In the sports world there are sequences where multiple teams, and athletes from a particular city take the national spotlight. Look at Tampa Bay for example. In 2020 the Buccaneers, and Lightning won their league titles, and the Rays made it to the World Series. There are other years where cities have captured the sports imagination. For the city of Baltimore one year comes to mind when talking about being the center of the sports world. (Hint: Its surprisingly not 1970)
Bragging Sports Presents
A Maryland Culture Production
Michael Phelps, Adam Jones, Chris Davis, Manny Machado, JJ Hardy, Jim Johnson, Buck Showalter, Joe Flacco, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Anquan Boldin, John Harbaugh and many more.
2012 IN BALTIMORE
Part 1: The Buckle Up Birds
Chapter 1: The Circumstances
Narrator: No year in my lifetime when it comes to sports will ever come close to 2012. Yes I have the 2016 Cubs, the 2021 Bucks, plus all 3 of Golden States championships but to me it doesn’t make me change my mind. Being from Baltimore and spending a majority of my childhood in that city is a big reason as to why I believe this. As a 10 year old boy that summer I couldn’t have gotten exactly what I wanted. Charm City from April of 2012 to February of 2013 was the center of the sports world. If you wanted to find a premiere sports city at that time you could look right to the 410. The first chapter of this story focuses on the 2012 Baltimore Orioles. To many in the city it was considered an appetizer to what was to come. Although this run was probably the most unexpected. Before that miracle season, the O’s were considered the punchline of baseball for 15 years. In 1996 and 1997 they made 2 trips to the ALCS only to fall short thanks to bad luck and Armando Benitez tipping his pitches. Even worse for the Orioles was that the moment that started the dynasty of the Joe Torre led Yankees was due to one of the worst calls in baseball history. In the bottom of the ninth inning the Orioles were leading 4-3 in Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS, that was until Yankee fan Jeffery Maier took his glove over the wall and prevented outfielder Tony Tarasco from making the 2nd out of the inning. What should have been ruled as the 2nd out of the inning resulted in a game tying homer for Derek Jeter. (In other terms it was the passing of the baton from Cal Ripken to Jeter) And not only that Bernie Williams hit a game winning home run off the O’s ace closer Randy Myers to give the Yankees a Game 1 win. The Orioles in many baseball fans minds would never recover from that loss. Even to this day. There’s a reason why it’s called the Curse of Jeffery Maier. Because that could have been the beginning of a dynasty in Baltimore. A team with Cal Ripken, Roberto Alomar, Brady Anderson, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmero, Bobby Bonilla, Chris Hoiles, Mike Mussina, Ben McDonald, Randy Myers, and an elite manager in Davey Johnson. But one of the biggest mistakes that owner Peter Angelos ever made was getting rid of Johnson as well as GM Pat Gillick. That all started a trend where the Orioles would miss the playoffs for 14 STRAIGHT YEARS! Although a majority of those years were either because A they were a bad team with no talent, or B they had talent it’s just that they were in a brutal AL East. The issue that the Orioles had for many of those years where they missed the postseason was the same issue that the Rays and Blue Jays had. (Both teams also experienced long playoff droughts as well) When there are only 4 playoff spots including only 1 Wild Card and you’re in the same division as the 2 premiere franchises in baseball in the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox there’s a good chance your season ends early. However there was promise in 2010 and 2011, Buck Showalter was hired as manager and Dan Duquette was hired as GM. Both men had one mission, restore the Oriole Way. That way had been a major reason for their championships in 1966, 1970, and 1983. Even though they had yet to make it past 70 wins since 2005 it was certainly progress from the tank years in 06 and 07. Entering 2012, the Orioles had some talent starting to emerge. In 2011 they traded for Chris Davis, JJ Hardy, and Mark Reynolds. They traded away the ace of the pitching staff, Jeremy Guthrie, to Kansas City for an upgrade in Jason Hammel. The biggest move was signing an overseas pitcher named Wei-Yin Chen. Chen, Hammel, and Chris Tillman were viewed by the fans as a potential 3-headed-monster in the rotation. That’s not including the home grown talent going back to the pre-Showalter years. Adam Jones, Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, Nolan Reimold, Matt Wieters, Tillman, Pedro Strop, and Jim Johnson. There was a foundation that was being built. The question was, could they compete with the big boys.
Chapter 2: The Early Days of the Season
Optimism reigned before Opening Day. The 2012 season would be O’s 20th Anniversary season at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. To celebrate, the team over the course of the regular season would unveil 6 bronze sculptures of the 6 Orioles who’s jersey numbers are retired and hanging from the upper deck in left field. (Frank Robinson, Earl Weaver, Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken, and Brooks Robinson) They also changed their logo from an actual Oriole, to the cartoon bird which was their logo during the glory years. Not only that but they introduced a new PA Announcer named Ryan Wagner. Wagner had grown up a massive O’s fan, and couldn’t wait to present the gameday experience to an old and new audience of Orioles fans. The Orioles would open the season at home against the Minnesota Twins. And boy did they make an impact right away. Baltimore would sweep the 3 game series in convincing fashion. Jake Arrieta, Tommy Hunter (before he was converted to setup man), and Hammel would allow a combined 5 runs, and Nick Markakis got off to a flying start with 4 extra base hits. Yes the Twins were a team stuck in quicksand but this was a good omen to start the season. BOOM! But it wouldn’t be long before they faced the Yankees. And not only did New York sweep the ensuing series, they won all 3 games in the 8th inning or later. And this caused Showalter to change his closer from Kevin Gregg to Jim Johnson. Games 2 and 3 of that 3 game set would in fact be the only games that the O’s would lose in extra innings ALL YEAR! Even if they were 3-3 (That would be the only time the Orioles were at 500 during the season too), the Orioles were about to go on a run in which no team in the history of the game had ever gone on in terms of winning extra innings and 1 run games. The Beginning of this run began on a cold Monday Night in Chicago on April 16 against the White Sox. Trailing 4-3 in the top of the 9th, Adam Jones would fire the first salvo. “Jones hits it, left center field, way back, GOODBYE HOME RUN! Adam Jones with 2 down in the 9th inning has tied this ballgame up!” In what turned out to be the 2nd homer of the inning, what was 4-1 White Sox lead was now a tie game. And the very next inning, Matt Wieters would deliver the knockout punch. “Wieters to right field, that is back. GOODBYE A GRAND SLAM!” That game was viewed as an unexpected comeback against what normally at the time was one of the top bullpens in baseball. But little did the experts know that this would only be the beginning. After losing 2 of 3 in Anaheim the O’s came home to beat up on the Blue Jays in 3 straight games. Then the A’s came into town that weekend and boy was that a fun series. Despite losing the Friday Opener, the Orioles came back the next night and put up 10 runs in a 10-1 beatdown. That night would also feature Frank Robinson’s sculpture getting unveiled in the Legends Park Plaza in left center field at Camden Yards. The next day the wonders of Orioles Magic returned except this time all of B-More could see it. The Birds were down in the ninth 2-0 with Bartolo Colon going for a complete game shutout. JJ Hardy led off the inning with a single, Jones followed with another hit. Now with runners at 2nd and 3rd Matt Wieters again delivered a massive extra base hit. His 2 run double tied the game and forced Colon out. In the game came Grant Balfour the closer for Oakland. The A’s elected to walk Chris Davis who had a 5 RBI night the previous game in favor of 3rd baseman Wilson Betemit. Oh was that a mistake! “3-1 delivery, Betemit in the air, HE GOT ALL OF IT! WAY BACK! GOODBYE OFF THE TOP, HOME RUN WILSON BETEMIT!” Wow, wow! If I thought the comeback against the White Sox was crazy this one was better in an instant. At 14-8 the O’s were making solid progress, and it continued as they went to Yankee Stadium and took 2 of 3 against the Bronx Bombers. That same weekend, at Fenway Park in the first meeting with the Red Sox since the epic Game 162 at Camden Yards the previous year which knocked Boston out of the playoffs, the Birds would do the exact same thing. In Game 1 it took them 13 innings to put Boston out of their misery. The next game Adam Jones and Mark Reynolds both smacked home runs onto Landsdown Street in an 8-2 whipping. Game 3 was an Orioles Classic. Baltimore took a 5-0 lead on 2 homers from JJ Hardy, and a 3 run shot from Robert Andino who was stepping in for the injured Brian Roberts. But the Red Sox led by a grand slam from Will Middlebrooks came back to tie the game and force another extra inning slugfest. And the game went on, and on, and on. Then finally Buck Showalter realized that they had no pitchers out of the bullpen and said “you know what, let’s put Chris Davis on the mound.” With 2 outs in the 16th inning Mike Aviles hit what looked to be a walk off double, BUT ADAM JONES GUNNED OUT MARLON BYRD AT THE PLATE! Onto the 17th inning we go. And speaking of Jones he would hit a go ahead 3 run homer to give the Orioles a 9-6 lead. Although the Red Sox would threaten again in the bottom half of the inning against Davis. That was until… “Ground ball, Hardy, Andino, THE ORIOLES WIN! Chris Davis is the winning pitcher!” That ladies and gentleman is a team pulling out all the stops to winning an almost impossible game. At 19-9 at the beginning of May, hope was starting to return to Charm City.
Chapter 3: A Roller Coaster Stretch
When they came home after the Red Sox series, the Orioles appeared to be in an upbeat situation having just stunned their arch rivals again. However their series against the 2 time defending AL Champion Texas Rangers would be one of the biggest duds of the season. In Game 1, Brian Matusz got smacked all night long in a 14-3 blowout, (DRAMATIC MUSIC!) The next night would be a disaster. Josh Hamilton was a one man wrecking crew all over Jake Arrieta. He hit not 1 not 2 not 3 BUT 4 HOME RUNS in a 10-3 win! It appeared as if reality was starting to hit the Orioles, but after a rainout the next night. They would put up a 1st inning statement in Game 1 of the doubleheader. Ryan Flaherty would hit his 1st big league home run, next at bat, JJ Hardy, same result. Even if the O’s were facing Colby Lewis who was the Rangers ace at the time, they weren’t afraid of his stuff. And wouldn’t you believe it… “That ball is hit, will it stay fair? And Goodbye Home Run! Eutaw Street, Nick Markakis!” Back-Back-Back. That’s how you respond to giving up 4 home runs to Josh Hamilton. The Orioles would hit 5 homers overall in a 6-5 win. This game proved that the O’s were starting to become a fantastic power hitting lineup. In fact they got contributions all across the board. Against the Rays it was Nick Johnson’s turn to play hero, his 2 run shot in the 7th gave the Birds a 4-3 win. The next night they jumped out to a 4-1 and despite an excellent homecoming for former Orioles slugger Luke Scott the Birds won 5-3 thanks to an 8th shot by the newly acquired Bill Hall. (He would eventually get injured 2 weeks later) At 22-13, Baltimore was starting to gain confidence. In a rare Monday-Tuesday against the Yankees they would split the games but showed hunger and experience especially from Wei-Yin Chen and reliever Pedro Strop. Another trend at this time was also taking place. Jim Johnson was becoming one of the top closers in baseball. By the end of May he would have a league leading 16 saves and a 2.61 ERA. With an improved rotation, and bullpen, the Orioles were on the rise. They backed up a 15 inning win against the Royals in Kansas City with an equally dramatic win against a white hot Nationals team in the first game of a hyped 3 game series. In the top of the 11th inning, Nick Markakis smacked a 1 out homer which gave the O’s 2-1 lead which they would hold on for dear life. But after the Nats series, the Orioles would endure their first losing skid of the season. They lost 10 of their 13 games including a sweep in Toronto. But one game would get them back on track. In early June they went to Fenway Park for a 3 game series. In Game 1, Jim Johnson was burned by an excellent at bat by Jarrod Saltalamacchia which resulted in a controversial game-tying 2-run homer that cleared the Green Monster. Although Endy Chavez would deliver a 2 RBI single in the 10th to preserve the victory. That same weekend, the Phillies who had the Top Wild Card in the National League came to Camden Yards for a big 3 game series. The Phils took Game 1 9-6. But the next day, Adam Jones would once again take matters into his own hands in extra innings. “0-1, hit in the air left center field, Victorino going back, GOODBYE HOME RUN! A Walk Off Homer for Adam Jones!” It took them 12 innings but the O’s extended their extra innings win streak thanks to the man who was starting to become an Orioles Legend. The next day, same story, except this time AJ was on first with Matt Wieters up at bat. “Wieters on the 0-2, in the air to right field, back at the wall and it comes off the wall! Pence misplays, Jones is coming home, throw to the plate! Not in time the Orioles win it 5-4! A new franchise record 9 consecutive extra inning wins, as Wieters gets the game winning RBI.” Not only can Matt Wieters gun out elite base runners he can also do that. The O’s now at 34-26 through 60 games were near the top of a loaded Wild Card race. The momentum continued with a beatdown of the Pittsburgh Pirates the very next series. Chris Davis’ broken bat homer in Game 2 of the 3 game sweep is all you need to know. Following the Bucs series, Baltimore would take 2 of 3 from the Braves at Turner Field. Only 4.5 back of the 1st place Yankees things were looking up for the Birds. (DRAMATIC MUSIC!) But June ended with a whimper. First a 3 game sweep by the Mets at Citi Field, despite taking 2 of 3 against Washington, they got swept by the Angels and Mike Trout’s sensational defense, plus lost 3 of 4 to the Indians who were also starting to get back in the Wild Card hunt under new manager Terry Francona. The only win in that series was a Friday Night slugfest in which Earl Weaver became the 2nd O’s Legend to have a Bronze Sculpture unveiled in Legends Park. The headliner was again Matt Wieters who hit a 3 run shot that easily landed on Eutaw Street and almost hit the B&O Warehouse. The 1st Half ended with a similar conclusion just like in their mid June series at Camden Yards. The Orioles couldn’t beat the red hot Angels. They lost 3 of 4 in Anaheim and still went into the All Star Break tied for the 2nd AL Wild Card with Cleveland. With 10 teams separated by 5 games by the midsummer classic in Kansas City the first ever 2 Wild Card pennant race would be MustC TV come September. The goal for the Orioles was simple. BE AT THE TOP COME OCTOBER 3!
Chapter 4: A Shuffling of Moves to Bolster the Roster
At 45-41 the Orioles were near the top of an epic Wild Card race. Even if many pundits believed that their 1st Half success was a fluke, many fans were getting flashbacks to 1989. That year the O’s were coming off a 54-117 season which featured an 0-21 start. They went from the worst record of any team in a season during the 1980s to coming within 2 games of the postseason behind the division rival Blue Jays. That team was led by Frank Robinson in his first full season as manager and got many unexpected contributions. Yes they still had Cal Ripken in his prime and a consistent bat in Larry Sheets but how could explain the emergence of Mickey Tettleton, Mike Devereaux, Greg Olsen, Jeff Ballard, and the 2nd Half success story of Dave Johnson. (Not Davey Johnson, but he did have the gutsy game against Toronto in Game 161 to force a do or die Game 162) They called it “Why Not?” And this Oriole team looked very similar to that except they had more proven players on the team and a legend of a skipper in Buck Showalter. (Frank Robinson was good but not great as a manager compared to his playing days) By mid July the Orioles depth and trade assets would be tested for the first time in 15 years. The rotation had a minor question mark. Their Top 3 starters were unanimously Wei-Yin Chen, Jason Hammel, and Chris Tillman. But what would the back end of the rotation be like? They decided to use a 6 man rotation which was rounded out by a journeyman southpaw in Joe Saunders, plus 2 rookies in Miguel Gonzalez and Steve Johnson. This meant that they would move Zach Britton, Tommy Hunter, and Brian Matusz to the bullpen to go along with the 3 headed monster of Strop, O’Day, and Jim Johnson. The offense did have a few soft spots. Much of the damage was coming from Jones, Davis, Wieters, Hardy, Markakis, and Reynolds. If they wanted to make it far they would need a true leadoff hitter. Nick Markakis would be that guy but was widely considered as a #2 or #3 hitter. Here’s why that question was out there. (DRAMATIC MUSIC!) Brian Roberts, the longtime face of the franchise, was out for the rest of the season due to injury. They did have Ryan Flaherty and Robert Andino as replacements but both would be hitting near the bottom of the order. And just a few days after the All Star Break, GM Dan Duquette began making moves. First they acquired future Hall of Famer Jim Thome in a trade with the Phillies. All it cost them was one of their top prospects in Cameron Rupp (He would have been blocked off by Wieters anyways). Their first opponent after the All Star Break would be the high powered Detroit Tigers in a 3 game series at Camden Yards. Both teams were within a game of each other going into the series. The opening game went to the Tigers 7-2. The late Saturday Afternoon game the next day would be one of the highlights of the O’s season. Jim Palmer became the 3rd Orioles Legend to have his Bronze Sculpture unveiled at Legends Park. Palmer himself would be proud of the pitching matchup in this game. Max Scherzer vs Wei-Yin Chen, 2 of the hottest pitchers in the AL head to head. Baltimore took a 4-1 lead deep into the late innings. But wouldn’t you guess it Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder went hog wild on Jim Johnson in the 9th as Detroit tied the game. Then the Tigers in fact took the lead with the O’s down for the count. The extra inning win streak would not be dead yet though! Then the Orioles began recreating the epic against the Angels exactly 23 years ago to the date. Adam Jones drove in Markakis to tie the game in the 11th. Then in the 13th Quintin Berry would single off Kevin Gregg to give the Tigers the lead. (That would be Greggs last game in an O’s uniform too) But in the bottom half of the inning. HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY! JJ Hardy with 1 out in the bottom of the 13th ties the game at 6. Following a strikeout of Thome, Jones was beaned and went to 1st. Next up came Taylor Teagarden who was also acquired in the Jim Thome trade. What are we getting flashbacks to Devereaux against the Angels in 1989? “There goes Jones, flyball, right field, going back is Berry, Way back there, Way back there, WAVE THAT BABY BYE BYE! Taylor Teagarden has done the unthinkable, his first game as an Oriole, he has hit a walkoff home run to beat the Tigers and maintain the lead in the Wild Card race. And on Jim Palmer Day the Orioles are in the win column!” The extra innings streak is still alive baby! Even if the Tigers won the next day, momentum was back on the O’s side. After a split of a 4 game series in Minnesota, the Orioles went to Cleveland all fired up. In Game 1 Jim Thome bashed the team that made him a legend with 2 homers. You can copy and paste that for Ryan Flaherty too. The rest of the series was dominated in the field by Adam Jones and JJ Hardy. Both All Stars had highlight plays on Saturday and Sunday. The 3 game sweep of the Tribe was good enough to get the O’s to within a half game of the Angels for the Top Wild Card in the AL. (That series would take the Indians out of the Wild Card race for good) But their next homestand would be a minor letdown. First, they lost 3 out of 4 against the Rays who were also neck-neck near the top of the Wild Card race. Next they lost 2 of 3 to the Athletics who were on a torrid pace winning 15 of their 19 games to grab the top spot in the Wild Card race. The A’s left town 1 game ahead of LA for the top Wild Card spot. Now 2 games back of the Halos, the Orioles needed to make a few moves. One of them was trading longtime setup man Kevin Gregg to the Braves for a Gold Glove outfielder in Nate McLouth. He would be promoted to leadoff man the minute he arrived. In another key move, the Orioles then signed outfielder Lew Ford off waivers to add depth at DH. Entering August, the Birds were right in the thick of the Wild Card race with the beef of their schedule coming up.
Chapter 5: Why Not 2.0 begins
The O’s would need it all when they went to Yankee Stadium on July 30, trailing by 7.5 games in the AL East to New York the Birds knew that they needed to take 2 out of 3 to have a fighting chance at the division title. Even in the Bronx Debut for the Yankees major deadline prize in Ichiro, the Orioles 3 headed monster in the bullpen shut them down in the 8th and 9th innings. Game 2, different story. The Yankees would score 5 in the 1st inning off Chris Tillman. But the O’s responded by scoring 7 runs in the 2nd headlined by a grand slam by Chris Davis off of Ivan Nova. The Orioles would win the game 11-5 to close the gap to 5.5. The Yanks would win the finale and push the lead back up to 6.5 games. That weekend in Tampa Bay the Orioles would hold the Rays to just 2 runs in a 2 out of 3 series win that was headlined by a 1-0 extra inning win on that Sunday. Oh but the fun was just beginning! The Orioles were suddenly hot, and back at Camden Yards there was nothing Seattle could do to stop it. Every time the Mariners had a lead, the Birds came back. After a 3-1 win in Game 1, the next night would be a classic. The Mariners were about to take an 8-2 lead until Adam Jones gunned out Miguel Olivo at the plate. That play changed the entire momentum of the game, and the AL Wild Card race. The O’s quickly took advantage thanks to home runs from Matt Wieters and JJ Hardy. With the game tied at 7 it went on, and on, and on. That was until the bottom of the 14th. And wouldn’t you guess it, who had the big hit? “Line drive, right field, that ball is OFF THE GLOVE of Casper Wells and the Orioles win!” What a gutty comeback by the Birds to get themselves back to a tie for the 2nd AL Wild Card. They would sweep the series the next day with a 9-2 blowout win. At 60-51, the Orioles felt good themselves, and just when you thought their lineup couldn’t get any better, they were about to call up a man who would have a major impact on the squad both in the pennant race and the future of the team. Manny Machado, who was a shortstop in Double-A in Bowie but thanks to JJ Hardy playing the position, Buck Showalter moved him to 3rd base. The 20 year old’s impact was instant. (Shades of Paul Richards moving Brooks Robinson to 3rd in the 50s, eh?) Even though they lost the opener to Kansas City, Manny would pick up 2 hits in his big league debut. That would be an appetizer to what followed the next night. On a night where Eddie Murray had his Bronze Sculpture unveiled at Legends Park, Machado would quickly take the spotlight and make it his own. He smacked his 1st 2 major league home runs in a 7-1 whipping. The Orioles and Royals would split the 4 game series and remain tied at the top of the AL Wild Card race. Then the Red Sox came to Camden Yards and Mark Reynolds played long ball all series. He smacked 4 homers in 3 games as the Birds took 2 out of 3. On August 17, the Orioles went to Detroit for another massive 3 game series. They dropped the first game in controversial fashion thanks to Bucks Showalter getting ejected in the 6th inning. (The Tigers would score 3 runs afterwards to win 5-3) But then Steve Johnson and Wei-Yin Chen picked them up in the final 2 games. The Orioles series win at Comerica Park was another series in a stretch where the Birds went 5 straight series without a loss in ⅔ or more of the games. That trend would end against the AL West leading Rangers in Arlington. And for the 2nd time this season the Orioles would give up 4 home runs in a game to a Texas slugger. This time Adrian Beltre would hit 4 dongs. The O’s were still tied with the A’s for the 2nd AL Wild Card, but the rest of the pack was again closing in on them. That was until they came home for a 6 game homestand against the Blue Jays and White Sox. In Game 1 against Toronto, Chris Davis was about to begin a hot streak that would carry from that point on and eventually into the following season. After hitting 2 homers in his first 2 at bats, he came up in the 6th with a chance at the hat-trick. “And that ball in the air to left field, that is back and GOODBYE HOME RUN! A 3 homer ballgame Chris Davis!” That game was another example of the O’s riding a hot bat to a win. The next night Steve Johnson on a night where Mike Mussina was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame did his best Moose impersonation with 7 strong innings helped by Matt Wieters making life hard on Rajai Davis. (Fun fact, Steve’s father Dave was teammates with Mussina) A man who was 2nd in the majors in stolen bases was gunned out twice by Wieters. After Sunday’s finale was rained out, it didn’t cool off the Birds at all. They took 3 out of 4 from the White Sox, and knocked Robin Ventura’s club out of 1st place for good. And then they went back to the Bronx, and once again took 2 of 3 from the Yankees. The only loss in the series was the opener which was due to a rare error by JJ Hardy. His teammates would pick him up especially the newly acquired veteran Randy Wolf who would spend time in the rotation and in the pen as a long man. In a blink of an eye the Yankees 8 game lead in the AL East at the All Star was down to 1 game! And against the Blue Jays in their next series, the O’s would eventually tie the Yanks atop the division. A loss in the finale at SkyDome coupled with a New York win put the Yankees back in the lead. But once September 6, 2012 rolled around, the emotions of every Orioles fan was at a fever pitch.
Chapter 6: THE YANKEES ARE COMING TO TOWN!
(2131 theme playing) If you were to tell any baseball expert that the Orioles would have a chance to overtake the New York Yankees as the best team in the American League let alone the AL East they would all laugh in your face. Not in this case. In a repeat of 1989, the O’s Cinderella Season would be tested against the top competitor in their division. However the difference was that this series was in early September, not the final weekend of the season. The opening game of this epic 4 game series was massively hyped. Not only was the game a battle for 1st place, it was on National TV in front of an ESPN viewing audience. And before the game, the Orioles 20th Anniversary Celebration series of Camden Yards would honor the greatest player that ever played in the “Ballpark that Forever Changed Baseball.” Cal Ripken, exactly 17 years ago to the day where he broke Lou Gehrig’s ironman record of 2130 consecutive games played, had his Bronze Sculpture unveiled at Legends Park. Most of the fans were in the stadium almost an hour and a half prior to first pitch. It was fitting that the 2 teams playing on Cal Ripken Day at Camden Yards were the teams that had the 2 ironmen of Major League Baseball. To be honest, Cal Ripken means a whole lot to me. Even though he retired the year before I was born, Ripken to me was my childhood icon growing up in Charm City. (Excluding Ray Lewis) His mentality of showing up everyday, competing at a high level, being one of the best players to ever wear an Orioles Uniform is something that many baseball fans will judge his legacy on. Plus Cal had to overcome the 0-21 start in 1988, his father getting fired as manager, a 13 year period without being in the playoffs, and dealing with injuries at the end of his career once “The Streak” was over yet still playing his entire 21 year career for his hometown team. Those pregame ceremonies almost made me cry. (I still get the chills thinking about it) With the atmosphere being the most raucous it had been since 1997, there was a buzz. However before the game, one announcement by PA Announcer Ryan Wagner would spark Charm City. Wagner: “Ladies and Gentlemen, we ask that you please rise, and that gentlemen remove your hats. Earlier this morning, we learned of the passing of Art Modell. Mr. Modell was an NFL Visionary, who was committed to professional football in Baltimore and beyond. In memory of Mr Modell, and in respect for the family and many friends he leaves behind. We ask that you join us in a moment of silence…………………… Thank you.” That just like the Ripken Festivities prior to 1st Pitch makes me emotional thinking about it. The man that gave Baltimore its greatest tradition back after 13 years of waiting, was gone. And it not only sparked the Orioles, and their Camden Yards complex neighbors in the Ravens (Who we will get to later in this 3 part series) but it sparked Baltimore fans to be both loud but also respectful to others like Modell was to his fellow owners. Following an emotional rendition of the Star Spangled Banner (Which featured the usual OOOOOOO from all the Marylanders) the place was fired up and ready for primetime baseball on National TV. Jason Hammel, the O’s prized acquisition of the winter, would be opposed by David Phelps in his 2nd start of the season. Right on cue, the O’s would whack Phelps. Following an RBI single from Jones, Matt Wieters would hit a 3 run homer the other way into the first row of seats. (That would still be in the park under the new left field fence at Camden Yards) Hammel would shut out the Yanks for the first 3 innings until Curtis Granderson, the AL Home Run leader at the time, singled in Robinson Cano. The Birds would get that run right back on a home run from Robert Andino. Mark Reynolds would add a solo shot of his own to make it a 6-1 lead for the Orioles. (DRAMATIC MUSIC!) Oh you thought this would be a blowout didn’t you? The best team money could buy came storming back thanks to a smart ball rally that would make Joe Torre himself. The Yankees would score 5 runs in the top of the 8th off Pedro Strop to tie the game at 6. But there was one issue for the Yankees. Mariano Rivera had been out since mid May. And with setup man Rafael Soriano now in the closer role, their setup man in this case was 2nd year reliever David Robertson. That was an advantage that was clearly in the O’s favor. And Adam Jones spent little time taking advantage of it as he led off the bottom of the 8th. “Here’s the 1-2 delivery. AND IN THE AIR TO LEFT FIELD HE GOT ALL OF THAT ONE! GOODBYE HOME RUN ORIOLES LEAD!” AJ’s home run would prove to be an opening act of what was to come. Wieters followed with a single, which brought up Reynolds again. In one of the most dramatic at bats of the season Reynolds would take Robertson to the limit. But with the count full, “3 ball, 2 strike count delivery to him, in the air, to left field, it is deep, are you kidding me? GOODBYE HOME RUN! UNBELIEVABLE!” How crazy can this game get? The O’s led 6-1, the Yanks came right back with 5 of their own, and then the Birds got 2 more home runs. And that forced manager Joe Girardi to pull Robertson in favor of southpaw Boone Logan. During the TV Timeout, Orioles fans debuted a trend that would spread like wildfire and it would eventually become their party anthem during the final month of the season. A Japanese artist (I can’t remember his name) had released a popular hit called Gangnam Style which had just dropped the week before. And it was already blowing up charts internationally. So the video board crew for the Orioles decided to put out a video of the Oriole Bird doing the dance that was used by the artist in the music video and they would put it on the upper board of the right center field scoreboard. And the minute they started playing that popular hit during the TV Timeout, the fans went bonkers. Many Orioles fans all these years later believed that it distracted the opposing pitchers. And they would be right. Why? Because guess what happened on the very first pitch after the Yankees called to the bullpen. “The Orioles have equaled their homers in a ballgame high this season, 5 that they had against Texas. That one in the air to right field! THEY JUST BROKE IT! GOODBYE HOME RUN! CHRIS DAVIS!” Looks like Gangnam Style worked I guess. Even better, Girardi pulled Logan immediately after giving up that homer. And guess what. They played it again! And this time the entire park had learned the dance moves. If that’s not intimidating for Yankees fans I don’t know what is. The Orioles won Game 1 of the epic clash 10-6 to tie New York for the division lead. However the next night, not even Gangnam Style or Wei-Yin Chen could stop the wave of pinstripes out for blood. Backed by Homers from Alex Rodriguez, and Russell Martin, the Yankees took Game 2 and reclaimed their 1 game lead. The next night, in front of another Nationally Televised Audience, the Orioles jumped on New York ace CC Sabathia led by Reynolds and Lew Ford taking him yard. But in the 5th inning, the O’s suffered a major blow. CRACK! Nick Markakis got drilled by a fastball from Sabathia, and it broke his thumb. He would miss the remainder of the season. And remember Brian Roberts is also out for the season, so the Orioles from September 8 2012 on would be without the 2 longtime faces of the franchise. This would make their task of making the playoffs even harder. At the end of 7, the O’s led 5-2, but another Rodriguez homer cut the lead to 5-4. In the 9th, the Yankees had the tying run at 3rd, and the go ahead run at 1st for Maryland Native Mark Teixeira. With Jim Johnson looking to hold off a New York comeback, the game would end in controversial fashion. “2-2 delivery to Teixeira, ground ball, runner coming home, they gotta turn 2, there’s 1, relay! AND GOT EM! THE ORIOLES WIN IT! 5-4!” (If there was instant replay, the game would tied 5-5, although the Yanks are without Mo) Holy Cow! Perhaps the Double Play of the Year right there. All hell broke loose at Camden Yards. Once again the AL East Standings were tied. But the thing about baseball is that after a bad night, you come back the next day and brush it off. That’s what the Yankees did the next afternoon in front of another Nationally Televised Audience. It was close for the 1st 5 innings, with the Yankees leading 5-3. But then in the 6th, the Bronx Bombers blew the game wide open. Curtis Granderson and El Capitan (That’s the nickname that legendary Yankees Announcer John Sterling gave Jeter) each hit 2 run homers and with a 13-3 win, the Yankees regained the lead in the division. As for the Orioles, this was a huge success. Splitting a 4 game set against a team that they will most likely face come October is huge. Even though the Sunday Finale was a dud, this was an inspiring effort by the Birds, this should hopefully fire them up for the rest of the schedule.
Chapter 7: Playoff Fever
The Orioles had the day off after the Yankees series before another massive 3 game series against Tampa Bay. On their day off they choose to do a team bonding activity. That night their Russell Street neighbors in the Ravens were opening the 2012 NFL Season on Monday Night Football at home against the division rival Cincinnati Bengals. The O’s decided to go to the game and have sky box seats in the process. Once the box was shown on the video boards in East and West End Zones of M&T Bank Stadium, the 71,000 fans all went bonkers. The Ravens would beat the Bengals 44-13 to kick off their eventual Super Bowl Championship Season. (We will get to that later in this 3 part series) The next night, backed by Steve Johnson continuing his hot start to his career and 2 Home Runs from JJ Hardy, the Orioles tied the Yankees for 1st again. The following evening with another Nationally Televised game at their doorsteps, the Birds would play up to the spotlight. This time it was a pitchers duel between Miguel Gonzalez, and Alex Cobb. Tied 2-2 going into the top of the 9th, it seemed as if anything could happen. With the Rays trying to rally and get within 1 game of the 2nd AL Wild Card, they had a runner at 2nd after pinch runner Rich Thompson stole a crucial bag that had Buck Showalter furious. With Evan Longoria at the plate all he needed was a base hit to get Thompson to score. “3-2, 2 away, Longoria waiting, slow ground ball, Manny Machado, barehanded, don’t throw it away. Don’t throw it at all! What a great play to Hardy, and Wieters will put the tag on him!” Chaos, total chaos, Manny Machado proving right there as to why he would eventually become the best defensive 3rd baseman of the modern era. Speaking of Manny, he led off the bottom of the 9th with a single. Robert Andino then sacrificed him to 2nd. Then the Rays had a decision to make. Do they walk Nate McLouth intentionally and have to face JJ Hardy who hit 2 homers the night before, or do they roll the dice on facing “Nate the Great?” (Thank my 4th Grade BFF for that nickname) What Joe Maddon decided to do was face McLouth. What was the result? “McLouth, down the line in right field and, IT’S A FAIR BALL! MACHADO WILL SCORE! THE ORIOLES WIN IT! 3-2 IN THE 9TH INNING!” (If it’s fair it’s a win! -Baseball Tonight after the game) They did it again everyone. 3 games up in the Wild Card race, and all that’s left to do in this series is one up this walkoff. It feels like everything is going the Orioles way at this point. (And they played Gangnam Style before the bottom of the 9th too. Perfect Timing) And the next day, the Orioles did just that. Wei-Yin Chen, and Jeremy Hellickson went 0 for 0 for much of the game. Once again the game was tied 2-2 in the later stages of the contest. Although this one went into extras. The O’s MLB Record for consecutive Extra Inning wins was on the line. In the bottom of the 13th, Baltimore had bases loaded with 1 out, but the Rays didn’t yield a run. In the next half inning, Randy Wolf held off a 2 on with 2 out situation and kept the game tied. 14th inning stretch yeah that’s what’s up. (Thank God I’m a Country Boy = Best 7th Inning Stretch Song in Baseball) The Rays decided to bring in Chris Archer (who was supposed to start the next day against the Yankees) in relief. He would retire JJ Hardy and Taylor Teagarden to lead off the frame. But then things got out of hand for Archer. He then walked Adam Jones with 2 outs, then gave up a single to Endy Chavez. With Machado coming up the O’s did a clever thing. All their guys in the dugout put their hats on the top rail as a way to distract Archer. And it worked! “3-0 delivery, green light at him, that ball in the air left field, that ball could fall in. Yes In! THE ORIOLES WIN IT!” Only the Buckle Up Birds could one up their dramatics from a previous game. Now 4 games ahead of Tampa Bay for the 2nd AL Wild Card, this would eventually be the death blow to the Rays season. Next the O’s traveled to Oakland for another massive series. In this case they lost 2 of 3, but as I said earlier the A’s were the hottest team in baseball in the 2nd Half. There was no shame in losing. The Orioles still led the Angels by 2.5 games for 2nd Wild Card. Then they went to Seattle. And swept a trio of wild and crazy games against the Mariners. The 2nd game went into the 18th inning in fact. Taylor Teagarden’s go ahead single proved to be the difference. And to make matters more bizarre, the next game went into extras, and Adam Jones against the team that traded him and Chris Tillman for the declining Erik Bedard 5 years earlier knocked ’em out cold with a 2 run shot. As Jon Miller once said, “This was no ordinary Cinderella Story, this team was the ultra phenomenon.” They were exactly that. The O’s now had control of the Top Wild Card thanks to the A’s losing a series in Arlington. To cap off the long 9 game road trip, they went back to Fenway Park to knock Boston out of the playoffs. Miguel Gonzalez outdueled Jon Lester in Game 1, Game 2 was another edition of the Orioles ripping the Sox’ souls in extra innings. This time it was Jim Thome who would get the big hit that sparked a 3 run inning. With their Major League Record 16th consecutive extra inning victory Baltimore was now 1 game back of the Yankees for 1st in the AL East. Although the Red Sox would win the finale 2-1, the Birds were still 1 game back. With a 7 game homestand to end the home schedule it would be good timing to try and catch the Yanks.
Chapter 8: The Final Stretch
No one and I mean no one when it comes to baseball experts, had the Orioles near the top of the AL East with 10 games left to play. That’s the beauty of baseball, anything can happen. The homestand began with a 4 game series against the Blue Jays. The O’s took Game 1 on 2 early homers from Jones, and Ryan Flaherty, along with Steve Johnson winning his 4th start in a row. In Game 2, Toronto jumped on Wei-Yin Chen early and often en route to a 9-5 win. The Jays would shut out the Orioles the next night 4-0. Even with those 2 losses, the Birds were still 1 game back of the Yankees for 1st place in the AL East. The finale against the Blue Jays would be a pure display of hitting from the heart of the O’s order. Nate McLouth, Jim Thome, Manny Machado, Chris Davis, and Mark Reynolds all went deep. Machado and Davis each had 2 homers in a 12-2 win. The question was no longer if the Orioles could make the playoffs, the question was when. Then exactly 1 year to the day where they knocked the Red Sox out of the playoffs on the final day of the year, Boston came back to Camden Yards for the O’s last home series, except this time the team that had toyed with Baltimore for years was finally out of it. Now the Orioles didn’t want the Red Sox to play spoiler. In the 1st inning, Boston scored off Chris Tillman, but Crush Davis would go yard for the 3 time in 24 hours. That was just the beginning, the O’s would then load the bases for Ryan Flaherty. Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine wasn’t willing to take out starter Aaron Cook just yet. Although that decision would backfire. “You get ’em down, you keep’ em down, but don’t open the door. 2-1, way back right field Ryan Flaherty! A Grand! Slam!! HOME RUN!!!” (Camden Style Strikes AGAIN!) One pitch, one swing, 4 runs, 6-1 O’s. And after that the Red Sox would get another base runner off Tillman and Troy Patton after him. Baltimore would win 9-1 to eliminate the White Sox from Wild Card contention. (Chicago still had a chance to overtake the Tigers for the AL Central though) The magic number was down to 3. The next night would be special in plenty of ways. Before the game, the Orioles unveiled the 6th and final Bronze Sculpture in Legends Park for the Camden Yards 20th Anniversary Celebration Series. And it would be none other than Mr Oriole Brooks Robinson. And on this night the Orioles defensively would make the Greatest 3rd Baseman of All Time proud. (It’s fitting since Brooks in his prime was a human vacuum cleaner at the hot corner) In the 4th inning, Manny Machado started a 5-4-3 double play with a play that would make Brooksy proud. In the bottom half of the inning, Crush Davis would go yard again. But Jarrod Saltalamacchia jumped on a fastball from Steve Johnson and cut the lead to 1. Later in the inning Mike Aviles would hit a pop fly that would require toughness. “2-2 delivery to him, off the end of the bat. Reynolds is closest. Oops, oh, over the tarp and HE CAUGHT IT! Oh Mercy!” Mark Reynolds goes over the tarp, almost into the stands and makes one of the more unlikely catches of the season. That would be a huge play because Boston ended up tying the game in the 6th, but in the 7th. Manny Machado would hit the go ahead homer, which would lead to a 4-3 Orioles win. The magic number was now 2 games to clinch a playoff berth, and they were tied with the Yankees again. The Sunday Crowd at Camden Yards was once again over 40,000. Fan Appreciation Weekend was as good as expected. Not just with Thanks Brooks Day on Saturday, but Friday Night featured an exciting postgame fireworks show, and for the finale on Sunday the first 20,000 fans would receive a JJ Hardy Bobblehead. The atmosphere inside the ballpark was playoff caliber. The Orioles needed a win and an Angels loss to the Rangers to clinch a playoff berth. With Joe Saunders on the mound for the Birds, he would pitch his best game all season. 1 run on 6 hits with 5 strikeouts. Nate McLouth led off the bottom of the 1st with a homer, and that would set the tone. Jim Thome knocked in 2 runs, and Hardy, and Davis would continue their red hot tear on AL pitchers. And by the 6th inning the buzz at Camden Yards was sky high. The Orioles were leading the Red Sox 6-1, and the Blue Jays who were playing at the time led the Yankees 6-2. Then all of a sudden, the Marylanders broke out this chant. “YANKEES SUCK! YANKEES SUCK! YANKEES SUCK!” (Baseball’s version of “STEELERS SUCK!” in the eyes of Baltimore fans) It appeared as if the Orioles had a clear path towards 1st place in the AL East. But then HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY! No, I’m talking about the Red Sox, I’m talking about those Damn Yankees who came storming back with 7 unanswered runs and kept the Orioles from leading the East by themselves. At the moment it didn’t matter the O’s held on to win 6-3 as Jim Johnson picked up his league leading 50th save. The fans or players weren’t going anywhere. They now had to await the final outcome from Arlington. The Rangers led 8-7 in the top of the 9th despite losing Adrian Beltre to injury earlier in the game. All Texas closer Joe Nathan had to do was prevent what happened the day before in the ninth (When the Angels scored 2 runs with 2 outs to keep their season alive) and the Birds would be in the playoffs. “The 0-1 to Morales, he popped him up, Napoli is waiting for it, he’s got it and the Rangers are still in 1st place in the AL West. And they have eliminated the Los Angeles Angels from the playoffs.” (That was the call on Bally Sports South) Camden Yards Crowd: YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH! (7 Nation Army playing) O-O-O-O-O-O-O! O-O-O-O-O-O-O! O-O-O-O-O-O-O! O-O-O-O-O-O-O! Narrator: It’s official for the 1st time in 15 years, the Baltimore Orioles are going to the playoffs! The unthinkable had occurred. Just like 1989 the O’s stormed out of the basement to exceed all expectations, although this team was able to punch their ticket into October Baseball. But there were still 3 games left. The Birds were tied with the Yankees for the AL East lead going into the final series. New York would be at home against their arch rivals in the Red Sox, while the Orioles traveled to Tampa Bay. In Game 1 the Rays held off a late rally to take the opener, however their fate was sealed as the A’s beat the Rangers that night as well which eliminated them from the playoffs. The Yankees would blow out Boston to reclaim the lead in the division. Game 2 was a low scoring affair between Miguel Gonzalez and James Shields, with the only run of the game coming from Chris Davis hitting his team leading 33rd Home Run. Meanwhile in the Bronx, the Red Sox took a 2 run lead entering the bottom of the 9th. But then, “That one is driven deep to right field, going back Ross still back! SEE YA! A game tying 2 run Home Run by Raul Ibanez!” Wouldn’t you know it, those Damn Yankees struck again! And then Ibanez would drive home the winning run in the 12th to give New York at least a share of the AL East Title. With one game to go, the Orioles job was simple, win and hope for Boston to play spoiler. If both teams were tied, there would be a 1 game playoff for the AL East crown at Yankee Stadium the next night. However that wasn’t meant to be. For the 3rd straight night, the Bronx Bombers pounded Red Sox pitching for another double digit score total. And as a result. “Ballgame over, Eastern Division Pennant Race over, Yankees win. THAAAAAAAAAAAA! YANKEES! WIN!” New York would claim the AL East title for the 13th time in the last 17 years. (Even if the Yanks lost, the Orioles got beat by the Rays in the finale anyways) But that wasn’t the biggest topic of the day in baseball. The Athletics, thanks to an epic rally in Game 162, pulled off a miraculous final month comeback in Texas to claim the AL West title and a date in the ALDS with the Detroit Tigers. Thus the 1st Ever AL Wild Card Game was set. The Cinderella Story of the Baltimore Orioles against the 2 Time Defending American League Champion Texas Rangers in front of a raucous crowd at The Ballpark in Arlington.
Chapter 9: The 2012 AL Wild Card Game
No one thought the Orioles would overtake the Angels, Rays, White Sox, Red Sox, and Blue Jays in the Wild Card Hunt. No one thought they would come within 2 games of beating the Yankees for the division title. And certainly, the experts didn’t believe that the O’s would go into Texas and knock off the 2 Time Defending AL Champs. Those experts had good reasons for it. Not only were the Rangers heavy favorites, they had beaten the breaks off the Birds during the regular season. Not once but twice did they have a player hit 4 Homers in a game against Baltimore. And if it wasn’t that as well as having home field advantage, it would certainly be the pitching matchup. On paper it was supposed to be a massive advantage for the Rangers. The matchup was Yu Darvish the ace of the Texas staff, against Joe Saunders who had been up and down in September. All the pundits on TBS picked Texas to win in a blowout. BOOM! Little did they know what would come. In the 1st inning, the Orioles got off to a fast start. Nate McLouth reached on an error to start the game, then stole 2nd, and then scored on a JJ Hardy single to give Saunders a 1-0 lead. But in the bottom half of the 1st, the mismatch the experts predicted looked to be in play. The Rangers loaded the bases with no one out for Former AL MVP Josh Hamilton, who was one of the 2 Texas players that hit 4 Home Runs against the O’s that season. But luckily he grounded into a double play which did tie the game up. That proved to be the only run Texas would score all night. Darvish and Saunders both settled in after a rocky 1st inning. Even though Darvish was pitching on 3 days rest for the 4th straight outing, he didn’t look tired yet. Key word is yet. Saunders surprisingly was able to hold off the big bats of the Rangers too. As the 6th inning rolled around, the game was still 1-1. But then the Orioles finally would knock Yu Darvish out for good. Hardy led off the inning with a single, Davis followed with another hit. Then Adam Jones hit a Sac-Fly scoring Hardy to make it 2-1 Birds. Now with the lead again, Showalter would go to his bullpen to make sure it stood up. Darren O’Day would pitch 2 innings of shutout ball. In the meantime, McLouth singled in Robert Andino to make it 3-1 in the 7th. In the bottom of the 8th, Texas again threatened. But with Ian Kinsler on 2nd, Brian Matusz in relief of O’Day struck out Hamilton to end the inning. Think about this, the Orioles with the best closer in baseball that year waiting in the shadows, were 3 outs away from a massive upset. The O’s bats would make sure Jim Johnson had a comfortable lead to work with. Jim Thome led off the 9th with a walk, following Joe Nathan striking out Mark Reynolds for the 1st out, Andino came within feet of a Homer, but was able to get Thome to 3rd on a double. Then Manny Machado would add the 1st insurance run by singling in Thome to make it 4-1. Then McLouth hit a Sacrifice Fly to make it 5-1. (DRAMATIC MUSIC!) Even with a 4 run lead, the Orioles like many Baltimore teams over the years wouldn’t make it easy on themselves. Even with the eventual Fireman of the Year in the game, Texas would go down swinging. After getting Adrian Beltre to fly out for Out #1, future Oriole Nelson Cruz singled. Michael Young grounded out, moving Cruz to 2nd with 2 outs. Then Johnson after getting Mike Napoli into a full count would give up a walk putting runners at 1st and 2nd. Next up came Jurickson Profar, who got a base hit to left field to load the bases for pinch hitter David Murphy. Showalter then went out to the mound and asked Johnson how he felt, and Johnson said “I want to end this thing now.” (I bet Buck gave him the Earl Weaver treatment before the inning began) Now he would get the chance to end the game and set up a grudge match with the Yankees. “Bases loaded, 2 outs. Fly Ball left field, Nate McLouth is there, (Orioles Magic playing) and the magical season of the Baltimore Orioles continues!” They did it! They did it! The Orioles did what no one thought they could do. Going into Texas and beating a team that come September 1 was locked to go to their 3rd straight World Series. This game was the rebirth of Orioles Magic, overcoming all the odds, finding new ways to win, and not giving up. This was what made those teams in the Earl Weaver Era great. Now that one giant was out of the way, they would be matched up against another giant. And not just any juggernaut, the Orioles would be facing THE EVIL EMPIRE for the right to go to the American League Championship Series against the Tigers or A’s. The fact that the O’s have been able to make it this far without Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts is astounding. Now can they pull off another landmark upset?
Chapter 10: THE YANKEES ARE COMING! AGAIN!!!
(Darth Vader theme playing) Ah yes, the former joke of the American League East against the Big Bad Yankees! The most anticipated playoff series at this point during the 2012 Postseason. I don’t care if the Tigers vs Athletics series, or Cardinals vs Nationals series, or Giants vs Reds series’ are getting talked about, no matchup in the 2nd Round of the Playoffs rivals Baltimore vs New York. Those 2 cities have a deep rivalry going back more than 5 decades. The B-More vs NYC Rivalry began in the 1958 NFL Championship Game which is still known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” In that contest, Johnny Unitas birthed and perfected the 2 minute drill thanks to the help of Raymond Berry, Lenny Moore, and Allan Ameche. This was the 1st Nationally Televised Game in NFL History, and the 1st to go to Overtime. The Colts beat the Giants on an Ameche 1 yard TD run following the 2nd of 2 epic drives by Unitas in a span of 15 real time minutes. The Colts again would beat the Giants in the NFL Championship Game the next year at Memorial Stadium. However New York would get back at them in Super Bowl III. Broadway Joe Namath’s guarantee and deal with the devil plus a suffocating Jets defense anchored the Greatest Upset in Super Bowl History by picking off Earl Morral 3 times. (Unitas was the backup that year due to injury) That same year, the Miracle Mets would stun the Orioles in the 1969 World Series thanks to Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, and outstanding plays by their outfield. (One Rule: Never play “The Summer of 69” in Baltimore) In 1980, the Yankees held off a monster 2nd Half serge by the Orioles to claim the AL East title with a league high 102 wins. Then came the 1996 ALCS. In Game 1 the O’s held a 1 run lead in the 9th, but then controversy struck. “In right field, Tarasco going back to the track, to the wall. AND WHAT HAPPENS HERE!? HE ADMITS THAT A FAN REACHES UP AND TOUCHES IT! BUT RICHIE GARCIA SAYS NO! IT’S A HOME RUN!” Jeffery Bleeping Meier! If that scene never happens the history of baseball could be much different. Why? That play started a dynasty in the Bronx! Following that call, the Yankees would win that series, the 1996 Fall Classic, and 3-peat from 1998-2000. This could have been the Orioles if the ball bounced the other way. Although Baltimore did get revenge in Super Bowl XXXV. The Greatest Single Season Defense Ever dominated Giants QB Kerry Collins, and RB Tiki Barber all night long as the Ravens came within a Special Teams Touchdown of the 1st Shutout in Super Bowl History. Now in 2012, the O’s and Yanks were on a collision course that seemed bound to continue into October. And it would. However the series format that year would be confusing. In normal circumstances the 1st 2 games in this series would be played at Yankee Stadium, but thanks to baseball’s new playoff format at that time, they had the lower seed start the series with homefield and then have the higher seed end the series with 3 games at home in a row. So the 1st 2 games of this much hyped clash would be held at Camden Yards. There was just one problem. BOOM! Mother Nature. Hurricane Sandy was still 3 weeks away from hitting the East Coast, but a so-called poor man’s version of it hit Charm City. 1st Pitch was supposed to be at 8:05 ET, but it rained for the next 2 ½ hours plus. The game began around 9:45 ET which was the 2nd latest start time to an Orioles game that season. (Their August 11 game against Kansas City started at 10:30 ET thanks to a storm like this) Even though the weather was bad up until game time, it could quiet the excitement of Camden Yards. Over 47,000 fans showed up waving Orange “BUCKle Up” Towels and made it tough on players on both sides to focus. (That atmosphere = The Ravens Annual Blackout Game) The pitching matchup would be a battle of aces. Jason Hammel against CC Sabathia. The last time CC pitched at Camden Yards, he beaned Nick Markakis and ended his season. This time Sabathia came out firing. Other than a 2 run single by Nate McLouth in the 3rd inning, CC was on fire for 8 solid innings. Not a single Oriole had an extra base hit against him all night. However Hammel proved just as tough. He matched Sabathia and only gave up 2 runs of his own. Both pitchers pitched deep into the game. However in the top of the 9th, Jim Johnson was finally knocked around. “Swung on and hit in the air to deep left, that ball is high, it is far, IT! IS! GONE!” Those Damn Yankees! Russell Martin’s go ahead shot was the beginning of a furious 9th inning rally against the O’s bullpen. They scored 5 runs in the frame to win Game 1 7-2. It was certainly a gut punch to the Birds, but as they say, you get up the next day and you brush it off quickly. Game 2 was hopefully going to be that way. The Orioles sent out Wei-Yin Chen into a must win game. The Yankees countered with Playoff Legend Andy Pettitte. In front of 48,000 screaming Marylanders the atmosphere was even louder than Game 1. (Easy for me to say, because I was at this game) However the Bronx Bombers thanks to elusive base running of Icirho took another 1-0 in the 1st. (He re-created a similar play that the O’s used on the Yankees in 1989) But in the 3rd, Pettitte would give up the lead for good. Chris Davis singled in Robert Andino, and McLouth to make it 2-1 Birds. (Camden Style is out of hibernation!) The O’s added another run in the 6th to make it 3-1. In the 7th, Derek Jeter, living up to his playoff reputation, singled home Eduardo Nunez to cut the lead to 1. But Brian Matusz was able to prevent the Yankees from getting any closer. In the top of the 9th, Jim Johnson was summoned for the 2nd straight night, this time to protect a 1 run lead. This time he would have to deal with the top of the New York order. (Jeter/Ichiro/A-Rod, YIKES!) After getting Jetes and Ichiro to ground out for the 1st 2 outs, a giant challenge came to the plate. Alex Rodriguez, who had torched Orioles pitching for the last decade plus was the only thing standing between a tied series. In one of the great at bats of the season, both guys would take each other to the limit. The decibel meter inside Camden Yards would reach 120 decibels. (The average decibel number for a Ravens game) Then on the payoff pitch. “The Orioles, a strike away, the Yankees could be a swing away. (Crowd: YEAAAAAH!) And the series is tied at a game a piece!” Let the drama begin now. Just like in the regular season, the Yankees took the early lead, but then the O’s came right back. Tied at 1 game heading to the Bronx anything could and seemed possible to happen. That would be the case in Game 3. The Birds sent out Miguel Gonzalez to the mound looking to give the O’s their first lead in the series. The Yankees started Hiroki Kuroda who the Orioles knocked around the last time he faced them in the Bronx. Both of the Orioles rookies Ryan Flaherty and Manny Machado would take him deep early in the game. Leading 2-1, Gonzalez was in complete control of the game. Every time New York threatened other than the 3rd inning where Jeter tripled in Russell Martin, they got nothing. Kuroda other than the 2 homers was solid as well. He in fact pitched into the 9th. But the Orioles still led 2-1 after 8 ½ innings. Showalter would once again call on Johnson to close out a crucial game. After getting Ichiro to line out to start the frame. Joe Girardi made one of the gutsiest calls in Yankee Playoff History. He benched Alex Rodriguez who was 0 for his last 10 against Johnson in favor of Raul Ibanez who was the main reason why New York had home field in this series with his final week heroics. This move would change the momentum of the series. “Here is the 1-0, swung on and lined to right. It is High, It is Far, IT IS GONE! HE’S DONE IT AGAIN!” With one swing of the bat, those Damn Yankees had come back to tie it again! Even if Johnson gave up the lead, he did just enough to get the game to extras. Luckily for the Orioles, Mariano Rivera was still injured and they had a chance to extend their Major League Record for consecutive extra inning wins to 17. However in the 10th, with a chance to regain the lead, Nate McLouth lined a shot right to Jeter who doubled off Andino at 2nd to end the inning. Both Matusz and David Robertson each traded scoreless innings to keep the game tied at 2. But in the bottom of the 12th, with Ibanez back at the dish. The O’s record streak would fall. “Lefty to Lefty, Matusz deals, swung on and, DRIVEN TO DEEP RIGHT! It is High, It is Far, IT IS GONE!” Shades of Game 1 in 1996. Except there is no Fan Interference Call to blame. For the 3rd time all season, the Orioles would be defeated in extra innings. And all 3 times were at the hands of the New York Yankees. But there was still time for the O’s to change their fortunes. Luckily for Buck Showalter, the hero of the Wild Card Game Joe Saunders would be getting the ball in Game 4 with the Birds season on the line. The Yankees would send out Phil Hughes to oppose him. Early on both starters would trade zeros until the 5th inning where Nate McLouth parked one off Hughes to right field to give Baltimore a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the frame, McLouth robbed a homer and then started a 7-6-3 double play after that leaping catch. The Yankees would get a run in the 6th off of Saunders to tie the game at 1. From that point on, both teams had little success in trying to break through. Both the Orioles and Yankees bullpens were outstanding. But at this point it felt like something needed to happen to keep the O’s miracle run alive. In fact that thing did happen. In the 13th inning JJ Hardy hit a long double into left center field scoring Manny Machado for the go-ahead run. Then an exhausted Jim Johnson closed out the Yanks in the bottom of the 13th to set up a do-die Game 5. The Orioles faced a dilemma, Chris Tillman got injured in his final start of the year in Tampa Bay 2 weeks earlier, but was now healthy enough to pitch again. But management that year had spent plenty of money on Jason Hammel in the offseason, and this was the game they got him to pitch. So Showalter started Hammel, yet announced that if they won, Tillman would start Game 1 of the ALCS. However the O’s were enduring a massive problem. They once again had to face CC Sabathia, who had dominated them in Game 1. And just like in that 1st game, CC was on fire. Although Hammel again matched him pitch for pitch. With the game scoreless into the 5th inning, it felt like whoever would get the first big break would win. That proved to be the Yankees. Mark Teixeira singled to lead off the bottom of the 5th, then he stole 2nd in controversial fashion. Many people to this day still believe that he was out at 2nd. (This was 2 years before instant replay came in) However this was karma for not calling him safe at 1st in that early September game against the O’s in the 9th inning. Here’s why that call was huge. Ibanez knocked Teixeira home with a base hit on the very next pitch. 1-0 Yanks. The Bronx Bombers would add 2 more runs featuring a 7th inning Homer from Curtis Granderson. Down 3-0 it appeared as if the Orioles were down. But in the 8th inning, there was hope. Matt Wieters led off the inning with a single, Machado then drew a walk, and Lew Ford drove Wieters home to make it a 3-1 game following a strikeout of Reynolds. Robert Andino then reached on an infield hit. Would you know it? The Orioles had the bases loaded for the top of their lineup. This could be another in a long line of dramatic comebacks. Nate McLouth, who had a 2 run single off of Sabathia in Game 1 had the chance to do it again. But CC would get his revenge by striking him out. With JJ Hardy up, the Orioles still had a chance to tie it up, but then Derek Jeter as usual in the playoffs made the defensive player of the game by gunning out Hardy at first to end the inning. With Sabathia on the mound to close out a complete game clincher it looked dim. “To Sabathia, fitting. Ballgame. And for the 15th time the Yankees are on their way to the American League Championship Series.” The season was over. This was one of the few times in Baltimore Sports History where the fans weren’t upset about getting eliminated in the playoffs by a rival. And here is why. No one had the Orioles making the playoffs at the beginning of the season. No one thought they would win all these 1 run and extra inning games the way they did. And who thought that without their 2 franchise faces, they would not only shock the Texas Rangers in the AL Wild Card Game, but then take the New York Yankees, the gold standard of Major League Baseball to the limit. This was a season that many Baltimore fans still are talking about 10 years later. Because of all the good times that were had, the Buckle Up Birds, Why Not 2.0, Camden Style, the 20 Anniversary Celebration of Camden Yards, all those walk off wins. This is still the most talked about Orioles season of the 21st Century. This is more talked about than 2014 or 2016 when in both years they had better squads on paper. It’s not because of how many games they won, it’s because of the way they won them. This season would ultimately begin the most successful run the franchise had seen since the Mid-1990s. They wouldn’t have another losing season until 2018. They made the playoffs 2 more times in this span, and in 2014 without Chris Davis, Manny Machado, and Matt Wieters they somehow upset the heavily favored Detroit Tigers before the injury gods finally got to them in the ALCS against Kansas City. Even though they never made a World Series run with this core, this is one of the most exciting eras of Orioles Baseball since the Earl Weaver Era. It’s fitting that I’m doing this document now when the O’s are now on a massive win streak with a new generation of likable young players who are also right in the hunt for the Wild Card. This Cinderella Run by the Buckle Birds to the surprise of everyone in the United States, was only the beginning of what was to come from the other popular sports figures in the city of Baltimore.
Bragging Rights Sports 