Orioles Legend To Catch Ceremonial Opening Day First Pitch

The Baltimore Orioles have a new owner and have reportedly invited back a legend to catch Thursday's ceremonial first pitch.

Apr 7, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cal Ripken Jr., a member of the Major League Baseball hall / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have decided who will catch the first pitch for Thursday’ home opener and it has a tie-in with the new ownership group headed by David Rubenstein.

The Baltimore Sun reported on Wednesday that Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. will catch the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day as the Orioles host the Los Angeles Angels. The post did not reveal who would throw out the first pitch.

This comes the same day that the Orioles’ sale from the Angelos Family to Rubenstein was made official by a unanimous vote of MLB owners. The Sun also noted that Ripken is among those involved in the new ownership group, led by Rubenstein and Mike Arougheti.

Ripken is not the only former professional athlete among the new ownership group. Former NBA and Duke star Grant Hill is part of the group.

Ripken is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame, the Major League Baseball All-Century Team and had his No. 8 retired by the team.

As a player, he spent his entire 21-year career with the Orioles, where early in his career he won the 1982 American League Rookie of the Year award and helped the franchise win its most recent World Series title in 1983.

But he is best known best to baseball fans as the game’s ironman, as he played in a MLB-record 2,632 games, breaking the record previously held by New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig. He did so after a divisive player strike and owners’ lockout in 1994-95 that helped the game regain its footing among fans.

By the end of his career he was a 19-time All-Star, a two-time American League MVP, a two-time AL Gold Glove winner, an eight-time Silver Slugger, and the 1992 Roberto Clemente Award winner.

He finished his career with 3,184 hits, 431 home runs, and 1,695 RBI.