Mike Flanagan: Orioles and Jays (Toronto series review)
We miss you, Mike Flanagan. The 1979 Cy Young Award winner in Baltimore is no longer with is. There is a short story on him in my upcoming book. How he came to the Orioles Store in Washington around 1985 for an autograph session with fans. Except there were no fans in the store. Good marketing eh?
I was a sales rep at the time and a bigger Orioles fan. If Flanagan was upset about the situation he gave no indication. So I went out in the street and tried to peddle free autographs. I was somewhat successful.
But I also used my time wisely. I recalled a game in Kansas City (with George Brett and company). I had watched the game on my black and white TV and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was as if he was throwing the ball towards the stands and it would break back to a left-handed hitter and freeze them.
As I recall he tossed a three-hit shutout and the Washington Post wisely claimed he he deserved a no-hitter. So I brought that game up and Flanagan interrupted me and told me exactly how many strikes and balls he had thrown in the game. He was so bright. It’s so sad that he wasn’t happy.
Anyway he pitched 12 years in Baltimore and finished pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays.
We won 2 of 3 games North of the border and even scored some runs. The series did not start well with a 9-3 loss on Tuesday. We had a 3-0 lead when Nellie Cruz launched a sixth-inning 3-run blast breaking a scoreless tie. And then Miguel Gonzalez (pitched well early) gave up a 3 run blast knotting the game up. And then the Jays decided 3-run homers were fun and hit two more burying us. Oh, well.
Wednesday’s game might have saved our Orioles season. There is something heroic about coming back from a five-run deficit. Chris Tillman was lit up. That doesn’t make sense. So we are done at 6-1 after two frames. And then Tillman got the win. It was something. Cruz steps up again with a two-run dinger and maybe 6-3 isn’t so bad. The next time Cruz comes to the plate is the fifth inning. And this time, the sacks are loaded. He hits another homer. And now the Birds are winning. This game wasn’t easy, obviously. The Jays came back at us. Tommy Hunter comes into the game for the save and surrenders three singles. Somehow we get out ot it and win 10-8.
Last night’s game was nutty as well. Four of our first six hitters struck out. And by the third inning, we are down three runs. And then the rookie, Jonathan Schoop, steps up and hits a homer. So we need a few runs and time is running out. And then out of nowhere comes a five-run seventh and four-run eighth. David Lough had 3 hits. Adam Jones and Chris Davis drive in 3 runs in the 11-4 romp.
