Joe Saunders isn’t conscious he’s a cult hero for a portion of the Orioles’ fan base.
The former main leaguer pitched for 10 seasons, however simply 48 of his almost 1,400 profession innings got here as an Oriole. But that doesn’t matter to Baltimore followers, who fondly bear in mind Saunders’ gorgeous begin towards the Texas Rangers within the 2012 wild-card recreation — the Orioles’ first playoff victory of the twenty first century.
Last week, when the Orioles discovered the Rangers can be their opponent within the American League Division Series, Baltimore followers flooded to social media to reminisce on Saunders’ stellar — and shocking — begin in that recreation 11 years in the past in Arlington. They posted images, movies and memes of Saunders’ contribution that, in some methods, outlined the scrappy crew that introduced playoff baseball again to Baltimore.
“Oh, that’s awesome,” mentioned Saunders, unaware of the fanfare. “I’ll be honest with you, I’m not really on social media. But that’s very flattering.”
Some followers even advocated for him to throw out the ceremonial first pitch earlier than Game 1 at Camden Yards on Saturday. Saunders, who grew up an Orioles fan however now lives within the Phoenix space, was truly within the DMV this previous weekend for an occasion at his highschool in Fairfax County, Virginia.
“I was there, I could’ve done it,” he jokingly exclaimed.
Instead, the Orioles selected Adam Jones, a five-time All-Star who began in heart subject in that wild-card recreation, to throw out the primary pitch.
“Ah, yeah, he’s a close second,” Saunders mentioned in jest.
The Orioles are enjoying a postseason recreation in Arlington on Tuesday for the primary time since Saunders threw 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball to steer Baltimore to a 5-1 win within the first-ever AL wild-card recreation. The 2023 Orioles face a frightening job main into Game 3 of the ALDS: win three straight video games, or have their unprecedented marketing campaign finish earlier than the league championship sequence.
Saunders, who spent most of his profession with the Los Angeles Angels, began six playoff video games in his profession, together with Game 4 of the 2012 ALDS versus the New York Yankees, a 2-1 Baltimore win. His recommendation to the present membership because it approaches a win-or-go-home Game 3 is to get again to what they did in the course of the common season, when the Orioles received 101 video games for the perfect two-year turnaround in MLB historical past.
“All these guys just need to basically stay within themselves, do what got them here and just leave it all out on the field,” mentioned Saunders, who additionally praised the younger Orioles’ youthful and energetic model of baseball. “Don’t press at all, just keep doing what you did all year.”
Saunders would know. As the plucky 2012 Orioles confronted a must-win playoff recreation — the membership’s first postseason look in 15 years — then-manager Buck Showalter turned to the veteran southpaw, who had simply been traded to Baltimore lower than six weeks earlier than, to pitch at then-Rangers Ballpark. The transfer was a controversial — and dangerous — one, as Saunders’ profession numbers in Arlington had been dreadful. At the time, he was 0-6 in six profession begins there with a 9.38 ERA.
When requested what he remembers most fondly from the sport, he mentioned the belief Showalter had in him to begin it within the first place.
“When Buck came up to me and said, ‘Hey, I’m giving you the ball in the wild-card game,’ I was basically shocked,” Saunders mentioned. “I knew what my stats were heading into that ballpark from my Angel days. I’m sure he did as well. I’m pretty sure he wanted some veteran leadership out there. We were a pretty young team at the time.”
Early on, it appeared as if Showalter’s unconventional resolution was going to backfire, as Ian Kinsler walked to steer off the underside of the primary and Elvis Andrus singled to place runners on the corners for five-time All-Star Josh Hamilton.
“I remember with Hamilton up, I look back to the bullpen and see someone already warming,” Saunders mentioned. “I used to be like, ‘Oh, boy, I better get my stuff together here real fast.’
That he did. Saunders induced a floor ball double play, which scored the Rangers’ solely run of the sport because the artful lefty and his bullpen shut down Texas’ formidable lineup — an accomplishment he credited to his infield protection of Mark Reynolds (first base), Ryan Flaherty (second), Manny Machado (third) and J.J. Hardy (shortstop).
Saunders, who grew up watching Cal Ripken Jr., Mike Mussina and Eddie Murray — he mentioned Orioles fandom “runs deep in my family” — mentioned that being the profitable pitcher within the franchise’s first playoff victory since 1997 was “a dream come true.” So was pitching at Camden Yards.
“Everyone’s asked me where the funnest place to pitch was, and I will say 100 times over it was Baltimore, hands down,” mentioned Saunders, who didn’t pitch for the Orioles in 2013 however returned to throw six reduction outings in September 2014 for the top of his profession. “I cherished and loved every minute I was there.”
Saunders, now 42, didn’t see the social media posts praising his efficiency final week, and he in all probability received’t see them the following time followers are reminded of the 2012 wild-card recreation.
But that doesn’t change the best way he feels about Orioles followers.
“They’re some of the best fans in all of baseball,” he mentioned. “I love them, and I hope they love me for what I did.”
ALDS, Game 3
Orioles at Rangers
Tuesday, 8:03 p.m.
TV: Chs. 45, 5
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com