Orioles’ success raises memories of the past and hopes for the future

The National Pastime takes on an added dimension when your team is doing well, becoming a soul-massaging diversion from the ubiquitous bad news of the day. The Orioles’ recent success has shaken loose memories of glory days gone by — and spurred hope for the future. Sitting with my grandkids on a muggy summer day, I recall going to my first game, in 1953, a minor-league affair in the old one-level Municipal Stadium on 33rd Street.