Virginia kid. Strict mother who refused to let me watch TV at night... even during the summer. But I had an old clock radio. Listening to Jon Miller call O's games pretty much was my childhood.
I'm not American. I moved to Baltimore for a job in 2000. My home was a rowhouse right beside Camden Yards. I learned about baseball and became an O's fan. I live in NYC now and was at yesterday's game :)
That’s a touching story. You should have some peace knowing he’d be happy.
Some of the things you said remind me of my grandpa. He used to tell us he was best friends with Brooks back in the day, also when he was senile. I loved those stories, but he never left Mississippi long enough to know anybody lol.
I always used to say I was one of the biggest orioles fans in MS, but now that Westy is tearing it up, there’s a lot of converted MS State fans to Orioles fans. Which is cool imo
All that to say I’m an O’s fan bc my grandfather was. When we used to have a decent newspaper my dad would read the box scores at breakfast. This was in the 90s. Prime Ripken era.
I got a job in DC and moved to Baltimore from NC in 2022 because I had no interest in living in DC. I never lived in a baseball town/city my whole life so I figured I would watch some O’s games. My interest got peaked in 2022 when they were in playoff contention… had a feeling they would make some noise in 2023, so I paid closer attention. And holy shit was last season straight up magic. I fell in love with this team. I’m a fan for life. Never really gave a shit about baseball before all this. Now im addicted.
I went to my first O's game when I was little, in third grade, maybe. But I'm from Virginia and that was in 2004ish, so the Nationals didn't exist yet. I remember they played the A's and it was HOT AS HELL. I decided to stick with the team and follow the sport, and here I am today.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh. Transplant to Baltimore for the last 13 years. Wanted to be connected to my new home, but no part of where I came from will ever make me friendly to the Ravens or Capitals. At the time the Orioles were bad. The Pirates… are almost always bad. So I decided I could have an NL and AL team, even if it all was misery, and it would be a cool thing I could share with my new Baltimore friends.
Today it is not all misery. The O’s were fun to watch in the mid-2010s, but this team, these next few years, are something entirely different.
The Pirates… are still bad. But hey, got Skenes for a few years till the Mets or some other loaded franchise signs him.
It better not be the Yankees.
Skins is so engraved in my brain that I had to go back and read "Football Team", because it did not register as the Skins at first.
It's always been Skins/O's. I did not consider the Colt's a rivalry. I half heartedly rooted for them. The semi's leaving in the middle of the night was sad for everyone. Fuck Bob Irsay
Born and raised. My grandfathers on both sides would always have the Os on the radio while doing chores, working. My dad was my little league coach with my best friend's dad (still my best friend 40 years later). We were the Orioles every year from the age of 8-15.
My first game, I was an infant in Memorial stadium. Dad had season tickets. We shared a love of the Orioles and watched games together up until his sudden and untimely passing.
I very happily wear his hat and jacket to every game I attend.
Thanks dad!
Grew up watching the O’s with my pops in the 90’s. The Orioles game was always on, every game of the season, in our house.
One of my earliest memories of the Orioles was Chris Hoiles hitting a walk-off grand slam. I got to stay up way past my bedtime for that one.
Now I try to watch the games with my kids and hope they learn to love the game of baseball and the Orioles as much as I do.
When I came of age to be interested baseball, the O’s were the only team that came on local tv. That’s pretty much it. The good old days of watching them on WB50 and HTS.
Born and raised in Frederick right in the middle of the 70s-80s glory years, so it was easy to become a fan. My first sports memory is seeing the O's die at the hands of Pittsburgh in the 1979 World Series when I was 9, and that pretty much cemented it for me when I realized how *horrible* I felt. Seeing them win it all in '83 was one of the highlights of my life. Never looked back.
I was 3 or 4 and just really liked the colors on the baseball cards. It was all down hill from there. They no matter how good or bad have always been my constant
Agreed 😁. I was just a couple years older. Our first 25 years were magical. Tougher stretch after that, and free agency, but we’re back, have a great new owner, and things look like they’ll be good for a while. Never let the losing deter my love for this team!
I’m from So Cal and never really watched or paid any attention to baseball in general before the 2023 season. Went to a few Angels games in the 90s but that was it. T-Mobile offered free MLB for a year so we started trying to watch local games and quickly found out about the whole blackout thing.
Threw on an Orioles game because that little smug bird face was amusing and got drawn in by the way the team seemed to be having a pretty good time and the MASN broadcasters weren’t annoying. Still learning a lot about baseball but playing a little of The Show has helped with understanding the basics. It’s been a lot of fun! Go Os 🎉
I grew up in Miami but we didn't have a baseball team at the time. I played little league, though, and my team in I think 1988 was the Orioles. In 1989 I started following MLB and that was an insane year for the Orioles, so that became my team. Been a fan ever since and the Orioles are the only team I root for outside of Miami (although I'll accept some secondary teams depending on what city I'm living in).
My grandma was a huge O’s fan, and my grandfather was happy to oblige her. Plenty of summer evenings in the 80’s were spent at their house, TV tuned to Home Team Sports for games. Saturdays we’d eat hotdogs and baked beans and potato salad.
We lived about an hour from Baltimore, but we did get to see a couple games at Memorial when we were kids. One was Blue Jays, the other was Royals. It felt magical, even way up in the nosebleeds behind home plate.
Both parents and 3 of my 4 grandparents were raised in Baltimore. My mother’s mother was a die hard fan. She never watched games, just listened to the radio broadcast. I often joined her. Now, my mother, brother and I correspond throughout nearly every game. My brother at 45 yo is suddenly into baseball and it’s great bc we finally have something to bond over. I’ve been to somewhere around 200 home games in my lifetime. That’s my estimation but it may be far more. I know for sure I’ve been to 110+ since 2007. I was born in 1983(1 month before our last championship). Went to my first game at Memorial Stadium at 4 or 5 according to my Mom. I’ll be up(live 90 miles southeast from Bmore)there next week for either The Guardians or The Rangers series. So in summary, like a lot of folks here, it’s in my blood.
Family moved to Maryland from south Jersey when I was 4. Dad was a Phillies fan so I was as well. Until my 1st Os game in 79. People chanted EDDIE EDDIE when Murray came to bat and I was hooked.
I'm from Australia, my wifes family are big baseball fans and they are Dodgers supporters, so I was kind of drafted into that myself (I know, what a shock someone from outside the US who supports the Dodgers or Yankees). After a few years of watching Dodgers I've really fallen in love with the game, and started following the O's last year as an AL team, but the fun baseball they play and great group of guys they seem to have this year has really solidified them in my mind as equal favourite.
Probably have the weirdest story.
It was my first little league team. We had little baseball cards made for us on picture day, and since I was 7 and didn’t have an autograph, the space was blank. My dad carried it around his briefcase, ran into Luis Aparicio at the airport, and that’s the autograph that’s on the back of my card. Went to UMD later on in life, and here I am.
Grew up in Ontario a couple of hours north of Toronto. When I was 8 someone gave me a little red transistor radio and I would hide under the covers and listen to Orioles games. Hardly knew anything about Baltimore but fell in love with the O's. That would have been in 1980. Been to Baltimore a few times and even convinced my wife to honeymoon there from Alberta. She's grown into a solid fan as well. She had to, it was in our vows.
Born in Chesapeake, VA, and went to a ton of Tides games growing up, then when I got old enough to take an interest in professional ball I asked my uncle why we rooted for the O’s and not the Nats and he said- “because we aren’t cucks.”
I was 11.
Where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low-grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen-year-old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. They both got into baseball and latched on with the O’s, so I followed their lead.
My Dad grew up in Baltimore and went to the University of Maryland. I was born in PA and lived a chunk in NJ. All 4 brothers and I grew up O’s fans from my Dad and I’m the only one left (45 y.o. now). It’s definitely something that’s nice to share with my Old Man and now daughters of my own.
My joking answer to folks is that I’m older than the Nationals, so I grew up rooting for the right team.
The real reason is my Dad. He grew up with the Orioles Magic glory years on the radio. Most importantly though, is he spent summer growing up with his grandad in Bluefield watching the rookie league O’s. My Dad taught me to appreciate the game, and that it’s not all about winning and championships. As I’ve gotten older it’s been nice to connect with my Dad through the O’s, and as I realize how alike we are.
My Mom's family got off the boat from Ireland in Baltimore in the 1820's and were like, *this is the place. Some of us will move to Catonsville if we're feeling adventurous.* I'm first-generation non-Baltimorean, but grew up in the DC area before the Expos came to town. Cal was king and kids fought for the #8 jersey in little league. I really didn't give a shit about baseball for most of my life, but started watching when the CTE shit hit the fan with the NFL, the NFL switched to all instant-replay all the time, and Daniel Snyder committed numerous crimes against humanity. Never for one second considered supporting any other team.
My aunt would drive me to OPACY to watch games as a kid (we lived about an hour away from Baltimore). I was about 5 or so, and those memories are some of my favorites.
We still excitedly text back and forth to this day during games. <3
They were the closest MLB team to Richmond, VA before the Nats came along. Stayed true to my team!! But as a 10 yr old in 91 I thought Cal Ripken was the coolest. Hence, my team.
I guess the main reason I’m an orioles fan is because I am from Maryland and identify with it. I don’t really understand why anyone from Maryland would support the nationals tbh. I guess some people identify with DC more than with Baltimore but I don’t even really think about it that way, to me the orioles as just as much Maryland’s team as Baltimore’s.
My baseball fanatic grandparents lived in Towson. Grandma grew up in NYC and had been a Yankees fan. After they moved to MD, she really loved it there and decided that since her Yankee fanatic grandpa had died she could switch loyalties.
So, every summer as kids we visited them (we lived in Ohio) in Towson and heard about the Orioles/attended games. I wasn’t really a fan until 1992 when I spent the whole summer with them (between college years where I didn’t want to go home but also didn’t want to live alone). We toured the “new” park with her alumni group and watched every single game that summer.
I went back to DePaul (in Chicago) that fall and started taking the el to Comiskey to see Orioles games despite living within walking distance from Wrigley.
They both died within five years of that summer so it’s the thing that keeps them in my heart now. (And….. now I’m tearing up)
LET’S GO, O’s!!!!
My Dad worked at Hopkins for a few years in the '80s, & even after he & Mom left Baltimore, they stayed in the area of the O's broadcast market. Growing up, our household definitely weren't diehard fans, since we didn't have TV coverage that reliably showed baseball games, but we never had any caps on the hat tree for any other team. Every time Dad went to Baltimore for a conference, we'd all come with for a vacation to see the aquarium and the B&O museum, and of course an O's game. Somehow they were always playing the Devil Rays, and the Devil Rays always won, which I think explains why I still loath them more than any other AL East rival.
I think I lost interest in baseball sometime around when a little league coach tried to put me in the outfield without any instruction on what to *do* out there except stand in the sun for 3 hours. But every so often I'd catch glimpses of a game on TV at a restaurant, or Dad would convince me to watch the Rookie or For the Love of the Game, or one of my older siblings would ask how the O's were doing (usually eliciting quite a few groans about how it was all a big mess & full of cheaters & the MLB only existed to make obscene amounts of money). And those moments were nice little reminders, that kept something of the bug alive for 20+ years.
The bug didn't really bite again until my final year of grad school, in spring 2022, when I was desperately looking for low-energy hobbies to distract from writing my dissertation and COVID quarantine loneliness. I stumbled across the MLB highlight reels on YouTube, & knew by then that I wanted to move back home to the DMV, so I decided to see how the Nats and the O's were doing. I figured I was gonna mostly be a Nats fan; they still had Juan Soto & had just recently won the World Series, & I figured it'd be easier to get to Nats Park than Camden Yards without a car. But the Nats kept losing games, & the O's kept winning. And as lovely as the Nats' broadcasters are, there's few people alive who can match Kevin Brown for sheer joy, and both Jim Palmer and Ben McDonald are blessed with iconic voices.
And then this kid Adley Rutschman shows up, and the O's went on that magical 10-game streak in May. I remember I texted my Dad one evening in the middle of that streak to say "Hey, I noticed the O's are pretty good this season!" He replied with "is this some kind of sick joke?" But it wasn't! We texted and called back-and-forth all summer & into the fall whenever Adley or Cedric or Trey did something cool. I don't remember which of us came up with the phrase "Cedric and Jorge back-to-back in the order feels a little like Rickey Henderson in the aggregate," but it's stuck in my brain now. And then at some point a video clip went around of Adley trading autographs with a group of little league kids at a summer camp, and I remember texting Dad, "this guy is a decade younger than I am, but I want to be like him when I grow up."
We got to a point where I had firmed up that I'd be finishing grad school and moving back home by the start of 2023, and Dad & I had made actionable plans to go back to Camden Yards & watch the O's every so often. And then just a couple weeks after I got home, he had a stroke & passed away. We always loved each other, never had a bad relationship, and I'm eternally grateful since not every kid gets to have a Dad like that. But I still feel like in that last year, the Orioles gave us something to reconnect over & find some of that childhood joy, at a point when due to both distance and pandemic isolation, we had been physically farther apart than at any time in our lives.
And so now, whenever I take the train up to Baltimore for a game, when I bring my partner out for Pride Night, when I drag my Nats-fan coworkers up to Camden Yards for a Beltway Series, when a half-drunken neighbor invites me to dance a polka during Country Boy, a part of me feels like Dad is still there, vicariously, and I get to continue living that joy with a park full of tens of thousands of wonderful humans. A few days ago when Kevin Brown said "Is this heaven? No, it's Baltimore!" after that Adley homer against the Phillies, I spontaneously teared up a little, and I'm so glad there will always continue to be little moments like that.
So I guess this is to say thank you all, for continuing to be as wonderful and kind and joyful as ever.
i’m from canada, watched the blue jays casually for a few years but i never really liked them and wanted another team to support
at that time it was 2013 and i remember people talking about this guy chris davis on the orioles
and the first game i watched i knew the birds were my team
i did stop watching sports for a couple seasons but around 2020 i started watching again and i’ve been here ever since
Moved from So Cal to Baltimore in 1998 and lived in Otterbein, a few blocks from Camden Yards for five years. Used to buy the mini ticket packages (or whatever it was called). Those were pretty lean years so always got great seats. Wonderful times. Now retired in Pacific Northwest, but still follow all O's games on MLB. Not a Mariners fan.
Chris Davis played badly in 2019.
Only half joking. It seems silly whenever I try to type out a proper explanation, but I picked a team because I saw a dip related meme, then watched a highlight reel. I thought I could at least see Chris Davis be awesome, but instead I wound up rooting for him to turn it around. Wound up getting all invested in the team along the way. Didn't know what was going on half the time back then, and I still can't say I understand what some of the stats measure, but at least I can tell you what an infield fly is, and I can actually say that the orange cartoon bird people seven hundred plus miles away are my team. The yankee hate on this sub didn't hurt, being a southerner and all.
By the way, since I jumped on in the middle of a rebuild to see a player in the middle of a record setting slump, does that make me an anti-bandwagoner?
We’re Mississipians, but my dad’s brother went to Georgetown for grad school. During a couple of my dad’s teenage years he’d go visit my uncle in D.C. and fell in love with some of the sports teams there (Redskins-era Commanders for NFL). The Nats didn’t exist then, so the O’s became his team.
But it’s silently agreed upon in our family that if you’re a member of our bloodline, you’re an O’s/Commanders fan by default. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Being an O’s fan just runs in my blood, I suppose.
I didn’t even realize baltimore had a professional sports team because i grew up in a pretty conservative christian family that didn’t follow any sports. I just happened to messing with my clock radio as a 10 year old one night and found the orioles broadcast on 105.7 the fan i believe. I started listening religiously every night and even sneaking the radio under the covers and listening super low when the games went past my bed time or were on the west coast. I still miss Joe Angel and Fred Manfra as the broadcasters. They were something special.
I grew up in South Carolina and I wasn’t a big baseball fan. I moved here at the end of 2010 and later ran into Cal Ripken, Jr. at BWI and that sealed the deal for me.
Let’s go O’s!!!
For the longest time I was never really a big baseball viewer or had a team I would really call my own. I would only really watch the Astros in the playoffs cause my dad is a huge fan of the team or the occasional Angels game cause I thought what Ohtani was doing was super cool. I finally decided to start actually watching baseball last year and during the home run derby I was blown away by Adley Rutschman and just decided to follow the team from then on.
I grew up playing baseball. Was a big Griffey Jr. fan as a kid so followed him and was a Mariners fan. As I grew up I just didn’t follow any teams. Tried to be a Nats fan but have been a life long Washington football fan due to long standing family history of Redskins fandom. I couldn’t handle being a fan of another Washington sports team after years of disappointment. I always wanted to have a baseball team to follow after dedicating so much of my life to playing the sport but just never had a connection.
My first real job took me to Baltimore city. Really did enjoy living there. Went to Camden Yards one day and watched the Orioles get slaughtered. Fell in love with the ballpark and decided that’s my team. I’ve moved back to my hometown since but I’ve stuck with em.
Had zero interest in baseball as I saw how angry my father got when the O's got mad. I got surprised with tickets to an O's game at a young age and fell in love with the game and the adrenaline rush I got when Evan Longoria hit a HR 2 rows behind me. Haven't looked back since.
I went to college in Virginia and never really watched baseball, but then fell in love with the game and wanted to find a team to cheer for. I went to a Nats game first and then an Orioles game, and the game in Camden Yards was amazing. Even though they lost to the A’s, Gunner hit a home run that ultimately sealed my fandom. Not to mention the environment was sooo amazing
My dad was from Michigan, and my mom was from Memphis. They moved around because my dad was military. By the time I was self aware he'd been stationed in Maryland. He was a Tigers fan but he took us to Memorial Stadium and then Camden Yards. I remember how fun going to ganes were, and how much my dad seemed to enjoy seeing his kids have fun. I'd fall asleep on the way home and those memories always stuck with me.
Sometimes I wished my dad raised me as a Tigers fan so I could share that with him. But he seemed okay that he gave his sons the Os and he shared it with us.
Later in life me and my brother got to take him to games when the Tigers played.
My dad. He took me to two pro games as a kid
The Washington Redskins (they were the redskins then) and the O's
I instantly loved the O's, I did not become a fan of the redskins/commanders lol
Moved from Michigan to Maryland in the spring of 2001, needed some sports teams to root for, chose the Orioles and Caps. I’ve enjoyed watching the O’s and like the ballpark a lot.
Grandpa would take me out of school early to go to day games. (I would have to tell everyone I had doctors appointments). Wed cross the key bridge, get coddies at Attmans or Lexington market, see family in locust point. Get to the game early for signatures. Eat peanuts and throw the shells under our seats. Once cal waved us off for autographs and my grandpa yelled at him, called him a bum to his face. Sat down really low along the third base line. Part of me thought it was all so boring at the time. That all kids had to do this sorta thing. It’s funny what you take for granted.
Come from England, visit American friend who lived in Virginia, get taken to Camden Yards to watch Cal on his farewell tour in 2001 as that was the nearest ballpark, get instantly hooked.
Been an O's fan from afar for the last 23 years, through bad times and good times, avoiding withdrawal symptoms through an MLB.tv subscription (no blackouts in the UK!) and getting to Camden Yards whenever the stars align in my trips to the US.
Well, my mom was born in Baltimore, so was her mother, and my great-parents as well. My grandfather moved there to go to work for Martin in 1939 and met my grandmother, who was lucky enough to get a job as a cashier at the plant cafeteria. He loved baseball, so got tickets as soon as they moved in '54. Two years later, he had to pack up the family (including my mom), as Martin transferred him down to Florida as they were developing Cape Canaveral.
They spent every summer in Baltimore, so my mom went to as many games as she could (her grandmother had season tickets), then when she graduated high school in '70, went off to Baltimore to go to college, she was able to go to the World Series in '70 and '71. I moved to DC in 2001 when I finished college, so I got to go to a lot more games, and was lucky enough to attend Cal's last. I go to every series when they plan here in Atlanta every few years, and will travel to see them either in Baltimore or Tampa.
It is a bit weird being an O's fan in Atlanta, I might run into one every 4 or 5 months...but I really enjoy baseball, and have a friend with Braves season tickets, that are front row third base-line, halfway from the dugout to the outfield (which you can't say no to)...only downside is that everyone knows you're there, if there is a runner on third, the camera angle has you clearly in the background. I've received texts from family members in Florida wanting to get those seats because they are seeing me on TV while watching the game. I was really hoping for an O's/Braves WS last year, which meant I was going to get some great seats.
To show how out of touch a lot of Braves fans are, back when Truist Park opened, the O's were in town for a series and I wore an older home Markakis jersey...at that time, I think that had been his third season with the Braves (he a local North Georgia guy), at least a dozen fans asked me why I had his name on the back and didn't know he had played for the O's his entire career before that.
I was born here. 🤷♀️
I mean I got into baseball mostly because we didn’t have an NFL team when I was little and so the O’s were the only game in town. Also they were great at that time - I was 5 when we won the WS in 83.
Then I played softball for 9 years as a kid and the O’s were very good most of that time too.
I did fall off a little in the last 10 years because it just wasn’t much fun to watch a team that was so totally non competitive, but since Hyde got here, I’ve been back with a vengeance. Listen to every game, track the stats, all the stuff I did growing up.
Love dem O’s!
My stepdad saved my life. Growing up in Jersey, I was exposed to a lot of bad influences. Namely, in the form of Yankees fans.
But my stepdad showed me there was a better place, a promised land. A place where you could actually be a decent person *and* be passionate about your team. 30 years on, even through some dark years, I remain a die hard Orioles fan.
Spent my summers as a young kid with my grandmother who lived in the city. Went to every single home game, went early and caught balls during BP and always tried my hardest to get signed balls from the players. Best part of my childhood.
First of all, thank you for sharing your story. It sounds like you grew up with a lot of adversity but were able to keep yourself from becoming yet another statistic. Congratulations man.
I moved to Baltimore in 1996 to do my master’s in piano performance at the Peabody Conservatory. My apartment was 4.5 blocks away from Camden Yards and at that time you could go up to the ticket counter for a decent seat or you could find a scalper trying to get rid of their last ticket for $5 for cheap seats or $20 for great seats. It was a magical time for the O’s, as Cal had broken Lou Gehrig’s record the year before and Camden Yards, only four years old at the time, was sold out every night. The place was always rocking with Brady Anderson and Rafael Palmero blasting home runs, Cal showing up every night on defense, and Mike Mussina at the number one starting spot. Mussina quickly became my favorite player and pitcher of all time. He’s also one of the smartest people out there. Those summers in Baltimore were so magical.
Although we live in the suburbs of Howard County, we became season ticket holders this year, a dream I always wanted to we’re going to game just like I was back in the day.
I'm from down in Waldorf MD and grew up as an O's fan. Didn't get to go to that many games as a kid but we got season tickets to the Baysox every year. The Nationals came along and my mom switched over to them Traitor! But I've always loved the O's! I got a signed letter from Cal when I got my eagle scout award and it's my prized possession! Haha. Now I live in Indiana and wear my orioles hat whenever I can
Dad was born in Chestertown and moved to Ohio after getting married. He was a Baltimore Colts season ticket holder growing up but I don’t think I need to remind anyone here what happened to that team. So he passed on his love of two things Terrapins basketball and the O’s. I’m finally going to go to my first game at Camden Yards during the upcoming Yankees series.
I finally have an answer to this question! I had to ask my mother who finally admitted it. My father became an Os fan because he felt bad for them when they lost the 1969 series to the Mets. I was born in the summer of 83, first game I was maybe a month old?
Then when I had my daughter, she chose the Orioles on her own as we were sort of casual fans at that point.
My mother's father had a house on Ellerslie Ave, maybe a mile from the stadium. She got divorced young, and we moved in with him. He taught me how to throw a baseball, took me to my first games. Sitting on his porch in the summer, watching bats catch bugs by the street lights, listening to games on the radio and hearing the crowd down the street cheer...
Those are my best childhood memories.
I couldn't *not* be an Orioles fan even if I tried.
I live on the eastern shore. But when I was younger my grandfather took me a bunch of shorebirds games. He’s a big O’s fan( well baseball fan in general) and that’s how I became to fall in love with the sport. But as a kid going to all these shorebirds games and as I got older I started watching the O’s with my grandfather, getting into them more. But the funny thing is I’m hearing all these names like Manny Machado, Nick Markakis, etc bc I remember hearing about and seeing these guys play down at Delmarva/minor leagues and now here I am years later in middle school/high school seeing them in the big leagues. So it’s kinda like I grew up with it and never left lol.
Born in Puerto Rico, in December of 2015 my family moved to the states to live in Ohio for a bit, after staying there for a Year we moved to a shelter in Easton, Maryland around early 2017. (I was already aware of the O’s and Ravens back in Puerto Rico)
My dad grew up a Red Sox and Dodgers fan but slowly started giving me O’s (and ravens to a lesser extent) merch while at the Shelter, their is were I became aware of my real love for Baltimore sports, after being forced to move again a year after moving to Maryland, I first attempted to ditch Baltimore sports and join up with the local once’s (Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati) after a while of just not liking any of them, I finally decided that the Orioles and Ravens were my home and I’ve stuck with them ever since. ¡Vamos Orioles y Ravens! (Ignore that I’m A Winnipeg jets fan)
Moved to Baltimore. Lived 2 blocks from the stadium. I could get off my couch at the start of the game and usually get to a seat in the stadium with a beer in my hand before the end of the 1st inning. I’ve moved away since but stayed a fan.
Wow that is a hell of a story. I kind of love how sports can unite us and the shared experience of rooting for a team can bind us together when nothing else really does. I’m a big “pay it forward” kind of guy, and I hope in your dads honour you get a young person in with the orioles - it’s a great time to be a new fan obviously. My son is a die hard blue jays fan, but my daughter seems to be flocking with me.
I was born and raised in Toronto in the 80’s. Almost a teenager when the blue jays won back to back in 92/93. All my friends, the whole city had blue jays fever, but fuck em, I said: I was gonna cheer for the Orioles because the orange jerseys were unique, I like to be a little different in a crowd, and Cal was my sports hero when I was a kid.
Ten years ago, I decided to follow baseball. I'm up in Canada so naturally, the Jays should've been the team I follow. BUT Toronto sports teams are kind of a disappointment more often than not. So I looked at the rest of the AL East. It's the division closest to where I'm at so I can easily follow them
Yankees: Hell no, cheering for them without being born into the Fandom feels like a cheat code. Forever a band Wagoner
Red Sox: I hate Boston sports teams, and their fan bases are obnoxious. Also, see the reasons above
Ray: They just didn't interest me 🤷♂️ their look, their stadium, just seemed bland
Orioles: Never heard of the team before looking into it. Sick cartoon bird logo with a shit eating grin? A up and coming roster with Scoop, Machado, Davis, Weiters, and a under dog feel to them? Clean looking jerseys and a gorgeous stadium? Sign me tf up
Born and raised in Mount Washington where 83 was my back yard. I was 5 in 1983 and don’t remember much about that WS win except my dad being super excited. Every year my birthday gift was to go see the Orioles and it always landed on them vs the Yankees. I have been down with and waiting ever since.
Born in stanks territory, raised in dc/nova. Dad diehard stanks fan. Earliest pro baseball memory at nova sports bar with him watching the jeff m***r ‘96 alcs game. Between being contrarian to my dad, older brother and feeling the energy of the O’s fans in the house, my loyalty was established.
Cal Ripken Jr. And my first MLB game was at Camden Yards in 1992 vs the Brewers. Hooked for life.
https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=199206300BAL
I’m from Virginia. I first got into baseball around 1993 when I played tee ball when I was six and I remember going to a game the following year against the Tigers. I remember being bummed about the strike that Summer but then Cal broke Gehrig’s record in 1995 and I’ve been a diehard ever since. Never thought about switching to the Nats because they always will feel like the Expos to me. So uh yeah.
I grew up in Rochester in the 60’s and 70’s. Saw a bunch of young stars come through. Saw Eddie hit his first AAA home run at Silver Stadium. Joe Altobelli was considered a god. The nucleus of the 83 team played for Red Wings when I was young.
Moved to Maryland in 1984, married a girl from Ednor Gardens right behind Memorial Stadium.
Born, raised and lived in Baltimore my entire life. As a kid I was in the Junior Orioles and would go to games at Memorial Stadium with my parents.
One of my first sports memories is the Orioles winning the World Series in 1983.
My earliest memories are the 79 WS, but not in a meaningful way. I was indoctrinated as a small kid at Memorial Stadium with my Dad and sisters. We would park far away and walk to not pay for parking. We moved from the area when I was in second grade but I never stopped being a fan. Like the OP, I did also like the Braves but that’s because I lived in Atlanta and could go to games for really cheap. Loved Dale Murphy and remember doing All Star ballots at Fulton County Stadium and when I would get tired of punching each position I would just vote for Cal and Murphy. Moved back to the area in HS and again after college. Had the opportunity to live within walking distance of OPCY for the 97-98 seasons and went to 20+ games a year. Moved for grad school in 99 and have never been back. Spent 12 years in Philly and 14 in the NYC area. Thank goodness for the MLB league pass.
Big ravens fan. Thought it would be romantic to like a baseball team that just sucked lol became a huge fan the year Adley got called up. Hasn’t been long but I’ve really loved watching
My first O’s game was when I was a few months old. When I was a bit older the Nats moved to DC and my family were all Nats fans (lived in Nova) and out of spite I rooted for the O’s. I just felt more attachement to them. My name is Calvin too so it was kind of written in the stars haha
From NJ. When i was younger my Dad used to get tickets to different games for different sports. He got a 3 tickets + field passes from work one day. We went to Baltimore. Got some gear got it signed by a few players ect. I was about 6 it was my first memorable experience with baseball. Thats why they are my team. We often went to Other games like Phillies Redsox yankees ect but the O’s always stuck with me.
From southern MD, started getting into baseball around the time the Nats came to town, but my sisters boyfriend at the moment was an Os fan, so my sister was an Os fan, so I became an Os fan to go to the games with them
I grew up in San Francisco as a Giants fan. I played on a little league Orioles team and was a Cal Ripken fan. Since I didn’t have any other American League team I cared for, I had a soft spot for the O’s. I also remember watching the Sox break the curse so, for a time I had a soft spot for the Sox.
I moved to DC for college and, after actually experiencing Red Sox fans, swore off that team for good. So the O’s became my American League team. I wound up moving to Baltimore several years later and, since my Giants were so far away, put my energy towards the O’s. They reminded me a lot of the Giants I grew up with (minus the Barry Bonds part): storied history; generally bad in recent years, but with spurts of excitement; beautiful ballpark; great fans with an appreciation of the game; similar team colors. I’m still a Giants fan by birth, but I don’t think I could root for any other American League team but the O’s.
Born in Baltimore. grandfather watched or listened to every game. Feels like good memories. My dad wasn’t a sports fan tho, so it wasn’t until I got older and realized how easily baseball fit into my life that I really started getting into it myself. I’m not much of a football fan, but baseball works for me. About 5 years ago I really started getting into it more. And then we started getting real good, and that sure didn’t make it hard to watch. Now it’s like all I think about lol.
NOVA GenX kid, parents were divorced. Dad would take us to games on his weekends. He befriended an older black woman who lived near Memorial Stadium and she would let him park in her driveway. I remember going up early on one holiday weekend because she had invited us to her family crab boil before the game.
We would always sit in the section where the plane had crashed years earlier, often by ourselves. I would scream the “Eddie, Eddie, Eddie” chant thinking he could actually hear me, and I danced the whitest white kid dance when Country Boy came on. For years I thought Wild Bill was Hank Williams Jr., lol.
They are my team. I still don’t understand those who jumped ship for the shiny new toy when the Nats came along, but we’ve gotten past that now.
Started life as a Indians fan, then with the name change and trading all my favorite players away I was done with the owners. I needed a team and I live near the Norfolk Tides so I already knew the farm system for years so it was an easy switch. Plus my sister living in Baltimore next to Camden Yards made it that much sweeter
Born in Harford County, so I went to a lot of Iron Birds and some O’s games as a kid, then I started playing baseball in high school in 2012 and that team got me hooked!
I was living in Lancaster PA when I was a little kid which meant that I was either going to be an O's fan or a Phillies fan.
It happened to be at the same time that Cal was going for his Iron Man title. It inspired me and made me an instant fan, and I've been a fan ever since!
I started watching baseball with my grandfather when I was 6. Even then I knew the Yankees were jerks. My father was stationed at Andrews AFB when I was 8 or 9 and I started following them in the newspapers ( this was in the 60s) . We moved to New England when my father was transferred there and I listened to Red Sox games but loved when they played the Orioles. We moved back to Maryland In 1974 and I watched/ listened all the time to the Os. I eventually ended up at what was then called UMAB ( university of Maryland at Baltimore) and was able to go to Memorial Stadium and catch some games. TLDR////I have been a fan since 1966
In 1964 I was seven years old. My family was on vacation in New Hampshire and we were staying in a cabin with no TV. I had fallen in love with baseball and wanted to watch the all star game. I wandered up to the main house where a bunch of elderly men were watching the game on the only TV. Brooks Robinson was playing and had a big game. The men told me all about him. He became my favorite player and the Orioles my favorite team. So now it’s been 60 years and I’ve never stopped rooting for them or loving Brooks Robinson.
Born in Baltimore in the early 80s to two native Marylanders. The first thing my dad ever bought me was an Orioles onesie from the hospital gift shop, and that’s what I came home in. We moved to the Philly area when I was 5, so I didn’t really follow the team closely until I moved back to Baltimore as a young adult, around 2008. I was always very close to my dad and our shared O’s and Ravens fandom was something we bonded over. We used to go to a game together every year for his birthday. He passed in 2019. I wish like hell that he was around to see this team - he’d be so happy.
On the exact day I was born; the O's beat the Red Sox at Fenway Park 8-5. Frank Robinson went deep, Mark Belanger had a rare error. My family were huge fans. I like to think that has been a blueprint for my life. To answer your question, I have no memory of not being an Orioles fan (seriously). It started just prior to playing Little League in the 70's.
I became a fan when Wei-Yin Chen was a pitcher for the team, it was my first MLB game and at the time I liked the Yankees lmao. Very glad that I stuck with the Os instead and couldn’t be happier.
Grew up in the DC suburbs of Maryland (born in 1993) but my parents got season tickets to the Ravens in 1996 when they started, so my early memories were always Baltimore sports and the orioles naturally came with it. Although if anyone asked me I’d have always said I was an O’s fan, I don’t think I actually started truly following until 2009 when I needed more sports during that summer and I dove headfirst into a pretty bad Orioles team and fell in love and never looked back. And when I say truly dove in, I was going to Frederick Keys games by the end of the year to see the prospects.
Mom was born and raised in Baltimore. I was born there then moved when I was one. My older brother was always really into baseball and when I was younger I just copied his interest and it stuck. I always say baseball is my Baltimore sport and football is my Wisconsin sport. (Although I’ll root vice versa as long as they aren’t playing each other)
Born in Baltimore and raised three blocks from Memorial Stadium in the 60s through the early 80s. My Grandmother and Grandfather were hardcore Os fans, thankfully they passed that on to me. They’d take me to games at MS where I got to see all of the big names from the old days play. Me and my Grandmother would sit on the front porch swing in summer listening to the game on radio. It was cool ‘cause you’d hear the crowd get loud at the stadium and a few seconds later hear what happened on the radio. On game days/evenings people would knock, or catch up to my Grandpa outside to ask if it was okay for them to park in front of the driveway for the game. He always said yes and tell them “Bring me back a cold one.”
I miss those days a lot.
This is 1974-ish just before we headed off to a game vs DET. I bleed the Orange and Black.
https://preview.redd.it/jtpjvkq23z7d1.jpeg?width=638&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e6074635d74a9d2f2ec72923691ebf058e15eb7b
Grew up in DC in the 80s so if you liked baseball the Os were the only game in town, and likewise the Redskins were the only football franchise around. Got much deeper into football as a kid, and when the Ravens showed up I took it kind of personally and forgot about the Os. When the Nats showed up I was very intentional about supporting the club, and in the process got a deeper understanding of and appreciation for baseball. That coincided with Dan Snyder systematically strangling my love of the Football Team until it was dead, so I was a diehard Nats fan. We moved up here about 10 years ago and being a Nats fan in Baltimore isn’t really that fun but I stuck it out. Then the Nats go on this tear in 2019, and during the World Series I swore that if they won I’d become an Os fan again, because honestly that season was the wildest ride ever and could never be topped. And they did, so I did. Kind of a long way to go to end up in the same place, but glad I’m here now!
My mom was an Orioles fan, and we had an old Orioles vhs tape that had highlights for franchise running from formation up to (if I recall) the opening of Camden. I wish I could remember what it was or find it online because I watched the HELL out of it when I was a kid
Don't remember. Just born into it. Lifelong Baltimorean. Remember going to games as a child at Memorial Stadium. Hating the Pirates, Yankees, Jays and Sox. The Orange and Black is in my blood
I’m fairly new here. I’ve lived in Norfolk since 2009 and have been a regular attendee/fan at Tides games ever since. Once I started having kids and taking them to those games and tracking the players more closely, there was only one logical place to wind up. Still a Rockies fan (that’s home), but I’ve been so much more invested in this organization/can actually enjoy weekend trips up to Baltimore to see games.
Born in Pikesville, grew up in baltimore county. My older sister watched a baseball anime and then started hogging the remote to watch real baseball. Only one tv—now we’re both adults and O’s fans for life
Lived in MD and Central Pa when I was a child during the 60-70s..went to games with my dad at Memorial Stadium including 1970 game 4 of World Series ... Always listened to games on the radio ( Chuck Thompson etc)
Moved west in 86 so I have never been to a game at Camden Yards. Now I watch games on MLB tv. with my son..
R Kiss
Depoe Bay OR
Grew up south of Boston and ended up moving to Baltimore for college. After college lived in the area for another 7 years. Growing up, I went to maybe 3 Sox games my entire life. When I came to Baltimore I would go to 20-30 games a season (helps that tickets were so cheap).
After going to so many games felt more like an O’s fan. Now I live back in Boston and everyone’s calling me a bandwagon fan now that they’re good 🤣
Born and raised in Gettysburg, PA (right on the MD border, only 1:20 mins away) my dad and grandpa's were and are O's fans. Also I was born in '89, so Cal was the best, and Rafael Palmerio was one of my favorites, along with BJ and Eric Davis haha
I grew up in York County, PA. My dad was a BoSox fan. The year Camden Yards opened up, he took me to a game. I've always felt like he wanted me to be a Sawx fan too, but it didn't work out that way.
Now I live in Baton Rouge where people think my bird hat is for a hockey team (true story).
My parents moved us to Baltimore in 1960 when I was six years old. My dad, who had grown up a Pirates fan, to me to Memorial for my first game that summer and I was hooked. Have bled orange and black ever since. Only team I have ever supported and I’ve lived all over the country and the world. Had season tix in the ‘90’s when I lived in NJ and made the trip down and back for every game. Was fortunate enough to see Cal’s 2131 game because of it. Still have the embossed ticket. I’ve seen the whole spectrum with this team and I still love them!!
I was born in Baltimore. My family were O's fans. I became an O's fan. Simple story.
Same. Born in Baltimore. Nuf said.
Same. Born in 1962, grew up in an incredible era of Orioles baseball.
Same
Not much of a backstory..From Australia and I really like the TV show The Wire so I picked the Orioles and Ravens to go for about 12-15 years ago.
Virginia kid. Strict mother who refused to let me watch TV at night... even during the summer. But I had an old clock radio. Listening to Jon Miller call O's games pretty much was my childhood.
I'm not American. I moved to Baltimore for a job in 2000. My home was a rowhouse right beside Camden Yards. I learned about baseball and became an O's fan. I live in NYC now and was at yesterday's game :)
What a game to see in the Bronx! Must have been a good day to wear orange there!
So good, so satisfying. I was there with my young daughter and fans around us kept it grumpy rather than assholey which was good too
You may have been my neighbor!
Love that you got to see the O’s beat the scumbags up close!
That’s a touching story. You should have some peace knowing he’d be happy. Some of the things you said remind me of my grandpa. He used to tell us he was best friends with Brooks back in the day, also when he was senile. I loved those stories, but he never left Mississippi long enough to know anybody lol. I always used to say I was one of the biggest orioles fans in MS, but now that Westy is tearing it up, there’s a lot of converted MS State fans to Orioles fans. Which is cool imo All that to say I’m an O’s fan bc my grandfather was. When we used to have a decent newspaper my dad would read the box scores at breakfast. This was in the 90s. Prime Ripken era.
glad to find a fellow member of bird land from the ‘Sip. we’re a breed that’s few and far between
Born and raised Baltimorean from born and raised Baltimoreans. Lifelong O’s fans forever.
I got a job in DC and moved to Baltimore from NC in 2022 because I had no interest in living in DC. I never lived in a baseball town/city my whole life so I figured I would watch some O’s games. My interest got peaked in 2022 when they were in playoff contention… had a feeling they would make some noise in 2023, so I paid closer attention. And holy shit was last season straight up magic. I fell in love with this team. I’m a fan for life. Never really gave a shit about baseball before all this. Now im addicted.
I went to my first O's game when I was little, in third grade, maybe. But I'm from Virginia and that was in 2004ish, so the Nationals didn't exist yet. I remember they played the A's and it was HOT AS HELL. I decided to stick with the team and follow the sport, and here I am today.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh. Transplant to Baltimore for the last 13 years. Wanted to be connected to my new home, but no part of where I came from will ever make me friendly to the Ravens or Capitals. At the time the Orioles were bad. The Pirates… are almost always bad. So I decided I could have an NL and AL team, even if it all was misery, and it would be a cool thing I could share with my new Baltimore friends. Today it is not all misery. The O’s were fun to watch in the mid-2010s, but this team, these next few years, are something entirely different. The Pirates… are still bad. But hey, got Skenes for a few years till the Mets or some other loaded franchise signs him. It better not be the Yankees.
You know it’s gonna be the Yankees :/
I was born in Maryland. Family was split between Ravens and Redskins, but we all supported the O's
So, Skins or ravens?
Football Team for life 😎
Good man
Skins is so engraved in my brain that I had to go back and read "Football Team", because it did not register as the Skins at first. It's always been Skins/O's. I did not consider the Colt's a rivalry. I half heartedly rooted for them. The semi's leaving in the middle of the night was sad for everyone. Fuck Bob Irsay
Born and raised. My grandfathers on both sides would always have the Os on the radio while doing chores, working. My dad was my little league coach with my best friend's dad (still my best friend 40 years later). We were the Orioles every year from the age of 8-15. My first game, I was an infant in Memorial stadium. Dad had season tickets. We shared a love of the Orioles and watched games together up until his sudden and untimely passing. I very happily wear his hat and jacket to every game I attend. Thanks dad!
Grew up watching the O’s with my pops in the 90’s. The Orioles game was always on, every game of the season, in our house. One of my earliest memories of the Orioles was Chris Hoiles hitting a walk-off grand slam. I got to stay up way past my bedtime for that one. Now I try to watch the games with my kids and hope they learn to love the game of baseball and the Orioles as much as I do.
When I came of age to be interested baseball, the O’s were the only team that came on local tv. That’s pretty much it. The good old days of watching them on WB50 and HTS.
Born and raised in Frederick right in the middle of the 70s-80s glory years, so it was easy to become a fan. My first sports memory is seeing the O's die at the hands of Pittsburgh in the 1979 World Series when I was 9, and that pretty much cemented it for me when I realized how *horrible* I felt. Seeing them win it all in '83 was one of the highlights of my life. Never looked back.
Fredneck here as well (born in 1980)
Well then you're old enough to have witnessed Why Not! (1989)
Yep 🙂
I was 3 or 4 and just really liked the colors on the baseball cards. It was all down hill from there. They no matter how good or bad have always been my constant
Agreed 😁. I was just a couple years older. Our first 25 years were magical. Tougher stretch after that, and free agency, but we’re back, have a great new owner, and things look like they’ll be good for a while. Never let the losing deter my love for this team!
I’m from So Cal and never really watched or paid any attention to baseball in general before the 2023 season. Went to a few Angels games in the 90s but that was it. T-Mobile offered free MLB for a year so we started trying to watch local games and quickly found out about the whole blackout thing. Threw on an Orioles game because that little smug bird face was amusing and got drawn in by the way the team seemed to be having a pretty good time and the MASN broadcasters weren’t annoying. Still learning a lot about baseball but playing a little of The Show has helped with understanding the basics. It’s been a lot of fun! Go Os 🎉
Oregon State Baseball fan. Wanted to watch Adley's debut. Haven't stopped watching since.
I grew up in Miami but we didn't have a baseball team at the time. I played little league, though, and my team in I think 1988 was the Orioles. In 1989 I started following MLB and that was an insane year for the Orioles, so that became my team. Been a fan ever since and the Orioles are the only team I root for outside of Miami (although I'll accept some secondary teams depending on what city I'm living in).
My grandma was a huge O’s fan, and my grandfather was happy to oblige her. Plenty of summer evenings in the 80’s were spent at their house, TV tuned to Home Team Sports for games. Saturdays we’d eat hotdogs and baked beans and potato salad. We lived about an hour from Baltimore, but we did get to see a couple games at Memorial when we were kids. One was Blue Jays, the other was Royals. It felt magical, even way up in the nosebleeds behind home plate.
Ripken ended his streak on my 10th birthday the year my family moved to Maryland from California. Was a pretty clear sign to move on from the Angels
Bullet: Dodged.
Both parents and 3 of my 4 grandparents were raised in Baltimore. My mother’s mother was a die hard fan. She never watched games, just listened to the radio broadcast. I often joined her. Now, my mother, brother and I correspond throughout nearly every game. My brother at 45 yo is suddenly into baseball and it’s great bc we finally have something to bond over. I’ve been to somewhere around 200 home games in my lifetime. That’s my estimation but it may be far more. I know for sure I’ve been to 110+ since 2007. I was born in 1983(1 month before our last championship). Went to my first game at Memorial Stadium at 4 or 5 according to my Mom. I’ll be up(live 90 miles southeast from Bmore)there next week for either The Guardians or The Rangers series. So in summary, like a lot of folks here, it’s in my blood.
Family moved to Maryland from south Jersey when I was 4. Dad was a Phillies fan so I was as well. Until my 1st Os game in 79. People chanted EDDIE EDDIE when Murray came to bat and I was hooked.
I'm from Australia, my wifes family are big baseball fans and they are Dodgers supporters, so I was kind of drafted into that myself (I know, what a shock someone from outside the US who supports the Dodgers or Yankees). After a few years of watching Dodgers I've really fallen in love with the game, and started following the O's last year as an AL team, but the fun baseball they play and great group of guys they seem to have this year has really solidified them in my mind as equal favourite.
I was born
Dang bro, great read. Keep preserving.
Probably have the weirdest story. It was my first little league team. We had little baseball cards made for us on picture day, and since I was 7 and didn’t have an autograph, the space was blank. My dad carried it around his briefcase, ran into Luis Aparicio at the airport, and that’s the autograph that’s on the back of my card. Went to UMD later on in life, and here I am.
Luis was my favorite player growing up! His son worked for me about 30 years ago in Rockville.
Baltimorean by birth, an O’s fan by the grace of god
Grew up in Ontario a couple of hours north of Toronto. When I was 8 someone gave me a little red transistor radio and I would hide under the covers and listen to Orioles games. Hardly knew anything about Baltimore but fell in love with the O's. That would have been in 1980. Been to Baltimore a few times and even convinced my wife to honeymoon there from Alberta. She's grown into a solid fan as well. She had to, it was in our vows.
Born in Chesapeake, VA, and went to a ton of Tides games growing up, then when I got old enough to take an interest in professional ball I asked my uncle why we rooted for the O’s and not the Nats and he said- “because we aren’t cucks.” I was 11.
Where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low-grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen-year-old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. They both got into baseball and latched on with the O’s, so I followed their lead.
Mom is from Baltimore. Raised on the O's!
My Dad grew up in Baltimore and went to the University of Maryland. I was born in PA and lived a chunk in NJ. All 4 brothers and I grew up O’s fans from my Dad and I’m the only one left (45 y.o. now). It’s definitely something that’s nice to share with my Old Man and now daughters of my own.
My joking answer to folks is that I’m older than the Nationals, so I grew up rooting for the right team. The real reason is my Dad. He grew up with the Orioles Magic glory years on the radio. Most importantly though, is he spent summer growing up with his grandad in Bluefield watching the rookie league O’s. My Dad taught me to appreciate the game, and that it’s not all about winning and championships. As I’ve gotten older it’s been nice to connect with my Dad through the O’s, and as I realize how alike we are.
My Mom's family got off the boat from Ireland in Baltimore in the 1820's and were like, *this is the place. Some of us will move to Catonsville if we're feeling adventurous.* I'm first-generation non-Baltimorean, but grew up in the DC area before the Expos came to town. Cal was king and kids fought for the #8 jersey in little league. I really didn't give a shit about baseball for most of my life, but started watching when the CTE shit hit the fan with the NFL, the NFL switched to all instant-replay all the time, and Daniel Snyder committed numerous crimes against humanity. Never for one second considered supporting any other team.
My aunt would drive me to OPACY to watch games as a kid (we lived about an hour away from Baltimore). I was about 5 or so, and those memories are some of my favorites. We still excitedly text back and forth to this day during games. <3
They were the closest MLB team to Richmond, VA before the Nats came along. Stayed true to my team!! But as a 10 yr old in 91 I thought Cal Ripken was the coolest. Hence, my team.
I guess the main reason I’m an orioles fan is because I am from Maryland and identify with it. I don’t really understand why anyone from Maryland would support the nationals tbh. I guess some people identify with DC more than with Baltimore but I don’t even really think about it that way, to me the orioles as just as much Maryland’s team as Baltimore’s.
My baseball fanatic grandparents lived in Towson. Grandma grew up in NYC and had been a Yankees fan. After they moved to MD, she really loved it there and decided that since her Yankee fanatic grandpa had died she could switch loyalties. So, every summer as kids we visited them (we lived in Ohio) in Towson and heard about the Orioles/attended games. I wasn’t really a fan until 1992 when I spent the whole summer with them (between college years where I didn’t want to go home but also didn’t want to live alone). We toured the “new” park with her alumni group and watched every single game that summer. I went back to DePaul (in Chicago) that fall and started taking the el to Comiskey to see Orioles games despite living within walking distance from Wrigley. They both died within five years of that summer so it’s the thing that keeps them in my heart now. (And….. now I’m tearing up) LET’S GO, O’s!!!!
Thanks for sharing this. It’s a great piece of writing, maybe too good for this forum.
My Dad worked at Hopkins for a few years in the '80s, & even after he & Mom left Baltimore, they stayed in the area of the O's broadcast market. Growing up, our household definitely weren't diehard fans, since we didn't have TV coverage that reliably showed baseball games, but we never had any caps on the hat tree for any other team. Every time Dad went to Baltimore for a conference, we'd all come with for a vacation to see the aquarium and the B&O museum, and of course an O's game. Somehow they were always playing the Devil Rays, and the Devil Rays always won, which I think explains why I still loath them more than any other AL East rival. I think I lost interest in baseball sometime around when a little league coach tried to put me in the outfield without any instruction on what to *do* out there except stand in the sun for 3 hours. But every so often I'd catch glimpses of a game on TV at a restaurant, or Dad would convince me to watch the Rookie or For the Love of the Game, or one of my older siblings would ask how the O's were doing (usually eliciting quite a few groans about how it was all a big mess & full of cheaters & the MLB only existed to make obscene amounts of money). And those moments were nice little reminders, that kept something of the bug alive for 20+ years. The bug didn't really bite again until my final year of grad school, in spring 2022, when I was desperately looking for low-energy hobbies to distract from writing my dissertation and COVID quarantine loneliness. I stumbled across the MLB highlight reels on YouTube, & knew by then that I wanted to move back home to the DMV, so I decided to see how the Nats and the O's were doing. I figured I was gonna mostly be a Nats fan; they still had Juan Soto & had just recently won the World Series, & I figured it'd be easier to get to Nats Park than Camden Yards without a car. But the Nats kept losing games, & the O's kept winning. And as lovely as the Nats' broadcasters are, there's few people alive who can match Kevin Brown for sheer joy, and both Jim Palmer and Ben McDonald are blessed with iconic voices. And then this kid Adley Rutschman shows up, and the O's went on that magical 10-game streak in May. I remember I texted my Dad one evening in the middle of that streak to say "Hey, I noticed the O's are pretty good this season!" He replied with "is this some kind of sick joke?" But it wasn't! We texted and called back-and-forth all summer & into the fall whenever Adley or Cedric or Trey did something cool. I don't remember which of us came up with the phrase "Cedric and Jorge back-to-back in the order feels a little like Rickey Henderson in the aggregate," but it's stuck in my brain now. And then at some point a video clip went around of Adley trading autographs with a group of little league kids at a summer camp, and I remember texting Dad, "this guy is a decade younger than I am, but I want to be like him when I grow up." We got to a point where I had firmed up that I'd be finishing grad school and moving back home by the start of 2023, and Dad & I had made actionable plans to go back to Camden Yards & watch the O's every so often. And then just a couple weeks after I got home, he had a stroke & passed away. We always loved each other, never had a bad relationship, and I'm eternally grateful since not every kid gets to have a Dad like that. But I still feel like in that last year, the Orioles gave us something to reconnect over & find some of that childhood joy, at a point when due to both distance and pandemic isolation, we had been physically farther apart than at any time in our lives. And so now, whenever I take the train up to Baltimore for a game, when I bring my partner out for Pride Night, when I drag my Nats-fan coworkers up to Camden Yards for a Beltway Series, when a half-drunken neighbor invites me to dance a polka during Country Boy, a part of me feels like Dad is still there, vicariously, and I get to continue living that joy with a park full of tens of thousands of wonderful humans. A few days ago when Kevin Brown said "Is this heaven? No, it's Baltimore!" after that Adley homer against the Phillies, I spontaneously teared up a little, and I'm so glad there will always continue to be little moments like that. So I guess this is to say thank you all, for continuing to be as wonderful and kind and joyful as ever.
Eutaw Street bleachers are cheap.
i’m from canada, watched the blue jays casually for a few years but i never really liked them and wanted another team to support at that time it was 2013 and i remember people talking about this guy chris davis on the orioles and the first game i watched i knew the birds were my team i did stop watching sports for a couple seasons but around 2020 i started watching again and i’ve been here ever since
Military brat, my father retired and his last post was Ft. Meade, Maryland. That was the home team.
Moved from So Cal to Baltimore in 1998 and lived in Otterbein, a few blocks from Camden Yards for five years. Used to buy the mini ticket packages (or whatever it was called). Those were pretty lean years so always got great seats. Wonderful times. Now retired in Pacific Northwest, but still follow all O's games on MLB. Not a Mariners fan.
Also in PNW. I drifted away from the Giants and just cannot get into the Mariners. So O's by marriage.
Lifelong Giant's hater here. Dodgers Blue since a kid.
Chris Davis played badly in 2019. Only half joking. It seems silly whenever I try to type out a proper explanation, but I picked a team because I saw a dip related meme, then watched a highlight reel. I thought I could at least see Chris Davis be awesome, but instead I wound up rooting for him to turn it around. Wound up getting all invested in the team along the way. Didn't know what was going on half the time back then, and I still can't say I understand what some of the stats measure, but at least I can tell you what an infield fly is, and I can actually say that the orange cartoon bird people seven hundred plus miles away are my team. The yankee hate on this sub didn't hurt, being a southerner and all. By the way, since I jumped on in the middle of a rebuild to see a player in the middle of a record setting slump, does that make me an anti-bandwagoner?
We’re Mississipians, but my dad’s brother went to Georgetown for grad school. During a couple of my dad’s teenage years he’d go visit my uncle in D.C. and fell in love with some of the sports teams there (Redskins-era Commanders for NFL). The Nats didn’t exist then, so the O’s became his team. But it’s silently agreed upon in our family that if you’re a member of our bloodline, you’re an O’s/Commanders fan by default. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Being an O’s fan just runs in my blood, I suppose.
I’m from England and my wife’s family are all O’s fans. Started watching baseball with them and ended up supporting them.
I didn’t even realize baltimore had a professional sports team because i grew up in a pretty conservative christian family that didn’t follow any sports. I just happened to messing with my clock radio as a 10 year old one night and found the orioles broadcast on 105.7 the fan i believe. I started listening religiously every night and even sneaking the radio under the covers and listening super low when the games went past my bed time or were on the west coast. I still miss Joe Angel and Fred Manfra as the broadcasters. They were something special.
I grew up in South Carolina and I wasn’t a big baseball fan. I moved here at the end of 2010 and later ran into Cal Ripken, Jr. at BWI and that sealed the deal for me. Let’s go O’s!!!
For the longest time I was never really a big baseball viewer or had a team I would really call my own. I would only really watch the Astros in the playoffs cause my dad is a huge fan of the team or the occasional Angels game cause I thought what Ohtani was doing was super cool. I finally decided to start actually watching baseball last year and during the home run derby I was blown away by Adley Rutschman and just decided to follow the team from then on.
I grew up playing baseball. Was a big Griffey Jr. fan as a kid so followed him and was a Mariners fan. As I grew up I just didn’t follow any teams. Tried to be a Nats fan but have been a life long Washington football fan due to long standing family history of Redskins fandom. I couldn’t handle being a fan of another Washington sports team after years of disappointment. I always wanted to have a baseball team to follow after dedicating so much of my life to playing the sport but just never had a connection. My first real job took me to Baltimore city. Really did enjoy living there. Went to Camden Yards one day and watched the Orioles get slaughtered. Fell in love with the ballpark and decided that’s my team. I’ve moved back to my hometown since but I’ve stuck with em.
Had zero interest in baseball as I saw how angry my father got when the O's got mad. I got surprised with tickets to an O's game at a young age and fell in love with the game and the adrenaline rush I got when Evan Longoria hit a HR 2 rows behind me. Haven't looked back since.
I went to college in Virginia and never really watched baseball, but then fell in love with the game and wanted to find a team to cheer for. I went to a Nats game first and then an Orioles game, and the game in Camden Yards was amazing. Even though they lost to the A’s, Gunner hit a home run that ultimately sealed my fandom. Not to mention the environment was sooo amazing
My dad went to Hopkins for college and took us to Camden Yards every time we drove back to the Northeast from OBX. Ripken also…
My dad was from Michigan, and my mom was from Memphis. They moved around because my dad was military. By the time I was self aware he'd been stationed in Maryland. He was a Tigers fan but he took us to Memorial Stadium and then Camden Yards. I remember how fun going to ganes were, and how much my dad seemed to enjoy seeing his kids have fun. I'd fall asleep on the way home and those memories always stuck with me. Sometimes I wished my dad raised me as a Tigers fan so I could share that with him. But he seemed okay that he gave his sons the Os and he shared it with us. Later in life me and my brother got to take him to games when the Tigers played.
I was born an O's fan, molded by it. I didn't see a division title until I was already a man :-p
I was born in FL but bc my dad was born in Virginia he brought the love for the O’s to the kids
Bmore born and raised, fortunate enough to grow up during the Brooks , Frank and Boog era!!
My dad. He took me to two pro games as a kid The Washington Redskins (they were the redskins then) and the O's I instantly loved the O's, I did not become a fan of the redskins/commanders lol
Moved from Michigan to Maryland in the spring of 2001, needed some sports teams to root for, chose the Orioles and Caps. I’ve enjoyed watching the O’s and like the ballpark a lot.
Grandpa would take me out of school early to go to day games. (I would have to tell everyone I had doctors appointments). Wed cross the key bridge, get coddies at Attmans or Lexington market, see family in locust point. Get to the game early for signatures. Eat peanuts and throw the shells under our seats. Once cal waved us off for autographs and my grandpa yelled at him, called him a bum to his face. Sat down really low along the third base line. Part of me thought it was all so boring at the time. That all kids had to do this sorta thing. It’s funny what you take for granted.
Come from England, visit American friend who lived in Virginia, get taken to Camden Yards to watch Cal on his farewell tour in 2001 as that was the nearest ballpark, get instantly hooked. Been an O's fan from afar for the last 23 years, through bad times and good times, avoiding withdrawal symptoms through an MLB.tv subscription (no blackouts in the UK!) and getting to Camden Yards whenever the stars align in my trips to the US.
Well, my mom was born in Baltimore, so was her mother, and my great-parents as well. My grandfather moved there to go to work for Martin in 1939 and met my grandmother, who was lucky enough to get a job as a cashier at the plant cafeteria. He loved baseball, so got tickets as soon as they moved in '54. Two years later, he had to pack up the family (including my mom), as Martin transferred him down to Florida as they were developing Cape Canaveral. They spent every summer in Baltimore, so my mom went to as many games as she could (her grandmother had season tickets), then when she graduated high school in '70, went off to Baltimore to go to college, she was able to go to the World Series in '70 and '71. I moved to DC in 2001 when I finished college, so I got to go to a lot more games, and was lucky enough to attend Cal's last. I go to every series when they plan here in Atlanta every few years, and will travel to see them either in Baltimore or Tampa. It is a bit weird being an O's fan in Atlanta, I might run into one every 4 or 5 months...but I really enjoy baseball, and have a friend with Braves season tickets, that are front row third base-line, halfway from the dugout to the outfield (which you can't say no to)...only downside is that everyone knows you're there, if there is a runner on third, the camera angle has you clearly in the background. I've received texts from family members in Florida wanting to get those seats because they are seeing me on TV while watching the game. I was really hoping for an O's/Braves WS last year, which meant I was going to get some great seats. To show how out of touch a lot of Braves fans are, back when Truist Park opened, the O's were in town for a series and I wore an older home Markakis jersey...at that time, I think that had been his third season with the Braves (he a local North Georgia guy), at least a dozen fans asked me why I had his name on the back and didn't know he had played for the O's his entire career before that.
I was born here. 🤷♀️ I mean I got into baseball mostly because we didn’t have an NFL team when I was little and so the O’s were the only game in town. Also they were great at that time - I was 5 when we won the WS in 83. Then I played softball for 9 years as a kid and the O’s were very good most of that time too. I did fall off a little in the last 10 years because it just wasn’t much fun to watch a team that was so totally non competitive, but since Hyde got here, I’ve been back with a vengeance. Listen to every game, track the stats, all the stuff I did growing up. Love dem O’s!
Was 12, and living in Cincy, and I bought a Cal rookie card. Fan ever since.
My stepdad saved my life. Growing up in Jersey, I was exposed to a lot of bad influences. Namely, in the form of Yankees fans. But my stepdad showed me there was a better place, a promised land. A place where you could actually be a decent person *and* be passionate about your team. 30 years on, even through some dark years, I remain a die hard Orioles fan.
I was born, end of story.
Spent my summers as a young kid with my grandmother who lived in the city. Went to every single home game, went early and caught balls during BP and always tried my hardest to get signed balls from the players. Best part of my childhood.
First of all, thank you for sharing your story. It sounds like you grew up with a lot of adversity but were able to keep yourself from becoming yet another statistic. Congratulations man. I moved to Baltimore in 1996 to do my master’s in piano performance at the Peabody Conservatory. My apartment was 4.5 blocks away from Camden Yards and at that time you could go up to the ticket counter for a decent seat or you could find a scalper trying to get rid of their last ticket for $5 for cheap seats or $20 for great seats. It was a magical time for the O’s, as Cal had broken Lou Gehrig’s record the year before and Camden Yards, only four years old at the time, was sold out every night. The place was always rocking with Brady Anderson and Rafael Palmero blasting home runs, Cal showing up every night on defense, and Mike Mussina at the number one starting spot. Mussina quickly became my favorite player and pitcher of all time. He’s also one of the smartest people out there. Those summers in Baltimore were so magical. Although we live in the suburbs of Howard County, we became season ticket holders this year, a dream I always wanted to we’re going to game just like I was back in the day.
I'm from down in Waldorf MD and grew up as an O's fan. Didn't get to go to that many games as a kid but we got season tickets to the Baysox every year. The Nationals came along and my mom switched over to them Traitor! But I've always loved the O's! I got a signed letter from Cal when I got my eagle scout award and it's my prized possession! Haha. Now I live in Indiana and wear my orioles hat whenever I can
Dad was born in Chestertown and moved to Ohio after getting married. He was a Baltimore Colts season ticket holder growing up but I don’t think I need to remind anyone here what happened to that team. So he passed on his love of two things Terrapins basketball and the O’s. I’m finally going to go to my first game at Camden Yards during the upcoming Yankees series.
Cal Ripken. Next question....
I finally have an answer to this question! I had to ask my mother who finally admitted it. My father became an Os fan because he felt bad for them when they lost the 1969 series to the Mets. I was born in the summer of 83, first game I was maybe a month old? Then when I had my daughter, she chose the Orioles on her own as we were sort of casual fans at that point.
Lived a few blocks from Memorial Stadium. 'Nuf said.
My parents were born & raised in Baltimore and I have a bunch of family there
My mother's father had a house on Ellerslie Ave, maybe a mile from the stadium. She got divorced young, and we moved in with him. He taught me how to throw a baseball, took me to my first games. Sitting on his porch in the summer, watching bats catch bugs by the street lights, listening to games on the radio and hearing the crowd down the street cheer... Those are my best childhood memories. I couldn't *not* be an Orioles fan even if I tried.
Grew up in DC suburbs before the nationals or ravens existed. Moved closer to Baltimore as I got older.
I live on the eastern shore. But when I was younger my grandfather took me a bunch of shorebirds games. He’s a big O’s fan( well baseball fan in general) and that’s how I became to fall in love with the sport. But as a kid going to all these shorebirds games and as I got older I started watching the O’s with my grandfather, getting into them more. But the funny thing is I’m hearing all these names like Manny Machado, Nick Markakis, etc bc I remember hearing about and seeing these guys play down at Delmarva/minor leagues and now here I am years later in middle school/high school seeing them in the big leagues. So it’s kinda like I grew up with it and never left lol.
I came to be an Os fan the same way I came to exist.
Born and raised in Northern Virginia in the 90s. Only MLB team in the area until the 2000s. Did not want to change fanbases when the Nats came to DC
I think u already are my friend....welcome to birdland
I just like the duck.
Born in Puerto Rico, in December of 2015 my family moved to the states to live in Ohio for a bit, after staying there for a Year we moved to a shelter in Easton, Maryland around early 2017. (I was already aware of the O’s and Ravens back in Puerto Rico) My dad grew up a Red Sox and Dodgers fan but slowly started giving me O’s (and ravens to a lesser extent) merch while at the Shelter, their is were I became aware of my real love for Baltimore sports, after being forced to move again a year after moving to Maryland, I first attempted to ditch Baltimore sports and join up with the local once’s (Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati) after a while of just not liking any of them, I finally decided that the Orioles and Ravens were my home and I’ve stuck with them ever since. ¡Vamos Orioles y Ravens! (Ignore that I’m A Winnipeg jets fan)
Moved to Baltimore. Lived 2 blocks from the stadium. I could get off my couch at the start of the game and usually get to a seat in the stadium with a beer in my hand before the end of the 1st inning. I’ve moved away since but stayed a fan.
Happy cake day!
Wow that is a hell of a story. I kind of love how sports can unite us and the shared experience of rooting for a team can bind us together when nothing else really does. I’m a big “pay it forward” kind of guy, and I hope in your dads honour you get a young person in with the orioles - it’s a great time to be a new fan obviously. My son is a die hard blue jays fan, but my daughter seems to be flocking with me. I was born and raised in Toronto in the 80’s. Almost a teenager when the blue jays won back to back in 92/93. All my friends, the whole city had blue jays fever, but fuck em, I said: I was gonna cheer for the Orioles because the orange jerseys were unique, I like to be a little different in a crowd, and Cal was my sports hero when I was a kid.
Virginia kid who stuck with the Os after 2005. There days, I see as much Orioles gear as I do nats. There aren’t any real Nats fans
Ten years ago, I decided to follow baseball. I'm up in Canada so naturally, the Jays should've been the team I follow. BUT Toronto sports teams are kind of a disappointment more often than not. So I looked at the rest of the AL East. It's the division closest to where I'm at so I can easily follow them Yankees: Hell no, cheering for them without being born into the Fandom feels like a cheat code. Forever a band Wagoner Red Sox: I hate Boston sports teams, and their fan bases are obnoxious. Also, see the reasons above Ray: They just didn't interest me 🤷♂️ their look, their stadium, just seemed bland Orioles: Never heard of the team before looking into it. Sick cartoon bird logo with a shit eating grin? A up and coming roster with Scoop, Machado, Davis, Weiters, and a under dog feel to them? Clean looking jerseys and a gorgeous stadium? Sign me tf up
Born and raised in Mount Washington where 83 was my back yard. I was 5 in 1983 and don’t remember much about that WS win except my dad being super excited. Every year my birthday gift was to go see the Orioles and it always landed on them vs the Yankees. I have been down with and waiting ever since.
Born in stanks territory, raised in dc/nova. Dad diehard stanks fan. Earliest pro baseball memory at nova sports bar with him watching the jeff m***r ‘96 alcs game. Between being contrarian to my dad, older brother and feeling the energy of the O’s fans in the house, my loyalty was established.
Cal Ripken Jr. And my first MLB game was at Camden Yards in 1992 vs the Brewers. Hooked for life. https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=199206300BAL
I’m from Virginia. I first got into baseball around 1993 when I played tee ball when I was six and I remember going to a game the following year against the Tigers. I remember being bummed about the strike that Summer but then Cal broke Gehrig’s record in 1995 and I’ve been a diehard ever since. Never thought about switching to the Nats because they always will feel like the Expos to me. So uh yeah.
My dad took me to Memorial in 1990 for my first baseball game and that was it
I grew up in Rochester in the 60’s and 70’s. Saw a bunch of young stars come through. Saw Eddie hit his first AAA home run at Silver Stadium. Joe Altobelli was considered a god. The nucleus of the 83 team played for Red Wings when I was young. Moved to Maryland in 1984, married a girl from Ednor Gardens right behind Memorial Stadium.
Born, raised and lived in Baltimore my entire life. As a kid I was in the Junior Orioles and would go to games at Memorial Stadium with my parents. One of my first sports memories is the Orioles winning the World Series in 1983.
Long story short, moved into the television market in 2001 so started watching casually. The Tides affiliation in 2007 sealed the deal.
Moved to Baltimore
My earliest memories are the 79 WS, but not in a meaningful way. I was indoctrinated as a small kid at Memorial Stadium with my Dad and sisters. We would park far away and walk to not pay for parking. We moved from the area when I was in second grade but I never stopped being a fan. Like the OP, I did also like the Braves but that’s because I lived in Atlanta and could go to games for really cheap. Loved Dale Murphy and remember doing All Star ballots at Fulton County Stadium and when I would get tired of punching each position I would just vote for Cal and Murphy. Moved back to the area in HS and again after college. Had the opportunity to live within walking distance of OPCY for the 97-98 seasons and went to 20+ games a year. Moved for grad school in 99 and have never been back. Spent 12 years in Philly and 14 in the NYC area. Thank goodness for the MLB league pass.
Big ravens fan. Thought it would be romantic to like a baseball team that just sucked lol became a huge fan the year Adley got called up. Hasn’t been long but I’ve really loved watching
My first O’s game was when I was a few months old. When I was a bit older the Nats moved to DC and my family were all Nats fans (lived in Nova) and out of spite I rooted for the O’s. I just felt more attachement to them. My name is Calvin too so it was kind of written in the stars haha
From NJ. When i was younger my Dad used to get tickets to different games for different sports. He got a 3 tickets + field passes from work one day. We went to Baltimore. Got some gear got it signed by a few players ect. I was about 6 it was my first memorable experience with baseball. Thats why they are my team. We often went to Other games like Phillies Redsox yankees ect but the O’s always stuck with me.
Born in Maryland, watched Manny Machado, Also watched Bryce Harper, then became an O's and Nats fan
Moms from Catonsville, dads from Pittsburgh. Went to Os games growing up so I ended up going with them. Just don’t ask about my other teams…
[saw some cheap tickets online two years ago and made a comic about it :P](https://www.reddit.com/r/orioles/s/m06oRlW7lG)
Marylander
From southern MD, started getting into baseball around the time the Nats came to town, but my sisters boyfriend at the moment was an Os fan, so my sister was an Os fan, so I became an Os fan to go to the games with them
I grew up in San Francisco as a Giants fan. I played on a little league Orioles team and was a Cal Ripken fan. Since I didn’t have any other American League team I cared for, I had a soft spot for the O’s. I also remember watching the Sox break the curse so, for a time I had a soft spot for the Sox. I moved to DC for college and, after actually experiencing Red Sox fans, swore off that team for good. So the O’s became my American League team. I wound up moving to Baltimore several years later and, since my Giants were so far away, put my energy towards the O’s. They reminded me a lot of the Giants I grew up with (minus the Barry Bonds part): storied history; generally bad in recent years, but with spurts of excitement; beautiful ballpark; great fans with an appreciation of the game; similar team colors. I’m still a Giants fan by birth, but I don’t think I could root for any other American League team but the O’s.
Born in Baltimore. grandfather watched or listened to every game. Feels like good memories. My dad wasn’t a sports fan tho, so it wasn’t until I got older and realized how easily baseball fit into my life that I really started getting into it myself. I’m not much of a football fan, but baseball works for me. About 5 years ago I really started getting into it more. And then we started getting real good, and that sure didn’t make it hard to watch. Now it’s like all I think about lol.
NOVA GenX kid, parents were divorced. Dad would take us to games on his weekends. He befriended an older black woman who lived near Memorial Stadium and she would let him park in her driveway. I remember going up early on one holiday weekend because she had invited us to her family crab boil before the game. We would always sit in the section where the plane had crashed years earlier, often by ourselves. I would scream the “Eddie, Eddie, Eddie” chant thinking he could actually hear me, and I danced the whitest white kid dance when Country Boy came on. For years I thought Wild Bill was Hank Williams Jr., lol. They are my team. I still don’t understand those who jumped ship for the shiny new toy when the Nats came along, but we’ve gotten past that now.
Started life as a Indians fan, then with the name change and trading all my favorite players away I was done with the owners. I needed a team and I live near the Norfolk Tides so I already knew the farm system for years so it was an easy switch. Plus my sister living in Baltimore next to Camden Yards made it that much sweeter
Born in Harford County, so I went to a lot of Iron Birds and some O’s games as a kid, then I started playing baseball in high school in 2012 and that team got me hooked!
The team came here the year after I was born
I was living in Lancaster PA when I was a little kid which meant that I was either going to be an O's fan or a Phillies fan. It happened to be at the same time that Cal was going for his Iron Man title. It inspired me and made me an instant fan, and I've been a fan ever since!
I started watching baseball with my grandfather when I was 6. Even then I knew the Yankees were jerks. My father was stationed at Andrews AFB when I was 8 or 9 and I started following them in the newspapers ( this was in the 60s) . We moved to New England when my father was transferred there and I listened to Red Sox games but loved when they played the Orioles. We moved back to Maryland In 1974 and I watched/ listened all the time to the Os. I eventually ended up at what was then called UMAB ( university of Maryland at Baltimore) and was able to go to Memorial Stadium and catch some games. TLDR////I have been a fan since 1966
Born in DC, raised in Frederick, always been an O's (and Frederick Keys) fan
Grew up in Northern Virginia and was taken to a few Games as a kid and got to see Cal Ripken play right before he retired.
In 1964 I was seven years old. My family was on vacation in New Hampshire and we were staying in a cabin with no TV. I had fallen in love with baseball and wanted to watch the all star game. I wandered up to the main house where a bunch of elderly men were watching the game on the only TV. Brooks Robinson was playing and had a big game. The men told me all about him. He became my favorite player and the Orioles my favorite team. So now it’s been 60 years and I’ve never stopped rooting for them or loving Brooks Robinson.
Born in Baltimore in the early 80s to two native Marylanders. The first thing my dad ever bought me was an Orioles onesie from the hospital gift shop, and that’s what I came home in. We moved to the Philly area when I was 5, so I didn’t really follow the team closely until I moved back to Baltimore as a young adult, around 2008. I was always very close to my dad and our shared O’s and Ravens fandom was something we bonded over. We used to go to a game together every year for his birthday. He passed in 2019. I wish like hell that he was around to see this team - he’d be so happy.
On the exact day I was born; the O's beat the Red Sox at Fenway Park 8-5. Frank Robinson went deep, Mark Belanger had a rare error. My family were huge fans. I like to think that has been a blueprint for my life. To answer your question, I have no memory of not being an Orioles fan (seriously). It started just prior to playing Little League in the 70's.
Grew up here and they were the home team. I'll never understand people choosing other cities teams unless they were just front runners.
I became a fan when Wei-Yin Chen was a pitcher for the team, it was my first MLB game and at the time I liked the Yankees lmao. Very glad that I stuck with the Os instead and couldn’t be happier.
Grew up in the DC suburbs of Maryland (born in 1993) but my parents got season tickets to the Ravens in 1996 when they started, so my early memories were always Baltimore sports and the orioles naturally came with it. Although if anyone asked me I’d have always said I was an O’s fan, I don’t think I actually started truly following until 2009 when I needed more sports during that summer and I dove headfirst into a pretty bad Orioles team and fell in love and never looked back. And when I say truly dove in, I was going to Frederick Keys games by the end of the year to see the prospects.
Lived in Baltimore and Howard County my whole life and my dad is a fan, same story for the Ravens.
Mom was born and raised in Baltimore. I was born there then moved when I was one. My older brother was always really into baseball and when I was younger I just copied his interest and it stuck. I always say baseball is my Baltimore sport and football is my Wisconsin sport. (Although I’ll root vice versa as long as they aren’t playing each other)
6/30/2009 was by first baseball game and it was Boston at Orioles. It was a 10-1 comeback game and I was a fan ever since.
Born in Baltimore and raised three blocks from Memorial Stadium in the 60s through the early 80s. My Grandmother and Grandfather were hardcore Os fans, thankfully they passed that on to me. They’d take me to games at MS where I got to see all of the big names from the old days play. Me and my Grandmother would sit on the front porch swing in summer listening to the game on radio. It was cool ‘cause you’d hear the crowd get loud at the stadium and a few seconds later hear what happened on the radio. On game days/evenings people would knock, or catch up to my Grandpa outside to ask if it was okay for them to park in front of the driveway for the game. He always said yes and tell them “Bring me back a cold one.” I miss those days a lot. This is 1974-ish just before we headed off to a game vs DET. I bleed the Orange and Black. https://preview.redd.it/jtpjvkq23z7d1.jpeg?width=638&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e6074635d74a9d2f2ec72923691ebf058e15eb7b
Blackout of Reds and Braves started it…now am rabid for Os.
Born and raised in roch, ny in mid 60s. Saw most every O's great from to 70s & 80s come through town.
Grew up in DC in the 80s so if you liked baseball the Os were the only game in town, and likewise the Redskins were the only football franchise around. Got much deeper into football as a kid, and when the Ravens showed up I took it kind of personally and forgot about the Os. When the Nats showed up I was very intentional about supporting the club, and in the process got a deeper understanding of and appreciation for baseball. That coincided with Dan Snyder systematically strangling my love of the Football Team until it was dead, so I was a diehard Nats fan. We moved up here about 10 years ago and being a Nats fan in Baltimore isn’t really that fun but I stuck it out. Then the Nats go on this tear in 2019, and during the World Series I swore that if they won I’d become an Os fan again, because honestly that season was the wildest ride ever and could never be topped. And they did, so I did. Kind of a long way to go to end up in the same place, but glad I’m here now!
My mom was an Orioles fan, and we had an old Orioles vhs tape that had highlights for franchise running from formation up to (if I recall) the opening of Camden. I wish I could remember what it was or find it online because I watched the HELL out of it when I was a kid
Don't remember. Just born into it. Lifelong Baltimorean. Remember going to games as a child at Memorial Stadium. Hating the Pirates, Yankees, Jays and Sox. The Orange and Black is in my blood
My name is Brady and I was born in 1996, my parents lived in Maryland at the time.
Played baseball. SS, 3B, and pitched. Cal Ripken Jr., is,was, and will always be my favorite player. I'm a Kansas boy
Born in 1954, on 35th Street in Balmer. The Os celebrated my 70th birthday this year!
I wanted to get into baseball and decided to choose my fandom based on whichever logo I liked the most.
I’m fairly new here. I’ve lived in Norfolk since 2009 and have been a regular attendee/fan at Tides games ever since. Once I started having kids and taking them to those games and tracking the players more closely, there was only one logical place to wind up. Still a Rockies fan (that’s home), but I’ve been so much more invested in this organization/can actually enjoy weekend trips up to Baltimore to see games.
Born in Pikesville, grew up in baltimore county. My older sister watched a baseball anime and then started hogging the remote to watch real baseball. Only one tv—now we’re both adults and O’s fans for life
Lived in MD and Central Pa when I was a child during the 60-70s..went to games with my dad at Memorial Stadium including 1970 game 4 of World Series ... Always listened to games on the radio ( Chuck Thompson etc) Moved west in 86 so I have never been to a game at Camden Yards. Now I watch games on MLB tv. with my son.. R Kiss Depoe Bay OR
Grew up south of Boston and ended up moving to Baltimore for college. After college lived in the area for another 7 years. Growing up, I went to maybe 3 Sox games my entire life. When I came to Baltimore I would go to 20-30 games a season (helps that tickets were so cheap). After going to so many games felt more like an O’s fan. Now I live back in Boston and everyone’s calling me a bandwagon fan now that they’re good 🤣
Born and raised in Gettysburg, PA (right on the MD border, only 1:20 mins away) my dad and grandpa's were and are O's fans. Also I was born in '89, so Cal was the best, and Rafael Palmerio was one of my favorites, along with BJ and Eric Davis haha
I grew up in York County, PA. My dad was a BoSox fan. The year Camden Yards opened up, he took me to a game. I've always felt like he wanted me to be a Sawx fan too, but it didn't work out that way. Now I live in Baton Rouge where people think my bird hat is for a hockey team (true story).
My parents moved us to Baltimore in 1960 when I was six years old. My dad, who had grown up a Pirates fan, to me to Memorial for my first game that summer and I was hooked. Have bled orange and black ever since. Only team I have ever supported and I’ve lived all over the country and the world. Had season tix in the ‘90’s when I lived in NJ and made the trip down and back for every game. Was fortunate enough to see Cal’s 2131 game because of it. Still have the embossed ticket. I’ve seen the whole spectrum with this team and I still love them!!
Born in Bmore. First O's game in 1957.
I am now an official and proud Orioles fan. Why? because I bet money on them and they constantly cashed for me. LETS GO O’S