The Orioles -- and Baltimore -- reawaken

It thoroughly confounds the pundits that the Baltimore Orioles, separated by 15 years from their last winning season, and with a roster dominated by the young and unknown, would host the New York Yankees in a September series with first place on the line. But anyone who knows history and baseball understands that, in certain times — when the stars align in favor of those determined to extract every shred of excellence from themselves; when the parts of a group undergo the chemical bonding that produces the sum of a team; and when accountability breeds the confidence to do great things — the improbable can become the possible. In fact, it happened very much like that 52 years ago.

By Raymond Daniel Burke

September 11, 2012