Good morning, Camden Chatters.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are no more. For the first time in three years, some other team is going to win the World Series.
The Brewers completed an emphatic four-game sweep of the two-time defending champions last night, rallying back from a 4-0 deficit to stun the Dodgers in L.A. one last time, a 6-4 decision that punched the Brewers’ ticket to the World Series for the first time since 1982.
The Brewers had been one of only three teams with a longer World Series drought than the Orioles (1983). Now that list is down to two: the Pirates, who last made it there in 1979, and the Mariners, who have never gotten to a World Series since the birth of the franchise in 1977.
Congratulations to the Brewers, a truly well-rounded team who had the best record in baseball during the regular season and have continued to prove their dominance in the playoffs. They can really hit, especially in the clutch. They play defense. They play good fundamental baseball. Their bullpen is sensational. And they’ve got the presumed NL Cy Young winner, Jacob Misiorowski, atop their rotation. It really feels like this year is the best chance they’ve ever had to finally win their first championship.
As for the Dodgers, I don’t think anyone will be shedding a tear over their elimination. Probably not even Dodgers fans. When you win two World Series in a row, you don’t get to complain when you can’t get a third. Although maybe I would feel differently if it were the Orioles in that situation. I’d love the opportunity to find out!
Meanwhile, in the ALCS, the pesky Cleveland Guardians took a 2-1 series lead over the favored Rays with another splendidly pitched effort. I will admit that I fully expected the Rays to run away with this series, considering the 13-game difference in their regular season records and the fact that Cleveland barely edged out a morass of mediocre teams in the final weeks of the season. But the Guardians got hot at the right time, going 9-2 in their final 11 games before rallying back from a 2-0 deficit against the White Sox in the Wild Card Series.
Can the Guardians pull off the upset? I wouldn’t hate that. I don’t have any particular disdain for the Rays (and their roster full of former Orioles), but those Cleveland fans have suffered for nearly 80 years without a championship, so it’d be nice if they can keep that dream alive for another round. Game 4 is scheduled for tonight at 8 PM ET, but the dicey weather forecast in Cleveland could put that in jeopardy.
Links
Povich undergoes elbow surgery, expected to be ready for spring training – School of Roch
For everyone clamoring to know what Cade Povich has been up to this offseason, you’ve got your answer.
A scout’s take: An evaluator with some interesting insights on Triple-A O’s players – Steve Melewski
In this case, all of the scout’s insights on O’s prospects are basically, “The Orioles screwed this guy up” and “This guy needs a change of scenery.” Not exactly encouraging!
What’s the biggest mistake the Orioles have made since 2024? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com
Kudos to Rich Dubroff for answering this succinctly in two paragraphs, as opposed to the novella-length response I would’ve had to this question.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles were born on this day: second baseman Jonathan Schoop (35), pinch-running specialist Mike Dimmel (72), and the late left-hander Don Hood (b. 1949, d. 2023).
Today marks the 43rd anniversary of the Orioles’ most recent World Series title. On this date in 1983, the O’s blanked the Phillies in Game 5 of the Fall Classic, 5-0, to win their third championship in franchise history. The Orioles had only five hits in the game — three by Eddie Murray and two by Rick Dempsey — but two of Eddie’s hits were dingers, as was one by Dempsey, the World Series MVP. Orioles starter Scott McGregor took care of the rest, tossing a five-hit shutout, which ended with Cal Ripken Jr. memorably squeezing Garry Maddox’s line drive to shortstop to kick off the celebration.
On this date in 1971, the Orioles stayed alive in the World Series with a dramatic, walkoff win in extras in Game 6 in Baltimore. Trailing 2-0 in the late innings, the O’s tied the game on a Don Buford solo homer in the sixth and a Davey Johnson RBI single in the seventh. After Dave McNally — pitching in relief — escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 10th, the Orioles walked it off in the bottom half, as Frank Robinson walked, hustled to third on a single, and aggressively rushed home on a Brooks Robinson sac fly to win the game, tearing his hamstring in the process.
The Orioles also played World Series games on this date in 1969 and 1979. We don’t need to get into those.