Orioles Game 85 Game Thread: vs. Angels, 7:05

There are none among us who can truly say that they are prepared for an Ubaldo Jimenez start. Prepared or not, however, we must endure it all the same. It is coming. Like a tornado, you cannot try to outrun a Jimenez start. Like floodwaters, you should not attempt to drive through it. This is getting convoluted here. I'll stop.

Maybe there will be some residual good karma in the air from the presence of many of the 1966 World Series champion Orioles, who are being honored as a part of this weekend's festivities. Can you imagine an Orioles team that wins the World Series in four games? I sure can't imagine that. I can't even imagine the Orioles being in the World Series. It's never happened in my lifetime.

And yet I always hear from my dad that the only time in his life he's ever rooted against the Orioles was Game 4 of the 1966 World Series, because he and most of his neighborhood had tickets to Game 5 and a sweep would end the series. Well, my dad got to see the Orioles in the World Series again in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1979, and 1983 - and he finally got to attend a World Series game in the most recent of those in '83. I also went to that World Series game in 1983. My ticket was free although the seat had a bit of an obstructed view.

Tonight's necessary scoreboard watching: The Blue Jays play the Tigers in Toronto. They begin play two games back in the division. The Red Sox play the Rays in Boston. The Sox are three games back. Now that the Orioles are back home, they need to win this series heading into the break - somehow finding a way to overcome Jimenez starting. Well, good luck.