On Saturday evening, 12-year-old Ray Daugherty, got up close and personal with his favorite baseball team, the Orioles.
He was the envy of other young fans, standing tall on the pitcher's mound under bright lights at Camden Yards, where he threw the ceremonial first pitch of the game through air still damp from a storm that had just rolled through, delaying the game by about an hour. The ball landed with a thud in Orioles player Rey Navarro's baseball glove, prompting a cheer from the stands.
"Oh, I feel great," Ray said, beaming on the field after throwing the pitch, "I think it was better than last year's — it went over the plate."
One of his mothers, Deanna Monda, who watched nearby from the field, said she was proud of her son. "The things he does make me proud; it's what he wants to do," Monda said.
Ray, who plays travel baseball, said it felt "pretty cool" to throw a pitch before thousands in the stadium waiting to watch the Orioles face off against the Los Angeles Angels.
This wasn't the first time Ray has thrown the ceremonial first pitch at an Orioles game. He did so last year at an Orioles-Astros game for being the top popcorn seller as a member of Boy Scout Troop 417 in Waldorf. He sold $14,083 worth of popcorn to more than 500 people, said Ray's other mother, Marie Daugherty.
Ray earned the opportunity this year by raising $15,050 in popcorn sales for the Baltimore Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. For being the top popcorn seller, he was honored with the Heavy Hitter Award and was given an autographed baseball.
Ray is a member of Troop 483 in Westminster and a student at Oklahoma Road Middle School in Eldersburg. He estimates he spent 100 hours selling popcorn in his neighborhood, in front of local restaurants and in front of a Wal-Mart store. He even sold some to fellow fans at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, he said.
While waiting to get on the field with other Scouts, Ray was asked by Isaac Scrocca, 7, of Bel Air, part of Pack 830, how he sold so much popcorn. But Ray wouldn't give away his secret, Isaac said.
"He threw a really good pitch," Isaac said.
When asked about his sales tactics, Ray said, "I asked them if they'd like to help my Boy Scouts troop by buying some popcorn. If they said 'no,' I said, 'That would be OK. If you could give a donation that would be lovely.' "
The strategy worked, and often people would give donations who didn't buy anything. "I got a lot of military donations from that as well," Ray said.
Pitching to a professional baseball player was more nerve-wracking the first time around, Ray said.
"I walked out there, and my family and friends were out there — I didn't want to disappoint them," Ray said. "I threw a pretty good pitch. It went over the plate."
Although his family and friends watched from the stands again this time, he felt more at ease.
The O's fan has attended more than 700 games since he was 5 weeks old, Daugherty said.
"He can name all the players, positions and statistics," Daugherty said. "We are big fans, but we weren't as dedicated to attending games until Ray came along."
Daugherty said he started asking when they weren't attending more Orioles games, so they started bringing him.
"It's a lot of fun going to ball games — especially when you're right there to see the players," Ray said. "It's really cool when you get on the field. That's the fun part. You get to experience everything."
Ray said he plans to sell popcorn again next year to raise money for the Boy Scouts.
He hopes to continue being a top seller but said, "I'm just here to sell and have fun."
lauren.loricchio@carrollcountytimes.com
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