Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds World Series Champion Merv Rettenmund Dies at 81

Merv Rettenmund won championships with the Orioles and Reds before joining the Padres and Angels, then serving as a hitting coach for five different MLB clubs.

May 8, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A Baltimore Orioles hat and glove rest on the dugout rail during a game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. / Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Merv Rettenmund, who won World Series rings with the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds and Oakland Athletics, died at the age of 81 on Saturday.

Rettenmund made his MLB debut with the Orioles in 1968 and remained with the club through the end of the 1973 campaign. In that span, Baltimore made the playoffs five times and won three American League pennants, winning the World Series in 1970.

While Rettenmund was far from the biggest star on those Orioles teams, the outfielder did hit .320 with an .898 OPS and a 10.6 WAR between the 1970 and 1971 seasons. He also hit a home run in Game 5 of the 1970 World Series, helping Baltimore clinch the championship against the Reds.

Injuries and slumps limited Rettenmund to 95 games in 1973, and yet he still posted a 4.2 WAR. Regardless, the Orioles traded him to the Reds that December.

Rettenmund went on to win another championship with Cincinnati in 1975, even though he had become a part-time player and pinch-hitter at this point in his career. From there, Rettenmund spent two seasons with the San Diego Padres and three with the California Angels before calling it quits in 1980.

Over the course of his career, Rettenmund racked up 693 hits, 66 home runs, 329 RBI, 68 stolen bases and a 20.0 WAR. He was a lifetime .271 hitter with a .786 OPS.

Rettenmund got into coaching shortly after his playing days were done, serving as the hitting coach for the Texas Rangers from 1983 to 1985. He then held the same position with the A's in 1989 and 1990, winning the World Series in his first season on their staff.

The Padres brought Rettenmund back as their hitting coach in 1991 and kept him on staff through 1999. After ensuing stints with the Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers, Rettenmund returned to San Diego in June 2006 and coached his final game in July 2007.

Rettenmund, a Michigan native, retired to San Diego. He died there this past weekend.

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