Top 50 Players In Baltimore Sports History: Countdown 30-21
28. Mike Boddicker, SP, Baltimore Orioles
Boddicker’s pitching repertoire, once called “Little League slop” by Rod Carew, featured off-speed pitches and deception to compensate for a lack of power. He was able to throw from three different arm angles. He had a fastball that never came close to reaching 90 miles per hour. The one pitch that made him famous was the fosh, which he called “a glorified changeup.” Another one he used with success was the slurve.
Boddicker’s best season was in 1984 when he went 20-11 with a 2.79 ERA, leading the American League in both categories. Although ’84 was his best year, he pitched to an even lower ERA of 2.77 the year before in 1983. In the 1983 postseason with the Baltimore Orioles, Boddicker pitched brilliantly. With his team down 1-0 in both the ALCS and World Series, Boddicker pitched his team out of the hole by winning Game 2 of the ALCS 4-0 vs the Chicago White Sox (complete game shutout) and Game 2 of the World Series 4-1 vs the Philadelphia Phillies en route to a world championship.
Boddicker played the first nine years of his career on the O’s before getting traded over to Boston for Brady Anderson and Kurt Schilling. He would play two-and-a-half years in Boston, two more in Kansas City, and then finished off his career with the Milwaukee Brewers. Boddicker finished his career with 134 wins, 116 losses, and 1,330 strikeouts, while owning a career ERA of 3.80.
27. Peter Boulware, OLB, Baltimore Ravens
deadspin.com
The big argument that Ravens fans have pondered over is who the best pass-rusher in Baltimore Ravens history is. Many say that it’s this guy: Peter Boulware.
The Ravens selected Boulware with the fourth overall pick in just the second year of the team’s existence. In 1997, Boulware recorded 66 tackles and 12 sacks on his way to receiving the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Four years later, he became a member of the Super Bowl-winning team in 2000, recording 57 tackles and nine sacks, including two in the postseason. He would then have his best year in 2001, totaling 66 tackles and a career-high 15 sacks.
Boulware would then go on to record 15.5 sacks in the next two years before sitting out the entire 2004 season due to injuries. He would play eight years for the Ravens, going to four Pro Bowls and becoming the Ravens’ all-time sack leader. Before the 2006 season, the Ravens released him due to injuries and he decided to retire. Boulware finished his career with 493 tackles, 70 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, and 19 pass deflections in 126 career games.