Recordkeeping

Let's just pretend this never happened

by Matthew Taylor

"You have a real short memory and you let it go."

-Dave Trembley, following the O's 30-3 loss on Aug. 22, 2007.

For O's fans, it seems the best way to cope with the 30-3 loss to the Texas Rangers during the 2007 season was to pretend it never happened. Apparently, the team has taken the same approach.

A look at the single-game records listed on the Orioles' web site (pictured above) shows that at least three categories - most runs yielded; largest loss margin; and most hits yielded, home game - still haven't been updated to include the Aug. 22, 2007, game.

The game story from that fateful night mentioned the many records that fell, including the American League record for runs scored.

"Hours after announcing manager Dave Trembley would return for the 2008 season, the Orioles absorbed the most lopsided loss in franchise history and set a team record for hits allowed in a game (29).

...

The Rangers set a team record for runs scored in a doubleheader -- before the second game even started.

...

David Murphy had five of the Rangers' 29 hits, the most by a major league team since Milwaukee had 31 in a 22-2 victory over Toronto on Aug. 28, 1992, according to Elias. Texas had 57 at-bats, tying the AL record for a nine-inning game set by Milwaukee in its 1992 rout of Toronto.

...

Texas made it 14-3 by scoring nine runs on 10 hits in the sixth. The 10 hits matched a club record for one inning and were three more than the Rangers totaled in their previous two games."

The let's-just-pretend-this never-happened mentality should be familiar to baseball fans of all stripes. As Dave Trembley, citing familiar baseball wisdom, said following his first game as (no-longer-the-interim) manager: "You have a real short memory and you let it go."

Nearly a year-and-a-half later, the O's continues to take his advice.


Remembering 30-3:

Thirtysomething - My post-game ramblings during a sleepless night.