B.J. Surhoff elected to Orioles Hall of Fame

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B. J. Surhoff, who spent 7-1/2 years in two stints with the Orioles and earned Most Valuable Oriole honors in 1999, has been elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame, it was announced today.

Surhoff, who played 19 years in the majors, was an integral part of the Orioles' 1996-97 playoff teams and started at five different positions with the Birds. He will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame in pre-game ceremonies on Saturday, August 25, before the Orioles' 7:05 p.m. game against Minnesota.

In addition to Surhoff, the late Bill O'Donnell, who served as an Orioles radio and television broadcaster for 16 years until his untimely death in 1982, will be honored posthumously that day as the recipient of the Herb Armstrong Award, presented to non-uniformed personnel who have made significant contributions to the ballclub and the game of baseball.

Surhoff was with the Orioles from 1996 to 2000 and again from 2003 through 2005 before concluding his playing career. He batted .291 with 120 home runs and 551 RBI in his tenures with the Orioles. He ranks 9th on the team's all-time list in RBI and is 10th in batting average, hits (1,072), doubles (199), extra bases hits (334) and total bases (1,661). He hit over .300 twice and over .290 three other times with the Orioles. Surhoff is one of only five players to collect 200 or more hits in a season for the Orioles.

In 1999, Surhoff was named Most Valuable Oriole after batting .308 and setting career-highs in hits (207), home runs (28), RBI (107) and runs (104) while playing all 162 games for the second straight season. He was named to the American League All-Star team and set a club record with 637 at-bats for the season.

Surhoff spent the first 9 years of his career with Milwaukee after the Brewers made him the overall No. 1 pick in the 1985 amateur draft. He signed with the Orioles following the 1995 season. Originally a catcher with Milwaukee, over his tenure with the Orioles he started regularly in left field, right field, third base, first base and designated hitter. He played every position except pitcher during his major league career.

Before being traded to Atlanta in July 2000, Surhoff averaged .292 and hit 102 homers in his first 4-1/2 year stint with the Orioles. He returned as a free agent in 2003 and batted .288 with 18 homers, primarily in a platoon role, over his final three seasons.

O'Donnell broadcast Orioles games from 1966 through 1982, when he died of cancer. His 17-year tenure with the club is second only to his long-time broadcast partner, the late Hall of Famer Chuck Thompson, who once called O'Donnell "the most prepared sportscaster in the business." At the time of O'Donnell's death, they were the longest-running announcing team in the majors.

In addition to Orioles games, O'Donnell was a member of NBC's "Game of the Week" team from 1969 through 1976, did Baltimore Colts play-by-play for three years (1966-68) and served as a member of NBC's NFL broadcast crew as well.

One of the highlights of his professional career came on June 22, 1979, when he called Doug DeCinces' game-winning home run against the Detroit Tigers at Memorial Stadium that came to symbolize "Orioles Magic." DeCinces was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame last year.

Surhoff and O'Donnell will be honored at a luncheon sponsored by the Oriole Advocates, founders of the Orioles Hall of Fame, on Friday, August 24, in the Camden Yards Warehouse. Tickets for the induction ceremony and the Orioles-Twins game on August 25 are available by calling 1-888-848-BIRD.