RIP Wild Bill

Wild Bill Hagy is dead at age 68. A cab driver living in Arbutus, a working class suburb of Baltimore, Hagy was the quintessential Orioles Fan, attending both home and away games in the 70's and early 80's and cheering on his favorite ball team with his now-famous O-R-I-O-L-E-S cheer, complete with body gestures. He became such a fixture in section 34 in the old Memorial Stadium on 33rd street in Baltimore, that he was allowed to stand on top of the Orioles dugout and lead his cheers.

Here is a local tv story on Hagy that was produced in 1979, the year I graduated from high school.

Hat tip to Cygnus.