It was a cool, October afternoon when generations of Orioles took the field for the final time at Memorial Stadium.
One after another, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer and Cal Ripken Jr. were among dozens of Orioles who emerged from the third base dugout to commemorate the team’s final game at 33rd Street on Oct. 6, 1991.
Nearly 17 years later, a similar celebration unfolded — albeit about 190 miles north in the Bronx, where the Yankees defeated the Orioles, 7-3, in the final baseball game at 85-year-old Yankee Stadium on Sunday night.
And Ken Singleton, a former Oriole and Yankee, had the best seat in the “House That Ruth Built.” Singleton, who played on the Orioles’ when they won the World Series title in 1983, works as an analyst for the YES Network, reflected on that autumn day in Baltimore as he sat in his broadcast booth behind home plate.
“The major difference was in Baltimore they didn’t announce your name,” he said. “Fans recognized you when you came out. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place.”
The Yankees introduced more two dozen of their legends either in person or through a family member, with the players or their representatives taking the field at their respective positions during a stirring pregame ceremony.
Palmer, who was at Yankee Stadium as an Orioles broadcaster, reflected on the final game at Memorial Stadium, which the Orioles lost, 7-1 to Detroit, before the Yankees honored their legends.
“I just remember sitting in the booth that day, and I remember thinking we’re going to spend a lot of money on a [baseball-only facility],” Palmer said. “Will they ever have as many memories as they did in Memorial Stadium for both football and baseball? You don’t play Super Bowls in your own ballpark, but you win NFC Championships, and we were able to win a World Series there.”
The new Yankee Stadium will be similar to Camden Yards. It’s primary use will be for baseball, as Yankee Stadium’s predecessor housed professional and college football games, premier boxing matches and rock concerts.
“I remember when we moved from Memorial Stadium to Camden Yards I was reluctant and didn’t understand the need for the move,” Ripken said. “That changed the minute I walked into Camden Yards and we have all new memories from there. That will happen in New York.”
[email protected]
