Orioles believe, can you?

The Orioles have been losers the last 14 years. They'll crash any day, you say. They have a lot more winning to do before you'll buy a ticket and cheer for them. But do you remember the last time you tried to change your losing ways? Bet it wasn't easy to break a habit.

This year the O's are magical and fearless. As the classic underdog, they are a formidable force for justice for the little and forgotten people. They win games that confound the most knowledgeable baseball fan. Players with minuscule batting averages hit home runs. Pitchers who spend years in the minors look unbeatable. What's going on? The O's have discovered what people are capable of when they work as a team, root for each other, believe in the possible, see the positives, and are led by a manager who stresses living the moment.

No, we are not the hated Yankees, the one-percenters who look to buy success. The O's are the lost cause whom everyone had dismissed. They have worked hard and are now ready to share their joyfulness. Are you able to forgive and accept their new status as a new hero of a nation that has overcome long odds? Or will you continue to act like the tough guy who holds grudges against players you do not even know? You need not like baseball to love this story. It is about players no one else wanted, ordinary people who have found a path toward wisdom, and a Baltimore and Maryland community ready to join hands.

As of Sept. 4, the O's are one game from first place. Now it is your turn to applaud and to believe. See you at the ballpark.

Doug Colbert, Baltimore