The O-Zone

September 25, 2007

As you can see below, this is my first posting in two years. After 2005, I thought it was worthless to worry about a team that didn't seem to care about us fans. We can blame it on the owner all we want, but the players need to show me that they care and they want to be here in Baltimore by going out on the field each and every game and giving it their all. You can whine about the dwindling attendence and all the negative press they read and hear, but these guys are living the dream, playing in the major leagues and making a whole lot of money. Who wouldn't give their right arm (I'm lefthanded) to change places with them (of course, if you gave your arm, you wouldn't be able to....well, nevermind - you get my point!). The players all seem lately to be breaking down, pitching too many innings, sore arms, tired, etc. I'm only 49 years old, but even I remember when pitchers routinely threw 200+, even 300 innings a season and lots of players never missed more than a few games a year, all without injury, tired arms and getting shut down in early September just because the team was out of contention. I know, it's a different era and they all need to protect their "money-makers!"

However, this team is different. The Baltimore Orioles may not have the worst record in the entire league, but they are the most disappointing and embarassing franchise in all of sports. Year after year, the owner and upper level management tell us fans that we have the resources and players to compete as a playoff contender. Year after year, I laugh at these comments. I don't expect us to compete dollar for dollar with the Yankees and BoSox, but we can still do a hell of a lot better. There are always free agents out there that the Orioles never even look at that would help this team. Besides the top tier free agents don't want to come here to a perennial loser- they all want to play post-season ball, which is not in our future under the current terms. I've always felt that Mike Flanagan was either a terrible executive because he made terrible decisions, or if he was tied down by the owner from making the right moves then he had no spine or self-pride. Take your choice, Mike, which is it? This owner makes enough money to land at least one free agent fielder and pitcher, and a few second tier as well. The additional cost would be recouped thru increased ticket sales the longer we compete into the season. This team spends way toomuch money on players that are just not worth it. They overvalue their players that are trade-able and under value the benefit of other teams' players. That combination has led to ten straight losing seasons and the continuous chant of "Save the Birds" or "Get Rid of the Owner." Until the owner goes away, it appears we will continue to be the laughing stock of the league and avoided by the best free agents each year. Yes, we will have to overpay to get them, but that is the climate when you play in the same division as New York and Boston, who routinely offer free agents the big bucks to go along with the probability that they will be in the post-season. Besides, the owner has been promised at least $360 million by the league if and when he sells the team, as a condition of not blocking the return of baseball to DC. If someone promised you a huge amount whenver you sold your house, woud you ever paint it again (if you had no self-pride, of course)!? Give me a set budget, somewhere between where it is today and where the Yankees and Red Sox are, and I promise a competitive team immediately and a playoff contender in years to come. Just give me a chance Mr. Owner, and then back off, jack! I'll fill the seats and put W's in the win column. Huh, whaddya' say?

Until then, I don't expect to be back here anytime soon and strongly recommend you read my Ravens blog, as Baltimore is a football town, with partial thanks to Mr. Angelos and his puppets!

rexx1356 at 11:28:24 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Wow, the Orioles actually lost a game they might have won!

This is just one of the few times this has happened so far in this magical season! Despite several incredibly obvious wrong calls from the men in blue, the O's came back from an 8-1 deficit to tie the game 8-8, before losing 10-8 on Sunday. Baltimore, winners of two-thirds of their games on this 12 game game homestand, which ends after a three-game set against Minnesota. Coincidently, they've also won exactly two-thirds of their games this entire season (20-10), good enough for a 2 1/2 game lead in the AL East over the Red Sox. Where are the Yankees!? (Who cares?)

Despite giving up eight runs early in the game, they lived up to their mantra, which is " you score runs, we'll score more." Unfortunately, that doesn't alwas work, although it has most of this season so far. The series against the Twins will give us a good look at some solid competition, especially the game Tuesday featuring Minnesota's veteran Brad Radke versus the Oriole's early season pitching star, Erik Bedard. This will give us a good indication of where we stand among the league's elite. So far, however, it has been at the top of the American League East! Good enough for me, after seven years of medicrity at best!

rexx1356 at 8:43:48 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 2 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

Wow, eight in a row, and with a four game lead in the AL East! What the hell is going on here? Where are the Yankees!?

The Orioles did exactly what they needed to. After sweeping the Blue Jays and Red Sox earlier in the week, the Orioles came home for what will be a 12 game homestand. They needed to show their hometown fans the past week was not a fluke, by beating, and winning convincingly, the lowly Devil Rays. That they did, sweeping the three game series rather easily, save for the late inning power heroics by Miguel Tejada and Brian Roberts on Saturday night in a 7-5 comeback victory. The Orioles are laughing in the faces of the so-called "experts" (yours truly included) that said they didn't have the starting pitching to compete with the big boys, Boston and New York. However, their philosophy must be, get us to the 7th inning and keep  it close, because our offense will put up the runs and our bullpen is better than yours! Man, what confidence! It sure is fun around here, and for those who say it's only May, remember: us Orioles' fans haven't had much to cheer about since the wire-to-wire first place finish in 1997! Hey, wait a minute, haven't we been in first place all season this year? Hmmm....no, it couldn't happen again....or....could it!

rexx1356 at 9:29:44 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Using the words "Orioles" and "first place" in the same sentence hasn't been done very often in Baltimore since about 1997! However, after the way they've won the past five games, from blowouts to five-run comebacks on the road against the World Series Champs, is giving these kids the notion that they can play with anybody! I'm about to become the team biggest hypocrit, because I had them in 3rd or 4th place, knocking their inability to put a decent starter at the front of their rotation. Now it seems their attitude is, "we don't care if you put up seven or eight against us; we'll score eight or nine!" Keep an eye on this team, they might still be raising eyebrows come August. Forget about AROD, Jeter and Nomar as the big three shortstops! Even with ARod's three HR's/10 RBI's last night, Tejada is STILL the best shortstop in the league and looks like a serious MVP candidate already!

rexx1356 at 9:35:40 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

The high-flying Orioles sweep the Yankees, including a demoralizing 7-6 comeback win on Saturday, that led to another classic rant by the Boss - George Steinbrenner!

This Baltimore lineup has no holes to relax at by opposing pitchers. As bad as our hurlers are, they might only need to be mediocre for this team to compete. The Yankees weak link is obviously their middle relief, which has risen to such an important facet of the game, now that starters regularly get taken out after six innings, give or take. The Yanks spent all their hardcore cash on starters, and hoped that they all go until the ninth, when Mariano Rivera is usually money, except against the BoSox!

With Brian Roberts leading the world in average as well as dingers, the Orioles offense now boasts seven players who could go yard 20+ times/season. Withg any sort of breakout season from one of the three top pitchers (Rodrigo Lopez, Daniel Cabrera, Erik Bedeard), who knows what this team can do? One thing we do know is that they are certainly not going to be a pushover, or roll over and fold each time New York or Boston takes the field against them!

rexx1356 at 9:45:35 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

(Note for photo above: I just wanted to be a proud papa!)

Don't read too much into the Orioles 2 of 3 in New York this weekend, although it could have easily have been a sweep. They got surprisingly good pitching from Sidney Ponson in his first start of the season, and a second impressive start in a row from "ace" Rodrigo Lopez. Only a failed relief appearance from the 'pen caused the O's a loss on Saturday. However, the season still has over 150 games to go, but as we O's fans only know,...let's revel in what we have so far, because the whole may not be as good as the parts, if you know what I mean!?

rexx1356 at 9:03:17 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Well, the opening series is over, having started with a bang and ending in a whimper. However, what you see is what you get! What does that mean? Basically, this is what O's fans should expect from their team. Some days, the bats will boom and the pitching will come through with a quality start, followed by an effective bullpen. Most days, unfortunately, you'll have to endure inconsistent hitting, spotty starters and an overworked 'pen. Those bandwagon, blindly loyal fans who think we're going to compete for a Wild Card entry into the postseason need a reality check, but probably won't face the facts until late July or so. This team still is going nowhere. Even the addition of a Tim Hudson or Mark Mulder wouldn't have made a difference. Rodrigo Lopez may be our best pitcher, but in a perfect world, he's a third or fourth starter, followed by Cabrera and Bedard. Ponson, he would be in the minors, working on his attitude, or moved to a team who would take his shtick, just like the Rangers took Matt Riley. Hudson could only pitch every 5th day, so we'd look for at least 30 starts from him and then what? As long as the BoSox and Bronx Bombers are there with their freewheeling GM's and bottomless payrolls, we're looking at third place, or at least a miracle- and a miracle is not what most fans want to sit around, spend the big bucks to wait for each season. No salary cap? Fine, then let's all wait for the Yanks to make the playoffs and hope for someone else to step up to the plate and beat them. However, it won't be the Orioles, guys. Besides, only a few more months until football season!!!

rexx1356 at 10:10:48 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Orioles - 4,   Oakland - 0

O's take the season opener in a shutout as Rodrigo Lopez outpitches former Cy Young winner Barry Zito, who was undefeated against the O's before this game. Sammy Sosa's debut was a hit - in fact two hits, and the Orioles played solid ball and moved their runners along the bases effectively. Luis Matos hopefully has turned around his woes from last season, with a long homerun into the O's bullpen. The weather was sunny with high winds, and the fans flocked to the game with plyoff hopes in their minds, as we started the season tied for first place, ahead of the BoSox!!!

Oakland is perrennialy overrated, although Billy Beane is the best GM in the game, in my opinion. However, as good as a season or two they've had in past years, there's no way they can replicate them, with losing their tw top pitchers and now their ace is coming off his worst season. They have some soon to be good rookie and second year players, but are no, repeat, are not a playoff team. Look for a much improved Seattle team to challenge the Anaheim (LA of Anaheim?) Angels for the West. The O's outlook? Well, let's take it one day at a time, and for now....we're number 1!!!

rexx1356 at 10:43:34 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

As we see players begin camp for the first full squad workouts, the statement, "the more things change, the more they stay the same" rings true for the Baltimore Orioles. As usual, the Yankees and Red Sox reload by spending bucks without regard, and the Orioles continue to stand pat, save for the insignificant minor moves and a big one that still shouldn't change anything. Why? With a roster typical of Triple A, their pitching consists of those who either are unproven or have not yet proved themselves in their limited major league innings. Oh yes, then there's Sir Sidney Ponson, he of the slimmed-down waist (?), who was also a waste last season! He should be nicely slotted as the number three starter. However, due to their off-season fumblings and hesitations, he is their "ace!" Even with the offensive firepower at the plate, it seems we'll have to win games 9-8 in order to compete. Compete!? For what!? Third place again!? The frustration continues...

NOTE:  The photo posted above is of the "Fear The ORIOLE" wristbands. I know, nobody exactly "fears" the Orioles. However, these wristbands are being sold for $3 each, with a portion of the proceeds going to the "Wounded Warrior Project," which raises money in support of America's servicemen who are wounded overseas in the lines of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. For more information on supporting this worthy cause, e-mail: FearBands@aol.com. Thanks!

rexx1356 at 9:41:02 AM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 2 comments: Show Recent | Add your own