Calendar Girls

Assuming the Orioles lose to the Yankees today (and I don't think you'll be asking me what "assume" stands for anytime soon as the Tirds are losing 5-1 to the Yankees in the top of the 7th), the last time the Orioles won in New York City was July 29, 2008.

Maybe you remember the Bad Oriole's visit to Yankee Stadium that year. It was July 28th, the day before the O's last won in NYC. The Orioles crushed Mike Mussina and the Yankees 13-4. All was right with the world back then...how it has changed since.

Oh, and while I'm busting out these awesome factoids, do you remember the last time the zerO's won in Boston? July 11, 2008.

That's right folks, it's been a full calendar year since the Orioles have won in either rival AL East city.

Look up "pathetic" in the dictionary and the 2008 and 2009 Orioles team photo will be staring back at you.

Let's see your moves

The Orioles are 1-5 after the All Star Break, 11 games below .500 and in need of some immediate roster moves.

Rich Hill, in a word, is done.

Remember Adam Eaton? Hill is worse. Well, almost.

7.64 ERA in 12 starts? Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Rich.

Chris Tillman meanwhile is cruising in AAA Norfolk to the tune of a 2.42 ERA and 95 K in 93 IP. The wrap on Tillman at one point was that he needed to go deeper in games. Well, in his last 7 starts, Tillman has gone at least 6 IP in all of them.

So expect to see Tillman in Baltimore soon. Really soon. As in, When-Hill-is-supposed-to-start-next soon.

As for trades, they don't look very promising. The O's most valuable players, Luke Scott and George Sherrill don't look like they're going anywhere since they are cheap and under control for two more seasons.

Meanwhile, soon-to-expire players such as Danys Baez and Aubrey Huff don't have any trade value. Melvin Mora has little value and a no-trade clause as durable as the Great Wall of China.

Yes, Baez looked great at the beginning of the season, and was a trade waiting to happen, but since his hot start he had a 5.40 ERA in June and a 7.11 ERA thus far in July. Huff, meanwhile, is a notorious slow starter and I guess he never got the memo that it's now summertime, when he usually heats up. His .742 OPS is near the bottom of 1B's in the majors.

4th OF Felix Pie could be traded, only because he's not able to find any playing time in Baltimore, and could fetch a promising player much like himself, but it's unlikely MacPhail will part with Pie either. The Cubs connection runs deep with MacPhail.

So there you have it. The Orioles are a boring team right now, and seem prepared to take another second half nosedive. The call-up of Tillman could get a few fans excited for a minute, but it won't last. This still isn't a very good team and they continue to run themselves out of games, just like Monday night's debacle in New York when Caesar Izturis and Brian Roberts were both thrown out at the plate in the 8th inning of a 1-1 tie game that the Orioles eventually lost.

The bottom line is that this team has to get better, fast. The Orioles can only tease us with the excitement of rookie call-ups for so long.

Pretty soon we've got to see it all come together.

All Star Break Review

Well, that West Coast trip wasn't so bad after all.

After losing 3/4 to the Angels, the O's rebounded and took 2/3 from the Mariners to come back home with a 3-4 record on the West Coast trip.

Then they took another 2/3 from the Blue Jays.

So as the Orioles head into the All Star Break, I can't help but feel a little excited about the second half of the 2009 season.

Yeah, I said it knowing that August and September is usually when the Orioles crash dive.

I also couldn't care less that the Orioles are still 7 games under .500 or that Nick Markakis hasn't hit a HR since June 16th.

The O's are playing well, and that means I am excited. If they come out of the break and lose 6 out of 8 games, I will be depressed.

That's just how it goes here at the Bad Oriole.

But seriously, there is reason for hope. Chris Tillman (2.50 ERA, 88 K in Norfolk) is just a couple of weeks from being called up. David Hernandez has an ERA below 4 in 5 starts. And Brad Bergesen is the team's ace, with a 3.54 ERA in 16 starts.

Sure, Matt Wieters is off to a slow start (.724 OPS) and is not ready for the Chuck Norris-esque MattWietersFacts.com, but give him time. He's the catcher of the future, plain and simple.

Meanwhile, Nolan Reimold is the LF of the future. I'd also be fine with Luke Scott as the DH of the future. As a matter of fact, I'd be fine penciling his name into the DH spot until he can't stand up, much like Harold Baines did. Let's just keep Scott instead of trading him and re-signing him a dozen times like the Orioles did in the 90's.

Yeah, OK...we do need some new corner-infielders. But 1B prospect Brandon Snyder just cruised through Bowie, with Wieters-like 1.081 OPS. Ty Wigginton could take over at 3B for Melvin Mora in 2009, but we could also trade Aubrey Huff, George Sherrill, Danys Baez or Jeremy Guthrie for our future 3B.

So there is some reason for hope. Hell, Rich Hill just turned in a quality start in which he walked just 1 batter in 6 IP.

Let's just hope the O's give us a reason to watch them play until the end of September.

Mason Announces Retirement

Derrick Mason announced his abrupt retirement yesterday, telling ESPN News, "This is a decision that I've made. If I do change my mind, it won't be because of the Ravens. It'll be because of some other things - my family and talking with other people. I still got to talk with some coaches over there. As far as financially, I don't think they can do anything to sway me."

Earlier this offseason, Mason wanted a contract extension. Could this be a negotiating ploy? Maybe, but it's doubtful according to what Mason told the media. And with Steve McNair's recent murder, Mason may have taken another look at his life and decided that there was more to it than just football.

It's hard to get upset with Mason if that is the case, but it still leaves the Ravens in a massive hole. Training camp starts in 2 weeks and the Ravens didn't address the WR position this offseason other than signing Kelley Washington. And losing Mason is a huge step backwards.

Over the course of 4 seasons with the Ravens, Mason averaged 986 receiving yards and almost 4 TD's. Not huge numbers, but Mason was the Ravens go-to WR over that time. He ran perfect routes and had great hands. And there is no one on the Ravens currently able to fill his shoes.

Mark Clayton is poised to have a big year, continuing to develop with QB Joe Flacco, but Clayton is far from a #1 WR. He made some acrobatic catches last year, but is still inconsistent, disappearing for games at a time. That said, unless the Ravens do something drastic, he will be the Ravens #1 WR by default and will have to step up.

Demetrius Williams has the speed and height to break-out in 2009, but his injury issues have kept him out of 16 games over the last 2 years. Kelley Washington impressed the Ravens during their WR workout earlier this offseason, but Washington has only caught 10 passes in the NFL over the last 3 years. Then there is Marcus Smith, a second year WR out of New Mexico, who didn't catch a pass in 2008. What he brings to the table is unknown.

To say the Ravens WR options beyond Clayton are limited is an understatement. And their options outside the organization just as limited.

There was talk of trading for Broncos troubled WR Brandon Marshall earlier this offseason, but Marshall is dealing with some severe off-the-field troubles. Then there is another troubled WR in Plaxico Burress. No team has had the guts to sign Burress, coming off an embarrassing nightclub incident in which he shot himself in the leg last November. As with Marshall, a Burress suspension could be imminent, so its unknown how many games the Ravens would have them for in 2009.

Beyond Marshall and Burress, the available wide-receivers are replacement level talent. When the Ravens signed Washington, they also tried out DJ Hackett, Tab Perry and Jerry Porter. Among those names, Porter is the most enticing, but his injury issues are worrisome. And in 10 games last year with the Jaguars, he caught only 11 passes, for 181 yards and 1 TD.

The retirement of Mason leaves Flacco's development up in the air as well. Without Mason, Flacco doesn't have a security blanket that he offered Flacco in 2008. So, unless Mason is posturing for a contract extension, the Ravens will be entering the 2009 season extremely shorthanded.

I wish Mason the best, and if his retirement was brought on by McNair's murder, it's understandable. There is more to life than just football, and we, as fans, have trouble remembering that at times.

But Mason's decision to retire has knocked Ravens from Super Bowl Contenders to a fringe playoff team.

West Coast Blues

Well, after yesterday's horrible loss, I aim to depress you more. So get the prozac ready.

Since 2007, the Orioles are 14-22 on the West Coast. And starting tonight, they are back on the West Coast to face the Angels for 3 games and then the Mariners for 3.

Can you say 1-5?

At some point, the Orioles are going to have to play well on the West Coast if they want to be a competitive team, just like they'll have to play better against the Red Sox and Yankees at some point and play better in August and September at some point.

But yet the Orioles aren't making any big strides in that department.

You'd think that with good young talent like Brad Bergesen, Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold and Matt Wieters on the team that the Orioles would improve their overall record. But on July 2nd they are 35-43 and a whopping 13 games out of first place. 

Is it 2002? 2003? Or 2009? I can't tell judging by the standings.

What exactly has changed from years past when Jeff Conine and Jay Gibbons were batting clean-up? When Rodrigo Lopez was our "ace"?

I don't know. The Orioles are still a bad team. I thought they'd be a little better than this once they got infused with some top young talent in the form of Reimold and Wieters. But since Wieters has been called up, the team is 12-17 and Wieters has not yet found any consistency at the plate or behind it. 

OK, this is not all Wieters' fault. Simply put, the Orioles still stink because they are a bad team. They can't close out games they should win. They can't get all 3 parts of the team (hitting, starting rotation and bullpen) on the same page.  

They just tease you with extended periods of good baseball balanced out by equal periods of bad baseball.

So it looks like more bad baseball is to come as the Orioles head out west. Maybe they don't like jet lag. Who knows.

One this is for sure is that these next 6 games are going to be as painful as watching the O's lose a game to the Red Sox in which they had a 5-1 lead going into the 9th inning.

That is all.

Well...they ARE the Orioles...

I just wanted to get a quick entry off before the inevitable happens and the Orioles lose a depressing game in which they had the lead 5-1 behind a masterful 8 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K performance by Brad Bergesen before Jason Johnson and George Sherrill proceeded to piss it away with a 2-run home run to Kevin Youkilis and 4 walks that contributed to the Red Sox tying up the score 5-5 in the 9th.

The game is in the top of the 11th inning right now, and the Red Sox have a runner on third with 1 out. So I know the Orioles are going to lose. They wore those rally caps out last night. They will not come back tonight.

So I leave you with this: How long will the Orioles continue to erase every positive step they make? One huge comeback win last night, one huge comeback loss today.

Ying and Yang.

It almost makes me want to close down the Bad Oriole and free myself from this frustratingly bad baseball team.

Almost.

That's what I call a defining moment!

You want a defining moment? I’ll give you a defining moment.

June 30^th against the hated Red Sox. 

Boooooo! 

The Orioles are down 10-1 after six innings. 

TEN to ONE! 

What happens next? I’ll tell you what happens next.

Oscar Salazar! SALAZAR! Three run home run. I’m talking “Earl Weaver special”.

That brought the score to 10-5. But the O’s weren’t done yet. Felix "You say pee-yay, I say" Pie, drives in another run to make it 10-6.

We’re just getting started people!

* does bad early 90’s hip-hop dance *

The bottom of the eighth inning is where the Oriole magic really kicked in. Here's how it happened.

Matt Wieters singles, Nolan Reimold scores. 10-7.

Ty Wigginton his a sac-fly, Luke Scott scores. 10-8.

Brian Roberts singles, Oscar Salazar scores. 10-9.

* makes Macauley Caulkin from Home Alone face *

Then, Nick “the stick” Markakis lines a double into left-center, bringing home the 2 go-ahead runs.

11-10. 

ELEVEN to TEN! 

* does dance again *

Then, Flat Breezy himself comes in to the bottom of the ninth and retires the side.

O’s win. Red Sox lose. RED SOX LOSE!

Did I mention the Sox lose?

Not only is it the biggest comeback in O’s history, it’s the biggest comeback for a last place team over a first place team.

* Oh, I’m not supposed to mention that the O’s are a last place team? OK, let me do that last one over then. *

It’s the biggest comeback in O’s history. Buh-bye Sox fans.

* waves bye to the camera *

That’s what I call a defining moment.