The season reaches its conclusion today

The end is here.

Of the worst season in franchise history. Of Adam Jones' days as an Oriole unless something unforeseen happens. And perhaps of Buck Showalter's tenure as manager, which began in the summer of 2010.

Some players had large boxes in front of their lockers yesterday. Tim Beckham joked that Joey Rickard was blocking his path during the packing process. Rickard countered that he didn't order the box delivered and found it there - after asking if Beckham wanted to help out.

Teammates will scatter for the winter, and many of them won't return. They could head back down to the minors or latch on with other organizations.

Jones will test free agency for the first time, but not before fans rise to their feet again today and offer the kind of ovation that figures to bring chills on a sunny day. He could step out of the box and acknowledge it or take his usual practice swings and wait for the first pitch, as he's done during the first three games of the series.

There's no way that Jones sits today. He could stay in right field or make one final start in center, but he's playing.

It speaks volumes about his work in the community that most of the questions directed at Showalter have delved into the off-the-field side of Jones. The subject became relevant again with Jones and wife Audie teaming with the Baltimore Orioles Charitable Foundation in giving $150,000 to a variety of local nonprofit organizations.

"Adam, when I first got here, I didn't want him to be a 'do as I say and not as I do,'" Showalter said. "I told him, 'Hey, you're going to be one of my best players, if not the best, and your actions have to back up what you say. And that's kind of what this is about for me.

"Adam can talk about any subject you want to talk about. You may not agree with him on it, but he has an opinion that's based on some passionate thought. And that's kind of this. He's not going to just talk about it, he's going to do something. What do you say, put your money where your mouth is? I think that's an example of it here.

"It's just something he wants to do and he's not out there saying, 'OK, I'm going to be thought of as X-much better person because I'm doing this.' You do it because it's right. If you don't have a pure heart about it, then you don't need to be doing it. You're better off just throwing cash out of a building and see how many people gather at the bottom. Adam wants to do it with a purpose."

It can push him to the brink of exhaustion. It doesn't stop him.

"I've seen times when he's come to the ballpark and I know he's been somewhere. He's been at a YMCA, he's been at a function where he had to get up early, whatever," Showalter said.

"Believe me, players and people in our jobs, you get in a routine and you need to and you want to sleep. You have to because you're going to be at 3, 4, 5 o'clock in the morning. But Adam, I never saw it affect his play, the things he committed to doing the next day. We'd get back from a road trip and that was the only day that that charity could do it and he got up and did it. So, there are a lot of things behind the scenes that he did that weren't on the front page. But he did them just because they were right."

Jones has earned Showalter's respect in other ways, including his interest in and knowledge of the club's past. Showalter mentioned how a young player this season, upon learning that Brooks Robinson won 16 Gold Gloves, asked, "What position did he play?" Meanwhile, Jones didn't take over center field in Baltimore without knowing all about Paul Blair.

"I don't think there's anybody who respects the history of the Orioles more than Adam," Showalter said. "He knows it."

Rookie Cedric Mullins has inherited center field while expressing his admiration for the man who was there before him, and years from now someone else will play the position and likely pay homage to Jones.

The ovations today, the goodbyes, may actually crack Jones' hard exterior.

"I know he doesn't (express it). I don't know," said Audie Jones. "He always looks so tough on the field, he doesn't really smile. But we all know that behind the scenes he's always laughing and smiling. He even says to me, he notices it, obviously. But I know it means a lot to him. How could it not?

"It is kind of sad for everyone. Who knows what will happen next year, but it's weird, coming to a close, being here for 11 years and now just thinking ... You know, you never know what could happen. It's bittersweet, I guess.

"I appreciate it, obviously, because I know that's what he deserves. And as much as he has done for the team, the organization and the community, it feels good to know that other people see it, too. And that he really is that important piece to the organization, that it's just getting the respect that he deserves. That's the main thing. Of course, I will always want that for him."

The fallout from this historically bad season includes how Showalter's record as Orioles manager has dropped to 668-684. It's hardly a reflection of his work here. It feels like a lie. Reversing a losing culture, three playoff appearances and the first division title since 1997, the second-most wins behind Hall of Famer Earl Weaver.

Showalter met with an ownership representative and should already know his fate. Jones spoke last night about the "end of an era."

There needs to be some noise made for Showalter today, as well.

Shameless plug alert: I'm appearing on "O's Xtra" that airs at 2:30 p.m. on MASN.