/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/43451142/20140608_ads_aa3_305.JPG.0.jpg)
On Monday, the SB Nation MLB awards voting got underway with the first category: Funniest Moment. You can still go vote. The poll will be open until November 16. Today, it's time for the next category: MOST REGRETTABLE ORIOLES MOMENT OF THE YEAR.
Also on Monday, you nominated the moments that made you cringe more than any other this season. I've picked out my own worst among these for your selection below. Make sure to check back later today as I'll be looking for nominations for BEST DEFENSIVE PLAY, which voting will begin on Friday.
Now on to the choices.
THE MOMENT: Tommy Hunter ruins a masterpiece
Hard as it is to remember now, Hunter began the year as the Orioles closer. He did not end the year as closer because he was bad at it. The game that got him booted from the role came on May 13 against the Tigers, when he turned a 1-0 Orioles lead into a 4-1 loss. At the time, I likened this to taking a dump on the statue of David. The story should have been Caleb Joseph, who got his first major league hit, threw out two runners, and had a third runner thrown out but overturned by a squirrely replay. Instead...
THE VIDEO:
THE MOMENT: Pinch hit starting pitcher walks off Orioles in extra innings
Something weird has to happen to lose to tomorrow's starting pitcher today. When it does, it goes to show you why the National League should be banned forever. In an extra inning game in Milwaukee, the Brewers sent Yovani Gallardo, the next day's starter, up to hit in the 10th. T.J. McFarland tossed a pitch in to Gallardo and a violent wind came off the bat of Gallardo and blew the Orioles away. The month of May...
THE VIDEO:
THE MOMENT: Manny Machado loses his cool
Machado was not on his best behavior during a June series in Baltimore against the Athletics. After overreacting to a tag in a Friday game, Machado was thrown at later in the series, at a time when the score happened to be 10-0 Oakland. The Oakland pitcher may have been throwing intentionally at Machado's knees or may have just thrown at him. After one pitch at his knees, they came inside on him again, and, well...
THE VIDEO:
THE MOMENT: Derek Jeter's retirement gift
One of the things I hate most in baseball is when the Orioles are on the wrong end of one of those plays that will play for years and years and years, so that every time that video is replayed it is re-living their failure. In Jeter's final home game in New York, in his final at-bat, he faced Evan Meek. Now, I don't doubt that Meek was trying very hard to get Jeter out - he wouldn't want to be in the storybook video either. The problem with this is that he's Evan Meek. The result really did feel inevitable, as if the baseball gods would have it no other way. And now we will have to see this forever.
THE VIDEO: TRIGGER WARNING: JOHN STERLING
THE MOMENT: Alex Gordon's horseshoe
There are people in the world who will argue with a straight face that the Royals did not get lucky in winning the American League Championship Series against the Orioles. There were times where skill was involved, and then there is the fact that the bulk of the key plays in the series hinged on stuff like this broken bat... thing:
THE VIDEO:
No, I'm never going to get over it.
Vote for the worst moment below, and try to convince anyone who's left undecided as to why your choice is the best, er, worst, choice.