Vintage Fridays: Jim Palmer, 1972 Topps #270

Today's home opener was less than good for the Orioles. If you like a chilly, gray, 12-5 whuppin' at the hands of the Blue Jays, that's your prerogative. As always, however, the team did a first-rate job with the pregame festivities. The highlight was a ceremony celebrating Jim Palmer, as April 17 will mark the 50th anniversary of his major league debut with the O's. He was presented with a cake and a $50,000 donation in his honor to autism research; Palmer's son Spencer is autistic. Finally, he was asked to throw out the first pitch to his longtime battery mate Rick Dempsey. Naturally, Jim threw from the pitching rubber atop the mound, and he delivered the ball on a line to Dempsey's glove, eliciting a rousing ovation from the sellout crowd. Some things never change.