William Grover Hagy | |
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| Born | (1939-06-17)June 17, 1939 Edgemere, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | August 20, 2007(2007-08-20) (aged 68) Arbutus, Maryland, U.S. |
| Other names | "Wild Bill" |
| Occupation | Cab driver |
| Known for | "O-R-I-O-L-E-S" cheer |
William Grover "Wild Bill" Hagy (June 17, 1939 – August 20, 2007) was an Americanbaseball fan and cab driver fromDundalk, Maryland, who led famous "O-R-I-O-L-E-S" chants during the late 1970s and early 1980s from section 34 in the upper deck atMemorial Stadium.[1]
Hagy grew up inSparrows Point, Maryland, and drove an ambulance, an ice cream truck, and eventually a cab until he retired in 2004.
Hagy's chants and persona developed him into an icon associated with theBaltimore Orioles for years.[1] Hagy found the inspiration in his cheers from Leonard "Big Wheel" Burrier, a famous fan who led theBaltimore Colts in similar cheers.
Eventually the team recognized his enthusiasm and let him do his Orioles cheers from atop the dugout.[1] Hagy's fame led him to meet presidents such asJimmy Carter andRonald Reagan, and to get writeups inThe New York Times.[2][3]
Hagy also introduced the tradition of shouting the letter "O" during the national anthem at sporting events in the Baltimore area.[4][5]Since its introduction at Orioles games by Wild Bill Hagy et al in 1979, it has been a tradition at Orioles games for fans to accent the line of "Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave" in "The Star-Spangled Banner" by yelling "O!"[6] "O" is not only short forOriole, but the vowel is also a stand-out aspect of theBaltimorean accent. This tradition is even carried out during the Orioles' spring training home games inSarasota, Florida.
In 1985 Orioles team management announced a ban that would prevent Hagy from bringing his own beer into Memorial Stadium. At the end of the last game prior to the ban’s enactment, Hagy downed ten bottles of beer before tossing his cooler onto the field in protest.[7][user-generated source?]
Hagy then declared a personal boycott against Memorial Stadium, which he maintained until the stadium’s 1991 closure.[8] Hagy returned toCamden Yards on September 6, 1995 – the nightCal Ripken Jr. broke the longtime record for consecutive games played.[9]
Hagy's last known O-R-I-O-L-E-S cheer was performed at Ripken'sHall of Fame induction ceremony inCooperstown, New York, on July 29,2007. He died at his home inArbutus, Maryland, less than a month after the ceremony, at the age of 68.[1]
Hagy is in the Orioles Hall of Fame.[10]
On Tuesday, June 17, 2008, the Baltimore Orioles honored "Wild" Bill Hagy by handing out honorary #34 T-shirts on their "T-shirt Tuesday."[citation needed]
On Saturday, August 9, 2014, the Orioles honored Hagy with a "Wild Bill" hat give away.[11]
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