Merv Rettenmund could do a lot of things well: he was capable at any of the three outfield spots; he had a strong, accurate arm; he was an excellent base runner; he was a very good percentage base stealer; and he hit southpaws well. He rarely had a starting job, but Rettenmund led the Orioles in hitting twice as a super-utility outfielder, and both times the team won the pennant.
Rettenmund was part of two of the greatest teams of the 1970s: he was a member of the 1969-71 Orioles, and he won a title in 1975 with the Big Red Machine. He was sort of like that special tool in the Swiss Army Knife: you didn’t need him all the time, but you had him in your back pocket in case.
As a teenager in Michigan, Rettenmund was named the best player in the country competing in the American Legion, winning the Kiki Cuyler Award.
Rettenmund died at the age of 81 on December 7, 2024.
