Orioles Opening Week - Home Opener

I never went to all that many opening days growing up. It wasn't until I could buy my own seats that I went, but I can remember clearly how few other kids seemed to be in school on opening day. It was like an unofficial holiday. It reminded me of my time living in Virginia and the first day of hunting season was kind of the same thing.

It was so bad in high school, that Brother Woods set up a card table in the lobby of Calvert Hall to process all of the kids leaving early.

Of course, that was back in the days when you could decide to head on down to a game at the last minute, walk up to the window and get a nice seat. You could also bring a cooler with food and drinks. Oh, and they used to win a lot more.

Hate to sound like my grandfather but... dems was da days!

Go O's!!!!

Orioles Opening Week - Opening Day 1992

I was quite happy to be going to the all new Camden Yards on April 6, 1992.

I had had season tickets at the old Memorial Stadium with my good friend Steve Weinstein and we splurged (despite the medieval ticket hike) for more season tickets and opening day. I have gone to many, many, many games to Camden Yards but I must say that by far, those seats on that opening day were the worst I ever had: center field, underneath the overhang.

There had been a game a day or two before, the last exhibition game of the season against the New York Mets that I had also gone to so I felt lucky in that this was actually my second game at the new place. Steve and I rode the Light Rail down because we were sufficiently terrified of the projected gridlock downtown and had a good time riding the rails.

I usually don't have the best memory for games but this one I remember a lot:

Orioles defeated the Indians 2-0, in 2 hours 2 minutes. Complete game winning pitcher Rick Sutcliffe, 5 hits, 1 walk.

In the line-up that day for the Orioles: Brady Anderson, Joe Orsulak, Cal & Billy Ripken, Mike Devereaux, Chris Hoiles and one of the few games ever played by Glenn Davis.

For the Indians, Kenny Lofton, Carols Baerga, Abert Belle, Sandy Alomar Jr.

Johnny Oates was the manager and Cal Sr. was once again in the third base box.

Orioles Opening Week - I Hated Junior Orioles

I'm sure you are anticipating some poetic waxing about my Junior Orioles experience but I must admit, I hated it.

For those of you who don't know, Junior Orioles was a season ticket package that was super cheap so Dad's could take their kids to the Orioles. This was back in their not-so-hey day of the mid-70's when they pretty much stunk those years after '71 and before the '79 - '83 dynasty. Not many people were going to the games. Solution: Junior Orioles.

Like any good business, you take the worst parts of the worst things and you slap a cool label on it. First off, the seats were in the outfield bleachers. In the old Memorial Stadium, the outfield bleacher seats for the most part stunk. There are approximately twenty bleacher seats which are acceptable. The rest are much, much, much too far away. Most are 900 feet from home plate.

They are also in the blazing sun. They were also a fairly flat grade. You couldn't see over the person in front of you. The games were always on Saturday or Sunday afternoon 124 degrees.

And my Dad was always miserable. We never, I mean NEVER, stayed the whole game. I'll never forget listening to one of the greatest comebacks in Orioles history from the comfort of our car as my Dad tore up Perring Parkway away from the stadium.

Orioles Opening Week - My O's Junk

Like any other goober who's been to his fair share of games over the years, combined with my notorious pack-rat tendencies, means I have plenty of Orioles junk.

My first memorable souvenir was an Orioles pennant my Dad picked up while he was at work for the '71 World Series between the O's and the Pirates. Talk about a different time, I remember the teachers rolling in television sets into the classrooms so we could watch. World Series games during the day? Teachers having the whole class watch sports instead of school work?

I've collected tons of programs, balls, knick-knacks and crud and have every ticket stub.

Orioles Opening Week - Dad's Glove

With opening day for the Baltimore Orioles fast approaching and things looking bleak even by spring training standards, I thought I would begin my baseball preview. Being the the pack-rat collector, I have a few Orioles items but my most precious baseball item is not really a collectible but my Dad's old baseball glove. As a kid, my Dad had given this to us and I thought it was horrible. It didn't really fit my hand and was hard to catch with. I soon got my own glove and moved on and tried to sell it at every yardsale I could. I left it outside in the rain dozens of times. The thing wouldn't leave. It wasn't until later that I realized he was "giving me his glove".

Its a Rawlings 'Eddie Mathews', three fingers, leather, brass button. My parents wrote 'Jeff R' on the front in magic marker which is why I suppose it kept being returned.

Now it is a family treasure!

Orioles Baseball - 2010 - A New Start

Jeff's favorite Oriole from back in the day Randy Milligan (above).

I'm making a fresh start with the Baltimore Orioles this year. I grew up with the classic birds of the 70's and 80's and was a fan for many years. I even had season tickets for a few years in the late 80's / early 90's with my good friend Steve Weinstein. But the team has been abysmal for ten years now, they seem to have no personality or fire or desire or inspiration or talent. Does that stop me? No.

I've decided I'm going to try my hardest to follow this team through this downturn and be the good fan that I am. Hopefully, I won't change my mind during the first of the seven eight game losing streaks.

Above is a picture of one of my favorite Orioles from the 80's Randy "The Crazy Irishman" Milligan. I may be confusing him with one of my favorite Baltimore Colts Randy McMillan so I'm not really sure. But either way, I'm back on the Orioles wagon!