Jim Palmer, famed Orioles pitcher and sports broadcaster, attended the Orioles Hall of Fame luncheon in 2023 along with Mary Jo Neville, president of the Oriole Advocates. The volunteer group hands out free items at every game; ships used baseball gear to 11 countries; and hosts games for children with disabilities at Camden Yards. Photo courtesy of Oriole Advocates

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On a sunny spring day, an orange-clad crowd flows through the iron gates of Camden Yards. Every now and then, someone joins the line dressed as a cow. It’s baseball season in Baltimore, and Birdland is ready for some fun.

Most folks know the drill. As they approach a cheerful volunteer at the gate, fans reach out for the day’s freebie. Today, it’s bobbleheads.

“Kids love the bobbleheads,” says Howard County resident Mary Jo Neville. “We do a fair number of T-shirts as well: bowling shirts, Hawaiian shirts, the Cedric Mullins shirt. We have a straw hat, knit hats, bracelets, a barbecue spatula, a plushie.”

Neville is decked out in black and orange gear, but you’d expect nothing less from the president of the Oriole Advocates, the 65-year-old organization best known for handing out Orioles swag before every game.

“I just love being at the ballpark. Being in the crowd, seeing people come in with crazy outfits, smelling the hot dogs, hearing the crowd cheering — if you’re a baseball person, it’s heaven,” Neville said.

But there’s a lot more to the Oriole Advocates than just giving away free merchandise. The group spearheads multiple programs that preserve baseball history, help others and build the sport’s future.

A lifetime love of baseball

For Neville, baseball has always been about fun and fellowship. She admits she’s never thrown a ball in her life, but like many Marylanders, she grew up cheering for the Orioles.

“As a kid, back in the ‘60s, I remember us listening to the games on the transistor radio, listening to Chuck Thompson and Bill O’Donnell, hearing Brooks Robinson got a hit or Frank Robinson just got a home run. It’s just been part of our lives forever,” she said.

“It was the one thing everybody had in common. You might’ve been of a different religion or went to different schools, but everybody loved the Orioles.”

Neville was introduced to the Oriole Advocates at an early age. In the early ‘70s, she won a Junior Oriole necklace at one of the organization’s giveaways. It’s a keepsake she continues to wear today.

Years later, she realized the same group stood outside the gates of Camden Yards, handing out free merchandise to the crowd.

“I thought, ‘I’d like to do that sometime,’ and when I retired, I decided now’s the time. I became a member nine years ago.”

She quickly fell in love with baseball all over again.

“It’s so much fun. You get to meet people you never would meet otherwise — lots of people from various walks of life and all around the Baltimore area.”

Great seats at games

Although Neville is quick to clarify that the organization isn’t a fan club, Advocates do enjoy some perks. For instance, members who hand out freebies at the gate get to watch the game in a reserved section.

“The Orioles are very kind to us,” she said. “We also have a meeting room in the warehouse, and we’re on the eighth floor. So we have a pretty good view of the field from up there too.”

The group also manages the Orioles Hall of Fame, which means members and Hall of Famers gather every year for a luncheon to celebrate Orioles history and vote in new inductees.

Helping kids here and abroad

When they’re not handing out swag, watching a game or dining with legends, Oriole Advocates are supporting young baseball players at home and around the world.

Neville is most proud of the Challenger Baseball program, which helps kids with developmental or physical challenges play in assisted leagues.

She enjoys “seeing the kids light up” when Advocates bring them gifts or the Oriole Bird attends one of their games. “They just love the Oriole Bird. Who doesn’t?”

Oriole Advocates organize tournaments and picnics for Challenger teams and invite them to games at Camden Yards.

The organization’s second flagship program, Cardboard to Leather, sends used baseball equipment to children in 11 countries.

“It started because somebody saw an article in the newspaper about kids playing ball using cardboard as mitts,” Neville said.

“We send uniforms and bats and balls, and they’re so thrilled that they actually have real baseball equipment to play with.”

Since launching the program in 1992, Oriole Advocates have sent baseball gear to more than 17,000 children in 11 countries. They currently ship about 500 boxes each year.

They’re also helping to fund a baseball field in Kenya, where the sport has become increasingly popular, but facilities are scarce.

On the home front, scholarships are available for baseball players at the Community College of Baltimore County’s Catonsville, Essex and Dundalk campuses, as well as Mount Saint Joseph High School.

You can also thank this organization for helping to save and restore what is now the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum on Emory Street, just a five-minute walk from Camden Yards.

All ages can volunteer

If the Oriole Advocates sound like your kind of people, you can become a member-volunteer. Volunteers are expected to show up on time and be able to stand at the gates for a couple of hours.

“We have all age groups. Our oldest member is 95 years old, and we also have people who are in their mid- or late-20s or 30s,” Neville said.

Most members are, unsurprisingly, Orioles fans. If your heart belongs to a rival team, expect some light-hearted ribbing.

“We do laugh a lot and carry on, but we work hard,” she said.

Craig Ey, an Oriole Advocates member since 2020, shared what it’s like to be a part of the organization.

“It’s just been fantastic, being at the games, helping out with Cardboard to Leather and Challenger. It’s such a great experience being around other fans and sharing that camaraderie.”

Members play an important role in the organization, but so do donors. The group accepts new or gently used baseball and softball equipment for its Cardboard to Leather program.

You can also make a tax-deductible donation online or leave cash donations in the orange collection buckets at the stadium gates.

And if you have an empty warehouse in the Baltimore area, the Advocates need a new space to store and pack donations.

Oriole Advocates demonstrate how baseball can bring people together to make a difference.

“Sometimes politics separates us, and what neighborhood you’re from, and this and that,” Neville said. “But we all love the Birds and the Baby Birds and wearing orange and black.”

Visit orioleadvocates.org.