On To The Next
Orioles sweep. Going to the ALCS.
Baseball is good.
The Agony and the Ecstasy
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
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.
Quote of the Day [8.14.13]
“The losing is over, but that doesn’t mean the playoffs are here to stay.”
Mark Brown on the latest Orioles loss
Baseball Sundays
Baseball Sundays
Originally uploaded by browsermetrics.
60′ 6″
Cute girls throw like a girl. Each was absolutely atrocious. If I had to pick which one was the worst, I’d pick Jessica’s. Her throw went straight into the ground at leas Tiffany’s went to the plate — 10 feet wide and rolling on the ground! If I had to to pick the cutest, I’d also pick Jessica. Cute girls, please, please, learn to throw; and you’ll be even more cuter.
Metropolitan Baseball Nine
Getting ready for the season? Here’s a picture from the Library of Congress of the Metropolitan Baseball Nine. I think these are the Mets of yore. They look imposing, but I’m sure they were a knock over. Same as the current Mets. Baseball is baseball.
Orioles Magic
With the loss last night in game 5 of the ALDS, the Orioles’ season has come to a close. What a wonderful ride it was. Right from the start when they were winning, we couldn’t believe it. Then as the summer doldrum seemed to have hit, we still couldn’t believe it — they rocketed back into contention. In August, in September, we believed. And we got here, but oh so short. Maybe next year. #stayhungry
This season was a fantastic season. It’s gonna go down as one of the best baseball memories. It follows Brooks Robinson Appreciation Day in 1977, the heartbreaking 1979 World Series, season tickets with my dad, the 1982 playoff chase, the ’83 World Series, the #podpeople Orioles of 2010, and #theLegendOfBobbyAndy. It will be a traumatic memory as the heartbreaking 1979 World Series, Manny’s 500th homerun, the normal Orioles of 2010, and the calvary collapse in 2011. Just some great baseball memories.
I just can’t wait for more. And let’s hope this is the beginning of good Baltimore baseball.
Let’s go O’s!
“Joe, you do not know hypnotism.” “Sure I do. Watch this. Chicken.” *cluck-cluck*
Wow. Just wow.
I bought my first Orioles season tickets for the 2010 season believing that good times were coming. It didn’t turn out that way. The Orioles started bad and continued bad in 2010. They switched out the manager twice. So long Dave Trembley, hello Buck Showalter and his pod people Orioles. They played well to end the season and to give hope for 2011.
I, too, still had hope, so I bought season tickets for 2011. That season started well, then June hit and it turned awful fast. But the Orioles did finish out relatively strong. And it did give us #theLegendOfBobbyAndy Game 162. That stoppage of the dreaded Boston Red Sox gave us hope for 2012.
Once more, I go all in for the Orioles and get season tickets for 2012. This time not too hopeful. The Orioles started out strong sweeping the opening series with the Twins but getting swept by the dreaded Yankees. It seemed we were destined to be terrible. Yet, they kept winning series by series, game by game. By the All-Star break they were competitive in the division although their Pythagoras Number was abysmal, more runs scored against them than they had against other teams.
Last night, they beat the Boston Red Sox and Pythagoras down to earn their 90th win of the season. It’s been a long time for the franchise to have a winning record. And finally, Baltimore has embraced this team’s run.
I used my final season ticket for this year last night with The Seed, and it was one of the best final series season I have seen. (I missed last year’s final tilt because Boston.) The crowd was electric and when Ryan Flaherty hit that first inning grand slam, the crowd erupted knowing that it was going to be a rocking night. Chris Tilman pitched a hell of a game so much so I didn’t know that it was a 1 hit affair. We were jumping and jumping until the final out.
We wanted fireworks, and we got them.
It was a very successful season. I don’t want it to end. I wish I had tickets for the rest of the weekend.
Thanks, Orioles, for the memories.
“Dave, a budget is a budget is a budget, to paraphrase…” “Gertrude Stein.”
Oh, yeah! Generic playoff tickets. You gotta love that. Orioles playing whomever at whatever date the game will be played. And these are all so pricy. You should check out the World Series ticket. I cut off the prices, but don’t you know that they cost just as much as my season tickets.
I don’t know if the Orioles go, but we’re very optimistic here.
#leggo