For 17 years, longtime Orioles infielder Melvin Mora has promised his wife, Gisel, he would become a U.S. citizen.
On May 10, Mora fulfilled that promise.
In a 40-minute ceremony, Mora and 59 other new Americans took the oath of citizenship. The Venezuelan native, who played with the Orioles from 2000-09 and holds the team's single-season record for highest batting average (.340), said he was more unnerved by the ceremony than playing in the major leagues.
"I was shaking. I feel more relaxed," Mora said after the ceremony. "Finally, I did it. This was special for me and my family. I was so nervous."
