Yesterday afternoon, the Baltimore Orioles lost Game Two of the ALDS, and they didn’t just lose. No matter what the scoreboard said, at the end of nine innings, it certainly felt like the Orioles lost big.
If you have followed me this week, I have compared the atmosphere at Camden Yards to the shaking of a soda bottle. If you haven’t, welcome to the analogy.
Walking into the ballpark tonight, there was the familiar sea of orange, the friendly greeting of ushers and locally placed fans. There were the sights, sounds and smells of a team, a town and a fanbase ready to give the bottle a massive shake and obliterate the lid. However, the bottle exploded before there was enough pressure to release.
I will give last night’s crowd a ton of credit. Even after the moments that led to silence, the 46,000 plus found a reason to be in it right up to the last pitch. They were loud, towel-waving fanatics who wanted so desperately for their team to do the unthinkable. In the end, they did not.
I thought I was going to spend my time writing about the atmosphere, the on field flaws and what is to come. However, after many conversations and ingesting of the Orioles online community, I’m going to talk about us, the fanbase, and where we sit right now.
I have spent the last few days interacting with more people than I ever thought I would, both virtually and at the ballpark. No matter which side of the fence you sit for a roster move, a bullpen call, a pinch hit or a lineup (boy do we love deconstructing lineups around here), I see one thing.
No matter how you feel about the front office decisions or ownership, I see one thing. No matter if you watched from home, left the ballpark early tonight or hung on until the last pitch, I see one thing.
I see how much this means to you.
I know how much it means to you because I see your faces. I hear the exuberance or pain in your voice with every moment. I know how much it means to you because I know how much it means to me.
Whether you have been a fan since 1954 or just checking in because you like what this team embodies, it means something to you. For most, it means everything.
After the game, I ‘held’ public forum on my Twitter/X for you to let your thoughts out. No matter what you had to say or how you had to say it, I read between the lines. I saw how much you cared.
Whether it is a simple displeasure with how this weekend has gone or an outlandish idea of how this team is constructed, I see your passion. I absolutely love it, admire it and hope you never lose it. However, as the Orioles head to Texas two games down, I implore you to do one thing: channel it.
As long as I have been an Orioles fan, I believe in and have seen first-hand the idea we label ‘Orioles Magic.’ I saw it at the end of 2011. I saw it in 2012 and definitely saw it in 2014. I see it stronger than ever now.
If there is one thing we know about the 2023 Baltimore Orioles, it is that no matter how down they are, unless they are dead, they are never out.
Starting Tuesday, the Orioles have three chances to sprinkle a heavy dose of Orioles Magic, one at a time. However, much like Tinkerbell and pixie dust, the only way Orioles Magic exists is if you believe in it. If you love this team, if they mean anything or everything to you, I truly implore you to not give up hope.
If we have learned one thing about the 2023 Orioles, it’s that they do not give up. I think back to O’Hearn in Toronto, Cedric in Seattle, and again in Houston, Frazier’s magic double and so many more almost impossible feats. This season has been packed with moments that are truly only made possible with Orioles Magic.
As our beloved 2023 Orioles make one last push, the only way they have a fighting chance is with Orioles Magic, and Orioles Magic begins with you. It begins with me. It begins with us.
No matter if you are optimistic or crying in the corner, channel that for the next calendar week and give our boys from Baltimore a chance to do something special. Watch the Orioles Magic. Feel it happen.
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