Beloved Oriole second baseman Brian Roberts is leaving Baltimore, after more than a decade of dedicated — if injury-hampered — service, to become a Yankee. Oh well. C’est la baseball.
But when Roberts was interviewed by the YES Network about his career move his comment that it was “time to move on” and his (not at all shocking) confession that as a kid he dreamed about donning a Yankee uniform raised the hackles of some O’s fans.
In an interview yesterday with the Baltimore Sun‘s Dan Connolly, Roberts took the opportunity to clarify those statements. He made it abundantly clear that his first choice was to remain an Oriole, but he wasn’t going to beg the organization to keep him on if that wasn’t what they wanted. So he “was really moving on because the opportunity to be an Oriole wasn’t there anymore.”
Roberts also gave Baltimoreans some gratuitous “it’s not you; it’s me” assurances re his having as a child dreamed of playing for the Yankees. But if you ask me, it’s a little embarrassing that we O’s fans required the kid-gloves treatment. All children — besides those born in Baltimore, Boston, Toronto, or Florida — at some point dreamed of wearing a Yankees uniform. What’s the big deal?
Here’s a highlight from the Sun interview:
When you look back at your Orioles’ career, what memories stand out for you?
“…[C]ertainly being able to represent the city, the Orioles, the organization in a couple of All-Star games — that was very memorable for me and my family, and hopefully the fans enjoyed that. In 2012, to see everything that we had been through for so long, to see the park and the atmosphere the way it was, that is something I will never, ever forget. I wish I had been on the field and playing and experiencing it. But just going out for the introductions, I had chills. It was just a very memorable experience. And then I think there were a lot of opportunities to interact with the fans through our charity endeavors and all the people that supported what my wife and I tried to do in the community, Brian’s Bash (annual charity event) and things like that. I think those are the most important things. Hopefully, you leave a lasting and positive impact on the people around you, the people you came in contact with on a daily basis.”
