Hello, friends.
We’ve made it to the final day of the 2025 Orioles season. It will be a relief when it’s over. Watching the team yesterday, one gets the feeling it might be a relief for them too. They have been trapped in this cycle of disappointment for months. No one has had any answer for what to do about it within the season.
We can only hope they will find the answer over the offseason. For individual Orioles players, the answer needs to come from within themselves. For Mike Elias, the answer is
going to need to come in the form of roster construction. What can he do to build a roster that is more prepared to handle the challenges that a team faces over the course of the season? It is going to be a source of anxiety until things are done to prove they’ve been resolved. They won’t start to be answered for at least a month, so we’re all going to have to be patient about it.
There are still stakes for this final game, for the Yankees, of course. New York enters the final game of the season tied for the AL East lead with the Blue Jays, who also won yesterday. However, Toronto has the head-to-head tiebreaker on New York. So, if the Orioles win today, they guarantee that the Yankees don’t win the division and get a bye through the wild card round of the postseason. I think that would be fun.
Are the Orioles up to this task? The previous two games suggested that the answer is no. Not even Trevor Rogers pitching on Friday night could get something good to happen. We’ll see if Kyle Bradish starting the final game can go better. Maybe he can at least pitch well, unlike Rogers. The offense will do whatever it does. It’s a 3:05 start time, with all teams set to begin their games simultaneously to maximize the tension of the last day.
Orioles stuff you might have missed
After disappointing year, Orioles have wind in their sails for 2026 (Orioles.com)
I feel like we’re going to hear versions of this story from now until next Opening Day and none of it’s going to matter until the 2026 season arrives and they either live up to it or they don’t.
Colton Cowser played through broken ribs in addition to other injuries (The Baltimore Banner)
Usually we have to wait until November, if not later, to get “this player was secretly hurt” stories, but about Cowser we’re getting it out of the way before the season even ends! Cowser said that while he could play and feel fine, the injury was limiting his ability to do pre-game work.
Kremer’s possible relief appearance and other last weekend storylines (School of Roch)
It seems that we might get a little Dean Kremer multi-inning relief today, because this would have been his normal day to start a game anyway. Sure, why not?
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
Today in 1953, owners of other American League teams approved the move of the St. Louis Browns to Baltimore, where the team would become the Orioles for the 1954 season.
In 2011, Robert Andino got a walkoff hit off of Jonathan Papelbon, which thanks to results elsewhere in the league eliminated the Red Sox from the postseason. Following the winning hit, Andino invited the invading Red Sox fans to exit the premises and return to their homes.
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2004 reliever Mike DeJean, 1991-93 reliever Todd Frohwirth, and 1971-76 pitcher Grant Jackson.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: philosopher Confucius (551 BC), TV host Ed Sullivan (1901 AD), comedian/actress Janeane Garofalo (1964), and singer-songwriter/actress Hilary Duff (1987).
On this day in history…
In 1781, a combined American and French force laid siege to the British at Yorktown. This three-week siege ended with a British surrender that effectively guaranteed independence for the young United States.
In 1928, biologist Alexander Fleming discovered a mold in his laboratory that was effective at killing bacteria. This discovery was later named penicillin.
In 1941, Ted Williams closed out his season with a .406 batting average. To this date, he’s the last player to finish a season with an average that high.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on September 28. Have a great Sunday. Go O’s!
