Earl Weaver Dead At 82, Orioles Say

Earl Weaver has died.

The fiery Hall of Fame manager won 1,480 games with the Baltimore Orioles, taking them to the World Series four times in 17 seasons and winning it in 1970. Known as "The Duke of Earl" in Baltimore, Weaver preferred to wait for a three-run homers rather than manufacture a run with a stolen base or a bunt. While some baseball purists argued that strategy, no one could dispute the results.

Weaver had a reputation as a winner, but umpires knew him as a hothead. Weaver would often turn his hat backward and yell directly into an umpire's face to argue a call or a rule, and after the inevitable ejection he would more often than not kick dirt on home plate or on the umpire's shoes.

Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson remembers Weaver as " an intense competitor and smart as a whip when it comes to figuring out ways to beat you." Johnson played under Weaver in the minor leagues and with the Orioles from 1965 to 1972.

Dick Gordon, Weaver's marketing agent, said Saturday that Weaver died while on a Caribbean cruise sponsored by the Orioles. Gordon said Weaver's wife told him that Weaver went back to his cabin after dinner and began choking between 10:30 and 11 Friday night.

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