Omar’s whistle has become synonymous with Baltimore, and is instantly recognizable by fans of David Simon’s masterpiece everywhere. At this point, I shouldn’t have to explain it to anybody. You aren’t here to read about the meaning of the whistle, you’re here to see the videos. Me explaining it feels akin to those damn novels you have to scroll past before every recipe you try to find on the internet. I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY HISTORY OF BARBECUE PARTIES, KAREN, I’M JUST TRYING TO START THIS DRY RUB
Anyway, in case you’re a couple decades behind on your binge watching of one of the greatest shows of all-time, here’s a quick rundown:
Omar (played by the late, great Michael K. Williams) robs drug dealers. They’re terrified of him. When he’s on his way, he whistles nursery rhymes, including “The Farmer in the Dell.”
Therefore: whistle -> scary.
Got it? Good.
Friend of ESR Eric Arditti (he interned with us back in the day) of Barstool suggested on Twitter, last fall, that the Ravens use the whistle before coming onto the field during their pregame introductions. They listened, and it was amazing.
With Jorge Lopez being traded at the deadline, Felix Bautista slid into the closer’s role in Baltimore. The Mountain, as he has been nicknamed, needed an entry as intimidating as his 6’8(ish?) frame. Eric again suggested the whistle. As their counterparts across Russell Street did, the Orioles listened.
Two nights ago against Toronto, the whistle debuted in an O’s win that Bautista sealed. However, since nobody was expecting it, videos of said moment were hard to come by.
Last night, with the Birds up by a run headed into the ninth, everyone had their phones ready. As a result, those of us not in attendance at Oriole Park at Camden Yards got to live vicariously.
THERE WE GO pic.twitter.com/fe6ObUBTrS
— Orioles Fan Problems (@OriolesFanProbz) August 10, 2022
Felix Bautista walking out to Omar’s Whistle is the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever witness, I will tell my kids about this moment pic.twitter.com/WaTwjKnQmF
— Ian Frain (@itfrain) August 10, 2022
While we’ve had some pretty great closer intros over the years in Baltimore, including Jim Johnson’s The Pretender and Zach(k) Britton’s For Those About to Rock, The Whistle has the potential to be an all-timer, should Bautista continue to build upon the amazing start to his young career and lock down the closer’s spot for years to come. The light show that now accompanies the music, made possible by recent upgrades to the OPACY lighting system (Britton got the treatment a few times near the end of his tenure), is icing on the cake.
