I always said that so long as I was writing a column about Baltimore Orioles’ baseball, I’d always mark the death of former pitcher, broadcaster, and executive Mike Flanagan. As most fans remember, Flanny was found dead on his Baltimore County property on August 24, 2011. He’ll forever be thought of as an integral part of the Orioles and the history of the franchise.
Both the organization, and fans took the news hard. And that might be partly because Flanagan became such an integral part of the Baltimore community. He loved it here, despite never forgetting his New England roots. He raised his family here, and quickly became entrenched as a Baltimorean.
Flanagan of course will always be a lot of things, one of which is the last Oriole ever to pitch on the mound at Memorial Stadium. When asked about his long walk in from the bullpen that day, Flanny famously said that if he had gone any faster, he would have simply fallen over. That was only one of many poignant moments that day, of course.
Death is always tougher for those left behind. Certainly his family and friends bear the brunt of his absence. However he’s missed and always well-remembered in the Baltimore community and amongst the Orioles fans. Rest easy Flanny, and know that the team you loved so much is in a good place.
Birdland Crush 