For right now, the Orioles are just the Orioles.
The Orioles denied a report by WNST’s Drew Forrester Thursday that said the team was filing paperwork to put the word “Baltimore” on the team’s road jerseys.
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“Despite unfounded rumors to the contrary, there has been no decision made to change the Orioles’ uniforms,” Greg Bader, the team’s director of communications, said in a statement to The Examiner. “We sincerely appreciate all of the enthusiasm our fans have in the operations of the ballclub and the interest surrounding this particular issue.”
The lack of the city’s name on the jersey, team merchandise and at Oriole Park at Camden Yards has particularly angered some longtime fans. The Orioles last wore a jersey with “Baltimore” on it in 1972.
But club ownership has long rejected the notion that it was a priority to put “Baltimore” on road jerseys. The team often tinkers with its hat design, including the recent addition of the “O?s” logo.
The Orioles would have to make a formal request to Major League Baseball by the end of the month for any uniform changes next season. League representatives refused comment, saying it was an issue for the Orioles to address.
Forrester has championed the issue on his morning show on WNST for months. He wore a gray baseball jersey with “Baltimore” across the front at the team’s home opener April 9.
WNST and the Orioles have had a rocky relationship of late after the station organized a walkout from a game last September.
Forrester said three team sources told him over the last three weeks that the team was putting Baltimore back on the road jersey. He said he had tried to reach Orioles officials via e-mail and text messages, but did not receive a reply. He said he offered to let them break the potential news instead of himself.
Forrester said the decision to put “Baltimore” back on the jersey should be a natural.
“Why they wouldn’t do it is beyond me,” Forrester said. “Maybe they don’t want the fans to be right. They don’t want their fans to be happy. It’s just one small step toward letting the team recognize what the city wants.”
