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Baltimore Orioles Darren O’Day wins Act of Valor award

By Kristen Bentley

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 04: Darren O'Day #56 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts after a double play in the ninth inning during the American League Wild Card game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on October 4, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 04: Darren O'Day #56 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts after a double play in the ninth inning during the American League Wild Card game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on October 4, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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The Baltimore Orioles submarine pitcher Darren O’Day was recognized for his service to his country.

In Washington D.C. at the U.S. Navy Memorial, the Baltimore Orioles O’Day was given the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award.

This prestigious award is given to ballplayers who are dedicated to actively serving the United States in the same manner than Feller did. During his lengthy career pitching for the Cleveland Indians, Feller took three years off from baseball to fight for the U.S. in World War II.

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In an article from MLB.com by Brittany Ghiroli, O’Day said about Feller and the award:

"“I think this award is a tremendous honor to win because of the character, courage and valor that Bob Feller displayed when he chose to enlist in the Navy the day after the Pearl Harbor bombing.”"

Why O’Day won the award

O’Day was given the award for his work with the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. There he works with veterans and their families. According to Ghiroli’s article on MLB.com, O’Day and his wife were involved in auctioning the O’s uniforms and earned $22,000 which was donated to the USO of Metro Washington-Baltimore.

This award has been given out since 2013. Each year, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and an active MLB player are given awards. Also, a member of the U.S. Navy also wins an award. According to Baseball Reference, Feller was a chief petty officer who won ribbons in six campaigns. He also won eight battle stars. He is the only Hall of Fame Baseball player with a collection of military honors this extensive.

Previous Feller award winners

O’Day is the first Orioles player to win the award. He is in good company with other MLB award winners. Yogi Berra and Justin Verlander won the inaugural award. Tommy Lasorda and Nick Swisher won in 2014. George Brett and Jonathan Lucroy won in 2015. Rod Carew and Brad Ziegler won in 2016.

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The Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Foundation is a tax-exempt organization and accepts donations. It uses the funds to educate visitors to ballparks about the stories of the Greatest Generation and their work in World War II. The organization focuses on ballplayers who gave their time to the country. Information about donations can be found here.

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