Know Your Opponent: Baltimore Orioles
by SoxDevil on Apr 16, 2009 9:28 PM EDT
in News
48 comments
The Baltimore Orioles. A once-proud franchise that was a powerhouse in mid-sixties and early seventies, they've fallen on hard times and bad management. Growing up, the only reason to root for the Orioles was Cal Ripken, Jr. That, folks, is changing.
The birds still need a lot of help on the pitching end of things, but they have an extremely underrated line-up with a lot of young talent. NIck Markakis and youngster Adam Jones are going to fixtures in Camden Yards for a long time to come. They, along with Aubrey Huff and Brian Roberts have proven to be a formidible challenge for opposing pitchers this season. The Orioles should score a lot of runs this season.
Mark Hendrickson, Jeremie Guthrie, Alfredo Simon, Koji Uehara, Adam Eaton. This is not a rotation that's going to help the birds win. The Orioles really need to secure some pitching talent in order to compete in the AL East.
Baltimore's bullpen can be shaky at times, but I'm a believer in Chris Ray and George Sherrill over the long term.
So how do the Red Sox' chances look for the upcoming series? It's hard to say. Our own pitching staff is wounded and depleted and the O's have a hot line-up. I'm glad that the Olde Towne Team got a day off and is returning home to the Friendly Fenway. With any luck, that'll get the bats going again.
Strengths
The Orioles have a formidable line-up that shouldn't be underestimated. They hit for decent power and run the bases very well. Keep an eye on Adam Jones this season, and you could see numbers very similar to Shane Victorino in Philadelphia. Markakis is a special player.
Weaknesses
You can never have too much pitching, and the Orioles have virtually nothing to begin with.
The Orioles' Keys to 2009 Success
Frankly, I don't think the Orioles stand a chance of doing very well in 2009. They have a good line-up, but it's not as strong as the Red Sox or Yankees in years past to mash without decent pitching to back it up. The Orioles future is looking brighter, but they need to groom and spend wisely on top-shelf pitching.
How the Red Sox can beat them
Shell the Orioles' starters and wear out the bullpen. The Orioles can beat anyone on a given day, but they can't match up in a long series.
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For more in-depth Orioles coverage, check out Camden Chat.
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I'll contribute something here:
Guthrie Pitch Movement (PFX – 4/11/09 vs. TBR)
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Apr 16, 2009 9:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
It is going to be Hell...
When The Birds call up Chris Tillman and Brian Matsuz. Those are frontline starters. I’d rate their stuff better than Bowden’s.
Anyways, I think we can get back to .500 area in this series. Talk to you guys tomorrow.
Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings.
by sox-inda-south on Apr 16, 2009 9:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Also, the photo caption is wrong.
Obviously Weiters has claimed that title.
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Apr 16, 2009 9:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Weiters hasn't played an inning of MLB ball yet
And can’t be considered “the present.” Besides, I think Markakis will continue to be the better player. Weiters gets a lot of attention because he can put up huge numbers for a catcher, much like Victor Martinez.
"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.
by SoxDevil on Apr 17, 2009 9:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Markakis is the best right fielder in the league
Weiters is a AA catcher with phenomenal promise.
For now, the caption is correct, particularly since we just signed Nicky to a 6-year deal.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 17, 2009 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sorry, thought the sarcasm was obvious.
My bad.
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Apr 17, 2009 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
oops.
upon rereading, it was. i was just being thick, i think.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 17, 2009 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nah, completely on me.
I need to stop being sarcastic, because I suck at it.
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Apr 17, 2009 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let the record state
that in our behind-the-scenes, smoke-filled-room discussions here at OTM Corporate Headquarters, in between bourbons and yachting expeditions (all of which were funded by taxpayer bailout money), Allen Chace said the following:
“3rd – Orioles. Matt Wieters comes up in June and not only revolutionizes the catching position, but also reveals a heretofore unseen-in-the-pros-talent, the ability to pitch to himself every 5th day. The game is never the same, and Wieters and former #1 starter Jeremy Guthrie give the O’s just enough starting pitching to help along their already excellent defense and strong offense.”
Given the Orioles’s 6-3 start, I think Mr. Chace’s predictions were quite prophetic. I await with baited breath the first time Wieters starts and catches a complete game shutout.
"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.
by 0157H7 on Apr 16, 2009 11:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I remember the day you and I thought we'd caught a fish.
And then remembered that we’d already gotten off the boat.
Also, I left out the easiest prediction I could make: that Matt Wieters will break the single season HR record while playing only from June-September.
I felt, at the time, that it went without saying.
"Are you a real doctor, or a doctor like Dr. Pepper is a doctor?"
by Allen Chace on Apr 17, 2009 2:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mark Weiters will also catch...
… without using a glove.
"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.
by SoxDevil on Apr 17, 2009 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's Matt Weiters, not Mark
but you’ll know that soon enough. ;)
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 17, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, snap
I just misspelled his last name. Joke’s on me. Wieters, not Weiters.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 17, 2009 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Damn it!
On behalf of us both. That’s what I get for writing comments during work and not taking the time to proof my words.
"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.
by SoxDevil on Apr 17, 2009 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wieters, Wieters, Wieters
When is the chosen one being brought up? Hopefully not for this series…
by sydneysox on Apr 17, 2009 12:58 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Indeed. Poor spelling.
I blame bs-etc-etc, who typed it first. ;-)
"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.
by SoxDevil on Apr 17, 2009 9:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
What happens if...
Matt Wieters catches a pitch thrown by Job Chamberlain in the All-Star game this spring?
Will Bud Selig suspend play to induct both players into the Hall of Fame? Will the rest of the rosters lift them on their shoulders and carry them in a joyous procession to the Gateway Arch, strewn with garlands of flowers in tribute to their mastery of the sport of ball and base? Will there be a spontaneous bout of singing and dancing as the sick children of St. Louis are cured of their ailments by the manifest magnificence of this dynamic duo? Will Yankees fans the world over injure themselves with furious masturbation at anticipation their entitlement to sign Wieters to a $75 million AAV contract one day? Will the nations of the world unite in a day of peace, and rename the planet Moba Wieberlainers?
Seriously, dude. No. Seriously…
(Actually, from everything I’ve heard Wieters appears to be an excellent offensive and defensive prospect at a plus-value position, who seems likely to meet or exceed his potential. More likely than Joba anyway, unless by “potential” you are referring to his potential to break his pitching hand in an offseason fracas with the bouncers in the third classiest stripjoint in Lincoln, Nebraska)
Rock me, sexy Jesus...
by nuthinboutnuthin on Apr 17, 2009 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
"Moba Wieberlainers"
Awesome.
Manny ain't the only bad man.
by tommy.otm on Apr 17, 2009 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
easy to say right now, but, somthing tells me the orioles are going to be a surprise this year and take 3rd place and not be that far off from 2nd.
by spinz on Apr 17, 2009 3:15 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
No starting pitching
I just really think they’re one front-line and one above-average pitcher away from being able to compete. My prediction is that the birds finish last unless Toronto trades Roy Halladay.
I look forward to seeing (or writing) the Know your opponent, Toronto edition. They have a lot of young talent, and some really good pitching that’s sidelined by injury this season.
"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.
by SoxDevil on Apr 17, 2009 9:18 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
To put it in context:
Baltimore Orioles vs….
Red Sox:
rotation: Sox
bullpen: Sox
line-up: Sox, but I’ll concede a push if you want to argue health
Yankees
rotation: Yankees
bullpen: Yankees
line-up: Yankees
Rays
rotation: Rays
bullpen: Rays
line-up: Rays
Toronto:
rotation: Toronto, with Halladay (otherwise it’s on par with Marcum, McGowan, and Litsch out)
bullpen: Toronto, though I think BJ Ryan is cooked
line-up: Orioles
"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.
by SoxDevil on Apr 17, 2009 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Orioles will hit a wall
Orioles have right now 3 legit hitters. Markakis, Jones, and Roberts. The rest of the squad are average to below average. Guthrie is a stud but other then that they have no starting pitchers.
Sooner or later, they will regress to the norm.
by drabidea on Apr 17, 2009 1:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Huff is legit
Wieters will be legit when he gets here. Mora is an enigma and either hits the crap out of the ball or slumps. Luke Scott is legit when used correctly, same for Ty Wigginton.
It’s the pitching that’ll be the downfall of the Orioles this year, not the hitting. But hopefully not for long. Remember these names: Tillman, Matusz, Arrieta. You’ll be cursing them later.
"I think it’s shocking that the Baltimore Orioles are off to a 6-2 start this year, considering they are managed by TJ Hooker."
by Stacey on Apr 17, 2009 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
"Tillman, Matusz, Arrieta. You’ll be cursing them later."
Indeed.
How’s the front office look? They were terrible for a long time – is it still the same jokers?
Manny ain't the only bad man.
by tommy.otm on Apr 17, 2009 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Aubrey Huff, dude.
You can look it up.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 17, 2009 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was gonna say, even as a sox fan I can agree that Huff should be on that list of “legit hitters”. He might not be in his prime, but he’s still gonna be a solid bat for a couple more years
by Realistic on Apr 17, 2009 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hi all
I took SoxDevil up on his invitation to come over and say something about our team.
We are going to place last this year. Regardless of any early-season mirages (read: the past 10 days), we have one of the worst starting pitching rotations to ever set foot on a mound. It may take a while to catch up to us, but catch up it will. As this handy graph shows, we can hold our own through the summer, but by August, everyone’s arm is falling off:
The offense looks like it will be good for years to come. With the ascendance of Wieters (who’s currently batting .261 with one dinger in AA, woo-hoo!), we have great defense up the middle, and a young nucleus of phenomenal players that will be the core of the team for 5 years or so. We’re weak at the corner infield spots (Mora will not continue to mash the way he did last year), and don’t really have a left fielder (will Pie stick this year with everyday play?), but those are positions that are easily addressed through free agency. Brian Roberts is one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball and should be good for another two years at least.
Our big gun pitchers: Arrieta, Matusz, Tillman, are all being nursed in the minors, and MacPhail will not bring them up early, which is why Adam Eaton has a job in baseball this year. All three guys project to #1 or #2, and there is a lot of depth behind them.
In summary: fear us in 2011. Maybe a surprise in 2010. But this year, we’ll be ahead of the game if we break .500, and that ain’t likely.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 17, 2009 1:05 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Highly rec'd for awesome, custom graphics.
"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.
by SoxDevil on Apr 17, 2009 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
even though it was recycled from a post last year? :)
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 17, 2009 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Even so! You even used the birds' colors.
I pull out the animated gif of Erick Aybar throwing a hissy fit every time we play the Angels. :-)
"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.
by SoxDevil on Apr 17, 2009 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Highly rec'd for the ability to honestly assess your own team.
Manny ain't the only bad man.
by tommy.otm on Apr 17, 2009 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, one other thing....
The Orioles have a formidable line-up that shouldn’t be underestimated. They hit for decent power and run the bases very well.
This is only half true. We have made a staggering large number of stupid outs on the basepaths this year. Dave Trembley, who I generally like as a manager, preaches a very aggressive style of baserunning. It works sometimes, but it has also blown up in our faces a bunch.
I hate to be fatalist, but I will predict right now that one of your 81 outs during this series will come as a result of a pickoff/run-down/out-by-25-feet-at-home type play.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 17, 2009 1:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
**108 outs, sorry, didn't know it was four games
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 17, 2009 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, 96 outs, cause we won't have to bat in the 9th.
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Apr 17, 2009 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I meant 108 outs that YOU get from us.
so in that sense you’re right. it should be 96. Since WE won’t be batting in the ninth. :)
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 17, 2009 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was trying to articulate that the birds run a lot on the basepaths, which is not the same as running “well.” I didn’t research SB%, or put-outs at the plate, so I don’t have the numbers handy. I’ll take your word on the stupid outs, since it’s your team and all :-)
"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.
by SoxDevil on Apr 17, 2009 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lastly,
and then I’ll shut up, because this is your blog after all…
I’ll predict 2-2. I think we defenitely win Koji over Lester, and we have a good shot at Guthrie over Penny tonight. The other two games will be pitched by our batboy and our mascot, so you’re likely to take them.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 17, 2009 1:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Koji over Lester?
I mean obviously anything could happen and that game could certainly be won by your O’s, but not on the basis of Uehara being better than Lester. Lester has had one mediocre start and one downright bad one, and suddenly he’s gone from being a Cy Young candidate with a 3.21 ERA last season to worse than a guy who has pitched 2 major league games, and is sporting a 7.20 ERA and K/BB of .6? No, Lester is a much better pitcher than Uehara, and if were predicting the winner of that game based solely on the pitchers it only makes sense to project a Red Sox win.
by Gnick on Apr 17, 2009 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
WTF?
Well, yes, that’s the point. Lester is not the pitcher he was last year so far in 2009. And while Uehara has pitched only two mlb games, he’s been pitching in Japan since forever, so he’s not exactly a rookie. BTW, what’s your scouting report on him? Right, that’s what I thought.
Koji has had 1 very good start against the Yankees, and one horrible start against the Rangers; two teams with very good offenses.
Lester, by comparison, has been pummeled both times out, and against the Rays and A’s, no less. I mean, the Rays have some offense, but the A’s pretty much suck.
So, until Lester actually pitches well during, you know, this season, I think I’ll take Koji. And I am not doing this to troll here or anything—SoxDevil invited commentary and I’m just backing up my assertion.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 17, 2009 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Your logic makes no sense
Both Uehara and Lester are off to bad starts to 2009, but Lester has had proven MLB success in the past, while Uehara has not. You said until Lester pitches well this season you’ll take Uehara, but that is illogical since Uehara has also not pitched well this season, and Lester has had MLB success in the past while Uehara has not. Your for some reason giving Uehara the benefit of the doubt for his poor start while not doing the same for Lester, even though Lester was one of the best pitchers in the AL last year.
by Gnick on Apr 17, 2009 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And I don't mean to put words in your mouth.
Manny ain't the only bad man.
by tommy.otm on Apr 17, 2009 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
"Definitely" is pretty strong.
I think that’s Gnick’s point. Not that the O’s can’t win, but that the assertion that they’ll definitely win may be a little over the top.
Manny ain't the only bad man.
by tommy.otm on Apr 17, 2009 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Or even that they have an advantage
It’s absurd to say Uehara is a better pitcher than Lester based on 2 games from 2009, in which Uehara did only slightly better than Lester himself. I guess you would also say that Uehara should get an advantage of Lincecum in a matchup between those two, because Lincecum has also been sub-par this year.
by Gnick on Apr 17, 2009 8:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No need to shut up. We welcome intelligent dialog.
You ought to see a lot of the Angels’ fans post from the last series. Wooo, boy!
"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.
by SoxDevil on Apr 17, 2009 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
*definitely.
I hate making spelling mistakes, bugs the crap out of me.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 17, 2009 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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