Expert trolling by the Orioles' social media team

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

30 minutes ago, SteveA said:

Yep, including a shot by Ken Griffey that blew a lead, landed on Eutaw Street, and hit the warehouse on the bounce (a year after KGJr had hit the warehouse on the fly during the Home Run Derby).

It even made it into a (Nike?) commercial, the Griffey HR, and in the commercial you could see Pennington whipping his head around to watch it fly.

 

[Moose Milligan]

@SteveA that one he hit off Pennington, I was surprised THAT didn't hit the Warehouse.

If it hasn't been hit in a game yet, I don't think anyone ever will.

 

 

[Frobby]

1 minute ago, Moose Milligan said:

@SteveA that one he hit off Pennington, I was surprised THAT didn't hit the Warehouse.

If it hasn't been hit in a game yet, I don't think anyone ever will.

I expect it will happen someday.   Apparently the closest was Lance Berkman, who hit one estimated at 430 feet pretty much right down the foul line. I’m pretty sure I was there for that one.  Towering shot.   Henry Rodriguez hit the longest Eutaw Street homer at 443 feet, but it was more to RCF so it didn’t land as close to the Warehouse as Berkman’s.  

[RZNJ]

Here's my Brad Pennington story.   

In 1992, in his 4th year in the minors at age 23, he ascended from Frederick (A+) to Rochester (AAA) in a single year.  At Rochester, he pitched 39 innings and gave up only 12 hits.   He walked 33 and struck out 56.   They couldn't touch him but he couldn't throw strikes.

 

The next year he pitched with the Orioles in April of 1993 as a short reliever.  He actually got off to a pretty good start.   After his 18th game as a short reliever, he had a 2.04 ERA.   By the end of May he had been in 12 games but had only pitched a total of 11 innings with 5 walks and 13 strikeouts and an ERA of under 3.   By June, he started gaining the trust of the manger (Tremblay?).   By his 18th appearance on June 20, his ERA was 2.04.   His high point as an Oriole came in his next game, 4 days later.  On June 24, against the Detroit Tigers, Pennington earned his 4th save (3rd in June), went 3 IP, gave up 0 hits, 2 walks, with 4 strikeouts.   His ERA stood at 1.74.   3 days later he got lit up by the Yankes in 1.1 IP with 3 runs on 4 hits.   He only walked 1 and struck out 4, BUT he was never the same again.    He went from longshot scatter arm to trusted reliever from April to June 24.

 

[now]

2 hours ago, SteveA said:

Top 10 Orioles who are now just remembered as an Oriole for basically just ONE thing:

1) Robert Andino

2) Tito Landrum

3) Delmon Young

4) Ryan Minor

5) Brad Pennington

6) Jamie Quirk

7) Steve Bechler  

8 ) Tom Gastall

9) Tony Tarasco

10) Jack Cust

 

 

Cool list! You stumped me on Minor (played after Ripken? drafted instead of...?) and Quirk. ??

[SteveA]

1 hour ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

 

That's his HR Derby HR, not the shot he hit off Pennington in a game.

[SteveA]

1 hour ago, Moose Milligan said:

@SteveA that one he hit off Pennington, I was surprised THAT didn't hit the Warehouse.

If it hasn't been hit in a game yet, I don't think anyone ever will.

 

 

Hit it on the bounce (as a few others have).

Now that Joey Gallo is in our division, the likelihood might go up a bit.

[SteveA]

12 minutes ago, now said:

Cool list! You stumped me on Minor (played after Ripken? drafted instead of...?) and Quirk. ??

Yep, played 3rd base the night Ripken decided to end his streak.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

3 minutes ago, SteveA said:

That's his HR Derby HR, not the shot he hit off Pennington in a game.

I know and video for that doesn't seem to exist on the internet at least or it's really hard to find.

[SteveA]

Just now, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

I know and video for that doesn't seem to exist on the internet at least or it's really hard to find.

Yeah, I did a quick search and came up with nothing.   I can still picture Pennington's head whipping around to watch the monster HR fly.   He was only in the shot for a second or so, I wonder if he got any royalties for that commercial?

[Moose Milligan]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

I expect it will happen someday.   Apparently the closest was Lance Berkman, who hit one estimated at 430 feet pretty much right down the foul line. I’m pretty sure I was there for that one.  Towering shot.   Henry Rodriguez hit the longest Eutaw Street homer at 443 feet, but it was more to RCF so it didn’t land as close to the Warehouse as Berkman’s.  

I disagree, Frobingo, although I do see your points.  

The steroid era has come and gone (allegedly) and if it wasn't done by someone during that time, I have a hard time thinking it'll be done now.  

The other thing is that Eutaw Street and the Warehouse both sit above the playing field at Camden Yards by a pretty decent amount.  If the Warehouse was level to the playing field I'd be more inclined to agree that it can be done...and I think it'd be done already.  

The "true distance" that the ball has to go as a result is really farther than the 450+ feet or so.  I'm not sure how to do the math on that, nor do I really care as I hate math.  But I'm sure someone here who's adept with numbers can figure out the extra distance that you have to account for due to the playing level being below the Warehouse.  

Then try to see if any homers hit in the Statcast Era would have hit it.  I'd be curious to see.

Anyway, the best chance to hit it, as you noted, is directly down the line.  That's hard to do because if a batter pulls it, it'll tend to hook a little.  

[Moose Milligan]

18 minutes ago, SteveA said:

That's his HR Derby HR, not the shot he hit off Pennington in a game.

I think it's at the 4:10 mark on this video.  I remember it, it was a day game:  

 

 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

1 hour ago, Moose Milligan said:

I disagree, Frobingo, although I do see your points.  

The steroid era has come and gone (allegedly) and if it wasn't done by someone during that time, I have a hard time thinking it'll be done now.  

The other thing is that Eutaw Street and the Warehouse both sit above the playing field at Camden Yards by a pretty decent amount.  If the Warehouse was level to the playing field I'd be more inclined to agree that it can be done...and I think it'd be done already.  

The "true distance" that the ball has to go as a result is really farther than the 450+ feet or so.  I'm not sure how to do the math on that, nor do I really care as I hate math.  But I'm sure someone here who's adept with numbers can figure out the extra distance that you have to account for due to the playing level being below the Warehouse.  

Then try to see if any homers hit in the Statcast Era would have hit it.  I'd be curious to see.

Anyway, the best chance to hit it, as you noted, is directly down the line.  That's hard to do because if a batter pulls it, it'll tend to hook a little.  

Also if Chris Davis couldn't do it, I have hard time thinking of a left handed slugger who would be capable. Maybe if Griffey Jr. played for the Orioles he would have done it once.

I suspect you're correct about the warehouse sitting above the playing field at OPACY, and that's what makes hitting the warehouse so impossible outside home run derby or batting practice. 

[Frobby]

11 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Also if Chris Davis couldn't do it, I have hard time thinking of a left handed slugger who would be capable. Maybe if Griffey Jr. played for the Orioles he would have done it once.

I suspect you're correct about the warehouse sitting above the playing field at OPACY, and that's what makes hitting the warehouse so impossible outside home run derby or batting practice. 

It’s 439 feet at it’s closest point.   The wall is 25 feet high.   There was a time in my life (senior in high school, any time in college) where I could have told you what the “true distance” wouid be of a ball that hit the Warehouse at the base, i.e. how much further it would travel if the Warehouse weren’t there and the ground was level with the playing field.   It would depend on the launch angle of the ball, though.   I’m sure @DrungoHazewoodcould calculate it.   

[George Zuverink]

4 hours ago, SteveA said:

Top 10 Orioles who are now just remembered as an Oriole for basically just ONE thing:

1) Robert Andino

2) Tito Landrum

3) Delmon Young

4) Ryan Minor

5) Brad Pennington

6) Jamie Quirk

7) Steve Bechler  

8 ) Tom Gastall

9) Tony Tarasco

10) Jack Cust

 

 

Interesting list. You could put the crying emoji by Tom Gastsll, too.

 

https://www.sportscasting.com/remembering-tom-gastall-how-a-plane-crash-took-the-life-of-a-promising-baltimore-orioles-catcher/