From O's to Ravens, and more: The 2023 Year in Review of Baltimore sports
BALTIMORE - What a great year of sports in Charm City!
Let's take a look back at the top moments of 2023 that had us fans on the edge of our seats, high-fiving and shouting obnoxiously. Being a sports fan can also be nerve-wracking and will drive you crazy.
At the end of the year, we can say the Orioles and Ravens made it to the postseason.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
NEW-LOOK OFFENSE: In January, the Ravens parted ways with offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Less than a month later, they hired Todd Monken to take over and change the offense. The result: Quarterback Lamar Jackson having an MVP-type season.
This was the Ravens' first significant move following the 2022 season, getting rid of the offense that led Jackson to the MVP in 2019.
LAMAR JACKSON CONTRACT DRAMA: At one point, early in 2023, there was some doubt that Jackson would no longer be a part of the Ravens' offense.
The Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson last March, meaning he could negotiate contracts with other teams.
At the end of March, the quarterback announced on social media that he requested to be traded.
"We are hopeful we will get a deal done with Lamar before that happens, but sure, those are big numbers," Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said. "We've known they are big numbers and we are prepared for that. We have got four, five or six different plans based on what happens over the next 10 days."
DOWN WITH OBJ: The Baltimore Ravens introduced Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who signed a one-year, contract worth up to $18 million, on April 13.
Beckham Jr., 30, is a three-time Pro Bowl player in his ninth NFL season. He was originally selected in the first round (12th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft.
He played for the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Rams, where he won a Super Bowl.
"I've heard a lot of great things about (Baltimore)," Beckham said. "Jameel McClain and I played together for the last year with the Giants and he was telling me, 'You will love it. You will love the city.' I don't want to say that I am an Orioles fan because I have a team of my own, but I'm excited and want to go to a game and check out the environment and fully embrace where I am at. That's something I've learned over this process, and that's to be present and stay in the moment."
JACKSON'S AGREEMENT: Lamar Jackson, in late April, agreed to a mega contract extension after months of drama. It even got Gov. Wes Moore to react: "OUR QB and OUR year! Let's do this thing."
The Ravens' social media team Tweeted out a GIF of Spongebob Square Pants with an "8 ball."
The 32nd overall pick in 2018 won the NFL MVP in 2019.
"Baltimore we up!!!!," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said on social media.
Mayor Scott then Tweeted Jackson, saying, "Put the word out! Believing in yourself, working hard, and staying true to yourself is a powerful thing!"
FLOWERS BLOSSOMING: The Ravens selected speedy and elusive wide receiver Zay Flowers, out of Boston College, with the 23rd overall pick of the NFL Draft on April 27. His first major purchase was a brand-new car for his father.
Flowers, listed at 5 feet, 10 inches, caught 78 passes last season with Boston College, for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns.
"Anytime I touch the ball, I feel I can score," Flowers said. "Whatever you need me to do, I'm going to do it."
Flowers has also joined WJZ's Purple Playbook Show at Jimmy's Famous Seafood.
MEGA-SIGNING: On May 4, franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson signed his five-year, $260 million contract extension, with $185 million guaranteed.
And has that signing paid off? Jackson is one of the front-runners for NFL MVP.
"I love being here. I really love the team and the fanbase," Jackson said. "There really wasn't a doubt in my mind."
SHOWING UP TO CAMP: Lamar Jackson joined his teammates in Owings Mills at the Ravens' voluntary mini-camp.
He spoke with the media for the first time since signing his mega contract deal.
"It's great to be out here again," Jackson said. "It's great seeing my guys and everyone working so hard to try and achieve our goal this year."
J.K. RETURNS TO PRACTICE: After holding out for most of training camp, running back J.K. Dobbins was back and activated off the PUP list. Entering his final contract year, Dobbins played eight games in 2022, while coming back from a knee injury.
Dobbins shared why he missed the early portion of training camp.
"That's a tough question," Dobbins said. "I was just being cautious. My teammates need me so I am going to be there for my teammates. My teammates understood what was going on, so it was all good. I am out here."
DOBBINS SUFFERS KNEE INJURY: J.K. Dobbins, in the first game of the season against Houston, tore his Achilles tendon, forcing him to miss his second full season. The Ravens beat the Houston Texans, 25-9.
Dobbins is in the final year of his rookie contract and has said he wants to stay in Baltimore for his entire career. He missed several weeks of training camp on the physically unable to perform list.
"It's very unfortunate," quarterback Lamar Jackson said. "J.K. was on his way to showing the world what he is capable of. That's our brother."
BLOWING FOURTH-QUARTER LEADS: The Ravens, while being arguably the best football team in the league this season, lost three games after giving up fourth-quarter advantages. The Ravens led 19-16 with two minutes remaining against the Colts on Sept. 24, but lost, 22-19. Two weeks later, on October 8, the Ravens led Pittsburgh, 10-5, in the fourth quarter, but lost, 17-10.
Then, on Nov. 12, leading 31-17 against Cleveland, the Ravens lost 33-31.
"We look at the football, you don't have time to dig into the psychology," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. "We're just looking at the football, so we fix the football. We've got a very honest culture. We don't gloss anything over. We all look at ourselves."
PLAYING OVERSEAS: The Ravens played overseas for just the second time. They beat the Tennessee Titans, 24-16, on October 15. The Ravens went on to win eight of their next nine games.
"I love just being in different places where some people are out of their comfort zone," Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith said. "It makes you grow as a person, as well as a team."
BLACKOUT AT THE BANK: The crowd was fired up, rival Cincinnati was in Baltimore for a Thursday Night game. Despite losing All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews for the season, the Ravens dominated, 34-20.
"When you are at M&T Bank Stadium, at night time, with our crowd, it's electrifying," Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said. "I'm definitely pumped to be in that atmosphere."
KEAT-ON MOVING ON: Rookie running back Keaton Mitchell, from East Carolina, garnered more playing time because of his speed and elusiveness. However, unfortunately, after gaining 73 yards in the Ravens' win over Jacksonville on December 17, Mitchell suffered a season-ending knee injury.
"It's heartbreaking," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "He's got a great attitude and demeanor about him. He's a guy you want to see do well."
PLAYOFF-BOUND: The Ravens became the first AFC team to clinch a playoff spot. They accomplished the feat with still three more games remaining in the regular season.
Each of these challenges will require something different, and coach John Harbaugh can only hope his team remains as adaptable as it's been so far.
"That's the thing about this team, it's a very mature team," Harbaugh said. "I think they understand the challenge in front of them, and they understand their opponent, and they understand themselves. And they also understand game situations very well.
PROVING DOUBTERS WRONG: The "experts" said the Ravens didn't have a chance, playing on the road against the NFC's best team on Christmas night.
Instead, Lamar Jackson passed for 252 yards with two touchdowns and ran for another 45 yards to lead the Ravens (12-3) to a dominating 33-19 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
The defense had five interceptions, including two by safety Kyle Hamilton.
The win gave the Ravens the best record in the NFL, and made the Lamar Jackson MVP become louder.
"I thought Lamar had an MVP performance tonight," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "It takes a team to create a performance like that, but it takes a player to play at that level, to play at an MVP level, it takes a player to play that way. Lamar was all over the field."
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
PROVING CRITICS WRONG: The Orioles came into spring training following an 82-win season the year before.
Inside the clubhouse, and within the fanbase, this was the most optimism we had seen in years.
However, many experts predicted a regression.
The Orioles had rising stars Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson ready to storm onto the scene, which they did.
"I believe our rebuild is behind us and we've got an incredible chance now to be a very, very competitive team for years," General Manager Mike Elias said. "I think that the front office and the manager, when we talk to the media, we feed those expectations."
By September, the Orioles proved to be one of the best teams in baseball.
FAST TIMES AT ORIOLE PARK: The Baltimore Orioles exploded out of the gate.
Their 19-9 April immediately put them in the conversation of being a contender. By the All-Star Break, the Birds were 54-35.
A week later, they were in first place after the break for the first time since 2016.
HEY NOW, O'S HAVE ALL-STARS: The Orioles had four players selected to participate in July's All-Star Game. That was the most for the team since 2016.
Adley Rutschman, Austin Hays, Felix Bautista and Austin Hays were invited to the Mid-summer Classic in Seattle.
Rutschman had his father pitch to him in the Home Run Derby.
SANTANDER SMASH: Outfielder Anthony Santander stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth for the Orioles against the hated New York Yankees.
He sent the fans home with a celebration.
Santander smashed a walk-off home run on July 28 at Oriole Park.
BAUTISTA BUMMER: Felix Bautista, arguably the best closer in baseball, suffered a season-ending injury on August 25.
It was soon later announced that he would need Tommy John Surgery, which forces him to miss next season, as well.
Bautista was 8-2 with a 1.48 ERA and 33 saves in 39 chances. The first-time All-Star struck out 110 of 237 batters.
"He should be back to being Félix Bautista in the spring of 2025," GM Mike Elias said.
PLAYOFF-BOUND: The Orioles defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-4, on Sept. 17 to clinch their first playoff berth since 2016.
The best thing about the playoff berth - they did so in front of the home crowd at Camden Yards. The Orioles went on to become the No. 1 seed in the American League Playoffs.
"It's a great time to be in Baltimore," fan Med Matlock said. "All you see is O's shirts. There's just a buzz. You can feel the excitement. People cannot wait until Saturday."
RIP BROOKS ROBINSON: Orioles legend Brooks Robinson died on Sept. 27 at the age of 86.
Robinson was a fixture on the field and in the Baltimore community. There are two statues in and around Oriole Park dedicated to the man they called "Mr. Oriole."
Orioles fans paid tribute to Robinson by visiting and putting flowers on his statue.
A public memorial was also held for Robinson at the stadium.
"We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Brooks Robinson. An integral part of our Orioles Family since 1955, he will continue to leave a lasting impact on our club, our community, and the sport of baseball," the Orioles said.
He played his entire career with the Orioles from 1955 until 1977.
Robinson was an 18-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion (1966 and 1970), a World Series MVP and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.
Robinson had 1,357 RBIs, 2,848 base hits and a career batting average of .267.
AL BEASTS: The Orioles clinched the American League East with a win over Boston on Sept. 28. It was the franchise's first division title since 2014.
Aside from that, the Birds won their 100th game for the first time since 1980.
"It was the AL Beast again this year, and we knew it," outfielder Austin Hays said. "We had to battle ... but here we are. We did it."
PLAYOFFS AT BIRDLAND: The atmosphere was electric. Fans were energized. A buzz consumed downtown Baltimore.
The Orioles were at home for the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
They lost that game on October 7 at Camden Yards, 3-2, and lost the following day.
"This is a complete blessing to have an opportunity like this to play postseason baseball with a great group of guys in the stadium with an electric atmosphere," catcher Adley Rutschman said. "There's nothing more you can really ask for."
'AWFUL AND SUCKED': The Orioles lost three-straight games in the American League Division Series, falling to eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers.
"The way it ended was awful and sucked," Manager Brandon Hyde said. "We're wearing that still. It was a really successful season."
After the loss, the Orioles were left thinking about the future, which looks bright. It was definitely a step in the right direction.
"We had a couple of really big milestones the past couple of years," GM Mike Elias said. "This one was huge. I'm very proud of it and we want to do it again."
STRAIGHT-GUNNAR: Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson made a huge splash in his rookie season.
He was named the American League Rookie of the Year.
Henderson began the season rated the No. 1 prospect in baseball and he lived up to the high expectations.
He finished with 28 home runs and 82 RBIs, both leading American League rookies.
Henderson also batted .255 with 29 doubles, nine triples, scored 100 runs, 56 walks and 10 stolen bases in 150 games (143 starts) this season.
Henderson is the first Oriole to win rookie of the year since pitcher Greg Olson in 1989. He's the first Orioles position player named Rookie of the Year Since Cal Ripken Jr. in 1982.
"I'm going to give 100 percent out there no matter what the score is," Henderson said. "I feel like just doing that every day and just respecting the game and the way it should be."
HYDE'S HONOR: Orioles' Brandon Hyde was named American League Manager of the Year.
Hyde managed the Orioles to their first 100+ season since 1980, and the team's first American League East title since 2014.
The Orioles reached the American League Division Series.
They went from fourth place in the AL East in 2022 to first place the following season with 101 wins.
Hyde is the fourth Orioles manager to be named Manager of the Year, joining Showalter (2014), Davey Johnson (1997) and Frank Robinson (1989).
FLAME-THROWING FELIX: Orioles closer Félix Bautista was a unanimous winner of the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award.
Bautista consistently threw his fastball better than 100 mph.
Bautista, a 28-year-old right-hander, was 8-2 with a 1.48 ERA and 33 saves in 39 chances for the AL East champion Orioles. He made his final appearance on Aug. 25 and had Tommy John surgery on Oct. 9, which likely will cause him to miss the 2024 season.
He led MLB relievers with 110 strikeouts, the third-most by an O's reliever in team history (since 1954), and struck out multiple batters in 38 of his 56 outings, the most multi-strikeout games in MLB this season.
HERE TO STAY: After ups and downs and intense negotiations in recent days, both the Maryland Stadium Authority and the Board of Public Works, the state's spending board, have finally approved a new long-term lease agreement that keeps the Orioles at Camden Yards.
"Baltimore, the deal is done," Gov. Wes Moore said.
If the redevelopment proposals go through, the lease would last for 30 years, and the team would have the option to extend it beyond that. You can read more here.
"This is a very large and complex deal. We're talking about a deal that is a multi-decade deal keeping one of the most storied franchises in all of sports in the city of Baltimore," Moore said. "We were just very consistent. …We knew this was not going to be something that was going to be bulldozed through. You had to work in partnership to get this done, and that is what our team committed to."
The lease also has a clause preventing team relocation to allay fears of a repeat of the Colts' infamous Mayflower move in 1984.
OTHER BALTIMORE SPORTS STORIES
ANGEL REESE APPEAL: Baltimore native Angel Reese emerged into the spotlight of women's college basketball.
She led the LSU Tigers to the national championship last April. She was named All-American and Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
Critics responded to her taunts toward Iowa's Caitlin Clark during the NCAA final. Reese waved her hand in front of her face, known as the braggadocious "you cant see me" gesture, while staring down Clark, and then pointed to her ring finger.
"All year, I was critiqued for who I was," she said. "I don't fit the narrative, I don't fit the box that y'all want me to be in. I'm too hood. I'm too ghetto. Y'all told me that all year. But when other people do it, and y'all don't say nothing."
"So this is for the girls that look like me, that's gonna speak up for what they believe in," Reese continued. "It's unapologetically you. And that's what I did it for tonight. It was bigger than me tonight."
Reese had 34 double-doubles last season.
During the offseason, Reese threw out the ceremonial first pitch at an Orioles game; Presented by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott with the 'Key to the City"; was featured in Teen Vogue; hosted a basketball camp in Baltimore; handed out backpacks to children in Baltimore; and on December 20, led No. 7 LSU in a regular-season game at HBCU Coppin State in Baltimore.
"A lot of people came out tonight," Reese said. "I know they were supporting Coppin, but being able to come into a historically Black college. My aunt went here, my cousin went here — so coming back here and doing a lot for this community, and them being able to see opportunity where they can be, a lot of little girls knowing they can have this opportunity, was something that was important to me."
Reese played high school basketball at Baltimore's St. Frances Academy.
