Hearing from Melvin Mora and Gary Roenicke

Former third baseman Melvin Mora and outfielders Gary Roenicke and John Lowenstein will be inducted later tonight into the Orioles Hall of Fame, the ceremony taking place before the 7:05 p.m. game against the Athletics at Camden Yards. Long-time scout Fred Uhlman Sr. will be inducted as this year's Herb Armstrong Award winner.

Lowenstein is on a cruise and unable to attend.

Mora and Roenicke met with the media prior to this morning's luncheon at the B&O Warehouse. They expressed their appreciation for the honor and provided reminders of how long it's been since we saw them in an Orioles uniform.

Mora's quintuplets are 14 years old. Can you believe it?

"It's different emotion, especially when you are coming from far away just to be with a team," said Mora, 43, who was acquired from the Mets along with pitchers Pat Gorman and Leslie Brea and third baseman Mike Kinkade in 2000 for shortstop Mike Bordick.

"So much memory here, and legend. It's kind of like a dream come true. I just want to thank all the media that voted for me for this and everybody that paid attention to my career. Now that I'm here, I don't know what to say.

"I think one of the big memories is my kids. They were born here in Baltimore. A big memory I have is the whole hospital, the front office, the people in the tunnel, they all helped me to make my life easier to play baseball. That's the one thing that comes to my mind every time. Because you are talking about a baseball game, but without the front office and people helping take care of my family, they made my life and my career better and better."

Mora played 10 seasons with the Orioles and produced a .280/.355/.438 slash line. Easily forgotten is his 2004 season, when he batted .340/.419/.562 with 41 doubles, 27 home runs and 104 RBIs and won his only Silver Slugger Award. He placed 18th in Most Valuable Player voting in the American League.

Mora also played all four infield positions and all three outfield positions during his tenure in Baltimore. He's easily one of the most underrated players in franchise history.

Maybe it's because he played on some really bad teams.

"I don't like to think about the past a lot, but those years helped me make a lot of friends like Cal (Ripken) and (Miguel) Tejada and Javy Lopez," Mora said. "To be able to play with those guys was great, a great time then. But to see these Orioles right now and to not be able to be a part of this, I feel jealous, to be honest with you.

"This is what I play for, to win. I play to be in October. And that's why I played hard from the beginning, to see what we can do. And now I see a different Orioles, and I have to give a lot of credit to the manager, to pull all of this together. They don't have a big, big name, but they play baseball the way it's supposed to be played."

Believe it or not, Mora and outfielder Gerardo Parra were teammates in Arizona in 2011. Mora was 39 and Parra was 24.

Mora appeared in 42 games, was released and never played again. Parra figures to be in the Orioles' lineup again tonight after he seeks out Mora, who quickly became a mentor to him.

Roenicke, 60, batted .250 /.355/.448 in eight seasons with the Orioles, eventually becoming part of a left field platoon with Lowenstein and winning a World Series in 1983. The previous season, he batted .270/.392/.499 with 25 doubles, a triple, 21 home runs and 74 RBIs in 137 games.

"Something like this, when you're recognized by your peers and media and fans, it's special," said Roenicke, who was acquired from the Expos with relievers Joe Kerrigan and Don Stanhouse in December 1977 for pitchers Rudy May, Randy Miller and Bryn Smith.

"The first time I was told was by Scott McGregor and Mike Boddicker down in Dream Week. They said, 'It's not official yet, so keep it quiet.' And then time went by and I heard from Bill (Stetka) and I started getting all the congratulations.

"It just shows you what a great fan base Baltimore has here and what a rich tradition and baseball history. To be a part of that when I was here, you don't really know it when you're playing and in the moment. It's more gratifying when you get older and look back on it. I think maybe that's what keeps our brain sharp is recalling all the great times we had together."

Roenicke always will be attached to Lowenstein by fans in Baltimore - it seems natural that they're going into the Orioles Hall of Fame together - but they weren't always left field partners.

"When I came here, Earl (Weaver) didn't use me that way," Roenicke said. "I played a lot against right-handers. If you look at my numbers of the home runs I hit, I think close to half were against right-handers. When Joe (Altobelli) took over in '83, that's all we did, and from them on John and I were platooned together.

"Me being on the end of it when I wasn't a platoon player, it's harder to look at it as opposed to John, who was never a full-time player."

Roenicke also will be remembered for playing on the last Orioles team to win a World Series.

"It means to me how hard it is to win a World Series," he said. "They've had some great teams and now they're starting to get back and play really well again and have good players, a good manager and GM. The whole works here, kind of like when i played. But it's hard."

Roenicke was a scout with the Orioles for eight years before being dismissed. He's out of baseball now and hoping to get back into it.

Roenicke said he scouted Adam Jones and Chris Davis and filed reports strongly recommending that the Orioles trade for both players.

I recall that Roenicke seemed to hit home runs in 1979 each time that a particular starter was on the mound. I couldn't recall whether it was McGregor or Mike Flanagan and he had no recollection of it. I'll need to look it up.