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The Baltimore Orioles Are Only A Game Out Of First Place

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Say it with me, The Baltimore Orioles are only a game out of first place.

Doesn’t that have a nice ring to it?

The Baltimore Orioles are only a game out of first place.

After 14 straight seasons of hard living below the baseball poverty line, an Orioles fan like myself could get use to this.

The Baltimore Orioles are only a game out of first place.

To be fair, schools are still in session and we’ve witnessed these sort of speedy starts from the Birds before. But something about last night was different. Jake Arrieta pitched like a boss. Heck he didn’t allow a single Yankees baserunner to reach second base. That’s right, for 8 innings the likes of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, and Mark Teixeira were relegated to pedantic discussions with 1st base coach Mick Kelleher.

The Baltimore Orioles are only a game out of first place.

Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it? My flock is conditioned to believe that this string of early season success will eventually wilt under the warm summer sun and intense pressure of the eternally hyper-competitive AL East. With upcoming series against Boston, Tampa, and Texas, Baltimore’s precocious starting pitching staff will be tested and it’s hard to image that the bottom of the Orioles lineup, especially Chris Davis and Robert Andino, will continue to get on base and drive in runs as they have so far this season. But….

The Baltimore Orioles are only a game out of first place.

Not too shabby for a team picked by most to finish a distant 5th in the AL East. I was fortunate to be in “The House That $1.2 Billion Built” for last night’s game and unlike previous Yankee/Oriole tilts in the stadium New Yorkers were made to pay attention to and dare I say respect the performance of their once proud rivals from down the I-95 corridor.

The Baltimore Orioles are only a game out of first place.

14 years of losing and a heart full of optimism. If only the season ended today.

The Baltimore Orioles are only a game out of first place.

 

 

Rich Uncle Pennybags 2012 MLB Preview

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Last year VMS did individual previews for each of the 30 MLB teams. In the end, that process was both time consuming and slightly ineffective. This year I have tried something a bit less labor intensive yet an idea we can all relate to. With that in mind, it is now time to take a few trips around the Monopoly board as I use the beloved game to preview the 2012 MLB season.

Dark Purple (the welcome mats)

Mediterranean Avenue – Houston Astros, Baltic Avenue – Oakland A’s

The only thing that could have kept the Astros out of the board game basement would have been if they changed their name back to the Colt .45’s. As for the A’s, maybe a new stadium will change their future fortunes.

Railroads (surprising overachievers)

New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians

Individually, the railroads are essentially worthless entities. However, when combined they form quite the formidable conglomerate. In the case of the Mets, Cubs, White Sox, and Indians expectations are fairly low but something tells me that a couple of these teams will surprise us all and remain in contention through the All Star break.

Light Blue (proud yet pathetic)

Oriental Avenue – Baltimore Orioles, Vermont Avenue – Pittsburgh Pirates, Connecticut Avenue – San Diego Padres

The light blues are your first real opportunity around the board to score a semi desirable property. I don’t know what the statistics show but it sure does seem like a lot of players land on these three pieces of not so prime real estate. Speaking of people landing on something, the Orioles, Pirates, and Padres have been getting stepped on for years. Just one winning season, that’s all us Orioles fans are asking for!!!

Light Purple (too old with too far to go)

St. Charles Place – Minnesota Twins, States Avenue – Atlanta Braves, Virginia Avenue – St. Louis Cardinals

There’s something about taking that turn around Just Visiting that gets participants all sorts of hot and bothered. Unfortunately, Monopoly is very rarely won or lost in the light purples. Fans of the Twins, Braves, and Cardinals know a thing or two about winning. This year things could be different as all three are beginning to trade on name more than talent. Too bad to since you haven’t lived until you’ve tried the Walleye Skewer at Target Field.

Water Works & Electric Company (meh)

Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Seattle Mariners

I’ve been playing Monopoly for most of my life and I still can’t figure out exactly how you make money off of either Water Works or Electric Company. All I know is it somehow involves percentages and I was never any good at fractions to begin with. The Brewers, Diamondbacks, Rockies, and Mariners are equally as hard to figure out which is surprising considering 2 of 4 made the postseason in 2011. East coast bias? Perhaps, but how many of you living west of the Mississippi were even aware that the MLB regular season started last week in Japan?

Orange (can’t you just smell the free parking?)

St. James Place – Kansas City Royals, Tennessee Avenue – Toronto Blue Jays, New York Avenue – Washington Nationals

The Royals, Jays, and Nationals have all been picked to have breakout seasons in 2012. And while these teams are at least one year, or in the case of the Jays a different division, away from competing for a playoff spot, I’d be willing to bet that most Monopoly winners make more money off of the oranges than they do either Boardwalk or Park Place.

Red (avenue of longshots and dreams)

Kentucky Avenue – Miami Marlins, Illinois Avenue – San Francisco Giants, Indiana Avenue – Cincinnati Reds

When you get to the reds it’s time to play for keeps. I expect all three of these teams, the Marlins, Giants, and Reds, to make the playoffs but don’t feel as if any will contend beyond the divisional round. These teams are all excellent examples of how weak the National League is this year. None of three would make the playoffs if they were in the American League.

Yellow (anything less than a championship)

Atlantic Avenue – Philadelphia Phillies, Ventnor Avenue – Texas Rangers, Marvin Gardens – Detroit Tigers

I for one have always wanted to know more about the etymology of Marvin Gardens. Is it really named after a guy named Marvin? If so, what was so nice about his garden? In any case, the yellow block treads on very perilous territory given its close proximity to the Go To Jail space. The Phillies, Rangers, and Tigers could easily find themselves behind bars this season if the injuries mount and Miguel Cabrera continues to field ground balls off of his orbital bone.

Green (crowd pleasers)

Pacific Avenue – Boston Red Sox, North Carolina Avenue – Los Angeles Angels, Pennsylvania Avenue – New York Yankees

The green properties are a nice, relatively inexpensive alternative to Boardwalk and Park Place. Some players may even tell you that they prefer the green monopoly over the blue. There is however nothing cheap about the Red Sox, Angels, and Yankees who all end up spending, and making, more money than just about any other MLB franchise. But all the hotels in the world can’t make up for a lack of starting pitching depth, flawed lineup, and an overly contentious manager.

Blue (the names say it all)

Park Place – Los Angeles Dodgers, Boardwalk – Tampa Bay Rays

It’s official, I’ve caught Dodger fever. And why not? There isn’t another National League team that really jumps off the page plus after years of playing under the dark shroud of the McCourt’s, Chavez Ravine will finally become an enlightened destination under the stewardship of new owner Magic Johnson. And for the Rays, I’m picking Tampa to win the whole thing in 6 games. Love their young pitching. Love Desmond Jennings. Heck, I even love Joe Maddon’s shorts.

 view from Ed Smith Stadium courtesy of @EddieInTheYard

You Can’t Spell Optimism and Orioles Without an O, I, & S

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I’m getting sick and tired of all the baseball fans out there hating on the Baltimore Orioles. Since when did we become a sports society built on a foundation of hostility, name calling, and dismissive cynicism? Yes, the Orioles haven’t had a winning record in 14 seasons. And so what if they still play in the uber-competitive AL East with an owner, Peter Angelos, who is more concerned with maintaining a lucrative law firm and regional sports network than putting a winning product on the field.  Certainly as a lifelong Orioles fan I have every right in the world to compose a 1000 word missive bashing the Birds for over a decade of ineptitude. But instead, I’m going to turn the other cheek and do like my brethren over at Camden Chat and give you 8 quality reasons for optimism if you’re a Baltimore Orioles fan in 2012.

1 – New Uniforms/Old Logo: Murray. Ripken. Palmer. Reimold. Andino. This is Birdland!!! In all honesty, Baltimore was probably due for a minor uniform alteration and as much as I love the ornithologically correct bird, the cartoon Oriole does bring us back to a day and age when the team was one of the prohibitive favorites in the American League. Now if we can just get Brooks Robinson healthy and back manning the hot corner.

2- Weight Watchers Worked For Me: Speaking of third baseman, Mark Reynolds supposedly lost over 20 pounds this offseason and is dedicated to improving his defense which is a very good thing since he committed 31 errors last season. To be fair, in his first season with Baltimore Reynolds did compile some impressive offensive numbers leading the team with 37 HRs and 86 RBI. The free swinging slugger also cut down on his strikeouts as well. Between a slimmed down Reynolds, and rock solid SS JJ Hardy, the left side of the infield should be in reliable hands this season.

3 – Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado: Most casual baseball fans haven’t heard of either of these two rising stars down on the Orioles farm but the mere mentioning of either prospect is enough to give Birdland goosebumps. Machado, a SS from Miami, has drawn comparisons to a young Alex Rodriguez and while I would certainly take ARod’s production for the next decade, I could really do without the banned substances and failed Snow White parodies.

Bundy, a right handed pitcher and 4th overall pick in the 2011 draft, makes throwing a baseball 100 mph look easy. (Think Rory McIlroy hitting a driver or Meryl Streep accepting an Academy Award.) Probably too early to expect a big league call up for either player this season but the future is certainly looking brighter with these two horses in the stable.

4 – The Life Of Brian: Brian Matusz spent the entire offseason working out with Brady Anderson in SoCal. I’m ok with his strength and conditioning program so long as it didn’t involve any hyperdermic needles and helps the young lefty pitcher return to his once promising form. 2011 was all but a lost year for Matusz who entered the season with an injured abdomen region and was never able to find the form that made him such a promising pitcher during the second half of 2010. Maybe a healthy, stronger Matusz can help eat up some of the innings that would have been consumed by Jeremy Guthrie had the former Orioles starter not been traded to Colorado.

5 – The United Nations of Pitching: I hope being permanently kicked out of South Korea was worth it. New GM Dan Duquette made a concerted effort to beef up the international scouting department and in the process managed to add a few veteran pitchers. Wei-Yin Chen and Tsuyoshi Wada could add some much needed depth to the starting rotation and hopefully challenge some of the younger arms like Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, and Zach Britton.

6 – Following the Wieters: After a gold glove winning 2010 where he hit 22 HRs and threw out 37% of potential base stealers, Matt Wieters has emerged as one of the best catchers in baseball. Buster Olney has already begun to  speculate about Wieters plans post playing career and believes the Orioles catcher has a chance to eventually emerge as a top managerial candidate a la Joe Girardi. Here’s hoping for at least another decade behind the Camden Yards dish before Wieters even considers contemplating a second career.

7 – Sigh No More: It has been too long since we last saw Brian Roberts take the field for the Baltimore Orioles. Recently the former all star second baseman has shown signs of overcoming a concussion that has kept him sidelined for nearly an entire year. It wasn’t long ago that Roberts was a considered a hot commodity and the cornerstone of the franchise. Now all the diminutive spark plug can do is take it one day at a time while the Orioles wait for the return of an undeniable difference maker.

8 – The AL Least?: The Orioles division can’t be as strong as it has been in the recent past. The Red Sox are bound to revolt against some of the policies being implemented by new manager Bobby Valentine. The Yankees lineup is getting older and the Rays can’t possibly continue their magic, even with one of the most impressive pitching rotations in baseball. If everything goes right this could be the year that Baltimore finally breaks the .500 barrier.

Remember, it’s Spring Training. Optimism reigns supreme.

view from Ed Smith Stadium courtesy of @kevindayhoff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chicago Cubs Hire Eddie Vedder’s Best Friend to Run Baseball Operations

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Some will say that Theo left Boston after it was revealed how dysfunctional the Red Sox clubhouse had become in 2011. And sure, the endless hours of Black Ops in the catacombs of Fenway Park remain a disgrace for the entire Red Sox organization, it was nothing so egregious as to cost Epstein his job. Others will argue that after 10 years, and 2 World Series rings, he was looking for a new challenge in a different city. And while taking over a franchise that hasn’t won a World Series since 1908 presents its fair share of inherent obstacles, I’d like to believe that Epstein to the Cubs happened because of the simple fact that it is what Eddie Vedder wanted.

I’ll never forget my first ever Pearl Jam concert. Back in 2006, a buddy of mine who was a loyal member of the Ten Club managed to get us two floor seats for one of the bands Boston shows. As to be expected, it was a pretty great experience full of the traditional standbys like Even Flow, Corduroy, and Alive, along with enough anti “W” Vedder speak to antagonize the most conservative sect of Pearl Jam concert goers. During the encore, the band brought out a few friends to help them out with Uncle Neil’s Rockin’ In The Free World. Why Theo Epstein decided to take the stage in full disguise I’ll never know. But there he was, the Boston Red Sox GM jamming away next to lead guitarist Mike McCready.

Only later did I find out that Epstein was in fact a huge Pearl Jam fan and that he and Vedder had become pretty good friends throughout the years. And while a few persnickety Sox fans killed Theo for choosing a concert over Fenway Park, I always thought it was pretty cool that the guy wasn’t afraid to take a break from the daily grind and partake in the kind of seminal, life altering experience that would have made even Peter Gammons jealous.

Now I can’t tell you how Eddie Vedder became a Chicago Cubs fan. Whatever the backstory, the SoCal native’s passion for the Northsiders prompted Wrigley Field officials to invite him on several occasions to sing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” during the 7th inning stretch. Vedder’s love for the Cubbies runs so deep that he even wrote a song about them.

Connecting the dots, it’s clear from this very simple algebra that one of the primary reasons Theo Epstein became the President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs was because of Eddie Vedder. And although I can’t guarantee you that Vedder will play an integral role in the pursuit of hotly contested free agent to be Albert Pujols, I can tell you to expect Pearl Jam to be one of the very first musical acts invited to serenade the Wrigley faithful during the 2012 season.

view from Ballpark in Arlington courtesy of @ravedelay

 

World Series Preview: Bush vs Busch

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Even though it’s not the Hatfield’s vs. the McCoy’s, this 2011 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers does promise to be really really exciting for at least two isolated parts of the United States. For those living on either coast, I’m hearing really good things about Homeland on Showtime.

But seriously, all jokes aside, just because this Cardinals/Rangers series threatens to be the lowest rated World Series in television history does not mean that some people aren’t super jazzed up for this epic clash in America’s heartland. Take for example my friend Connor from St. Louis. Connor was 7 in 1982 when his Redbirds beat the Brewers to win the World Series. Flash forward 19 years and a liter of kids later and he’s sitting on the couch Sunday night with his 7 year old son watching as STL disposed of Milwaukee again, this time clinching the NL pennant.

Here’s where the story gets interesting. Connor has a good friend who in early September, when the Cardinals were 9 games out in the Wild Card, travelled down to Las Vegas and laid $250 on St. Louis to win the NL Championship at 500:1 odds. He won $125K Sunday night. While in Sin City, he also put another $250 on the Cards to win the World Series at 1000:1. Amazingly, he now sits 4 wins away from another $250K. There must be countless other stories out there similar to this, and maybe even a few that don’t involve high stakes sports betting.

And just to show you that there are multiple people who care about this World Series, I asked my buddy Dan, a diehard Cardinals fan, if he would rather win a World Series this season or re-sign Albert Pujols to a longterm deal in the offseason. Being the loyal fan that he is, and perhaps also afraid to anger the benevolent spirit of Jack Buck, Dan flat out refused to answer my question. So… let me do the dirty work for Cardinals fans. In the spirit of my hypothetical question, if you take Pujols long term what you are basically saying is that the Cardinals will win multiple championships after this season which seems highly unlikely considering the age of your hall of fame first baseman as well as the contract status of resident svengali Tony La Russa. Even though Dan can’t say it, I’m willing to bet that most Cardinals fans would rather win the World Series this year and take their chances with Carlos Pena for the next 4 seasons after that. Come to think about it…

And finally, a very quick scouting report. On paper these are two very equal teams each with deep lineups, adequate starting pitching, and stellar bullpens. Both managers, Ron Washington and Tony La Russa command the respect of their players even though Washington has been prone to partake in some recent involuntary breakdancing.

I predict the Cardinals win in 7, Lance Berkman is your World Series MVP, and Pujols takes a massive pay cut to sign with the Baltimore Orioles this offseason. How does that sound to you Dan?

view from Miller Park courtesy of @BIGCATWOOWOO