99-425: Ripken is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Billy Ripken (born 1964), American baseball player Cal Ripken Jr. (born 1960), American baseball player Cal Ripken Sr. (1935–1999), American baseball coach and manager, father of Billy and Cal Jr. See also [ edit ] Ricken [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with
198-640: A key alarm and he fled. She was unharmed. Lt. Frederick Bundick, spokesman for the Aberdeen Police, said the two incidents appeared unrelated. He is currently the national spokesman for Blue Coast Savings, a management consulting group. Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's ) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore . The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as
297-580: A .308 batting average, two home runs, and 72 hits in 58 games. Billy was given the Orioles' second base role in 1988; with his brother, Cal Jr., at shortstop, the pair formed the Orioles' double play combination. Six games into the season, Cal Sr. was fired as the Orioles' manager, the quickest managerial firing in major league history. Immediately after, Billy switched his uniform number from 3 to his father's 7, saying, "I just didn't want to see anybody else wear it." The Orioles lost their first 21 games of
396-549: A .981 fielding percentage, which was third in the AL. In 1990, Ripken had perhaps his most successful campaign offensively. The Orioles' second baseman with the exception of a stretch in August in which he was hurt, he batted .291, the highest total of his career and a mark which would lead the Orioles in 1990. He also tied with his brother for the team lead in doubles (28) Defensively, Ripken finished fifth among AL second basemen with
495-584: A .986 fielding percentage, but that did not qualify him for a spot in the top five in the AL. He, Tim Hulett , and Juan Bell combined for the lowest on-base percentage in the major leagues at any position (.240) and became the subject of trade rumors after the season. While his brother won the Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award , the Orioles finished an awful sixth. Mark McLemore shared second base with Ripken in 1992. Ripken hit what would be
594-486: A .987 fielding percentage and led AL hitters with 17 sacrifice hits . Billy and Cal committed a total of 11 errors, the fewest in major league history among second baseman-shortstop combinations that appeared in at least two-thirds of their team's games at their respective positions. In 1991, Ripken missed several games between July 14 and August 17 with an injury. His batting average dropped to .216 that year, and he had 62 hits, no home runs, and 14 RBI in 104 games. He had
693-582: A Baltimorean. The tradition is often carried out at other sporting events, both professional and amateur, and even sometimes at non-sporting events where the anthem is played, throughout the Baltimore/Washington area and beyond. Fans in Norfolk, Virginia , chanted "O!" even before the Tides became an Orioles affiliate. The practice caught some attention in the spring of 2005, when fans performed
792-427: A career-high four home runs, batting .230 with 76 hits and 36 RBI in 111 games. He had a .993 fielding percentage. After the 1992 season, the Orioles acquired Harold Reynolds , which signaled the end of Ripken's days with the team. The Orioles officially ended his tenure by releasing him after the season. In 1989, Ripken's Fleer card showed him holding a bat with the expletive "FUCK FACE" written in plain view on
891-621: A faint but audible "O!" could be heard on the television broadcast of Barack Obama 's pre-inaugural visit to Baltimore as the national anthem played before his entrance. A resounding "O!" bellowed from the nearly 30,000 Ravens fans who attended the November 21, 2010, away game at the Carolina Panthers ' Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. A similar loud "O!" was heard from fans attending Super Bowl XLVII between
990-642: A first base coach for the United States national team . The United States advanced to the semifinals in the tournament. Ripken's mother, Violet Ripken, was kidnapped at gunpoint and safely returned on July 24, 2012. She was gone for 12 hours before her disappearance was reported to authorities. On October 15, 2013, she was approached by a man with a handgun in a parking lot at the NBRS Bank in Aberdeen, Maryland . The man demanded her car, but she activated
1089-729: A free agent after the season but re-signed with the Rangers on December 18. He batted .309 for them but was used sparingly as a utility player, making only 32 appearances. After the season, he again became a free agent. Ripken signed with the Cleveland Indians for 1995 but spent nearly the entire season with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the American Association ; the Indians had told him he
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#17327876050871188-571: A free agent. The Detroit Tigers signed Ripken in December 1997 and gave him the starting shortstop job to begin the 1998 season due to a broken ankle suffered by Deivi Cruz in the offseason. However, after 27 games, in which he hit .276, Ripken was placed on the disabled list with a knee injury. He went on a rehab assignment in June, but the Tigers opted to release him instead of reinstating him from
1287-531: A group of Baltimore investors, and the team moved to Baltimore for the 1954 season , renaming themselves the Baltimore Orioles. The name has a rich history in Baltimore, having been used by Baltimore baseball teams since the late 19th century. The Orioles' early years in Baltimore were marked by a gradual climb to respectability, leading to their first World Series title in 1966 . The Orioles enjoyed
1386-403: A limited liability company controlled by his personal attorney. In separate statements released by the team, Georgia and John Angelos refuted the claims. In the event of any sale, Major League Baseball has reportedly encouraged Cal Ripken Jr to be part of any incoming ownership group that may take control of the team. In April 2023, the Orioles went 19–9, setting a franchise record for wins in
1485-871: A member of the American League (AL) East Division . As one of the American League's eight charter teams in 1901, the franchise spent its first year as a major league club in Milwaukee as the Milwaukee Brewers before moving to St. Louis to become the St. Louis Browns in 1902. After 52 years in St. Louis, the franchise was purchased in 1953 by a syndicate of Baltimore business and civic interests, led by attorney and civic activist Clarence Miles and Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. The team's current owner
1584-642: A new era, and the team returned to the playoffs in 1996 and 1997. However, the late 1990s and 2000s were characterized by losing seasons and rebuilding efforts. The Orioles saw a resurgence in the 2010s, making the playoffs in 2012, 2014, and 2016, with Buck Showalter as manager. The team struggled again towards the end of the decade, leading to a major rebuild. The 2020s have been marked by rebuilding efforts and developing young talent, aiming for future competitiveness. In 2022, anticipated first-round pick catcher Adley Rutschman made his major-league debut in addition to rookie closer Félix Bautista . The Orioles finished
1683-471: A period of sustained success from 1966 to 1983, winning three World Series titles and six American League pennants . After the 1983 World Series win, the Orioles experienced a decline, culminating in the 1988 season where they lost the first 21 games. In 1989, the Orioles showed improvement with the "Why Not?" Orioles finishing second in the AL East. The opening of Oriole Park at Camden Yards in 1992 marked
1782-431: A previously postponed contest. In 2023, the Orioles introduced a City Connect uniform, inspired by the art and culture of Baltimore and its neighborhoods. The uniform is mostly black base from the jersey to pants. Across the chest, it features the city name "BALTIMORE" in white lettering, and on the collar and sleeves features a small batch of colors and shapes, representing the neighborhoods of Baltimore . The cap, which
1881-564: A result. There are at least ten different variations of this card. Once news got out, the original card's price went up to several hundred dollars. Years later, Ripken admitted to having written the expletive on the bat; however, he claimed he did it to distinguish it as a batting practice bat, and did not intend to use it for the card. He went on to say, "I can't believe the people at Fleer couldn't catch that. I mean, they certainly have to have enough proofreaders to see it. I think not only did they see it, they enhanced it. That writing on that bat
1980-404: A sale in 2020 but John Angelos vetoed a potential deal. The suit claims Angelos unilaterally fired long-time employees loyal to his father, including former center fielder Brady Anderson , the longtime special assistant to the executive vice president for baseball operations. The suit claims John Angelos transferred tens of millions of dollars' worth of property out of his father's law firm and into
2079-479: A single against Mark Gardner in a 4–3 loss to the San Francisco Giants . His stay as starter did not last long, though; he suffered a herniated disk in his back on June 17. Though he would return to play several more games that season for the Rangers, he failed to remain the starting shortstop. In 71 games, he batted .276 with 56 hits, three home runs, and 24 RBI. After the season, he again became
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#17327876050872178-426: A single error at third base. The Orioles reached the playoffs that year, but Ripken was left off the playoff roster. After the season, he became a free agent. Ripken again returned to a team in 1997 when he signed with the Rangers. Initially used as a utility man, he took over at shortstop from Benji Gil on June 12 after batting .314 to start the season. That same day, he had the first RBI in interleague history,
2277-447: A straw hat, and false teeth and dance around the club level section (244) that he tended to. He also has an orange violin that spins for the fiddle solos. He went by the name Zillbilly and had done the skit from the 1999 season until shortly before he died in early 2013. Of course, that does nothing to explain why the Orioles' Audio staff began playing the song during every game's seventh inning stretch beginning in August 1975. In reality,
2376-428: A total of ten division championships (1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1983, 1997, 2014, 2023), seven pennants (1944 while in St. Louis, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1979, 1983), and four wild card berths (1996, 2012, 2016, 2024). The franchise was the last charter member of the American League to win a pennant, and the last charter member to win a World Series. After 14 consecutive losing seasons between 1998 and 2011,
2475-555: Is David Rubenstein . The Orioles' home ballpark is Oriole Park at Camden Yards , which opened in 1992 in downtown Baltimore . The oriole is the official state bird of Maryland ; the name has been used by several baseball clubs in the city, including another AL charter member franchise which folded after the 1902 season and was replaced the next year by the New York Highlanders, later the Yankees . Nicknames for
2574-474: Is WBAL's fourth stint as the Orioles flagship. WBAL has carried Orioles games for most of the team's time in Baltimore. Prior to WBAL and WIYY, Orioles games were broadcast locally on WJZ-FM from 2015 to 2021. WJZ had earlier carried broadcasts from 2007 to 2010. Six former Orioles franchise radio announcers have received the Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting: Chuck Thompson (who
2673-742: Is a youth baseball instructional site. Billy has taken part in the writing of several books relating to the development of young baseball players. In 2005, he and Cal wrote Play Baseball the Ripken Way: The Complete Illustrated Guide to the Fundamentals , co-authored by Larry Burke. Working with Rick Wolff, the brothers released the book Parenting Young Athletes the Ripken Way in 2006 in response to Cal seeing too many young athletes who he felt were being pressured unnecessarily by their parents. He said, "I
2772-536: Is also on a black base, features an italic white "B". In 2024, the City Connect uniform was worn with the home white pants for select games. The Orioles announced its first-ever jersey sponsorship deal with T. Rowe Price on June 10, 2024. A circular dark blue, aqua and white sleeve patch with the investment management firm's bighorn sheep logo debuted in a home game against the Atlanta Braves
2871-406: Is black with the word "Orioles" written across the chest. They first wore black uniforms in the 1993 season and continue to do so since; the current style with the letters lacking additional trim was first used in 2000. The Orioles wear their black alternate jerseys for Friday night games with the alternate "O's" cap (first introduced in 2005), whether at home or on the road; the regular batting helmet
2970-491: Is currently a studio analyst for MLB Network and a radio personality for SiriusXM . After retiring from baseball, he partnered with Cal to form Ripken Baseball , which owns three minor league teams, the Aberdeen IronBirds , Augusta Greenjackets , and Charlotte Stone Crabs . Ripken Baseball and MLB.com , the official website of Major League Baseball , launched GetGreat.com on March 6, 2009. GetGreat.com
3069-593: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles Billy Ripken William Oliver Ripken (born December 16, 1964), nicknamed " Billy the Kid ", is an American former professional baseball infielder . He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1987 – 1998 for the Baltimore Orioles (1987–1992, 1996), Texas Rangers (1993–94, 1997), Cleveland Indians (1995), and Detroit Tigers (1998). During his career, he batted and threw right-handed. He
Ripken - Misplaced Pages Continue
3168-427: Is played (along with a video featuring several Orioles stars performing the song) only after wins. In the 2010s, " Seven Nation Army " was often played as a hype song while the fans chant the signature bass riff as a rally cry during key moments of a game or after a walk-off hit. In the 2023 season, closer Felix Bautista would come out of the bullpen to the ominous whistle of " The Wire " character Omar Little . During
3267-411: Is still used with this uniform. In 2017, the Orioles began to use their batting practice caps for select games with the black uniforms. The aforementioned caps resemble their regular road caps save for the black bill. Occasionally, the Orioles would also wear the black alternates on other days of the week, often pairing them with the home or road "cartoon bird" caps. After the "City Connect" uniforms became
3366-530: Is the younger brother of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. He currently serves as a radio host for XM Satellite Radio and a studio analyst for MLB Network . Born in Maryland , Ripken grew up traveling around the United States as his father, Cal Ripken Sr. , was a player and coach in the Orioles' organization. After attending Aberdeen High School , Ripken was drafted by the Orioles in the 11th round of
3465-425: Is way too clear. I don't write that neat. I think they knew that once they saw it, they could use the card to create an awful lot of stir." Some collectors list the card as the "Rick Face" card, as they claim that the proximity between the letters appears to make the word "FUCK" look similar to "RICK". The Texas Rangers signed Ripken in 1993 to play second base after Jeff Frye severely injured his knee. He began
3564-449: The 1982 MLB draft . He reached MLB in 1987, creating the first situation in baseball history that a father had managed two sons on the same team, as his brother played for the Orioles and his father, Cal Ripken Sr. managed the team. Ripken was a light hitter better known for his fielding skills, although he led the Orioles in batting average with a .291 mark in 1990. He served as their starting second baseman most of his first stint with
3663-693: The Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers . The "O!" chant was also heard during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , when Baltimore native Michael Phelps received his gold medal for the 4 × 200 m freestyle on August 9, 2016. In recent years, when the Orioles host the Toronto Blue Jays , fans have begun to shout out the multiple instances of the word "O" in " O Canada ". Washington Capitals fans will do
3762-708: The Double-A Charlotte O's of the Southern League , batting .255 and .137, respectively, with those teams. He did not hit a home run in 1985. He played the whole 1986 season for Charlotte, batting .268 with 142 hits, 20 doubles, three triples, five home runs, and 62 RBI in 141 games. In addition, he led the Southern League in four fielding categories. In 1987, he was called up to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings of
3861-525: The International League , where he played 74 games, batting .286. In July 1987, the Orioles released Rick Burleson and called Ripken up to replace him. He debuted on July 11, creating the first instance in baseball history in which a father managed two sons on the same major league team, as his father was the Orioles' manager and his brother was their shortstop. While with the Orioles, Ripken played alongside his brother, Cal Ripken Jr. ; he
3960-549: The Rookie League Bluefield Orioles , where he played mostly shortstop and third base . In 27 games, in which he only totaled 45 at bats , Ripken posted a batting average of .244 with 11 hits and four runs batted in . Next season, Ripken remained at Bluefield and was used almost exclusively as a shortstop, although he also pitched the final 2 ⁄ 3 of a game, allowing no runs. He batted .217 with 33 hits and 13 RBI in 48 games. In 1984, he
4059-409: The surname Ripken . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ripken&oldid=1097073010 " Category : Surnames Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description
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4158-571: The "O!" cry at Washington Nationals games at RFK Stadium . The "O!" chant is also common at sporting events for the various Maryland Terrapins teams at the University of Maryland, College Park . At Cal Ripken Jr. 's induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame , the crowd, composed mostly of Orioles fans, carried out the "O!" tradition during Tony Gwynn 's daughter's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner". Additionally,
4257-511: The "Roar from 34", led by Wild Bill Hagy and others, in the late 1970s, it has been a tradition at Orioles games for fans to yell out the "Oh" in the line "Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave" in " The Star-Spangled Banner ". "The Star-Spangled Banner" has special meaning to Baltimore historically, as it was written during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812 by Francis Scott Key ,
4356-423: The "cartoon bird" but switched to a white-paneled black cap with orange brim in 1975. Also that same year, they wore orange-paneled black caps to pair with the orange alternates, but these lasted only two seasons. In 1989, the full-bodied bird logo returned along with the all-black cap, with a few tweaks along the way. Initially the cap was used regardless of home or road games, but in 2002 the caps were worn only on
4455-494: The 2018 season, marking the first time since the Orioles' arrival that their games are not on local broadcast television. Previously, WJZ-TV carried the team from their arrival in Baltimore in 1954 through 1978. In the first four seasons, WJZ-TV shared coverage with Baltimore's other two stations, WMAR-TV and WBAL-TV . The games moved to WMAR from 1979 through 1993 before returning to WJZ-TV. From 1994 to 2009, some Orioles games aired on WNUV . Since its introduction at games by
4554-540: The 2022 season with a 83–79 record, becoming the second team in MLB history to have a winning season only one year after losing 110 or more games. On June 9, 2022, Louis Angelos sued his brother, Orioles chairman and CEO John P. Angelos, and mother Georgia Angelos in Baltimore County Circuit Court. Louis Angelos claims that their father intended for the brothers and their mother to share control of
4653-504: The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation in 2001 to give underprivileged children the opportunity to attend baseball camps around the country and learn the game. The Foundation is a branch of Ripken Baseball. In addition to controlling these camps and Ripken's minor league teams, Ripken Baseball operates for-profit camps and designs ballfields for youth, college, and professional teams. During the 2009 World Baseball Classic , Ripken served as
4752-554: The Nationals deserves a greater fee from MASN due to the team's recent success and market growth. When fees paid to each team were first negotiated, both teams were paid the same fees. WJZ-TV was the Orioles' broadcast TV home, completing its latest stint from 1994 through 2017. Since MASN acquired rights in 2007, its coverage was simulcast on WJZ-TV under the branding "MASN on WJZ 13". MASN elected not to syndicate any Orioles or Washington Nationals games to broadcast television for
4851-534: The Oakland Athletics was held without a public–address announcer. Barney was replaced as Camden Yards' PA Announcer by Dave McGowan, who held the position from 1998-2011, after Chris Ely finished out the 1997 season. Lifelong Orioles fan and former MLB Fan Cave resident Ryan Wagner soon took over as the PA announcer. He was chosen out of a field of more than 670 applicants in the 2011–12 offseason. He held
4950-1072: The Orioles experimented with longtime TV writer/producer Ken Levine as a play-by-play broadcaster. Levine was best noted for his work on TV shows such as Cheers and M*A*S*H , but lasted only one season in the Orioles broadcast booth. MASN , co-owned by the Orioles and the Washington Nationals, is the team's exclusive television broadcaster. MASN airs almost the entire slate of regular season games. Some exceptions include Saturday games on either Fox (via its Baltimore affiliate, WBFF ) or Fox Sports 1 , or Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN . Many MASN telecasts in conflict with Nationals' game telecasts air on an alternate MASN2 feed. Veteran sportscaster Gary Thorne served as lead television announcer from 2007 to 2019, with Jim Hunter as his backup along with Hall of Fame member and former Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer and former Oriole infielder Mike Bordick as color analysts, who almost always work separately. In 2020, Thorne and Palmer were removed from
5049-546: The Orioles for his pregame remarks on MASN , the team-owned network, two weeks earlier. During a "seemingly benign" introduction to a game against the Tampa Bay Rays , Brown observed that the team had not won a series at Tropicana Field in the past several seasons. It was described in The Athletic as a "petty" move by John Angelos, "the only person [in the organization] with enough power that no one dare question
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#17327876050875148-561: The Orioles have an overall win–loss record of 5,658–5,530–12 (.506) through the end of 2024. The Orioles franchise can trace its roots back to the original Milwaukee Brewers of the Western League (WL) , beginning in 1894 when the league reorganized. The Brewers were still league members when the WL renamed itself the American League (AL) in 1900. At the end of the 1900 season, the AL removed itself from baseball's National Agreement,
5247-430: The Orioles' final homestand of the season, it is a tradition to display a replica of the 15-star, 15-stripe American flag at Camden Yards. Prior to 1992, the 15-star, 15-stripe flag flew from Memorial Stadium's center-field flagpole in place of the 50-star, 13-stripe flag during the final homestand. Since the move to Camden Yards, the former flag has been displayed on the batters' eye. During the Orioles' final home game of
5346-485: The Orioles. His voice became a fixture of both Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards, and his expression "Give that fan a contract", uttered whenever a fan caught a foul ball , was one of his trademarks – the other being his distinct "Thank Yooooou ..." following every announcement. (He was also known on occasion to say "Give that fan an error" after a dropped foul ball.) Barney died on August 12, 1997, and in his honor that night's game at Camden Yards against
5445-403: The caps had the full-bodied bird logo between 1954 and 1965, alternating between an all-black cap and an orange-brimmed black cap. They also wore a black cap with an orange block-letter "B" for part of the 1963 season. The "cartoon bird" was first used in 1966, and with minor tweaks, was prominently featured on the team's caps until 1988. Initially, the Orioles kept the orange-brimmed black cap with
5544-493: The disabled list. This would be Ripken's last major league tenure; he chose to retire. While Cal Jr. set a major league record by playing in 2,632 consecutive games , Billy often found himself on the disabled list in his career. This, however, was due to his all-out style of play. Jimmy Keenan of the Society for American Baseball Research wrote, "Infielder Billy Ripken attacked the game of baseball with reckless abandon and paid
5643-470: The end of the 2006 season in favor of MASN, a joint venture with the Washington Nationals . It had been the Orioles' cable partner since 1984, when it was known as Home Team Sports. The Orioles and the Washington Nationals have been in a dispute since the early 2010s, MASN is owned by both teams with the Orioles holding an 80% stake. The dispute which is ongoing as of October 2020 contends that
5742-475: The first time since 2014, and claiming their first 100+ win season since 1980. On July 30, the pitching staff of Dean Kremer , Mike Baumann , Shintaro Fujinami , Danny Coulombe , and Yennier Canó combined to set a franchise record for the most strikeouts in a 9-inning game against the Yankees. The 2023 pitching staff also broke the Orioles franchise record of single-season strikeouts on September 6. However,
5841-510: The following night on June 11. In Baltimore, Orioles radio broadcasts can be heard on WBAL-AM and WIYY , both owned by Hearst Television . Geoff Arnold , Melanie Newman , Brett Hollander, Scott Garceau and Kevin Brown alternate as play-by-play announcers. WBAL feeds the games to a network of 36 stations, covering Washington, D.C., and all or portions of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. This
5940-642: The formal understanding between the National League (NL) and the minor leagues, and declared itself a competing major league. During 1901, the first season the AL operated as a major league, the Brewers finished last among the league's eight teams. In 1902, the team moved to St. Louis and became the "Browns", named after the original name of the 1880s club now known as the Cardinals . Although they usually fielded mediocre teams, they were very popular at
6039-555: The gate. In 1916, after years of prosperity at the gate, Robert Hedges sold the team to Phil Ball , who made a considerable effort to make the Browns competitive. However, Ball's tenure was marked by errors, including the firing of Branch Rickey , which eventually benefited the Cardinals, who shared Sportsman's Park with the Browns. The 1944 season saw the Browns winning their only St. Louis-based American League pennant, becoming
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#17327876050876138-569: The good-luck charms, beginning in August. During a nationally televised game on September 20, 1997, Denver himself danced to the song atop the Orioles' dugout, one of his final public appearances before dying in a plane crash three weeks later. Songs from notable games in the team's history include " One Moment in Time " for Cal Ripken's record-breaking game in 1995, as well as the theme from Pearl Harbor , "There You'll Be" by Faith Hill , during his final game in 2001. The theme from Field of Dreams
6237-598: The group will acquire 40% of the team with the Angelos family selling the remainder of Peter Angelos' stake after his death. The deal includes the Orioles' majority stake in MASN. Peter Angelos died aged 94 on March 23, 2024; his death occurred four days before the sale of the Orioles was finalized. On August 1, 2024, the Orioles’ majority ownership group led by private equity billionaire David Rubenstein took full control of
6336-513: The job again on April 19, holding it until a strained right shoulder sidelined him in late August. Though Ripken returned from the injury on September 7, he did not see much playing time for the rest of the season. On August 7, in a 9–8 win over the Boston Red Sox , Billy and Cal Combined for seven hits, the American League (AL) record for brothers in the same game. In 115 games, Ripken batted .239 with 76 hits, two home runs, 26 RBI, and
6435-451: The knob of the bat. Fleer subsequently rushed to correct the error, and in their haste, released versions in which the text was scrawled over with a marker, whited out with correction fluid , and also airbrushed. On the final, corrected version, Fleer obscured the offensive words with a black box (this was the version included in all factory sets). Both the original card and many of the corrected versions have become collector's items as
6534-490: The last of the 16 teams that made up the major leagues from 1901 to 1960, to play in a World Series . In 1951, Bill Veeck purchased the Browns and introduced a series of promotions and wild antics. Veeck's efforts to drive the Cardinals out of St. Louis failed when Anheuser-Busch purchased the Cardinals. Veeck attempted to move the Browns to Milwaukee and then Baltimore , but both moves were initially blocked by other American League owners. Eventually, Veeck sold his stake to
6633-500: The month of April. By August 2023, the Orioles, led by a core of first-and-second-year players Adley Rutschman , Gunnar Henderson , Félix Bautista and Kyle Bradish , were in first place in the division and described in The Athletic as "young, fun and arguably the best story in baseball." However, the front office went under scrutiny when it was reported that play-by-play announcer Kevin Brown had been suspended indefinitely by
6732-427: The move because of Cal Sr.'s coaching duties with the Baltimore Orioles organization. This gave Bill the chance to be around his father's teams. He attended Aberdeen High School , where he played baseball. Over his final two seasons, he did not lose a single game as a pitcher , but the infield was where he planned to spend his career. Before the 1982 Major League Baseball draft , Cal Jr. , Bill's brother who
6831-493: The price, sustaining an inordinate number of injuries during his career. He never changed his all-out, hustling style of play, earning the reputation of a player who left it all on the field." Billy and Cal Ripken are one of only four brother combinations in major league history to play second base and shortstop on the same club. The others are Garvin and Granny Hamner , for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1945;
6930-457: The road until 2008. An orange-brimmed variety was also introduced in 1995. Initially exclusive to the team's black uniforms, this style became the home cap in 2002 and became the team's regular cap (home or away) from 2009 to 2011. In 2012, the Orioles brought back a modernized version of the "cartoon bird" along with the white-paneled and orange-brimmed black cap for home games and the orange-brimmed black cap for road games. An alternate uniform
7029-515: The same when they play one of the NHL's Canadian teams. It has been an Orioles tradition since 1975 to play John Denver 's " Thank God I'm a Country Boy " during the seventh-inning stretch . In the edition of July 5, 2007, of Baltimore's weekly sports publication Press Box , an article by Mike Gibbons covered the apocryphal details of how this tradition came to be. During "Thank God I'm a Country Boy", Charlie Zill, then an usher, would put on overalls,
7128-578: The season as their second baseman, but after batting .204 to open the year, he lost the role in May to Doug Strange . On June 4, he returned to the starting lineup at shortstop. However, he suffered a pulled left hamstring on June 20, an injury which would keep him out for the rest of the season except for a few games in September. In 50 games, he batted what would be a career-low .189, with 25 hits, four extra-base hits (all doubles), and 11 RBI. Ripken became
7227-431: The season en route to a 54–107 finish. A picture of Billy appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated on May 2, 1988, used in an emblematic fashion to symbolize frustration at the team's struggles. In his rookie season, Billy played a career-high 150 games, batting .207 with 106 hits, two home runs, 34 RBI, and a .984 fielding percentage. A broken hand caused Ripken to miss the first two weeks of 1989, but he took over
7326-576: The season, The United States Army Field Band from Fort Meade performs the National Anthem prior to the start of the game. The Band has also played the National Anthem at the finales of three World Series in which the Orioles played: 1970 , 1971 and 1979 . They are introduced as the "First Army Band" during the pregame ceremonies. For 23 years, Rex Barney was the PA announcer for
7425-464: The season, ending their respective tenures with Baltimore. The Orioles' current manager is Brandon Hyde , while Mike Elias serves as general manager and executive vice president. Two years after finishing 52–110 in 2021, the Orioles went 101–61 in 2023, en route to winning the AL East for the first time since 2014. From 1901 through the end of 2024, the franchise's overall win–loss record is 9,120–10,084–110 (.475). Since moving to Baltimore in 1954,
7524-424: The season. In 1996, Ripken was reunited with his brother when the Orioles signed him once again. Initially signed to a minor league contract, he made the team and spent the full season on the Orioles' roster, filling in at third base for the injured B. J. Surhoff from May 21 through June 6. He appeared in 57 games for the Orioles, batting .230 with 31 hits, two home runs, and 12 RBI. Defensively, he did not make
7623-605: The song was tremendously successful nationwide, topping the Billboard Top 100 for one week in 1975, and was played in stadiums across the country. The Orioles were chasing the Red Sox for the American League East Division title and incorporated numerous "good luck charms." After an inspiring comeback win, Oriole staff began playing this song at the seventh inning stretch of every home game as one of
7722-654: The team include the " O's " and the " Birds ". The franchise's first World Series appearance came in 1944 when the Browns lost to the St. Louis Cardinals . The Orioles went on to make six World Series appearances from 1966 to 1983, winning three in 1966 , 1970 , and 1983 . This era of the club featured several future Hall of Famers who would later be inducted representing the Orioles, such as third baseman Brooks Robinson , outfielder Frank Robinson , starting pitcher Jim Palmer , first baseman Eddie Murray , shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. , and manager Earl Weaver . The Orioles have won
7821-502: The team qualified for the postseason three times under manager Buck Showalter and general manager Dan Duquette , including a division title and advancement to the American League Championship Series for the first time in 17 years in 2014 . Four years later , the Orioles lost 115 games, the most in franchise history. The Orioles chose not to renew the expired contracts of Showalter and Duquette after
7920-473: The team was "wonderful". In May 2023, following the team's new water-themed celebrations, Camden Yards created a Bird Bath splash zone in left field, where fans in one section had the opportunity get sprayed by the water hose-wielding "Mr. Splash" following an Orioles extra base hit. The Orioles finished the 2023 season with a record of 101–61, winning the American League East division for
8019-417: The team's Friday home uniform (see below), the black alternates were only used on Friday road games and on home games depending on the preference of the starting pitcher. The Orioles also wore orange alternate uniforms at various points in their history. The orange alternates were first used in the 1971 season and were paired with orange pants, but these lasted only two seasons. The second orange uniform, which
8118-523: The team's attendance came from the metro Washington area. In 2013, ESPN ran a "Battle of the Uniforms" contest between all 30 Major League clubs. Despite using a ranking system that had the Orioles as a #13 seed, the Birds beat the #1 seed Cardinals in the championship round. The Orioles' cap design have alternated between the team's iconic "cartoon bird" logo and the full-bodied bird logo. Initially,
8217-631: The team's successful season ended in the postseason American League Division Series, with the Orioles losing three straight games to the Texas Rangers. The series sweep was the first time since the 2022 season that the Orioles had been swept in a series. Manager Brandon Hyde was awarded 2023 AL Manager of the Year, and players Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson both were awarded the Silver Slugger Award . Additionally, Henderson
8316-451: The team, when a deal closed for the group to purchase the remainder of the organization. [1] The Orioles' home uniform is white with the word "Orioles" written across the chest. The road uniform is gray with the word "Baltimore" written across the chest. This style, with noticeable changes in the script, striping and materials, has been worn for much of the team's history, but with a few exceptions: A long campaign of several decades
8415-627: The team. After the Orioles released him following the 1992 campaign, he played with four other teams (including a return to the Orioles in 1996), serving mostly as a utility infielder and never holding a starting role for very long. He played his final game in 1998 for the Detroit Tigers . Ripken was born to Cal Sr. and Violet "Vi" Ripken in Havre de Grace, Maryland . Though the Ripkens called Aberdeen, Maryland , their home, they were often on
8514-424: The team. The lawsuit states the elder Angelos collapsed in 2017 due to heart problems and established a trust with his wife and sons as co-trustees. Louis Angelos is seeking to have his brother and mother removed as co-trustees of the trust that controls the Orioles and removed as co-agents of Peter Angelos' power of attorney. The suit claims Georgia Angelos wants to sell the team and an advisor attempted to negotiate
8613-463: The television booth due to COVID-19 concerns and replaced with Scott Garceau. In 2021, MASN let go Thorne, Hunter, analysts Mike Bordick and Rick Dempsey , and studio host Tom Davis, and added Ben McDonald as a secondary analyst. Starting in 2022, Kevin Brown became the primary TV play-by-play announcer, with Garceau, Arnold or Newman the backups. The Orioles severed their ties with Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (now NBC Sports Washington ) at
8712-658: The twins Eddie and Johnny O'Brien , with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the mid-1950s, and Frank and Milt Bolling , for the Detroit Tigers in 1958. Billy also holds some records of his own. In addition to having the first RBI in interleague history, he has the 27th-best all-time fielding percentage of major league second basemen, at .987. On February 13, 1989, Ripken married Candace Cauffman. They live in Fallston, Maryland , and have two daughters, named Miranda and Anna, and two sons, named Reese and Jack. Ripken
8811-522: The validity of anything he says and does, no matter how foolish it is." Several broadcasters came to Brown's defense after the news broke. Gary Cohen said the team had "draped itself in utter humiliation" and Michael Kay said the suspension made "the Orioles look so small and insignificant and minor league." Brown returned to broadcasting for the team and stated in a public message that "recent media reports [had] mischaracterized my relationship with my adopted hometown Orioles" and that his relationship with
8910-443: Was a pullover style, was worn from 1975 to 1987, but were not worn at all in the 1983, 1985 and 1986 seasons. A third orange uniform was used from 1988 to 1992, returning to the button-down style. In 2012, the Orioles brought back the orange uniforms as a second alternate uniform; the team currently wears them on Saturdays at home or on the road, though they've also worn them on other days of the week either due to pitcher's preference or
9009-626: Was also the voice of the old NFL Baltimore Colts ); Jon Miller (now with the San Francisco Giants ); Ernie Harwell , Herb Carneal ; Bob Murphy and Harry Caray (as a St. Louis Browns announcer in the 1940s ). Other former Baltimore announcers include Josh Lewin (currently with New York Mets ), Bill O'Donnell , Tom Marr , Scott Garceau (returned in 2020 season), Mel Proctor , Michael Reghi , former major league catcher Buck Martinez (now Toronto Blue Jays play-by-play), Joe Angel and former Oriole players including Brooks Robinson, pitcher Mike Flanagan and outfielder John Lowenstein . In 1991,
9108-489: Was just around for insurance in case one of their infielders was injured. At Buffalo, Ripken made the American Association All-Star team and ranked among league leaders in games (130; fifth), hits (131; eighth), and doubles (34; third, behind John Marzano 's 41 and Tracy Woodson 's 35). He was called up in September and batted .412 in eight games for the Indians before becoming a free agent after
9207-473: Was managed by his father, Cal Sr., from 1987–1988. Billy did not have a hit in his debut but picked up his first hit as one of two against Charlie Leibrandt of the Kansas City Royals on July 16. Three days later, Ripken hit his first home run against Bud Black , helping the Orioles defeat Kansas City 5–1. Expected to be more of a fielder than a hitter, Ripken finished his inaugural season with
9306-546: Was on his way to winning the Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award with the Orioles, remarked, "Billy might go pretty high in the draft. I'd love for the Orioles to take him. That would be okay, wouldn't it? Having your father and brother with the same team?" The Orioles would wind up selecting Bill in the 11th round of the draft. Ripken began his professional career that same year with
9405-505: Was played at the last game at Memorial Stadium in 1991, and the song "Magic to Do" from the stage musical Pippin was used that season to commemorate "Orioles Magic" on 33rd Street. During the Orioles' heyday in the 1970s, a club song, appropriately titled "Orioles Magic (Feel It Happen)", was composed by Walt Woodward, and played when the team ran out until Opening Day of 2008. Since then, the song (a favorite among all fans, who appreciated its references to Wild Bill Hagy and Earl Weaver )
9504-748: Was promoted to the Hagerstown Suns of the Class A Carolina League , where he appeared in 115 games. He batted .230 with 94 hits, the first two home runs of his career, and 40 RBI while posting a .948 fielding percentage at shortstop. Ripken's 1985 season would be split between three teams. He spent the bulk of the year with the Daytona Beach Admirals of the Class A Florida State League , batting .230 with 51 hits and 18 RBI. He also appeared in 14 games with Hagerstown and 18 games with
9603-424: Was thinking, `This just creates too much pressure on kids.' They need to find an environment in which they can explore their game ... without all these kinds of pressures being brought to bear. Once I started thinking about it, I saw we had more than enough to fill a book." They also wrote Coaching Youth Baseball the Ripken Way , co-written with Scott Lowe and published in 2007. Along with his brother, Billy formed
9702-498: Was voted unanimous AL Rookie of the Year , marking the first time the team had a ROY winner since Gregg Olson in 1989. In January 2024, John Angelos reached a $ 1.7 billion deal to sell the Orioles to a group led by David Rubenstein , a Baltimore native and founder of The Carlyle Group . The group includes Cal Ripken, New York investment manager Michael Arougheti, former Baltimore mayor Kurt Schmoke , businessman Michael Bloomberg and NBA hall of famer Grant Hill . For tax reasons,
9801-411: Was waged by numerous fans and sportswriters to return the name of the city to the "away" jerseys which was used since the 1950s and had been formerly dropped during the 1970s era of Edward Bennett Williams when the ownership was continuing to market the team also to fans in the nation's capital region after the moving of the former Washington Senators in 1971. After several decades, approximately 20% of
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