Baltimore Sports Then and Now

Mike Cuellar is currently battling for his life in an Orlando hospital.

There is a sad story in the recent Orlando Sentinel about the deteriorating health of former Baltimore Orioles ace Mike Cuellar. “Mike Cuellar’s Legacy Won’t Be Defined By Final Days.”

The story by Sentinel columnist George Diaz illustrates recent health issues for Cuellar that now have him in a hospital in the Orlando area living out his final days in pain.

A number of local businessmen and organizations are trying to assist Cuellar and his family with his expenses, including paying for his funeral.

Cuellar won 185 games during his 15 major league seasons, including 143 games with the Orioles. He shared the 1969 Cy Young Award and won 20 or more games in a season four times.

Here is an article written in Baltimore Sports Then and Now last year that chronicles his amazing career with the Orioles.

For now, please keep Cuellar and his family in your thoughts and prayers as they battle through this tough personal challenge.

Mike Cuellar

We recognize as the Baltimore Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week one of the key pitchers for the Baltimore Orioles during their championship run of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Sometimes timing is everything. After toiling away in the minors and on primarily losing teams for a decade, a seemingly insignificant trade following the 1968 season proved to be all that Mike Cuellar needed to become one of the top pitchers in baseball.
Read the rest of this entry →