Baseball, The Birds on 33rd

You. Get. It. Welcome back to Baltimore's Memorial Stadium for 38 years in Baltimore. The baseball faithful have come to worship on 33rd Street. At a venerable erected concrete cathedral called Memorial Stadium. A place where the sights. Sounds and smells. Just as bad. As the ones. Where. Baseball. Played on 33rd Street. Was a heavenly play.

Class. Brace. For. And. So. An. 8. 8.

8. 8. 8.

8. The St. Louis American League franchise. Good girl. Thank goodness there were men in Baltimore at that time who had the foresight and the daring to go out and get that franchise. And they did. The two principal figures of course for the mayor Tom and Della Sandra and Clarence my house was a corporation lawyer see Baltimore able to free itself from the shackles of the minor leagues. 51 years Baltimore was confined to the minor leagues and for the day of redemption to arrive and for the Orioles to again be back in their rightful location the American League was a moment that I treasure and savor and emotional intensity. Was terrific. You've never seen one on such a high. Not in this century. Well it was a Mardi Gras. It was New Year's Eve and it was the Fourth of July all wrapped

into one. I never remember in my lifetime in Baltimore a more joyous occasion. It's a great thrill and I turned 50 for the the Orioles played a couple of games in Detroit. They spread to their first two games in their modern history and then they got on the train and they came to Baltimore. And we had a we had a big parade. They got off the train in their uniforms got in automobiles and went through downtown streets of Baltimore and paraded to the stadium. And I can remember coming in at Memorial Stadium and the workmen were still working on the stadium and it was a threatening day it looked like it might rain right now. The home opener. We. Had a jam packed. Crowd. And the. Orioles won that game if I remember I think it's 3 to 1 over the Chicago White Sox. It caught me and I think it brings at home. And it was a game a day for Baltimore and the beginning of the modern era of the Orioles.

For one day Memorial Stadium wasn't lipless when the titans of baseball perform during the 1958 All-Star Game in 1958. The. Thing went over very well. And the stadium was full and everybody had a good time. Beyond that the game itself you remember it was all singles that didn't have anybody clearing the bases with a O'Berry last. Game and when it was only a little while after that you realized maybe we should've made more. The most valuable player that day was the Orioles very young pitcher. He go down. Well. It's pretty good. You know life is hard to come by ball of course and I always pitched good against occasionally good. Casey Stengel was a Madhuri Dixit take the pitches you know and that may have something to do with it too early when it was going to pitch the middle

innings and he will go and go from there and of course he had a four three lead and he'd have a pitcher pitch the seventh eighth and ninth and tenth of all to pay and who is going to be better parents. Right now I'll ask he was a great believer Cleveland for so many years. I think Paul for was on that ball club and I made sure it was while. But when the call came it was for me and it was really exciting to be there before the hometown ball club and hometown fans. And everything and I was able to reach out me mean I face. I don't think anybody would ever forget Stan Musial the first time you face him and I remember him and them as Roski. Ernie Banks people of Baltimore always good to me. I came here as a bonus player and know my experience and they were real patient with me and it seemed like we're alive. He had a good job and they were always really encouraging a man always said of Baltimore is

my baseball home. My first year here. Was an amazing year. It was a lot of reasons for that. You know Jerry Hopper who was the ball club that winter saw he was a rookie owner he dealt with a rookie general manager and. There was a lot of people a lot of writers writing that. We didn't have but. We didn't really have a chance because myself was a rookie behind the plate. Davey Johnson won the second base job coming out of spring training. Paul Burton said I feel we won the World Series. The thing that really comes to my mind is the 66 World Series. I hit the homerun in the third game. We won it in the fourth game I made the final cut the final out for the 66 World Series. My happiest moment I think of the 66 World Series which is the first time the Orioles got in the World Series and we won. I always say that's my happiest moment of my first year.

I was born you know 66 beat the Dodgers four straight and I got the last you know Sandy Colfax and that's why he retired so that's a pretty good year. That was not supposed to happen. No way that could have happened. And it happened you know in such a dramatic fashion that. Frank Robinson gets a homerun and that losing the ball club up very much in the first game. Brooks follows with a home run for Bosskey strikes out 12 when the first game and then don't give up a single one. In the next three games. Without. That. That was the year for me. It was never. I just couldn't comprehend number one that they had beaten the Dodgers that they had beat them four straight was on linkable but to shut them out without a run for three games. That'll never happen in another world series the way that we turned this town upside down. I mean it was probably one of the greatest parties and the greatest celebrations that ever happened anywhere. Little things about the team.

That makes it more difficult today is the fact that those toddlers grew up together they played together in Elmira and they went right up through the chain. And then finally came up here out of Rochester and they knew each other when they walked into a club clubhouse they'd been playing together for five or six years when they got to the major league level. I think. It's safe to say use the 25 man roster as well as any manager I've ever seen. He made sure guys got out that he was the first fellow. That really paid attention to statistics. He didn't want anybody to see this but I I had a pretty good hunch what he was doing but I'd ask him about it. He'd never let me look at the world today. The kind of statistics that Earl Weaver use are published nightly in the press box but he was that far ahead. And you be beyond a pretty good hitting streak and a pitcher would come out one night. You know Smith and you'd say well why isn't he playing tonight. And you'd find out that Weaver looked back and saw that he was like one for 25 against that guy and that's why he didn't play. Now Weaver try to convince me and try to pull the ball. And when I came up from Rochester I was more of a straight away line drive hitter. I went in

his office a couple times and he says. You know in 10 years you're going to be competing in this league and I just kind of looked at him just kind of laughed because. I was not known as a guy to hit the ball out of the ballpark in which I did it. Rochester hit 22 home runs. But that wasn't the major leagues but he was right on. He was 10 years to the date right. So I don't know if that makes him a prophet or not. I don't know Earl just wanted it he just wanted to get everything he could out of everybody and that included the umpires. Tim Palmer tells a story one night I can't remember the name of the umpire. But. Jim was a little unhappy he wasn't getting some pitches for strikes he thought he had gotten. So Earth decided he'd go up and take care of it. Jim tells me he got out there to the mound and stayed there until the plate umpire walked out. When he got out there Earle turned with his hands on his hips the all was good he said. He said look he said we've got a guy here. That's won 20 games a year for eight years he's won three Cy Young Award. Now you tell me where do you want him to throw it for

a strike. You're out of here. That was such a bitter experience but I can tell you one great thing happened. That is when when the. We lost three in a row at Shea Stadium and flew back to Baltimore when when the team got back to friendship airport which is what it was called and. There were I don't know how many people. Five hundred thousand waiting for us and. Just about everybody in the club cried. I was sitting next to Charlie Lau on a plane and as they entered opened the doors to let us out at friendship. We heard a noise it was like a whoosh sounded like like a brook. And I looked at Charlie. He looked at me and he said I don't believe this. By this time we figured out it was people. And they were cheering. And we hadn't. Done anything. To cheer about. And about a week.

So I hurried on and the general manager at that time said. I think that's when we won the 1970 World Championship. Because it gave everybody so much resolve. We were we were underdogs in that series. Everybody thought this big red machine was just going. Rubbish out. But. Thanks to Brooksley and others. It was. Perhaps the greatest experience in the club's history. Better even than beating the Dodgers in four in four straight. I'm not quite sure why I say that. Except that. We really played back. And the Reds played better than the Dodgers. So I think we accomplished more. But you know Brooks wasn't the leading hitter in that club he was a dominant player. But. Hendricks played a big role a poly player played a big role. There so the Dougie. And the pitchers. We used. To call it they call saved a key game in Cincinnati. So it was. It was just a wonderful experience.

None of us were too familiar with artificial surfaces at that time. But Brooks just showed everybody didn't make any difference what he was playing on the glass or in TAR could make any difference at all. He just had an incredible World Series. It's great to see that kind of a series happen to somebody who has contributed so much to the game of baseball. I think fans everywhere rejoice in the fact that Brooks just did made one incredible play on top of the other hit very well and it was a. It was the kind of thing that I'm sure every professional athlete maybe in his dreams would hope that boy would I love to have one series like that and then have it turn out to be in the World Series where everybody sees it. And Brooks had a debacle which we put on the field here of a loyal stadium of 60 to 70 71 probably or some of the best teams in the history will never be judged. Is that because we have our lack of success in the World Series. The first time they played the pirates in the World Series one I'll never forget. Was. That. Everything that happened in that World Series was Clemente's throw from right field to the plate which still burns a hole in my memory as being one of the great controls I've seen in baseball

series here that I covered in network television also when. I was pitching to Roberto Clemente look like he always were going to win that series and Clemente had a little chopper back to the mountain where I caught it and turned. And commented. Without hustling desire and drive and he beat it out just barely. May have turned the World Series around and later around the world series Flamini had a bullet in the right field seats here. So that would be a pretty good Oriol steam. In. Back then we were young we were hungry to learn how to swim you know and we were really lucky to be with an organization that stressed a lot of fundamentals in the play for a manager as good as Earl Weaver and he kicked up every single day and we hated him for it. Now that we've all lived through it and seen how. You know what has happened to all of our careers on a candidate you look back and you say you know something.

He was the best I ever played for and of course the first World Series game of 79. We got snowed out. And my first reaction was that I overslept and it was now December. And to go through all the meetings with the press before and and have to turn around and do it again the next day after the snow out. And my dad being here and him saying you're more worried about the press than you are the pirates I guess that's a good thing. But you know. Just. To be honest enough to start the first game of that series was. Something I'll never forget. And I don't think I have. Or once you go through something like that. No other game ever has had the importance of what that game had to me personally. Probably the biggest thing in 1979 World Series played with the Pittsburgh Pirates and we came here and this is the seventh game in the World Series. We're down three to one. And then to come back and to play the passkey play the seventh game here in Baltimore against Scott McGregors a pitcher. And. I remember in my first at bat. Fans in Baltimore. Let out. A. Yell.

That the bleep to this day I can still remember that you know. And it was as loud as anything I've ever heard. And it was almost frightening. I had to completely step out of the batter's box maintain my composure get back in. And then proceeded to pop on up to the catcher start to hit a home run off me late. And then. I get paid would have it in the night. They had a runner on third to. And start a drill again heading back I remember saying to myself you're going to throw this ball as hard as you can and hope because you it's. Pretty darned good hitter and I threw it harder than I could and in a way thank God and hit a fly ball. Andrew I can still see him taking those little steps and catching it. My number one memory was 83. Second game of the playoffs they had lost Lamar void in the first game. And you know the White Sox that had the three games at home and a five game series. And. The Orioles didn't come out for the national anthem and ABC had people in the press box to say their nervousness their rivals for the first time all year. This is a terrible thing. What's going to happen. Well first they came out I bought a good pitch the great

game turned the series around they swept right through. And the great thing was that Mike Flanagan later told me that the reason they weren't out was that they had to wait for the decision on people's court and ABC Television be damned. That and that team that was the personality of that team I I it was they were. Iconoclasts irreverent and they had a lot of fun and they were really one of the last. Truly fun teams around. And I don't think the game will ever quite be the same with a mature team. It was really the 79 team meeting a couple of players and. I pretty much could have told you the first game of spring training that that team was going to win. In 82 we had lost in the last game of the season coming from way back. And that team got the spring training and you could feel like that team was on a course. For the series. We had learned a lesson from 79. And the frustration of 82 and that team just really want the wire to wire.

You know it would seem that that a baseball team is only as good as pitching and is going to take it. I believe it was Connie Mack the venerable one who said that baseball was depended upon in any evaluation or break down 75 percent of the importance of winning a game depending upon the pitching. Well I think if you were to if you were to evaluate the early old teams that have been winners in the years that they've been here you'd have to start with pitching. Well I remember. Playing against one of the most brilliant managers top the list in the game of calling Paul lechers who somehow always had those great young arms. That was Steve Barber. Rowe Pappas who chucked the Stryder Jerry rocker. That Jackfish threw it on and on and then they were close to that knuckleballer Wilhelm. This is a brilliant man Richards pitching coach Harry Britt Keane offered young sapwood Dave McNally some helpful tips.

David says best get out down the best come set out on the on your father. Now. If I can line up on your regular windup. And another thing David hiden about a little better you're not getting about five people in your class. Be sure and get them in their real way. Try and outline. That's great. And you go back over Oriole ball clubs and you will find that for the most part the winning or real clubs will have four or five pretty good starters going out there every fourth or fifth day. And. TIM PALMER down through the years was. You know he just touched so well so many times he got good people to play with. Don't misunderstand me. I was a pitcher's ball park back in the 60s and 70s mainly because of the pitching staff we had. You know it was a ballpark where you got to get it down to LIJ it wasn't too hard to hit home runs but if you had a pitching coach like George Bamberger whose theory was that if you could establish the outside corner of the plate you were at Cheers to be very successful.

Always remember the White House was at the start of the year in the outfield when you had to play a day game against a right handed pitcher and that's why Palmer won so many get one of the reasons he won the race and one of the reasons he made one on those games was just couldn't see the ball come out of there. What's the quota for honey Blue Jays. Well on August 23rd 1983 relief pitcher Tippie Martinez bagged the limit in one inning. I think everybody knows Lincecum because he was my catcher and had John Malone same plane sack in Gary Rooney keep playing third base. I was kind of a not a real familiar infielder even as far as catching guys. Those are the first. That's the first time. Those were the first runners that are so big to be picked off. So it was funny. The first time I laughed the second time it was even funnier. And I remember someone in the bullpen saying can you do it three times. And I'm trying to think of what started who said. Well you know they're going to try to run and Secada.

So if you throw it again. There's a good chance you might get him the third time and sure enough he went over the third time. The guy was living the wrong way and he picked him off. It was just one freaky thing that happened because everybody was trying to run on Lenny and I didn't want to throw the ball to Lenny because I wasn't sure if he's going to catch you do you think. He was so far back. I couldn't see him. And he wanted me to throw him the ball so you can throw some people out. And I didn't want to loss so it was kind of one of those things that so many got on base in the throw to first base all night long. If it. If I you know if it took all night. And just kind of the right time. Although their careers may not have earned them a trip to Cooperstown many gifted Orioles are permanently enshrined in our hearts and imagination. A glimpse at a covey of birds reminds us of how high they once flew. Down through the years. If you look at one position in baseball where the Orioles have really not developed an outstanding player it would be a cancer. Treat

and this was great until the Orioles got a hold of Wilhelm and that Gus really really. He just hated to try and catch Wilhelm but yet when Wilhelm pitches a no hitter he hit the home on to win it for him. But it was an early call Richards made design great big gloves and all the other kind of stuff to try and help but he didn't make any difference what you did at the minute. But Wilhelm was pitching three and this was unhappy. He might have two for three for four but he was still not happy about trying to catch Wilhelm. But he was he was one of the best real cancers we have ever had if not the best. Genteelly was a flamboyant fielder. Swung the bat with tremendous authority as a free swinger to such an extent that frequently on his follow through with hitting from the back and they were afraid that with the constant wear and tear and the bruising into his shoulders that it might create a situation that could possibly lead to cancer.

So they created a leather pad or rather a sponge pad that they put inside these baseball shirt and sweatshirt so to cushion the blow from his own bat. I've never seen another hit or backlash himself with a bat. But Jim did it was the best offensive year of any oil ever. I mean including Frank's Triple Crown. When you think about it I mean Jim hit 46 I think it was home runs 140 one runs but in the end he hit 3 0 2 and he didn't lead anything. You know the man was your marriage hit 61 Mantle even hit more times. Jim could be his own worst enemy. He'd get he'd get so upset over not being able to deliver let's say in the clutch and then help the ball club if they lost a game. He would he'd be on the clubhouse very very angry and he'd sit on the stool and just mope about it for maybe 10 or 15 minutes. It bothered him every time he didn't. I guess I'm in therapy should he go on you know run for four every day. And that's a big power hitter. He

struck out a lot and I think maybe that ate at him somewhat. He was he was something to handle. He really was. Among other things gyms until it was a good thing for he. Stopped held on to a lot of throws. Baseball fans can become insatiable. Once a guy has had a terrific year like that nothing will go but he has to have a terrific year all the time. And the following year was a letdown. And so they turned against genteel. And. You could go out there and hear people booing. Paul Blair was so centerfield into the outfield what Brooks Robinson was to third base. I'll never forget all we were telling Paul but one time this is called You play to show. Pablo played one of the shows that I've ever seen. And I remember Paul Butler telling how old he

was says Earl. When you see a ball go over my head and it doesn't leave the ballpark and I don't catch it and you can tell me to back up. Paul was played probably the shortest centerfield anybody ever saw because he could go back so well. I mean you never saw a ball go over his head because he'd get back there but he was also cutting off the starting line five singles and stuff. And yeah he was just a great center fielder. You know Frank always kids. Now of course what wasn't true is anything you up in this you. Paul Palmer never when he was pitching never had a press conference when he didn't mention Poly's name thanks ball because he could get Jim through a lot of high fly balls in. More than a few of them were very deep and and all he had a way to get back and can catch those things before they did any damage to anybody. He made a great difference and there just haven't been that many great center fielders in baseball.

In recent years particularly a. One time in spring training. That's something for me. We were I was talking about getting a jump on the ball. And Paul said well he said sometimes he said not all of the time but sometimes the sound of the. Bat hitting the ball. You'll have an indication of which way it's going. It took me out and sort of one day during batting practice and turned it back to home plate. And he on five or six different swings. And would tell me. I think that's over here. Over here. And then I remember one time he said all. Turned around and the ball was in our general area maybe not right at us but it was uncanny to have a fellow do that. Well you know that was my forte that foot I really thrived on trying to do is take any kind of ball is hit to the outfield I felt like catch anyone up. Well I've just always seen that. In the ninth inning any more you always came up one way or another. It always seemed that it was his time.

It was a great. Great money player. I mean you know it's september yet it seemed like every year it was what's wrong with Andy Murray on May 15th that it was Eddie hitting 317 in September. To me. He was never going to be a 50 homerun guy because he would bear down so much in the big. Series in the big game in the big get back. I don't think you could ever keep that intensity for 162 games. But he was the and is the best clutch hitter I've ever seen. You.

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Would have to say that if Frank taught the Orioles how to win. He was a very very competitive player but he did it by. Design and he also was not afraid to express an opinion as opposed to Brooks who was just as great a competitor. But Brooks wasn't the kind of a fellow to go over and say hey. But Frank would do that. Frank Robinson was a leader by example and what he could do on the field. The day that they made the trade. By trading I believe it was Jack Balchin and Simpson and no Papiss for Frank Robinson. Was it was a multiple player but Papiss was involved along with another player. Gene widdling who was the Orioles first base coach said if we don't win the pennant and he said it for publication on the record if we don't win the pennant with Frank Robinson and all of us should be fired. Brooks said something like when Frank Robinson came here we had a really good ballclub but it kept Frank to make us a winner. And in the six

years that Frank played here we won four pennant so. I think that speaks for itself. And when I first started covering baseball Robinson was was the lead of the Orioles and actually it was a game in Fenway Park but it was still the Orioles when they were tied in the in the 10th sitting. In the bottom of the ninth Red Sox and the bases loaded. Frank it cracked a rib. Diving against the wall and making a game saving catch and in the top of the thing he beat out a ball with the runner on third and two outs because he couldn't swing the bat. They didn't know it. He just found a way to win. You missed the cut off man. You heard about it from Frank. If you missed the sign you heard about it from Frank. And later years he was a follower. That was a judge of the kangaroo court. That was one of the great experiences a reporter could have to be a part of that empire Richards working with a young third baseman who didn't look like you'd ever have. Would have not four hours before the game and an hour after the game groundball after groundball.

And working out his heading to not be one of the greatest players of all time. Brooks Robinson. Well it I I don't think I'll ever see another third baseman as play any better. Now there may be somebody come along and play it as well. But I I kind of doubt that because Brooks was special. From the word go and he was a kind of a man that. He never had to think about what to do. In any situation. And then again it was just he knew instantaneously he knew. How to make the right move. The day the Brooks retired. And I was a master of ceremonies at second base. I introduced the player representative Doug the sensei and he was to come out and speak on behalf of the ball club for Brooks. And I introduced him to get a great big round of applause. It came out of the dugout and on the way he stopped at third base and reached down and pulled the bag. Up out of the ground and ran out there to second base and handed it to Brooks. Suffice to say he did not have to make a speech. And I talked to Doug about it later he said Charlie. I don't know he said I never thought about it.

It was not planned. He said I just started out there and here's this bag and I thought Hey. This is Brookes's place and I just pulled it out of the ground and gave it to him. It was an afternoon you would forget either. I remember that there was an umpire in the American League by the name of Hurley. It was a very hard bitten kind of an individual. And I said early early in Brookes's career what do you think of Brooks Robinson will naturally all the umpires like Brooks Robinson because of the way handling self. He never argued excessively with them the worst they could expect from a maybe would be a dirty look. But on him. And that was the extent of Brooks offering a protest because he's not given to two to confrontation. That's just not his manner. He has all the graces that you expect of a of a Southern gentleman which he certainly exemplifies but Hurley on that occasion I said to him again what do you think of Brooks Robinson. He said well he plays third base like he came down from a higher league.

One guy that always thought. Made great play is whenever I was here it was Al Bhambri Well it was I remember him twice jumping over the centerfield fence of one year to one year to beat the Red Sox. A couple of times scoring from first base on. Seemingly harmless singles. But he was a guy I loved. Blancher was one of my favorite players of all time and so. Watching him make the plays they can talk all they want about Ozzie Smith Blanchard didn't have to dive. Number six. Mike blander probably in my mind the best defensive shortstop that I've ever seen and I've seen some good ones from Waimate Nolan through Ozzie Smith is brilliant just defensively I don't know if there's ever been a shortstop like Mark mamzer.

Jackie Brandt could be called a flake that he had. More natural ability. I think most players I've seen he just have fantastic natural ability but he was unusual. Tiger Stadium one day we had. We had to tie run at second base. Top of the ninth inning. MIKE BOWERS managing. The call for time and he. Asked Brandt. To come over there because it was three balls and two strikes. He said. What are you going to look for and I'm I'm told this is Bryant said fastball Boller said. You got to be ready. So Brant went out there and tightened up the gloves and Duggin stepped in and the pitcher came out of a seven through. Strike three was called the never swum the bat. Power on. Crazy how off we

couldn't wait for power. It took four grand to get into the dugout he says. What did I tell you. He said What are you talking about. He said Didn't I say look for the fastball again. What we looked for you said the fastball is why didn't you swing. So I was looking inside and threw it outside. Les McPhail said to him one time Jack I hope you have a nice winter. He said only he said don't worry about the winners always have a great winter it's the summers in baseball that give me hell. Really Maranda was. Just one of the things that surprised me most about Miranda was that he never hit any better than he did because. He had he had really strong quick hands. And I guess I don't mean to say he bailed out but he just never stayed in the pits. He was kind of going away from it a lot was not as effective as I thought he could be but boy he could feel with anybody and he could certainly throw with anybody. And he had a pretty good head too because he wore number 7 and I thought for years that I'd look at the traveling secretary and we traveled by train in those days and he always had the compartment number seven. I thought that was because of his number. Number seven was in the middle of the car not over the

wheels. That's why you suffer. Boulder boss. You came into this ballpark. And. About three o'clock in the afternoon he went out to the visitor's bullpen. And they have tanks of water. He took the tank off and he had a black and gold goldfish put it into the water. Tap it up again and then he took all of the chairs and benches out of the visitor's bullpen dugout carried him way up on the terrace behind the trees out there and Setterfield. So when the visiting bullpen reported nothing to sit on it and fish swimming in the water cooler. I think John Lowenstein stretcher caper. Was probably one of the funniest incidences incidents in the history of the club he had gotten he had singled on the tying run or I guess it was no it was the winning run. What turned out to be the winning run it wasn't in the ninth inning so it wasn't sudden death. But in trying to draw a throw from the outfield. Toward him rather than to the play. Here up get hit in the back of the head with the back of the neck with a throw and he went down and

whomping and suddenly everybody was thrilled to death that we just looked like we just won a ball game. Everybody was quiet and then they ran the stretcher out and they picked him up gingerly and everybody stood and gave him a kind of a steady applause and tribute to. His hustle. And he gets to the. Edge of the track and is just about to disappear down the. The dugout steps and all of a sudden he sits up and he goes like this and smiles at the fans. And later on he admitted that he had planned it about halfway to the dugout. But I guess that's when he regained consciousness one of. The fence years ago it wasn't Taddy as a matter of fact in 1954 there wasn't even a fence just a huge hedge in centerfield 450 feet away from home plate. Since those days of the distant shrubbery the fence has been the stuff of legend. Sweet heroic home runs that were like ambrosia for the soul. And dramatic catches by Gray clad spectres that extinguished the spirit

using leather and lumber. The forces of darkness and light perform with the brilliance along the warning track and beyond. On June 10th 1959 the Cleveland Indians Rocky Kyla Vito performed a seemingly mythical feat by hitting four consecutive home runs in one game I was struggling I said tonight might be the night. I said I might come out of it tonight. Joe Walker was the pitcher the first time and I batted in the first inning. And I walked and I went out into the field and the Orioles had a little outfield by the name of the Pearson and he had a line shot down the right field line and I came over and I mean kind of a running catch and as I called it I was right on the wall and as I did that some fans leaned over and I poured a couple of beer right in my face you know and I was of course livid and I challenge him for after the game. And you know he said I'll be there and you know I said you better be. So then I came up the next time up and Walker was the pitcher again and I

hit a fastball and I knew that the ball was a homerun. And the following time I came up and Arnold Porter Carl was relieving at the outside corner with a slider and I really I hit it really good and it went over the 390 marker and left center. So that made it number two. Now I go out into the field and this guy. I'm getting kind of an ovation from the right field stands you know even though there's an impact that I had always been treated good in Baltimore. Baltimore was a great place for me. I had some good nights there and and the fans were always excellent. I always enjoyed going there. I came up a third time and the third official time and Arnie stole the pitcher. And believe it or not I hit almost the same pitch. Now I have three and I go out there and I'm getting a standing ovation including this guy that threw the beer because I kept my eye on him. So I come up the first time and Ernie Johnson. He was the top reliever at the time the ball on top reliever. He had not given up a home run to this point first pitch. Ernie Johnson

throws me up in here. So I just raise my head and went right hand my chin. It was a purpose pitch and he was brushing me back. The next pitch was about in here and I just got the bat out in front. I probably hit that one. I got out in front row that I hit that is harder. It's probably the hardest of the four. You would think I was a hometown player. That's the kind of Ovation standing ovation from the stands also. And when I ran out to my position again it was it was such a heartwarming thing and I don't know. I don't know if that endeared me to to the Baltimore fans or why but I always was treated very well. My memories of mantle of this ballpark before they had a sense of Setterfield had a hedge and if it got in there was a ground rule double. The Orioles had a very very gifted set of feel to be able to chuck berry. He could go get it with anybody. Matal hit a ball that looked like it had to go maybe into the hedge if not over it. And Chuck Deering flew through the air and caught the ball. Battle was around about shortstop at the time. He tried to kick the dirt a little bit and came in the visitors dugout was then the third base side. They had a

drinking fight held up by a pipe maybe an inch wide or something like that in the middle of the dugout. And he went into the dugout and twisted and tore the drinking fountain right out of the wall. Jack Dunn who knew Mickey Mantle very well on Sunday but Bill Ford. Cal Ripken had a deep fly ball to left center. Looked like it had a chance to be a home run. Was clear the wall or not and then Brad comments. Big center fielder very agile. A lot of speed made probably the most spectacular play that wasn't in the history of the stadium and maybe in any stadium he climbed the literally on the dead run climbed to the top of the fence defying gravity caught the ball backhanded and then left the ball park disappearing vaulted right over the top and left our side. Turned out when he hit the other side the ball had dropped from his glove and it was ruled a home run for camp. But Frank's home run is just astonishing. I saw it but I

really couldn't convince myself that I really didn't bounce so that was my first thought. And then the more I thought about it. I don't know that that's gone either. I have a collection of baseball souvenirs but if I could pick out one from all across the years at Memorial Stadium the one baseball I would prize most highly would be that. Frank Robinson. When we first came here that was a tradition in Baltimore that when an opposing pitcher was lifted and headed to the bench they dug out or wherever the fans would stand up and away their handkerchiefs and give them a taste of the Baltimore farewell and I saw the like that it was the most solitary thing in the world but it was colorful and it was characteristic of Baltimore.

And I was sad when when they discontinue that because one of the things I remember about 1983 coming here from Boston I've been with the Red Sox and of course in Boston the fans always tell you about how long suffering they are on the Sox have not won a World Series since 1918 they've been breaking my heart ever since I was a youngster. The Orioles in 1982 the previous year had lost the last game of the season after a stunning comeback. But they didn't win now in Boston. It struck me that all winter long and people would be ruing the fact that Parma that bomb you know couldn't win the big ball game and so on and so forth. But when I got to here it was just the opposite. The fans reacted as though the Orioles had won everything the year before. The day before opening day would come in from spring training and work out here at the stadium then went down and buses to the inner harbor. We only had 50000 people always doing something kind of goofy you know to keep them involved. I know in games that I didn't even play and at times I'd be sitting in the dugout watching the game if we were down two or three runs or something. I could communicate with any section in this ballpark

by waving a towel and they would start getting rowdy and loud and everything and then all the fans got behind us we were unbeatable. Memorial Stadium is always an electricity. It's a loud ballpark. I don't know if that's the acoustics or the manner of the fans or a combination probably a combination. But they come in and they make noise. One thing I'll never forget was 1988. The ball club would last 21 consecutive games. It was the worst beginning to a season by far in the entire 100 plus year history of baseball had never happened it probably never will happen again. The Orioles won a ballgame game and promptly lost the next two before they came home so they came home Monday night with Texas which was not a big draw. The record was one and twenty three and 50000 people were here at the ballpark. And the first batter of the game for Texas you know took a strike or whatever and the crowd went. You know and then ultimately he popped out and I know that Brock is the most exciting broadcaster I ever worked

as a pop star. And cows under it. And he makes the catch. You know and that was like the World Series it started. I remember Wild Bill up in the you know section up there in the stadium. Member the. 1979 I really remember the fans. They really. Became one of the team. I've been set behind at home plate. Listen to that deafening roar of this crowd so many times that. My hearing is. Back. In. Time. I need a reminder of what it sounded like. I remember. When my dad. Used to hurt my ears. It get so loud in this stadium and that's. You know that's a nice bad thing to happen to him. One of my favorite stories about this ballpark and it happened.

One evening kind of early. A gentleman who came in among the early arrivals at the ballpark. Had a heart attack. And. Was down behind the oil dugout. Texas Rangers were in town and they were pitchers were out there doing the running. And among those pictures. Was a guy named Doc medic who was also a doctor. Well Rex Barney and I were up on the press box watching this and there was a better more city policeman with this gentleman doing the best he could to help him. And Barney thought maybe I don't know how the doctor will feel about this. But he just said if there's a doctor in the house with a report behind you or we all dog up message running up there broke off immediately and a dead one came back here and the spread of Moore police sergeant finally stabilized the man. And got him out of the ballpark. And. It was kind of a moving. Episode to see. Him the next time the Texas Rangers came to town. This is a beautiful part of the story. A gentleman who had a heart attack threw out the first pitch to document it.

I can't tell you my partner on ESPN that Sunday night baseball Joe Morgan great player hall of famer. He and I were talking about Fenway Park Wrigley Field. The ballparks in which he played like Klores we feel for you. And he said that for him when he came to the American League. And even before that in the 83 World Series when he was with else and they played the Orioles he said Memorial Stadium was the one American League ballpark that he really wanted to play and more than Fenway because he said Hey I always got the history and they had some great players. But Memorial Stadium is the place where great things happened. I think in the case Memorial Stadium and a bowl of Orioles I think the Orioles made Memorial Stadium like some of the things that make it seem like you know maybe Memorial Stadium here at Memorial Stadium and you know different days the ball carried better you had grass you had rain you had wet snow with time.

So you know it was a little less and you can really count on what kind of a baseball game you want to have here. But one thing we always know is that you're going to end up winning