The Great 8 Caper

A large aluminum No. 8 that commemorates Orioles great Cal Ripken outside the Camden Yards ballpark was recovered early Wednesday, about two hours after it was stolen by four young men, Baltimore police said.

Surveillance cameras captured video of the men removing the 4-foot monument and placing it in the bed of a pickup truck, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.

Police put out an all-points bulletin, and the men were arrested in east Baltimore after officers responding to a disorderly conduct report spotted the object in the truck bed, Guglielmi said.

The Orioles have a series of aluminum monuments depicting retired uniform numbers outside one entrance to the downtown ballpark. They include Brooks Robinson's 5, Jim Palmer's 22 and Eddie Murray's 33.

The suspects were identified as Gary Parker, 19, of Baltimore; Matthew Rayner, 19, of Chase; Patrick Reynolds, 18, of Middle River; and Jason Stonebuner, 19, of Essex. They will be charged with theft and destruction of property, Guglielmi said. The men were in custody and could not be reached for comment.

Orioles spokesman Monica Barlow said the team had no comment about the theft because it was a police matter. She said she did not know when the monument would be reinstalled. The team began a five-game road trip with a loss in Boston Tuesday night and will return home Monday.