For the Birds # 3

Who would have known that by age seven I would have witnessed the greatest Oriole triumph in their existence as a team, and maybe the greatest of all time as they defeated the Reds 9-5 in the 1970 World Series. I watched from the wooden bleachers in the upper deck behind home plate as Dave McNalley lofted a grand slam over the left field wall and Brooks Robinson speared line drives destined for extra bases. My dad had rescued me from second grade at Pleasant Plains Elementary. It was a crisp and beautiful day. I remember all three outs of the first inning. I'll bet McNalley hurled seven pitches at the most and all of them were crushed somewhere--two incredible stops by Brooks Robinson and one by Davey Johnson. After the game, I drank Shirley Temples at the Belvedere tavern with my father. To this day, I bleed Oriole orange.