It’s August 16, 1996, and it was a great day for the Birds. Rafael Palmeiro drove in eight runs (!) on the day as the O’s swept a doubleheader in Oakland, 14-3 in Game 1, and 5-4 in 10 innings in Game 2. With the White Sox losing both games of their doubleheader in Milwaukee, the O’s are now just one game back in the wild card race. Buckle up.

“I’ll stay all night if it gets us two wins,” Palmeiro had said before the games when someone suggested it would be better to have two quick ones. (Baltimore Sun, p. 1C, August 17, 1996)

Game 1 was much like last night’s game. The O’s were actually down 2-0 entering the seventh as they had yet to figure out A’s starter John Wasdin. But then they figured it out in a big way. They scored seven times in the seventh, three times in the eighth, and four times in the ninth. This team can score runs in bunches.

“I don’t know what it is,” Palmeiro said. “We’ve just got a great hitting team. Sometimes it takes a couple of at-bats to get going.”

Palmeiro drove in six runs himself in the opening game, and Chris Hoiles added his 21st homer of the season. Understanding the assignment as the starting pitcher in the first game of a doubleheader, Scott Erickson pitched a complete game, allowing just three runs on seven hits.

Hoiles has been on base eight times in his last 10 at bats. Per the Sun’s Peter Schmuck, the veteran catcher is hitting .458 with 14 runs scored, five homers, and 17 RBIs during his ongoing 13-game hitting streak.

Raffy wasn’t finished, in the night cap, he doubled home the winning run in the 10th after O’s closer Randy Myers blew his sixth save of the season by giving up a game-tying homer to Geronimo Berroa in the ninth.

Here is the Game 1 box score with the lovely totals and the Game 2 box score with some more lovely totals.

While the O’s have won five straight and appear to be peaking at a good time, there was some unfortunate injury news today. 

Outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds will miss 4-6 weeks with a sprained knee suffered on the chopped up turf of Oakland Coliseum.

On top of that, reliever Roger McDowell will have to undergo serious surgery to repair his sore shoulder. The veteran reliever may miss a full calendar year and his career could be in the balance.

“I kind of knew Roger was bad,” O’s manager Davey Johnson said. “He has been pitching for me a long time and I know he’ll go out there even if he’s 50 percent. If they have to do a lot of reconstruction, he could be out a year.” (Baltimore Sun, p. 8C, August 17, 1996)

Two games and just two bricks: one for Hoiles and one for Eddie.

Orioles (65-56) at A’s (60-65) 4:05 p.m.

Starting Pitchers
BAL – RHP Rocky Coppinger (7-3, 4.83 ERA)
OAK – RHP Ariel Prieto (3-5, 4.83 ERA)

The #1 movie in America this week was a new release, the iconic Kevin Costner golf joint, “Tin Cup.” It is a movie about Kevin Costner playing golf. Cheech Marin is his caddie and helps Kevin Costner play golf. There is also romance with Rene Russo because it is Kevin Costner and he is a heartthrob. It pulled in just over $10 million and bumped Robin Williams’ “Jack” to the second spot.

Bob Dole filibustered people’s televisions last night with a 56 minute speech on the final night of the GOP Convention in San Diego. 

“Let me be the bridge to a time of tranquility, faith and confidence in action,” the former Kansas senator said. “To those who say it was never so, that America has not been better, I say, you’re wrong and I know, because I was there. I have seen it. I remember.”

It is unclear if he was just referring to the time before he started talking, because by the end no one could remember how much better that era had been.

It’s hard to believe now, but at 73, Dole would be the oldest person ever elected president.

Something worth noting from the Sun’s story:

“He received one of the loudest roars of the night when he said that while he opposes illegal immigration, ‘a family from Mexico who arrived this morning, legally, has as much right to the American dream as the direct descendants of the Founding Fathers.’”

It is also hard to believe that at one point in time a Republican felt they had to say this on their party’s biggest stage:

“If there is anyone who has mistakenly attached himself to the party in the belief that we are not open to citizens of every race and religion, then let me remind you: Tonight, this hall belongs to the party of Lincoln. And the exits, which are clearly marked, are for you to walk out of as I stand here and hold this ground, without compromise.”

Dole did not hold that ground for long.

Welcome to a recurring segment where I find fun things in today’s (in 1996) Baltimore Sun!

Oh wow? No shit? Super.