Johnny Oates, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #340

Today would have been Johnny Oates' 69th birthday. It's hard to believe that he's been gone for ten years, his life cut short by brain cancer. Just a few weeks ago, I visited Oates' birthplace of Sylva, a quiet town in the mountains of western North Carolina. I didn't make the connection at the time; my wife and I were visiting her favorite haunts from her undergrad days at Western Carolina University. But it was a fine place, fitting for such a beloved man. I hope he's in an even better place now.