The Baltimore Orioles have a rich history full of many different players, managers, coaches and broadcasters.
The Charm City club has been privileged to have some of the biggest and best come through or grow through the organization and become all-time greats in Baltimore history.
It’s a history that helps define what has made this great and proud franchise a key to the city and a staple of Major League Baseball.
On Thursday morning, the Orioles announced their 2025 Hall of Fame class of outfielders Adam Jones and Joe Orsulak and broadcaster Tom Davis.
TOM DAVIS
Tom Davis is a 51-year veteran of Baltimore broadcasting. Receiving a degree from the University of Baltimore in 1971, Davis would get his start in the 1970s, when he was the weekend sportscaster for WBAL-TV.
Most of Birdland grew up listening to the Orioles on Home Team Sports (HTS) and recall Davis as the pre-game and telecast host for Orioles games. Along with his gig at HTS, Davis was also the sports director for WQSR, 105.7 (now known as The Fan) during the 1990s.
Davis was named Maryland Sportscaster of the Year on five different occasions and said one of his career highlights is calling Cal Ripken Jr.’s 400th career home run in 1999.
He produces and hosts seasonal sports shows Take Me Out to the Ballgame and Touchdown Baltimore.
Davis has a vast array of experience, from play-by-play for the NFL on NBC in 1986, play-by-play for college football games on Mutual Radio Network, sideline reporter for the USFL from 1983-’84 and host for NBC Radio’s coverage of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea.
Fans in Baltimore might remember Davis as being the first play-by-play announcer at PSINet Stadium (now M&T Bank Stadium) for an exhibition between the Chicago Bears and the Baltimore Ravens.
Davis’ contract was not renewed after the 2021 season with the Orioles, though he still does his two shows, The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report and Wall to Wall Baseball, for MASN and the Orioles Radio Network.
This year’s recipient of the Herb Armstrong Award, Davis has worked in Baltimore in various forms but will always be remembered as one of the great voices of Baltimore baseball. He will now be enshrined into the Orioles Hall of Fame for Baltimore to remember the charm he brought to Charm City.
JOE ORSULAK
Joe Orsulak’s pro career spanned from 1983 to 1997. Playing for five teams, it was his time in Baltimore that some of his best baseball was played.
Playing in orange and black from 1988-1992, Orsulak would lead the Orioles in batting average in 1988, 1989 and 1992 and finished second to Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991 (Ripken Jr. won the MVP that season).
Known as a gritty and stubborn player at the plate, it was his defense that fit in perfectly in the Orioles outfield. During his time in Baltimore, Orsulak would finish with 54 career outfield assists, ranking seventh in O’s history.
In 1991, Orsulak set a franchise record and led the majors with 22 outfield assists. Since that time, only Richard Hidalgo (Houston 2003) and Alfonso Soriano (Washington 2006) have been the only other outfielders to record a 22-outfield-assist season.
Orsulak would slash .281/.337/.394/.731 with an 8.0 WAR during his career with the Orioles. He finished with 35 home runs (hit a career-high 11 in 1990), 221 RBIs, 31 stolen bases, 15 triples, 97 doubles and 579 total hits, almost half his career total.
Orsulak was the type of player who played when hurt, led by example and gave 110% every play no matter what. His time in Baltimore was the best stretch of his career, and he will always be remembered as one of the top outfielders of his time.
ADAM JONES
If you have followed Baltimore Orioles baseball this century, then you know who Adam Jones is and what he meant to the franchise.
A trade that would turn out to be one of the best in Orioles’ history brought forth Adam Jones and a career that would span 11 years in center field.
You can call Jones captain, leader and the backbone of the Birds during his career.
Winning four Gold Glove Awards, five All-Star nominations and three Most Valuable Oriole honors, Jones has been one of the most recognizable Orioles of this century.
He ranks second, tied with Nick Markakis, in outfield assists (93) behind Paul Blair in O’s history. His first Gold Glove was the first for an Oriole outfielder since 1975 (Paul Blair), and his 2013 Silver Slugger Award was the first ever by an Oriole outfielder.
Jones is in the top 10 in Orioles’ history for most offensive categories. He ranks fourth in hits (1,781), fifth in home runs (263), RBIs (866) and runs (875), seventh in doubles (305) and eighth in games played (1,613).
He was active in the community as well, becoming a three-time nominee of the Roberto Clemente Award and a six-time nominee of the Heart and Hustle Award.
Jones would play one season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and two across seas with the Nippon Professional Baseball League before retiring an Oriole on September 15, 2023.
In January of 2025, Jones would return to Baltimore once again, when he was named Special Advisor to the General Manager and Community Ambassador. He was also very influential in bringing Nippon phenom Tomoyuki Sugano to Baltimore.
His never give up and always hustle demeanor helped make the Orioles one of the scrappiness teams from 2012-2016, when the Birds won more games than any other AL club.
Though Jones won’t make it to Cooperstown, his legacy in Baltimore will always be Hall of Fame caliber in the eyes of Birdland.
We at The Baltimore Battery, would like to congratulate Tom Davis, Joe Orsulak and Adam Jones on their induction into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame.
What are your thoughts on the 2025 inductees? 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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