The O's - A Reason To Celebrate!

Since 1998, the official end of the Baltimore baseball season was marked by the opening kickoff of the Raven's season. However, this year was a bit different as we cheered for the Oriole's into the second week of October.

Last year, I took some criticism for a piece that I wrote about the O's excessive celebration on their last game of the season. If you don't remember, the O's had knocked the Red Sox out of the playoffs. I didn't think that a team with 69-93 record had any reason to be celebrating. I still stand by my original story which you can read for yourself (http://kensmouthpiece.blogspot.com/2011/09/os-reason-to-celebrate.html). The only optimism that I had was that maybe there was a possibility that the O's would carry some of this emotion into the 2012 season. And that they certainly did......

I have to admit, although a longtime baseball fan, I really lost interest in watching a losing team year after year. I would always have a fondness for the Orange & Black, but during the fifteen years of losing seasons, it was really tough to get excited. Keep in mind, I grew up with the Oriole's teams of the 70's and early 80's where losing seasons were unheard of. So, when the O's began their fifteen year slide, I guess you can understand my disappointment and frustration.

But as the 2102 season began, I instantly saw something different about the team. There seemed to be a comradery and excitement among the players that I hadn't seen in quite some time. Before long, there were dramatic come-from-behind wins and a stellar pitching performances from the starters as well as the bullpen. There seemed to be a hunger to get to the next level. And Manager Buck Showalter had this team believing that they could actually do it!

This team battled the mighty Yankees all the way until the final week of the regular season for the top spot in the American League East. Winning a very impressive 93 games, the Orioles went on to defeat last year's American League champs (Texas Rangers) in the wild card playoff game. From there, they took the Yankees to game five of the divisional playoffs. Of course, the O's came up a little short in the 3-1 loss against New York, but you can't deny that this was an impressive run! (By the way, the Yankees payroll more than doubles the salaries of the Baltimore team. Just sayin'....)

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this year's team. They brought some much needed excitement back to Baltimore baseball fans. Although we're going into week six of the NFL season, up until Friday, most of the sports talk around Baltimore centered around the Oriole's rather than the Ravens. While at a Raven's game a couple of weeks ago, Buck Showalter was in attendance. When the stadium cameras flashed his image on the Jumbotron, the crowd started chanting "Let's Go O's!" This is the first time that I ever remember this happening at a Raven's game. But I liked it.....

Some of my memories of this season:

• Adam Jones running down balls in centerfield while blowing a softball-size bubble
• Mark Reynolds going on that week-long homerun tear. He also proved to be a great defensive first baseman down the stretch and into the playoffs
• Pedro Strop's crooked hat. It drove me nuts every time he took the mound!
• The introduction of 3rd Baseman Manny Machado. Trust me, this kid is going to be good!
• Jimmy Johnson setting the O's record of 51 saves. But amazing, he blew two opportunities in the divisional playoffs.
• Seeing Nate McClouth blaze down to second base and diving safely under the tag
• The overall utilization of the pitching staff. Keep in mind, the Oriole's won 93 regular season games, but the most wins by any individual pitcher was 12 (Wei-Yin Chen)
• Watching Matt Wieters gun base-stealers down from his knees
• My good buddy, Hank, giving me an authentic Oriole's jersey early in the season. I wore it proudly this year!
• Drinking more Natty-Boh's in the past two weeks than all of my previous years combined!
• The unexpected criticism that Cal Ripken drew from O's fans on his commentary during the playoffs. I have to admit, when Cal called the Rangers' Adrian Beltre the best 3rd baseman ever, my jaw dropped. Come on Cal, we love ya, you should know that this type of comment isn't going to fly in Baltimore

If Buck Showalter doesn't win Manager of the Year, something is seriously wrong. He has totally turned this team around and most importantly, he has them believing in themselves. This year's Oriole's team reminded me of the early-80's O's teams where everyone contributed in their own little way. And the players seemed to be genuinely having a good time throughout the season. There were no superstars, just a bunch of scappy guys who wanted to go to the next level. And that they did......

Thank you to the 2102 Baltimore Orioles for a superb season. Yes, we do indeed have a reason to celebrate!

kw