O’s/Rays Notes

Supposedly and I will reluctantly agree, a pretty big four game series commences tonight, between the pre-season long shot, Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays.

These two teams have the best records in the A.L. however, while the “div” winner (O’s by 2, 3 in the loss column going in) will extremely likely be the top A.L. seed, the second place team in the division will almost certainly be the league 4 seed, despite the second best record.

In ’83, the last time the O’s won or even made the World Series (they lost in all three ALCS since, going just (3-12) and a pitiful (1-7) at home) they opened a largely similar 4 game series at New York vs the Yankees.

“Balt” went in up 5 games, 6 in the loss column, and won the last three after dropping the opener to the Yankees’ excellent pitcher, Ron Guidry, who 5 years before went an incredible (25-3).

From that point, they cruised to the “div” crown a one quarter “div,” and eventually to their third title.

Joe Nolan, pictured above, had a big home run for the O’s in the first of their 3 victories in the aforementioned series at New York.

It came in the first game of a Saturday, I believe, twi-night doubleheader.

Yankees games were broadcast that year on WABC radio. Another Joe Nolan was that station’s traffic reporter.