The Baltimore Orioles announced Thursday that two of the franchise’s hardest-working individuals will have their names forever etched in team history.
Former second basemen Brian Roberts and longtime radio broadcaster Fred Manfra will join Baltimore’s greats in the Orioles Hall of Fame, the team confirmed Thursday. Both will join the illustrious group in an on-field ceremony that will take place Aug. 11 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards against the Boston Red Sox.
Roberts was a first-round draft pick in 1999 and spent 13 years in an Orioles uniform. He owns just about every hitting record for an O’s second basemen and ranks in the top 10 all-time in many categories as well. He is second in steals (278), fourth in doubles (351), sixth in triples (35) and runs (810), seventh in walks (581) and ninth in hits with 1,452. He was also a two-time All Star (2005, 2007), but career was cut short by injuries.
While his career got off to a blistering start, many remember him more for how his career ended than how it began. He signed a four-year, $40 million contract in 2010, but was limited to 192 games due to various injuries, most notably a concussion. He played the 2014 season for the New York Yankees before retiring that October. He also was named in the Mitchell Report and later admitted to using steroids.
Ironically, Roberts will take Manfra’s spot in the radio booth following his retirement in 2017 after 24 seasons with the club. Manfra and longtime radio partner, Joe Angel, have become regular voices in the homes of many Baltimoreans over his illustrious career.Manfra will be 20th recipient of the Herbert E. Armstrong Award, which is given to non-uniformed personnel in the organization. He joins former O’s broadcaster Chuck Thompson, who was the first to receive the honor in 1995.
The Baltimore native and Patterson High graduate joined the Orioles in 1993, but Manfra wasn’t limited to just baseball. He also was on air for several other sports, including the Olympics, Triple Crown races, NHL Stanley Cup and NBA Finals during his 47-year career.
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