Jim Palmer

James Alvin Palmer (born October 15, 1945) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles from 1965 to 1967 and 1969 to 1984. Known for his exceptionally smooth delivery and high leg kick, Palmer was the winningest MLB pitcher in the 1970s with 186 victories. A six-time American League (AL) All-Star, he won three Cy Young Awards, four Gold Glove Awards, and recorded 268 total victories with the Orioles, the most in franchise history. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990 in his first year of eligibility.

Palmer was born in Manhattan, New York City. His biological parents were Irish immigrants Michael Joseph Geheran and Mary Ann Moroney, who gave him up for adoption. Two days after his birth, he was adopted by Moe and Polly Wiesen and raised on Park Avenue. After his adoptive father died in 1955, his family moved to Beverly Hills, California. His mother later married character actor Max Palmer, and Jim took the surname Palmer. He later attended Scottsdale High School in Arizona, earning All-State honors in baseball, basketball, and football before graduating in 1963.

After playing collegiate summer baseball for the Winner Pheasants in the Basin League in 1963, Palmer signed with the Baltimore Orioles. He made his major league debut in 1965 and joined the starting rotation in 1966. That season, Palmer helped Baltimore win the AL pennant and became the youngest pitcher to pitch a complete-game shutout in a World Series at age 20, defeating Sandy Koufax and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2.

Palmer faced arm injuries during the 1967 and 1968 seasons, spending time in the minor leagues and considering quitting baseball. After regaining his arm health, he returned to the Orioles in 1969, throwing his only career no-hitter against Oakland on August 13 of that year. Palmer became a core member of Baltimore's starting rotation, which featured four 20-game winners in 1971 alongside Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, and Pat Dobson.

During the 1970s, Palmer achieved eight 20-win seasons, winning Cy Young Awards in 1973, 1975, and 1976. In 1975, he led the American League with 23 wins, 10 shutouts, and a 2.09 ERA. He also won four consecutive Gold Glove Awards starting in 1976. Over his career, Palmer appeared in eight postseasons, winning three World Series championships, six AL pennants, and seven Eastern Division titles. He is the only pitcher to win a World Series game in three different decades and never allowed a grand slam in any major league contest.

Following his retirement as an active player in 1984, Palmer worked as a color commentator on telecasts of Major League Baseball games for ABC and ESPN, as well as for the Orioles on Home Team Sports, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. He also served as a popular spokesman, most famously representing Jockey International for almost 20 years.