Baltimore Orioles History: Jim Palmer Ends Comeback Bid
By Tim Haberin
On this day in 1991, a 45-year-old Jim Palmer decided to pull the plug on a long-shot comeback attempt with the Baltimore Orioles.
By the spring of 1991, Jim Palmer was already a Hall of Famer and a Baltimore Orioles legend. But even the all-time greats sometimes wonder if they called it a career too soon. Palmer had last thrown a pitch in a major league game in 1984, but seven years later he still believed he had something left in the tank.
A frustration in his broadcasting career also steered Palmer toward an unlikely comeback attempt. Then with ESPN, Palmer was asked by the network to take a pay cut and sign a new three-year deal. Palmer agreed to the cut but wanted to sign just a one-year contract. ESPN refused to budge, prompting Palmer to give baseball another go.
At 45 years old, the right-hander began working out and joined the Orioles in Spring Training. While many questioned the legitimacy of the move, no one could deny that Palmer appeared to be in as good of shape as a man half his age. O’s manager Frank Robinson also thought Palmer would have a positive impact on the club’s young players, regardless of whether or not he succeeded in playing in another big league game.
Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Palmer struggled through his first spring outing against the Red Sox, surrendering two runs on five hits in two innings. His velocity was uninspiring and his control erratic. But it was what happened right before the start that ultimately ended Palmer’s comeback hopes: He tore his hamstring during warm-ups.
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Palmer informed Robinson the next day, March 12, that he was hanging it up for good this time. He told reporters, “I had breakfast with Frank this morning. He asked, ‘Are you sure?’ I said, ‘No, I’m not, but my leg is.'”
While it would have been fun to see Palmer still twirling it well into his 40s, his career accolades already distinguish him as one of the best to ever take the mound. After debuting with Baltimore in 1965, the righty had developed into the Orioles’ ace by the 1970s. In the nine-year span between 1970 and ’78, Palmer won at least 20 games in all but one season. He also captured three Cy Young Awards over a four-year stretch, earning the prize in 1973, ’75 and ’76.
Palmer led the American League in wins three times, ERA twice and innings four times. He was an absolute workhorse, eclipsing 300 innings on four separate occasions – a number simply unheard of in today’s game. A six-time All-Star, Palmer also helped guide the O’s to three World Series titles (1966, 1970, 1983) and pitched a no-hitter on August 13, 1969. He owns a career 268-152 record, 2.86 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 19 major league seasons.
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Today, Palmer provides color commentary on MASN’s Orioles television broadcasts. He might still wonder “what if” from time to time, but it’s safe to say he’s more than satisfied with the legacy he built.