Baltimore Orioles Honor Jim Palmer With Bronze Statue

BALTIMORE — Jim Palmer posted some staggering numbers during his 19-year Oriole career. He won 268 games, earned three Cy Young Awards, finished eight seasons with at least 20 wins and made it into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

But when the team revealed a larger-than-life bronze sculpture of Palmer at Oriole Park before Saturday’s game as part of the Orioles Legends Celebration Series, the former right-hander made one point clear several times — he didn’t find this success alone.

“To me, the theme of all these statues is not about what I did, because I wouldn’t have won Cy Young Awards, and I wouldn’t have been in the World Series, wouldn’t have won the Gold Gloves or had the chance to be in all the playoffs if I didn’t have teammates,” Palmer said. “I did my job. We were winning because of us — and it’s always about us.”

And the “us” came in different forms. Palmer touched on a number of different subjects in this area when speaking at the ceremony and then again to the media a short time later.

He talked a lot about how much Cal Ripken, Sr. meant to him as a Minor-League coach and manager. Palmer mentioned how Robin Roberts mentored him during his early days with the Orioles even though the veteran knew this kid could have an effect on his job.