From Chapter 2:

1961-1965: Birds of a Different Feather

October 1, 1960

Just over a week after ending their season, the Red Wings announced they would not renew their affiliation with St. Louis. Instead, the organization was signing with the Baltimore Orioles of the American League. The deal ended 33 years of connection with St. Louis and was made with astounding speed. Despite the impact of the infamous trade, it was not the final straw in the decision.

The Red Wings were more than happy with Clyde King as their manager. The Cardinals were not. Due to the Charlie James incident and King's insistence on winning over player development, St. Louis ownership refused to approve Rochester's desire to extend King's contract. During the playoffs, Cardinals' farm director Wally Shannon Sr. (father of the Wings' second baseman) made it clear that under no circumstances would the Cardinals back King's return. Board member and former president Morrie Silver, who officially made the motion to change affiliations, stated "I feel St. Louis has worn out its welcome here. I feel St. Louis has broken faith."

RCB President Frank Horton, in a statement accompanying the announcement, said that since this disagreement "reached into the heart of our working agreement, we felt to accede to St. Louis plans would mean giving up the last vestige of an independent operation." It was a "matter of principle," so with the unanimous approval of the board of directors, the Red Wings severed the agreement with two years remaining and went shopping for another parent club.

It was a short search. Baltimore was the first choice and the Orioles reacted with enthusiasm. The working agreement drawn up by Horton, Sisler and Orioles' General Manager Lee MacPhail was basically the same as with the Cardinals, except the Wings retained the right to pick the manager (although they were responsible for paying him). Baltimore severed its ties with Miami of the International League and had already dropped its agreement with Vancouver of the American Association, making Rochester its sole Triple-A club. The deal made everyone happy, even seemingly the Cardinals.

"We parted on the friendliest of terms," stated Horton. "They're not mad at us, and we're not mad at them." Redbird GM Bing Devine even helped pave the way for the switch, contacting Oriole brass at Horton's bequest and suggesting a swap of Triple-A affiliates.

Sisler told George Beahon, "I believe the new association between Baltimore and Rochester will be a real shot in the arm to Red Wing baseball. It is my opinion that the Baltimore organization has fine talent." A random telephone poll of over 70 shareholders found only one that expressed dissent over divorcing the Cardinals. The Orioles were a young organization at the major league level, both in players and leadership. Baltimore entered the American League in 1954, its ancestors the long-suffering St. Louis Browns. Building from within, Baltimore slowly became competitive and in 1960 the "Baby Birds" managed to press the New York Yankees, winning 89 games and finishing second. Off the field, MacPhail, Farm Director Jim McLaughlin, Assistant GM Jack Dunn and aide Harry Dalton formed the youngest front office in baseball.

In baseball terms, however, the name Baltimore Orioles dated back to 1882. The American League was the third major league in which an Oriole team competed, having been members of the American Association from 1882-1891 and the National League from 1892-1899. From 1903 to 1953 the O's were a member of the International League. The franchise was best known for its league-record seven consecutive pennants between 1919 and 1925. That run was especially frustrating for the Rochester teams of the era, which during the same years won over 100 games three times and finished second in each instance. Formal rivals were now working partners.

On Oct. 18, Baltimore leadership was in Rochester for a "Meet the Orioles Brass" luncheon, at which King was formally rehired. Fans in attendance were given the opportunity to pose questions to the guests. Some bluntly asked the new parent club about its position on the frequent player recalls that had soured the St. Louis relationship. While stating there was no way he could ever promise that it wouldn't happen, MacPhail said, "We recognize the damage that a major league club can inflict on a Triple-A operation by recalling and juggling players. We recognize that Rochester, in particular, being a community owned club, is in the entertainment business and must please fans."

Despite the switch, all was not well for the franchise or the league in which it played. Due to poor weather (only 16 of the Wings' 67 home dates in 1959 had been rated as played in "warm and clear" conditions), regular-season attendance dipped to 213,497, down almost 40,000. Even with the decrease, the figure placed the club second in the IL behind Buffalo. In November the Wings reported a paper loss of $57,099.49, although Horton explained the amount was more of a "book-keeping figure" and that the actual minus amount was around $26,000 (mainly due to $25,000 of "non-recurring" stadium expenses.)

Horton attributed the red ink to the poor weather, no pennant race, the St. Louis "situation," and no exhibition game receipts. There was also the reduction of the Player Development Fund payment from the majors from $22,500 to $20,000 and the Wings had been responsible for high-salaried vets Frey, Harrell, Stone, Tiefenauer, Keegan and Easter. The RCB president was "concerned but not alarmed" by the losses. When asked about any chance of a stock dividend at the December shareholders' meeting (stock was trading at $8.45 from the original $10), Horton stated "stock was sold more as a means to keep baseball in Rochester than as a vehicle for profit."

The drop in attendance was not due a lack of public relations efforts on the part of the Red Wings. General Manager Sisler was out making the rounds of the local banquet circuit. In February, excluding the handful of nights on which dinners or sports nights were not scheduled, he made speaking appearances on 17 of 22 possible nights.

Despite its problems, Rochester was not one of the International League's trouble cities. The league did not lose a city to the two-team major league expansion (although Toronto had applied), but three - Montreal, Miami and Jersey City - of the league's eight cities were shaky. The Los Angeles Dodgers were said to be pulling out of Montreal, while Jersey City and Miami had continued financial and attendance problems. San Juan, Puerto Rico, the neighboring Virginia cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk, and Syracuse were all being mentioned as possible cities should all or any of the three relocate.

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