Former Baltimore Oriole Nolan Reimold retires from independent ball

Former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold retired from baseball on Sunday. His time in Baltimore was very up and down, but the team always stuck with him.

Former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold retired from baseball on Sunday, according to Michael Pfaff, president of the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League.

Reimold was hitting .238 with two home runs, seven RBIs, six runs and four doubles for the Ducks. Coincidentally, he was replaced on the roster by another former Oriole, Lew Ford, who was the bench coach for the Ducks, and is now outfielder/bench coach.

For many Oriole fans, this retirement might bring a shrug of the shoulders, or a dismissive glance.

Not for me.

Reimold burst on to the scene for the Orioles in 2009. The second round draft pick from Bowling Green State University from western Pennsylvania played in 104 games hitting ,279/.365/.466 with 15 home runs, 18 2Bs, 45 RBIs, 49 runs and 8 stolen bases as a 25-year-old.

Reimold joined the club in May of 2009, and was the Rookie of the Month for the American League in June.

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With the team long out of contention, the Orioles shut down Reimold in August of 2009 with fraying in his left Achilles tendon. While Reimold would be declared healthy to start 2010, his rehab from the surgery wasn’t complete until well into the 2010 season, much of it spent at the minors.

Reimold was so successful in 2009 that the team decided to hold a Nolan Reimold figure night on May 26, 2010. Along with that, the team held a Nolan Reimold VIP experience, where the winner would get to meet Nolan, be on the field during batting practice, get four box seats tickets behind home plate and have the opportunity to tour the suite level of Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

At the time, I was a just graduated college student who was a fan of Reimold and the way he played. I entered the contest on a whim one day, and got a call a few days later that I had won.

No, really, I won the Nolan Reimold VIP Experience. There was only one minor issue. Reimold had been sent to AAA Norfolk on May 12.

The Orioles’ PR executive admitted it was a little awkward for Reimold to not be with the team, but myself, my girlfriend at the time, my roommate and one of his best friends had a fantastic time. The experience was a first-class one, with the event held by a first-class organization in the Orioles.

The Orioles in 2010, of course, were terrible. On the day of the game, May 26, 2010, the team entered play against the Oakland Athletics 15-31. They lost the game 6-1, with Brian Matusz starting and getting the loss to run his ERA to 5.76. The other pitchers that day for the Orioles were Frank Mata, Matt Albers and Alberto Castillo.

He never seemed to have the most talent, but he played hard. I can’t help but look at that 2012 season and wonder what might have been.

The Orioles scored their only run on a solo home run by Garrett Atkins, the number eight hitter in a lineup that featured Corey Patterson, Ty Wigginton, Nick Markakis, Miguel Tejada, Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, Scott Moore, Atkins and Cesar Izturis. Looking back, that lineup was pretty good. But the team wasn’t.

The Orioles had three hits that day in a listless loss, Atkins’ HR and singles by Patterson and Adam Jones.

Jones did have a nice assist at the plate, throwing out Ryan Sweeney trying to score.

Getting back to Reimold, he would eventually play in 39 games for the O’s in 2010, hitting just .207.

2011 saw Reimold play in 87 games for the Orioles, most of which came after Luke Scott got hurt. Reimold hit .247 that year, with double digits in home runs and doubles. Reimold scored the winning run on the final day of the season to beat the Boston Red Sox and knock them out of the playoffs, a move that would change the trajectory of the Red Sox franchise.

2012 started in a big way for Reimold and the Orioles. Through 16 games, Nolan was hitting .313 with 5 home runs, 10 RBIs, 6 doubles and 10 runs. Maybe this would be the year both Reimold and the team put it together. Reimold dove into the stands for a foul ball against the Chicago White Sox and forever changed not only his career, but his life.

Reimold eventually went on the disabled list with a herniated disc, and it was determined he needs spinal fusion surgery. The same surgery that Peyton Manning had just had.

The surgery was ultimately not successful, which led to a lawsuit against Johns Hopkins. This injury changed Reimold’s career.

In 2013, Reimold attempted to come back but was clearly not right. In July 2013, Reimold had the spinal fusion surgery done for a second time.

Reimold was designated for assignment by the Orioles on July 1, 2014 and signed by the Toronto Blue Jays. Reimold only played in 22 games for the Jays before being designated again, then joining the Arizona Diamondbacks for seven games.

In 2015, Reimold was back in Baltimore as a 31-year-old fourth outfielder/AAAA player. He played in 61 games, hitting .247.

2016 would be Reimold’s last year in professional baseball, and also the year where he played over 100 games again. Reimold played in 104 games (same number as his rookie year) and finished with a .222/.300/.365 hitting line with six home runs, 20 RBIs and nine doubles. The power Reimold once displayed was gone after the surgeries.

After not receiving a major league deal, Reimold signed with the Long Island Ducks for the 2017 season before retiring.

Reimold played in 451 games across seven years for the Orioles, hitting .247/.325/.422 with 53 home runs, 56 doubles, 7 triples, 161 RBIs, 174 runs scored and 17 stolen bases.

Many fans gave Reimold a reputation as an oft-injured player. And while Reimold did suffer two major injuries, those were injuries that both required serious surgery and a long recovery period, and neither the Achilles surgery or the spinal fusion were 100 percent successful. In addition, Reimold may have rushed back from both injuries, further causing problems for his long-term career.

It is hard not to wonder what might have been, if not for those two major injuries.

As Reimold walks away from the game, this Orioles’ fan is grateful for the opportunity he had through him, and for a guy who played hard for his team. He never seemed to have the most talent, but he played hard. I can’t help but look at that 2012 season and wonder what might have been.

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Best of luck Nolan in wherever life leads you after baseball!