Miranda was one of the 17 players involved in the O's/Y*anks trade that I touched on in my previous post. He was the epitome of shortstop's from that era of baseball: light-hitting but a great fielder at a demanding position. However, he was a notably exceptional fielder. Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda (who used to play in the Cuban winter league with Miranda) once said: "He was the best defensive shortstop I've ever seen and I've seen plenty. This guy could do it all." Former Orioles manager Paul Richards noted his acrobatic fielding ability by calling him "Ringling Brothers". Orioles catcher Gus Triandos also remarked he was a flashy fielder, and added that his strong throwing arm was almost "abnormal for such a small guy".
A career .221 hitter, Miranda had his best offensive season in 1955, batting a career high .255 in 153 games played - his first full season as an everyday shortstop. Ironically, he committed the most errors he ever had in a season with 34 that season, for a .958 fielding percentage. That may have been a byproduct of his incredible range at the shortstop position though. What wowed Baltimore fans was that range and his flashy fielding style, as well as the fact that he led the league that year with 101 double plays turned as a shortstop.
It seems that Willy Miranda was a building block in laying the foundation of interest and enthusiasm for Baltimore baseball fans. That was best summarized by Paul Richards in 1975: “In the years we were trying to build a team in Baltimore, the fans didn't have much to entertain them. From 1955 to 1959, Miranda kept the interest alive. I always felt, in some ways, he helped save the franchise in those formative years.” For more extensive insight on Miranda, take a look at his SABR BioProject page.
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