The Camden Yards Bobblehead Debate

This past Friday, the Baltimore Orioles hosted "Tupac Shukur Bobblehead Night" at Camden Yards. I know, you're probably wondering what initiated this. After all, Tupac has about as much in common with Orioles baseball as the World Series. But nonetheless, countless Tupac fans lined up before the game to secure their bobbling treasure.

To break down the significance of Tupac's ties to Baltimore, here's the way I understand it. He lived in Baltimore from 1984 to 1988. During that time, he spent 8th grade at Roland Park Middle School and 9th grade at Dunbar High School. He then transferred to the Baltimore School for the Performing Arts where he studied poetry, acting, jazz and ballet. So, there you have the Baltimore connection.

Now, you're probably asking, "So, what does this have to do with the Orioles?" Great question!

Major League Baseball started a "City Connect" promotion a couple of years ago. One of the highlights of this program is locally inspired jerseys worn by the home team on Friday nights. Since the Tupac bobblehead promotion occurred at a Friday game, it could legitimately fit the "city connect" criteria. 

"But why Tupac?", you ask.

That's another great question. After all, there are plenty of other people with Baltimore connections that are arguably more worthy. Let's take Dr. Ben Carson, for example. With as much as he's accomplished and as much good as he's done for humanity, he would seem like a worthy candidate for a Bobblehead Night in Baltimore. Or what about Thurogood Marshall? And isn't #1 selling author Tom Clancy part of the O's ownership team? Where's his bobblehead? And what about Balimore's own Michael Phelps? Sure, he has plenty of gold medals. But does he have an O's bobblehead?

But let's dig a little deeper...

Since we're talking Baltimore baseball and bobbleheads, what about Babe Ruth? Didn't his father own a bar at the site that is currently Camden Yards? And didn't Babe actually play for the Baltimore Orioles? Yes, I know it's not the same Orioles, but they were still from Baltimore! By the way, Babe went on to have quite the legendary baseball career with the Red Sox and Yankees. But it all began in Baltimore. Give the man a bobblehead!

And since Tupac is tied to the music world, it would be crazy not lobby for a Joan Jett Bobblehead Night. Yes, Joan is a rock and roll badass. But she is also a huge Oriole's fan. Similar to Tupac, she grew up in Maryland (Rockville) at a young age where she developed her interest in music. Through the years, she has been seen at Camden Yards in her Orioles colors, cheering on the team. And she's quite knowledgeable about the team. She talks the talk and walks the walk as an O's fan. She needs a bobblehead!

And we're not done with the O's music connection yet. Can we get a bobblehead for the late, great John Denver? For you youngsters, John Denver was massively successful artist with several #1 hits in the 70's. But the tie to the Orioles, of course, is his beloved 7th inning stretch anthem, "Thank God I'm A Country Boy". The song was first introduced by long-time O's shortstop, Mark Belanger in 1975. The song quickly caught on and has played at O's games for over 50 years. In 1983, John Denver was invited to sing the National Anthem to kick off Game 1 of the World Series. During the 7th inning stretch, he stepped atop the Oriole's dugout and led the crowd in a thunderous rendition of his song. The O's went on to win the '83 World Series in five games. And they haven't been back to the series since. Give John Denver a bobblehead!

So, am I upset that Tupac got his bobblehead? Absolutely not. Anything that brings a little fun to the ballpark is ok with me. While I'm not personally a Tupac fan, there are obviously plenty of people who are. Friday night's attendance was the highest since Opening Day. But I do wonder if Tupac was an O's fan. Or if he ever attended an O's game at Camden Yards. But that's neither here nor there.

If people want to wait in line for hours to get a bobblehead, more power to them. I'll be over at Pickles Pub having a pre-game Natty Boh. (That's actually how I missed out on getting a Adley Rutschman bobblehead last year, But that's another story).

kw

Brooks Robinson - Giving It All Away

As a young boy, I was fortunate enough to watch Brooks Robinson play for my hometown Baltimore Orioles. Watching his magician-like plays on defense and his clutch hitting gave a young baseball fan all the joy he could ever want.

I had the pleasure of meeting my baseball idol several times back in the day. I quickly found out the his stellar play on the field wasn't his only attribute. He was also one of the nicest people that I had ever met. With his comforting southern drawl, Brooks looked me in the eyes and spoke to me as if we were two longtime friends. And after all of these years, Brooks Robinson still remains my favorite player ever.

Yesterday, I heard that Brooks was auctioning off all of his memorabilia from his private collection. This included his 16 Gold Gloves, his two World Series rings and his 1964 American League MVP trophy.

I was saddened when I first heard this because I assumed that Brooks, like so many other retired athletes, had fallen on hard times. I figured he was selling off his beloved mementos to help pay the bills. However, I was relieved to learn that this wasn't the case at all....

Brooks, along with his wife Connie, had decided to auction off the items in order to help other people. Every penny generated by the sale of the 240 items will go to the Constance and Brooks Foundation where the proceeds will be distributed to various charities. My sadness quickly gave way to goosebumps as my boyhood idol rose yet another notch on the class scale.

Brooks explained that he has been very blessed over the years. And through his life, he has always tried to help others. And, in true fashion, Brooks will now part with some of his most beloved material items in hopes that they will ultimately produce happiness for someone else. Brooks has always tried to teach his children to give back. And, leading by example, that's exactly what Brooks has done in this case.

The respect and admiration that I have for this man is tremendous. His on-field performance was one thing. But the way in which Brooks has conducted himself off the field continues to be inspiring, not only to baseball fans, but for people in general. Sports hero, in my opinion, is an overused and often undeserved term. But in Brooks' case, I think it fits perfectly. Summing it up, Brooks Robinson makes you want to be a better person.

kw


http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-brooks-robinson-auction-charity-20151007-story.html

The O's - Closing Down The 2015 Season

Well, the Orioles closed the door on the 2015 season today. I can't help but feeling a bit disappointed that they won't be playing in the post-season. But I'm grateful for the excitement that they provided for the past six months. They finished the season by winning five in a row and sweeping the Yankees. They ended up with an even .500 (81-81) record for the season.

After last year's successful run, I had high expectations of this year's team. Of course, I'm a bit biased. In reality, the O's brass did nothing to really improve the team in the off season last year. And not resigning Nelson Cruz turned out to be a big mistake, in my opinion. I truly believe that if we had his bat in the line-up this year, we make the playoffs.

With several key players up for free agency this year, it will be very interesting to see who will be in this line-up in April. The top priority will be to resign Chris Davis. Letting the Major League leading home-run hitter get away two years in a row will be a PR nightmare for the O's. Since the Orioles have lived and died by the home-run over recent years, Peter Angelos must find a way to keep Davis's bat in the lineup for the next few years.

Some of the other key free agents include Matt Weiters, Darren O'Day, Geraldo Parra and Wei-Yin Chen. There's no way that I see all of these guys coming back next year. There's been a lot of talk about who the O's should focus on. Most people feel that Matt Weiters in the most expendable of the group. While Weiters is a great catcher and has plenty of pop in his bat, Caleb Joseph has proven to be a worthy replacement in Weiters' extended absences. And back-up catcher, Steve Clevenger, has shown a lot of promise in the second half of this season. I personally think Weiters will be somewhere else next year.

Chen is probably going to command some pretty decent money. Although his record wasn't exactly Cy Young caliber (11-8), he finished with a respectable 3.34 ERA. Chen is also a left hander which the O's desperately need. Unless he breaks the bank, I expect the O's to do what they can to resign him.

O'Day is another guy that you hate to let get away. He's an exceptional set-up guy who can shut down the opposition in the late innings.

Parra was a great late season addition to the team. Solid offensively and defensively, Parra also fits in perfectly with the O's clubhouse chemistry. I would love to see him back here next year.

So, my priority order for top to bottom would be Davis, O'Day, Chen, Parra and Weiters. As much as I would love to see all of these guys here next year, I realize that baseball is a business and it's virtually impossible to sign everyone.

Aside from all this, it will be interesting to see if the O's will go after any other free agents on the market. Will they go after a number one starter? Will they try to upgrade their base speed?

When the deals are finally sealed, I'm sure there will be plenty of scrutiny to go around. And that's a good thing. That means that that you have a fan base who cares.

One final note.....Last night, Buck Showalter's mother passed away. With a heavy heart, he was in the dugout this afternoon overseeing his team for their final game of the season. He's been in the game a long time. He knows that some of these players won't be here next year. So, after the game, to show his appreciation, Buck (and his coaching staff) hugged every player as they came off the field. This guy is a total class act. He has been quoted as saying, "I like our guys." Well, there's no doubt that the feeling is mutual from his players as well as the city of Baltimore.

Looking forward to next season already!

kw