Wet Paper Bag

broderic on April 22, 2018

Was at the game this afternoon. A perfect afternoon spoiled. Orioles could not punch their way out of a wet paper bag. It is despair time in Birdland. It reminds me of the 2011 Orioles team. Nothing they do is correct. Still a long season.

When you look at their lineup today, they had 3 starters batting less than .200. Given that one of those guys was just called up, but still what professional hitters are on this team? Or are they pros at the strike out which is luck because they only struck out 3 times. This team is terrible.

A W on A BDay

broderic on June 1, 2017

For my baseball partner in crime, Orioles get a W against the hated Yanks and Adam Jones hits an Earl Weaver special. He did it just as we were doing FaceTime.

It’s been a long time since we’ve talked. There is the 12 hour time difference, and I could barely hear a word she said. Yet, we had some fun.

Yeah for a W!

Even better as nice present to my good pal, Marge! Happy birthday!

“No, Dave, it isn’t odd, it is reality, and you’d better buckle your seatbelt, because reality SUCKS!”

broderic on September 5, 2016

After Win Tonal

I haven’t talked about the Baltimore Orioles in a while.

I went to last Friday’s game against the hated Yankees. We won. But it felt like too little too late.

I have no confidence in the team making it into the post season. I didn’t reserve post season tickets. They were available to season ticket holders a week ago and will still be there until mid-week. I’m not wanting to buy because it will mean believing in the team. I haven’t believed since the all star break. I would love to but…

So they kept winning through this weekend and won again today. They are making a play for the division as the season wanes. I’m still questioning my decision.

Let’s go Orioles!

These Are My Favorite Things (2014)

broderic on December 6, 2014

I didn’t write too many posts on this past baseball season. The ones I did write came towards the end of a pretty great season.

I should’ve written more from the start, but my laziness took over. It even took over at the bitter end with the dreams of postseason glory snuffed out in 4 meek games to the KC Royals.

After the ALCS, I wanted to write something to sum up the feeling of this magical season, but never got around to. I would need more than the terse sentences that this blog has been providing lately. I would need to put the elation and joy at going 14-2 in attendance of Orioles games. It was a lot of winning I saw this year. So much winning 96-66. The Orioles fans were the real winners. Thank you, Orioles!

Anyway, I wanted to post this video of Adam Jones’s only highlight from the ALCS, the 2 run bomb to momentarily tie the game. I saw lots of baseball, and this was my favorite moment of the entire season. Yes, being there when Delmon Young won the ALDS game 2 with that double was amazing and unfathomable, but Jones first pitch swinging and clocking this pitch was just surprise summarized. And yet, I knew at that moment when he stepped to the plate, that it was going, going, gone. As soon as he hit the ball, I was up out of my seat and cheering a homerun as others waited for it the clear the left field fence. I knew, but I was still surprised.

And it was over after that. The game, the chance, the season.

I can’t wait until next year.

GO ORIOLES!

The Agony and the Ecstasy

broderic on October 6, 2014

Watching a day game is a perfect way to spend a day while skipping work. Watching the Orioles get an early lead is also a perfect way to spend a day skipping work. Watching that lead evaporate in 10 pitches not so much. Slipping slowly into despair? Not a great substitution for work. Sudden joy and elation? Beats work anytime!

For game 2 of the ALDS between the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers, I took my nephew. It’s his first postseason game — my second! I dragged him out of school around 10 AM to catch this game at noon. Orioles don’t do day games very well, but they’re gonna need to in order to make it through the next round. They’ll be getting nothing but day games until the ALCS, so its sink or swim in the daylight.

The atmosphere in the morning is different than the night before. It was like everyone was still hung over and the coffee hasn’t kicked in yet. Uggh. We all feel like we need a pick-me-up. Hopefully, the Orioles don’t and won’t.

On mound is Wei-Yin Chen, the only lefty started Buck Showalter will throw against Detroit. This is a team that mashes lefties. Chen cruised the first time through their lineup. He was staked to a 2 run lead by a Nick Markakis homerun, which barely cleared the fence. The second time through the Detroit lineup, Chen only threw 10 pitches and put the Orioles in the hole 5-2. He gave up doubles, a three run homerun, and a solo shot. It was a blitz, and he was yanked for the young Kevin Gausmann.

All through that brutal half inning, there was a Detroit fan sitting a few rows back cheering. He clapped for the double. He clapped for the three run homerun. He cheered for the solo shot. He was starting to become annoying.

This year was a good for me in attending Orioles games. The first game of the package, the third game of the season, the Orioles lost, but if you told me that they would sweep the World Series champion Boston Red Sox, I would’ve told you they wouldn’t. And they didn’t. Yet, since then, I have gone to nothing but wins. The closest loss was a 2-1 win versus Toronto in which the Orioles won in extra innings despite Tommy going boom and blowing a save.

While the Tigers beat out 5 runs, I felt my personal winning streak slip away. I fell into despair. The three beers didn’t help. As the game continued, the Orioles would get men on base and fail to produce runs. The Detroit fan would cheer the failure, and I would slide deeper into my despair. My nephew would encourage me with signs for getting to the Detroit bullpen, but I don’t think that would happen. Even when they took out their Cy Young winner in the fifth Detroit still threw a good pitcher for a couple of innings shutting out the Orioles.

Finally, at the depths of my despair, the eighth inning rolled around and the Orioles got to their bullpen. Adam Jones who isn’t doing well was hit by a pitch causing their bullpen to be called in to get the final 5 outs of the game.

Jones moved to third on a Nelson Cruz single then scored on a Steve Pearce single.

JJ Hardy walked to load the bases.

While all this transpired, the crowd was sensing something special. They got loud. I was busy yelling into my neighbors ear, that Buck should put Delmon Young in for the ineffective Caleb Joseph. Buck is smarter than me. He brought him to pinch hit for the ineffective Ryan Flaherty.

I am a Flaherty fan, and I approved.

In comes Young. First pitch swinging. Bases clearing double. Orioles take the lead. The crowd goes wild.

It was amazing. From the pits of despair to elation! Yet, I could not comprehend what I saw. It was the most amazing thing to have witnessed. I was in a daze. It would take me another day to crawl out of the pit of despair, but the Orioles had taken the lead.

The eventually closed out the game for a win. Camden Yards was really, really loud.

We await the final game of the series.

Baseball Is Good

broderic on October 5, 2014

I took a half day on Thursday and then a full Friday off in order to catch the Orioles in the postseason. After 5 years of being a season ticket holder, these are my first postseason games from that investment. In reality, these are my first postseason games ever.

I didn’t make it to the ’70 postseason. My Lolo did, and he found it cold. I didn’t make it to ’83. My brother went and found fun heckling the White Sox. I didn’t care too much about baseball in ’96 or ’97. Then the Orioles went through 14 years of misery. I am not going to miss out on this.

Me and my older brother file into Camden Yards about 4 PM, 90 minutes before game time. The stadium has a rather subdued atmosphere. This isn’t like the feeling of Opening Day where everyone is absolutely excited for baseball. Postseason play leaves the spectators anxious and hungry for a win. They end up mute waiting for the fun to begin.

Yet, everyone is still excited. What will we get? A great game or bitter disappointment?

The ceremonial first pitch was done by Manny and Weiters, two key Orioles who are missing time because of injuries. Then, Chris Tillman, the ace of the staff, started the game right striking out the side in the first. The fireworks started when the Oriole came up to bat. Nelson Cruz hits a two run homer to stake the home team to 2-0 lead. It didn’t last a half inning, because Detroit came back with back-to-back homers to tie the game. After that, the pitching took over.

Tillman pitches well but inefficient for the next couple innings. In particular, Detroit’s Iam Kinsler sees 30 pitches in several at bats fouling off many of them. Tillman was done after 5 innings of work and 105 pitches. His Detroit counterpart, reigning Cy Young winner, Max Scherzer, kept the Orioles bats quiet after the early inning trouble. They didn’t get to him until the 8th.

My brother was worried all throughout the game. After a JJ Hardy homer gave the O’s the lead, it was nail biting time. Literally. I was biting my nails hoping we shut down this potent Detroit offense. I had faith, because this was the type of Orioles game that they seemed to play. A homerun, strong starting pitching, and then the bullpen to get the job done. The Orioles will have to play that game.

Then deAza hits a one out double in the eighth to knock Scherzer out of the game. Detroit’s bullpen is notorious and this half inning proves it. The Orioles batted around scoring 8 runs to put the game away.

The calm, subdued atmosphere was gone. It was loud and electric. I hate that Seven Nation Army chant, but it was still fun to do as the runs kept coming. Then a new chant picked up: “We Won’t Stop! We Won’t Stop! We Won’t Stop!” This is the slogan for the Orioles postseason and it is apropos. Orioles won’t stop scoring. Orioles won’t stop beating your stinky pitching. Orioles won’t stop until the game is over. It was a 4-3 game at the start of the inning. It became 12-3 bludgeoning.

High fives all around as this happened. The guy and his son next to you who you told that Jones Cruz would hit a first pitch homer — high five! Your brother — high five! People as you leave — high five! People as they are leaving — high five! I witnessed some drunk dude high five my brother then give the bro-hug. Baseball was good that night.

“You’re obviously crippled by mental illness!”

broderic on September 23, 2014

I went and tried to get more playoff tickets.

I thought it would be nice to invite anyone and everyone along for the second game of the ALDS. I got the chance this afternoon. As a season ticket holder, I had the chance to purchase another 2 tickets to any of the ALDS games.

I went 10 minutes into my scheduled time at 1400. I got a 2 tickets for Game 1. I selected seats for Game 2. No dice the first time. I tried a different section. No dice the second time. I worked my way down the list towards the cheaper and cheaper seats. No dice the third and fourth times.

Then I refreshed my shopping cart and tried again from the beginning.

Wait. There’s no Game 2 available.

Darn.

Now, I have to figure out who to take the first game and who the take for the second game.

Who wants to go?

“How much have you done so far?” “The outline.” “How long is it?” “Two words:the, outline.”

broderic on September 18, 2014

It has been a long time since a wrote a post about baseball or the Orioles. I didn’t have much to say lately or I didn’t know what to say. I see that my last post was from the 2012 season. There was a few from 2013, but nothing really. What is there to say about last year? It wasn’t this year!

Woohoo! Orioles won the American League East division! And I was there. I can not believe it. They did well.

This wasn’t like 2012. It was no surprise. It was a methodical beatdown of the AL East. They started slow, but as the year heated up, so did the Birds. They played better and better. And here we are.

AL East Champs!

Let’s go Orioles!