Earl Weaver, one of the greatest managers of my lifetime, is no longer with us:

“On my tombstone just write, ‘The sorest loser that ever lived,’ ” he once said.

Weaver, the Orioles’ irascible, chain-smoking, umpire-baiting manager who led the team to four American League pennants and the 1970 world championship in his 17 years here, died Friday night while on a baseball-themed cruise.

The Hall of Famer was 82.

Weaver piloted the Orioles from 1968 to 1982, and in 1985-86, earning nicknames like “the little genius” and “the Earl of Baltimore.” Weaver’s teams won 1,480 games and lost 1,060, and his lifetime winning percentage (.583) ranks ninth all-time and fifth among managers in the modern era who managed 10 years or more. Five times, Baltimore won at least 100 games for Weaver, who stood 5-feet-7 but was a legend to his players.

I started watching baseball in 1969, and the Orioles fielded great teams under Earl for over a decade. He knew talent, and he knew how to get the most out of the players under his control. He understood on-base and power as well as any modern sabermetrician. He mixed great pitching with strong defense and some big power bats. Even his light hitting shortstop, Mark Belanger, could draw a walk.

It’s tough to believe Davey Johnson, who carries on Earl’s legacy, is only 12 years younger.

Rest in peace, Earl. Hope there are a lot of walks, singles, and three run homers wherever you are.

Update: Here’s Davey Johnson on Earl:

“I grew up in the minor leagues with Earl Weaver and we proceeded to spend a significant portion of our lives together,” Nationals Manager Davey Johnson said in a statement released by the Nationals. “He was as intense a competitor as I have ever met. No one managed a ballclub or a pitching staff better than Earl. He was decades ahead of his time. Not a game goes by that I don’t draw on something Earl did or said. I will miss him every day.”