Why (and When) did You Become an Oriole Fan ???

[JDubs]

Inception

No, at fertilization!!!:laughlol:

[TheBee]

I was born in Harford County and have lived there my whole life in one part or another. My first memories are of playing wiffleball in an oversized Oriole batting helmet with Oriole batting gloves to match. We had music we played between innings, our neighbor raised his flag before we did the anthem, and I was pretending to chew tobacco like Dennis Martinez one minute and wearing my Bumbry pooka beads the next. Orioles Magic!

[Dipper9]

I was born in Harford County and have lived there my whole life in one part or another. My first memories are of playing wiffleball in an oversized Oriole batting helmet with Oriole batting gloves to match. We had music we played between innings, our neighbor raised his flag before we did the anthem, and I was pretending to chew tobacco like Dennis Martinez one minute and wearing my Bumbry pooka beads the next. Orioles Magic!

Don't forget all the stances! We would do the whiffle ball thing too, and back then, everyone would come out, all the neighbors, kids, parents, grandparents, and sit on their porches to watch us. We would have the Orioles game on the radio (remember only select games were televised back then. I can still remember the Busch beer commercials with the horse in the cold mountain stream....BUSCH....BEER!) as all the kids played in the street. We would wiggle our hips and bat like Eddie...I would pick the rock off home plate like Singy....we would do the big leg kick of Palmer! God I miss being a kid in the 70's!

[palmer22]

April 1969 as a seven year old living in North Carolina...the cartoon bird...Boog Powell, Dave McNally, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson...need I say more...I was the only kid in school that fall who was rooting for the Orioles over the Mets

[battlefeverjnb]

Throw me into the growing up in Rochester camp. I'm a little younger, though, so I missed out on the glory days, but I do remember going to the Orioles/Red Wings exhibition games too. It also helped that when I was really little I thought everyone was calling them the Oreos. And really... as a child, what can be better than Oreos?

[cwalker3]

My first memories are of the 1966 season, especially the World Series. I was in the 6th grade and remember running home from school to catch the games. (Back then they started in the afternoon.) The O's were really the first (and only) thing that my father and I could ever enjoy together so that alone made it special.

[George Zuverink]

Lived three blocks from Memorial Stadium while it was being built until I was 13. Extorted small change from people who wanted to park on Venable Avenue while attending games. My Dad signed a contract with the International League O's before the Browns moved to Baltimore

[TheBee]

Don't forget all the stances! We would do the whiffle ball thing too, and back then, everyone would come out, all the neighbors, kids, parents, grandparents, and sit on their porches to watch us. We would have the Orioles game on the radio (remember only select games were televised back then. I can still remember the Busch beer commercials with the horse in the cold mountain stream....BUSCH....BEER!) as all the kids played in the street. We would wiggle our hips and bat like Eddie...I would pick the rock off home plate like Singy....we would do the big leg kick of Palmer! God I miss being a kid in the 70's!

That's hilarious. We all had certain guys we always were in the lineup because we'd mastered their stances. Did you construct walls out of scrap wood and sleds and cones...?

[linedrive]

In 1979 my little league team was the Orioles. And once I put on the uniform I made up my mind that I would forever be an O's fan!

[allsighs]

Born and raised in LA; never lived in Baltimore. Have always loved baseball and will always remain my first sports love. My first year playing organized YMCA ball was 1983...and I was placed at SS. I needed an idol and while Bill Russell was a pretty good role model, he was no Cal...especially not in '83.

So at the tender age of 7 I was a bandwagon jumper. But being in LA i could only watch the very few O's games when they played the then-California Angels on TV...so it was all about checking the box score every morning and i was paying a lot more attention to the John Shelby's and Eddie Murray's than the Grich's or the Sax's.

Then my Mom's boss who was coincidentally from Baltimore bought me my first Orioles hat and took my Mom and me to a game at Angel Stadium with him and his wife. There was no going back at that point.

I would gladly pay to watch my O's lose their 120th game of a season than watch some other team win their 120th for free.

[Earl of Tomato]

I lived my entire life in a town called Grand Terrace, CA. During my little league years, I played for the Orioles (back in the day, you stayed with the same club for 3 years). The little league was named after Ken Hubbs who graduated from my high school (Colton). Ken was NL ROY in early 60s. Anyway...in 1966 during one of my LL seasons, I became interested in Os and have been a fan since. Never been to Balt but hope to make it. Have seen Os many times in Anaheim and Oakland. Interestingly, Rich Dauer went to Colton and was a few grades ahead of me...John Lowenstein went to my college...if UC Riverside. Took my son to Anaheim to see Cals last series....by the way, my son is also an Oriole fan...is a senior CF...will play college BB and wants to play for Os.

[DrungoHazewood]

Born in Maryland, Senators left when I was a toddler, and you always root for the home team. Didn't hurt that the O's first losing season in my lifetime was the year I turned 15.

[Aurelius]

No, at fertilization!!!:laughlol:

That would be the same time as conception.

For me, it was 1969. Brooks, Boog, Frank, the best defensive team in MLB, the best pitching in MLB. As someone else put it, need I say more?

[the O's of 70'S]

World Series 1966. My parents were stationed in California, my team at the time was the SF Giants because of Willie Mays. When the Dodgers won the NL pennant I was heart broken. The Orioles winning was a great joy and converted me to the Orioles. 4 years later my dad retired in MD and I was able to see my first Oriole game in person that year.

[lordbrook]

My baseball team in 1977 was the Orioles. I didn't watch much baseball up to that point, but I started following the O's. I was seven at the time so it was mainly casual, but I've been a fan ever since.