With a bright orange championship belt, the latest Orioles tradition decides the player of the game

The fog machine and strobe lights were working at full strength, turning the Orioles clubhouse Friday into a misty room of celebration. Baltimore had just scored 15 runs against the Boston Red Sox, providing ample reasons for a festive atmosphere.But through that smoke and blaring music, outfielder Ryan McKenna called for attention. In his hands he held a bright orange belt, overly large in the style professional wrestlers earn for titles. On the metal midsection, two Orioles logos were emblazoned with the message: “Player of the game.”McKenna held the prize up. The outfielder could’ve chosen from a host of players, given the offensive output, but he singled out Anthony Santander’s four-RBI performance and called his fellow outfielder to the center of the clubhouse to say a few words of his own.And with that, the latest Orioles tradition was born.“I had an idea I would be in the mix to be chosen,” Santander said the next day, with the large orange belt sitting atop his locker as a badge of honor. “With another win, I will have to pass it. Or maybe I keep it! We’ll see.”As so many of Baltimore’s clubhouse and dugout antics have begun, catcher Robinson Chirinos and…
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