This is admittedly not the biggest thing in the world, but I'm sort of wondering when some of the general, dated thoughts about the Orioles are going to fall away and this year's team will actually be properly evaluated and commented upon by our team's commentators.

Jim Hunter yesterday said that the Orioles have great balance in the lineup, and that is actually fairly true. The O's have the fourth-best offense in the American League, a fact that should buy Terry Crowley (and "Crowley's Crushers" or whatever the F they're calling themselves) roughly another decade in uniform as our hitting coach. In fact, I figure these ringing endorsements of Meestah Crowley (bow bow bow bowww) will make him our manager after Trembley is eventually dumped on his keister, meister.

I before E, except after C!

Anyway yesterday Hunter caught my ear because he said that there's "no real slugger" in the Orioles lineup. No "Alex Rodriguez type."

First of all, how many "Alex Rodriguez" types have there been in the history of baseball, period?

And second, hello, Jimbo, my name is Aubrey Huff and I'm slugging .56freaking2 with 27 ding dongs and 37 doubles, you putz. If Aubrey Huff's 2008 is not the year of a genuine slugger, then what is? At what point does he become that slugger in the middle of the Orioles lineup?

For that matter, Luke Scott isn't quite so good (.514 SLG, 21 HR, 22 doubles), but he's done some slugging this year, too. Melvin Mora's got 20 homers (.488 SLG, a lot due to his hot streak). Markakis is slugging .496 (17 HR,  39 doubles).

The Orioles (144 HR) are fourth in the American League in jacks, behind Chicago (182), Texas (151) and Detroit (147).

"Slugging" is not the trouble with the Orioles.

Really, if this team had a league average pitching staff, some thangs might've happened this season. Instead, the hurlers make us hurl again, languishing at 13th in the league in ERA. Boy that Rick Kranitz, makin' a difference!