Best Opening Day ever? I say yes.

[Frobby]

The O’s are 21-9 on Opening Day over the last 30 years,,and they’ve had a lot of great ones.  They’ve won by larger victory margins than today (twice by 10 runs).   They’ve had a number of Opening Day shutouts, including on the day Camden Yards opened.   They’ve had walk-off and extra inning wins.  

But for me, I’m taking this one as the best Opening Day of them all:

- David Rubenstein and his fellow owners struck every chord correctly, giving interviews, mingling with fans, buying rounds of beers at Pickles, etc.  they were pitch perfect and really set a tone for what we can expect going forward.

- We spent 3 months looking for an ace, and Corbin Butnes looked every inch the part.   He was masterful and so fun to watch.   

- And just generally, the team had great at bats all day and looked like a defending division champion ought to look.  

My optimism meter is pretty much at 100 after today.  


 

Edited March 28 by Frobby

[PHRESH]

Coming into this game, I KNEW we'd win. As Frobby referenced, the O's have been pretty damn good on opening day. But what a great start to a new era of Orioles baseball! The ownership group has to be very happy with its investment after today.

Corbin Burnes was simply incredible. I'm still a little bummed Bradish wasn't able to start against the team that drafted him. He certainly earned the OD start after last year. Hoping he gets healthy enough to pitch later this year. 

 

 

[Fiver6565]

the only one that is even close, at least in my lifetime, is the first game at Camden.  But as great as that day was, this one might have had even more great elements, with the new ownership angle added into a great team playing great to start what we hope is a great season.

[Moose Milligan]

Hard to top 1992. Sutcliffe complete game shutout at the new park. People forget, but that 1992 team was surprisingly good after the dud squad of 1991. That Opening Day was a tone setter. 
 

This one was really good. It’s neck and neck for me. 

[Ohfan67]

The first game in Camden yards was more special. Big national media coverage, more impact on Baltimore and baseball overall, etc. just my two cents. 

[PeregrineT]

Such a great start, its definitely up there.  Hard not to be super optimistic after that game and just all of the past year.

[DocJJ]

25 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Hard to top 1992. Sutcliffe complete game shutout at the new park. People forget, but that 1992 team was surprisingly good after the dud squad of 1991. That Opening Day was a tone setter. 
 

This one was really good. It’s neck and neck for me. 

'92 was a strange year.  Chris Hoiles hit 20 HR but only drove in 40 RBI.   I wonder if that's a record for fewest RBI in a 20 HR season?   Seems that would be almost impossible to beat....!?

[DocJJ]

Just now, DocJJ said:

'92 was a strange year.  Chris Hoiles hit 20 HR but only drove in 40 RBI.   I wonder if that's a record for fewest RBI in a 20 HR season?   Seems that would be almost impossible to beat....!?

I just checked and that is, in fact, the record!

 

Amazingly Orioles 3B Wayne Gross hit 11 HR in 1985 and drove in 18 RBI's.   That's just as amazing/depressing...

[Orioles Jim]

My and the fam’s first ever Opening Day. It’s a day I’ll never forget.

[Sports Guy]

I have missed 3 OD since 1988.  This is way up there for sure.

[Aristotelian]

I did not watch this game and I don't doubt the atmostphere was electric. However, I would go with 1989 (which I attended). Cal had a three run homer off Clemens, O's win in extras. I believe the winning play was one of those unusual situations (1st and 3rd, 1 out, game on the line) where the Sox went with a six man infield but Worthington was able to get a ball in the outfield to win the game. Was also significant because we started '88 with the Other Streak and this started us off as winners which carried through into a miraculous season.

https://www.mlb.com/video/ripken-s-home-run-off-clemens

 

[NashLumber]

Was 2018 a walk-off win? What was the winning hit?  Doesn't compare today to the fireworks, but I do remember a satisfying OD win in recent memory. 

https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=201803290BAL

[Sports Guy]

It’s really an amazing time to be an Os fan. Think about where things were just 3 years ago. Yes we had Elias and a good system but still, our OD lineup was garbage, the team won 52 games and the Angelos family was entrenched as owners.

Now, they are all but gone, the Os are coming for a 101 win season and the amount of talent here now with so much more to come is astounding.

 

[Philip]

Most hopeful, without a doubt.

it is revealing that JAngelos remained in his lofty tower while Rubenstein hung out with the plebes.

I wonder if, at any point, JA said to himself,”I shoulda done that.”?

[NashLumber]

5 minutes ago, NashLumber said:

Was 2018 a walk-off win? What was the winning hit?  Doesn't compare today to the fireworks, but I do remember a satisfying OD win in recent memory. 

https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=201803290BAL

It was Jones walk-off HR. 
 

 

Edited March 29 by NashLumber