That’s the year Ripken learned to lose.
The Orioles finished last in the American League East, 22 games out of first place. It was the first time since 1967 that they ended a season below
.500.
Eddie Murray asked for a trade after owner Edward Bennett Williams told the media Murray was “doing nothing.” Players noted that Earl Weaver, lured out of
retirement by Williams to manage the club the previous season, lacked the fire he once possessed. So it was left to Ripken to hold together as much of the
team as possible.
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For the fourth straight season, Ripken led all shortstops in home runs
(25), RBIs (81), runs (98) and slugging percentage (.461). He batted .379 with
seven homers and 21 RBIs in July, and the Orioles were two games behind Boston
on Aug. 6.
That’s when they collapsed – when even the vise-like grip of Ripken couldn’t hold them.
They lost to the Texas Rangers that night, 13-11, despite hitting two grand
slams in the same inning, and went into a 14-42 skid.
They were swept in
consecutive doubleheaders in Oakland, twice mishandling ninth-inning leads.
Pitcher Scott McGregor noticed Ripken “pressing because he had to carry
it.” Ripken batted .250 in August and .254 in September and October, but he
continued to exhibit the traits of a leader.
Jim Traber, who took over first base when Murray went on the disabled list
for the first time in his career, said “sometimes [Ripken] was a silent
leader, sometimes he was a vocal one.”
He remained a dependable player in the clutch, tying Toronto’s George Bell
and New York’s Don Mattingly for the AL lead with 15 game-winning RBIs. He
became the first player other than Murray to lead the team in home runs since
Ken Singleton in 1979, and made his third consecutive start in the All-Star
Game. Among AL shortstops, only Toronto’s Tony Fernandez (.983) had a better
fielding percentage than Ripken’s .982.
He led the Orioles in eight offensive categories but couldn’t lead them out of the division cellar.