Six months ago, before he became the toast of the NFL and embarked on an MVP-caliber season, Baltimore Ravens starting quarterback Lamar Jackson threw out the first pitch at an Orioles home game against the Washington Nationals.



Before heading out to the field, Jackson toured Camden Yards, including Legends Park, behind the left-center wall. Wearing a buttoned No. 8 Orioles jersey with his name on the back, Jackson posed in front of the bronze statue of Hall of Fame shortstop/third baseman Cal Ripken Jr., the most famous No. 8 in Baltimore’s sporting history.



Mimicking Ripken’s defensive stance, Jackson stretched out his left arm and slightly shifted his left hand sideways, ready to backhand an imaginary hard grounder or fictional screaming liner.



Later, he tweeted a picture of himself in front of Ripken’s statue with the caption: “Mr. Cal, I would like to thank you for letting me borrow your #Orioles number tonight. Please know...