Category Archives: Baltimore Orioles News

Baltimore Orioles fans are probably asking themselves what Texas had that the Birds didn’t in the wake of Texas winning the ALCS. I know I am. And I’m coming up with one thing: timing.

The Orioles were the best team in the American League down the stretch. So much was made of Tampa starting the season 13-0 – which no matter how you spin it was impressive. But from start to finish of the regular season, there can be no argument about that. So needless to say, the Orioles were a good team, and they were always going to be part of the conversation.

However from October 1st onward, Texas was the best team. Remember, the regular season ended on October 1st. The O’s fell to Boston that day in a game that was treated as the final spring training game. Was that a mistake on the Orioles’ part – not going full throttle? I don’t think so; Texas also lost that day, for the record.

However that aside, the best way to describe what we’ve seen from Texas is simply “timing.” Tampa hit their peak early in the season. Heck, people were crowning them in April. They were still a good team down the stretch, but they hit their peak very early. The Orioles? I think you could argue that their peak was from late June through August.

And there are false flags in a sense all over the place. One could argue that Texas themselves are a false flag in that they let Houston overtake them in their division late in the season. But they’re hitting their peak now. And the team that hits their peak last is often going to be a champion.

Which brings it back to timing. Keep in mind, sports in general are like this. Look at basketball; as many good teams there are out there and as close as competition is, a lot of games are going to be close. (That’s true in every sport.) Basketball is a game of “runs,” and thus a game of managing runs – both good and bad. When the opponent goes on a run, a coach has to know when to burn a timeout (and when not to) to stem the tide. But the team who goes on a run last is generally who’s going to win.

So do you chalk it up to…luck? I’m not sure that’s the best way to put it. I’m not sure that’s fair to Texas. Just as the Orioles didn’t “get lucky” in winning 100 games for the first time since 1980, Texas didn’t get to the World Series by getting lucky. You don’t get into the playoffs with smoke in mirrors.

However people do grasp for answers to questions like this. So here’s as good of one as any; make no mistake, Brandon Hyde was outstanding for the Orioles down the stretch. If he’s not the Manager of the Year…let’s just call that a would-be travesty. But he managed in his first ever postseason games this year (against Texas). This as opposed to Bruce Bochy, who’s now going to his fifth World Series.

I still say timing matters. But so does experience. Make no mistake, the current core of Orioles will get to the point to where they’re the experienced ones. It will happen. We’ll just have to wait a little bit longer. And with that said, doesn’t that make the final prize just a little sweeter to taste?!

Brandoh Hyde’s Baltimore Orioles found themselves in frigid Boston for Opening Day, and they began the season dropping two-of-three to the BoSox. But they quickly rebounded and took two-of-three from Texas. And that was a harbinger for the season; never count this team out when they’re down.

The only other series they lost in April was the first home series of the year against New York. But other than that they were off to the races. They would have been leading the AL East the whole time, if not for Tampa starting out by winning their first 13 games. But needless to say, the O’s were in the hunt.

One of the knocks on the 2023 Orioles was the fact that they never really seemed to blow people out. However in turn, they weren’t blown out themselves very often. They won a lot of close games, which is a valuable skill to have. Much of that was due to closer Felix Bautista, who was shut down in the ninth inning of games.

However the likes Ryan Mountcastle, Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins, Adley Rutschman, and of course Gunnar Henderson played a role as well. Gunnar Henderson stands to be the rookie of the year this season, after perhaps one of the finest rookie seasons in history.

The Birds were dealt a blow on Memorial Day when Ryan Mountcastle injured himself and was forced to miss significant time. However good teams have a next man up philosophy, and the Orioles were no exception. The Front Office almost immediately signed OFer Aaron Hicks, who had just been DFA’d by New York. He was a veteran who knew how to play on winning teams. And he brought that presence to the Orioles and the clubhouse.

The Orioles had great veteran leadership this year. Another guy who made a huge difference was backup catcher James McCann, who was acquired via trade from the New York Mets before the season. On the pitching side Kyle Gibson was a steadying force in the rotation and on the pitching staff. While the likes of Rutschman and Henderson were the big time team leaders, you still have to have solid veteran leadership – and the Birds had that in 2023.

As time went on however, Tampa started to fade back a bit. This while the Orioles remained strong. The Birds took over first place in the AL East in late July. And while it was still neck-and-neck for the rest of the season, the Orioles never relinquished it back to Tampa. Down the stretch in July and August they played some of their best baseball. And in doing so they quickly captured the hearts and minds of Baltimore. Attendance blossomed at Camden Yards, and excitement was palpable around the city.

There were various points where things could have come unraveled. A mid-September series with Tampa at Camden Yards was one of them. Tampa took the first two games, and in doing so actually tied the Orioles for first place in the division. However the Birds took the final two games, the last of which was an 11-inning instant classic that went back-and-forth. Just prior to the O’s walking it off, Cleveland finished off Texas, clinching a playoff birth for the Birds.

What ensued after the Orioles game ended was a celebration that might never be forgotten. It was a moment in time that saw the players celebrating on the field, and the fans in the stands. After that, the team went out on the road. They eventually clinched the division in late September, and earned the top spot in the American League playoffs.

However the celebration after clinching a playoff birth and the subsequent celebration after clinching the division were the high points of the season. The Birds were stunningly swept in the ALDS by Texas. I’m not sure that series is something that’s understandable at this point. The O’s had momentum going into the playoffs, but in an instant that momentum went to Texas. Who now goes onto the ALCS.

It’s a strange twist of fate that across baseball, only one non-Wild Card team (Houston) is in the LCS round. The Orioles and the Atlanta Braves were the two best teams in baseball in the regular season, but they’re both home watching with the rest of us. Sometimes the “baseball God’s” surprise us.

Did the almost week-long layoff hurt the Birds? I say no. Because first off they needed that rest. However I think they just ran into a hot team, that being Texas. As I said above, the O’s played some of their best baseball in July and August. Texas started playing their best literally in October.

In a sense, the O’s peaked too early. And that can happen. But it takes nothing away from perhaps the most magical season in many of our lifetime’s. You don’t win 101 games and have people say that was a fluke. The lasting image of 2023 should be the celebrations on the field after clinching the postseason and division title. The legacy of this 2023 team will be it’s tenacity and the will to win. The 2023 Orioles will forever be a success story. And time won’t ever dim the glory of their deeds.

A week ago I’m not sure anyone would have believed that the Baltimore Orioles would have gone “three-and-out” in the playoffs. A lot of people, myself included, were expecting a much deeper run. Was it a lack of experience at this level? Maybe. Consider that Brandon Hyde was managing in his first postseason games, just as many players were playing in their first postseason games. Texas’ Bruce Bochy is seasoned in the playoffs.

Having said that, the 2023 Orioles were supposed to win 76 games. Fans would have jumped at that after 100 losses in 2021. But after last year where they won 83, that wouldn’t have sounded so hot.

Instead, this team surged to 101 wins, and won the AL East. And it was a magical run at that. I would hope that fans would remember what it took to get to this point, this as opposed to how quickly it ended.

Think back to the second game of the season when Ryan McKenna dropped a pop fly in left field that cost the Orioles a game at Fenway. At the moment that game ended, would you have believed it had I told you the O’s were going to win 100 games? Probably not.

And that’s just one moment in time during the season. People will find irony in the fact that this team got swept in the playoffs, but the whole “haven’t been swept since May of 2022” is incredibly meaningful. (And for the record, that streak doesn’t include the postseason, so it’s still in tact.) It shows the grit in this team. And it shows the closeness of the clubhouse.

I’ll do a formal season recap in the near future. But for today I hope that the fans consider what it took to get to this point, and the memories made along the way. This as opposed to how quickly it ended.

No, the 2023 Orioles weren’t a fluke. Just ask the rest of the division. Ask every team (including Texas) in the league who had to play them this year. Consider all of this when Rawlings hands out it’s litany of awards next month, and how many Orioles are named.

I get it, this stings for fans. And for the guys on the team. But it takes nothing away from what this team did this season. 101 wins and a division title is no fluke. Granted we know that there’s no guarantee that this team returns to this level next year. I suspect that they will, but nothing’s guaranteed except death and taxes. But remember, this is a team who had to win 100 games just to win their division. They were light years ahead of every other team in every other division – including Texas. That’s experience that’ll serve them well in the future.

The Baltimore Orioles will take on the Texas Rangers starting Saturday in the American League Divisional Series. Texas of course finished off Tampa this afternoon at Tropicana Field, to advance to play the Orioles. Games one and two will be Saturday and Sunday at Camden Yards. Game three is Tuesday in Texas, as is game four on Wednesday (if necessary). If it were to go five games, game five would be next Friday at Camden Yards.

MLB announced today that game one will be at 1 PM on Saturday. The start times for the other games have not been announced. For what it’s worth, the O’s took two-of-three from Texas in the second series of the season in Arlington. However Texas took two-of-three from the Birds at Camden Yards in May. So they split the season series.

And they haven’t faced one another since Memorial Day weekend. Which makes for an interesting series. Texas of course is managed by future Hall-of-Fane manager, Bruce Bochy. And of course the O’s by Manager of the Year favorite, Brandon Hyde. However Hyde will be managing in his first ever postseason game on Saturday.

At this point, you don’t look at who’s a better or easier opponent. Anyone who’s made it to this point is good. Tampa would have been the same degree of difficulty in terms of an opponent as is Texas. And on the flip side, while Texas would rather this than going home, they probably aren’t too thrilled about facing the Orioles. Needless to say, strap in for the ride!