This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat e-newsletter. To learn the total e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it usually in your inbox.
BALTIMORE — Rick Dempsey, the 1983 World Series MVP, was posed with a easy query Friday afternoon whereas seated in entrance of the Baltimore media on the seventh flooring of the Camden Yards warehouse.
Are the 2023 Orioles adequate to be the franchise’s first World Series winner since ’83?
“Are they good enough? I think they are,” Dempsey stated. “And for one reason: Because I like what I see out of Adley Rutschman.”
Various members of Baltimore’s 1983 squad are on the town this weekend to have a good time the 40-year anniversary of the O’s third, and most up-to-date, World Series title. They’ll be honored throughout an on-field pregame ceremony previous to Saturday’s recreation vs. the Mets — with followers inspired to be of their seats by 6:20 p.m. ET — after a lot of them participated in an Oriole Advocates luncheon on Friday.
“The players are having fun, and you can almost just like feel it in the air or just see that,” former All-Star left-hander Tippy Martinez stated. “Our motto was, ‘Stay close and something good will happen.’ I get that feeling right now with this team. They know they’re going to win. If not, they’re going to be awfully close. And they’re going to be tough to beat.”
“The best guider of success is winning. And they’ve started to win,” former All-Star outfielder Al Bumbry stated. “They’ve gotten a taste of what winning feels like compared to three or four years ago. And I think that’s a major, major factor that’s pushing them now. And of course, you can’t win a race without some thoroughbreds.”
Consider Rutschman the chief of the pack. His offensive instruments, his expertise behind the plate and his management have all impressed Dempsey, who had excessive reward for his fellow catcher.
“He has an effect on the pitching staff that you don’t see anywhere else in baseball,” Dempsey stated.
The Orioles are in a great place to doubtlessly attain the postseason for the primary time since 2016, and even perhaps win their first AL East title since ’14. They entered Saturday with a two-game lead over the Rays within the division.
Still, attending to the postseason and taking part in deep into October are two various things. Baltimore has made the playoffs 5 instances since 1996, nevertheless it hasn’t made it previous the AL Championship Series since profitable the World Series in ’83.
“It’s a little tougher to win the World Series now, because you have to navigate through different series to get there,” former All-Star outfielder Ken Singleton stated. “I like what I see, that’s for sure. They’re young. Even if they don’t win this year, I have a feeling they won’t be bringing us [the 1983 team] back after so many years because we were the last team to win the World Series. I’ve got a feeling that this team’s going to get it done.”
Singleton isn’t the one former Orioles participant who has been watching and getting that inkling.
“When you have that magic and you have that winning thing that the Orioles are finally getting again [it’s a good sign],” former All-Star left-hander Scott McGregor stated. “When I watch the games every night now, I think they’re going to win. I don’t care what the score is, they’re going to win. Well, that’s hard to find. That’s hard to get. And when you get it, you better not let it go.”
Several members of the 1983 crew see similarities within the ’23 squad — the best way they win these shut video games, the combo of expertise and the presence of younger stars. Perhaps this 12 months’s O’s will even observe of their footsteps by profitable all of it.
While supervisor Brandon Hyde appreciates the assist, he doesn’t need his crew topped forward of time.
“Well, it’s really nice of them to say that,” Hyde stated. “But we have a long way to go and big shoes to fill.”
Content Source: www.mlb.com