Mo Gaba is a Hall of Famer.
Tuesday afternoon, the Orioles announced that Mossila “Mo” Gaba was selected to the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame. He is the second-ever recipient of The Wild Bill Hagy Award, which was established in 2007 to expand the Orioles Hall of Fame to include fans.
Gaba, who had been blind for the majority of his life due to a malignant tumor when he was just nine months old, died just hours after the announcement at 14 years old.
Our most dedicated fan is forever with us in our Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/usFYQk7s0p
— Baltimore Orioles 😷 (@Orioles) July 28, 2020
In 2015, Gaba began calling in to 105.7 The Fan to share his sports opinions with radio hosts and fans. He called, unbeknownst to his mother, and quickly became a local favorite of listeners and fans.
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Gaba soon was a fixture for the Ravens and Orioles, and he threw out the ceremonial first pitch as part of Kids’ Opening Day in 2017. He later announced the selection of Ravens guard Ben Powers with the 123rd pick in the 2019 NFL Draft -- the first person to announce an NFL Draft selection in Braille.
From the war room as Mo Gaba becomes the first person to announce a NFL draft pick via Braille 💜 pic.twitter.com/ZDhgLRdIul
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) April 27, 2019
Trey Mancini, who was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in March, has routinely been one of Gaba’s biggest supporters and friends.
Nobody deserves this honor more than Mo. I am lucky to call him a friend! https://t.co/Q5i8G5qQCL
— Trey Mancini (@TreyMancini) July 28, 2020
“There is no one more deserving of this incredible honor than Mo,” Mancini said in a statement. “Throughout his battles with cancer, Mo never lost his kind spirit, his sense of humor, or his love of the Orioles. His tremendous courage and unwavering positivity in the face of such challenging circumstances have made him an inspiration to me and so many others. It is fitting that Mo will now have a place in the Orioles Hall of Fame alongside some of the most iconic figures in franchise history, and for him to be honored as the recipient of the Wild Billy Hagy Award is truly special. I could not be happier for my friend, Mo, and his mother, Sonsy.”
An official time for Gaba’s official induction into the Orioles Hall of Fame will be determined at a later date.
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