The Baltimore Orioles had a special guest at Camden Yards on Sunday.
Late-night comedian John Oliver, host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight, was in the house with his family to root on first-baseman Pete Alonso.
“Hi there, it’s John Oliver here at Camden Yards,” he said. “Me and my kids just came down here. Pete Alonso was nice enough to say hello before the game. We’re having a fantastic time. Let’s go O’s!”
John Oliver films a video for Orioles social media
Oliver attending comes three months after he revealed, while a guest on Late Night With Seth Meyers, that he became a huge New York Mets fan when he first came over from Britain to America.
“Yeah, I did because it’s the right thing to do,” Oliver said to Meyers. “I don’t think you pick the Yankees. Unless maybe you do if you just see life a different way. But I chose a team that I knew would hurt me. And I’ve not been disappointed.”
Oliver’s son took his dad’s lead and immediately found pain when the player he rooted for most in a Mets uniform moved on.
“His favorite player last year was Pete Alonso, and I knew, ‘ I think he’s going to be leaving in the summer,’” Oliver said. “And watching him fall in love with this guy — he has a signed ball — and having to go into his room and say, ‘Pete Alonso’s gone to Baltimore.’ And he said, ‘Are you sure I can’t be an Orioles fan?’”
Oliver, who told his son prior that he had to root for his favorite team through thick and thin, said he replied, “We’ve had this discussion, dude.”
The next day, Alonso replied through a video posted by the Orioles on social media, inviting the family to a game.
“He can always become an O’s fan,” Alonso said. “Would love to extend an invitation to you and your family to come down to Camden for a game this year, and you guys can get out on the field for batting practice, and hopefully, you guys come down, have some fun and hope to see you soon. Go O’s.”
Alonso’s gracious invite ultimately softened Oliver’s rule for his son. And at the game on Sunday, they saw an instant classic. The Orioles defeated the Detroit Tigers 5-3 after Colton Cowser hit a walk-off three-run homerun.
Oliver’s appearance comes days after the three-time Peabody winner and member of the Strike Force Five made a guest cameo in Stephen Colbert’s final episode of The Late Show.
