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On October 6, 1991, the Baltimore Orioles played their final game at Memorial Stadium, the old gray lady of 33rd Street.
Under initial threatening skies, Brooks Robinson (baseball) and Johnny Unitas (football) threw out opening tosses. The day finally gave way to brilliant sunshine in the final innings as the late Mike Flanagan threw the final pitches for the Orioles in the ball park in a game that got away from the Orioles early, as Bob "Shellacki" gave up 4 first inning runs and Frank Tanana threw a CG for the Tigers.
After the game, the Orioles closed out their stay in the park with a moving ceremony as many retired Orioles filed out of the 3rd base dugout one by one and assumed their old positions, joined by the then current Orioles, who all then gathered around the pitcher's mound as Wild Bill Hagy led the crowd in a final O-R-I-O-L-E-S cheer.
Pre-game, we enjoyed more than one final beverage at the old Stadium Lounge before making our way over to stadium to walk those never ending ramps one last time.
That game was not the final baseball action there, as the Class AA Bowie Baysox used the stadium for the 1993 season. I was glad that I was able to take my 2 year old son there so he can say he witnessed baseball at Memorial Stadium.
The Stadium was later used for CFL football, the Baltimore Ravens for their first two seasons, and for the annual Turkey Bowl high school matchup between Calvert Hall and Loyola.
By the time the Ravens finished up their stay there, the old concrete stadium was literally crumbling away and was in a sorry state when I attended the next to last Ravens game there in December of 1997. The stadium was eventually torn down in 2001.
Jim
Under initial threatening skies, Brooks Robinson (baseball) and Johnny Unitas (football) threw out opening tosses. The day finally gave way to brilliant sunshine in the final innings as the late Mike Flanagan threw the final pitches for the Orioles in the ball park in a game that got away from the Orioles early, as Bob "Shellacki" gave up 4 first inning runs and Frank Tanana threw a CG for the Tigers.
After the game, the Orioles closed out their stay in the park with a moving ceremony as many retired Orioles filed out of the 3rd base dugout one by one and assumed their old positions, joined by the then current Orioles, who all then gathered around the pitcher's mound as Wild Bill Hagy led the crowd in a final O-R-I-O-L-E-S cheer.
Pre-game, we enjoyed more than one final beverage at the old Stadium Lounge before making our way over to stadium to walk those never ending ramps one last time.
That game was not the final baseball action there, as the Class AA Bowie Baysox used the stadium for the 1993 season. I was glad that I was able to take my 2 year old son there so he can say he witnessed baseball at Memorial Stadium.
The Stadium was later used for CFL football, the Baltimore Ravens for their first two seasons, and for the annual Turkey Bowl high school matchup between Calvert Hall and Loyola.
By the time the Ravens finished up their stay there, the old concrete stadium was literally crumbling away and was in a sorry state when I attended the next to last Ravens game there in December of 1997. The stadium was eventually torn down in 2001.
Jim
