Cole Irvin was shocked by what he saw on his phone. The Orioles left-handed pitcher stumbled upon a social media post reporting on the seizure of 83 dogs from a Baltimore home in a severe case of animal hoarding.
And the shelter set to take them in, Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS), was already experiencing what its website called a “capacity crisis.” They were ill-prepared to take in the influx of animals.
Irvin and his wife Kristen are no strangers to dog adoption. They have rescued five of their own, including multiple from similar animal hoarding situations. They felt the need to do something about it.
“That’s why we wanted to step in and do something and really give people the chance to help the community with BARCS animal shelter and maybe save a life, maybe donate,” Irvin said on Glenn Clark Radio May 30. “But it just feels good to just help in any way we can.”
Irvin and his wife partnered with BARCS for “Pitch-in for Pups,” a fundraising and adoption event hosted at the shelter on May 30.
Anyone who donated money or an item requested by the shelter, like food or cleaning supplies, received an autographed baseball card from Irvin. Those who adopted dogs from the shelter at the event were entered into a raffle to earn Orioles tickets, on-field batting practice tickets and signed memorabilia.
Irvin said his experience with adopting dogs changed the way he sees animals.
“We are just so blessed and happy to have these dogs in our life,” Irvin said. “They have completely changed the way we see animals and how much compassion and joy they give to you tenfold back after they’ve learned that they are going to be safe and protected and loved. That’s why it hits home really hard for us.”
Irvin also discussed how establishing routines in his off-field life, including with his dogs, has contributed to his success in 2024.
“There’s a lot of things in our life that we can’t control,” Irvin said. “As long as you have a routine, a rhythm, a podcast you enjoy listening to or a TV show you enjoy, finding something consistent that brings you joy, brings you happiness — for me, like dogs, like this event this weekend. I’m serious when I say those small, little intangible things that you can’t see on a baseball field really have affected my performance this year.”
The six-year veteran has found a home in Baltimore, his third team since debuting in the big leagues in 2019. He currently boasts a 2.84 ERA and 1.16 WHIP through 11 appearances.
Fans have noticed nasty breaking balls from Irvin this year, and the lefty explained that he actually has two different types.
“The strikeouts you’ve been seeing on spin have been more of the curveball. The slider has been more of the strike pitch,” Irvin said. “Just so it’s out there — because on the board and on Baseball Savant, it’s tagged as curveball. So if that’s messing with the hitters, good, let’s keep it up, let’s not change a thing.”
Irvin made some tweaks to his slider this offseason, and those have helped him in 2024.
“The confidence was there in spring training, I just had problems landing it for a strike because it was a new grip change that I did this offseason,” Irvin said. “… During spring, I was really kind of fine-tuning how [to] get the most consistency out of the pitch, and as soon as we got to the first start of the year, I really cleaned it up.”
That adjustment has solidified him as a core contributor on the mound for a rejuvenated Baltimore pitching staff, one that has dropped its team ERA from 3.89 in 2023 to 2.84 so far in 2024. The Orioles currently sit 2.5 games away from the best record in the American League East, and Irvin is soaking in all of the success both on the mound and from the dugout.
“I don’t know if I can put it into words. That might be the toughest thing to do,” Irvin said. “… Last year, I was on the baseline for the playoffs. And when I heard that ‘O’ for the first time in a playoff environment, I got goosebumps. I’ve got goosebumps talking about it right now. There’s plenty of those moments throughout the season with our fan base. … It’s such a great environment, and I love this city. It’s been a blast to be here.”
For more from Irvin, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Colin Murphy/PressBox