Domenic Vadala: Orioles in position to help Baltimore heal

Let me preface this by saying that in no way am I comparing what's happened in Baltimore the past few days to the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, or any other situation. I'm just not qualified to say which situation is worse or anything along those lines. What I can say is that both were community issues at their grass roots.

In the wake of the tragedy at the Boston Marathon two years ago, we saw the city of Boston become galvanized and unified, perhaps more so than at any other time since the American Revolution, under the mantra of "Boston Strong." And I, for one, respected that, just as I respected how the Red Sox took the lead in taking the city back. And if you think that galvanization of the city, the team, etc. in the wake of tragedy didn't at least assist in bringing Boston a World Series title that year, you're kidding yourself.

Obviously, Baltimore now finds itself in a different situation, but there are obvious similarities. While Orioles fans love to hate the Red Sox, I would submit that both the team and its fans should look to the Red Sox as an example. Sports play a very powerful role in our society at all levels. However, at the pro level, it can have a profound effect on a community and how it views itself.

I'm not suggesting that Adam Jones or anyone else needs to grab the mic at a game and give a David Ortiz-style speech. But whether they like it or not, the Orioles are very much a part of what's gone on the past few days in the city. Obviously, Saturday's game was affected (against Boston of all teams), and Monday and Tuesday's games were canceled. There does come a point when sports have to take a back seat to public safety, and I recognize that.

However, the Orioles have an opportunity to own this in the same manner that the Red Sox owned the aftermath of the Boston bombing. Baltimore is a city in dire need of uplifting, and the Orioles are in a position to do just that.

I'll be honest in that I'm not even sure what that looks like. I suspect that the 2013 Red Sox didn't either. Much of what they did was done in an impromptu manner, including Ortiz's speech at Fenway, which we all know included some colorful language.

However, one thing that the Orioles can script is how they're going to move forward from this, and thus, how they'll attempt to move the city forward. In these types of situations, people need a point on which they can rally. The Orioles are just that point. We all know what they mean to the city and to the fans. And they need to be that and then some to this community now, and for the remainder of the season.

Winning the World Series was probably the furthest thing from the minds of the 2013 Red Sox in the immediate aftermath of the bombing at the marathon that year. However, it seemed that the Sox were in a way paid back for owning what happened in their city. That might not be the best way of putting it, but the whole set of events seemed to give them a boost.

And for all we know, the same will be true of the 2015 O's. However, their motivation should stem from the mandate to battle for their now beleaguered community. The store owners in West Baltimore whose businesses and lives have now been ruined need something around which to rally. The downtrodden people who are now forced to see National Guardsmen patrolling their neighborhood streets, and the police officers who now might potentially question their own job - they all need an uplift.

The Orioles now have to be that uplift. If for no other reason than serving as a few hours' respite from reality, sports make that type of difference in our lives. By being the Baltimore team in season right now, the O's have the opportunity to be that shining beacon in a world suddenly gone mad.

As I said, there are more important things than baseball going on right now. But the Orioles have been special to the people of Baltimore in good seasons and bad. They need to be that now, when they're needed most. This, my friends, is the Oriole Way.

Domenic Vadala blogs about the Orioles at Birds Watcher, and his opinions appear here as part of MASNsports.com's season-long initiative of welcoming guest bloggers to our pages. Follow him on Twitter: @DomenicVadala. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.