This story was sent to the page by Carl Morin, and we thought it was awesome! If you have a story to share, message the page or post on the page and we will share one every once in a while! A FAN REMEMBERS I would like to share with all my fellow Oriole fans my most treasured Orioles memory. This article has now been edited from its original one then published in The Orioles Gazette some years ago (Mike Devereaux issue). This article won me an extended one year subscription. And I would like to share this with you now. I first became an Oriole fan in 1966 when former Oriole shortstop Mark Belanger when working in the off season in a sporting goods store in Pittsfield, Mass. Sold me and autographed my first baseball glove. I was nine years old. Mark then asked me for my home address and for years after he would send me all kinds of Oriole souvenirs which included hats, jackets, tee shirts and autographed pitchers of most of that present day Orioles. I had to be the only kid at that age to wear the orange in my very small town amongst all the Red Sox and Yankee fans. Thanks to Mark for getting me hooked on the Orioles. To this day some I have been an avid Orioles fan! I miss you Mark and thank you very much for this memory. But my most treasured Orioles memory and experience if you will starts here. While attending Frank Robinsons induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York in 1982, I met a couple from Baltimore named Larry and Kathy Martin. Larry was then an Orioles Advocate. We all took part in all the weekends festivities and became close friends. We exchanged addresses and wrote to each other often. In one of his letters Larry and Kathy invited me down to his home. It was the first time I had ever been to Baltimore and my first experience in Orioles Magic! I arrived on October 1st 1982 for the last weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Orioles were three games out of first place and the excitement was building. We didn’t go to Fridays doubleheader because the Martins wanted to show us around Charm City. Our first stop was to Harborplace and shortly after got my first taste of Maryland Crabs which I thought were delicious! As we were touring the city the Orioles game was on the radio. The Orioles won their doubleheader and were now one game out of first place! It was now Saturday and my first trip to Memorial Stadium and my first ever Orioles game. Larry had company boxes and third row behind the Orioles dugout, unbelievable! I was in awe of the place and probably the most excited I have ever been in all my life!! I thought I had died and went to heaven! I became hoarse from screaming by the third inning. The Orioles pounded out eighteen hits that day and won 11-3. The Orioles were now tied for first place with one game remaining in the 1982 season. Game 162 a very hot fall day in Baltimore and off to Memorial Stadium to decide the American East Championship! We had section 5 seats for today and the fans were going crazy!! Two future Hall Of Famers going today. Jim Palmer and Don Sutton. Palmer on three days rest. We all know what did happened that day, I will not go into details. I will spare you of that! 51,639 fans watched the Orioles go down in defeat 10-2. All this was overshadowed however because it was Earl Weavers last day as our Oriole Manager! After the game simply no one left! The chants of Weaver, Weaver, Weaver must have echoed all over Baltimore. Earl finally came out for a curtain call with tears in his eyes said goodbye to the game he loved. The cheers were so loud that one might think the Orioles won the pennant. The whole team proceeded to come out of the dugout to pay the great fans of Baltimore due respect. It was the most emotional display of loyalty I have ever witnessed. Tears flooded my eyes along with many others as we said goodbye to the Earl of Baltimore!! I will never forget that weekend as long as I live!! Truly an Orioles Magic Moment!! I have been to Baltimore every year since then and I am falling in love with the city more and more every year. In all those years I have met a lot of very nice people there and have experienced many memorable moments but none overshadowed that most memorable weekend in 1982. Thank you Larry and Kathy Martin and thank you the citizens of Baltimore. You are truly Charm City!!
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 15:46:06 +0000
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