Signature Moments

[jdwilde1]

The early 80s, it seemed like the O’s just went into another gear every August.  Everyone in the neighborhood anticipating the game that night and expecting something special.  Listening on the radio in somebody’s back yard eating crabs pulled out of the water earlier that day. Playing whiffle ball and mimicking the O’s batting stances.  Great times. 
 

 

[vab]

Two I saw in person:

9/19/98 The last game of Cal's streak - of course, didn't know it at the time (also DL Hall's birthday)

9/23/01 Cal's last home run - also didn't know it at the time. Originally that was going to be Cal's last home game but 9-11 changed all that. 

[WillyM]

Game # 3, 1983 World Series.  I was in the upper deck at Veterans Stadium even with third base, the perfect vantage point to watch Cal Sr. waving Benny Ayala around third base with the winning run as Dan Ford's ground ball just kept rolling and rolling away from Ivan DeJesus on the Astroturf.

Didn't realize it at the time, but the play made a winning pitcher out of Jim Palmer, the last win of his career.

[NCRaven]

Jay Gibbons losing a fly ball in the snow.

[NashLumber]

3 hours ago, vab said:

Two I saw in person:

9/19/98 The last game of Cal's streak - of course, didn't know it at the time (also DL Hall's birthday)

9/23/01 Cal's last home run - also didn't know it at the time. Originally that was going to be Cal's last home game but 9-11 changed all that. 

I was also there for the last Cal HR. I had bought tix the day they went on sale in January. And I bought the tix for Yankee Stadium that same day as it was the last scheduled game. And yes, 9/11 changed all of that. I had tix to his last games in Boston, NY and Baltimore, all bought early on that winter and a friend of mine made it a ballpark tour. We even caught NL games in Philly and Pittsburgh. So when the last game ended up being much later at home vs. Boston, I had to resort to a scalper for the first time in my life. It was the most I had ever paid for an entertainment ticket until I bought Brian Wilson SMiLE tix, second row center, three or four years later. 

[Moose Milligan]

Man, I don't think anyone's mentioned Sutcliffe's Opening Day start in '92 for the first game at Camden Yards.

Also, Flanagan at the final game at Memorial Stadium.

A more obscure one, but very memorable is Mike Devereaux's catch.  

 

 

[Frobby]

17 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Man, I don't think anyone's mentioned Sutcliffe's Opening Day start in '92 for the first game at Camden Yards.

Also, Flanagan at the final game at Memorial Stadium.

A more obscure one, but very memorable is Mike Devereaux's catch.  

 

 

Still the best catch ever at OPACY IMHO, and I was there to see it.   And it should be noted that the O’s won that game 1-0, so that catch was crucial to the outcome.  

Here is Tom Boswell, doing what Tom Boswell does:

“Devo took his life in his hands. He didn’t leap straight up. He didn’t have time. He launched himself at what looked like a 45-degree angle, his legs jack-knifed across each other. His right cheek smashed into the very top of the wall just as his arm shot into the second row of seats. How the ball found the glove, no one will ever know.”

For those who don’t know, Devo set the Wyoming high school record for the high jump as a teenager.   He also set the state records in the 100, 200 and 400 meter dashes.  He showed all of his running and leaping ability on that play. 

[Yardball85]

In the marathon Red Sox game from 2012, three specific ones come to mind:

1. Chris Davis getting the win
2. Adam Jones three run  homer in the top of the 17th
3. Marlon Byrd being out at the plate and Wieters showing the glove.

[Moose Milligan]

16 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Still the best catch ever at OPACY IMHO, and I was there to see it.   And it should be noted that the O’s won that game 1-0, so that catch was crucial to the outcome.  

Here is Tom Boswell, doing what Tom Boswell does:

“Devo took his life in his hands. He didn’t leap straight up. He didn’t have time. He launched himself at what looked like a 45-degree angle, his legs jack-knifed across each other. His right cheek smashed into the very top of the wall just as his arm shot into the second row of seats. How the ball found the glove, no one will ever know.”

For those who don’t know, Devo set the Wyoming high school record for the high jump as a teenager.   He also set the state records in the 100, 200 and 400 meter dashes.  He showed all of his running and leaping ability on that play. 

That is fantastic writing.

Years ago, I did some photography for the Redskins.  And I had locker room access, postgame.  I'd go in there, listen to the postgame interviews and I'd see Boswell in there, standing around lockers like anyone else.  Didn't have a voice recorder out, just jotting things down in shorthand.   Believe me when I say that all I wanted to do was to just reach out, tap him on the shoulder and tell him how much I enjoyed his writing and I could never bring myself to do it.  Out of all the guys in that locker room, big and physically imposing, I wasn't in awe of anyone more than I was of him.  I couldn't bring myself to tell him.  

Anyway, I'd say Devo had to have been in the top 5 athletes that the Orioles have had over the past 30 years or so.  He was awesome.  I remember watching him before games running sprints with Cal.  They'd start side by side, Devo would have the lead, then tail off, circle behind Cal, come up on the other side and blow past him like it wasn't anything.  

[Frobby]

14 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

That is fantastic writing.

Years ago, I did some photography for the Redskins.  And I had locker room access, postgame.  I'd go in there, listen to the postgame interviews and I'd see Boswell in there, standing around lockers like anyone else.  Didn't have a voice recorder out, just jotting things down in shorthand.   Believe me when I say that all I wanted to do was to just reach out, tap him on the shoulder and tell him how much I enjoyed his writing and I could never bring myself to do it.  Out of all the guys in that locker room, big and physically imposing, I wasn't in awe of anyone more than I was of him.  I couldn't bring myself to tell him.  

I assume Boswell eventually will receive the BBWAA’s Spink award and be inducted into the sportswriters section of the Hall of Fame.  And when he does, I will seriously consider going to Cooperstown to see him inducted, for two reasons.  One, he added as much to my enjoyment of baseball as any player.   And two, you know he’s going to deliver one hell of an induction speech.  

[hutchead]

Stevie Wilkerson's catch at Fenway.

 

[Chelsea_Phil]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

Still the best catch ever at OPACY IMHO, and I was there to see it.   And it should be noted that the O’s won that game 1-0, so that catch was crucial to the outcome.  

Here is Tom Boswell, doing what Tom Boswell does:

“Devo took his life in his hands. He didn’t leap straight up. He didn’t have time. He launched himself at what looked like a 45-degree angle, his legs jack-knifed across each other. His right cheek smashed into the very top of the wall just as his arm shot into the second row of seats. How the ball found the glove, no one will ever know.”

For those who don’t know, Devo set the Wyoming high school record for the high jump as a teenager.   He also set the state records in the 100, 200 and 400 meter dashes.  He showed all of his running and leaping ability on that play. 

I am doing this on total memory, and not checking the Internet first, but is it true that Devereux was not a good base stealer.  If so, why was that?

[Chelsea_Phil]

Has anyone mentioned tippy Martinez’s picking off three players in one inning?

[Frobby]

3 minutes ago, Chelsea_Phil said:

I am doing this on total memory, and not checking the Internet first, but is it true that Devereux was not a good base stealer.  If so, why was that?

He wasn’t.  Just didn’t have the instinct for getting a good lead and reading pitchers.  

[oriole]

3 games that I had the ability to go to but chose not to because of prior commitments…

 

Curse of the Andino game vs Red Sox

Delmon Young playoff hit

Trey Mancini inside the park HR

 

Ill let you all know next time I’m offered tickets for a game but can’t go because of work/school. It’ll be one to remember for sure