Taylor Teagarden and his moment of glory

2012 was a great year for Orioles fans. The year of the "Buckle up Birds" was quite something, especially for us younger fans. For me, being born in the wire-to-wire year ('96), 2012 was the first time I ever saw my O's as winners.

There were many unlikely heroes that year. Nate McLouth, the Base Bandit. Joe Saunders, the one-game Cy Young. But my favorite got his moment of glory in a game that didn't matter that much in the final column.

My family attended an O's Game on July 14th of that year. We sent that game into extra innings against the Tigers, tied 6-6. In the 11th inning, Taylor Teagarden came in, getting his first major league action in nearly a year, thanks to injuries.

His second at bat in this extra-innings fiasco, he hit a deep drive off of Joaqin Benoit, a walk-off two-run homer that landed two rows in front of where I was sitting with my brothers.

What a great moment in an otherwise unmemorable career. he never played much, had only 23 at bats that entire season, and never ever played. But wow. For that moment, he was in the spotlight, and he was my hero.