Happy Birthday Steady Eddie!

[Frobby]

I hate to break up this vastness of good cheer. But I moved to the Baltimore area from Chicago in the late 1980s. I remember tuning into the radio sports talk shows shortly after I arrived. At that time, I remember many fans wanting to run Eddie out of town. Of course, being an outsider, I wasn't yet familiar with all of the issues. I suspect that it had something to do with contract negotiations. I also remember that, when Cal broke the "Ironman" record, he invited Eddie to the celebration, and this was considered somewhat controversial.

Is my memory correct? Was there a time when Eddie was less than welcome in our town? I know now that Eddie is regarded as a hero, one of the greatest players that ever played for the Orioles.

There was a "sour period" that began when Eddie was on the DL (for the first time in his career) in 1986, and ran through when he was traded after the 1988 season. The short version is, Eddie was unfairly criticized by the owner and some fans turned on him, and he began to sulk. Most fans were still in his corner, but those who weren't were quite vocal. It was a bad situation and the Orioles really needed to trade Eddie to resolve it. I think it is fair to say it was partially Eddie's fault. But time healed that wound and when he returned to the team in mid-1996 and played a key role in helping the Orioles to make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years, all was forgiven.

[Oriole1940]

Back in the day, when working in Colorado and driving across country to see Oriole games, our youngest daughter was an Eddie fan just as I was. She wore a huge Eddie pin on and it was difficult to get it off her even on the way home. Of all the greats then, and there were a bunch, Eddie was my favorite. He let his bat do the talking and did it ever talk. Happy Birthday, Eddie and many more.

[scOtt]

Have to post...

[video=youtube;0lVPfKHHMLA]

[scOtt]

NOT to be forgotten!

[video=youtube;lLbhlMW0Y6o]

[Ed-die... Ed-die]

Two of the best O's videos ever...

[OFFNY]

o

From another thread:

OFFNY said:

o

 

I just came across this on youtube.

It's a This Week In Baseball episode from September of 1977.

At the beginning (which includes that great introductory song), Mel Allen narrates a couple of lines:

"Rookies with power," followed by a clip of a 21 year-old Eddie Murray going deep for the Orioles, who were locked in a 3-way pennant race with the Yankees and the Red Sox at the time.

Immediately following, Allen chimes in with "Rookies With Speed," and then show a clip of Murray's R.O.Y. rival, the late Mitchell Page, stealing a base for the Athletics:

 

 

There is a 2 and-a-half segment on the Orioles at the 3:30 mark, which features Jim Palmer, Rudy May, Ken Singleton, Eddie Murray, and Terry Crowley.

At the 12-minute mark, they talk about Murray again, followed by one-time Oriole prospect Bob Bailor, who was having an excellent rookie season for the expansion Toronto Blue Jays.

Like Moose Milligan, I was bored, and was hoping that the mods would let this have some air time on the main board before transferring it to the "ORIOLES HISTORY" section.

Again, the introductory song at the beginning of those "T.W.I.B." episodes alone is worth a click on the video.  ) 

 

o

o

[weams]

Back in the day, when working in Colorado and driving across country to see Oriole games, our youngest daughter was an Eddie fan just as I was. She wore a huge Eddie pin on and it was difficult to get it off her even on the way home. Of all the greats then, and there were a bunch, Eddie was my favorite. He let his bat do the talking and did it ever talk. Happy Birthday, Eddie and many more.

Wonderful.

[OFFNY]

OFFNY said:

o

 

When Patrick was an 11 and-a-half year-old boy in the summer of 1977, he used to love checking the A.L. stats in the NY Daily News sports section on Sunday mornings,and watch the 21 year-old kid climbing the charts every week.

After 7 PM, it was Chuck Thompson on WBAL on our old AM-radio set up here in Brewster, followed by Herb Jepko and The Nitecaps.

 

The Official "NITECAPS" Song:

 

 

 

o

 

o

 

Happy again, Eddie.

We're the nitecaps ...... nighty nitecaps ......

 

o

[OrangeJerseys]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WjtccFnSdjE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

rutabaga

[OFFNY]

o

 

65

 

o

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

16 minutes ago, OFFNY said:

o

 

65

 

o

 

[spiritof66]

That can't be right. Eddie might be 55, but that's about it.

In the spring of 1977, Eddie's rookie year, the Orioles got off to a fast start on their way to 97 wins. In a moment of delirium, probably alcohol-fueled, I bet a classmate (now an eminent law professor at an eminent law school) what seemed then like a lot of money -- maybe $100 -- that Eddie would hit 500 home runs.

I bet him the same amount that Billy Smith would collect 2,500 (or maybe it was 3,000) hits.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

Eddie Murray in a Fila Shoes commercial from 1996.

 

[Beef Supreme]

On 2/25/2015 at 11:35 AM, Frobby said:

There was a "sour period" that began when Eddie was on the DL (for the first time in his career) in 1986, and ran through when he was traded after the 1988 season. The short version is, Eddie was unfairly criticized by the owner and some fans turned on him, and he began to sulk. Most fans were still in his corner, but those who weren't were quite vocal. It was a bad situation and the Orioles really needed to trade Eddie to resolve it. I think it is fair to say it was partially Eddie's fault. But time healed that wound and when he returned to the team in mid-1996 and played a key role in helping the Orioles to make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years, all was forgiven.

You left out that certain sportswriters turned on him which resulted in some fans turning on Eddie. Those fans didn't come to that on their own, they were convinced by a few bigots with bylines. Some of us remember who they are.

[Beef Supreme]

26 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

 

Reason enough for me to value RBIs still.