Baltimore Chopped

Peter Angelos’ tenure as owner of the Baltimore Orioles has driven many of the team’s fans and family to consider taking drastic measures. Mike Flanagan was more driven than most, shooting himself with a shotgun at the age of 59. Flanagan was reportedly despondent over his role in the ongoing disaster that the franchise has become, a stark contrast from the fundamentals-heavy minor league system that fostered the Oriole Way throughout the system. While lacking the panache of a self-immolating monk, something’s got to wake up a franchise that is wrapping up its 14th consecutive losing season after having a total of 13 from 1954, the team’s first season, through 1997, its last playoff appearance. An All Yankee Conference standout at UMass-Amherst, Flanagan was a consistent if unspectacular pitcher for the Orioles for 15 years, with his 1979 Cy Young Award a stunning departure. Flanagan hung around the Orioles front office after retirement, and was a popular broadcaster known for his quick wit – he started giving nicknames to players in the 1970s, such as John "Clams" Castino, which Peter Gammons reported in The Boston Globe, eventually inspiring Chris Berman to ruin sports highlights for everyone.