It was September 28, 2011, a day better known as Game 162 in the MLB. While there were several “Game 162s” of importance that night, this one was between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles. This would be the last game for the last place Orioles and the last game of my first season with the team as a member of the Orioles Tarp Crew. It was a long season where I really learned the skills and tasks of being on the Tarp Crew and experienced some memorable moments. This game was different for me; I consider this game as one of the best nights of my time on the Crew because that’s when I saw the rebirth of a franchise and fans beginning to believe in the Orioles once again.
I was a young sophomore at Mount Saint Joseph High School, where I was blessed with the opportunity in early March of 2011 to become a member of the Tarp Crew. I received the news that any young die-hard Orioles fan that would dream about – I got to work on the field at Oriole Park at Camden Yards where legends played and baseball heroes shined! It was a perfect opportunity that I still thank God for and it was truly my first dream job. I would start officially working for the Orioles on Opening Day 2011, where I got to be closer to a team that I have devoted my entire life to.
However, Game 162 was different. It was a crucial series as the Red Sox were suffering through a difficult month of September, struggling at the absolute worst time as they dropped what had been a nine-game lead in the AL Wild Card, and now were tied with the Tampa Bay Rays as they faced the Orioles and the Rays faced the AL East Champion New York Yankees that last day of the 2011 season. The Orioles had plenty of motivation to upset the Red Sox, who would constantly bring their many fans into the Baltimore area and invade Camden Yards and beat them again and again as they rose to the top of the AL East numerous times. The Orioles knew they could possibly knock the Red Sox out of the postseason and get one last laugh at their rivals.
I remember the crowd of Red Sox fans surrounding the left field wall area as they watched Boston take batting practice; in fact, they filled nearly half the stadium. The pre-game media coverage was crazy, as you had ESPN’s Buster Olney and a reporter from Boston’s NESN covering the game on-field. It was also a potential moment for the Tarp Crew to get some TV time. I just remember talking to my co-workers and some classmates that joined the Crew from my high school and it seemed like we all felt something awesome would happen that night.
The game was a battle from beginning to the very end; the Orioles trailed 1-0 when JJ Hardy hit a two-run home run to take the lead off of Jon Lester in the 3rd inning. The crowd went nuts as our fans could finally cheer in a massive swarm of Red Sox fans. Things were looking good.
The Red Sox would score two more runs to lead 3-2 in the 5th inning. I remember looking at the video highlights on the big board of the Rays-Yankees game as they were getting crushed 8-0 and Red Sox Nation was rejoicing in utter happiness as they felt tonight would be the night that they would finally clinch a playoff spot after a horrible September.
Not so fast.
In the 7th inning, Groundskeeper Nicole McFadyen told our Tarp Crew boss Rob Doetsch through walkie-talkie that a rain storm was in the area. We had to run immediately behind the tarp and eventually put the tarp on the field. Sure enough, the rain started to pour and the umpire called for a stoppage of play as we put the tarp on the field, where it remained for a rain delay of an hour and twenty-seven minutes. I remember, as we were taking off the tarp to remove the huge amounts of water laying on top and “flip-flopping” to remove the infield dirt from inside the tarp for the next tarp cover, the scoreboard was showing highlights of the Rays-Yankees game. Slowly the Rays, score a few runs here and there, were inching closer to tying the Yankees. You could almost feel the collective blood pressure of the Red Sox fans in attendance start to rise.
We were close to finally putting away the tarp when they showed another highlight from that game – Dan Johnson hit a home run to tie the game in the 9th inning. Orioles fans erupted in joy as they knew the Red Sox could possibly play a one-game playoff the next day. The tarp was put away and we went back to our right field cage area to watch the last few innings.
It was during these moments that I truly felt the re-birth of Orioles Magic.
The game was still 3-2 in the 9th inning, when Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon entered the game, hoping to send the Red Sox back to the postseason. Papelbon struck out the first two hitters, and things looked bleak. That’s when Chris Davis – later known as “Crush Davis” – stepped up to the plate and hit a clutch double to right field. Kyle Hudson (remember that name?) would pinch-run for him and be on second base as Nolan Reimold stepped-up to the plate. Reimold followed with another double. I remember seeing the ball bounce off the warning track and go into the center field stands. The entire Crew was going nuts as we saw the ball fall and land, and we stood up and never sat back down for the rest of the inning.
That’s when Robert Andino stepped up to the plate. The rest, as they say, is history.
Andino, facing the mighty Papelbon with Reimold at 2nd base, hit a line drive right to left fielder Carl Crawford who slid to make the catch. I honestly thought that Crawford had caught the ball and the game would go to extra innings, but I was wrong. The crowd was going crazy as Reimold rounded third and scored the winning run to beat the Red Sox 4-3. The Crew was jumping up and down for joy, and we ran out of the right field cage and watched the Orioles mob each other like they had just won the World Series. This moment is commonly known as the “Curse of Andino”, and I’ll never ever forget that moment.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/KbaYeerU4A8[/youtube]
We walked over to watch the Orioles enter the dugout to the applause of fans, when the big screen showed highlights again but it was really weird as I remember. They showed Evan Longoria at the plate with a 1-2 count, then it fast-forwarded to him rounding third after he hit the infamous home run. I laugh at that moment now, thinking back to those Red Sox fans so disgusted and sad, and the Orioles players and fans rejoicing in triumph of their upset victory.
It was almost 1 AM when I turned in my ID badge and uniform for the last time as my co-workers and I headed to the off-season and my first year was in the books. I would continue to work for the Tarp Crew for two more seasons, but I look at this moment as a great memory that I will cherish forever as an Orioles fan and employee. It was truly something that I had not seen in the long losing seasons of years past, it was a positive ending that eventually led to a re-building of a powerhouse in the AL East today. It was a memory that made me realize that my love for the Orioles got me to a great job and friends, and made Baltimore – and me – believe in the Orioles once again.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPNpJX8b-bc[/youtube]
