The Baltimore Orioles are headed to the postseason for a second straight season. And as they prepare for Game 1 of their Wild Card Series against the Kansas City Royals, the organization decided to honor longtime ESPN personality Scott Van Pelt, who has been a longtime supporter of the organization.
Over the years at ESPN, longtime SportsCenter host Scott Van Pelt has referenced his upbringing in the state of Maryland on numerous occasions, perhaps most notably in his many Baltimore-themed conversations with MLB insider Tim Kurkjian.
On top of that, Van Pelt also notably graduated from the University of Maryland. So the love for the DMV area is certainly something that has stuck with Van Pelt over the course of his career.
On Monday, the Orioles rewarded Van Pelt for all of his support over the years, announcing in a statement on MLB.com that the Monday Night Countdown host will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Game 1 matchup against the Royals on Tuesday night at Camden Yards.
Will Van Pelt bring good luck along with him for his hometown team? Only time will tell. But on paper, the Orioles may be just fine without any luck in this matchup.
Currently, the betting odds on this series have the Orioles listed as -155 favorites on the majority of sportsbooks to advance past the Royals in this best-of-three series.
[MLB.com]
