Baltimore Orioles: Remembering the original “Crazy Horse”
By Yusseff Diaz
Looking back at Baltimore Orioles great, the “Crazy Horse,” Miguel Cuellar.
According to MLB.COM’s Joe Trezza, Miguel “Mike” Cuéllar was the third-best lefty in the history of the Baltimore Orioles behind Mike Flanagan and Dave McNally.
Cuellar was discovered by the Cincinnati Reds in 1955 while pitching a no-hitter for a Cuban military team and actually signed with the ball club in 1957. He debuted with the Reds in 1959.
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The Cuban was acquired from the Houston Astros in 1969 and that same year he won the AL Cy young. During that season in which he struck out 182, he had an ERA of 2.38 and a WHIP of 1.01.
In his stint with the O’s from 1969-1976, he won a total of 143 games, had 133 complete games, and posted an earned run average of 3.18. In 1982 he was inducted to the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame. Aside from possessing a good fastball he also had an above-average screwball and changeup.
The original “Crazy Horse” was the most dominant Latino left of his era, Cuellar was given the nickname because of his quirkinesses. He would often jump the baselines on his way to the dugout and would never sit in the same spot twice while on the bench.
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The southpaw also had a stupendous 1970 with 24 victories which made him the league leader in that category that season and he also topped the league with 21 complete games. That year he also became one of 20 pitchers to strikeout four players in one inning.
In his time in Baltimore, he won 20 games four times (‘69-‘71,’74) and from ‘69-75 he had at least 17 complete games.
Cuellar leads all Latino lefty’s with 185 and was selected to the all-star game four times. Although he was a very peculiar character is one of the best Cuban hurlers of all-time.
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MLB statistics:
Win-loss record: 185–130
Earned run average: 3.14
Strikeouts: 1,632
Career highlights and awards:
4× All-Star (1967, 1970, 1971, 1974)
2× World Series champion (1964, 1970)
AL Cy Young Award (1969)
MLB wins leader (1970)
Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame (1982)