BALTIMORE -- It took 80 years, 197 days and one Adley Rutschman grand slam for Jim Palmer to eat his first chicken wing.
That’s right. Palmer, a Hall of Fame pitcher and longtime Orioles broadcaster, had never eaten a single chicken wing -- until Thursday, that is.
On April 16, 2025, Palmer was serving as the color commentator on MASN for the O’s 9-1 win over the Guardians at Camden Yards. During the contest, he and play-by-play man Kevin Brown were having an entertaining discussion -- as the two are known to have -- about how Palmer had never eaten a chicken wing.
Brown was astonished. So, Palmer made a deal. The next time the Orioles hit a grand slam when the 80-year-old was on the broadcast, he would finally eat one on air.
It took a little more than a year. But during Baltimore’s 10-3 win over Houston in Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader at Camden Yards, the stars aligned -- Palmer joined Brown on the call, and Rutschman hit a fifth-inning grand slam.
Astros center fielder Brice Matthews nearly robbed Rutschman, as the ball was in his glove in left-center field. However, Matthews hit the wall so hard the ball came out and fell over the wall and into the Orioles’ bullpen.
(Palmer still would have had to eat a chicken wing eventually, though, because Jeremiah Jackson later hit a seventh-inning grand slam off right-hander Jason Alexander, marking Baltimore’s first multi-slam game since Sept. 11, 2015.)
Palmer stuck to his word. MASN host/reporter Rob Long brought a tray of chicken wings to the TV booth in the eighth, and Palmer dug in.
“Brice Matthews should have caught that ball, and I cannot believe, Jason Alexander, why did you hang a slider?” Palmer said in jest.
So, what was Palmer’s assessment?
“It’s a lot of skin, that’s all I can tell you. They’re greasy, by the way. Can’t eat them with a microphone,” Palmer said during his on-air review. “Actually, these are pretty good. Look what I’ve missed all these years.”
Long later joked about how long it was taking Palmer to eat the wing. And the Hall of Famer made sure to note he would only be eating one, as per his agreement with Brown.
Palmer can now add the achievement to his long list of accolades -- three American League Cy Young Awards, three World Series championships, six All-Star selections, two AL Gold Gloves, 268 wins ... and one chicken wing consumed.