[外電] Baines joins Orioles Hall of Fame
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Baines joins Orioles Hall of Fame
Baltimore slugger was thrilled to wear his hometown uniform
By Pete Kerzel / Special to MLB.com
08/29/09 7:49 PM ET
BALTIMORE -- As a player, Harold Baines was a man of few words, avoiding
reporters so he could focus on the game. As the 46th inductee into the
Orioles Hall of Fame, Baines spoke briefly but glowingly of the sacrifices
his family made for his career success and the pride a native Marylander felt
experiencing an unexpected honor.
Baines was inducted into the Orioles' shrine, which is administered by the
nonprofit Oriole Advocates and housed at the Sports Legends Museum adjacent
to Camden Yards, in ceremonies before Saturday's game against the Cleveland
Indians.
"Growing up in Maryland, it was a real thrill to wear an Orioles uniform,"
Baines said before donning a green blazer emblematic of the honor. "Thank you
all for always treating me like family."
Baines, a native and resident of St. Michael's on Maryland's Eastern Shore,
spent parts of seven seasons during his 22-year career in Baltimore,
including three separate stints with the Orioles. Baines hit .301 with 107
homers and 378 RBIs while with Baltimore.
"When I got the call in Spring Training that said that they wanted to put me
in the Orioles Hall of Fame, I said, 'You must be kidding.' I think I played
here seven years and I [thought] you had to play here at least 15 years to
get an honor like that," said Baines after the ceremony. "I'm very
appreciative of it."
Baines was introduced by former Orioles general manager Roland Hemond, who
signed the then-teenager to his first professional contract after the Chicago
White Sox drafted him first overall in 1977 out of high school. Hemond used
the opportunity tick off the names of 13 current members of the Baseball Hall
of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., who did not achieve the 1,628 career RBIs
amassed by Baines.
Hemond remembered Baines as "one of the most consistent and clutch hitters in
Orioles history." A video montage of Baines' Orioles career was shown on the
center-field scoreboard before Baines was introduced out of the home team's
dugout.
As part of his acceptance speech, Baines recognized his wife, children and
family members seated behind home plate. At Friday's luncheon kicking off the
Hall of Fame weekend, Baines became emotional and had to stop to compose
himself three times during a 10-minute speech while talking about his
family's sacrifice and the recent contract son Harold signed with the White
Sox.
"When I talk about my family, that's the toughest part, because I love them
so much," said Baines, who is in his sixth season as a first-base coach with
the White Sox. "They've done so much for me. You try to share the fame you
get from playing baseball with them. So anytime I can praise them, I love to
praise them."
Baines was joined on the dais on the field at Camden Yards by another
inductee, former Orioles community relations director Julie Wagner, who
became the first woman inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame. She received
the Herbert Armstrong Award for meritorious service to the club and community
by non-uniformed personnel.
In her acceptance speech, Wagner noted the contributions of former Orioles
player, coach and Hall of Fame member Elrod Hendricks, who passed away in
December 2005.
"Elrod Hendricks made thousands of appearances," said Wagner, who created and
managed dozens of community-based programs, many of which are still operating
today. "He came through when we needed him and gave a lot of time to
community relations."
Wagner spent 26 years with the Orioles, starting as an intern in the public
relations department and moving into the community relations role when few
Major League clubs focused on off-the-field events or employed women in
significant positions. She left the team in April 2008 to take a job with the
American Cancer Society.
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