Driving home from Buzzy’s Country Store yesterday, I was feeling very good about the Orioles’ victory over their divisional rival Tampa Bay. It marked taking three games out of four from the Rays and gave the O’s a two game lead over them.
However, as I drove along listening to the post-game comments on the radio, I reminded myself that it’s still July and immediately thought of Eddie Murray.
Why Eddie? Because I have used his playing mantra as one of my life guides: “Never get too high when you win and never get too low when you lose.” It explains Eddie’s nickname of “Steady Eddie.”
Ironically enough, I had planned to do a post here on Eddie a couple days from now. You see, it was on 27 July 2003 when Eddie was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame. (I even had the blog post title all set to go “It Was 20 Years Ago Today.”)
For me, Eddie remains one of my favorite all time Orioles. Brooks and he are technically in a tie for that honor mostly because Eddie did not spend his entire career as an Oriole. (I give Brooks, Cal and Jim extra points for that.)
However, in all of my many hours spent watching and listening to the O’s in their hayday, Brooks, Cal and Jim never brought me out of my chair as many times as Eddie did when he would get a clutch hit to take the lead or win the game. I remember a co-worker once making the comment years ago when we were talking O’s “Who is Eddie Murray playing tonight?”
Thus, I am forever thankful that I got to witness Eddie during his time as an Oriole and for his teaching me one of life’s valuable lessons about always keeping things steady. Thank you Eddie.
Because I had it at the ready, here then is that great opening line I always recall on the 20th anniversary of something said or done by someone. (Pretend today is the 27th because “It was 20 years and three days ago” doesn’t sound quite right.”)