Fitting unveiling for Cal, Eddie
O’s greats reconnect at dedication of Murray Field at BGE Park
When Orioles legends and Baseball Hall of Famers Cal Ripken Jr. and Eddie Murray finally connected onstage on the baseball field built by the former’s charity and named for the latter, each man’s experience in such situations was evident.
What began as a handshake between the self-proclaimed brothers turned into a bear hug, with Ripken lifting the reserved Murray off his feet.
Ripken has spent his post-playing days at events like Wednesday’s, unveiling baseball fields in his father’s honor. Murray, always quiet, took a little time to absorb the surroundings of a field named for him.
But as Wednesday afternoon’s dedication of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation project of Eddie Murray Field at BGE Park behind James Former Oriole Cal Ripken Jr., left, greets former teammate Eddie Murray with a bear hug before the two unveiled a youth baseball field in West Baltimore. Mosher Elementary in West Baltimore wore on, the pair pulled on their decades of shared experience to strike a fitting celebratory tone for such an event.
“We couldn’t be more proud to have this field in Eddie’s name, and in the spirit of that relationship that many of us have with kids, and in the spirit of what Dad is all about,” Ripken said.
“Hopefully, we can get our kids back involved, and this is just a little step here. I am so proud of this stadium here,” Murray said.
A year ago this week, the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and BGE broke ground on the field that hosts James Mosher Baseball, which was founded in 1960 and is the longest continuously operated baseball program for African-American youths in the United States.
The day — which also featured Hall of Famer and Orioles legend Brooks Robinson — included the participation of hundreds of sponsors, Mosher baseball volunteers and players, elected officials and community members who turned out to cut the ribbon and christen