PRESS RELEASE

The Orioles will host a public celebration of life for legendary manager EARL WEAVER at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Saturday, April 20 at 2:00 p.m. The program, “A Celebration of Earl,” will include a video tribute and a collection of notable guest speakers to honor the memory of the greatest manager in Orioles history.

Guest speakers include BROOKS ROBINSON, FRANK ROBINSON, RICK DEMPSEY, BUCK SHOWALTER, National Baseball Hall of Fame President JEFF IDELSON and Earl’s son, MIKE WEAVER.

Gates A and H will open at 1:00 p.m. Complimentary parking will be available in Lot B/C, and there is no admission charge to attend. The ballpark will be closed once the event has concluded and will reopen for that night’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at 5:00 p.m.

One of six Orioles Legends to receive his own larger-than-life bronze sculpture at the ballpark last season, Weaver passed away in January at the age of 82. The Orioles will wear a patch on their right uniform sleeve throughout the season in honor of Weaver.

The Orioles have announced plans for the first game of their 2013 spring training season and their fourth season in Sarasota. The team will face the Minnesota Twins at Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow, Saturday, February 23, at 1:05 p.m.

            Tomorrow and throughout the season, ballpark gates will open two hours prior to the scheduled first pitch. All fans attending tomorrow’s opener will receive a 2013 spring training magnet schedule presented by the Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the first 1,000 female fans in attendance will receive a Bird of Paradise flower courtesy of Beneva Flowers.

REMEMBERING EARL

                The Orioles lost a beloved member of their family in January when Hall of Fame Manager EARL WEAVER passed away. The greatest manager in Orioles history, Weaver compiled 1,480 wins and a .583 winning percentage over 17 seasons as the team’s skipper from 1968-82 and 1985-86. A minor league second baseman for 13 years, mostly in his hometown St. Louis Cardinals organization, the “Earl of Baltimore” began his managing career in the minors in 1956 and joined the Orioles organization a year later. He came up to the Orioles as first base coach in 1968 and was named manager on July 11 of that year. From 1969 through 1982, he won six AL East titles, four AL pennants and one World Series, beating the Cincinnati Reds in 1970. Earl’s Orioles won at least 100 games five times, and he earned Manager of the Year honors three times.

He retired following the 1982 season, which ended one game shy of another AL East title when the Orioles lost to the Milwaukee Brewers on the final day of the season. He came back to manage in the middle of the 1985 season for 1 ½ years before retiring for good.

Living in Florida after his retirement, Earl was a frequent visitor to Orioles’ spring training and Dream Week. He also made regular visits to Baltimore, including multiple trips with his wife Marianna for the Orioles Legends Celebration Series in 2012. Earl’s sculpture was unveiled in the bullpen picnic grove at Oriole Park on June 30, 2012.

The Orioles will honor Earl prior to tomorrow’s game in a pre-game moment of silence and video tribute. In addition, Earl’s uniform number 4 will be stenciled onto the grass outside of the Orioles dugout in foul territory.  An orange patch depicting the number 4 and the words “Earl Weaver” and “Hall of Fame” in black will also be worn on the home, road and two alternate in-game jerseys beginning tomorrow and throughout the entire 2013 season. An image of this patch is attached to this release.

PRE-GAME EVENTS

            The National Anthem will be performed by tenor HEATH HUBERG. Huberg is currently singing the role of Nadir in Sarasota Opera’s 2013 production of The Pearl Fishers.

Ben Millice, representing Southwest Airlines, the Official Airline of the Orioles, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game.

SECURITY MEASURES

The Orioles have one of the most liberal food policies in professional sports. Outside food and beverages may be brought into Ed Smith Stadium, subject to the following guidelines:

• Soft-sided and paper bags are permitted at Ed Smith Stadium, as long as they fit into a 16” x 16” x 8” container. Hard-sided coolers, thermoses, glass bottles, cans or alcoholic beverages are not permitted into the ballpark.
• Non-alcoholic beverages in plastic bottles are permitted into the park. All items will be checked at the gates and any beverage which has been opened or partially consumed prior to entry is subject to confiscation if it is thought to contain alcohol. In addition, no plastic or paper cups of beverages are permitted into the park at the entry gates.
• All items permitted into the ballpark will be inspected. No bags or items exceeding the maximum size of 16″ x 16″ x 8″ are allowed into the ballpark.
• No containers or unauthorized items can be left at any park entrance.
• No re-entry will be permitted once a fan has entered the ballpark gates.
• Vehicles dropping off or picking up guests with special needs or disabilities are permitted to utilize the East Lot for this purpose. No vehicles are permitted to park curbside, nor are people able to stand and wait with vehicles.

“Earl Weaver stands alone as the greatest manager in the history of the Orioles organization and one of the greatest in the history of baseball. This is a sad day for everyone who knew him and for all Orioles fans.

Earl made his passion for the Orioles known both on and off the field. On behalf of the Orioles, I extend my condolences to his wife, Marianna, and to his family.”-Orioles owner Peter Angelos, via a team release.

“Every time I look at an Oriole, it’s going to be missing a feather now without Earl.“-Orioles manager Buck Showalter 

“Earl was such a big part of Orioles baseball and personally he was a very important part of my life and career…and a great friend to our family. His passion for the game and the fire with which he managed will always be remembered by baseball fans everywhere and certainly by all of us who had the great opportunity to play for him. Earl will be missed but he can’t and won’t be forgotten.”-Cal Ripken Jr. 

“I would say that Earl Weaver had the greatest impact on me as a baseball player-more than anyone else. He was tough to get along with and only cared about winning, but he is the reason why Oriole baseball is what is today. Earl was a genius and a Hall of Fame manager, and the closest that’s ever got to that is the man we have right now in Buck Showalter.”-Former Orioles catcher and MASN broadcaster Rick Dempsey.

“It’s a sad day for Orioles fans and all of baseball. Earl certainly was one of the greatest managers. To me, his greatest strength was his ability to get his players to focus on playing the game on a daily basis. The results were many wins, and a Hall of Fame career.”-Former Orioles OF Ken Singleton, who played for Earl Weaver from 1975-1982.

“O’s and MLB family lost a great leader yesterday. Earl Weaver wasn’t blessed with height but if u measured his HEART he was a 7 footer.

The man lived a great life. I think it should be a celebration. 82 years is a remarkable feat.”-Orioles OF Adam Jones

“[Earl] was a strange, intense but unforgettable man…a big part of my youth.”-Broadcaster and longtime Oriole fan Roy Firestone.

“It’s a sad day, obviously. Earl was a terrific manager and I have to be grateful that Earl was with us for the Legends Series and we got a chance to spend time with him for every single statue ceremony unveiling. He is terrific. His simplicity and clarity of his leadership and his passion for baseball are unmatched. He’s a treasure for the Orioles and we are so grateful we had the opportunity to work with him this year.” -Orioles Executive VP of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette

“Really sad to hear about that today.  He meant a lot to this city and to this organization.  You wouldn’t want to be anywhere else for today to spend all day with Oriole players and thousands of Orioles fans just to remember everything about him.” -Steve Johnson, Orioles Pitcher

“It was the perfect relationship. We won, he was tough, we got our World Series checks. It worked…you don’t ever forget an Earl Weaver. And not just if you were an umpire. Fans, players, everyone…Earl was about winning and that was what he did.

It’s a sad day for any of us that knew Earl but it’s also a sad day, I think, for anybody that has been involved with Orioles baseball. We were lucky to have him here because he did end up in the Hall of Fame. He managed some marvelous teams. But I think now we all share the pain of him being gone.

Earl never wanted to be your friend because I think he thought it would detract from his ability to be a manager.  But the one thing he did want to do — he let you know that he was loyal to you by putting your name in the lineup. You can’t really ask for much more than that.