The Joy of O!

"O! Say can you see, by the dawn's early light...". If you are from Baltimore, MD, an Orioles' fan or just a lover of baseball, you know what is behind that sentence. It's not a misquoted line from our national anthem, but the battle call for a team that hasn't been in a post season championship game since 1997. Today, the O's are hoping to upset the New York Yankees and head to the American League Championship Series. O! What a ride it has been this season and I thank you, Baltimore Orioles. From the bottom of my childhood heart.

I grew up watching the men dressed in white, black and orange with the Oriole bird proudly displayed on the baseball hat. I remember chanting "Ed-die! Ed-die" any time Murray came to the plate. I remember Dempsey, Palmer and Singleton. I remember being amused by Earl Weaver's coaching antics and I remember Dad using those moments to coach me on the value of good sportsmanship. O! And I remember Earl Weaver had a tomato garden in the bull pen in Memorial Stadium. True story. I remember when the home plate was taken by limo from Memorial Stadium to Camden Yards and I remember my Dad being a little sad. I remember when a heart throb rookie named Cal Ripken, Jr. appeared on the diamond and I remember when 2131 was illuminated from the warehouse as he humbly passed Lou Gehrig's most consecutive game record. I remember Cal Ripken, Sr. coaching two sons and wondering how that dynamic worked outside of the stadium. I remember the feeling when the Orioles won the 1983 World Series...the same year my high school field hockey team won the Class A State Championship. I remember, it was indeed, a very good year.

As I watch my Facebook page light up with Oriole posts today, I can't help but hum "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" and crave for a hot dog, peanuts and a cold beer. I imagine my Maryland cousins poised and ready for every play that occurs tonight, only to dissect and analyze after every inning. I imagine my brother, hunkered down in Wisconsin with his Golden Retriever aptly named Ripken, hoping that the O's see another day. And I imagine my Dad in his recliner, hands down placed on the arm rests, legs outstretched and crossed at the feet with a little glass of red wine on the side table, trying not to get riled up if innings go astray. And my friends, well, I will read what they are doing/feeling/screaming through the FB updates.

Well, game time is in one hour and all I can say is BUCKleUP! Orioles fans. It's going to be a bumpy ride. And O! I couldn't be happier.