The Captain Brings the Drinks
These Orioles will drive you to drink, but as drunk as you get, the nightmare is still with us. It’s another three months until we’re out of this.
Link of the Day [6.03.10]
I wish I could post this one as a normal video but IniTech blocks "social networking" sites so that blogger is bloggered from work.With all the hoo-ha in baseball over the blown call in Detroit, the retirement of Ken Griffey, Jr. aka The Kid, was overshadowed. Twenty-two years in the majors, no World Series rings, over six hundred homers, and a love and joy for the game of baseball expressed in his smiling face that you can never forget. Dude hit the warehouse in Camden Yards!Today, I give you a video showcasing two good things: The Kid and beating the Yankees. It's from the 1995 ALDS when Seattle beat the Yankees after being down 2 games. This was the deciding fifth game. I think it's in the bottom of the tenth, extra innings. I remember this game, and it has always made me like Seattle.Sayonara, Junior! You're sweet swing and smile will be missed.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOWnLqjF40g
Links of the Day [5.18.10]
Read Joe Posnanski. He's a sports writer for Sports Illustrated, but his blog and his Twitter account contain great observations about baseball and sports. His beat is the Kansas City Royals. They are viewed as a worst franchise than the Baltimore Orioles which is hard to believe. The two teams are the bottom teams of the American League and are always at the bottom in all of baseball. Last year, the Royals had it worst. This year it's the Orioles. Both are going nowhere fast. Last night they played a game which four people came to the Yard to witness. Sadly, the Orioles being the worst team in all baseball lost again.Whenever Joe Posnanski writes about the Royals, I read it as applying to the Orioles. You just need to change the names of the players, but the losing ways are the same. Can't hit. Can't pitch. Can't catch. Can't throw. The story's the same for both teams. It's always amusing. Bad baseball is the same all over.http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2010/05/10/diary-of-a-losing-team-510/
http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2010/05/13/the-firing-of-trey-hillman/
http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2010/05/17/diary-of-a-losing-team-517/
2-3/11-24
May is slowly but inexorably slipping away. Pretty soon Memorial Day will be here and the start of summer. The heat and humidity will arrive soon to bring some misery to those summer days. Currently, the Baltimore nine are doing fine by misery. They've started the season with the second worst start any of their fans could imagine: a 2-16 apacolypse of bad hitting, terribly fielding, and abysmal relief pitching. There starters held there own, but lack of runs and lack of quality relief pitching doomed the Baltimore nine.I've been to several games. The opening day was joy until the final innings. The next two were no better: home team giving up four runs while scoring a measly one. Then, in comes Seattle. They're offense is even worse than ours even with Ichiro. Baltimore also has games against other woeful teams as Cleveland and Kansas City. It is a battle of the losers.After another tearful offensive perfomance against Cy Young winner, Cliff Lee, on Tuesday, the Orioles were able to battle for two straight wins. It lifts the city and the fans hearts out.I attended both games. Wednesday in the rain, Baltimore's silent bats came alive for 5 runs on 11 hits. Thursday the bats were dead again as Seattle's ace, Felix Hernandez, took it to the home team allowing 1 run on 3 hits. That day started off gray, but the sun came out. In the last half of the eighth, with Brandon League relieving Hernandez, the sun shone brightly for Baltimore.Brandon League has a hard time in Baltimore every time I attend a game. Last year, he closes out a four game finale for the Toronto Blue Jays by blowing another save and tossing the game away on a throwing error. Thursday, he gives up two home runs, one of which is a grand slam to starting to heat up Luke Scott. The grand slam is the game winner. The final out happens at the plate on an Ichiro hit, a Corey Patterson throw, and a beautiful tag from Matt Weiters. It brought joy to the fans. Maybe baseball will heat up again in Baltimore.I took the day off. The Yard was filled with kids. They made it loud, but screechy whenever they cheered. I was in dead center waiting for Ichiro or Luke Scott to bomb it there. They both hit a homer on either side of me. A Mets fan brought his buddies to root for the Orioles: high fives were exchanged during the triumphant blasts!Anyway, I'm now 2-3 this year. I've still got nine season ticket games. And I can't wait for more winning.
Good Spring NIghts Spoiled
The view from my season ticket seats. It’ll be a long season.
Orioles Home Opener: They Make Me Cry
The day I’ve been waiting all winter and spring arrived yesterday: the home opener for our Baltimore Orioles. Baseball is back in Baltimore! It’s spring! And we’re gonna be competing all year.
I’ve bought season tickets just to keep abreast of the team. I’ll be there when they win. I’ll be there when they lose. Hopefully, more wins that losses. I’m expecting a 75 win season from them — just a several games shy of .500, a winning season, because that’s a realistic expectation. So I’m going to be rooting for them.
My tickets for Opening Day was extra, so I chose not to sit in my season ticket seats. I’ve got 13 games there. I need a different angle. I’m in the upper deck section 348 close to the railing. It’s on the third base side and you get pretty views of all the hits.
This I was actually a we. I invited my nephew to watch since he’s got spring break. This is actually the first uncle-ish thing I did for the kid. Weird. I must suck as an uncle. He’ll enjoy this though. Baseball could be his sport.
We take the light rail up from Severn. First time I travelled north to go to the Yard. It’s filled with strange sights, but the trains are packed. They are filled with happy Birds fans. The first visit to Birdland of the year fills everyone with joy. The nephew and I pile into the train.
We get to the yard and join the throngs of fans amassing at the gate. First, we get some soda and drinks to bring in. After entering, we get some snacks. First hot dog of the year. We make it to our seats. The atmosphere was electric. The weather was cold though. Lucky we brought our jackets. We get to our seats and cheer on the opening day ceremonies. Brooks and Boog throw out the ceremonial first pitch. 
The night before, the Birds won their first game of the season. The team looks to make it two in a row. Brad Bergesen, the ace of last season, is the starter. He doesn’t have it today, the top of the first inning he allows 3 runs. Our line up is raring to go. 
We get those 3 runs back in the bottom half. But then our bats go cold, while Bergesen struggles all game. He allows the leadoff batters to reach base and he struggles to end innings. Meanwhile, Toronto’s starter who was wobbly in the first, walking three, settles down and gets several strikeouts. Come on! Where are our bats?
In the fourth inning, the nephew and I go for food. Last year, it was easy to get food. Walk up there was no line. Opening day is different, and we spend two innings in line missing Toronto go up 2 runs and the Orioles tying it up with Tejeda’s 2 run homer. The visitors go up again, but we storm back and take the lead. Pie pinch running for god, Matt Weiters, takes it from first to home on a single by Cesar Izturis. Last, year C-Izzy hit a homer in the bottom of the eighth to win the opener. This year it looked as if he got the game winner again. Pie was dead to rights out, but the catcher could not handle the ball. Why he was sent is a mystery? These great seats we had made all this plainly visible. Pie was only rounding third as the relay was coming home. He would’ve been out by three steps if the catch was made properly. Yet, Pie scores! PIE SCORES! THE ORIOLES ARE UP!
And then our closer comes in. The least said the better. Mike Gonzales’s line for the game 0.2 of an inning 1 walk, 1 passed ball, 2 hits, 2 earned runs. The Boo Birds were out in force. I was shaking my head. The nephew was booing loudly too. Gonzales wouldn’t be getting the grief he’s been getting if his delivery wasn’t so unorthodox. It’s a rocking motion which exaggerates his wildness.
But we lost. The final was 7-6. Blown save and all.
We cram back into the light rail and go home. Leaving the sad times behind. Maybe next time we’ll win. Next time is Monday. Who wants to go?
Opening Day Thread
Here’s to the Orioles!
I’m at the game.
Use this thread to chat about how terrible (or good) the team is today.
Here’s the great Oriole, Brooks Robinson. Mr. Oriole if you ask me. (Sorry, Cal. You’re just another O) It’s his 1962 Topps Card.
Here’s Brooks again with a groovy 1972 Topps card.
Here’s the 2010 outfield. Thank god for Adam Jones.
Come on Bawlmore! Come on Orioles! Come on Os!
160 Games Left
It's too early to criticize the Orioles. There are 160 games left. There's plenty of time to make it alright. Two games is not enough to estimate the quality of the team. Yet still, the first two losses of the season are an extension of the ways they lost last year: bullpen collapsing and not hitting with runners in scoring positions.The expectations are high for the fans. We're told the team is on the right path. The team is better than it was last year with the addition of free agents and with the maturation of our young stars. The team will win more games.Expectations can be dashed with reality.Will the free agents add hits and runs while maintaining a solid defense? Will our young players fulfill the potential that baseball scouts say they have? Will our pitching solidify into quality starters and solid bullpen work? Will the team score more runs and give up less runs than last year? Will they make all games competitive?The two games so far make the case for the negative. Our hopes were high. Now we wonder if we were deluding ourselves.But let's see. We still have 160 left.
Hey! Beer here!
IMG_2059
Originally uploaded by felixdaacat.
Looking at the Orioles and hoping that spring training is going to be nothing like the regular season. Except the bats. Not the pitching. And definitely not the losing.
Anyway. I was searching for spring training pictures and came across this set from last season’s penultimate game. We were at this game. So let’s play, “Where’s BrowserMetrics?” Squint real hard and find us.
75 Wins
Pitchers and catchers report tomorrow for spring training. And also Adam Jones.
I’m excited and hopeful, but that’s how it is at the start of a new season. After last year’s dismal finish, this year has got to be better. Are the Orioles a .500 team? Doubtful. There offseason acquisitions only bolstered the team little. They have to win 19 or more games than last year to get to the mediocre .500, and I don’t think they could do it.
They’re pitchers have to do good. At least one of them has to be a 13 game winner, and they need three to be 10 game winners to make them semi-decent.
They need a homerun hitter or at least someone to hit 25+ homeruns. Luke Scott? If he’s still on the team by years end. Markakis or Jones? Maybe. Weiters? Hopefully.
They need to generate runs and to keep giving up the homeruns themselves. They also need to play decent games against the monsters of the east, NY and Boston. They play 18 games against each of them. If they can win 12 of 36, that would be amazing.
So, I predict that we’ll win 75 games this year. It is reasonable enough and we know we’re headed in the right direction. We’ll see how we stack up at the all star break.