If the Baltimore Orioles Were a Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving. Family, Friends, Food, Football, Fun. Baseball is not typically something we associate with Thanksgiving, unless we want to lament about how slow the offseason has been (except for the Angels, who have signed Tyler Anderson and traded for Hunter Renfroe). But at Birds Watcher, we love Baltimore Orioles Baseball, so what should we do? Pair the popular Thanksgiving dishes with their counterpart Oriole, of course! We hope you enjoy this fun exercise and wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

The Turkey – Adley Rutschman

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 26: A chef carves a turkey for Rosa Mexicano’s Thanksgiving dinner near Lincoln Center on November 26, 2020 in New York City. The pandemic continues to burden restaurants and bars as businesses struggle to thrive with evolving government restrictions and social distancing plans which impact keeping businesses open yet challenge profitability. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

While Orioles fans hope he will eventually be the GOAT, on Thanksgiving, Adley Rutschman is the turkey. He is the main event–he is what we think of when we think of Orioles baseball.

It’s no surprise that Adley Rutschman is the Baltimore Orioles main course.

For some, he is why we come to the games or, on Thanksgiving, sit down at the table. Offense, defense, and intangibles, Adley Rutschman is the star of the Orioles. Like turkey is the face of Thanksgiving, Adley Rustchman should be the face of the Orioles for years to come.

Butternut Squash Soup – Cedric Mullins

In nearly every game in 2022, Cedric Mullins was the lead off hitter – the beginning course for a pitcher facing the Orioles lineup. In nearly every Thanksgiving I can remember, my Aunt Natalie or my mom–whoever is cooking–starts us off with a delicious, hot bowl of homemade butternut squash soup. It’s the equivalent of Cedric Mullins leading off the game with a single and stealing second. It’s a great start to the meal, and one I am looking forward to this year once the family sits down around the end of the first quarter of the Giants/Cowboys game.

BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 05: Cedric Mullins #31 of the Baltimore Orioles prepares for a pitch during game one of a doubleheader baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 5, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Mashed Potatoes/Cranberry Sauce/Stuffing – Austin Hays/Anthony Santander/Ryan Mountcastle

If you go to a Thanksgiving dinner, you expect to see mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce,

BREST, BELARUS – OCTOBER 26: A view from the cranberry farm as the harvest season comes to an end in Brest Region which is 350 kilometers to capital Minsk of Belarus on October 26, 2022. The cranberry field was built in the mid-eighties of the 20th century and it yields from 5 to 30 tons of berries, which are frozen and processed. (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

and stuffing on the table. If you go to an Orioles game, you should expect to see Austin Hays, Anthony Santander, and Ryan Mountcastle in the lineup. These are solid, tried and true dishes that a Thanksgiving meal is not complete without.

Assembling a Thanksgiving feast from Baltimore Orioles players

Cranberry/Apple Pie – Gunnar Henderson

This is another treat at my Thanksgiving table that my Aunt Natalie and, in the last ten years or so, my mom, have begun making. Oats, brown sugar, butter, applies, cranberries – this is the “surprise” sweet side dish that we get to enjoy, but has not made it’s way to tables around the country. Gunnar Henderson’s call up at the end of the year, and terrific play, was a surprise and sweet ending to the 2022 season. Looking forward to many more cranberry pies and Gunnar Henderson highlights for years to come.

TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 17: Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles runs home to score against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 17, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

Green Bean Casserole – Brandon Hyde

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 09: Manager Brandon Hyde #18 of the Baltimore Orioles watches the game against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 09, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

Like green bean casserole, Brandon Hyde–or any team’s manager–is not everyone’s cup of tea. But, rain or shine, come hell or high water, green bean casserole will find its way onto your Thanksgiving table. And no matter what, Brandon Hyde will be in the dugout managing Orioles games, whether they are on a 19-game losing streak or a ten-game winning streak. Lucky for me, I am a fan of both green bean casserole and Brandon Hyde.

Pumpkin Pie – Felix Bautista

Many Thanksgiving dinners–including ours–end with a satisfying slice of pumpkin pie. Similarly, many Oriole wins this past year ended with a satisfying Felix Bautista save. When Bautista came in to pitch the ninth inning this year, Orioles fans felt

In the Kitchen With Ken – Sweet potato/Pumpkin piePie

confident that he would close it out. And when a hot, steamy pumpkin pie comes out of the oven, I am confident that it will close out a delicious dinner on a high note. Hoping for many more years of Felix Bautista saves and sweet slices of pumpkin pie.

To all of our readers: thank you for your continuing support. We wish you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving, filled with great friends, family, food, football, fun, and maybe, just maybe, some baseball talk.