WASHINGTON — Growing up, my dad taught me to enjoy baseball, and often took my brother and me up to Baltimore from our Bethesda home for games. Most of these games were when his childhood team, the Yankees, was in town. Thankfully, he never brainwashed us to root for the boys from the Bronx and instead bought us Orioles gear and encouraged us to cheer for the home team.
Some of my most vivid memories as a young baseball fan, for better or worse, are those heart-breaking ALCS games between the Orioles and the Yankees during the mid-90s.
One of my favorite memories as an adult fan came two years ago, when the O’s and the Yankees squared off in the in the ALDS. My brother came in from Connecticut, and not only did we each find tickets to the game, but we were able to move around and sit together. The O’s lost the series, but they won that game, and watching it with my brother was just the best. It didn’t heal all the wounds from those postseason losses from more than a decade prior, but it was a great start!
Two years later, I’m excited because the O’s are not the Cinderella team that they were in 2012. I think they are the team to beat in the American League.
Why? Because they truly play like a team.
They don’t have a big-name ace up on the mound, but they do have a solid rotation. The team believes that they can win regardless of who the starter is. Having arguably one of the best bullpens in the league also helps.
Need another reason? Well, they can also hit the ball. They hit it often and they hit it hard. The team as a whole has more than 200 home runs on the season; they hit multiple long balls in more than 50 games.
Also, the team knows how to handle adversity. They have rallied to overcome injuries to Matt Wieters in June and Manny Machado in August (and extreme lapses in good judgement) that could have been disastrous for their postseason plans. Despite the setbacks, the team has hardly skipped a beat.
Finally, the team has its fans. The O’s have a powerful, strong fan base behind them, that cannot wait to cheer their team on. I lived in Baltimore, within walking distance from Camden Yards, for about three years. During that time, the Orioles were terrible. But, the casual observer would never have known. The team wasn’t selling out those days, but those who did make the trip cheered the team on like they were World Series-bound.
This year they might actually be World Series-bound, and I cannot wait to be at Camden Yards on Thursday for ALDS Game 1 to cheer them on!
National League
- Our Nationals pastime
WTOP Sports’ Jonathan Warner discusses how the Washington Nationals have all the ingredients to win: pitching, defense, hitting, power and speed. - Another title in the Cards
WTOP Traffic’s Rich Hunter says emerging young talents and experienced players and management will help bring it all together and give the St. Louis Cardinals another world title. - It’s time for Dodger Baseball
WTOP Reporter Andrew Mollenbeck shares how he accidentally fell in love with the Los Angeles Dodgers. - Buctober
WTOP Sports’ J. Brooks says the Pittsburgh Pirates have promise and how a with a win in the Wild Card Game, they would give the Nationals a run for their money. - Together, we can be Giant again
WTOP Assistant Editor Joey Kahn looks at how the San Francisco Giants will win in 2014 after World Series victories in 2012 in 2010.
American League
- Motor City madness in D.C.
WTOP News Director Mitch Miller shares why the Detroit Tigers will motor through the tournament and eliminate the competition. - Baseball Jesus + best bullpen = win
Adrian Spinelli, special to WTOP, states that Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s Mike Trout, the offense and the bullpen can help the team. - We’ll always be Royal
WTOP Reporter Megan Cloherty shares why the Kansas City Royals deserve to make it to the World Series. - This is Oakland
WTOP Sports Editor Noah Frank discusses the history of the Oakland A’s and what makes them a team competitors shouldn’t discount.
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