O'Day and Markakis can feel the postseason pain of their teammates

Orioles reliever Darren O'Day can relate to how right fielder Nick Markakis felt in 2012. Markakis, in turn, can relate to how catcher Matt Wieters and third baseman Manny Machado feel in 2014. It's a connection they wish had never started and didn't stretch this far. Wieters and Machado underwent season-ending surgeries this year, making them spectators in the playoffs. Assuming that the Orioles don't suffer a monumental collapse, of course. Markakis has been there, done that. Anyone remember how he wore a plastic bag over his left hand in 2012 while spraying champagne in the visiting clubhouse in Texas following the Orioles' victory in the wild card game? No one in the organization has forgotten the CC Sabathia fastball that crushed his left thumb on Sept. 8. O'Day has been there, done that - though without the plastic bag. O'Day missed the postseason with the Rangers in 2011, including the World Series. He spent 85 days on the disabled list, undergoing surgery to repair a partial tear of the labrum in his left hip, and returning to the DL in August with right shoulder inflammation. The 2012 season allowed O'Day to wash away the hurt in champagne, drenched from head to toe. Markakis can do the same, the Orioles' leadoff hitter no longer reduced to one-handed cheerleader. "I've been there, so I know how he felt," O'Day said. "It really is tough because you did so much work for so long, a lot of time and effort, and then you get to that point and just because of bad luck - a pitch to the hand - it costs you a lot of enjoyment. You kind of feel like you're in the way of everybody because you're not really contributing anything. Just kind of hanging around. "His teammates know everything he put into that year and that season, but you still can't help but feel kind of useless because you're not doing anything. You try to contribute off the field - scouting reports, tendencies, stuff like that - but you can only do so much. So, this year because he gets to hopefully be part of that, I'd imagine he's really excited about that. "There are some players who play a long time and never see the playoffs. I just heard the other day that Adam Dunn has never played in the playoffs. That's a long illustrious career and he never sniffed the postseason. That's tough. So, I know (Markakis) is excited. He's been here a long time and put in a lot of time and work for this team and this franchise and I think the playoffs, and hopefully a long playoff run, will be real exciting for him." I asked Markakis yesterday whether he sympathizes with Wieters and Machado, which brought a nice little quip. "No, because they were both in it in 2012," he said, grinning. "No. Yeah, I know exactly what they're going through, especially the type of guys they are, the competitors they are and the type of leaders they are on this team and what they mean to this team. "I know exactly what they're going through and it sucks, but it's just things you have to deal with throughout life. They're going to be there with us just like I was in 2012 and hopefully we can battle through it and hopefully they can be a part of it as well." I'll be a part of the upcoming three-game series against the Rays. I've got an 8:15 a.m. flight into Tampa.