Blog – Wear Orange Wednesdays

Orioles fans and fans of #WearOrangeWednesdays, we are approaching the final week of the 2018 season. Admittedly, this was not the season we envisioned on March 29th when we defeated the Minnesota Twins 3-2 to open the season.

The season has been the perfect storm of failure and as such has been frustrating for the team, the fans and for #WearOrangeWednesdays. Getting people to wear #orange has been a challenge especially when the team is not performing well.

2018 has been a season of change: Manny Machado, Zach Britton, Kevin Gausman, Jonathan Schoop and others were traded away. The organization received an influx of exciting young talent in those trades and some other of the young players such as Cedric Mullins and DJ Stewart have made their MLB debuts.

Change is inevitable and more change is certainly coming. Currently there exists consternation among the fan base over the futures of both manager Buck Showalter (contract expires at season’s end) and Adam Jones (free agent at season’s end).

Some fans have suggested that Fan Appreciation Weekend become Adam Jones Appreciation Weekend and that we pack the Oriole Park at Camden Yards to show our appreciation for all Adam has done for both the City of Baltimore and for the Baltimore Orioles.

Wear Orange Wednesdays is on board with all of that but would suggest strongly we take it one step further. This Wednesday, September 26th, is both the final road game for the Orioles (in Boston) and the final #WearOrangeWednesday for 2018. We suggest that we make Wednesday the most #Omazing and #Orange of #WearOrangeWednesdays and use it to start a five-day #Orange celebration of everything Buck and Adam have done for us.

We know that Orioles fans have enough #orange to hold a five-day celebration of everything Orioles. Let’s wear our #orange and pack Oriole Park at Camden Yards this weekend.

There is no way to know what the future holds but we can certainly show the #Cap10 and #Buck what they mean to us!

Break out the #Orange on Wednesday Orioles fans and don’t change the color scheme until late Sunday evening.

#LetsGoOs
#WearOrnageWednesdays
#ThankYouCap10
#ThankYouBuck

Today is the first of many #WearOrangeWednesday for the 2018 season. We would like to thank any and all fans who joined us in celebrating and supporting our beloved Orioles. The team has had a rough start to the season but we know that will the support of all the wonderful fans we will help them get over the hump.

Our goal, and one that we know all fans share, is to build an #Orange wave of support for the Birds. We couldn’t do it without each and every one of you and we thank you for joining us again this season. Let’s build the numbers each week. Win or lose, they’re our team, so let’s show we’re behind them. #LetsGoOs

Please encourage you family, friends and other fans to join in; we want to see more #Orange next Wednesday.

Here are some pics from today:

CAMDEN

MINDY & JASON

TOM RODGERS’ SOCKS (FOX 45)

This past Wednesday was the first non-#WearOrangeWednesday since April 5th. Today is the second non-#WearOrangeWednesday since then. I don’t know about anyone else, but I still gravitated towards the part of my closet with my #orange polo shirts when getting ready for work; changing habits is difficult. All Orioles fans had hoped that the team would be playing meaningful baseball games in October but that was not meant to be.

Aside from the fans, a big part of the effort is how the Baltimore media sets the tone each Wednesday morning. If it were not for them #WOW may not have the reach that it does.

I would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the members of the media at ABC2, FOX45, WBAL, and WJZ. Thank you so much for tolerating me and my many tweets each Tuesday reminding you to break out your #orange. I am sure some of you may shake your head at the enthusiasm shown each week and might even wish that I could be muted but you accepted it and even embraced it.

Your support for the Orioles and #WearOrangeWednesday is tremendous and we CANNOT say THANK YOU enough! We at #WearOrangeWednesday value your support, are extremely grateful for it and hope it continues.

I would personally like to recognize Megan Knight, Lauren Cook, Lynette Charles, Christian Schaffer and Brendan McNamara at ABC2, Megan Gilliland, Patrice Sanders, Candace Dold, Amy Aaronson, Jonathan Myers and Tom Rodgers of FOX45, Mindy Basara, Megan Pringle, Lacee Griffith, Ava Marie and Jason Newton of WBAL, as well as Linh Bui, Sharon Gibala, Kristy Breslin, Mary Bubala, Jessica Kartalija, Ron Matz, Mike Schuh and Marty Bass of WJZ for being there to support us each and every week of the season. I also want to mention and recognize Sarah Caldwell for all she did to support #WearOrangeWednesday prior to leaving WBAL. I hope that I left no one out; if I did it was not intentional in any way!

I feel privileged to have gotten to know some of you in a small way. I’ve learned that some of you root for other teams and won’t do #WOW because of that. I respect that and admire how you stick with your team; isn’t that what being a fan truly is? I admire those of you what have supported us despite having your “own” team. I learned that some of you only wear #orange on “home” Wednesdays and I tried to adapt that into my many friendly reminders. I have also thoroughly enjoyed the conversations that I have about the Orioles with some of you. THANK YOU ALL!

We look forward to the 2018 season and your continued involvement and our goal is to expand the interaction into the afternoon and evening. There are a few personalities (Ashley) we would like to see in #Orange at least once.

Finally, to the Baltimore media, THANK YOU again, you all are #OMazing!!!!

#LetsGoOs

WearOrangeWednesdays would like to wish our many followers and fellow Orioles fans and their families a very Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for all your support, website visits, Facebook posts, tweets, retweets, selfies and most importantly, your wearing of our favorite color, #Orange! We could not do this without all of you; know that you and your support is greatly appreciated.

We are thankful for:

The many friends and supporters we have
Having a winning team led by Buck Showalter to root for
All of the Baltimore Media’s support
Not having to decide what to wear on Wednesdays
Keeping the #WOW tradition growing
Seeing the sea of #Orange both at #OPACY and on Wednesdays

Happy Thanksgiving!

On November 3rd in a ceremony at Michael’s Eighth Ave in Glen Burnie, Orioles Vice-President of Baseball Operations, Brady Anderson was one of seven people inducted into the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame.

Anderson was introduced at the ceremony by long-time friend Cal Ripken, Jr. Also present for the induction were many of the Orioles front office including Lou Angelos, Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter. The highlight of the evening for Anderson was the fact that his 13 year old daughter, Brianna, was there to witness the ceremony as was his father Jerry.

Anderson told MASN’s Roch Kubatko “To be able to bring my dad and my daughter and have them both here, that meant everything to me.” He further elaborated to Roch as to why Brianna’s being there was special to him: “She didn’t get to see me play. She’s really not that interested in watching old videos. She knows that I played, she’s aware, but I never really got to share anything like that with her. She was only a few months old during my Orioles Hall of Fame induction. So that’s why it meant so much to me. For more from Roch Kubatko on the evening click here

You can view video highlights of the ceremony here

Anderson, born in Silver Spring, MD, played for the Orioles for 14 seasons (1988-2001), was also inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 2004.

The 2016 Rawlings Gold Glove winners were announced live on ESPN last Tuesday. Two Orioles players, Chris Davis (1B) and Manny Machado (3B), were finalists at their positions yet neither won the award which is based on a vote of managers and coaches, losing to Mitch Moreland (Texas) and Adrian Beltre (Texas) respectively.

Possibly lost in the angst of our boys not being chosen as good enough defensively this year and in the consternation over the Presidential Election is the fact that Baltimore baseball still came out a winner in the award.

Mr. Oriole, Brooks Robinson (HOF 1983) was honored with Rawlings’ Lifetime Achievement Award and Baltimore native, Al Kaline (Southern High School, HOF 1980) was inducted into the Rawlings Gold Glove Award Hall of Fame during ceremonies held this past Friday (Non.11). Brooks, a 16-time Gold Glove Award winner, and Kaline, a 10-time Gold Glove Award winner, are both more than worthy of the honors bestowed upon them. Baltimore Baseball is rich in extraordinary player; is there another town with a baseball history as rich we have or a wealth of native born players as we have?

We here at WearOrangeWednesdays.com would like to congratulate Manny and Chris for being named as finalists and Brooks and Al Kaline for their career awards.

Please don’t fret O’s fans, we are confident that the baseball world will recognize our Birds for the defensive prowess we see each and every day.

#LetsGoOs

chuck-collage-for-blog At approximately 11:35 pm last Tuesday, the Baltimore Orioles season came to an abrupt and heartbreaking end in Toronto. Along with the end of the season, came an end to the formal #WearOrangeWednesdays for the 2016 season. As I reflect on my second year of promoting and tweeting #WearOrangeWednesdays I would like to pen a thank you to a very integral part of our efforts, the Baltimore TV Media.

All of you in the media have been receptive, warm, friendly and supportive of Nancy, myself and the weekly tweets reminding you to wear #Orange. Our weekly interactions and in some cases more frequently than weekly have been wonderful. I thank all of you for accepting our passion and love for the #Orioles. You do not know how much it means to an effort like this to have you on board and supporting #WearOrangeWednesdays…THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

I came to realize that this is something you all enjoyed being a part of once I started receiving tweets from you showing me your #Orange; that was simply #OMazing and let me know in a small way that I was not an annoyance each week (although I do think one of you muted me over my “passion”).

Thank you for allowing me to populate your timelines with reminders and for the conversations and interactions we have shared. Baltimore and the entire region is very lucky to have people like each and every one of you in the community. I am privileged that you have allowed me to make your acquaintance; THANK YOU again!

To all of you, I extend a heartfelt THANK YOU for all you have done for #WOW, be it week after week, occasionally or even by wearing a “close shade.” You and your efforts are so very appreciated!

I will not be going away; I will continue interacting with you if you allow me and I will be right back in 2017 with the weekly #WearOrangeWednesdays reminders for our #Orioles.

You are an amazing group of people. THANK YOU for sharing your love of the #Orioles with all of us.

I will not attempt to list you all individually as I am certain I will unintentionally leave someone out. I will say, however, to anyone in front of the camera, behind the camera or behind the scenes at ABC 2, FOX 45, MASN STUDIOS, WBAL and WJZ THANK YOU for your support of #WearOrangeWednesdays! You mean so much to Nancy and me.

You are an awesome group!

Thank You again.

#LetsGoOs

Tomorrow is #WearOrangeWednesdays; of course you know that, otherwise you would not be reading this. A glance at the Baltimore Orioles’ schedule says that it is the last #WOW of the regular season; I say it is NOT!

The #Orioles have 6 games remaining (3 in #Toronto and 3 in #NewYork). The outcome of those 6 games will determine the team’s fate. As of this morning, the Orioles are 1.0 games behind the #BlueJays for home field advantage in the Wild Card game and 2.0 games ahead of the #Tigers for the #WildCard. #Seattle and #Houston are also lurking. The task at hand is to win, nothing more, nothing less. Toronto ends their season in #Boston for 3 games and the Tigers finish out in #Atlanta once their 3 remaining games with the #Indians are done. Bottom line is, “Win and we’re in!”. I foresee a wild, tense and exciting week.

No matter what transpires over these next 6 days, good or bad, win or lose, next Wednesday (Oct. 5th) NEEDS to be a #WearOrangeWednesdays. We will either be enjoying an off-day prior to the start of the #ALDS or we will be reflecting on the 2016 season (heaven forbid). Either way, Orioles fans should make it a most #OMazing #WearOrangeWednesdays; show this team how much we are behind them and how much we appreciate all they have done in 2016!

#BUCKleUp O’s fans, it’s going to be an exciting end to the regular season!

#LetsGoOs
#PushForThePlayoffs
#WinAndWeAreIn
#WearOrangeWednesdays

It’s no secret that the baseball season is a long one. Lasting 6 months and 162 games, it is a grind for the players, coaches and fans; it is a season of highs and lows, ebbs and flows.

Including tonight’s game, the Orioles have 22 games left in the 2016 season. Our Birds are in the #PushForThePlayoffs and are playing hard to return to the Postseason. Friday night’s loss has tightened up the standings. The Orioles currently hold the #2 Wild Card spot with the Tigers and are just 3.0 games out of 1st place in the AL East. The Yankees are nipping at our heels, 1.0 game behind in the Wild Card standings. The final 3 weeks of the season will surely be a wild rollercoaster ride! So BUCKleUp!!!

As fans we could not ask for more, the team is in contention in September and every game means so much. These are exciting times indeed!

I do sense however that the grind of the season is seeing some of the #WOW enthusiasm waning. Social media posts have decreased slightly over the past few weeks. If ever the Orioles needed “the best fans in all of baseball” they need us now. We the fans help create the home field advantage the Orioles enjoy and we NEED to continue building that advantage.

#WearOrangeWednesdays was created in part to help build that advantage and to show the #Birds that the entire town is behind them. Let’s show the team we are there for them; get your #Orange on every Wednesday and let’s paint Baltimore orange! Post your selfies, recruit a friend or two to do the same and let’s raise the excitement level. You are here because you are an Orioles fan so I know #orange is your favorite color; wear it proudly! So come on Wear Orange Wednesdays fans, it’s time to #KeepGrinding.

#BackTheBirds
#HuntForOctober

On Saturday, May 7 at 6pm Nancy Cook visited GAME off Russell Street to meet Stan Charles of Press Box and to introduce WearOrangeWednesdays.com to him and Orioles’ fans prior to game!

GAME is a good size for a sports bar and grill. Many TVs, pool tables, comfortable table seating as well as large bar.

Prior to speaking to fans, Ishe passed our postcards and wristbands to share the grassroots tradition we’ve been working on for 4 years!

When introduced she was able to share a bit of our history as well as encourage them to join us and WearOrangeWednesdays.com !!!

Thanks Stan Charles and GAME for the warm welcome to Nancy and the opportunity for her to be a “cheerleader” for Orange Wednesdays! It was a sincere pleasure!