Tarp Crew: Yankees-Orioles – It All Changed on 9/6/12

The Orioles have just concluded playing the Yankees in a three game series here at OPACY. It brings back memories of my days on the Tarp Crew, when every Yankees series would mean something regardless of the Orioles’ record. The Yankees have always been a baseball dynasty, with now players from Derek Jeter to CC Sabathia to the infamous Alex Rodriguez with their ridiculously huge contracts, who would play on our home turf. I was fortunate enough to watch some great games in the series.

I remember growing up, hearing about the Yankees moves during the offseason, hearing they had signed Hideki Matsui, Gary Sheffield, Randy Johnson, Mark Teixeira (boy that hurt), etc. The Yankees had millions of dollars to spend every year, and they built some video-game-style stacked lineups. They were a team that everyone had to hate, regardless of the division or league; they had 20-some World Series rings that they had to throw in each opponent’s face. And I’ll tell you that I still despise hearing about those rings every time they face the Orioles.

My first memory of the Orioles vs. the Yankees during my Tarp Crew days was in 2011, my “rookie” season. I remember watching batting practice from the right field foul area, and seeing tons of Yankees fans pile into OPACY. It was amazing to me; I had never seen so many visiting fans pack one stadium like they did (though Boston was a close second). Their roars and cheers were heard around the stadium, with their traditional roll-call of players and “Let’s Go Yankees” chants. Unfortunately, the “rivalry” was pretty one-sided in those days.

I remember the sense of domination as those Yankees fans would enter the OPACY stands, and cheer every game they would win against the Orioles. I just remember wishing that we could match the Yankees, and finally own them in the regular season and in the playoffs. It wouldn’t be until the 2012 season until I could truly feel a sense that their domination might finally be over.

It was a breakout season, as the Orioles were finally winning games and our lineup could go toe-to-toe with anybody. The Yankees came into town for a tight battle for first place in the AL East on September 6^th, on Cal Ripken Jr. Statue Night. The Orioles had taken an early lead when the Yankees stormed back in the top of 8^th inning to tie the game at six runs apiece. I just remember all of us in the right field cage were in disbelief, and some of my coworkers believed that we were going to lose that night. However I believed, because through that rally, it hit me that the Orioles were not the old losing drought Orioles but something different, something better for the future.

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Adam Jones would eventually hit a home run off David Robertson in the bottom of the 8^th inning, causing the crowd to erupt and the Tarp Crew to go nuts in our cage. It was a sign of change – the start of a better rivalry that had been so very one-sided for so long. The Orioles would win that game 10-6, and continue to battle the Yankees for a division title, ultimately falling short by two games. They got the Wild Card though, won the one-game playoff in Texas, and earned the right to face the Yankees in the 2012 American League Division Series.

The ALDS was something that I will never forget. I just remember the energy, the fans, and the rivalry between those two teams became that much better. The games were close throughout the series, which only made it that much more painful to see the Orioles drop that final 5^th game of the ALDS. However, it was a better hope for the future, and I had a feeling that times were about to change.

The Orioles heading into the 2013 season were getting better but I noticed something else. The Yankees were not the dominant force that they once were. The Yankees fans’ cheers were drowned out by Orioles fans. It was a shift in power; it was the emergence of a more worthy opponent for the Yankees. To prove it, the Orioles won the season series over the Yankees in 2013 and last season.

That brings us to last night’s game, a 7-5 O’s win in the rubber match of the first series of 2015 against New York. The stands are no longer a sea of blue & pinstripe during these series; it is the orange and black that now fills the majority of seats – a very welcome change for Orioles fans after 15 years of losing. It is no longer Yankee Stadium at Camden Yards South, but rather it is Oriole Park at Camden Yards, a place of Baltimore pride.

The Orioles are ready to continue the new era of Baltimore baseball. They’re getting some revenge on other AL East teams, and they have the power to do it – in the lineup, in the rotation, in the bullpen…and in the stands.