PHOENIX -- Brandon Hyde was meeting with the media prior to the Orioles¡¯ series finale vs. the D-backs at Chase Field on Wednesday afternoon when the manager lost his train of thought.
Michael Phelps -- the 23-time Olympic gold medalist and the greatest men¡¯s swimmer of all time -- walked up the steps of the third-base dugout and onto the field. Not only that, but the 39-year-old Baltimore native was wearing an O¡¯s hat and polo.
¡°Greatest of all time right there,¡± Hyde said. ¡°You should be talking to him. With an O¡¯s hat, too. I¡¯m in awe right now. The greatest of all time showed up. ...
¡°When you have greatness walk in, you want to play well.¡±
Phelps lives in Arizona and has adopted the D-backs as his ¡°second team.¡± He often goes to games with his wife, Nicole, and their four young sons -- Boomer, Beckett, Maverick and Nico.
But Phelps remains a diehard Orioles fan. And he let everybody on the D-backs¡¯ side know who he¡¯d be cheering for on Wednesday.
¡°I have a couple friends that play for them and a couple of guys in the front office here, and they knew I would be [wearing] this, they¡¯d hear me saying, ¡®O!¡¯ during the national anthem,¡± Phelps said. ¡°I¡¯m born and raised in Baltimore.¡±
Phelps¡¯ ties to Baltimore¡¯s baseball team run deep. His late father, Fred, was a Maryland State Trooper who worked security at Orioles games when Michael was a kid. That gave Michael the opportunity to go into the O¡¯s clubhouse at Camden Yards and meet players such as Cal Ripken Jr., Brady Anderson, Chris Hoiles and Ben McDonald.
McDonald, who is now a broadcaster for MASN, took a photo with Phelps on the field. Meanwhile, Phelps¡¯ kids ran around and met current Orioles players such as Gunnar Henderson and Ryan Mountcastle.
¡°Now, it¡¯s a little different. I¡¯m me, I¡¯m me now, and I get to take them in there,¡± Phelps said. ¡°So it¡¯s kind of that full-circle moment, and it¡¯s really special to see their excitement when they see the guys they root for every day on TV. Those are moments I remember as a kid and they stick with you forever, and if that can turn into them doing something, then it¡¯s a win-win.¡±
Phelps is actively involved in his sons¡¯ sporting events. He has coached flag football and soccer, and he recently became a third-base coach for baseball.
¡°I got designated third-base coach this year. So I will be sending kids home nonstop. I don¡¯t have a stop button,¡± Phelps joked.
Phelps and his family watch every Orioles game, whether that¡¯s on TV or in person. They took a family trip to Denver -- where his wife is from -- last year on Labor Day weekend for the O¡¯s three-game series vs. the Rockies.
Phelps plans to return to Camden Yards later this year, likely around early June. It¡¯s been a bit since he¡¯s returned home to catch an Orioles home game, so he is due for a trip east.
On Wednesday, Phelps and his boys made home run predictions for the game. He went with Ryan O¡¯Hearn, while Henderson was a popular pick among the youngsters.
¡°Got to get him on the board. It¡¯s good to see him back, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Phelps said of Henderson, who returned from a right intercostal strain last Friday. ¡° I¡¯m glad he¡¯s healthy again.¡±
It¡¯s all an opportunity for Phelps to relive his childhood memories and to make new ones with his kids during his post-swimming career.
¡°For me, having four kids that are obsessed with sports, I love it,¡± Phelps said. ¡°I grew up baseball, lacrosse, soccer and swam. And now, it¡¯s like Thursday to Sunday, golf is on. They have baseball on every day. They have football on Monday, Thursday, whatever it¡¯s on, right?
¡°So we are all into sports. And for me, I want them to find a passion. If it¡¯s baseball, awesome. If it¡¯s soccer, whatever it is, I¡¯m going to try to nourish it and help them be the best athlete they can be.¡±