Watching the Orioles from the beach offers a calming effect. The bases-loaded, no-outs, no-runs first inning Sunday wasn’t nearly as frustrating when the dolphins made their way up the ocean. The missed opportunities with runners in scoring position in the past two losses vanished like ghost crabs in the sand. The 15 strikeouts by Oriole batters seemed like kites dancing in the wind.
The waves continually lapping the beach remind us of what consistency would be like. The roar of the motorcycles during bike week reminds us of the noise fans would be making if the Orioles were a playoff team. The quiet after their departure on Sunday reminds us that September will be the final month of Orioles baseball again this season.
A walk to the Fractured Prune is sweet but its name makes us think of broken promises, such as Mike Elias’s liftoff quote signaling the end of a rebuild that wasn’t quite finished. A visit to the Dough Roller makes us think of all the times Oriole hitters have rolled over on ground balls on pitches they shouldn’t have been trying to pull. Thrasher’s just makes us think again of all those swings-and-misses.
The boardwalk makes of think of all the walks the Orioles have drawn and how few of them have turned into runs.
The Tidal Wave is Ocean City’s largest roller coaster and reminds us of all the ups and downs. The Slingshot launches passengers 200 feet in the air, which pales in comparison to Coby Mayo’s launch capacity.
The five-story Cyclone Cart Coaster at Jolly Roger approximates the size of Pete Alonso, whose monster season of 35 home runs and 100 RBIs has been like the sunrises that are worth getting up for.
Pulling the wagon over the sand feels like the Orioles, whose struggles to get going were evident from the start this season. Eating a snack on the beach attracts the sea gulls, who hover in the hopes of something dropped, which reminds us of the Orioles’ defense.
Coastal Highway can take you south, the direction the Orioles have been heading for far too long. Traveling on it during the peak summer months can be frustrating, like watching the traffic on the bases come to a standstill.
Still, the aroma of the salt air and the soothing sound of the waves touching the beach have served as a distraction for someone who needed to stop thinking about this maddening Orioles season. Ocean City has been just the place to get away from all those thoughts, don’t you think?
The Orioles aren’t mathematically eliminated from postseason consideration. That won’t come for perhaps another week…
Question: What are your thoughts about Coby Mayo getting a shot at right field during…
The Orioles ended starting pitcher Kyle Bradish’s season when he was placed on the 15-day…
Ben McDonald could feel Kyle Bradish's frustration. The Orioles' ace who hasn't been one for…