As 20 members of the 1992 Orioles gathered to celebrate the 25-year existence of Oriole Park at Camden Yards the weekend of Aug. 19, a name often mentioned by them was the late Johnny Oates.
Oates, who manged the team from 1991-1994, died in December 2004 due to a brain tumor. He was 58.
Rick Sutcliffe played for the Chicago Cubs when Oates coached there in the 1980s, and as the Orioles’ new ballpark was about to open for the 1992 season, Sutcliffe received a phone call in late 1991 from Oates asking if he would consider playing for Baltimore.
