It was a special day at Camden Yards on August ninth. While the11-3 loss at the hands of the Athletics was depressing, it didn't take away from the pregame ceremony honoring three new members joining the Orioles Hall of Fame. Those names longtime MASN favorite Tom Davis, blue collar outfielder Joe Orsulak, and fan-favorite prolific center fielder Adam Jones. All three of these guys have made a significant impact on the Orioles organization, both on and off the field, and this honor was well deserved across the board.
Tom Davis has been covering the Orioles since the 1970s. He is a true native of the Baltimore Area, being a Calvert Hall College High School '66 alum and University of Baltimore '71 graduate. After college, he would get his start in the industry working for WBAL-TV as a weekend sportscaster. He made a name for himself in Birdland for Home Team Sportsas the pre-game and telecast host for O's games in the 1990s. He was also the director for what is now 105.7 The Fan during that time. Most notably, he was on the call for Cal Ripken Jr.'s, arguably the greatest Oriole of all time, 400th career home run in 1999. While MASN did not renew his contract after the 2021 season, he has still done shows for the company such as Wall-to-Wall Baseball and the Mid Atlantic Sports Report. He was also a host of O's Xtra, talking to many great Orioles to grace the field for the club. Davis even expanded into football, calling the first exhibition game between the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears a PSINet Stadium (now M&T Bank Stadium.) Davis also received the Maryland Sportscaster of the Year award five different times, truly letting his greatness in the Journalism world stand out. His work has expanded across many different sports, but his true impact came in Charm City.
Joe Orsulak was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the sixth round of the 1980 draft. He made his MLB debut three years later on 9/1/1983, the year the Orioles won their last world series, and spent the next four seasons with the organization. He was held down in triple-A for the entire 1987 season, and that was the end of the line of his Pirates tenure. He was traded to Baltimore that offseason for Terry Crowley Jr. and Rico Rossy. It may have been a small trade, but it changed the complexion of Orsulak’s career. He got full runway to playing time from 1988-1992 as opposed to only two years of it with the Pirates in 1985-1986. Orsulak never had a negative WAR with the O’s, instead posting a career high in 1990 with a 2.4 WAR. He was consistently in the 1-2 WAR range, playing 115+ games every season in the orange in black. None of the stats he posted were off the charts, but his blue collar work ethic is what stood out the most. He knew he wasn’t the best player on the field, but he made the most of every game being gritty and scrappy. He said in his pregame speech that “he wanted to be a pain in the other team’s side” day in and day out, and he was just that. The consistency he provided is what he is remembered most for, and while he kicked around with the Mets, Marlins, and Expos after his time with the Orioles, he grew to love the city and still lives in Baltimore to this day.
Now, we talk about the most notable name of the bunch. Adam Jones was a first round pick of the Seattle Mariners in the 2003 draft and was 20 years old when he made his debut on 7/14/2006. He never got a true chance for the M’s, and was traded on 2/8/2008 along with notable Orioles starter Christ Tillman. From there, the rest is history. Jones went on to spend the next decade in Baltimore, and blossomed into a star in the 2010s. His first all-star nod and gold glove award came in 2009, and four straight appearances at the mid summer classic ensued from 2012-2015, giving him five total all-star games in his career. From 2012-2014 he finished at least top 20 in MVP voting and won gold gloves in those seasons as well, and his lone silver slugger came in 2013. Jones became a fan favorite due to the all around profile as a player, the joy he brought to the game, and his off the field work in the community. This was made apparent as he was voted three times as the Most Valuable Oriole and the O’s Heart and Hustle award winner. And of course, he played with team USA in the World Baseball Classic, making the iconic home run robbery of teammate Manny Machado and winning the tournament in 2017. He ranks to five all time for team at bats, total bases, hits, homers, runs, RBIs, and extra base hits as well as top ten in doubles, games, and triples. On a personal note, I can say without a doubt he is my favorite athlete of all time, and is part of the reason I love baseball since I started following him.
In conclusion, we had some great names become part of a storied chapter in the Orioles circle. All three made an impact that will never be forgotten and made Baltimore Orioles baseball better in different ways. Tom Davis dedicated his life’s work to covering the team, Joe Orsulak gave the fans a player to relate to, and Adam Jones embraced the city and team like no other that makes him arguably the greatest Orioles centerfielder of all time. It was a lot of fun seeing all three of these guys receive a hallowed honor, and more notable names could be on the way.
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