FanPost

Cal gets a statue, The Orioles get first place, and I got a lot of high fives

In 2012 the Orioles unveiled 6 statues of former Orioles. Among them were Earl Weaver, Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson, and Frank Robinson. In April, my parents had tickets for game that they were unveiling the Eddie Murray statue. They thought the whole ceremony was awesome. I got a call, from them, during the game, telling me to buy tickets for the Cal Ripken game on September 6th. I happily obliged. Now, I just had to wait 5 months...

On Thursday, August 30th the Orioles were finishing up a series with the Chicago White Sox, with a matinee game. I wanted to go, but unfortunately, I was finishing up summer reading for my junior year of high school (and my mom wouldn't let me). However, that didn't stop me from watching them on television. The stadium was notably empty. I noticed. So did a lot of other people, including the national media, who lambasted the Orioles fan base for not showing for a team that, for the first time in a long time, was winning.

The Orioles after that game went on a six game road trip towards the north, playing 3 against the Yankees and Blue Jays, winning 2 of 3 in each series. The Orioles returned home on Thursday September 6th to open up a 4 game set with the Yankees. The Orioles were just a game behind the Yankees for first in the division. Finally, the fan base could sniff the postseason.

There was a lot of build up for me for this game, including my parents pulling me from school early so we could arrive in time for the statue unveiling. So by the time we arrived at the ballpark, I was jacked up and ready for some baseball. However, I wasn't the only one. Baltimore heard the national media and responded in a big way. For the first time in my life, I not only saw Camden Yards full, but truly "painted orange". Seriously, there was a lot of orange.

The statue unveiling was cool, but the only part Cal Ripken Jr. ceremonies that stuck with me was his pregame speech before he threw out the first pitch. He told us, the fans, that, while getting his own statue was cool, watching the Orioles play meaningful games in September was way better.

Finally, we got to first pitch, and my goodness was it a first inning to remember. Jason Hammel, fresh off of the DL looked sharp, the Yankees starter, David Phelps balked, Adam Jones had an RBI single, but to top it all off, noted Yankee Killer Matt Wieters took Phelps deep for a 3 run bomb. Wieters had ignited Camden Yards and it was LOUD.

The game subdued from then on. Andino (God, I miss him) went deep and so did Mark Reynolds (his 7th in 7 days). The Yankees scratched across a run at some point. But the game settled in to a happy lull. In my mind, with the bullpen we had, the game was over. I thought I had seen Oriole Park in it's full glory. I was very wrong.

In the 8th inning, Pedro Strop came in with his sparkling ERA and promptly allowed the Yankees to tie the game at 6 all. There were boos both for the umpire and for Strop and for the Yankees. It felt like we could let this game slip away, back to the big boys, and possibly miss the playoffs all together. Once Randy Wolf had gotten the final out in the top of the 8th, you could hear a pin drop in between innings. I hadn't heard the stadium that quiet, ever, even when there were more empty seats than fans. But 48,000 of us sat there, stunned.

Then the bottom of the 8th happened. Adam Jones began by drilling a 3-2 fastball over the leftfield fence. The crowd went from the quietest I'd ever heard it to as loud as I've ever heard it. The stadium felt like it exploded. I would have been fine with just that, but the lineup wasn't done. Wieters followed Jones with a single, setting the table for the Sheriff, Mark Reynolds. Reynold squared up a fastball that looked more fly ball than homerun. The crowd exploded off the bat before realizing the ball might not clear the fence. It got quiet again for a second before the ball snuck over the fence. Reynolds 8th homerun in 7 days sent me and 48,000 of my closest friends into euphoria. The PA system played Rock and Roll, Part 2 while Girardi brought in a new pitcher to face Chris Davis. The chant of "Hey, you suck" ending up being fitting of the new pitcher, as Chris Davis sent the first pitch he saw on the flag court. In a matter of minutes, the stadium had gone from dead quiet in into full party mode.

I don't even remember who closed. I assume it was Jim Johnson, but I am pretty sure it went by without incident, 10-6 your final. We had done it, we had beaten the Yankees. As I was leaving the stadium that night, a weird thing happened. Every Orioles fan was high fiving every other Orioles fan up and down Eutaw Street. Personally, I high fived strangers, cops, ticket takers, hot dog vendors, anyone. Literally everyone was high fiving anyone else wearing orange and black.

We not only beat the Yankees that night, but we were in first place. However, more important than both of those facts: baseball had finally been revived in Baltimore. I have been to Game 2 of the 2012 ALDS, the 60th Anniversary ass kicking of the Cardinals, and the 18-3 beat down of the Phillies, (I did miss Game 2 of the 2014 ALDS), but being in the Yard the night baseball was finally back, to stay, was something I will never forget...

...and yes, I still regularly watch the highlights from this game (especially the six home runs).

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