Are you hometown O's fan or...

[Goober Noodles]

I was born in Silverspring, and lived in Tacoma Park, then Norman, OK and Kyoto Japan until returning to the states at the age of 8 in 94. My family lived with my grandparents in Bel Air, Md for two years before moving to Pittsburgh. Having grown to love baseball in Japan, and with the O's being good, and Cal being my first sports hero... I was instantly hooked.

I got a lot of ribbing from people in middle and high school for being an O's fan, so I'm sure that had a part in me turning into a die-hard.

Edit: I voted "I was born elsewhere but moved to the Baltimore area" but I probably could of chose several options.

[Austin]

Pretty tough to get to a game from out that far, no? Do you think that it would be different if there were a Richmond team when you were growing up? You avatar/icon is a pretty shweet piece of art. I hate realism and landscapes, love abstract of the wall stuff like that. Dali is by far my favorite artist and then Blume.

About three hours, it's not too bad. I get to about 10 or so games a year usually. Had there been a team in Richmond, sure, I probably would have been a fan of them, though I never really had warm feelings for the Richmond Braves so who knows. I guess the Orioles being the closest team is what originally sparked my interest but it soon became much more than that, which is why I never switched to the Nats.

Also, my icon is the album artwork for Menomena's Friend and Foe... one of my favorites.

[jets4ever]

Why the O's?

Because, at the time, I was nothing more than a casual baseball fan. And, it was the year after the seven game Orioles/Pirates World Series. And, strage as this may sound, I chose the Orioles because because the Pirates won the Series.

Let me explain.

I've never been one to "jump on a winning team's bandwagon." So, I decided not to become a Pirates fan, but to become an Orioles fan. And, I've been one to this day.

[josscki]

Well let me see. I grew up in Medina, NY which is halfway between Buffalo and Rochester. My quick easy answer on why I'm an Orioles fan is because my brother was and I did whatever he did. After they won the '83 series they were on tv here quite a bit. I was only 2 then but my brother became infatuated with the team because they were on tv, he liked orange and black(big Halloween fan), and he liked the cartoon bird. So he became a fan.

Throughout the '80's and '90's we took full advantage of the Rochester affiliation and saw the Orioles play the Red Wings in those great yearly exhibition games. It was magical seeing guys up close in MY town. I was also lucky enough to travel with my family down to Baltimore pretty much every summer through the '90's and stay for 3 or 4 games. I loved staying in the inner harbor and I was convinced I'd marry Brady Anderson. In June of 2001 I got Cal's autograph on an Orioles visor before a game and it is by far one of the best moments of my life. I was shaking like CRAZY. When he came to Rochester a few years later to be inducted in the Red Wings Hall Of Fame, I got his autograph again. This time on a terrific picture of him as a Red Wing and is my most prized possession. I also followed Brian Roberts when he was in Rochester and got his autograph on a ball in 2003 when he came to Buffalo as an Ottawa Lynx. He was great and I couldn't have been more proud when he broke out in '05.

So me and my family have stuck with them and always will no matter how much they disappoint us.

Cal's autograph:

[86this]

Born and bred in NYC. My brother got me a MFY jacket that got lost when I was in elementary school. It was a sign I shouldn't be a MFY fan. The Os were a model franchise and that's who I decided to roll with.

[Hardheaddan]

I was born in Catonsville, ten minutes from OPACY. I grew up there until college, relocated down to Miami, and have been down here for the past five years. I fell in love with the O's when I was young with the lineup of Brady, Roberto Alomar, Bonilla, Eric Davis, Cal, Raffy, and Chris Hoiles and a rotation of Moose, Scotty Erickson, Jimmy Key, David Wells, and Rhodes and Myers to close out the game.....those were the days lol

No matter how many Yankee, Rays, and Red Sox fans I meet down in South FLA, I will always bleed the orange and black....even if they are the sorriest team in MLB at the moment

[allsighs]

Born and raised in Los Angeles. Lived here my whole life. Began playing ball through the YMCA in 83. Between Cal's ROY and MVP and the WS win, my choice of role models was a no-brainer. Enjoyed watching Dodgers baseball, but loved reading the Times every morning to see what the Orioles and Cal had done the night before.

Never been to Camden and cant wait to go, but after the 97 season I promised myself i wouldnt treat myself with that until the O's made the playoffs again. It will happen...and to make sure i can afford it when it does I place a bet down in Vegas every pre-season that the O's win the East

One day...

[jets4ever]

Born and raised in Los Angeles. Lived here my whole life. Began playing ball through the YMCA in 83. Between Cal's ROY and MVP and the WS win, my choice of role models was a no-brainer. Enjoyed watching Dodgers baseball, but loved reading the Times every morning to see what the Orioles and Cal had done the night before.

Never been to Camden and cant wait to go, but after the 97 season I promised myself i wouldnt treat myself with that until the O's made the playoffs again. It will happen...and to make sure i can afford it when it does I place a bet down in Vegas every pre-season that the O's win the East

One day...

One of these days. :hearts:

[Moose Milligan]

Born and raised in Northern VA. The Orioles were the hometown team.

Starting to wish I was born elsewhere...Redskins suck, Orioles suck, Wizards suck...don't care about hockey. I just don't understand why I can't have my football team or baseball team be consistently good. I'm not asking for a lot, I'm not asking for both to be good...hell, I pretty much stopped watching the NBA but at this point I'd take a good Wizards team.

[NewOwnerNeeded]

I was born in DC, raised in gold old PG County. Lived there until I went to college in NC. So I checked that I was on O's fan because there was no team in DC. I don't consider the O's my team by default. I bleed black and Orange. I can't imagine rooting for anyone else.

[jdouble777]

I was born in Silverspring, and lived in Tacoma Park, then Norman, OK and Kyoto Japan until returning to the states at the age of 8 in 94. My family lived with my grandparents in Bel Air, Md for two years before moving to Pittsburgh. Having grown to love baseball in Japan, and with the O's being good, and Cal being my first sports hero... I was instantly hooked.

I got a lot of ribbing from people in middle and high school for being an O's fan, so I'm sure that had a part in me turning into a die-hard.

Edit: I voted "I was born elsewhere but moved to the Baltimore area" but I probably could of chose several options.

Sorry, should have check the box that allowed people to mark several options. Seems like Bell Air and Cal have a lot to do with this fan base. Without Cal, many may have never been here today. Even more interesting is the influence that playing for the O's during our youth in leagues that used major league team's names for their teams.

[jdouble777]

I was born in DC, raised in gold old PG County. Lived there until I went to college in NC. So I checked that I was on O's fan because there was no team in DC. I don't consider the O's my team by default. I bleed black and Orange. I can't imagine rooting for anyone else.

I love your quotes. I would have to say, somewhat disparagingly, that I'm a fan be default. I am a HUGE supporter of loving your hometown teams and would have latched on to the DC team if it had been here. As I have mentioned before, my parents had professional photos taking of me as a baby with a diaper and a Cowboys helmet. I am not sure when the complete switch, if you can call it that, came but I have photos from my 6th birthday that was totally themed Redskins.

[brianod]

Moved from Chicago in 71 as a 9 yr old. Went to the 7th game of the series in 71 and was hooked on the O's since then. Grew up in Columbia and moved to Northern Va due to job and wife location. Raised 3 O's fans in N. Va. They joke about rooting for the Nats but they just like giving the old man a hard time:) Two of them are active posters on this board.

[GoIn2Shock]

I'm from Hampton Roads/Norfolk, VA and we have no professional sports teams down here. Since the Tides are the AAA affiliate I figured I would root for the big club too.

[brianod]

I'm from Hampton Roads/Norfolk, VA and we have no professional sports teams down here. Since the Tides are the AAA affiliate I figured I would root for the big club too.

Haha, you may want to rethink that decision:)