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I've said this before, and I'll say it again, I'm sure. It's one thing to come into this season with low expectations, and knowing the team is going to compete for Worst Team in Baseball, and knowing how rocky and downright bad it's going to be, but it's another thing to actually sit and watch it happen.

The O's came out for 2008 with another surprisingly fast start, ending April in contention. We're a week into May, 16-16, and now we're in fourth place. And brothers and sisters, it's only going to get worse.

We're a half-game up on Toronto, and the Jays are riding a five-game win streak. It's only a matter of time before we get settled in the cellar.

I'm not being negative, I'm being realistic. Think about some of the guys starting for this team. Luis Hernandez and his .542 OPS, weak arm, and frequent boneheaded baserunning mistakes. Ramon Hernandez and his .581 OPS, detrimental alleged defense behind the plate, and frequent boneheaded baserunning mistakes. Luke Scott (.778 and nosediving) and Jay Payton (.642 and steady) are in a left field platoon.

Our starting first baseman is OPSing .672. Nick Markakis is in a massive slump right now. Our number three hitter is Melvin Mora -- .729 OPS.

This offense is offensive.

And it kind of makes you feel bad for a starting pitching crew that is performing a lot better than most would have expected. Jeremy Guthrie (4.06/1.24) is doing his thing again. Daniel Cabrera (4.06/1.35) seems to have found a balance between power pitching and trusting his stuff enough to let people try to hit it. Brian Burres (2.87/1.28) has been terrific. Garrett Olson (2.08/1.08) has been great in two starts since being called up. Steve Trachsel is a waste of time, so let's not even bother talking about him right now.

The bullpen has been a little inconsistent, but they've held their own for the most part. There's not much more you could ask of this pitching staff than what they've given us, to be totally fair.

And then there's the boneheaded baserunning and fielding and other assorted screwery. It's hard to watch a team make so many fundamental little mistakes that wind up costing them games. The A's had no business winning last night. They shouldn't have scored a run.

But then the Orioles shouldn't be making two outs on every hit-and-run they attempt and gloriously fail to execute. The Orioles shouldn't run into so many outs. But Dave has them running, despite their constant presentation of evidence that they don't know how to run the bases. Roberts is a fantastic baserunner. Markakis is a really good, savvy baserunner, last night's boner notwithstanding. But guys like Luis and Adam Jones, while they have speed, aren't good baserunners. It's one of the few times I'll go out of my way to praise Derek Jeter, but that guy is a magnificent baserunner. It's not just speed, and we all know that. Markakis isn't terribly fast, but, like Jeter, he has good instincts and rarely screws himself over.

And it's not just on the bases. It's in the field, too. Melvin Mora, God bless him, makes more idiotic mistakes than anyone I can think of. He also makes a lot of highlight reel plays. His tendency to look to get a glory out and wind up getting nobody out is a little high. Luis Hernandez? I can't really blame him. He's not really a Major League shortstop. He does not have the arm for the position.

I'm not mad about them being bad, and I'm not upset about it, and it doesn't depress me or anything. But it's hard to watch a team so bad on so many levels. They try hard, there's a lot of moxy, and there's plenty of grit. They've got some gamers. That's super.

They stink, though. We all knew they would.

(And Aubrey Huff has been fine.)

via www.baltimoresun.com

O's WIN 4-3!

I didn't watch the game, but here's a place to chat if you did. Notable:

• what slump? Nicky goes 2 for 4 with 2 runs and 2 RBI!
• Guts finally gets his first win since July 27 of last year
• Mora bunts home Luis Luis, so expect to see more bunting from Melmo. Mora is also caught stealing, so expect to see .... more stealing from Melmo.
• The Orioles lead the majors in one-run victories with a record of 8-2. 

You KNOW who's pitching today. I will try not to jinx him by naming him here. 

I said the same thing (more harshly and with more "f-words") in the comments of the game thread, but let me say it now.

Of all the times for Dave Trembley to not go to the bullpen, he chooses a 2-2 game with the bases loaded in the eighth inning with Jeremy Guthrie clearly well out of gas, having nearly hit Adrian Beltre to walk him and load the bases in the first place.

It's not really Guts' fault. Guthrie is a pitcher. Pitchers don't want to be taken out. He looked over at the dugout and said, "I've got him," in regard to Vidro. Vidro hit a two-run single. That was it, as the Orioles couldn't score on JJ Putz.

Now, listen. There's another reason it's not Guthrie's fault, and that's because he should've been pulled when Raul Ibanez came up BEFORE Beltre. Trembley wastes 37 guys an outing sometimes, but when there's a tight ballgame and a totally rested bullpen, he sticks with Guthrie? Is his excuse going to be something as asinine as "Well, we wanted to get him the win"?

Dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Ibanez can't hit lefties. Jamie Walker was just hangin' out in the bullpen. He walked Beltre. HE WAS DONE. Of course he said he wants to stay in!!! So did Pedro that one time!!!!!!!!!

GOD. CAN IT BE ALL SO SIMPLE?

Note: The site will be going down for maintenance and bug fixes and the like at 2am ET, and could be down for up to two hours. Sorry, night owls. Or weirdos who live in uncivilized time zones.

via d.yimg.com

OK, so it wasn't a homer. But Adam Jones' game-winning single off of Boob Logan in the bottom of the 10th inning will suffice. The O's are back in Birdland, if only for now.

Chicago went up 2-0, and the O's tied it at two in the bottom of the sixth. Leading off the seventh against Jeremy Guthrie, Carlos Quentin homered. Then Joe Crede homered. Goodnight, Guts, 4-2 Sox.

Quentin homered again in the eighth, making it 5-2 Chicago, but the Birds got one back in the bottom of the inning, then wailed on Big Fat Bobby Jenks in the ninth to tie it up.

Dave Trembley was faced with a dilemma. Payton had pinch-hit for Luis Luis, so Fahey was in. Then he decided to send Ramon up for Fahey in the ninth, which meant we were out of reserves and we had no shortstop.

Here's what I would've done: Mora at SS, Millar at 3B, Ramon at 1B.

Here's what Dave did: Huff at 3B (sacrificing the DH), Mora at SS.

The first way would've been more fun, but oh well. Despite Huff's best efforts to single-handedly lose this game (0-for-5 with three strikeouts), young Adam Jones singled home Kevin Millar in the tenth for the win. Booya! Game over.

George Sherrill got the win, and we're now 9-7.

HEY, YANKEES!

YOOOOOOOOU!

Once a year or so, it's good to update these. Players come and players go, much like the asinine nicknames that generally spring out of the game threads. So here's a quick primer for anyone who's new and might not know what in God's name we're talking about during certain points of a game.

Albers, Matt

• Fat Albers

This is not in any way intended to be mean. Honest. I know the dude's a little pudgy, maybe still carrying some baby fat, or maybe he's just like most of the rest of us and likes to reward himself for a fine day's work of breathing air and being a cool dude by wolfing down a Baconator or six. I'm not here to judge Matt Albers. It's just something that happened in my head and then I put it on a blog. Hey, hey, hey!

You gotta do it right though. Listen for yourself, if you're unfamiliar. It starts loud, so be prepared. That site is long faded as far as being funny goes, but whatever. RAN-DOOOOOR!

Bradford, Chad

• ChadBrad
• Chadwick
• Chadstache

Ain't found a way to kill me yet

Eyes burn with stingin' sweat

Seems every path leads me to nowhere

Wife and kids, household pet

Army green was no safe bet

The bullets scream to me from somewhere

Yeah, they come to snuff The Rooster

Yeah, here come The Rooster

You know he ain't gonna die

Walkin' tall, machine gun man

They spit on me in my homeland

Mora, Melvin 

• MelMo
• Melly Mel
• Melvin Moron
• Playoff Hero Melvin Mora

Did Babe Ruth ever slap at someone's glove while they tried to tag him? Did Mickey Mantle? Did Hank Aaron? Did Cal Ripken? Did Dane Iorg? Did Kiko Garcia? Seriously. He's a player to admire, but a total weiner.

That's why I prefer "Brian Bob."

Sarfate, Dennis

• Dennis the Menace

So I get bored sometimes, which leads me to think of music, the Orioles, and the combination of the two.

Since we've got a few hours until the double header at Texas, part of which I'll have to miss, I decided to kill some time by coming up with theme songs for all of the O's in their current states.

DISCLAIMER: Not all of these songs are safe for work or for your kids' ears. Play with discretion.

The team gets four songs on this playlist: "Orioles Magic," of course; Saliva's "Click Click Boom" because that is, somewhat sadly, what they come out onto the field with these days; "Thank God I'm a Country Boy," of course; and "Right Back to Where We Started From" by Maxine Nightingale. In addition to having some parallels to Major League, the team is also sort of Slap Shot-y, which is a natural since Major League is just a baseball version of Slap Shot in many ways. Whenever I think of improbable, goofy winning streaks for bad teams, I think of Maxine Nightingale and the Charlestown Chiefs bus.

Luis Hernandez kicks off the player set with the timeless "Theme From Greatest American Hero (Believe it or Not)" by the beloved Joey Scarbury. Believe it or not, he's starting at short. I never thought he would ever be-he-he. (It should've been somebody else.)

Up next is Luke Scott's at-bat music, "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by The Stooges. What Luke says goes right now. The man is slugging .800 and getting a hit every other at-bat.

We dip into the somewhat melancholy for Brian Roberts. The title of this Dylan track says it all: "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go." Odds are, Brian's still going to get dealt this season. This is one of those guys who is definably our player. Remember when he was a slap-hitting little guy? Now he drives the ball with authority to the gaps, steals bags, has become one of the team's leaders, and man, THAT'S OUR BOY. This ain't free agent Tejada or too-frequently-hurt Bedard. This is Brian Roberts. OUR player.

Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry" could only represent one man: Aubrey Huff. God bless the guy, he's trying really hard to do and say all the right things, including pounding the crap out of the ball. He has won a couple of games for us already, and went 4-for-4 the other night in Texas. He made a mistake. He's sorry. He's playing his ass off. He's part of the team. He's sorry. So sorry. Please accept. His apology.

Ain't no joke, whenever I think of Bocephus' "A Country Boy Can Survive," the first thing that pops into my mind is Jamie Walker. His entire career is proof that a country boy can survive, really. He throws slop, gets people out, and does his damn job, damn it. Jamie Walker rules just as hard as Hank, Jr. I think he might take that as a fine compliment, and I mean it as such.

Razor Ramon gets "I Feel Good" by James Brown. The only nice thing we've heard about Hernandez lately is he's in good shape. He's certainly not hitting. Maybe, like the song, Ramon will start kicking ass quickly.

Bruuuuuuuce! Melvin Mora's "Glory Days" may be behind him, but it's not all bad. He can still play a little bit, still can have a good time, still can remember hitting .340 or the wink of a young girl's eye.

Daniel Cabrera gets two songs. Good Daniel Cabrera gets the classic Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs hit "Stay," which is a song I frequently sing when I get bad drunk, because I remember being a kid, reading a Lewis Grizzard book, and he said he did that. It's just something that pops in my head. And yes, I was reading Lewis Grizzard books when I was a kid. I was a weird kid.

Bad Daniel Cabrera gets Ray Charles' "Hit the Road, Jack." Because seriously.

In the late 1980s, Public Enemy was awesome and I bet Jay Payton was a hell of a high school ballplayer. In the 1990s and beyond, Public Enemy had moments of greatness among their overall mediocrity and inconsistency, and that's pretty much Jay Payton as a pro player at his peak. Last year, Public Enemy released another album, and it had only one great song -- actually, it had only one good song, which also happened to be great. "Harder Than You Think" is the sound of a group that was phenomenal 20 years ago throwing all their eggs into one basket. Jay Payton also stinks now, but he's making the best of his chances so far this season.

Scott Moore is willing to play "Whenever, Wherever." That is also a song by Shakira. Also, it's lucky that Moore's breasts are small and humble, so we don't confuse them with mountains.

I didn't want to leave Frederick Keys catcher Matt Wieters out of the party, so he gets "Get Ready" by The Temptations, which was quite excellently sampled by Fergie, too. Sorry, Fergie's great. It's the law.

Another future star, Adam Jones, is already starting in Baltimore's center field, but man, "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet." Ha! I love this shit. I feel like Tom Verducci or Roch or Jeff Passan. But it's true. Jones might hack away a little in the earlygoing, but so did another current Orioles outfielder before he found his groove. I'm not worried about Dr. Jones.

Blue Öyster Cult's most awesome song is, in fact, "Godzilla," about the movie monster that has a habit of destroying cities and scaring the piss out of everyone in Japan. Greg Aquino thus far has a habit of scaring the piss out of me when he trots in from the bullpen.

This one isn't a real song, at least not in the traditional sense. But comedian Jon Lajoie struck gold with "Everyday Normal Guy," a hit on Funny or Die. Steve Trachsel is just a regular, everday, normal guy. If ya got a pet cat, put your hands up. (I'm not saying the things in this song are true of Steve Trachsel -- not all of them, anyway. He surely has more than $600 in the bank, for instance.)

Kevin Millar has always been really big on "Faith," plus he wore very George Michael-ish jeans when he threw out that controversial first pitch. Sometimes I hear the Limp Bizkit cover of "Faith" and hate it, and sometimes I see Red Sox Millar and hate him. But then I hear George sing the song, and it rules. And I watch Kevin be Kevin as an Oriole, and I forget all that B.S. and remember that I love the guy. Faith-a-faith-a-faith-ah! Baaaaaaa-beh!

New closer George Sherrill gets Semisonic's "Closing Time," which I admit is hardly creative. I don't believe in "guilty pleasures," because you either like something or you don't and you should own the fact either way, but this song would be a "guilty pleasure" for me if I did believe in the concept. I especially enjoy the "ba-chicka-chick-BOW BOW" guitar that is just so absolutely 1990s. We miss you, Everclear, but never come back.

Every time I think of Randor Bierd, I think of that story of him going out and buying a new suit to get on the plane before he even got official word that he'd made the team out of spring training. And every time I listen to Dean Martin, I want to put on a suit, myself, and have a Dewar's on the rocks or fifteen. So Randor gets "Ain't That a Kick in the Head," arguably the swinginest of all Dino's truly swingin' numbers.

Matt Albers and Brian Burres get to share a song, the Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard version of Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho & Lefty," one of my absolute favorite songs. Long story short, Lefty caps Pancho. He only did what he had to do.

I know Brandon Fahey really has no business in the Major Leagues, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't get kind of a happy feeling every time I see him in the field or on the bench, in his uniform that still looks too big for him and his NASCAR sunglasses. At the plate is a different story. I try not to focus on him batting. Brandon always looks so hopeful and happy in the field. "Here Comes the Sun" is for him.

Nick Markakis gets Dire Straits' "Walk of Life." Something about the song just makes me happy. I don't know what it is. It can turn a frown upside down. Make grey skies blue-ah. And oh yeah, the boy can play.

As hard as I tried, I couldn't think of anything too appropriate for Jeremy Guthrie, the staff ace. "Ace of Spades"? Too aggressive, doesn't fit his nature. Nelly's "Number One"? Too braggadocios. So he dedicates a song to Markakis.

Queen's "You're My Best Friend."

Guillermo Quiroz gets Wu-Tang Clan's "Wolves." That's just a good song. You think of a song for Guillermo Quiroz, genius.

Cracker's "Low" represents Adam Loewen, partly because that's part of his last name, and partly because that's where he should try to keep the damn ball, for the love of God. Cracker was a really good band lost in the shuffle thanks to bands like Seven Mary Three and Toadies. That has nothing to do with Adam Loewen.

I hate The Vines, but the manic and sloppy energy of "Outtathaway!" fits Dennis Sarfate's pitching style. He seems like a guy who would be uncomfortable to bat against with that mid-90s heat that comes in like a rocket, and the Vines are rather uncomfortable to listen to.

The skipper, Dave Trembley, gets his own tune, too. He's a native New Yorker. He's also an outsider in the managerial ranks, as he's the only manager in the bigs that never played pro ball. "Outsider" was a good Ramones song, but doesn't fit Diamond Dave's personality. Joey Ramone's cover of "What a Wonderful World" does, though -- Dave is genuinely optimistic all the time, always looking for the best thing to say. And he seems like he actually means it. He doesn't sugarcoat garbage like Perlozzo, Mazzilli and even Leo Mazzone used to. No stuff about "puttin' it all together" in a bullpen session. Just pure hope. He's just happy to be here, and doing his best.

A NINTH INNING COMEBACK

DOWN 2-0 INTO THE INNING

LUIS HERNANDEZ GAME WINNING TWO-OUT RBI

THE TYING RUN SCORED ON A WILD PITCH

I HAVE TO GO TO FAMILY DINNER

I'M GOING TO TAG ALL THE COOLEST ORIOLES FOR THIS POST

EVEN YOU, JAY PAYTON

I'M FREAKING RIGHT THE HELL OUT

ORIOLES MAGIC

LUIS IS BIRDLAND

Photo © Baltimore Sun

The Crow and Diamond Dave are in love with Brian Bob! Adam Jones gets a great reception! Aubrey Huff scores a subtly sick burn on Dioner Navarro! Jeremy Guthrie explains what happens when you throw a fastball to a man expecting a fastball and leave it in the kill zone!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"It was like, all right, hopefully this is as the season goes."

-- Adam Jones, on his run down the orange carpet

"That’s Brian Roberts. He’s one of the premier leadoff hitters, not only in this league but in the game. I wouldn’t expect anything different from him. I don’t think anything bothers him."

-- Dave Trembley

"Brian's fabulous. I'm glad we have him."

-- Terry Crowley

"I thought Guthrie threw strikes, but his location wasn’t what we’re used to. The location of his secondary pitches is what got him in trouble."

-- Trembley

"He was expecting a fastball and I threw a fastball. If it was a better location, we'd have a better result. It was up around the belt and he did a nice job on it."

-- Jeremy Guthrie, on Eric Hinske's fourth inning solo homer

"They’ve got a nice offense one through nine. Even Navarro had three hits. He’s a guy you just can’t sleep on."

-- Aubrey Huff

"I've got no problem with guys being aggressive to start the season. If guys are going to be around the plate, I want them to swing the bat."

-- Trembley

AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE BOOING!

"It was expected. If I was in their situation, I would have booed me, too. It was a stupid thing to do. I'm sure the fans have been itching to get at me."

-- Huff, on getting booed for calling Baltimore a "horseshit town" this offseason

"I thought it was hilarious, to be honest with you. I was booing him, too."

-- Kevin Millar

"Guys were laughing at it. Millar actually thought he was going to get a little bit, but he got off light."

-- Huff

"From what I heard, it was a pretty big deal up here, which I didn't realize that much until the next morning after the show was over. In Lauderdale, I didn't get anything, so I figured, 'OK, it'll be all right,' but whew."

-- Huff

"The fans have every right to receive anybody in this ballpark any way they want. Huff's here to play baseball, the fans are here to watch the game and support their team any way they want."

-- Trembley

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It is what it is. It was what it was. The first loss of God knows how many -- there could be about 100 more of these to come.

Talkin' points:

• Jim Palmer -- still an arrogant SOB.
• Adam Jones -- not so hot with offspeed pitches.
• Jeremy Guthrie -- looked OK. Not great. Not terrible.
• Matt Albers -- looked good.
• Brian Burres -- yeah, he mopped up.
• Brian Roberts -- MACHINE. 2-for-2 with two walks, a steal and a run scored. I'm gonna miss you when you go, Brian Bob.
• Kevin Millar -- cleaned up the only opportunity he really got.
• Double steals -- exciting!
• Melvin Mora -- had one of THOSE games he has, where he can't do anything whatsoever right and makes idiotic sub-rookie mistakes.
• James Shields -- he can pitch.
• Terry Crowley -- hitters look the same as always, hacking away without working counts.

Continue reading this post »

You know, I like Amber Theoharis. I really do. She's got a bubbly personality, seems to actually like sports, and adds some much-needed upbeat personality to O's broadcasts, contrasting greatly with the bitter-sounding and even snotty Gary Thorne, arrogant Jim Palmer, bumpkin Rick Dempsey and the downright bizarre-sounding Buck Martinez.

While these guys are forced to be honest about how lame the Orioles are, Amber is allowed to have F-bombs launched at her by douchey Under Armour frat boys, and humor us with amusing crowd stories and the like. She gets a pass on doing much that has substance to it. It's not that she can't handle it, perhaps, just that, well, it's the role. She's the "sideline reporter," and most days in baseball, there's not much to report from the sideline. It's not like she's in the dugout.

She also pens a column over at PressBox, titled "The Broad Side." First off, that's a fantastic, wonderful name for her articles. But her most recent one caught my attention because it made me want to eat glass.

Trembley can’t predict what will happen -- not now, not in September. However, one thing you can bet all your Cadbury Eggs on is the O’s lineup will change. There will be trades, injuries and opportunities for younger players over the next six months. It will be a relatively short transformation considering the metamorphosis Easter has undergone over the past 2,000 years.

Do you think Jesus was visited by a large bunny bearing chocolate on that fateful day years ago, or Mary Magdalene went in search of colorful eggs shortly before visiting Christ’s tomb? No, and nobody in Jesus’ time would have predicted those elements would work their way into the culture of Easter. But they did, and it works. So will the adjustments made to the Orioles' roster over the next six months.

This is one of the most amazing things I've ever read -- really let it sink into the ol' dome.

A few weeks ago, Orioles first baseman Kevin Millar appeared on my radio talk show, “The A-List with Amber Theoharis” on WHFS 105.7. The question was asked, “How is it going down there in Fort Lauderdale?”

“Well, we’re just getting ready to win the 2008 World Series here,” Millar responded. After the shock subsided, I thought, “Amen.”

Why not? If the 2007 Colorado Rockies can win the National League Championship Series, then why can’t the 2008 Orioles catch the same wave?

Nobody is planning for the Orioles to make the playoffs in 2008, let alone win the World Series, except for those 25 Orioles and their manager/coaches. They have to blindly believe. They can’t get bogged down in thought, or they might as well not show up.

It's this sort of insane optimism that I just have no patience for. She does realize Millar was being particularly funny, right? Kevbo and all the rest can yammer on with "Ya gotta believe" B.S., but the fact is nobody believes this team is going to win anything. They want to go out there and not be embarrassed, and the REAL hope for the 2008 Orioles is we'll see some bright spots with future that won't just start playing dead in July.

The 2007 Rockies were loaded with legitimate talent, and that was no secret. They were a sexy sleeper pick, not a team expected by many to be the worst in baseball.

If any of them gave an honest answer, not a single one of those 25 Orioles and their managers/coaches will tell you that they're planning to make the playoffs in 2008, let alone win the World Series.

Sometimes people have to choose to believe in something even when rationality tells them it’s not possible. Note the word “choose.” It is a choice to ignore common sense and side with emotion. Blind faith is a remarkable phenomenon, but it gives people purpose. And for the Orioles, it offers a reason to show up and play hard every day.

If the Orioles do just that, and luck becomes a factor, just imagine.

What if Millar, Ramon Hernandez, Nick Markakis, Aubrey Huff and Luke Scott all hit 25 home runs? What if Melvin Mora, Adam Jones and Brian Roberts hit 15-20 dingers? What if Guthrie wins 15 games, and Adam Loewen and Daniel Cabrera win more than 10? What if George Sherrill proves to be the shutdown closer the Orioles have missed since B.J. Ryan left for free agency?

These benchmarks are not farfetched. Any baseball scout will tell you, they are all very realistic numbers for these respective players.

This is the part that really kills me.

The 25-Homer Club includes the following players:

1. Kevin Millar, who is 36 years old, and hasn't hit 25 home runs in a season since 2003. That is also the only time he has ever done so.
2. Ramon Hernandez, who has never hit 25 home runs in a season.
3. Nick Markakis, who is a perfectly reasonable bet.
4. Aubrey Huff, who hasn't hit 25 home runs in a season since 2004, the last year of his three-year peak.
5. Luke Scott, another reasonable bet.

The 15-20 Dinger Club features:

1. Melvin Mora, 36 years old and rapidly losing his power.
2. Adam Jones, who has a far better shot at 25 than Millar, Ramon or Huff.
3. Brian Roberts, who needed a massive, unbelievable power surge over one month, basically, to achieve 18 home runs in 2005. That was his only 15-homer year.

Also, Mora has been hitting 15 homers a year, which hasn't lifted him above league-average. Jones could hit 15 homers by hacking his way through a rough rookie season. Plenty of guys hit 15 homers.

The 25-home run club is SO dubious because nobody on the Orioles hit 25 homers last year, but now I'm supposed to believe in a five-man crew doing just that? That's not "faith" -- it's lunacy.

In short, if you presented this scenario to "any baseball scout," they'd not only not tell you that it's realistic, they'd probably sigh in disgust or laugh in your face.

I'm not going to get into pitchers winning games. Nobody on this team is winning 15.

Look, I know hope springs eternal and all that other jive, and if you want to believe in that, then good for you. But I can't do it. Not this year. This year is a very clear issue. We're not winning anything. This year has nothing to do with the win-loss record of the Baltimore Orioles, and everything to do with the direction and future that comes out of learning from the losing and getting the experience on the major league level.

I just can't get into any of this half-baked optimism. When you're resorting to, "Well, what if Kevin Millar hits 25 homers, huh?!" then you've gone off the deep end, and you're only setting yourself up for heartbreak. Why would you do that to yourself?

This isn't about not believing, really, so much as it's about being sane.

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