Earlier in the year when the Orioles were playing disgraceful baseball, a constant here at Camden Chat was the lament from various people that the Orioles were throwing away their draft hopes with each win. It wasn't long ago that many considered the Orioles a lock for the number one draft pick in 2011. All along a number of us maintained that rooting for the draft pick is not only morbid, it is counterproductive. For the Orioles to fail so miserably in 2010, their current young players would have to continue to flounder, and if Matt Wieters, Brian Matusz, Adam Jones, and the rest didn't develop, it wouldn't matter who the Orioles drafted in 2011, this team would be in big, big trouble.
The Orioles haven't had the worst record in baseball for awhile now; the Pirates saw to that quite some time ago. But during their fantastic run under Buck Showalter they have also passed the Mariners and Diamondbacks and are just a game behind the Indians.
Sure, ultimately it doesn't matter if the Orioles finish with the third worst record or the sixth worst record, but hell if I'm not rooting for the O's to pass as many teams as possible. I know some of you will continue to see this as counterproductive, but to you I respectively say pfffft. I suppose you're still out there, anyway. As Eat More Esskay and I talked about just the other day, it's been quite awhile since we heard anyone complain about the draft pick. And you know why? Because winning is so much better.
I'm tired of the Orioles being a laughingstock. I like hearing people, especially non-Orioles people, talk about our team as if there is hope. I like going to other teams' blogs and seeing the fans say that they don't want to face the Orioles right now. I like the buzz at the Yard and the optimism among the fans. I want baseball to always feel this way. I want this team to finish the season the best it possibly can.
The Orioles aren't in contention, not even close. But this season has reminded me what it feels like to enjoy baseball in September. The fact that I'm enjoying it this much now makes me giddy at the prospect of enjoying an Orioles team that is not only playing well, but which is playing for the postseason. And if I'm feeling this happy, imagine how the players feel. I want them to feel what this is like as much as possible, and next year I want them to remember what it's like to not just be lollygagging miserably towards their off-season vacation plans.
Here are your bottom of the barrel standings:
| W | L | % | GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Brewers | 69 | 81 | .460 | - |
| Chicago Cubs | 68 | 82 | .453 | 1 |
| Washington Nationals | 63 | 88 | .417 | 5.5 |
| Kansas City Royals | 62 | 88 | .413 | 6.0 |
| Cleveland Indians | 62 | 89 | .411 | 6.5 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 61 | 90 | .404 | 7.5 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 60 | 91 | .397 | 9.5 |
| Seattle Mariners | 57 | 93 | .380 | 12 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 52 | 98 | .347 | 17 |
Ok so it's a stretch to put the Brewers and Cubs on here, but mathematically the Orioles could still pass them. The other teams in front of the Orioles, though, can totally be demolished. Only two games keep them from passing the Indians, Royals, and Nationals. And frankly, those are all teams the Orioles should be ahead of anyway.
Let's Go O's! I won't be happy until we can say, "We're #24!"