rest to make the journey enjoyable and memorable.
In April – after two months of weighing a tour bus, an RV and some other less desirable options – it became clear that flying much of the journey would be far easier in virtually every way. It gave me the ultimate freedom and flexibility to see various cities. The biggest challenge would be waking up at 4 a.m. almost every morning and finding my way to the airport and my next flight.
The most important aspect in swabbing and saving lives was getting some kindness and partnership from Major League Baseball teams.
I would learn just how important that part was as I ventured to call 30 MLB teams with a very simple ask: “Will you help us save lives?”
* * *
EVERYONE WHO KNOWS ME, KNOWS that I have a long history of loving baseball. I wrote a 19 chapter book about it in 2006.
8
Everyone who knows me also knows that I have a long, rich history of being abused by the Baltimore Orioles.
I watched the Orioles lose for 14 consecutive years and summarily mistreat people at every turn. Many journalists in those days were writing the truth about his reign of terror. I also wrote the truth about Peter Angelos. I asked tough questions when tough questions needed to be asked of the franchise. I was banned in 2006 and they’ve been lying about it ever since.
Blah, blah, blah. Trust me, I’m tired of talking about it, hearing about it and living it.
But that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve been doing sports journalism in Baltimore since 1984 and their intimidation, threats and poor treatment of me (and many others) doesn’t change the fact that I still enjoy baseball and watch the Orioles play virtually every night of my life. (Incidentally, so does my 96-year old mother who watches them with a beer every night!)
Here she is at Camden Yards in May quenching her thirst…
Here’s what it boils down to: the Orioles of Peter Angelos spent the first decade treating people – most people, anyway – like garbage from 1993 through 2003. Angelos systematically wrecked the franchise.
8As one of my mentors John Eisenberg would write: “You can look it up.”
I did.
And I also watched it. I was a part of it. I was on the radio every day. I talked to the managers, coaches and players. I knew them all very well. I traveled with the team. I spent two weeks at spring training. I dined often with Mike Flanagan and other former players and people who worked in The Warehouse. I did business with many of their business partners and heard the horror stories. I watched what it did to the team, to the culture, to the organization, to the City and to the fans of the team everywhere.
I spent six months before my wife’s diagnosis writing a book to document all of the previously reported atrocities associated with the franchise from the minute Peter Angelos woke up in early 1993 and his ego wanted to own a baseball team he had no idea how to run.
I documented it. I never stopped pressing them for improvement, transparency, honesty and integrity.
And all the while Peter G. Angelos and his flunkies have hidden, run and lied.
And they lost a lot of baseball games, a lot of fans, a lot of the city’s inherent summer mojo.
8It was, quite frankly, sickening.
Here’s a classic for you.
And I asked fair questions. And I asked for fair access. And I asked tough questions over and over again that were responded to with more intimidation, lies and overall the same
