Most people get the love of a sport from their parents. While my parents were baseball fans, I never say that my love for the game came from them. Instead, mine came from my great-grandmother, Estelle.
Growing up, I lived in a packed house, and my great-grandmother lived with us. She was the biggest baseball fan I ever met and had some pretty cool stories to tell. We will get to those later on in the article, but before we get into those stories, here is how she helped grow my love of baseball.
When I say that she watched games, she watched games. I can remember her sitting in her chair in the living room. The Orioles game would be on the TV, yet she still wore headphones with her radio because she was a fan of Joe Angels’ voice.
She would actually know what happened before it was shown on TV, and while being spoiled isn’t fun, she made it fun because her reactions were priceless.
Her passion for Orioles baseball was mind-blowing, to say the least. She was a huge fan of Cal Ripken Jr. and always talked about him as her favorite player. While everyone thought Ripken Jr. was her favorite, I would argue that her favorite was Brooks Robinson, as she made sure it was known that Robinson was the best third baseman of all time, no questions asked.
What’s your favorite Orioles memory that you hold on to? I asked her that one day, and she had the easiest answer. She got to meet Cal, and she was so excited about it that she carried many items to the signing while taking the light rail.
On the way back, she made it known that Ripken Jr. signed everything. Yes, he signed about 15 things that day just for her alone.
My favorite memory with her was something that I mentioned before on social media. When she was on hospice in 2019, she received a phone call from Brooks Robinson. I remember being in the room when she got the call, and she was in awe.
Unfortunately, about a month after the call, she passed away. This is the five-year anniversary of her passing, and let me say I know for sure she would have loved being here watching the Orioles in all their glory. She would especially love Ben McDonald in the booth and seeing all the young stars like Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson.
She got to witness all three O’s World Series wins and also got to attend a World Series game. I was fortunate enough to go with her in 2012 to the National Baseball Hall Of Fame and Museum to see all the players that she loved watching, and I got to spend every night watching Orioles baseball with her.
Baseball is a sport to some and a lifestyle to others. Baseball became family to me because of my great-grandmother, Estelle, and how much she loved the sport. There are many other stories I could tell, but I would have to write a whole book.
Estelle was an Orioles fan inside and out and is, in my opinion, the number one fan. Happy Mother’s Day, Birdland.
Who is the one person who introduced you to the beautiful game of baseball? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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