On Tuesday night in Texas, the Orioles finished out one of their most successful seasons in recent history — albeit not how the team or fans would have liked — with a 7-1 loss to the Rangers in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. On Friday in Baltimore, fans can come together one more time sporting orange and black, at an event hosted by the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore.
The free event was initially planned to be a postseason rally but has now pivoted to a “celebration of a really special season,” a spokesperson for the Downtown Partnership said in an email to The Baltimore Sun.
“I know that we’re all a little bit sad that [the season has] come to an end,” said Susan Brown, the nonprofit’s vice president of marketing and communications, in an interview Wednesday. “But we’re also really proud of what the O’s have accomplished this year.”
From noon to 3 p.m. Friday, there will be beats from DJ Keebee, games and giveaways of official Orioles merch and “downtown Baltimore swag,” and food available for purchase from vendors including 3 Jay’s Seafood & Chicken, Dream Street Cuisine and Raspberry Moments, among others, at the intersection of East Pratt and Light streets.
The Oriole Bird will be in attendance for a portion of the Downtown Partnership event, Brown said, as will Mr. Splash, the Bird Bath Splash Zone mascot introduced this season. However, Orioles players are not expected to attend, Brown said.
The event announced by the Orioles on Oct. 2 was originally supposed to be part of a series of celebrations as the team began its playoff stretch in the ALDS. If the Orioles were still in the postseason hunt, the Downtown Partnership’s event would have been a warmup of sorts for Game 5, which would have been hosted at Oriole Park if needed in the best-of-five series.
“It really changed the dynamic,” Brown said of the Orioles’ impressive season that got even casual fans more invested in baseball. “I don’t think this will be the last time you’ll see us in the playoffs.”
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