The Wild Ride of Nate McLouth

Nate McLouth had two extra base hits in 74 at-bats with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012.

We think after watching the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs, baseball is a strange, strange game.  Nah, we know it’s a strange game.

It was nearly impossible to watch Nate McLouth and the Baltimore Orioles fall to the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series.

We wanted Baltimore to win.  It was an impressive series against the Yankees.  The Orioles battled and battled, but it just wasn’t in the cards.  McLouth played well, batting .318 with seven hits including a bomb and two stolen bases.

Do you think McLouth’s blast grazed the foul pole?

We are intrigued by McLouth.  He’s the most recent example of another post-Pittsburgh success story.  McLouth went from somehow being greeted with a rousing, partially standing ovation on Opening Day in Pittsburgh to being so awful for the Pirates to being, perhaps, just inches away from being a game changer in the ALDS.  What an incredible turnaround.

The oufielder will be a free agent this offseason.  His hideous numbers with the Pirates seem so long ago and his resume down the stretch looks good for him moving forward.

You’d have to think McLouth will return next season to a Major League team on a one-year deal.  He has said he wants to return to the O’s.  But the boys from Charm City have plenty of depth in the outfield, so that seems unlikely.

God, we can only trust it is with another American League team.  At least that would keep the pain away for most of the year.  But, one can be certain that McLouth will do a few more amazing things.  It would be difficult to match his heroics of this season, he’s 30 years old now.  But heh,  it happens in baseball.  Good for Nate the Great.

The Bucs needed the McLouth the Orioles had down the stretch.  If that could have happened, we are left to our imaginations of just what might have been in 2012.