The surging Red Sox invade Camden Yards tonight to start a three games series against the slumping Baltimore Orioles. All good, right? Well, for the “Nation” it appears to be, but for me personally, it is gut wrenching. Some of you may already know, I have been a huge Orioles fan my entire life. The main reason Baseball is my passion is because of the Baltimore Orioles and their Hall of Fame third baseman, Brooks Robinson.
My baseball interest came to life in the year 1969. The first year of divisional play. The year the Orioles would meet the Miraculous Mets. The Oriole team of the late 60’s and early 70’s was the most dominate team in all of Baseball. They had everything; offense, defense, speed, and pitching. And did they have pitching!!!! Unlike any I have ever seen and probably never will. Some teams like the Atlanta Braves with Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz had experts comparing them to the staff of Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar and Jim Palmer. The Oriole trio was incomparable, all of them 20 game winners form 1969-1971. They are the last team to have 4 twenty games winners when Pat Dobson joined the rotation in 1971. But, to me, it will always be the Brooks Robinson years. USA Today Sports Weekly recently held a poll on who is “Mr. Oriole”. Not surprising Cal Ripken was the runaway winner. To me, Brooks Robinson will always be the face of this franchise. Sports fans today always chose the most recent stars, most forget about the past and the history of the game. I’m willing to bet if there was a poll on who was the best Yankee, Derek Jeter or Babe Ruth, Jeter would win.
I remember running home from school in 1969 , when World Series games were played during the day, to be told that the Mets beat my Orioles in the World Series. I was stunned. It was the first time in my life I felt the pain of the agony of defeat. I remember being hurt and angry, but that’s who we sports fans are. We live and die by our teams. The following year was jubilation as the Orioles took down Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine in five games. Brooks Robinson was World Series MVP. He dominated the series like no other. His hitting was clutch and his fielding was unbelievable. He frustrated Johnny Bench and Lee May over and over and over again. The next year, heartbreak again, as Roberto Clemente’s Pittsburgh Pirates won in a seven game classic. I couldn’t bare to watch the final out as I shut off the television and sat in my backyard.
That was then and this is now. I still love the Orioles but I hate what Peter Angelos did to my team. He sold them all off, more interested in money than winning. He watched the crowds dwindle in Camden Yards without flinching. Hell, there are more Red Sox and Yankee fans there than Orioles when those teams come to town. These are the new improved Orioles with Buck Showalter at the helm. They started off hot this year but like they do every year, they fell to the back of the pack. At least this team is trying to win again. With players like Adam Jones, Luke Scott and a healthy Brian Roberts leading the team.
I will be rooting for the Red Sox to win, I just wish the Orioles didn’t have to lose.
I am very interested to hear if any of you have a conflict like this. Let me know…it doesn’t matter what sport or what teams.
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