Henneman has lived the duration of "60 Years of Orioles Magic"

Henneman has lived the duration of "60 Years of Orioles Magic"
When the Orioles were seeking a writer to chronicle their first six decades in Baltimore, longtime journalist Jim Henneman was a logical choice, one found in their own backyard. The 79-year-old Henneman's lifetime practically mirrors the Orioles' tenure in Charm City. As a youth, he worked in the clubhouse at Oriole Park, home of the team during its Triple-A run from 1946-53. He attended the 1954 parade down Charles Street welcoming the former St. Louis Browns to their new roost, and was in...

Celebrating 60: Closer Gregg Olson was key member of O's for six seasons, loved his time in Baltimore

Celebrating 60: Closer Gregg Olson was key member of O's for six seasons, loved his time in Baltimore
When the Orioles made pitcher Gregg Olson their first-round draft pick out of Auburn in 1988, he had mixed feelings. He was happy to be selected, but was hoping to land with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team that picked one slot after the Orioles. These days, Baltimore means something different. "When I think of Baltimore, I think of family," Olson says. "You felt like you knew everybody's family and friends. I never found that again (in my baseball career). It worked perfectly. I love...

Celebrating 60: Frank Robinson reflects on winning two World Series with O's, playing at Memorial Stadium

Celebrating 60: Frank Robinson reflects on winning two World Series with O's, playing at Memorial Stadium
Outfielder Frank Robinson started his career in 1956 and played his final game in 1976. In between, he put up Hall of Fame numbers. Robinson finished with 586 home runs, 2,948 hits and 1,812 RBIs. As an Oriole in 1966, he hit .316 with 42 homers and 122 RBIs to win the American League Triple Crown. He won National League Rookie of the Year and an MVP award in each league. He helped the Orioles to two World Series titles in 1966 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and in 1970 against Cincinnati....

Celebrating 60: O's veterans provided calming influence for young Dennis Martinez

Celebrating 60: O's veterans provided calming influence for young Dennis Martinez
When pitcher Dennis Martinez saw former teammate Brooks Robinson at the Orioles' 60-year anniversary celebration, he greeted him with a line that goes back nearly four decades. "It was great to see Brooks, and when I saw him, I said, 'Hey Brooksie, we can't go any higher, but if there were a higher league, you would be there. He was always fun, always joking,'' Martinez says. It's a standard greeting between the two Orioles Hall of Famers, and goes back to 1976, the year Martinez was...

Andrew Stetka: O's hit a home run with 60th anniversary celebration

Andrew Stetka: O's hit a home run with 60th anniversary celebration
As an out-of-town fan living in Arizona, I always make it a point to come back into Baltimore for an Orioles game at least once a year. The opportunity to come to Camden Yards, where I saw so many games growing up and spent a great deal of my childhood, is always a treat and a chance I don't pass up. There was little debate as to when I'd be coming back for a game this season once I saw what was planned for the O's 60th anniversary celebration. Getting back in August, when the heat in the...

Celebrating 60: Buford's request to play outfield turned him into a staple of O's success

Celebrating 60: Buford's request to play outfield turned him into a staple of O's success
When Don Buford came to Baltimore in a trade from the Chicago White Sox before the 1968 season, he wasn't sure where he was going to play. So he asked coach Earl Weaver to lobby manager Hank Bauer to let him play in the outfield. "The Orioles had Davey Johnson at second and Mark Belanger at shortstop and the outfield had Paul Blair, Curt Blefary and Frank Robinson, so I didn't know where I was going to play," Buford says. "I asked Earl if he'd tell Hank Bauer that I could play the...

Celebrating 60: Singleton's arrival in Baltimore gave O's, Weaver unconventional leadoff hitter

Celebrating 60: Singleton's arrival in Baltimore gave O's, Weaver unconventional leadoff hitter
A few days after Ken Singleton arrived for his first Orioles spring training in 1975, manager Earl Weaver called him into his office and told him that was going to lead off. In 1973 for the Expos, Singleton had 23 home runs and 103 RBIs, but Weaver also knew that Singleton led the National League with a .425 on-base percentage, which put Weaver ahead of his time for appreciating that statistic. "On-base percentage was not thought of like it is today,'' Singleton says. "I led the league on...

Celebrating 60: Cal Ripken Jr. reflects on his Hall of Fame career with the Birds

Celebrating 60: Cal Ripken Jr. reflects on his Hall of Fame career with the Birds
Cal Ripken, baseball's Ironman who played in a record 2,632 consecutive games, played in 3,001 games in 21 seasons for his hometown Orioles. He had 3,184 hits, 431 home runs and 1,695 RBIs. He was a 19-time All-Star as well as an American League Rookie of the Year with two AL MVPs and two All-Star Game MVPs. He won a World Series in 1983 and averaged .336 in six postseason series for the Orioles. He was elected to Cooperstown in 2007. Q: How closely do you follow the Orioles? A: "I do...

Orioles celebrating 60th anniversary

Orioles celebrating 60th anniversary
This may come as a surprise to fans who think the Orioles don't look a day over 50, but they're actually celebrating their 60th season in Baltimore. The party really kicks in on Friday, Aug. 8 at Camden Yards - before, during and after their game against the St. Louis Cardinals. According to a press release, the club is welcoming back 23 Orioles Hall of Famers who will take part in a postgame celebration. Among the legends expected to attend are Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Cal Ripken Jr....

Celebrating 60: Bill Ripken recalls dad's advice, playing alongside brother, making magic and history with O's

Celebrating 60: Bill Ripken recalls dad's advice, playing alongside brother, making magic and history with O's
Bill Ripken will never forget the advice his dad, Cal Ripken Sr., gave him the day he signed with the Orioles. The year was 1982 and Bill had just graduated from high school. They were sitting at a table at home in Aberdeen, Md., when Orioles scout Jim Gilbert gave Bill a contract worth $20,000. As usual, dad's advice was direct. "I said, 'Do I have to read the contract?' '' Bill says. "Dad said, 'No, but what it says is that if they ask you to do something, you better do it.' That...

Celebrating 60: Gentile made good on guarantee, but picked wrong season for breakout power year in '61

Celebrating 60: Gentile made good on guarantee, but picked wrong season for breakout power year in '61
When Jim Gentile was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Orioles before the 1960 season, he came with a money-back guarantee. Yes, that's correct - a money-back guarantee. The Orioles gave the Dodgers two players and $50,000 for Gentile, and if the Orioles weren't happy with the deal, they could return him after 30 days and get $25,000 back. Apparently, no questions asked. Gentile, who had impressive power numbers as a minor league first baseman, didn't hit in his first Orioles...

Celebrating 60: Doug DeCinces handled replacing Brooks Robinson well, has fond memories of Baltimore

Celebrating 60: Doug DeCinces handled replacing Brooks Robinson well, has fond memories of Baltimore
As a high school senior growing up in California, Doug DeCinces had dreams of playing Major League Baseball. Then he had a chat with an Orioles scout. "The scout (Al Kubski) told me that I can't run and that I throw like a girl," DeCinces says. "I was shocked, said, 'OK.' I was disappointed. He was a gruff old scout. But I think he wanted to see if I had what it takes to improve. There was no coddling back then." In 1970, when the Orioles drafted and signed DeCinces, he joked with...

Celebrating 60: Stone has vivid memories of "enchanting" 1980 O's season that ended with Cy Young

Celebrating 60: Stone has vivid memories of "enchanting" 1980 O's season that ended with Cy Young
As a free agent after the 1978 season, pitcher Steve Stone chose the Orioles over other teams because he liked their chances to make the World Series. He was right. In his only Fall Classic, Stone pitched two innings in the Orioles' 1979 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. His 1980 season, though, was one for the ages in Orioles history: Stone won 25 games and the American League Cy Young Award. He is the last Orioles pitcher to win the award, joining Mike Cuellar, Jim Palmer (three times) and...

Celebrating 60: Hansen balanced military life, playing at Memorial Stadium

Celebrating 60: Hansen balanced military life, playing at Memorial Stadium
Shortstop Ron Hansen hit 22 home runs for the Orioles' first winning team in 1960, but if they had gone to the World Series, he wasn't sure that he could have played. That's because his military job begin a few days after the season ended. "I guess I would have missed the World Series," Hansen says. "I didn't think much it (during the season's final days), but not playing would have been a possibility. We didn't make the World Series, so there's nothing to worry about." The 1962...

Celebrating 60: Oates' pitch led Sutcliffe to mound for Camden Yards opener

Celebrating 60: Oates' pitch led Sutcliffe to mound for Camden Yards opener
As a free agent following the 1991 season, pitcher Rick Sutcliffe had no intention of playing in the American League in 1992. He figured he'd sign with St. Louis so he could be close to home and stay in the more familiar National League. Johnny Oates, the Orioles' manager at the time, had other ideas. He brought Sutcliffe to Camden Yards on a cold December day and sold him on becoming an Oriole. "He told me I was going to make Orioles history by throwing the first pitch in Camden Yards,"...

Celebrating 60: Before perfect game in pinstripes, Don Larsen was an original Oriole in 1954

Celebrating 60: Before perfect game in pinstripes, Don Larsen was an original Oriole in 1954
Don Larsen was a no-name pitcher who became a baseball legend when he pitched a perfect game for the New York Yankees in their 2-0 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series in Yankee Stadium. The game is remembered with an iconic picture of Yankees catcher Yogi Berra jumping Larsen's arms after the game's final out. Larsen, 84, and now living in Idaho, is the only pitcher to throw a perfecto in the World Series. But in the days before he was a Yankee, he played for...

When fans flocked to welcome 1954 Orioles to their new nest on 33rd Street

When fans flocked to welcome 1954 Orioles to their new nest on 33rd Street
Pitchers and catchers don't report for more than three weeks to Sarasota, but fans are already eager for the 2014 Orioles season. FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center on Feb. 1 will unofficially kick off the new campaign, and before you know it, the sounds of bat meeting ball and ball popping into mitt will be emanating from the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota. Battery mates will show up first, then the whole team, then there will be exhibition games to follow as the Birdland...