I made my annual journey to the Tree Farm (see here) in Pennsylvania this past week. I traveled on my own this year as both wife and child had to work. So, it was just my parents and me in the cabin.
The Tree Farm doesn't change much from year to year but the people in the community do. There was a new baby this year. And, of course, there are those who have passed away since we were all last together. The rest of us just get older.
Most of my visit was quiet and predictable but I did go on one side adventure to Camden Yards in order to see my favorite baseball team, the Baltimore Orioles. It's a three-hour drive from the Tree Farm but still considerably closer that from home. The Colorado Rockies were in town for a three-game series.
Those who follow Major League Baseball (MLB) already know it's been a horribly disappointing season for the O's. With two consecutive playoff appearances and a young, talented player core, expectations were high for more of the same in 2025. It hasn't worked out. The injury list has defied belief and it has impacted every facet of the game. Just one example: the O's have already used six catchers this year, tying a team record. And we still have two months left to go.
So Sunday's tilt was a matchup between two bad teams. As miserable as my Birds have been, the Rockies have been much worse: 30-81 as I write this on August 4th, by far the worst record in the big leagues. Still, a game is a game.
Fortunately, the Orioles have been much improved over the past couple months and they won Sunday's game easily, 5-1. Japanese right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano was the winning pitcher: a quality start with 8 Ks, 2 walks, 4 hits and 1 earned run over six innings. Sugano, a highly decorated ace in Japan, has been a mixed bag in his first (and likely only) year in Baltimore but unlike nearly every other pitcher on the staff, he's stayed healthy. So far. It was nice to see him do well.
Sunday was a big day for Japanese baseball in general as Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese-born player to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York,
Watching a game between two bad teams in late July, the looming trade deadline means quite a lot of the players on the field will be in different uniforms within a few days. Sure enough, five Orioles who played in the game I saw were gone by Thursday...
Cedric Mullins, CF, traded to the Mets
Ryan O'Hearn, 1B, Padres
Ramon Laureano, PH/RF, Padres
Andrew Kittredge, RP, Cubs
Seranthony Dominguez, RP, Blue Jays
Dominguez was also traded two days later between games of a doubleheader to the team in the opposite clubhouse. Starting pitcher Charlie Morton was traded to the Tigers. Utility infielder extraordinaire Ramon Urias was traded to the Astros.
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| Eutaw Street |
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| A mural devoted to pre-integration baseball |
Oriole Park at Camden Yards is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful stadiums in MLB. For a devoted fan such as myself, it also feels a bit like a museum with statues devoted to the Orioles' undeniable pantheon of six legends from the glory days. You scoff? The Orioles were the American League's dominant team from 1966-83. Go ahead, check the numbers. These six, each enshrined in Cooperstown and each with a retired number in Baltimore, were essential to that success:
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| Cal Ripken, Jr., shortstop, The Iron Man, now co-owner |
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| Frank Robinson, outfielder, probably the single best player in franchise history. Alas, he played more of his career with the Cincinnati Reds. He was also the first black manager in the Majors. |
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| Brooks Robinson, third baseman, The Human Vacuum Cleaner, 16 Gold Gloves - the most by a non-pitcher, widely considered the best fielding third baseman ever. Worth a Google. |
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| Eddie Murray, first baseman, owner of the greatest sideburns in baseball history. When I was old enough to start paying attention, he was the man. "Eddie, Eddie, Eddie..." |
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| Earl Weaver, manager |
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| Jim Palmer, starting pitcher, Jockey underwear model, still one of the color commentators for the team |
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