William "Wild Bill" Hagy
BALTIMORE (AP) _ William ''Wild Bill'' Hagy, a self-appointed Baltimore Orioles fan who ruled Section 34 in the upper deck at the old Memorial Stadium, has died. He was 68.
Hagy was found unresponsive Monday in his home by his roommate, the Orioles said. Efforts by paramedics to revive him failed.
Wearing a straw hat and a scraggly beard, Hagy led cheers at the Orioles' old stadium during the 1970s and 1980s. He spelled out O-R-I-O-L-E-S with his body while fans yelled each letter in unison.
A cabdriver during the day, Hagy guzzled many a beer in the stands while the fans eagerly waited for him to wave his hands over his head to start his trademark cheer. During important games, the team allowed him to climb on top of the Orioles dugout to rally the crowd with his act.
Hagy was scruffy, had a beer belly and often wore tank tops to the game. Yet he led a generation of Orioles backers in the cheap seats of an aging stadium that drew far more fans for NFL games involving the Baltimore Colts.
Hagy put an end to his antics when the Orioles moved to Camden Yards in 1992, in part because he couldn't stand the new breed of upper-crust fans who spoke on cell phones during the game.
But he reprised his act in the middle of the decade during the playoffs.
BALTIMORE (AP) _ William ''Wild Bill'' Hagy, a self-appointed Baltimore Orioles fan who ruled Section 34 in the upper deck at the old Memorial Stadium, has died. He was 68.
Hagy was found unresponsive Monday in his home by his roommate, the Orioles said. Efforts by paramedics to revive him failed.
Wearing a straw hat and a scraggly beard, Hagy led cheers at the Orioles' old stadium during the 1970s and 1980s. He spelled out O-R-I-O-L-E-S with his body while fans yelled each letter in unison.
A cabdriver during the day, Hagy guzzled many a beer in the stands while the fans eagerly waited for him to wave his hands over his head to start his trademark cheer. During important games, the team allowed him to climb on top of the Orioles dugout to rally the crowd with his act.
Hagy was scruffy, had a beer belly and often wore tank tops to the game. Yet he led a generation of Orioles backers in the cheap seats of an aging stadium that drew far more fans for NFL games involving the Baltimore Colts.
Hagy put an end to his antics when the Orioles moved to Camden Yards in 1992, in part because he couldn't stand the new breed of upper-crust fans who spoke on cell phones during the game.
But he reprised his act in the middle of the decade during the playoffs.
William "Wild Bill" Hagy
BALTIMORE (AP) _ William ''Wild Bill'' Hagy, a self-appointed Baltimore Orioles fan who ruled Section 34 in the upper deck at the old Memorial Stadium, has died. He was 68.
Hagy was found unresponsive Monday in his home by his roommate, the Orioles said. Efforts by paramedics to revive him failed.
Wearing a straw hat and a scraggly beard, Hagy led cheers at the Orioles' old stadium during the 1970s and 1980s. He spelled out O-R-I-O-L-E-S with his body while fans yelled each letter in unison.
A cabdriver during the day, Hagy guzzled many a beer in the stands while the fans eagerly waited for him to wave his hands over his head to start his trademark cheer. During important games, the team allowed him to climb on top of the Orioles dugout to rally the crowd with his act.
Hagy was scruffy, had a beer belly and often wore tank tops to the game. Yet he led a generation of Orioles backers in the cheap seats of an aging stadium that drew far more fans for NFL games involving the Baltimore Colts.
Hagy put an end to his antics when the Orioles moved to Camden Yards in 1992, in part because he couldn't stand the new breed of upper-crust fans who spoke on cell phones during the game.
But he reprised his act in the middle of the decade during the playoffs.
BALTIMORE (AP) _ William ''Wild Bill'' Hagy, a self-appointed Baltimore Orioles fan who ruled Section 34 in the upper deck at the old Memorial Stadium, has died. He was 68.
Hagy was found unresponsive Monday in his home by his roommate, the Orioles said. Efforts by paramedics to revive him failed.
Wearing a straw hat and a scraggly beard, Hagy led cheers at the Orioles' old stadium during the 1970s and 1980s. He spelled out O-R-I-O-L-E-S with his body while fans yelled each letter in unison.
A cabdriver during the day, Hagy guzzled many a beer in the stands while the fans eagerly waited for him to wave his hands over his head to start his trademark cheer. During important games, the team allowed him to climb on top of the Orioles dugout to rally the crowd with his act.
Hagy was scruffy, had a beer belly and often wore tank tops to the game. Yet he led a generation of Orioles backers in the cheap seats of an aging stadium that drew far more fans for NFL games involving the Baltimore Colts.
Hagy put an end to his antics when the Orioles moved to Camden Yards in 1992, in part because he couldn't stand the new breed of upper-crust fans who spoke on cell phones during the game.
But he reprised his act in the middle of the decade during the playoffs.
