A lot of things have been going through my mind this week as I've watched the Orioles. We can sit here all day and talk about mechanics, why they're winning games, how they're winning games, etc. Ultimately it boils down to the fact that they've been able to get clutch hitting and decent pitching. The past two games have seen Vladimir Guerrero and Derek Lee get their inaugural home runs in Oriole uniforms. The fact is that the O's have started the season 5-1, which is a far cry from last year's start to the season.
Most people outside of Baltimore and the Oriole fan base don't really know what the team means to the city. The Orioles are truly part of what Baltimore is. Just driving into downtown you see a billboard with Buck Showalter's mug staring at you. There are This is Birdland banners on the light poles on Pratt St, and around the Inner Harbor. Contrary to what people say, Baltimore is certainly a baseball town. The likes of Brooks Robinson, Earl Weaver, Jim Palmer, Frank Robinson, Rick Dempsey, and of course the great Cal Ripken Jr. all wore orange and black. All of those players are legends in their own way, and they just might be joined one day by the likes of Nick Markakis, Brian Roberts, Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, and Brian Matusz.
I can remember my father taking me to Memorial Stadium as a kid and I'd see people walking to the ballgame from their homes in the neighborhood. My point is that people in the community cared about the Orioles, and I know that they still do. Six games into the season is hardly a decent enough sample size to say that the Orioles are "back." However the fact is that there've been few times since 1997 where anyone's had the vibe that we're getting from this Oriole team. Furthermore, the team's won five out of those first six. The Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards' parking lots would be a sea of orange on gamedays. The city, state, or even federal government could do any bad thing they wanted; so long as 'dem O's were still winning all was okay in Birdland. So now as we move forward into this season, perhaps a bit of that old summertime magic is starting to return to Baltimore, the Orioles, and the fans. A season will be made out of this yet!
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