A BOY AND THE LEGENDS OF ORIOLES BASEBALL

A BOY AND THE LEGENDS OF ORIOLES BASEBALL

by Joey Daddario

PARTS I - IV Original publish date: 3/28/24
PART V (A very cool ending) published 9/12/24

PART I

It’s not every day that Baltimore Orioles Cy Young award pitcher Jim Palmer knocks on your door and asks you if you’d mind catching for him. In fact it’s certain this kind of interaction between a 12-year old little leaguer and his MLB next door neighbor could EVER happen in today’s demographics. And yet it did!

In the 1960s MLB players lived in the home town of the team they played for.  In the neighborhoods among the upper-middle class.  Some even took jobs in the off-season.  But the coolest part for the boys of Timonium, Maryland was that the Orioles were neighbors.  And their kids played sports with them.  Little Leaguers Joey and Mike Daddario enjoyed a childhood with Scott and Steve Gentile, Gary Triandos, and Scott Miller to name a few. 

When Jim Palmer moved in next to little league catcher Jimmy Anderson, most of the neighborhood was unaware.  But Joey’s sister Fran Daddario kept asking who the cute guy was in the green Porsche racing by their house on Coldbrook Rd.  Eventually the Daddarios found out via Jimmy Anderson – Jim Palmer.

Jimmy details that magic day. “Jim Palmer said, I’m on the injured list and need to exercise my arm.  I noticed you with your catchers gear. Let’s walk up to the school and use the baseball field.”  So, on they went.  Jimmy later exclaimed to the Daddario boys, “You should’ve seen his curve ball, it curves 2 feet.” As expected the neighborhood little leaguers were jealous.

PART II

Tonight was a special night. Joey’s parents, Al and Ilda Daddario, were having Orioles pitcher Stu Miller and wife over to play bridge. His parents had attended Orioles dinners at their friends Gus and Evelyn Triandos. And had met Stu there. Joey and Stu Millers son Scott had become school buddies and hung after school playing Beatles records.  The 2 families had become friends. And later that evening would be a big night for Joey. He got Stu Millers autograph.  Joey made sure not to mention that Mickey Mantle hit his 500^th homerun off Stu. That would be off limits.

PART III

And on life went with the neighboring Orioles.  Joey recalls a visit to first base player Jim Gentile’s home. His sons Steve and Scot had invited him over one afternoon just after they had finished starring in a local commercial for milk.

Joey recalls, “I remember them showing me a closet full of their dad’s baseball bats. I picked one up and found it impossibly heavy.  How on earth do the players swing it?”  And something else didn’t make sense. “The Gentile brothers weren’t that tall. Yet their dad had the famous 9-foot stretch on first base.  Hmmmm.”

PART IV

Mrs. Daddario often gathered the boys together for evening Orioles games. Seated in VIP box seats behind home plate she would point out the players wives commenting on how beautiful they were, “Baseball players have the prettiest wives” she’d remark. “Oh look there’s Jackie Brant, they call him ‘Flaky’.”  How she knew such things was anybody's guess! Come to think of it maybe there was something to that.  "Flakey" had signed the baseball TWICE!

In addition to scoring the best seats in Memorial Stadium the Daddarios accumulated a box of Orioles team-signed baseballs as gifts from various players. Youthfully unaware of their true value the Daddario boys would use them to play catch in the back yard. Ball after ball. “Throw me a grounder”. Until there was only one left. Worn, tattered.  Joey still has it.  But it’s time to give it away. 

But to whom?  This ‘storied’ baseball represents a magical time in both the boys lives as well as baseball history.  Sure, you could buy one in great condition. But not with this provenance.  Heck the Orioles had the best record in the 1960s.  What a prize!  They were both champions and neighbors. Friends.

Wouldn’t it be great to give this magic ball to an Oriole who is currently playing? But which one?  It would have to be a player who appreciated the history and ‘times gone by’ of Orioles memorabilia. A collector. One who hopefully likes the movie ‘Sandlot’ (LOL)? And perhaps even a player who’d one day hand it down to their children. Who would you choose??? 

NOTE 1:  Many details of this story can be verified by property records showing the proximity of the home owners to one another. 

NOTE 2: from author Joey Daddario:  I am 69 years-old as of this writing. I have no offspring. This baseball is almost 60 years-old.  It deserves a new home.

PART V
A VERY COOL STORY ENDING

Tonight my friend Paul and I went to Triple-A minor league baseball game where we watched the Orioles Triple A farm team, Norfolk Tides,  play.

In addition to a new unsigned baseball, I brought the 1960s era Orioles team signed baseball with me with the intention of handing it off to a player who would appreciate it. I taped a folded-up hard copy of parts I-IV to the bottom of the container in which the baseball was housed. The baseball without the story is....well...just a baseball.

We had great seats...so close to the dugout that at times it felt like we were eavesdropping on the players. As some of the players walked by they were signing autographs for a small group of professional collectors in front of us. I asked one of the players if he knew who Gus Triandos was. He got a funny look on him face and said "no". Well that was a pass!

Then a pitcher named Bruce Zimmerman came by and seemed to know more about the early Orioles team. I gave him the elevator pitch on its origin and asked if he wanted the ball. He said "my niece and nephew are big Orioles fans and they would love it." So I handed him the ball. And said "take good care of it."

Before "Zimm" could get away the Professional autograph collectors (ever the dealmakers) quickly sweetened things, leaned in and suggested Zimmerman take my new baseball "as part of the deal" and get the Norfolk Tides players to sign it as a team. He seemed OK with that so I handed that over as well.

Well how 'bout that?  Just the type of  interaction I was hoping for.

Bruce Zimmerman has played Major League Baseball for some years but is currently in the Minor League Triple A team. I didn't realize how good a pitcher he was until the next evening I read he had pitched a 5-inning shutout! Very cool!

Thanks for reading.

Joey Daddario
2226 High Rigger Court
Fernandina Beach, FL. 32034

904-206-1070 Cell/Text