Baltimore + protests = savage town

We had no idea baseball fans could be this savage.

Baltimore Orioles fans, who seem to think owner Peter Angelos is this guy, protested the state of the team yesterday, staging a "Free the Birds" protest in the middle of the game against Detroit.

What is a "Free the Birds" protest, you ask? Well, it was planned by a rockin' southern country band that died in a plane crash.

It really involved nearly 1,000 pissed-off Orioles fans who wore black T-shirts that said "Free the Birds." The demonstration was aimed at the beloved Baltimore owner who apparently isn't pleasing his customers all that much (Baltimore hasn't had a winning record since Ray Lewis and Tony Siragusa played for them back in 1997 -- and have won fewer games this season than the Ravens).

Here's the best part: In the middle of the fourth inning at 5:08 p.m. (5 for Brooks Robinson and 8 for Cal Ripken -- just adorable, aren't they?), the mob up and split from Camden Yards. Yeah, at 5:08 p.m. they just left the game. We figure if they were eating hot dogs they just put them down or passed them to a neighbor.

This does seem to be the whole notion of a protest, you know, getting up and making a big point. But leaving the game? Didn't they pay for a ticket? Didn't they want to see Nick Markakis hit?

Now the bestest (what the fuck?) part: The rally was run by a radio station owner named Nestor Aparicio, a Baltimorean, we presume. But our pal Nestor isn't just any man. He's the nephew of Luis Aparicio, the former Oriole shortstop who picked it with the best of them.

This city continues to amaze us with its savagery. Good work, Baltimore.

(The irony here, of course, is that Baltimore won the game, 4-3.)