Baltimore Orioles

[93henfan]

O's 2 - Rays 1

T Teagarden doubled to deep right, M Machado and R Andino scored.

Got to love this no-name team.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy September baseball this year.

[93henfan]

These days? We already own most of the nice properties in the county.

In Bowers Beach and Pot Nets, yes...

HEY!

Some of us grew up in South Bowers.

[89Hen]

In Bowers Beach and Pot Nets, yes...

HEY!

Some of us grew up in South Bowers.

That explains a lot.

[93henfan]

HEY!

Some of us grew up in South Bowers.

That explains a lot.

Bowers = Bud Light
South Bowers = Dom Perignon

[89Hen]

That explains a lot.

Bowers = Bud Light
South Bowers = Dom Perignon

Well, it's no Big Stone Beach.

[93henfan]

Bowers = Bud Light
South Bowers = Dom Perignon

Well, it's no Big Stone Beach.

Man, you're all up in my hood. I grew up on Thompsonville Road. Milford zip, but most people would refer to the area I grew up as Milford Neck. I didn't really grow up in South Bowers, but I was very close to the SB Vol Fire Dept, which is actually in Thompsonville. The three beaches (north to south) that I used to spend a lot of time bike riding, fishing, crabbing, etc when I was a kid in the summer were SB, Bennett's Pier, and Big Stone. Man, if you ever want to get about as isolated as isolated gets on the east coast, drive out to Bennett's Pier at night. It can get spooky.

Sorry for the thread creep. Go Orioles.

[89Hen]

Well, it's no Big Stone Beach.

Man, you're all up in my hood. I grew up on Thompsonville Road. Milford zip, but most people would refer to the area I grew up as Milford Neck. I didn't really grow up in South Bowers, but I was very close to the SB Vol Fire Dept, which is actually in Thompsonville. The three beaches (north to south) that I used to spend a lot of time bike riding, fishing, crabbing, etc when I was a kid in the summer were SB, Bennett's Pier, and Big Stone. Man, if you ever want to get about as isolated as isolated gets on the east coast, drive out to Bennett's Pier at night. It can get spooky.

Sorry for the thread creep. Go Orioles.

Believe it or not, I've driven through just about every waterfront community in Kent and Sussex.

[89Hen]

Manny Machado with a walk-off single in the 14th! O's sweep the Rays and put some distance on them for the WC.

[Skjellyfetti]

Manny Machado with a walk-off single in the 14th! O's sweep the Rays and put some distance on them for the WC.

Orioles Magic!!

27-7 in one-run ball games. 13-2 in extra innings... 13 straight. 64-0 when leading after 7.

[Skjellyfetti]

Maybe the bird has something to do with this.

Look at him, perched there atop the heads of the surprising Baltimore Orioles. He is the cartoon bird of our youth -- or, at least, our younger days.

I like to refer to him as "Happy Bird," because he certainly looks happy. And why wouldn't he be? Happy Bird is a baseball fan, and he's seen quite a bit of good ball.

He is the bird of six World Series appearances and three victories. He is the bird of Brooks and Frank and Boog and Jim and Earl and Eddie. He is the bird of Cal ... or at least, he was, until 1989. That's when the Orioles dumped Happy Bird and turned to what they call the "Ornithologically Correct Bird."

Now, look, everyone has their reasons for doing the things they do, and I'm sure, from a marketing or merchandise standpoint, the O's had their reasons for going "ornithologically correct" -- even if this seems like too haughty and hefty a term for a game (and even if the Microsoft Word program on which I write this refuses to even recognize "ornithologically" as a real word).

It was 1989. The Cold War was winding down, but culture wars of class, of tradition, of family values were being waged all across the United States. Political correctness was of the utmost import, and somehow this correctness extended even to harmless, cartoon birds.

Happy Bird was simply too much for the country to handle.

So for 23 seasons, the Orioles went with a more realistic Oriole. First, it was the "ornithologically correct" installment, then the "lifelike" model and, finally, the "traditional" version. You can find them all here. I'm looking at them right now, and, frankly, I can barely tell them apart. Because they all look dull to me.

This was a stoic bird, not a happy one. This was an all-business bird. He looks like a professor prone to impossible pop quizzes or the kind of girl who won't even acknowledge your existence at the bar. He's a tough one, this bird. But you respect him for his serenity, even in turbulent times.

And yes, times were turbulent for the Orioles from 1989 through 2011. They had just six winning seasons and two playoff appearances under Dull Bird. Both of those playoff appearances ended in American League Championship Series heartbreak -- first with Jeffrey Maier forever altering the course of Game 1 against the Yankees in 1996, then with Tony Fernandez's solo shot in the 11th securing Game 6 for the Indians in '97.

(Quick digression: As a Clevelander, I'll always remember Herb Score's overly excited call of that Fernandez home run. "The Indians are going to the World Series!" Score said as he leaped out of his chair, only to remember it was the top of the 11th, not the bottom, and adding a quick disclaimer: "Maybe.")

Anyway, those were some lean years under Dull Bird. Certainly, there were some great moments. The move to Camden Yards, which is still one of the more beautiful ballparks in the country, stands out, as does Ripken breaking Lou Gehrig's consecutive games record, easily one of the greatest nights in the sport's history.

But Dull Bird was also there for the post-primes of Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa, the degenerative hip of Albert Belle. Dull Bird was there when the O's gave up 30 runs to the Rangers in a 2007 doubleheader ... the first game of a doubleheader. And he was there when they lost the nightcap, 9-7. In 2010, when a frustrated Brian Roberts hit himself in the helmet with his bat and gave himself a concussion, do you know who he hit with that bat? Dull Bird.

Listen, it's not fair to pin any of that on Dull Bird. He didn't make the personnel moves or the pitching changes or the mental mistakes that led to 14 consecutive losing seasons. He just sort of sat there, a disinterested observer to all that plagued the O's. But there's an old saying in baseball (one I just made up), and it goes, "The duller the logo, the duller the team," and Dull Bird brought nothing to the table.

Now, Happy Bird is back, and the O's stunning success seems to surpass pure coincidence.

Happy Bird smiles a wry smile, like he knows something you don't know. Like Buck Showalter just whispered the secret to success in his ear.

It's the kind of smile that says, "Yes, I know how we've managed to go a ludicrous 27-7 in one-run games, but I'm not going to tell you."

It's the kind of smirk that says, "Yes, I know we have a middle-rung staff ERA and we rate poorly in the defensive metrics, but I don't particularly care."

It's the kind of sly grin that says, "Yes, I know our general manager, Dan Duquette, was out of baseball for a decade before we hired him, but that just means he's fresh."

Happy Bird also has this youthful glow to him, not unlike the youthful glow of third baseman Manny Machado, promoted, some argued, prematurely, only to show some obvious pop and prescience. His pump-fake to nab Rays pinch-runner Rich Thompson to end the top of the ninth Wednesday night was one of the more heady plays we've seen all year from anyone, let alone a 20-year-old. Happy Bird had to be loving it.

Just look at those wild eyes. Happy Bird seems to take pleasure in the absurdities of life. Like the O's winning 13 consecutive extra-innings games. Like Lew Ford returning from the dead and not only playing in the Majors for the first time in five years, but sometimes batting fifth. Like the Orioles making 168 roster moves and cycling through 11 starting pitchers just to stay afloat.

Like the simple fact that all this is happening in the vaunted AL East, and the O's might well win the division title.

Happy Bird knows a thing or two about titles. The first season the O's wore him on their hats was 1966. They went on to win the franchise's first World Series championship with a four-game sweep of the Dodgers. (I'm not saying, I'm just saying).

It's crazy, right? It's crazy to think something as stupid as a logo has any part in the O's ridiculous resurgence. That doesn't seem logically correct, let alone ornithologically correct.

But I do know this: Things are a lot happier in the Orioles' world here in 2012, and they've got the smiling bird to prove it.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd ... b&c_id=mlb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[andy7171]

The losing is over! Buck for President!

[Skjellyfetti]

O's lose 1 run ballgame to A's. Didn't think that was allowed.

[Skjellyfetti]

15 straight extra inning games.

[CAA Flagship]

The Orioles slump starts..........NOW.

[JoltinJoe]

From October 4, 2010:

Showalter is going to bring winning back to Baltimore. For all the credit Torre gets for the Yankees, keep in mind he stepped into something that Showalter was instrumental in building. If you listen to guys like Paul O'Neill and Bernie Williams, you'll appreciate just how important Showalter was in teaching the Yankees how to win and building the confidence of young players. For example, much to Mel Hall's disbelief, Showalter put his foot down and told the Yankees to let him go after the '92 season because he was razzing a young Bernie Williams and wouldn't stop despite being told to knock it off. Showalter thought Williams was going to amount a great big-league player and believed that Hall, despite his productivity, was damaging his confidence.

[grizzaholic]

I am very much leaning towards picking them to finish second in the East.

As of this very moment I am leaning towards this

Boston
Baltimore
Tampa Bay
New York
Toronto

Ummm.....UNH, we need to talk.

[Skjellyfetti]

16 straight extra inning games.



Now just need the A's to knock off the Yanks in extra innings.

[CAA Flagship]

The Orioles slump starts..........NOW.

.....startiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing NOW.

[andy7171]

The Orioles slump starts..........NOW.

.....startiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing NOW.

[DSUrocks07]

Positive run differential.

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk 2

[Skjellyfetti]

Orioles back tied in first place.

28-9 in one run games. Best record ever.

Could clinch playoff spot tomorrow.

Could pass Rangers for #1 seed in American League...

[Seahawks08]

good good

[CAA Flagship]

The Orioles slump starts..........NOW.

.....startiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing NOW.

Dammit. I said startiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing NOW.

[Ivytalk]

.....startiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing NOW.

Dammit. I said startiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing NOW.

Flagship, we are going to miss you next year. Seriously.

Where else will we find a poster with a combined Norfolk-South Bronx pedigree?

[bluehenbillk]

Do they still have a one-game tibreak for division titles if they're both already in?