Jim Palmer has crossed the Rubicon. Left the Garden of Eden. Lost his deal with the Devil and learned resistance is futile. That is correct, friends. James Alvin Palmer, Hall of Fame pitcher and now broadcaster for the Orioles, 80 years old and absolute health fiend, has finally eaten a chicken wing.
A little over a year ago, the Baltimore legend revealed to the world that he had never eaten a chicken wing. On the air, on purpose, Palmer claimed to have “never even thought about” eating a chicken wing. This absolutely shattered fellow broadcaster Kevin Brown’s sense of all that is good and holy in this world, who tried with all his might to understand what might drive someone to this level of madness.
“Doesn’t it have skin and stuff on it?” Palmer had asked.
“YEAH,” Brown said, still trying to get his bearings. “Lots of things have skin!”
“Well, I don’t eat skin,” Palmer said.
“APPLES have skin!” Brown shot back.
“Well, I eat apples,” Palmer admitted.
The back and forth continued until into the next day when Brown brought a tray of chicken wings and tenders into the booth, trying to tempt Palmer into desecrating his bodily sanctuary with the foul fowl. Alarmingly, Palmer did not even recognize what each item was, pointing to each and asking for identification. Asking if they came with gloves, he agreed to try a chicken tender, but would not soil his temple with the grease of the chicken wing.
It was then the deal was struck.
“I’ll tell you what. If they hit another grand slam while I am broadcasting, I will make sure I eat a chicken wing,” Palmer told Brown. “If they do it tonight, I definitely will.”
That was on April 16, 2025.
Today is April 30, 2026.
One year and two weeks later, Palmer and Brown sat in the booth during an afternoon game making up for last night’s rain-out. Adley Rutschman hit a grand slam – BUT JUST BARELY, because Houston center fielder Brice Matthews caught the ball just as it went over the fence, but DROPPED IT when his hand banged into it!
Brown, nearly out of his mind with excitement, yells, “IT’S A GRAND SLAM! Matthews couldn’t squeeze it, Adley hits a grand slam, and WE NEED TO GET YOU A CHICKEN WING!”
Palmer half-heartedly tried to convince Brown there were only two men on base and it was not really a grand slam. A couple of innings later, when a tray of wings appeared in front of him thanks to on-the-field reporter Rob Long, Palmer chided Houston Pitcher Jason Alexander for hanging a slider, and Matthews for not catching the ball, clearly grumpy about his impending fate.
In the end, though, Palmer stepped up to the plate and ate his wing like an adult. He even enjoyed it, calling it “pretty good”, though he did limit himself to the “one wing” he said he would eat.
“Look at what I’ve missed all these years!” Palmer said.
“Look at that! I do like green eggs and ham! Thank you, thank you, Sam, I am!” Brown said, triumphant and dizzy with glee.
Even the scoreboard operator got in on the fun.
While Brown and Long plotted all the places they were going to bring Palmer to eat chicken wings, they asked him where he wanted to go.
“Home,” Palmer said. “You should take me to the home.”
It is always a special moment when a member of Birdland spreads his wings (or in this case, wing) to try something new.
