I figured I’d write a light piece on an easy Sunday morning, the last day of the first half of the 2016 season.
I wanted to share this because it gives a glimpse into how much people around here love and cherish the Orioles of yesteryear. And how much those ex-players appreciate it.
Plus, it has a great line from a Hall of Famer – and I’m always a sucker for funny lines.
On Friday night, the Orioles honored the 50th anniversary of the 1966 World Series championship team. Before the on-field celebration, several of the former players took part in press conferences with the media.
Several times during the conferences, the ex-O’s brought up the incredible memory of Hall of Fame right-hander Jim Palmer, the greatest pitcher in club history. They talked about how he could seemingly recall every pitch, every strike and every hit he allowed in a playing career that spanned three different decades.
During the conference that featured Palmer, Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson and legendary slugger Boog Powell, the trio was asked about how special it was to be embraced by the fan base after all these years.
Palmer, now a MASN broadcaster, said he was at a book signing earlier this week when a woman approached him and said she had written him “the nicest letter” 30 years ago. She said she didn’t expect he would remember it.
Palmer, though, jokingly told her he carried it with him wherever he went.
“I said, ‘Oh you mean (this)? I have it right here,” Palmer said, drawing laughter from the news conference crowd in the warehouse.
“The point is, it’s just amazing how people cherish (the Orioles’ accomplishments and players),” Palmer said. “Everybody kind of tells (me), ‘How do you remember things like that?’ Well, we remember things, most of us remember things. People remember …”
Palmer was then cut off by his old first baseman.
“Yeah, but you remember too much,” Powell said to Palmer. “You have never forgotten anything.”
That’s when Palmer delivered the line of the night – with a shot at himself.
“I’ve named myself as the Donald Trump of broadcasters,” Palmer joked. “Whereas long as they don’t fact-check me, I’m fine.”
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Despite my alias around these parts, Mr. Palmer has, and always will be my favorite Oriole. Once, while living in Texas as a teen-aged army brat, I had the occasion to ask Jim (I’m now consider myself to be on a 1st name basis with him) for an autograph before a game at the Rangers old park in Arlington. While he was graciously signing for me, I informed Jim that he had signed for me on 4 previous occasions at Fenway Park when I lived in that state. I also asked him how the team was going to do in the upcoming year. Instead of blowing me off, as so, so many players had in the past, and much to my delight, Cakes took 5 to 10 minutes of his time, and proceeded to give an in-depth analysis of the team and its’ upcoming prospects. I’ll never forget that day. Thank you Mr. Palmer.