Remembering Mo Gaba

Bailie Grace

Mo Gaba, age 14, was known to be the biggest super-fan for both The Baltimore Orioles and The Ravens. He was born in 2006 and grew up in Baltimore. Gaba unfortunately passed away this summer due to cancer. Since his death both The Orioles and Ravens have been doing everything they can to remember him and what he stood for.

Gaba was an inspiration to everyone. He proved that he could defy all the odds and obstacles that were thrown at him and conquered all of them. I believe that it is extremely important to both him and his family that his legacy be shown to everyone and broadcasted everywhere. Everyone deserves to know what an incredible person Gaba was and how dedicated he was with everything he did. Both teams have made it a point to remind everyone about Gaba even months after his passing.

Gaba started calling into 105.7 The Fan when he was 8 years old and he would talk to the hosts about what was happening in the sports world that day and just have a great time. Gaba developed into a radio personality himself and was given the opportunity to sign a one-day contract with 105.7 The Fan to have his own show called “The Big Mo Show.” He had guests like Ray Lewis, Adam Jones, and Buck Showalter come on and spend a little time with him during the show. The show consisted of both Gaba and Jeremy Conn talking for four hours to both fans calling in and guests like the ones listed above. While Gaba had no intention of becoming such a well-known figure in the sports community, he definitely left a big impact on everyone and got to do some amazing things before his passing.

Gaba’s list of accomplishments are extensive. He was the first person to ever announce an NFL draft pick written in braille when he presented the Ravens' 2019 draft pick Ben Powers, an offensive guard from Oklahoma. Gaba found out he was going to announce the draft pick when he was on air with 98 Rock and John Harbaugh called in to announce the news to both Gaba and the public. Gaba announced the pick during Ravens Fan Fest that was held in the Inner Harbor.

The Ravens also made some changes to their facility before the 2020 season started. To remember Gaba, they dedicated a whole section to him and called it “Mo’s Rows” where there are a bunch of cardboard cut outs of Gaba in every seat along with his mom in the center of the section. They also made an update to the end zone that says “Baltimore” and made the “MO” stand out in gold lettering to show that Gaba is always there with them.

The next accomplishment Gaba achieved was that he was elected to The Orioles Hall of Fame as the second recipient of the Wild Bill Hagy Award during an Orioles/ Yankees game. This award was given to Gaba honoring him as being one of the most passionate and devoted fans for the club. Gaba also got to throw out the first pitch during Kids’ Opening Day in 2017 and was given a private tour of the facility where he met new people and players.

When Gaba passed, social media flooded with remembrance and celebratory posts for the 14-year-old. People such as Adam Jones, Trey Mancini, and Lamar Jackson along with the official accounts for The Ravens, Orioles, as well as other broadcast networks posted about Gaba and the impact he has left on the sports world. The fact that these people took time out of their day to make a well-thought-out post for Gaba showed how much of an impact he left on these people.

Gaba was such an inspiration to everyone that he met and for him to have his memory all over Baltimore is something that he deserved. Gaba was such a driven child and accomplished so much in such a short life span. He had no intention of becoming so well known within the sports community, but both The Orioles and The Ravens made sure that his legacy would never be forgotten.