How bout those Orioles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hokieone - Yes the O's are in first place and playing well. I think the O's fans have seen this before (just about every year), and hope and pray that owner Angelos stays away. Showalter is a very good manager. The big test will be their pitching.

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"...getting good bounces here and there..."

And how is this happening?



Only their Sportscuts® barber knows for sure!




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And the biggest excitment is still in the fans running on the field

Congratulations to Ryan Flaherty (Deering High - Portland ME and Vanderbilt) who got his first MLB hits this past week.

Now back to reality. Didn't you make this post about the same time last year?

Oh ye of little faith...

You know they are good when Brian Matuz (sp) is on the team. He is from our Little League!! The first one to ever make MLB!

The O's take 2 of 3 from the Evil Empire, in the Bronx, with their pitchers allowing 3 runs total in 27 innings. O's are now 16-9, can't recall the last time they were at this place, but the team comments seem pretty level-headed. Yes, it's very early, but a lot of good things are happening and as one who watches them closely, they're getting a break or bounce here and there, an intangible which seems to happen for teams on a roll.

Go O's! Maybe, just maybe, the long winter of our discontent is over.....




p.s. with the Nationals performing well- perhaps a Beltway World Series? Unthinkable? Maybe the Mayan's are right....one expert says the December 21 end date is 60 days off, which puts it around October 21...yikes! That's World Series time.....

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Sit still Hokieone! If you keep getting the bounces like the Orioles do you're likely to loosen your 'H' and it'll fall off for good. Imagine that...you'll become Okieone!






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quote:

Originally posted by hokieone:
The O's take 2 of 3 from the Evil Empire, in the Bronx, with their pitchers allowing 3 runs total in 27 innings. O's are now 16-9, can't recall the last time they were at this place, but the team comments seem pretty level-headed. Yes, it's very early, but a lot of good things are happening and as one who watches them closely, they're getting a break or bounce here and there, an intangible which seems to happen for teams on a roll.

Go O's! Maybe, just maybe, the long winter of our discontent is over.....




p.s. with the Nationals performing well- perhaps a Beltway World Series? Unthinkable? Maybe the Mayan's are right....one expert says the December 21 end date is 60 days off, which puts it around October 21...yikes! That's World Series time.....

Early 90's (Cal Ripken era) was the last time I recall the O's getting out to a good start. Though they tended to go in to a slide after the All-Star break.

Barring injuries the Nats and O's could go far. Here's hoping for a a Beltway Series......

I'm glad to see it. I really hope the O's have bottomed out. If we are having this conversation in August, then we'll have a story.

Although it is way too early to label the Orioles as a playoff team or true contender, it is easy to see that Showalter has this team definitely on the right track. The youngsters like Jones and Markakis have matured and Weiters (after several years of adjustments) is arguably the top all around catcher in baseball. This is a team Oriole fans can feel proud to come out and watch and once again shows Showalter's skill at building a team. He can get on players and front office's nerves after several years due to his micromanaging but truthfully this team needed strong leadership and perhaps the owner will just let him do his thing. Still I don't feel they have quite the depth or experienced starting pitching of the other main contenders, but injuries are taking their toll on NY, Boston and now with Longoria out, Tampa Bay. So we shall see. Worse underdogs have won pennants in past seasons.

They do look good, very good. With the Red Sox and Yankees back in he garage for retooling, the O's could be playoff bound. However, don't judge the O's by their record against the worst team of 2012, the Boston Red Sox.

It's nice to be relevant and hopefully stay that way...

The phrase "Orioles Magic" is finding its way into more and more stories. A Designated Hitter goes 0 for 8.....and then pitches 2 scoreless innings, including a big K of Gonzalez, and gets the win. Great comment by Chris Davis, when asked what he thought when told he was going in to pitch:

"Sweet! Cause hitting sure ain't working..."


Yes,it's early and the O's schedule originated in the 7th circle of He** as after 6 with the Yankees and Red Sox, with no break they have 4 with the Rangers, then 3 with the Rays...but whatever they're doing sure beats the alternative..

Go O's!

The O's have exposed how utterly pathetic the Red Sox are right now. O's swept the Sox at Fenway.

Here is today's Red Sox rant brought to you by Fenwaysouth....

THe Red Sox DL is higher in payroll than a handful of good MLB teams. Their pitching is mediocre at best and the lineup has scored 3 runs or less in 13 of 25 games. The answer is not to wait for the DL to get healthy. They need to make some moves when the time is right. Adrian Gonzalez went 0-8 yesterday against the Orioles, and then would not address the media. He is the second coming of JD Drew with his nonchalance. I can't watch them or listen to them anymore. I will poke my eyes out!

End of rant.

Now that Hurricane Hamilton has left town, the O's are back in business, taking the first two from Tampa Bay to open up a two game lead...but the Yankees are lurking around... still in it, still relevant!

quote:

Originally posted by fenwaysouth:
The O's have exposed how utterly pathetic the Red Sox are right now. O's swept the Sox at Fenway.

Here is today's Red Sox rant brought to you by Fenwaysouth....

THe Red Sox DL is higher in payroll than a handful of good MLB teams. Their pitching is mediocre at best and the lineup has scored 3 runs or less in 13 of 25 games. The answer is not to wait for the DL to get healthy. They need to make some moves when the time is right. Adrian Gonzalez went 0-8 yesterday against the Orioles, and then would not address the media. He is the second coming of JD Drew with his nonchalance. I can't watch them or listen to them anymore. I will poke my eyes out!

End of rant.

People in Chicago think Theo Epstein is going to be the Messiah. What they don't understand is he left just a few minutes ahead of the posse. Epstein was good at picking up the little pieces to go with the cornerstones before he arrived ... Millar, Belhorn, Cabrera, Roberts, etc..

But lets look at his major acquisitions:

Gonzalez: Thinks God decides who wins games. Folded in the pennant race last year. Can't handle playing in a major market.

Crawford: Even if playing well overpaid for too long of a contract. Epstein feared the Yankees would get him. The Yankees never made an offer.

Drew: Epstein loved him for is on base percentage. Should have looked at his game playing percentage. The guy sat with sprained fingernails.

Lugo: Another Epstein on base percentage grab. The guy stunk. In addition to not getting on base he couldn't catch a cold in the field.

Lackey: Another player Epstein overpaid for out of fear the Yankees would get him. Wish they had. Signed pitcher with history of arm problems to long term contract.

Dice K: Another player Epstein feared the Yankees would get. Way overpaid for him. Undisciplined. Overrated. Mileage in Japan blew up on him in Boston.

Martinez: Nothing to show for him except lost prospects when Epstein traded prospects for an impending free agent then failed to sign him.

Epstein got into accumulating stars and got away from role players and team chemistry. Look how well it's worked.

The Beckett/Lowell for Ramirez trade was a great trade even though Ramirez could end up a HOF'er. But Beckett has outlived his usefulness. He's a cancer given all the young pitchers worship him. I wonder if they have an alter of beer and chicken. I predict Beckett is gone by the trading deadline.

Imagine missing a start with an injury, hitting the golf course and getting shelled in your next start. Yep, that story played well with the fans.

quote:

RJM said. Epstein got into accumulating stars and got away from role players and team chemistry. Look how well it's worked.

The Beckett/Lowell for Ramirez trade was a great trade even though Ramirez could end up a HOF'er. But Beckett has outlived his usefulness. He's a cancer given all the young pitchers worship him. I wonder if they have an alter of beer and chicken. I predict Beckett is gone by the trading deadline.

RJM - I couldn't agree more in your Red Sox analsysis. If it is one thing I've learned in almost 50 years of doing anything it is that team chemistry is soooo important if you want to be successful at anything. I would say the Orioles have that right now. Whether or not the O's have the talent is another matter, but I like their team chemistry and Matt Wieters is stepping up as the team leader.

At the time I loved the Beckett/Lowell for Hanley Ramirez trade but for the wrong reasons. Mike Lowell has become one of my all time favorite Red Sox players. I love that guy, and a great team player. The Red Sox need more Mike Lowells. Beckett's days are numbered at Fenway. He needs some new scenery, and the Red Sox need some new blood.

I'll bet no one has become more beloved by the fan base for sucha short stay in Boston as Mike Lowell. The guy was a major league class act in addition to being a clutch hitter.

Here's an article I saw in the Portland paper yesterday on all the Sea Dogs/Red Sox prospects the Sox have traded in the past few years.

Bound for Fenway, or not

And now I return you to your regularly scheduled Orioles programming.

Bumping this back to the top...because the O's are still on top!

We won't start the magic number count quite yet, but the ride is a lot of fun. Seeing that the Nationals just beat Philly for the 6th time in a row, it sure looks like there could be a changing of the guard happening.

Looking at A-Rod, Sir Albert and his struggles, Ryan Howard, the Red Sox busts,etc, why would you EVER give a 8-10 year contract for bazillions of dollars to anyone-all those deals seem to become an albatross in short order.

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I think Icterus along with Galbula deserve a soaring contract...after all they are birds of the feather and they ought to stick together!



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hokieone,

It never ceases to amaze me how truly dumb some of the decisions are that are made with regards to long term contracts. One team gets the elite years for minimal or affordable money, and then some other dummy steps in and pays mega bucks for the downward spiral and then can't dump the contract and complains about it!

quote:

Originally posted by Three Bagger:
hokieone,

It never ceases to amaze me how truly dumb some of the decisions are that are made with regards to long term contracts. One team gets the elite years for minimal or affordable money, and then some other dummy steps in and pays mega bucks for the downward spiral and then can't dump the contract and complains about it!

Teams are selling out the long term for the short term benefits of the player. Wayne Granger and Mike Hampton should be the poster boys against long term contracts for pitchers.

I cringed when the Sox signed Crawford. I figured the first three maybe four years would be fruitfull. The first 1 1/4 has been a disaster. I wondered how you sign a player whose game is speed to a contract that takes him into his late thirties.

There was a good article in last Sunday's Boston Globe on the volitility of closers and the dangers of signing them to long term contracts.

Early draft picks are paying off for the Nats and the Orioles.

The ironic part is that for many of these players, who will become FA, will eventually move on to the bigger FA spending teams.

It's like a cycle, recently the FA market has dried up but will replenish in a few years.

The one team I can't figure out is the Royals, all those early picks, they can't field a winning team.

They managed to take 1 of 3 at home this week from the last place Red Sox. I'm thinking the jury is still out, but they are a very good team. They pitch very well and are strong up the middle. Jones and Wieters can play for anybody, obviously. If their pitching holds up, they could make some noise. I'm still not sold on Tommy Hunter, even 40 pounds lighter. He's just so so. They need playoff experience to really improve. They may get it this year.