About an hour ago, the 2012 Baltimore Orioles became a playoff baseball team.
“Magic,” when you get down to brass tacks, is a way to explain the indefinable. My father-in-law, who doesn’t follow baseball, asked me last night what was so different about the Orioles this year compared to the previous 14. I tried out a couple potential answers, citing the bullpen, the power hitting, the hats, but nothing really satisfied either of us as a “reason.”
The truth is there are hundreds of reasons things are different this year. A baseball is a gargantuan, complex formula, with tangible and intangible inputs that result in a finished product. The numbers people and the old timers alike can’t point to one isolated thing that makes a team turn the corner like these Birds have.
In fact, there are a million little things different about the 2012 playoff baseball-eligible Orioles than the previous editions of the franchise. There are also a million little things that are the same. The beautiful thing is that something indefinable has happened to the team we grew up with, and the result is a playoff baseball team. Call it what you want, for lack of a better term, it’s “Orioles Magic.”
“Magic” is probably not admissible evidence in the court of baseball opinion, but whatever is driving the Orioles into October, it is very real.
#dreamcometrue
I’m happy for the many fans who have been shafted by Peter the Great……but I still can’t get passed the fact if the other teams were not decemated by injury and having down years for them the O’s would not be in the hunt,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,It rings hollow to me but I’m still glad they are there,,,,,,,,,,,,,honesty people , honesty…………..
spy – It’s called “Next Man Up”. All teams suffer injuries, including the Birds, and it’s those teams that overcome them that come out on top.
If you want to look at injuries, look no further than the O’s…starting LF – gone for the year; #1 rotation pitcher – 2 stints on the DL; starting 2nd baseman – gone for the year. Starting RF – gone for the year. Despite all of this, the Orioles own baseball’s best record since the All Star break.
The Red Sox tumble began last September and you can point to injuries if you like, but what was the excuse last September?
The Blue Jays? Sure, you can point to their injuries, but not many expected them to be any better than 4th in the AL East anyway.
The Rays? Almost major injury free.
The Yankees? Um, they’ve won 92 games so far, so I don’t think they’re making any concessions. They’re OLD, but that’s their own fault.
Nope, this was just a good manager extracting EVERY ounce of talent out of every ballplayer.
Nicely put,,,,,,, but the money players will show up real soon……………..