While history seeps from nearly every pore of McFaul’s IronHorse Tavern in Parkville, much of what is concocted behind its bar and prepared in its kitchen is refreshingly contemporary. That combination has made it one of the most popular spots in Baltimore County since it opened in 2012.

Its location, on the east side of Loch Raven Reservoir, was home to a blacksmith’s shop in the 19th century and, in the ensuing years, housed a post office, a VFW hall, and ice cream shop. The iron horse name is a nod to both the train station that once was across Cromwell Bridge Road and to the late Ernie Tyler, the Orioles’ legendary umpires’ attendant who worked 3,769 consecutive home games between 1960 and 2007. (Cal Ripken Jr. called him “Baltimore’s true Iron Man.”) Newspaper stories about Tyler, who was co-owner Walter Glen McFaul III’s and general manager Nick Molinaro’s grandfather, adorn some of the walls.

A cozy, homey feel permeates the tavern, which includes several dining rooms (one with a fireplace), an outdoor space, and a bar in the back. The cocktail list changes three times a year, and when we stopped by in October seasonal flavors were front and center. A pumpkin Old-Fashioned, made with pumpkin butter from Weber’s Cider Mill Farm in Parkville, screams fall. A whiskey apple cocktail is prepared simply enough—Woodford Reserve bourbon is mixed with juice from fresh Granny Smith apples, poured over ice, and garnished with a dehydrated apple slice—but tastes like a revelation. It’s refreshing and warming at the same time, which is tough to pull off. An autumn mule is made using fat-washed butter rum, spiced apple bitters, apple cider, and lemon ginger beer.

Every seasonal cocktail we tried was terrific, but if cold weather favorites aren’t your thing, classics like a Cosmo and Sazerac are solidly made as well. Multiple kinds of mules, margaritas, crushes, and even oyster shooters are available, along with a solid beer and wine list.

New chef Fili Marin took over the kitchen in September, and the revamped menu reflects some of his sensibilities. We had never had fried devil eggs before, and the four chickpea crusted eggs filled with crab meat didn’t disappoint. Neither did the excellent smoked Old Bay wings, which were moist and pulled lightly from the bone. Other items, like a Peruvian half chicken, paella, bacon-wrapped meatloaf, and beef pot pie, aren’t found on most bar menus, and we’re looking forward to trying them all.

McFaul’s draws customers from throughout the county, and on one of our visits, a Friday evening, the bar was packed and people were waiting outside for tables in the dining rooms. A guitarist was setting up to play in the bar area, and everyone who was drinking, slurping down raw oysters, or eating anything else seemed to be having a great time.

More than a decade after it opened, McFaul’s, like an iron horse—or iron man—is still going strong.

ven though he’s wearing enemy colors, Ed Soth is greeted the same way he usually is when he walks into Robbie’s First Base—with some good-natured ribbing.

“We’re going to stop letting you in here with that hat,” says Robbie Davis Jr., half of what might be the most well-known Senior-Junior tandem in the world of Baltimore sports . . . memorabilia. “How’d you get to be a Yankees fan?”

The conversation that ensues is similar to ones that take place in bars, at barbershops, and during ballgames every day: a group of old friends shooting the breeze about sports. The fact that it happens to be taking place in what is likely the world’s only sports memorabilia/mail service store just adds to the fun.

When Robbie Davis Sr., 71, opened the store in this small Lutherville strip mall in 1989, he had no idea that one day he’d be working alongside his sons, Robbie Jr., 43, and Matthew, 32. He didn’t know that the business would morph from dealing primarily with FedEx and UPS packages to making deals for Frank Robinson and Johnny Unitas autographs. He certainly couldn’t have imagined that the family would star in an ABC reality series and be featured in a Netflix show scheduled to drop this summer.

The exchange going down is exactly what has attracted television producers, audiences, and, most importantly, regular old customers to Robbie’s.

“I grew up at the old stadium, used to sneak in all the time,” says Soth, who often comes in to send packages and stays to hang out. “Want to hear a funny story?”

It’s a rhetorical question—everyone at Robbie’s is always up for a laugh.

“One day I was there, I’m 11 years old, and I’m sitting in the stands and Mantle is in the field,” Soth says. “Ball is hit, comes right to me, and I reach over and grab [it]. Ball hits me in the hand and falls to the [warning] track. Swear to God, Mantle walks over, picks the ball up, looks at me, and I think he’s gonna toss it up to me. That sonofabitch turned and walked away.”

Sitting at his cluttered desk behind the counter, Senior, as many people call him, lets out a belly laugh. From his slightly less messy desk a few feet away, Junior does the same.

“We have a lot of people who just come in and talk sports,” Junior says. “We get 85-year-old grandmas in here on a Monday morning talking Ravens. They’ll say, ‘Did you see that play that Lamar made?’ I can’t believe my ears. That’s what makes it cool.”

Robbie Davis Sr. grew up in West Baltimore, where, as he likes to remind people, he was a “really good” baseball player at Edmondson-Westside High School.

“I always tell my son that even though he got signed to a pro contract, I was better than him,” he says. “And he can’t refute it, because I’m the only one who’s seen us both play.”

After graduating, he served as a combat medic in the Army before going into the car business. At one point, he co-owned 12 dealerships in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Among them were All-Star Dodge and All-Star Chevrolet on Route 40. Orioles’ legends Brooks Robinson and Eddie Murray were among the athletes that did commercials for the dealerships, and Davis developed friendships with several guys on the team. When the O’s went on road trips, Davis would occasionally house-sit for Murray.

“Eddie Murray knew me before I knew who he was,” Junior says. “To me he was just a guy who was friends with my dad.”

One of Senior’s partners at the dealership collected baseball cards, and he took note when the man made some money buying and selling them. When he left the car business and opened a postal services store in Catonsville, then another in Lutherville, Senior put out a few boxes of baseball cards on the weekends.

Quickly, he realized that the Topps were topping his sales. He began buying and selling other brands that were hot at the time, like Upper Deck, and closed the Catonsville store to focus on the one in Lutherville.

 

“. . . THE BEST PART WAS GETTING TO BE AROUND PEOPLE THAT WERE AS PASSIONATE ABOUT COLLECTING MEMORABILIA AS WE ARE.”

 

“You never have a business where you can make money right away,” he says. “Well, the first month we opened up we were in the black.”

Perhaps his biggest challenge was keeping his sons from playing with his inventory. Where Senior saw an investment, Junior saw a pastime.

“He would buy all these unopened boxes and tell me, ‘Don’t open them,’” Junior recalls. “He would put them in our house in this room, and of course, I’m a little kid, so I’d be in there opening the packs because that’s what kids do. It’s no fun to just sit there and look at a box.”

A baseball addict from a young age, Junior played center field in college and was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers. When his career fizzled out in the minor leagues, he began working with his father in the store. As Robbie’s grew, the Davises began buying and selling all kinds of sports memorabilia: jerseys, autographed baseballs, seats from the old Memorial Stadium and Cole Field House. One of the most expensive items they acquired was a Babe Ruth signed baseball for $20,000. They later sold it for a tidy profit.

As their reputation continued to grow, more and more athletes started stopping by the store. Al Bumbry has been friends with Senior since they met in the mid-’80s. The Orioles Hall of Famer, who was awarded a Bronze Star for his service in the Army during the Vietnam War, still drops in often.

“The store presents a very social, laidback, easygoing atmosphere,” says Bumbry, the 1973 American League Rookie of the Year and a member of Baltimore’s 1983 World Series championship team. “People don’t feel pressured there because Bob’s a people person. Once he connects with you and becomes friends with you, he’s one of those guys that I would take in the foxhole with me.”

Lewis Brown was a 15-year-old kid when he first went to Robbie’s.

“Senior, he likes to take chances on people,” he says. “I didn’t grow up the richest, so sometimes I’d be in there and I’d go, ‘Mom, I want to get this,’ and she’d say, ‘Well I don’t have the money for it.’ There was a Barry Bonds-signed baseball. It was like a hundred and some dollars. He was like, ‘Just take it, and when you get the money just come in and pay for it.’ Ain’t nobody does that.”

It took Brown, now 35, a few weeks to scrape together the money. When he returned to the store, Senior offered him a job. He’s been working there ever since. When he was trying to save $10,000 for a down payment on a house, Senior asked how he was going to do it.

“I was like, ‘I don’t know. I’ll figure it out,’” Brown says. “He goes, ‘I’ll lend you the money and you can just pay me back when you get it.’ That’s the type of guy he is.”

In 2010, the producers of the reality show Pawn Stars contacted the Davises with an idea. They wanted to film a series about the business and its cast of characters. The core four in the show would be Robbie Sr., Robbie Jr., Brown, and Robbie Reier, another longtime employee. There was only one problem: way too many Robbies. Thus, Senior became Senior, Junior became Junior, Brown became “Sweet Lou,” and the then-baby-faced Reier became “Shaggy.”

In 12 episodes of Ball Boys, the guys goofed on each other, debated sports, negotiated with buyers and sellers, and interacted with greats from the sports world. They played basketball with former University of Michigan Fab Fiver Jalen Rose. Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon fired footballs at them. The legendary running back Jim Brown came to the store, but of all the sports royalty they met, baseball’s hit king, Pete Rose, was their favorite.

After shooting a segment, Rose asked for a restaurant recommendation for lunch. When Senior told him the production company would only pay a pittance for their food, Rose whipped $10,000 cash out of his pocket.

“He’s the kind of guy that if you go to a bar you want to hang out with,” Senior says.

When Sweet Lou asked for a personalized autograph, Rose wrote, “To Lou, you big fat piece of shit.”

“I loved that,” Brown says.

The show ran for just one season in 2012, but it was rebroadcast for years after that and is still available on ABC’s app. It raised the store’s profile both locally and nationally—they still get customers who say they heard of Robbie’s from Ball Boys.

“It was awesome,” Junior says. “I liked being on TV, but the best part was getting to be around people that were as passionate about collecting memorabilia as we are. We met people from all around the country, and we got to share our stories.”

Bob Windsor, aka Burger King Bob, is milling about the store, going back and forth with Senior about . . .something or other. The two are old friends. They get together on Sundays to watch football at Windsor’s house, where he makes sure Senior always has chips to snack on and Hennessy to wash them down.

An avid collector, he’s bought everything from a Babe Ruth-autographed baseball to Michael Jordan’s shoes at Robbie’s. But the products aren’t what keep him coming back.

“If there was a pot belly stove and an old dog, you’d be there for hours every day,” says Windsor, whose nickname stems from his job as a “financial guy” for several Burger King franchises. “It’s that homey.”

That’s never changed at Robbie’s, but the preferences of memorabilia consumers are ever-evolving. After a down period in the ’90s and 2000s, cards are back in vogue. And not just baseball cards. These days, Pokémon is as popular as Paul Molitor.

“I had a kid buy two $8 packs and he got a $700 card in there,” Junior says. “That’s what these cards are all about now. It’s all about the gamble.”

That being said, there are some athletes whose appeal is timeless in Baltimore. Cal Ripken Jr., Brooks Robinson, Gary Williams, and Ray Lewis items always sell quickly. But there’s one athlete whose popularity Junior says is unprecedented.

“Nothing’s been like Lamar,” he says of the Ravens quarterback. “[Jackson] has been the biggest craze that we’ve seen in this business since we’ve been open. People can’t get enough of him.”

Although the Davises are hometown fans—they live and die with the Orioles and the Ravens—and love sports memorabilia, the business requires a sort of cold lack of sentimentality. Anything they acquire could be gone the next moment.

“People say, ‘Is this for sale?’” Senior says. “I say, ‘Come on, if it’s got a price tag on it, it’s for sale.’”

Still, there are a few items in which they seem to take special pride. Near Senior’s desk hangs a signed photo of Orioles Mike Morgan and Fred Lynn from the mid-’80s. Lynn’s note reads, “To Bob, the second-best ballplayer I know.”

“That’s because I always told him I was as good as him,” Senior says, chuckling.

Above Junior’s desk is another framed photo, this one with Lynn and Eddie Murray standing over Senior, who is sitting in a chair with his then-eight-year-old son, Robbie Jr., on his lap.

Neither of those items have a price tag.

When the beloved Brooks Robinson, now 82 years old—a Baltimore treasure who hears “the greatest third baseman of all-time,” whenever anyone introduces him—arrived at Frederick Douglass High School on Tuesday morning, he saw three students walking outside. The kind soul he is, he figured he’d introduce himself.

“I gain a little humility every day I walk this earth,” Robinson said, starting to recount the story. “I said, ‘Hi, I’m Brooks Robinson.'”

The kids were probably just 70 years younger than him. And curious why the white-haired man wearing a blue blazer, collared shirt, and white pants was heading in the direction of the new baseball field behind the school.

“They’re naming a field after me,” Mr. Robinson said.

“After you?”

“Yeah.”

“Then they just kind of looked at me and headed off,” Robinson said.

So began the welcome for old No. 5—the human vacuum cleaner and autograph signer to all—to the place that will bear his name as long as they’ll play baseball and softball at Frederick Douglass High School. Brooks Robinson Field at Group 1001 Park, a multi-million dollar facility in West Baltimore built by the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, is a field worthy of a title sponsor and approval from the Hall-of-Fame headliner himself.

“If this is not the Field of Dreams,” Robinson said, “I don’t know what is.”

In an intimate gathering under a white party tent erected on the field, another one of our local heroes, Cal Ripken Jr., and the foundation he and his brother Billy created in their father’s honor, unveiled the state-of-the-art synthetic turf diamond (the kind that has redish turf in place of real dirt). It’s the third field they’ve built in West Baltimore in recent years, 13th in the city, and 88th nationwide since 2009.

It’s a place for kids to play, sure, instead of “maybe getting into trouble someplace else,” the Ironman said. But the first thing you notice upon arrival is the inspiring scenery—a wonderful view of the downtown skyline in the distance below centerfield. The tops of the city’s tallest buildings peak above the black chainlink home run fence that wraps around the field. Someone with imagination might also see a resemblance to Camden Yards, with the fronts of the brick houses on Windsor Avenue behind right field standing in for the Orioles’ iconic warehouse.

It took a few years and a greater-than-expected $2.5 million, but it’s now a reality—a huge upgrade from the asphalt parking lot that the school’s baseball and softball teams used to take infield practice—and the culmination of an idea the Ripken Foundation hatched in the wake of the riots after Freddie Gray’s death in 2015 to build five fields in West Baltimore. “It just didn’t seem right what was going on,” said Steve Salem, president of the foundation. “The problem is so big and so overwhelming. What could we do?”

They could do what they do. “We want to help kids, and we want to partner with people who want to help kids,” Cal said. “We want them to play, work together, take some responsibility in their lives, and learn how to be a teammate. We know the value of sport. We know the lessons it can teach. By putting a field right here, we give a lot of kids the opportunity to learn them.”

Since its inception, the Ripken Foundation has partnered with hundreds of youth development programs around the country. Its signature “Badges for Baseball” initiative, created in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice, encourages police officers to volunteer as youth sports coaches. The charity evolved into building fields, now in 23 states and Washington, D.C., after “we started to realize with some of our programming is that there wasn’t a safe place for it to happen,” Cal said.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Frederick Douglas attracted a cadre of notable guests, like mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young, city council president Brandon Scott (who announced last week he’ll run for mayor), Hall-of-Famer Eddie Murray (who has a field named after him at James Mosher Elementary School), and private donors and supporters of the project. Among them are Kohl’s department store founder and former Ripken Foundation board chair Jay Baker and former Maryland senator Frank Kelly. It seemed nearly everyone in attendance had a direct or emotional connection to the construction.

“This is about giving people an opportunity,” said Tony Reagins, executive vice president of Major League Baseball, which donated $450,000 the project. “Sometimes all you need as a young person is a chance. This creates it.” Reagins got emotional while reflecting on his first visit to Frederick Douglass a year ago, when he spoke with baseball coach Jim Foster and saw kids practicing on blacktop instead of grass or turf.

The Ripken brothers spoke about the love for their dad, and for Robinson (“Brooks was my hero,” Cal said). Robinson shared his admiration for the former O’s manager before delivering a priceless moment for any baseball fan with a heart. The greatest third baseman of all time started talking about what many, including he, describe as the greatest baseball movie ever, Field of Dreams. He explained how and why the field that now bears his name reminds him of the film.

“I don’t go to movies much, but I saw it twice,” Robinson said. “Both times I had a little tear in my eye right down my cheek. The last part of that movie really got to me, and reminded me so much of my dad.”

He’s, of course, referring to the scene when the character played by Kevin Costner asks his father if he wants to play catch, just before the old-time Yankee heads back into an Iowa cornfield. Robinson’s dad, a semipro baseball player from Arkansas, asked his son the same question regularly. (And we are all thankful.) “My dad was my hero,” Robinson said. “He showed me what baseball is all about—how to act, how to play, give it your best all the time. I think about him all the time. That’s what I’m thinking about when I see that field here.”

As Cal pointed out, any field is only as valuable as those that use it: “When I think about this field, it’s great. The pomp and circumstance is great. But the real value of this field is those relationships that are built and the lessons that are taught on this field. We don’t even know what kind of effect that will have in the future, but we do know it’s going to be a good one.”

A few kids, if they happened to Google Brooks Robinson after meeting him outside their school this week, should have already learned a lesson in humility.

You may have heard that Baltimore has been disparaged recently. Here at Baltimore, we’ve spent 112 years celebrating this city—and we’re not about to back down now. Take a look back as we revisit some of the many reasons why Charm City lives up to its name. Here are some highlights from our archives:

We’ve got Otterbein’s.

The sacred sugar cookies of Bawlmer.

And the best crab houses in the country.

From Captain James, Oprah’s favorite, to the James Beard Award-winning Schultz’s Crab House.

Photography by Scott Suchman

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Oprah Winfrey got her start here on WJZ.

Recently, she made a local news appearance on WBAL to defend Baltimore’s honor. “This charming city is anything but full of rats,” she said.

Illustration by Anita Kunz

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We have sports legends.

The Iron Man even beat The Iron Horse’s streak!

Photography by Mike Morgan

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Our chefs win James Beard Awards.

Woodberry Kitchen’s Spike Gjerde is a farm-to-fork pioneer. Even former First Lady Michelle Obama eats here.

Photography by Mike Morgan

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We have some of the best museums in the country.

Among them are the first-of-its-kind National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History & Culture, and the Baltimore Museum of Art—which is expected to unveil its upcoming Matisse center by 2021, making it the premier place to study the French artist and his works.

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Some of the most iconic artists hail from here.

John Waters, Blaze Starr, and Joyce Scott. (Need we say more?)

-Bryan Burris

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We have the largest free arts festival in the country.

Local legends (Ethel Ennis) to national names (TLC) have stepped up to the stage here.

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Our symphony is home to conductor Marin Alsop, the first woman to head a major American orchestra.

In an era when symphonies around the country are closing their doors permanently, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is one of only 25 of the 800 or so U.S. orchestras to have been around for more than 100 years.

Photography by David Colwell

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We invented just about everything.

Hyperbole? We think not. Read on.

Sean McCabe

BeLeaf 

In our city’s ever-evolving effort to become a “cleaner, greener” version of itself, the Flowering Tree Trails of Baltimore initiative is the beautiful, fragrant next step. The effort—organized by a coalition of city governmental departments, environmental groups, and volunteers—aims to plant 6,000 flowering ornamental trees along 39 miles of Baltimore trails. In the spring, when they flower, the trails will be visually connected and become a source of splendor for residents and tourists alike. 

“In time, our city could be as famous for its Flowering Tree Trails as Washington, D.C., is for its cherry blossoms and New York is for the High Line,” says the initiative’s website. The plantings, which can range from—crabapples and cherry trees to dogwoods and silverbells—will contribute to the city’s goal of increasing its tree canopy from 28 percent to 40 percent by 2037. That is the level of coverage the U.S. Forest Service recommends if Baltimore wants to improve its air quality. The first trees went into the ground on November 11, during a ceremony in Druid Hill Park. Organizers estimate that, when all is said and planted, the initiative will cost somewhere in the low seven figures. Fundraising efforts are underway.

Bay Watch

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen has introduced legislation to increase funding for a program that helps farmers prevent agricultural runoff from entering the bay. According to the Chesapeake Bay Program “agriculture is the single largest source of nutrient and sediment pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay.” The bill, officially titled the Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancements Act of 2017, would triple funding—from $100 million to $300 million—available to farmers for mitigating practices such as constructing secure manure storage, installing cover crops, practicing no-till farming, and maintaining forested stream buffers. 

Van Hollen’s bill has already garnered multiple sponsors, including one Republican, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. According to The Washington Post, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott of Virginia’s 3rd District will introduce an identical bill in the House, but is still gathering support. Separately, Congress continues to debate 2018 funding levels for the Chesapeake Bay cleanup program—a six-state, $73 million agreement to curb pollution that President Trump has proposed eliminating.   

Sewer Followup

When last we checked in with Baltimore City’s $1.6 billion plan to upgrade its failing sewer system, the city was locked in a dispute with water quality advocacy group Blue Water Baltimore over the scope of the federally mandated consent decree. Blue Water Baltimore wanted the work to continue until water quality met a certain benchmark, even if that meant performing repairs and upgrades outside the purview of the initial agreement. The city—and the federal government—argued that this was not feasible or necessary. In October, a federal judge sided with the city and federal government. The first phase of the project, which will address 83% of sewer overflows, is supposed to be completed by January 1, 2021. All remaining work is to be completed by 2030. The consent decree can be viewed in full here.  

Park Places

• The ribbon cutting of a redeveloped baseball field in West Baltimore provided the setting for a classic Orioles reunion last week as Cal Ripken Jr., Eddie Murray, and Brooks Robinson gathered at the newly dedicated Eddie Murray Field at BGE Park. The park, a project of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, now features a synthetic turf baseball diamond, dugouts, a backstop, and a digital scoreboard. The field is located behind James Mosher Elementary School and will host after- school programming in addition to James Mosher Baseball—the oldest continuously operating African-American youth baseball league in the country.
• Users of the Stony Run trail that snakes through many of North Baltimore’s most coveted neighborhoods had cause for celebration in early October. After nearly 10 years and $1 million in investment, two footbridges opened creating the final linkages in the trail that runs between Roland Avenue and North Charles Street from just below Northern Parkway to Remington.  
• In October, the state announced it will allocate $23 million to protect parcels of farmland, forest, and open space in 17 conservation districts around the state. The funds are part of the Rural Legacy Program, a program of the state Department of Natural Resources, that works “to preserve large, contiguous tracts of land and to enhance natural resource, agricultural, forestry and environmental protection while supporting a sustainable land base for natural resource based industries.” This year’s recipients include the Manor and Piney Run areas in Baltimore County, and the Deer Creek area of Harford County. 

Babies in a Half Shell: Turtle Power!

In late September, the National Park Service announced that a nest of loggerhead sea turtles successfully hatched on Assateague Island National Seashore. The approximately 100 hatchlings emerged from one nest site in the Maryland Over Sand Vehicle zone and successfully made their way out to sea. This is the first successful hatch of loggerhead sea turtles on Assateague, though other attempts have been noted in recent years. The species generally does not nest north of North Carolina. Bill Hulslander, chief of resource management for the National Seashore says, the hatch “underscores the increasing importance of undeveloped beaches along Assateague Island to sea turtles and other federally threatened and endangered species.”

If Ravens shutout Browns, they’ll break a 72-year-old NFL record.
Not to get greedy, but after watching the way the Ravens defense performed in week one in Cincinnati, we are more confident than ever going against the Cleveland Browns at home. And it turns out, if this Sunday’s game is another shutout, the Ravens will break a 72-year-old NFL record. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the last team to shutout its opponents during the first two games of the season was, ironically, the Cleveland Rams in 1945. If this all seems a little pie-in-the-sky, consider a few facts:

1. The game is at M&T Bank Stadium and the Ravens defense has allowed the NFL’s fewest points at home since John Harbaugh became coach in 2008.
2. DeShone Kizer, the Browns rookie quarterback, is making his first career debut. Godspeed, DeShone.
3. The Ravens held the Bengals scoreless on 12 drives last week, forcing a turnover every time Cincinnati got inside Baltimore’s 10-yard line
4. During the offseason, Browns’ head coach Hue Jackson himself called the Ravens defense “legendary.”

But the cornerstone of the defense, Terrell Suggs, who deflected a key pass last Sunday, says his strategy is to go into this week fresh. “As far as we are concerned, last week didn’t happen,” he told ESPN. “We are taking it as our first game, and of course, it is our first home game. It is our home opener. You kind of have to have a short memory. Because this is the NFL; your fate can change in a week. We are acting like last week was just a dream.”

Bizarre giveaway at M&T Bank Stadium this Sunday.
Speaking of the Ravens, this has to be one of the weirdest giveaways we’ve ever seen at a local sports game. Biotech firm Orig3n will be giving all fans that enter M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday free DNA test kits. Fans who opt to participate can learn about their genetic makeup in four different genes, but they first have to swab the inside of their cheek, drop the sample into a stadium bin, and register with the company online. Among the findings, fans will be able to discover if they are “generally predisposed” to have difficulty metabolizing Vitamin D.

While we personally think this is odd and invasive on many levels (though clever marketing for Boston-based Orig3n), the Ravens are calling it “one of the most innovative events a partner has ever spearheaded.” If you say so.

Maryland football off to impressive start.
When rumors swirled that Maryland was joining the Big 10, a lot of fans feared that our state football team wouldn’t be able to hold its own. A lot of those worries have been dissuaded so far this season, starting with a 51-41 Maryland win against the longhorns in Austin. In true Terp style, the victory didn’t come withouts  hiccups, including quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome (not even the planned starter) tearing his ACL.Thankfully, true freshman and big recruit Kasim Hill saved the day—earning 57 yards and punching in a three-yard run to put the Terrapins up by 10 with just over seven minutes left in the game.

Though Towson University football isn’t quite on the same level as UT, last week’s 63-17 victory over the Tigers was pretty amazing. (Sorry to our buddies on Osler Drive.) One of the key takeaways is just how impressive the Terps running game is. Against Towson, Maryland rushed for 367 yards and six touchdowns—and running backs averaged 10.2 yards-per-carry. Look for backs Ty Johnson, Lorenzo Harrison III, and Jake Funk to continue to excel—as well as wide receiver D.J. Moore to capitalize on Hill’s success as QB.

Cal Ripken Jr. will not be commentator during baseball playoffs. 
After some, ahem, lackluster reception, Turner Sports confirmed that Cal Ripken Jr. will not be returning to TBS’ Major League Baseball playoff broadcasts. Ripken started working with TBS in 2007 as a studio analyst, transition to game broadcasts in 2012, where he’s worked every post-season since. 

Despite his tenure, Ripken never seemed quite comfortable in the role. The Sun‘s TV critic David Zurawick wrote, “Ripken was sometimes silent for stretches of time, even after Ernie Johnson, TBS’ smooth play-by-play announcer, tried to tee it up for his analysis. Compared to MASN’s Jim Palmer, who is 15 years older, Ripken seemed somewhere between somnolent and comatose in this playoff series during the first two games.” For his part, Ripken acknowledged the learning curve, saying to Awful Announcing in 2016: “I get five or six, I think, of the Sunday games on TBS. So you kind of get back into the position. And over time there is an accumulation of your comfort level, but I could benefit by doing more reps where you could feel like it becomes second nature to you.”

Though it’s not his strongest suit, we will miss the familiar voice of Carl, I mean, Cal during the MLB playoffs.

We love Ravens Ronnie Stanley. And we love Lola.
Ravens linebacker Ronnie Stanley has made it no secret that he’s an animal lover. But there’s something about this recent Petco commercial that is particularly adorable. 

So who’s stock rose in Spring Training?
Rising star Trey Mancini absolutely hit the cover off the ball in Spring Training, hitting .339 in 59 at bats. Make no mistake, he’s a very exciting prospect.

Outfielder Joey Rickard wasn’t far behind him, picking up where he left off in last year’s breakout Spring Training with a .302 average in 53 at-bats.

Also turning some heads? Left fielder Craig Gentry, a journeyman player the Orioles didn’t have high hopes for. He’s batting .327 in 52 at-bats and is projected to make the 25 man roster.

And, of course, it seems a little silly to say that Adam Jones’ stock rose this spring—he’s the team captain and already a superstar. But his time at the World Baseball Classic—capped by that mind-blowing catch (you know the one)—electrified both fans and Jones himself, who said the WBC was the “best experience of his life,” sports-wise. We expect Mr. Stay Hungry to be even hungrier (famished?) as the season begins.

What the experts are saying.
Thanks to a shaky starting rotation, it’s not supposed to be a great year for the Os, with sports writers projecting them to land anywhere between third and last place in the AL East. Our response? Yawn. The Os are perennially underestimated. We’ll take our chances with Buck and the boys.

Farewell Melo Trimble—sniff.
It was inevitable, but it still hurts. Terps guard Melo Trimble has officially hired an agent and will be entering the 2017 NBA draft.

We’ll miss his ankle-breaking drives to the basket, his free-throw proficiency, his quiet leadership, his awesomely tipped hair, and the sneaky little “damn, it’s fun to be this good” smile that played at his lips after he made a great play.

He’s not projected to get picked in most mock drafts, but that could change once teams get a look at him in pre-draft workouts. More likely, he’ll have to prove himself in the D-League or abroad. Whatever happens, we’re true believers. Everyone in Maryland has witnessed how good—and clutch—the kid is. This was his final play at College Park:

Hey, at least someone from Maryland made it to the Final Four!
It wasn’t a great NCAA tournament for either the Terps Men’s or Women’s teams (or for Mount St. Mary’s, for that matter), but that doesn’t mean Maryland won’t be represented in the Final Four. Cinderella darlings South Carolina are outfitted by Under Armour, making them the local sportswear company’s first team to get that far. “The exposure can be worth a lot of money,” sports retail analyst Matt Powell told the Baltimore Business Journal. “It’s a dream for any brand.”

Bonus:
Get ready to feel really, really old. (But also filled with warm fuzzies and nostalgia.) The Orioles just signed infielder Ryan Ripken to an Aberdeen IronBirds minor league contract. Yes, Cal’s son. Then the O’s tweeted this picture:

Our hearts!

When the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame arrived on the sports scene 60 years ago, it didn’t tiptoe into existence. It jumped in with both feet. The first class of inductees included baseball legends Babe Ruth, Frank “Home Run” Baker, Jimmie Foxx, and Olympic champion Robert Garrett.

Today, as it was in 1956, the MDSAHOF honors the legendary athletes of our state for their widely recognized achievements. Glancing through the 200-person-plus MDSAHOF archive is a trip down memory lane. Gene Shue, Lefty Grove, Chuck Foreman, Cal Ripken Jr., Pam Shriver.

Those who worked tirelessly behind the scenes form an elite group as well. Charley Ellinger, Chester O’Sullivan, Jack Scarbath, John Steadman, Vince Bagli—right on up to legendary high school baseball coach Bernie Walter, who has chaired the MDSAHOF since 2011.

“Our state offers a multi-faceted sports program that includes but is not limited to true amateurs, collegians, and professionals,” says Walter, who points out MDSAHOF inductees range from major sports down to niche sports such as skeet shooting, bowling, and badminton.

In 2012, Walter’s MDSAHOF board revised the rules that had only allowed people born in Maryland to be inducted. Now “adopted Marylanders,” like Johnny Unitas and Brooks Robinson, who not only starred as Maryland athletes, but became a part of the community after retirement, could be elected.

At Walter’s urging, more women were named to the board and a wider selection process saw X Games standout Travis Pastrana inducted in 2011 for action sports and the first four-legged inductee Native Dancer in 2014.

What sets Maryland’s athletes apart?

“For such a small state, the quality and quantity of athletic achievement is incredible,” says Walter. “This was reflected in these past Summer Olympics. If Maryland were a country, it would have ranked second on the gold-medal list.”

Walter and what he calls the “incredible group of doers” who comprise his MDSAHOF board are thrilled to celebrate the organization’s 60th birthday.

This year’s induction class, which will be honored Nov. 3 at Michael’s Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, includes the Hall’s first female soccer player and a cross-section of talent:

Brady Anderson

Orioles Hall of Famer, three-time American League All-Star.

Twenty years ago, Anderson hit 50 homers, which was the most by an Oriole until Chris Davis had 53 in 2013. His name still appears all over the Orioles career leader list. Now vice president of baseball operations for the team, Anderson was asked if he aspires to one day run the team. “If I do my job really well, it will help the current GM keep his job,” Anderson says. “If you’re focused on things like that, you would have to be thinking about the current GM not doing well. To me, that would be a very twisted thought.”

Wheeler Baker

Ten-time winner of the American Power Boat Association National Championships.

Five-mile races in hydroplanes weren’t for the faint of heart. “We’d get to the turn and sometimes four or five of us were going at the same time, and you don’t slack up. You slack up, you lose,” recalls Baker, a native of the Eastern Shore. He went on to serve as a county commissioner and in the House of Delegates. He is president of the Kent Narrows Racing Association and chairs the Chesterwye Foundation, which helps adults with developmental disabilities.

Louis Carter

Running back for the University of Maryland and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Carter led the Terps in rushing for three seasons in the 1970s, went to the NFL, and threw the first touchdown pass in Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ history. He has gained insight from late wife’s illness, battling cancer himself, and counts his blessings. He recalls life after the NFL playing flag football with his Maryland classmates. “It wasn’t the NFL, but it doesn’t give you brain damage, either.”

Gary Jobson

World-class sailor, television commentator, and author based in Annapolis.

A three-time All-American collegiate sailor, Jobson was part of Ted Turner’s crew (tactician) that won the America’s Cup in 1977 aboard Courageous. He became a sailing analyst for the likes of ESPN and NBC and won two Emmys. Once a sport for the rich, sailing “has done a good job of opening the doors wide,” Jobson says. “Right here in Annapolis, there are eight high schools with sailing teams.”

Laurie Schwoy

Rewrote McDonogh record book in 1990s as four-sport star.

Parade magazine national soccer Player of the Year, Schwoy went on to North Carolina, winning three national soccer titles. Injuries kept her off U.S. national team as peers like Mia Hamm made history by winning the 1999 World Cup. “It was a bitter pill to swallow,” Schwoy admits. “It made me a much better human being because of that heartbreak.”

Jack Thomas

All-time lacrosse great at Hopkins.

On the last freshman team not allowed to play, Thomas made it to the national championship the next three years, finally winning as a senior. He was the only player in JHU history to average more than 70 points per season. At Towson High, he was a three-sport star under his dad, Bill Thomas Sr. Thomas taught in Howard County schools for 40 years and “learned it makes a tremendous impression on kids when you have a Wikipedia page.”

In addition, longtime sportswriter and Camden Yards official scorer Jim Henneman is being honored by the MDSAHOF as winner of the John F. Steadman Lifetime Achievement Award. A former batboy, usher, and more, Henneman confidently says, “I’m pretty sure I’ve seen more Orioles games than anybody alive.”

Ravens dedicate win to defensive line coach Clarence Brooks
“This one was for Clarence Brooks,” read the tweet from the Ravens official account. “Sorry we might have had you a little worried, Coach.”

After Sunday’s thrilling come from behind win against the Browns,
Ravens players huddled in the locker room, reflecting on how Coach
Clarence Brooks, who died of cancer on Sept. 18, would’ve reacted to the
game. They all agreed that the coach, who was with the team for 12
years—and who was apparently known for both his colorful language and
his intolerance for mental mistakes—definitely would
not have been pleased with Cleveland running back Isaiah Crowell’s 85-yard touchdown sprint in the first quarter.
“I know he’s pissed off, but I know he’s happy we won, too,” cracked linebacker C.J. Mosley.

“They just let him into Heaven and that first run play popped and
they had to give [Coach Brooks] a timeout,” Coach Harbaugh
affectionately joked. “[I bet] he was going off. [They must’ve been
like], ‘Did we let this guy in here?’”

Defensive end Lawrence Guy said that he, along with the entire Ravens d-line, is dedicating his season to the beloved coach.

Trey Mancini hits home run in major league debut. Is stud.
Well, this is just the cutest thing. Rookie infielder Trey Mancini hit a home run in his major league debut and his mom Beth, who is from the Baltimore area, went positively nuts in the stands. Later, Mancini explained that mom may’ve been extra emotional because it was also the 79th birthday of her late father, an O’s season ticket holder. Awww. Two days later, Mancini was a bright spot in another loss against Red Sox, slugging another home run. In 7 at bats, he has two home runs, a double, and 4 RBI. Where has this guy been all our lives?

The Dennis Pittassaince Continues!
We’re
not going to lie. After he missed what essentially amounted to two
entire seasons, we thought Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta was dunzo. We
almost felt badly for the guy when he announced he was going to give it
another go this season—it seemed like he was in denial. Well, there
certainly is egg on our faces, because the sure-handed receiver (and
Joe Flacco bestie) has been an absolute stud in his first two games.
Entering Week 3, Pitta ties the NFL lead in receptions by a TE, and
ranks second in receiving yards.

We’ve never been so happy to be wrong in our lives.

Baltimore Ravens draft Ronnie Stanley.
In the first night of the NFL Draft on Thursday, the Ravens selected offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley from Notre Dame with its sixth pick. The 6’6″ 312-lb. tackle will provide much-needed protection for Joe Flacco, many equating the OT with Tyron Smith of the Dallas Cowboys. An added bonus is that Stanley actually played basketball in high school, giving him quick feet and a great run game. Stanley comes into the league as one of the top two offensive tackles in the draft, alongside Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss, whose work ethic has been questioned recently—especially since a video of Tunsil smoking out of a bong with a gas mask was posted to his Twitter account minutes before the draft. Thankfully, Stanley had great numbers in the NFL Combine and is completely clean off the field. Phew!

Under Armour’s Jordan Spieth becomes Snapchat star.
Clearly Under Armour athlete Jordan Spieth didn’t spend much time mourning his surprising collapse at the Masters. Instead, the young golf star has been vacationing in Baker’s Bay in the Bahamas with Justin Thomas and Smylie Kaufman while Rickie Fowler documents the whole thing on Snapchat. There were some boat trips, dinners on the water, time spent in ceremonial headdresses, (because, obviously), and even a video joking about Spieth’s Masters performance. Spieth is relaxing while he can since he has a busy stretch coming up in May before the U.S. Open on June 16-19. But, for now it’s all fun in the Snapchat sun.

Plus! Just try not to tear up at this video of Steve Smith Sr. taking North Carolina high school senior Aubrey Bridges to prom.
It’s impossible.

Cal Ripken, Jr. woke up with a fever. He figured it was due to the exhaustion of the past couple of weeks. His mind had been turned on a lot and he was spending night after night at the ballpark to sign autographs—sometimes until 3 a.m.—long after the media had packed away their cameras.

That day, the media would be there in droves. After all, it was September 6, 1995, the day he was set to break Lou Gehrig’s record of consecutive games played in a Major League Baseball uniform. But before the spotlight turned on, it was time to get his daughter, Rachel, to her first day of pre-first at St. Paul’s School for Girls.

“I took her to school, then came back home to try and get some sleep. I didn’t do too well at that,” says Cal, as he sits in the clubhouse of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, leaning back with his palm resting under his chin, 20 years later. “Sleep was a little bit hard for me that last week.”

In fact, he admits he was emotional long before the day the warehouse banner numbers flipped to 2131. For weeks, the Orioles events crew had made it a daily routine to flip the number and play the music in the middle of the fifth, when the game became official.

“The first time I was at shortstop and I heard the music—I think it was John Tesh—and the number changed, it gave me goose bumps,” he says. “Then everyone on the field and in the stands just became conditioned to look at that warehouse in the fifth.”

Like those weeks leading up to it, the day of September 6 flew by. “Before I knew it, I was back at the ballpark,” he says. “We did our best to keep the media out of the locker room—I didn’t want my teammates to be impacted—but I think the team was really excited. Sure, there was a little ribbing in the locker room. I don’t remember who the culprits were, but I knew I felt it and was sensitive to it.”

When he needed a break, Cal said his “go-to guy” was longtime trainer Richie Bancells, whom he’d known since 1978. “I never wanted to be in the training room for treatment, but I wanted to be there to talk to Richie. He was always there for me.”

As game-time approached, the park took on a playoff atmosphere, as nearly 50,000 fans filed in, camera flashbulbs danced around the crowd, and President Clinton took his seat in the skybox (with Secret Service agents perched on the stadium rooftop).

By the time the ceremonious middle-of-the-fifth came around, the O’s were already beating the California Angels 2-0 (including a kismet dinger by Cal in the fourth, which the President called alongside Jon Miller in the booth). As had happened every game for weeks, the music swelled, the crowd’s cheers were deafening, and the banner unfurled from “0” to “1.” Hundreds of black and orange balloons lilted through the air and what followed might be the longest standing ovation for any athlete in history. Twenty-two minutes, to be exact.

“The first time I was at shortstop and heard the music, it gave me goose bumps.”

“It was really, really long,” Cal says with a laugh. “I was embarrassed because you don’t stop a game in the middle. Pitchers are warming up; players have a rhythm. So I was like, ‘I’ll celebrate afterward as much as you guys want, but let’s get this game going.’”

But his teammates, namely Rafael Palmeiro and Bobby Bonilla, weren’t having it, and after Cal did a couple of hat tips to the crowd, the pair physically pushed him out of the dugout and onto the field for his famed lap. As the Orioles event staff scrambled to find a song to play (they went with Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time”), Ripken still wasn’t too enthused.

“At first I was thinking, ‘Let’s get this game going,’ but then, as I’m going around, I’m like ‘Wow, this is really cool,’” he says, his voice gaining speed, as he stands in front of an illustration of the stadium. “I’m recognizing a lot of people, not just faces but names, recognizing more people, oh man that dude just fell down, and then all of a sudden about here [he gestures toward the outfield bleachers], I don’t care if we start this game ever again. I got slower and slower as I came down this way. It was almost like—I couldn’t care less about starting the game again. A celebration of 50,000 turned one-on-one.”

Certain moments—like the one he mentioned of the fan reaching out so far that he fell from the bleachers—stick out more than others. He remembers seeing his agent, Ron Shapiro, by the third baseline. And noticing a sign that read “The House That Cal Built.” Then there was an exchange with Angels Hall of Famer Rod Carew, whom Cal had long admired.

“I wish I could tell you what words were said,” he says of the moment with Carew. “I just remember being blown away by the fact that it even happened.”

And, of course, once he rounded back to home, he remembers hugging and kissing his wife, Kelly, and his kids, Ryan, 2, and Rachel, 5, who said “Ew!” when she kissed her dad’s sweaty forehead. He took off his jersey to reveal a homemade T-shirt that said “2,130+ Hugs and Kisses for Daddy.” Then he looked up to the skybox, where his parents, Cal Sr. and Vi, stood, clapping proudly.

“There was one moment when I caught Dad’s eye. Nothing was said, but 1,000 bits of information were traveling back and forth between us.”

Like many nights before, Cal stayed at the ballpark long after the game ended, this time doing an interview with Bob Costas in the weight room around 2:30 a.m. The next day, thankfully, the O’s had off and “once the adrenaline slipped away,” he, more or less, caught up on sleep.

“Man, I’ve been out of the game for a long time.”

The team then traveled to Cleveland, where Cal was excited to see his former teammate and good friend Eddie Murray. Instead of the managers trading lineup cards before the game—as is typical—Cal and Murray did the honors. Cal got an extra firm “atta boy” handshake from the crew chief and a standing ovation in Jacobs Field.

“After that, for the most part, things kind of went back to normal,” he says. “The playoffs started the way they always had.”

Cal Ripken, Jr. is doing math in his head. “So, my last year as a player was 2001, so now we’re in 2015 and now I’m thinking, ‘Man, I’ve been out of the game for a long time,’” he says, smiling and shaking his head.

As with any anniversary, some moments feel like yesterday, he explains, while others seem more like a lifetime ago. He admits that he has a box of mementos hidden away somewhere (“I’m a hoarder”), but that he hasn’t looked at it in a while.

He belly laughs when asked if he ever got sick of himself—the Streak Week parades, the milk ads, the Iron Man nickname, the September 1995 cover of this magazine.

“You know, you have to maintain perspective,” he says. “You’re a sportsman, not an entertainer. The people that look at themselves as a form of entertainment might get sick of themselves after a while. But that particular time didn’t make my head bigger or make me think I’m more important.”

In true Cal form, he begins to divert his answer away from himself.

“It was more about accepting what the meaning was. This was a time, after the ’94 labor issues, when people weren’t happy with baseball. Comparing the streak back to an era of Lou Gehrig, an era of Ken Burns-like baseball, you got this nostalgic feeling. That’s how I understood it and how I wrapped by head around it.”

Something else he took away from the 2131 era really had nothing to do with baseball. It was this idea that, suddenly, streaks were cool.

“Perfect attendance in school—which I never had, by the way—was a big source of pride for kids,” he says. “I was hearing about nurses or teachers or people working in plants having never missed a day. And then there was [umpire attendant] Ernie Tyler, who only ended his streak to come to my Hall of Fame ceremony, which he was so excited about.”

In Cal’s mind, his 2007 Hall of Fame induction and the 1983 World Series stand up there with 2131. At the Hall of Fame ceremony, there was a sea of orange and number eights staring back at him. To try and repay the fans, he remembers driving in a van through Cooperstown, popping out to surprise folks in Orioles gear, shaking their hands, and jumping back in.

“I just remember being blown away by the fact that it even happened.”

He comes back to the fans a lot. Like it was just last season, he recounts a game at Memorial Stadium in 1989 when he was ejected in the first inning for arguing balls and strikes.

“I heard later that a family traveled [to see the game]. They were sitting in the second or third row,” he says. “After I got ejected, they said the kids cried the whole rest of the game. Maybe I’m uber-sensitive, but those kind of stories chew me up.” (At least the story has a happy ending. Apparently, a nearby season-ticket holder gave them tickets for the next day.)

He says this was a lesson that his dad taught him, that it is your responsibility to your teammates and your responsibility to the fans to come out each and every day.

“I’ve gotten asked before, ‘Does it make you feel bad that people will only remember you from the streak, not the great player you were?’ And I’ve never understood that,” he says. “It’s not like I came to the big leagues telling Earl Weaver, ‘You’ve got to play me.’ I earned the place to play. The manager has the ultimate choice, and if he chooses you, you always play.”

He takes a long pause and admits, with a slight glint in his blue eyes, that a recent Father’s Day had him thinking a lot about his dad, who died in 1999.

“Dad was funny. He would always say, ‘You can’t play tomorrow’s game. You can’t replay yesterday’s game. You might as well play the game today.’”

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The 2131 Scrapbook

Personal accounts from behind-the-scenes on September 6, 1995.