Jim Palmer

Jim Palmer was a Hall of Fame Baltimore Orioles right-hander celebrated for his durability and postseason success.

James Alvin Palmer was born on October 15, 1945, in Manhattan, New York City. Given up for adoption when he was two days old, he was raised by Moe Wiesen, a wealthy garment-industry executive, and his wife Polly, first in a Park Avenue apartment with servants, then in Westchester County, where a family butler taught him to throw a baseball in Central Park. When Palmer was nine, Moe died of a heart attack, and Polly moved the family to Beverly Hills, California, where she met and married character actor Max Palmer — who formally adopted Jim and gave him the surname that would later hang in Cooperstown. (A 2017 investigation by Palmer's wife using genealogical records finally traced his birth parents to two Irish immigrants, Michael Geheran and Mary Ann Moroney.) The family later settled in Scottsdale, Arizona, where Palmer starred in baseball, football, and basketball while carrying a 3.4 GPA. He turned down basketball scholarship offers from UCLA and USC to sign with the Baltimore Orioles for a $50,000 bonus in 1963. He debuted in the majors at just 19, and by 20 he was already a national name: in Game 2 of the 1966 World Series, nine days before his 21st birthday, Palmer out-dueled the legendary Sandy Koufax with a complete-game shutout, becoming the youngest pitcher ever to throw a shutout in a World Series. Over 19 seasons, all with Baltimore, Palmer built a reputation as one of the most consistent big-game pitchers the sport has seen. He won three American League Cy Young Awards (1973, 1975, 1976) and helped the Orioles capture three World Series titles (1966, 1970, 1983), pitching in six Fall Classics across three different decades. His statistical signature is almost unbelievable: across 3,948 career innings, Jim Palmer never once allowed a grand slam — a record of situational command that remains unmatched. He was also a superb athlete on defense, winning four consecutive Gold Gloves from 1976 to 1979. Known to teammates as "Cakes" for his habit of eating pancakes before starts, Palmer finished his career with 268 wins, a 2.86 ERA, and six All-Star selections. His famously combustible relationship with Orioles manager Earl Weaver — the two clashed for 14 consecutive years despite Weaver's teams winning constantly with Palmer on the mound — became one of baseball's most enduring subplots of the era. Palmer was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990 with 92.6% of the vote, and went on to a long second career as a broadcaster and, briefly, a Jockey underwear model.

Right-handed pitcher with excellent control and durability

One of the greatest pitchers in Orioles history

• HOF 1990
• 3x Cy Young (1973, 1975, 1976)
• 6x All-Star
• 4x Gold Glove
• 3x World Series champion (1966, 1970, 1983)