As editor-in-chief, publisher and lead writer of the fledgling "Birds' Nest", I've been looking for a monumental occasion to get the ball rolling on what I am aiming to develop into the source of record for Oriole information.
After a move 36 years in the making, I believe I've found my moment.
The Camden Crusaders finally acknowledged the town they play in, putting "Baltimore" on the road jerseys and, in an extra move to atone for more than three decades of city abandonment, putting Maryland patches on the sleeves to show not only their native city, but state as well.
This is actually a big deal for the city of Baltimore, which reportedly felt disassociated with the team since it severed all ties with the host town in an effort to attract the D.C. fans as well. From 1972-2005, they may as well have been the Mid-Atlantic Orioles, with a theoretical fanbase stretching from Cumberland to Richmond.
But a funny thing happened on the way to sold out stadiums featuring fans from all over the Chesapeake. Washington did get a team (the powerhouse Nationals), and the Baltimore fans, shunned for 30-plus years, stopped coming. So the new duds featuring "Baltimore" and "Maryland" are as much a mea culpa as a fashion statement.
They could be lucky as well, though. The last time the Orioles wore such uniforms, they were in the midst of an 18-consecutive season stretch of .500-plus records. Let's see if this is a positive beginning to an offseason looking to bring the Baltimore Orioles back to prominence.
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