As the end of the regular season nears and playoff clinching scenarios come into play, clubhouse staffs get busy preparing for the time-honored traditions of players and coaches popping champagne and downing an adult beverage or two upon earning a postseason berth.
For the Orioles on Tuesday night, though, that scene came with a twist. After Baltimore clinched a playoff spot for the second straight year via a 5-3 win over the Yankees and a Twins loss, 20-year-old Jackson Holliday arrived to a hilarious and adorable scene: “Baby Bird Bath Water” non-alcoholic drinks so he could take part in the celebration too.
The Brewers had a similar scene last week for 20-year-old Jackson Chourio.
Holliday, the son of seven-time All-Star and 2011 World Series champion Matt Holliday, is very much a part of a bright future and an exciting present in Baltimore, even after an up-and-down debut season. He didn’t make the Opening Day roster but was called up in early April. He struggled across 10 games and was sent down after going 2 for 34.
By late July, though, Holliday was back in the majors, and he hit his first MLB home run in his first game back. Overall, he has a .169/.227/.290 slash line with five home runs and 23 RBI across 56 major-league games this season. The numbers aren’t pretty, but Tuesday night was a good reminder he’s not even of legal drinking age yet.
While the Orioles can catch the Yankees for the AL East crown mathematically, they will likely enter the playoffs as the AL’s top wild-card team.
