Braves troll Orioles with Edgar Allan Poe references during spring training game

David Suggs

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Braves troll Orioles with Edgar Allan Poe references during spring training game image

'Tis the wind, and nothing more...

Spring training is the time for experiments. Players attempt to try out different positions. Teams sport unique — and in this season's case, transparent — threads. Prospects attempt to shoot their name up in lights with strong showings.

It's all a bit chaotic, but it can also be so very enticing. This year, one of MLB's preeminent franchises trialed another technique in its attempt to get an edge on its opposition. It just happened to involve a 19th-century poet, as well.

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Braves troll Orioles with Edgar Allan Poe pictures

The Braves "hosted" the Orioles in a spring training clash on Monday, with proceedings taking place at CoolToday Park in North Port, Fla. As the home side, Atlanta had control of the scoreboard and all it had to offer, and so came an idea from those in Braves colors, one which had some historical significance: replace the pictures that flashed on the scoreboard when every O's hitter stepped to the plate with a Baltimore icon — famed poet Edgar Allan Poe.

Poe and his works are foundational to Charm City's literary history, a soundtrack to the bustling city that he called home. He's been immortalized throughout the area with a series of tributes. H.P. Lovecraft identified Poe as a seminal figure in helping Lovecraft cultivate the horrorcore style of writing he would become known for, while Alfred Hitchcock credited Poe with inspiring his suspense films.

His work might be nearly 200 years old, but it transcends space and time, playing a pivotal part in shaping the world we live in today. Nothing exemplifies this more than the fact that the Baltimore Ravens are named after Poe's most famous poem, aptly called "The Raven."

To many, Poe is a reflection of Baltimore in all its glory. He stands alongside Cal Ripken Jr., crab cakes, and Maryland's state bird (the Oriole) as a substantial figure in the lore that swirls around Charm City.

His likeness was even featured on the O's "Local Market" lids from 2021. It caught some people by surprise.

Atlanta clearly has some American literature experts housed within its backroom staff. It will be interesting to see if the Braves get up to any more hijinks over the course of the spring. Either way, it seems the masses — including Baltimoreans — had to stand up and applaud Atlanta's latest roast.

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.