memorial Stadium in 1962. The iconic multiuse stadium would be home to the Orioles for half a century and play a vital role in the growth of the sport and success of the team during the fast approaching golden years of Orioles baseball

Hoyt Wilhelm in 1962. Old Sarge was 39 in 1962 and this would be his last season in Baltimore. He racked up 43 wins 39 loses in 185 appearances. Up to this point in Orioles history he was the best non starting pitcher in team history and had a case for best pitcher overall. Despite being 39 when he left Baltimore he would go on to play another decade in the league, bouncing from team to team until eventually making his last appearance at the age of 49 in 1972.

Boog Powell during the same game he hit a record breaking homerun. A Lakeland Florida Native signed out of highschool in 1960, Boog was just a rookie in 1962 but had already accomplished a historic feat by June. He became the first Oriole to hit a homerun over the center field hedges at Memorial stadium. The estimated 469 foot shot came off of the Red Sox’s Don Schwall. This was not the first time anyone had done it, Mickey Mantle accomplished it in 1957, but it is the first time an Oriole did so. Even more impressive that Boog was a rookie and dealt with some injuries to his foot during the summer months of the season. Boog Powell would go on to become an Orioles Hall Of Famer and hit over 300 homeruns during his time in Baltimore.