Did you hear that sound? No, it wasn’t the crack of Manny Machado‘s bat crushing a 95+ MPH fastball over the Green Monster. Nope. That sound you hear is Oriole come lately fans jumping off the Warehouse catwalk because the team is 5-4 thru the first week of the season.
On the day the Orioles return to the place they ended their amazing 2012 run facing a Yankee squad that doesn’t look anything like the one who beat the Birds (expect for a that certain pitcher of larger carriage who dominated in Game 5), I’m feeling a bit perturbed. The main reason is because of the rhetoric I’m hearing and reading from “fans” about the start of the Orioles 2013 campaign.
Listen, I don’t want to come off as some old, codger who can recite the same tired cliche, “You don’t win pennants in April, but you can surely lose them” routine. But what I’ve heard over the airwaves the past week has made this almost 40-year-old child want to chug some melatonin and fall asleep until September. Is the orange sky really falling because the Black and Orange have dropped some games they probably would’ve won last year? Sure. But I’m also pretty sure Buck’s boys have won a couple that in the past they were sure to drop. I mean when was the last time the Birds dropped a 5 spot in the 9th at Fenway?
Or what I call now, “Camden North”.
Listen, I understand the expectations have risen to a level of absurd for this team due to their amazing run last year and the fact that the team next door owns a certain, prestigious trophy. I get it. But lets remember this team just one calendar year ago were picked by many (including your boy) to win at most 75 games. Instead they rattled off an MLB record 29 wins by one run (9 defeats) and at one point owned 16 straight extra inning wins. But that was 2012 and this is 2013.
I’m as excited as the next Orange Kool Aid drinker about the possibility of another amazing summer run by the Birds. But I’m also not about to get my expectations too high or too low game to game. For example, I took in last Sunday’s game at the Yard where the Orioles opened up a 3-0 lead vs. the hapless Twins only to lose 4-3. The team looked as flat as Kelly Ripa both on offense and especially on defense. Not to mention the “ace” of the staff, Jason Hammel‘s, consistent ability to walk/hit batters who have no shot of getting solid wood on his pitches.
Fast forward to this past Wednesday night where it looked as if the O’s were going to drop their 4 straight game, something they didn’t do all of last year. Instead, Crush Davis hit his 5 homers in 8 games (Orioles team record) and then the best 20-year-old third basemen in the game hit his biggest HR of his young career to complete the comeback. Did I jump up and down when Manny’s ball landed in some douchey, “RedSux” fans lap? The answer is no (maybe a fist pump) because I know sometime this year that fate will be reversed and JJ will blow a save in a similar fashion. It’s freaking baseball, people.
I understand your entitled to act a fool when it comes to your favorite team, good or bad. That is why WE are fans, I get it. But you have to get out of that football mentality Raven Fan and remember it’s only the second week of April which is equivalent to being at halftime of the Ravens Opener in Denver come early September.
Like the title says, “Relax, this is April”.
Jabby Burns is a diehard #OrangeKoolAid drinker and contributor to BaltimoreSportsReport.com. You can follow him on Twitter @JabbyBurns and check out his website JabbyBurns.com.
Jabby, that’s what happens when you have chuckleheads who don’t know anything about the marathon we call baseball. They view each game like they do a football game. Of course, I want the Birds to win 162 games, but the reality is, even the best teams only win 6 out of 10 games.
1. Fans have jumped off that warehouse catwalk 11 years ago. The Orioles need to get the fans to walk that catwalk again. You know as well as I do that the Orioles need to string 3 decent back to back years together before the fans will stop jumping off the catwalk at the first sign of danger.
2. Like you said, “amazing 2012 run” and did the Orioles brass try to improve on that “amazing 2012 run” (Which you even mention amazing run a number of times)? Not with players like T.J. McFarland, Alexi Casilla, Chris Dickerson, Ryan Flaherty, Steve Pearce, Alex Burnett, Trayvon Robinson, Travis Ishikawa, Yamaico Navarro, Stuart Pomeranz, Jason Pridie… They didn’t even get at least one “B” type player this off-season… I will say I did like the signing of Jair Jurrjens who would be a “B” type player but what is wrong with the guy? The Braves don’t let pitching go so easily.
I can tell you what’s happening in the great Orioles boardroom right now… They had an “amazing run” last year which they are ecstatic about, this year they know attendance will be very good for them which is why no big name and I don’t mean “A” type free agents were signed. Next year Dylan Bundy will be in the rotation and I bet you they will try to schedule him to pitch as much at OPACY as possible so that the “Yards” will be packed… The following year, Gauzman arrives with almost the same type of fanfare. So no money will be spent on outside “B” type ballplayers for the next 3 years and that’s what makes Angelos happy.
BTW, I like your calling of Orioles fans “Orange Kool-Aid Drinkers… Also, that Melatonin shit doesn’t work.
Yea, wish we could land some of those big time “A list” players like both LA teams and Toronto. It’s working out so well for all of them.
Josh “Crackhead” Hamilton forgot how many outs there were last night, jogged off the field with two outs and was tagged out to end the inning. Look how well those Angels are playing! Albert, Josh…wow!
And the Dodgers, with Adrian “Boston takes baseball too serious” Gonzalez, Josh “Beer Bong” Beckett, “Cementhead” Crawford. Man, those guys are putting them over the top!
How ’bout the Toronto Marlins? Who trades for a core of a team that lost 90 games the year before?
No team, NO team wins the pennant in February.
The Orioles are building a blueprint that other teams will soon follow. Sign your own, develop your pitching, and make use of everyone on your 40 man roster. Watch how many guys shuttle back and forth to Bowie and Norfolk and Baltimore this year.
MGW, re-read my posting… I never said for the O’s to go after “A” type ballplayers… I said “B” type… In fact, I don’t want them to go after “A” type ballplayers but it would have been nice to see them go after a true left fielder (Even though I do like McLouth) or a 2nd sacker (Relying on Brian Roberts is insane) and I don’t mean Twins castoff Alexi Casillas as well as a couple decent starting pitchers… Don’t want to see $125 to $200 million tied up in one guy.
Agree with your “No team, NO team wins the pennant in February” comment… Would be nice to compete in April, May, June, July, August, September, October more than once every 14 years…
Ain’t no team going to follow the Orioles blueprint… Like “Jabby Burns” said, “An amazing 2012 run” for the Orioles… The Orioles blueprint is buy cheap, take other teams castoffs, grab guys that have been out of baseball for a year or more (Conor Jackson), luck into a Dylan Bundy or Gausman…
Teams are following the A’s blueprint or yes, the Yankees blueprint… Buying talent only seemed to work for the Yankees because you still have to buy the right guys.
Also agree on buying another teams lineup when they lost 90 games the year before and unfortunately it seems like the Ravens (switching here for a minute) are want to do with getting the Raiders castoffs of Huff and “Die Hard” McClain and the Cowboys castoffs of Marcus “Brittney” Spears and Chris “Can-Can” Canty.
BTW, “Beer-Bong” Beckett is a good one…
Here’s my take on April, fifteen games against rivals in the AL East to start the marathon. Say what you want but “w’s” in April against head to head opponents count just as much as they do down the stretch. Granted the old adage every team wins 50 and losses 50 and what you do the other sixty-two applies, but don’t be giving games away in April in hopes that you will catch up later. As we have already seen, baseball players are fragile and very suspect to injuries, so register as many in the left column as early as you can. The O’s five losses have been by a total of seven runs…maybe a little more concentration (Davis and AJ’s miscues) or a little more hustle on the field adds a few more runs and you are 8-3 instead of 6-5. Play hard every play for three hours and then do as you please the other twenty-one hours.
I’m with Willo, stock pile these wins against the AL East while you can.
So far the Orioles have taken 2 of 3 from Tampa, 2 of 3 from Boston, and have the rubber game with New York tonight.
Not too shabby.
Oh, and BTW, those series have ALL been in enemy territory.
Relax , the O’s fans have a long season to watch .500 baseball……………….
Oh , by the way , as long as Jabby keeps posting those photos he gets my vote as ‘best poster’,,,,,,,,,,,,the one with the young lady in the O’s hat invokes my imagination of what she is about to do with that bat,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the blonde is perfect sandbox material , she matches the color of the sand and has oh so many places for it and me to go…………………
spy, you say like chow when chow put on bikini and flaunt chow stuff when spy and chow play game of “shuck the coln”. chow and spy get lot of wistles when chow and spy play tummy stick and chow and spy song “LOLA” play on ladio.
chow say some wolds that belomg to Spy and chow.
Spy walked up to Chow and Spy asked Chow to dance
Chow asked hel hel name and in a dalk voice she said Spy
S-P-Y- Spy sp-sp-sp-sp Spy
Well Chow not the wolds most physical guy
But when Spy squeezed Chow tight Spy nealy bloke Chows spine
Oh my Spy sp-sp-sp-sp Spy
Well Chow not dumb but Chow can’t undelstand
Why Spy walk like a woman and talk like a man
Well we dlank champagne and danced all night
Under electlic candlelight
Spy picked Chow up and sat Chow on Spy knee
And said dear boy wont you come home with me
Well Chow not the wolds most passionate guy
But when Chow looked in Spy eyes well Chow almost fell fol my Spy
sp-sp-sp-sp Spy-sp-sp-sp-sp Spy
Gils will be boys and boys will be gils
It’s a mixed up muddled up shook up wold except for Spy
sp-sp-sp-sp Spy
Well Chow left home just a week befole
And Chow nevel evel kissed a woman befole
But Spy smiled and took Chow by the hand
And said deal Chow, Spy gonna make you a man
Well Chow not the wolds most masculine man
But Chow know what Chow am and Chow glad Chow a man
And so is Spy
sp-sp-sp-sp Spy-sp-sp-sp-sp Spy
Wow, that says it all right there.
Talk about fantasy land and a complete waste of time,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,