The Orioles are in the midst of their first postseason appearance since '97, and Owner Peter Angelos "is encountering more public good will than he has in 15 years," according to a front-page piece by Childs Walker of the Baltimore SUN. Even "past critics say this season has boosted a legacy that had soured over years of losing." Angelos has "mostly chosen to remain cloistered in his downtown law office or his suite at Camden Yards, eschewing the spotlight as much as he did when his team was losing." A postgame clubhouse appearance after Monday's ALDS Game 2 victory over the Yankees "was his first on any public stage during the playoff run, and even then, he politely declined interview requests." Both Orioles Exec VP/Baseball Operations Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter "have praised Angelos as an encouraging presence throughout the year." Duquette said, "I can't speak for him, but I know that he's enjoyed the team being in the pennant race. You know, his focus is on the fans and the community. To the extent that we can give back to the fans and connect with the fans, I think that's very gratifying to Mr. Angelos." Duquette "describes an owner who barely resembles the man once derided for overruling his baseball executives and rashly pursuing faded free agents." He said Angelos has "been very supportive in encouraging us to find solutions." But Walker writes, "Despite all the fun of this season, the story of Peter Angelos remains a mixed one for many Orioles fans." There is "little question they have dialed down their vitriol toward the owner, but many say they have not forgiven him for the club's long downturn" (Baltimore SUN, 10/10).
BIG FAN OF THE FANS: In Baltimore, Kevin Cowherd writes for two "wonderful nights," Orioles fans "showed the entire country this could still be a great baseball town, no matter how big the Ravens are." The scene at Camden Yards for Yankees-Orioles ALDS Games 1 and 2 "was this mass exorcism of 14 years of losing." Cowherd: "On the two biggest nights of this magical season, you were among the best fans on the planet" (BALTIMORESUN.com, 10/9).
