Bringing Back the Cartoon Bird

Over the last week, multiple Baltimore area media outlets have reported that the Orioles are bringing back the cartoon bird logo to their hats and jerseys. No images or designs have been released yet, but the word is that the bird will be a mash-up of the ones worn from 1966-74 & 1975-88.

Here's Woody Held modeling the older version of the cartoon bird...

and Mike Morgan and Dickie Noles showing the newer version of the bird. 

If you can't tell the differences from the cards, here are the up-close versions of both from Chris Creamer's Sports Logos.net

1966-74 Version

1975-88 Version

While this is a small, aesthetic change, it's something that most Orioles fans are sure to like, as the cartoon bird was and is very popular around Baltimore. In addition to adding the Baltimore road jerseys a few seasons back, it's nice to see that the Orioles are keeping track of what their fans want to see.

Now if we can just do something about that pesky losing thing...

Unpossible Autographs-The Long & Winding Road of my Woodie Held

Woodie (or Woody) Held 1966-67 (died 2009)

I finally have a Woodie Held autograph in my collection and it's been a long, strange trip to make that happen. I have to start by saying that Woodie unfortunately passed away last June from brain cancer at the age of 77.

My journey to get his autograph started last April when I sent him a TTM request with this card below enclosed. It's the only Orioles card of his that clearly shows him in a Baltimore uniform, so it would be the best fit for my collection, even though it has the pre-printed autograph already on it.

I did not know that Woodie had been battling cancer so was disappointed to get my request returned-to-sender within the next week. It was the first RTS I had received in my current quest for TTM autographs.

Eventually, I read online why Woodie was not signing TTM requests and I felt bad about having sent my request, but I had no way to know so there wasn't anything I could have done differently.

Woodie sadly passed away after his long battle with cancer on June 10, 2009. I knew that I now had to turn to "the bay" to get his autograph. He had been a pretty good TTM signer through the end of 2008 so there were plenty of autographs available but not many on Orioles cards and none on the specific card I wanted, so I waited. Eventually I found this signed O's Crown card at a reasonable price and had to jump on it. I've complained in the past about the Crown cards that use pictures of players in other teams uniforms when there were clearly Orioles pictures out there, but I finally had my Woodie Held autograph.

Woodie played in 82 games for the O's over his 1.5 seasons in Baltimore and was also on the '66 World Series champion roster, but didn't appear in any of those games. Interestingly enough, he also held the Indians' HR record by a shortstop with 85 round-trippers until Jhonny Peralta passed him just last year, only a little more than a month before he passed away.

Rest in Peace Woodie, I'm pleased to finally have you in my collection.

TTMs Sent & Opening Day pics

So with my initial success at receiving autographs from Cory Doyne & Billy Hunter on Monday, I thought it was time to send out a few more requests. So this morning, requests went out to Bobby Floyd, Woody (Woodie) Held, Don Hood, Bob Johnson & Tom Shopay. They are all guys that played for the O's in the 60s or 70s so I'm hoping that the success rate is decent with them.

I also wanted to share a couple of my favorite Opening Day pictures

Markakis' intro with fireworks

Lineups from both teams

You ready to get rocked CC?