masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThis year the O’s will honor Orioles Hall of Fame inductees Harold Baines and Julie Wagner during the Orioles Hall of Fame Luncheon scheduled for Friday, August 28 from noon to 2:00 p.m.

Baines was the first overall pick in the 1977 amateur free agent draft, but he wouldn’t join the Birds until he was already 13 years into his major league career. After signing as a free agent with the O’s in ’93, he played more than 600 games in seven seasons spent with the Orioles, batting just over…This year the O’s will honor Orioles Hall of Fame inductees Harold Baines and Julie Wagner during the Orioles Hall of Fame Luncheon scheduled for Friday, August 28 from noon to 2:00 p.m.

Baines was the first overall pick in the 1977 amateur free agent draft, but he wouldn’t join the Birds until he was already 13 years into his major league career. After signing as a free agent with the O’s in ’93, he played more than 600 games in seven seasons spent with the Orioles, batting just over .300 during that time with 378 RBI, 107 home runs, and 99 doubles.

He ranks in the top 25 among O’s all-time leaders in four categories: 4th in slugging percentage (.502), 5th in batting average (.301), 17th in home runs (107), and 24th in RBI (378).

Joining Baines is Julie Wagner, the woman responsible for so many of the community efforts fans have enjoyed in and around Baltimore over the years. In fact, according to Monica Pence’s article in the latest Orioles Magazine, Wagner helped found the Orioles’ Community Relations department in 1984 when other teams were focusing virtually exclusively on the on-field activities of baseball.

Wagner started with the O’s as a part-time ‘basebelle’ or game-day assistant in the public relations department and ended up spending 26 seasons with the O’s, extending herself eventually into the management levels of the organization.

Julie’s list of community contributions is a long and heartfelt one, and fans can read more about her efforts with the O’s in Monica’s article in the O’s Magazine.

The luncheon honoring Wagner and Baines will be held on the sixth floor of the Warehouse at Camden Yards, and proceeds from the $50 tickets will benefit the Oriole Advocates and their work in the community.

For tickets or additional info, call 410.247.2703.