Moos not Boos: Some are confused by the greeting Colton Cowser receives at the park

It started as a faint murmur on opening day as Colton Cowser ran down the orange carpet.

It picked up steam during the second series as Cowser started his first games of the season and collected three hits.

By mid-April, after Cowser put on a show in Boston, going 6-for-13 with two home runs, the noise had picked up around the stadium.

For those in the know, it’s become a fun activity to partake in. But for everyone else it’s caused confusion, in person and online, all posing the question: Why are Orioles fans booing Cowser?

But that’s not it at all. Orioles fans are mooing Cow(get it?)ser. The noise fills the stadium every time Cowser gets to hit or makes a big play.

It started with a direct message on Instagram, a fan reaching out to warn him that a few people would be mooing for him on opening day. It’s a trend that is expected to continue this weekend as the Orioles return to Baltimore for a seven-game homestand against the Athletics and the Yankees.

“I like it,” Cowser said. “I think it’s cool. Plus, I’ll never know if they are actually booing or not.”

Cowser has heard a few cow-related references in the past, but he had never been moooooed before. His mother, who was a science teacher, had cow decor in her classroom. Cowser’s Xbox name was Cowzdog, and he might name his first dog Bowser Cowser.

“It was either a dog or firstborn, and I probably won’t want a firstborn named Bowser,” he said. “I could change my name to Bowser and make it Bowser Jr.”

Now, fans are coming to the stadium dressed as cows and Ben McDonald, a broadcaster for the Orioles, has started calling him “The Milkman.” Even opposing players have started asking about it, confused why his own stadium is booing him when he’s gotten off to such a hot start.

And, while everyone else seems to enjoy mooing, his teammates have no plans to partake in it.

“I’m not feeding his ego,” Jordan Westburg said. “There’s no way I’m feeding his ego; his head is big enough. It’s good; he’s the perfect guy for that kind of thing. He’s going to feed into it; he’s probably going to play better because of it. I think it’s a fun thing that fans do.”

Paul Mancano contributed reporting

Danielle Allentuck

danielle.allentuck@thebaltimorebanner.com

Danielle Allentuck covers the Orioles for The Baltimore Banner. She previously reported on the Rockies for the Denver Gazette and general sports assignments for The New York Times as part of its fellowship program. A Maryland native, Danielle grew up in Montgomery County and graduated from Ithaca College.

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