Go Inside the Clubhouse with Celebrating O’s

Man, I love a good champagne locker room celebration! We didn’t get to see one in Baltimore for a LONG time. When the drought was finally broken in 2012, it was a bit odd. If you remember, the O’s actually clinched a playoff spot that year while they were on a plan returning from heading to a road trip. The celebration, at 35,000 feet, was understandably minimal. So we didn’t get the full locker room tarps, bottles, and beers treatment until after the Wild Card win over the Rangers. That celebration was incredibly cathartic, putting to bed the 14-year playoff drought.

We got some more good ones in 2014, both after the Clinchmas game against Toronto in mid-September, then again after the ALDS win. In 2016, we saw Manny Machado smoking a cigar when the team clinched a wild-card spot.

This year, it seemed the team wasn’t going to take the chance of a 2012 repeat – that is, missing the chance to celebrate after clinching a playoff spot, with the hopes that a division title would bust out the goggles. After seven years of nothing to celebrate except draft picks and hope, it was time to party.

Yes, the division is still VERY much within this team’s grasp, as they own a two-game lead and the tiebreaker over the Tampa Bay Rays after winning the final two games this weekend.

But these young boys deserve to celebrate now. They’re going to the playoffs. What better time than after an incredible come-from-behind (again, and again, and again) win over the team chasing them for the AL East?

Let’s head into the locker room and follow along with the shenanigans, shall we?

First things first: The “homer hose?” Yeah, it’s time to use that thing for its true intended purpose.

The Orioles’ homer funnel is now a beer funnel

— Danielle Allentuck (@d_allentuck) September 17, 2023

SCENES FROM THE CLUBHOUSE 🎥

James McCann drinks from the Homer Hose. pic.twitter.com/VujKuJpoXB

— Baltimore Banner Sports (@AllBannerSports) September 17, 2023

Chaos (is coming). pic.twitter.com/PIXy0zwMen

— Baltimore Banner Sports (@AllBannerSports) September 17, 2023

Brandon Hyde after drinking from the hose:

"Fill it up again!" pic.twitter.com/UzOAPhnqag

— Baltimore Banner Sports (@AllBannerSports) September 17, 2023

Fuji just wants selfies with everyone. pic.twitter.com/77XaTd6rew

— Baltimore Banner Sports (@AllBannerSports) September 17, 2023

And finally…

Jorge Mateo is having a blast. pic.twitter.com/RyZzoqMpTc

— Baltimore Banner Sports (@AllBannerSports) September 17, 2023

Heston Kjerstad is in a laundry cart and has been doused in smoothie and champagne and olive oil and ketchup and other fluids

— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) September 17, 2023

bad time to be the new guy pic.twitter.com/iOERaayvFx

— Orioles on MASN (@masnOrioles) September 17, 2023

At long last, Kevin Brown has been freed. pic.twitter.com/AjCe46kFFa

— Avi Miller 🧢 (@AviMiIIer) September 17, 2023

Imagine the party Elias is gonna have when the Orioles win the division. #Birdland @ryanripkenpic.twitter.com/hLHQqJ4rF4

— B. Smith (@OwnTheChaos) September 17, 2023

Mike Elias hitting the dong bong! I love this team.

Do the Birds still have a division to win? Yes. Do they face Justin Verlander and the Astros tomorrow? Also yes. Will they be hung over? Maybe. But let’s remember what it’s like to be “hung over” when you’re as young as this bunch. A quick trip to McDonald’s for some grease in the morning and they’ll be good to go.

Here’s to about four more such celebrations in the coming six weeks or so, Birdland.

As the team tells us: soak it in.