You probably already heard the news that author Tom Clancy died Tuesday. For his sake, I hope that he had gotten to see Montana.
I wasn’t a huge Clancy fan. I read exactly one book of his mostly because I don’t go in for military/espionage/thriller stuff, generally speaking. But any HBT reader who has been around for a while knows that I love the living heck out of the movie version of “The Hunt for Red October.” I don’t have any idea how faithful the movie is to the book, but I don’t care. The movie is awesome and it doesn’t exist if not for Clancy, so my hat will always be off to the guy. So give me a ping, Vasili. One ping only, please, in his honor.
But Clancy had a baseball connection too. He was a minority owner of the Orioles. He came in to the group back when Peter Angelos purchased the team in 1993. And it wasn’t some symbolic share. Before his divorce he was a 24 percent stakeholder. He also held the title of Orioles’ vice chairman of community projects and public affairs. The team issued a statement on his passing earlier today:For decades, Tom Clancy entertained millions with his novels and enjoyed producing no fewer than seventeen best-sellers. He was an extraordinary storyteller who had an ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats. His passion for the military was evident in his efforts to ensure that the men and women who serve our country were properly recognized for their service and commitment.
While he achieved international acclaim as a celebrated author, Tom, a proud Baltimorean, was a devoted Marylander, a treasured friend, and a valued partner and advisor in the Orioles ownership group. He was a regular presence at Oriole Park and enjoyed talking about baseball, the ballclub and its operations.
We are deeply saddened by Tom’s passing. He will be missed but long remembered.
On behalf of the Orioles, we extend our sympathies to his family.
Same here. On a day Clancy sails into history.
[singing]
