The Baltimore Orioles have been in the news this week quite a bit. First it was the startling developments of reliever Alfredo Simon in the alleged shooting on New Year's Eve. Then some positive personnel developments with the acquisition of first baseman Derrek Lee (pending physical) and closer Kevin Gregg.
The icing on the cake for the O's and their fans was the news today that Roberto Alomar has been elected to the Hall of Fame.
The Orioles have been horrendous for well over a decade since their last postseason appearance in 1997. Their second baseman at the time was Roberto Alomar. Time flies when you root for a losing franchise, doesn't it?
Alomar was one of the leaders of the Orioles in the mid-'90s. I remember looking forward to going to Camden Yards and hanging out with 40,000-plus fans donning the black and orange, in unison screaming "O!" during the National Anthem, and then watching Cal Ripken, Alomar, Brady Anderson and company handle their opponents night in and night out.
It is fitting that Ripken went to the Hall first, and is a nice reminder today that, once upon a time, the Orioles had great talent and amazing depth on their major league roster.
The Orioles may be a few years from seeing general manager Andy MacPhail's great plan come to fruition, but at least for one day the fans of the O's can remember—and celebrate—one of the great players to don an Orioles uniform. Congrats, Robby, we will always be grateful for your efforts and dedication to the city and the Orioles organization.
This article is also featured on the Bird Bytes blog.
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