Since they made consecutive AL Championship Series appearances in 1996 and 1997, the Baltimore Orioles didn’t even sniff the playoffs until 2012.
That year, a contention window would open for the franchise, one that yielded three playoffs appearances: 2012, 2014, and 2016.
Center fielder Adam Jones was at the center of it all: with his incredible defense, power, speed, and colorful persona, he was a symbol of the last competitive Orioles team before the one we are watching in 2023.
He was known for his amazing running catches, his 30-homer power at peak, and his all-around versatile skillset.
Oh, and he was also famous for smashing pies in the face of Orioles heroes or best performers of any given day.
He would “pie” players, coaches, fans, and even mascots, until the league told him to stop in 2016.
Well, the O’s reminisced the “pie” celebrations and included it in an important message: Jones will be retiring from MLB as an Oriole this year, on September 15.
Did someone order a pie? pic.twitter.com/T5bzQeBAUv
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 25, 2023
It’s the perfect day for Orioles fans to go to the stadium and celebrate one of their most influential players of the last 15 years.
With an Orioles uniform (he played there from 2008 to 2018), Jones hit .279/.319/.459 with 263 home runs, 90 stolen bases, and a .777 OPS.
He won four Gold Glove awards and made five All-Star teams.
He was the perfect two-way performer for a franchise that was hungry for glory, even taking them to a Championship Series in 2014.
On September 15, fans will get to say goodbye to Jones and remember all his contributions.
There will surely be a pie or two, we would think.
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