It has been a year since I wrote my first Baltimore Orioles Thanksgiving dinner piece. And I’m thinking while my newborn boy is soundly dozing in his bassinet on my right.
Thinking back on how much I have to be grateful for since Thanksgiving last year. Grayson Levi, my newborn born November 4, 2023, has my gratitude. I am grateful to all of the wonderful readers and viewers of my articles from Birds Watcher during the last year, as well as those of my amazing colleagues. The 2023 Baltimore Orioles, who overtook the Rays for first place in July and never looked back en way to their first division title since 2014, are another team for whom I am grateful.
So gather around, loved ones and friends, since it
The Turkey – Henderson, Gunnar
As I stated in my last post, the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving dinner is the turkey. It is the reason for gathering around the table and the memory associated with Thanksgiving. My idea of honoring the best, must-see player in the Orioles is to name the Thanksgiving turkey. It was Adley Rutschman in 2022. It’s Gunnar Henderson this year.
Henderson won the Silver Slugger Award, Most Valuable Oriole, and American League Rookie of the Year in his first complete season in the Major Leagues. With a team-high 6.3 WAR, the 22-year-old was unquestionably their greatest player during the playoffs.
Tonight, Thanksgiving meal will bring Americans from all over the nation together around their tables. Just
Roasted Ham and Goose – Adley Rutschman
Roast goose and ham are two options that are frequently seen on Thanksgiving dinner tables for individuals who do not customarily eat turkey. Although I considered Gunnar Henderson to be my 2023 turkey, others could legitimately argue that Adley Rutschman is a better player for the year 2023.
Rutschman was the team’s turkey the previous year, but he was even better in 2023, putting up 5.2 WAR, taking part in the home run derby, and being selected for the All-Star team. I recognize some who would rather eat something other than turkey for their main course. It’s also quite understandable for those who think Adley Rustchman will be the better choice in 2023 than Gunnar Henderson.
Dean Kremer, Grayson Rodriguez, and Kyle Bradish were the appetizers.
Not many Thanksgiving meals begin with a mad dash for the turkey. Nothing is unusual in our home. My mom Claire and aunt Natalie have been making homemade butternut squash soup for years, and it’s the best “starter” for Thanksgiving dinner. The finest starting pitcher the Orioles have had this season is Kyle Bradish, who makes butternut squash soup.
Not far behind, before we tuck into the bird, my incredible mother-in-law Lisa and Aunt Kay love making charcuterie dishes and cream cheese tomato wraps. Two of the Orioles’ best starters, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer, stand in for these two delicious opening dishes. Together, Bradish, Rodriguez, and Kremer pitched the Orioles to their first postseason participation since 2016 and their first division title since 2014.
Pie with Pumpkin – Yennier Cano
The customary dessert after a delectable Thanksgiving lunch is pumpkin pie. After consuming their turkey, Snoopy and Woodstock in the well-known Peanuts animated special even indulged in a visually appealing pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream.
Felix Bautista was an obvious choice for last year’s pumpkin pie nomination because, going into the 2023 season, he was one of the top closers in baseball. Even though Bautista was fantastic in 2023, he was unable to complete the season because of an injury to his right arm against Colorado, which required Tommy John surgery not long after.
Let me introduce you to Yennier Cano, who in 2023 quietly and surprisingly emerged as one of the top relievers in baseball. Cano, who was the Orioles’ closer at the end of the season and who will be without Bautista until 2025,