Well, it’s “Battle of the Beltways” weekend again as the Baltimore Orioles take on the Washington Nationals in the nation’s capital; however, this time both teams are good – at the same time.
In June, the Nationals will travel up to Oriole Park at Camden Yards to square off against the Birds.
It seems that most people who I know are Orioles fans are indifferent to the Nationals; meanwhile, quite a few Nationals fans that I know still follow the Orioles somewhat.
Well, I like going to Nationals games – as I love the National League style of ball – have friends who root for the team, and simply like baseball.
Really, most Nationals fans that dislike the Orioles do so mainly because of ownership – mainly Peter Angelos – trying to keep the team of Washington D.C.
It’s not like anyone in D.C. hates the Baltimore Orioles because they are the Baltimore Orioles.
The ‘O’ chant rankles a lot of fans in the D.C. area, but it is what it is. Even I think it is disrespectful to a certain point to during the national anthem.
Anyhow, both teams have very compelling story lines taking place so far.
The Nationals are contenders in the National League after being a second division team since their arrival in the region. Furthermore, they are floating near the top of the National League, and have some excellent starting pitching, plus two big draws in Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper.
On the other hand, the Orioles – after being doormats for the last fourteen years – are atop the American League East and are 11 games over .500.
Considering how bad many though the team would be, it’s a pleasant surprise to see the Orioles winning into May. They’ve got decent starting pitching, a superb bullpen and players like Adam Jones and Matt Wieters have taken their games to another level.
Unless both teams make it a World Series, or there’s a incident that fires both fan bases on the field, this rivalry will be nothing more than a friendly one.
Honestly, it’s cool to see both teams in the region doing very well after sucking for so long.
Plus, both teams will be featured on FOX’s weekly coverage of baseball this Saturday Night. Bob Carpenter – who does the Nationals games on MASN – will be partnered will Billy Ripken as they’ll do the play-by-play.
I wish the best for both franchises, but naturally hope the Orioles do better this weekend.
