I was at the game last night. Yes, celebrating 1979 when the O's and Pirates last played eachother. Here is a photo of me sitting behind home plate just below the press boxes. By far, the most beautiful stadium in baseball.


Camden Yards

GB the old hats. Too bad the Pirates didn't wear their 1979 unis. They could have lit the entire city.

I know Liz was pitching great, but it just didn't seem to make sense to bring him out for the 7th after he'd thrown 96 pitches already, and the Orioles had the lead. Turn that thing over to your bullpen and let the kid get a win. Instead, they trot him out for the 7th and of course he walks the leadoff hitter and gives up a hit to LaRoche. THEN the manager goes 'well heck, guess we should make a call to the pen'. Young guy, 96 pitches, facing the meat of the order for the third time...it was just a no-brainer to let the bullpen start that inning.

edit: ...and there it goes, both men come around to score. No win for Liz, and he sees his ERA soar. He should have been sitting in that dugout at the start of the inning.

CRAP

Markakis just hit one to the Power Plant

That kid might be good

Sweet. My phone pic is still the big sign in right field saying "Welcome to BIRDLAND" from opening day.

Another series win.

What a great game. What were there, like 4 lead changing HR's hit? Incredible. Not sure why the PIT OF was playing closer in with two outs. They may have caught that ball if they were playing straight up.

I heard Doug DeCinces and Scott McGregor were back for the game along with Earl Weaver. Too bad Don "Stan the Man Unusual" Stanhouse wasn't there. Was it him or Tippy Martinez that was also nickmaned "Two Pack" because Weaver would go through two packs of ciagrettes watching him save games?

I was at Saturday's game -- good seats behind the plate. Jon Ogden threw out the first pitch, and then came and sat right in front of us for the first 3 or 4 innings. That was cool.

I couldn't believe that they brought Liz out for the 7th inning in that game. O's got lucky that didn't cost them a win. Good crowds for the series, and the team continues to make amazing comebacks. I'm starting to worry about the bullpen, though. I think Sherrilly is starting to look very hittable. Maybe Loewen can get out there and take some of the pressure off Albers and some of the other relievers.

Don "Stan the Man Unusual" Stanhouse was nicknamed "Full Pack". Nothing like watchinglistening to radio broadcasters describe him nibbling at the plate walking hitter after hitter in a close game. 1979 was a magical season which allowed Stanhouse to join many of the Oriole pitchers of the '70's that sign the big contract elsewhere and never performed at even a modest level again.

I probably smoked as many cigs as Earl did when I knew Stanhouse was coming in. In regards to Decinces, it was really a shame he got run out of town (he had to follow a legend). The weak link afterwards, even in '83, was 3rd base and DeCinces had some good years in California.

Well, the Birds have taken the first 2 from Houston with yet another one-run win.

Wait a second, Urak, didn't Cal play third in 1983? That was his rookie season, but I forget exactly when he got shifted to short.

If you remember Decinces was kind of vocal about his inability to be a star in Baltimore because it was too small of a stage and wanted to go to NY or LA.

In '82 Cal was moved to Short Stop on July 1.

In '83 Third Base was covered by Aurelio Rodriguez the player that Chuck Thompson and Bill O'Donnell liked to point out when he was on opposing teams had all the vowels in first name, a very young Leo Hernandez, and then Mid Season they added Todd Cruz - none of which could hit.

In 2008: Finally a win of game three after winning the first two of a three game series.

Doug Decinces was one of the guys I would pretend to be when I was like 5 years old. Cal is a legend, but the just before Cal years were my favorite O's teams. Maybe cause I was 5-8 years old. But Decinces, Bumbry, Lowenstein... and of course, Ed-die.

I'm imaging a very young Koya putting on a football helmet and pretending to be Gary Roenicke at the plate in these years.

Rhino Roenicke and John Lowenstein were one of the all time great left field platoons. And T-Bone Shelby was also on those early '80s O's teams, alternating with Bumbry in center.

I think he had turned pretty bitter by that point with all of the "you're not Brooks" stuff, but I do recall him being a bit of an ###.

The '82 team also had Glenn "you can't make me swing at a pitch" Gulliver at 3rd, who ran through a hold up sign at 3rd & got thrown out by 40 feet in the last game of the '82 season, killing a rally & the O's chance for one of the all-time great comebacks. I went to all 4 of those games against Milwaukee & it's still the most exciting sporting event I've ever attended.

I believe they also had Benny Ayala in the LF platoon with Roenicke & Lowenbrau, didn't they?

IIRC, the O's swept a double header on Friday night, won again on Saturday and had Palmer going on Sunday so Birds fans felt things were looking good to pull off the comeback. Then I think Palmer fell behind early and even though they battled back, they never could get the key hit and the Brew Crew prevailed. My softball team had a Fall league game that started at 9 pm that Friday night and after it was over we all stood around somebodies car in the parking lot having a beer and listening to the end of the game on the radio.

I remember most of the guys on the '82 team, but I wouldn't have remembered Glen Gulliver in a million years.

And everyone prayed that the ball wouldn't be hit to left on those 20 or so days a season.

I was away to college in '82 (and '83) and that final game against Milwaukee was not the game that was broadcast where I was at . And to make matters worst ABC got all of the updates wrong, including but limited to broadcasting that the game was over and the final score was whatever just minutes before switching over to the game in progress with a completely different score .

I was there on that final day, too. Such a letdown after all the heroics to catch the Brewers. Ben Ogilvie made a sliding catch on the gravel in LF, and that was it. But I'll never forget the way the crowd stayed and cheered and did O-R-I-O-L-E-S for what seemed like an hour after the game, even though we lost. Finally, Weaver and the players came out for a curtain call. Get goosebumps thinking about it.

Amazingly, Camden Yards is developing kind of a Memorial Stadium vibe right now (except when doosh Boston and NY fans take it over) -- about half-full, but with fans who are into the game and having a good time. Also, this year's team is showing unbelievable heart.

Yep. Friggin Oglive couldn't catch a cold in Alaska but he makes that catch

I too was amazed at the crowd. As the last out was made, everything went silent for about 10 seconds. But nobody left. Then the cheering started. One by one the players started coming back onto the field - I remember Singleton or one of them saying they couldn't understand what all the noise was - half-dressed, looking around in disbelief. Then they joined in on the O-R-I-O-L-E-S cheer. Then Earl came out & led the cheer himself, tears streaming down his face. I was hoarse for about 3 days after that weekend.

It was Palmer against Sutton that last day. Palmer didn't have it - I think Yount hit 2 out & Cooper at least one. But the Orioles seemed to play themselves out of rallies a bunch of times, though that could be wishful thinking/faulty memory.

I was sitting upper deck by the left field foul pole for the DH Friday night. I think Roenicke caught the last out of the 2 nd game & threw the ball up in the stands towards us. The guy in front of me didn't see it & the ball hit him right in the forehead, splitting it open. He didn't care - kept drinking & cheering.

Tom Boswell, in one of his books (Why Time Begins On Opening Day, I think), wrote a great in-depth essay on that '82 team & the flukey situation that caused the final series to be 4 games instead 3 (as was originally scheduled). I'm shooting from the hip here, but Os/Brewers were playing a game in July. Ted Simmons caught a 3rd strike which he thought made the 3rd out & rolled it to the mound, running off of the field. But it was only the 2nd out. In the delay to get the teams situated again the rain started - ending the game one out short of an official game (the Brewers were leading). So they played the game over as part of that Friday DH.

Does anyone else recall the details of the Simmons gaffe? I'm going off of a 20 year memory of reading Boswell's book & may have the details screwed up.

Oh, & that Brewers team was a really good one. Man, they could hit.

I don't remember that, but the Brewers and Orioles played a two-two tie on June 16th which I assume was the game being made up?

But I graduated from high school in June of '82, so I am the last person to ask to remember these things for this period of time.

I absolutely love how this team is playing. They are now 4 games above .500. What's even better is that there is almost no attention being paid to them because they are still in 4th place in the AL East. I'm not sure a young team like this would be able to handle the pressure of national attention. Keep playing one game at a time and don't worry about anything else. There are no expectations for this team.

George Sherill, could you please get a save without having my blood pressure rise to an insanely high level? God, he makes it interesting...

No doubt I've got the facts all screwed up, but that may have been the game.

I get anal about this kind of stuff, so I wrote Boswell an e-mail asking for the details.

Wouldn't it have been easier to go find the book and re-read the essay? :wink:

I couldn't find my copy.....

Anyway, got a response from Boswell:

In June catcher Ted Simmons flipped the ball toward the home plate ump after Lowenstein struck out, thinking it was the third out, rather than the second. Two runners advanced. Both scored, rather than one, on a single. The game ended in 2-2 tie, not a 2-1 Brewer win when rain came after 9 innings. That game was replayed as part of the doubleheader on Friday that began the four-game series. I asked Smmons if he was aware of the parallel to the Fred Merkle boner in '08. "I've only thought about it every day since," he said.

I had Simmons right & just about everything else wrong. I guess the 70s took more of a toll on me than I thought

Doug DeCinces was at Sports Legends? tonight remembering his June 22 1979 HR that was the birth of "Orioles Magic". This game was not on TV, and on the radio it was not called by Chuck Thompson nor Bill O'Donnell but Charlie Eckman and Vince Bagli(?). The next day was a double header with a second walk off home run in the first game and the second game was not quite as dramatic, barely.

Man, looking at that box score brings back some memories. Kiki Garcia at SS. Sammy "The Throwan Swannoan" Stewart coming out of the pen. Lee May at DH. Man, I loved those late 70s Os teams.

Yep! I keep wanting to think of the current team as the rough equivalent of the '77 team that gave us that great run to '83. Of course I have been wanting to think that since about '99 now.

Your Orioles just ended a 14 game home winning streak for the Cubs, and yet not one post..........what a lame thread

what great fans

Who the ... cares about the Cubs?

Oh my God we beat the Cubs! Does that make you feel better.

Cub fans care about the Cubs. Good to see there are no more crickets here

You said somewhere you are transplant to the region and a relatively new fan, well you are getting a taste of what Stanhouse was like.

I wouldn't get mad at me.....I would be mad at my "stud" reliever for almost giving the game away.

If it wasn't for the tension at the end I would have been a sleep by now, like most east coasters that have to work real jobs tomorrow.

Interesting.....I guess male prostitutes are a first shift job on the east coast....my bad!

Pretty sad that your existence is validated by fans of teams that beat your "lovable losers" getting excited.

Orioles fans are generally content to root for the Orioles and not crap on other teams or their fans. (Yankees excluded.) Sure we'll have fun and trash talk, but we don't tear others down to feel good about ourselves or our team.

ETA: And I'd like to assume that "real Cub" fans are the same way.

Can you imagine what a Cubs-Red Sox World Series would be like?

i think he meant that you guys won a game with an exciting ending, yet :crickets:

he probably expected some more enthusiastic fans. maybe there just isnt alot of O's fans at the board

Except this was one of the least exciting win the Orioles have had from an Oriole fan's perspective. Tense at the end as it got closer than one would hope, but jumping out to a big lead and holding on is not exciting from my perspective. Neither is winning a game or two against any particular team. The Orioles have held their own against everyone this season (and to some extent the last few seasons until they collapsed at the end).

good point. i see what you mean. being a cubs fan, it was pretty damn exciting for me.

wth.. since when is beating the Cubs a big deal?

Listen......I just thought there would've been more excitement coming from this neck the woods. I'm just razzin, stirring the pot if you will. Bottomfeeder sports...if ya loosen your belt a little bit you might enjoy life more.

O's (well, Jay Payton anyway) made it suprisingly competitive after the Albers debacle. Was very impressed with Kerry Wood. That's what a real closer looks like. As much as I love Sherrill, he is a prime "Sell high" candidate, as he is not a legit big-league closer.

Cubs have a nice team, and a great home field advantage, but I'm not sold on their pitching. If the Orioles were in the NL Central instead of the AL East, they would not have had a losing record for 10 straight seasons.

Jay Payton just enhanced his trade value about ten-fold...

whats the buzz on this guthrie kid. i didnt get to see him pitch vs cubs. is he legit?