New Orioles GM Mike Elias grew up in northern Virginia, and discussed the history and future of the Orioles at his introductory news conference on Monday:

“I also got a chance to see Camden Yards, to be at Camden Yards, at a time when the stadium was filled to the brim, when the city was supporting a championship-caliber team, a playoff-caliber team. So, I know there’s no place better in baseball when that’s the case. But I was also particularly drawn to this because I think very uniquely this organization has in its history and in its DNA, having at one time being considered as the smartest, most forward-thinking, most progressive organization in baseball. And the fact that that was the case here before means it’s possible for that to be the case here again. We are here to restore that reputation. We’re going to work toward that.

“This is a process. It’s a process that doesn’t have shortcuts, but it’s a process that works and it’s a process that is worth it. It’s a process that I’ve been a big part of before and the fact that I have done this before, really twice across two different organizations, gives me a special level of confidence that we’re going to do it again and repeat that same type of success here in Baltimore.”

The Orioles had a long run of success when I was growing up. From 1966 to 1983 they won three World Championships and dominated the regular season. In that span they went 1668-1168, a .588 winning percentage. That’s 500 games above .500 in an 18 year span. The next closest team was the Cincinnati Reds, 1578-1272, a .554 winning percentage. A .588 winning percentage is 95 wins in a 162 game season.

That kind of success is difficult to repeat long term, but the Orioles are long overdue for another championship.