One of my tasks from my list was going to a playoff game for a professional sport. I've never been to one before, despite knowing there's a much different feel in the air of being in the playoffs than the regular season. I suppose I could've gone to a Ravens playoff game since they've been in the playoffs several times in the last decade or so, but those tickets are quite expensive and hard to come by. I've resolved to having to wait for a baseball game to see what the playoffs feel like.
Up until a few weeks ago, that last sentence would've probably resulted in a lot of laughs, and comments like, "Hope you're okay with waiting, because the Orioles may be better this year but they are still a way off!" Now it's pretty clear: they're going to make the playoffs this year. I had mostly expected them to get one of the two Wild Card spots, and I would've been perfectly happy with that. Being in that one-game playoff would be incredibly exciting, and even if they didn't advance beyond it I would still come away feeling like the season would be a monumental triumph for the O's.
As of last night, the Orioles are tied for first place in the American League East. There are about four weeks left in the regular season, so barring some absurd collapse on their part, the Orioles are going to make the playoffs.
This entire situation is foreign territory to me. My attention has usually turned to football by Memorial Day, so baseball has never held much more than a passing interest for me during most of the summer. Now the Orioles have shown how relevant they can be, and I would jump and down if they won the division. (I should note that no matter how excited I would be at seeing the Orioles make the playoffs, my best friend would make my celebration look like a tea party)
It's one thing for the Orioles to even be in the position they are now, but how they've managed to do it is another story all together. The first thing people like pointing to is their negative run differential for the season. They've scored 19 fewer runs than they've given up, yet they are 17 games over .500 and share first place in the division with the Yankees. It's worth noting that in their last two games, they scored 16 runs while shutting out the Blue Jays in consecutive games, so until Monday they were at -35 in their run differential.
The other thing worth considering is just how long the Orioles have been completely irrelevant. They haven't had a winning season since 1997, so I think most of Baltimore is still waiting for the shoe to drop on the team this year. They're so used to waiting for football to get around just like me, that they don't know what to do about the Orioles. I still hope that once the O's make the playoffs, Camden Yards will be bathed in orange and black. It's a sight I don't typically see except on Opening Day every year, and if the Orioles can unveil a banner next year that reads "2012 AL East Champions," I think a huge chunk of the fan base will come running back.
But before I get too ahead of myself, I plan on enjoying the next four weeks. I will never count out the Yankees, but they will be in Baltimore for four games this weekend, so this weekend could go a long way towards determining the Orioles' chances at winning the division. So here's to the chaos that will be September. May it be one for the ages in Baltimore, and one that we'll be talking about for a very long time.
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