Passion and compassion. Passion for one’s team. Compassion for its players, when it’s evident the struggle is real. A Sports Illustrated story about Chris Davis triggered these thoughts as the Orioles come home to play the Houston Astros in their final games of the season. It’s fan appreciation weekend in a season that has tested the passion and patience of those who are most loyal to the team.
But maybe the fans will make it a weekend similar to the homecoming the Orioles received in 1988 when they started 0-21 and returned home 1-23. On Fantastic Fan Night, more than 50,000 fans showed their love for the team. The Orioles rewarded that remarkable display of support with a 9-4 victory over the Texas Rangers.
That could be the approach fans take this weekend for a team that has been even worse than those 1988 Orioles. Worse, in fact, than any team in Orioles history. So, why not a weekend appreciation for the team and the fans in the spirit of unity and understanding. An expression of passion and compassion.
It could be a final chance to thank manager Buck Showalter for leading the team back to the playoffs, and winning baseball, before this year’s collapse that has revealed even more of his character.
It could be a final chance to thank outfielder Adam Jones for being the leader of those teams and for doing even stronger work in the community.
It could be a chance to let Chris Davis know that Baltimore still has his broad back in the worst of seasons and is pulling for a comeback in 2019.
It could be anything fans want to make it after a season that spun out of control early, led to a flurry of trades by the July 31 deadline and took on the form of an outdated building being torn down for something more contemporary.
It could be a weekend-long celebration that allows fans to treat their frustrations as if they were balloons that need to be released at season’s end. And, since the Ravens and Steelers won’t play until Sunday night, it opens up Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon to show Jones, Showalter, Davis and baseball that Baltimore’s fans can still compete with the best.
Postscript: After a season in which the Orioles did so much wrong, they got Adam Jones right. And manager Buck Showalter had a lot to do with that in the final game Sunday. He made sure the focus stayed on Jones, the centerpiece of the winning teams during Showalter’s tenure. The mutual respect, and affection, between Jones and Showalter was evident. Instead of the Orioles taking the field at the game’s start, it was the Oriole — Jones, by himself, to the fans’ delight. In the ninth, Jones was called back to the dugout after taking the field, giving the fans and Jones another chance to express their appreciation for each other. The hug between Jones and Showalter in the dugout was meaningful. After the game, Showalter kept the attention on Jones and the 4-0 win, declining to talk about his future. If it was the final game for both men here, it was a fitting ending.
Jack Gibbons spent 46 years in sports journalism, including a chunk of that time as sports editor of The Baltimore Sun. Now retired from full-time work, Jack serves as the lead editor and writer for BaltimoreBaseball.com’s “Calling the Pen,” a periodic feature that highlights baseball essays written by the community. If you would like to contribute to ‘Calling the Pen,” send a 750-1,200-word, original piece via email to jack@baltimorebaseball.com for consideration.
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If this is to be a true “fan appreciation” celebration, management would refund the money fans unsuspectingly spent on tickets thinking they were going to witness a legitimate major league team and then open the gates and let them (and other fools) in for free. The next biggest gift they could give the fans is to clean out the warehouse come Monday morning!
Ekim, I have appreciated your strong and informed opinions throughout the season, and I appreciate them here. I think there are a lot of fans who feel the same way, and there is no right or wrong way to approach the final weekend. The best gift the Orioles could give their fans is a return to prominence, but I don't see that happening any time soon.
I expect a decent crowd(30,000) Sunday and it will be emotional. One thing the Orioles could do to ease the process is to announce either way their plans with Buck(Jones we won't know till the off season). If Dan is retained a little pregame speech to address the process going forward (he has and many of us have heard it) to at least give the common fan a better understanding. It will be a tough day.
Orial, I think you're right about Sunday. The last day of the season usually brings a touch of sadness, and the possibility/probability that it will be the last games for Buck and Adam will magnify that. You're also right that it would be in the best interest of the Orioles to share with their fans any news, feelings or plans that they have. It would be setting a tone for going forward.