Melvin Mora came to Baltimore 17 years ago. The Venezuela native was traded from the New York Mets.
He came back to Charm City Wednesday for a naturalization ceremony.
Mora came to the Orioles in 2000 as mostly a utility player, but when the team suffered a few injuries, Mora stepped to the plate. He shined with the Orioles until 2009.
"I don't know if walking in front of 40,000 people was more special, but today, I feel like today was really, really special," Mora said. "This country gave me a lot of opportunity to survive for my family and for me. I think it's an honor to be a U.S. citizen."
More credited his wife for being a great teacher throughout the process, which he says was 17 years in the making.
