Today former Orioles pitcher Allan Ramirez celebrated his 57th birthday. As coincidence has it, I am also celebrating today. 365 days ago, I asked Janet to marry me and she said yes. What's more, she claims that she would have done so even if I hadn't sweetened the deal with ice cream cake, craft beer from Dogfish Head, and a fire in our backyard pit. At nearly eight months, our marriage has already lasted longer than Allan's brief big league career. A fifth-round draft pick out of Rice University in the 1979 draft, Ramirez filled in with the 1983 O's when they needed an extra starter during the summer. He held his own, going 4-4 with a 3.47 ERA despite walking 30 and striking out only 20 in 57 innings, but his 11-appearance stint in Baltimore during their most recent championship season represented his only big league experience. He remained in the Birds' farm system through the 1985 season before throwing in the towel.
Happy birthday, Allan. I hope you enjoyed your day as much as I did.
