The Hall of Fame’s Education Department salutes Hall of Fame right-hander Jim Palmer, who turns 69 years of age today. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991, Palmer won three Cy Young awards while posting eight 20-win seasons for the Baltimore Orioles. Palmer was a study in perseverance. Arm injuries limited him to only 49 innings in 1967, before completely wiping out his 1968 season. At that point, the Orioles thought so little of his prospects that they left him unprotected in the expansion draft. The Kansas City Royals and Seattle Pilots could have taken the future great with one of their selections, but both expansion clubs bypassed Palmer, who fought back from major arm woes to resume his Hall of Fame career in Baltimore. Underrated throughout his career, Palmer would help the Orioles win three consecutive pennants from 1969 to 1971. The ace of the Orioles, Palmer was one of four Baltimore pitchers to win 20 games in 1971. A statue of Palmer currently stands outside of Camden Yards in Baltimore. The statue is located near the statue of fellow Hall of Famer Earl Weaver, Palmer’s longtime manager with the Orioles. (Photo courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 12:51:55 +0000
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