Baltimore Orioles
http://www.atomicsportsmedia.com/articles/188/1/Baltimore-Orioles.html
Jonathan Bentz
Jonathan Bentz graduated from West Virginia University on the four year plan. He was once a stringer and wire contributor for the AP at WVU football and basketball games; now he markets Nemacolin Woodlands Resort online. Some say Jay-Z bit his style, and Tom Cruise has recently been cast to star in his biopic, due next Christmas. He bleeds BLUE and GOLD, pays homage to Mike Gansey with every 3-ball he swishes, and dreams of being the first whiteboy to dunk a 720. Give him a shout at jonathan.bentz@atomicsportsmedia.com.
By Jonathan Bentz
Published on 03/1/2006
Miguel Tejada was a real crab this offseason, demanding a trade. Even with Tejada now saying he's happy, will the Orioles have enough firepower to compete in the AL East? Jonathan Bentz breaks it down.
Of all Major League Baseball teams in 2005, the Baltimore Orioles were probably the happiest to see the regular season end.
After leading the American League East for 62 days during the first half of the season, the Orioles took a nosedive, finishing fourth in the division with a 74-88 record.
Needless to say, many involved in last season’s free fall will not be back for 2006. Manager Lee Mazzilli was fired August 4 and replaced on an interim basis by Sam Perlozzo. Co-general manager Jim Beattie was given his pink slip shortly after the season ended, and former Mets assistant GM Jim Duquette was hired to replace the O’s two-headed, mistake prone, management monster of Beattie and Mike Flanagan within weeks.
Executive headaches weren’t the only illnesses the Orioles needed to cure. Rafael “Roids” Palmeiro was sent home for the remainder of the season soon after Mazzilli was fired. After serving a 10-game steroid suspension and later accusing teammate Miguel Tejada of causing his positive test, it’s no surprise that Palmeiro wasn’t asked back for 2006. Sidney Ponson wasn’t brought back after being near the top of the league in dollars per victory in 2005 (8.5 million against only 7 wins). Sammy Sosa, expected to be a vital cog in the Baltimore lineup, was let go after hitting only 14 home runs and missing 60 games with injuries.
Perlozzo’s interim tag was lifted in October and as his first order of business he coaxed pitching coach Leo Mazzone to leave the Braves and take on what will likely be his toughest assignment to date: rebuilding a pitching staff that fell apart two and a half months into last season.
The starting rotation that Mazzone inherits desperately needs to develop consistency. Rodrigo Lopez, Bruce Chen, and Kris Benson have spent their careers as pitchers with ‘potential,’ but none have ever lived up to expectations. Lopez was the only O’s pitcher to eclipse 200 innings in ’05 and led the staff with 15 wins, but his ERA approached 5.00 by the end of the season. Chen was the only dependable O’s starter after the All-Star break in 2005, but his durability as a starter will be tested in ’06; before last season, he had never started more than seven games. Benson, a former number one draft pick more famous for his wife Ana than for his fastball, posted a 10-8 record last season with the Mets, well short of expectations.
The O’s young guns, right-hander Daniel Cabrera and southpaw Eric Bedard, were a main reason for their early success in ’05. Cabrera led the team in strikeouts, and Bedard went 5-1 with a 2.08 ERA in the first six weeks. If the Orioles are going to contend with the Yanks, Sox, and Jays in the AL East, both need to have breakout seasons. As the O’s slipped from contention, both pitchers struggled, combining for only a 2-10 record from July 25 through the end of the season.
While the starting pitching remains largely intact, the Orioles brought in Corey Patterson and free agent catcher Ramon Hernandez to reboot their offense. Hernandez (.258 batting average, 12 HR, 58 RBI) and Patterson (.215/13/34) are coming off seasons marred by injury (Hernandez) and minor-league demotions (Patterson), and stand to see considerable offensive improvement in hitter-friendly Camden Yards. The O’s also signed veterans Kevin Millar and Jeff Conine to play the outfield and first base. Both bring championship experience, with three World Series rings between the two (two more than the rest of the O’s 40-man roster combined), and will provide a veteran presence in the lower part of the order.
The top of the O’s lineup will once again be loaded with firepower. Brian Roberts is coming off a career year, and if his elbow injury is sufficiently healed he should be able to at least come close to that performance. Despite his off-season trade demand, Tejada is an absolute star and will be the focal point of the Orioles offense yet again. Melvin Mora will likely bat .300, and probably spend the first month of the season batting around .430, and if Javy Lopez can stay healthy and be a dependable DH this team could easily score eight runs a game.
The Orioles’ biggest problem remains their bullpen. Last year, the Birds’ biggest weakness was middle relief. When they were able to get a lead to Jorge Julio (traded to the Mets in the deal for Benson) and closer B.J. Ryan (signed with Toronto) in 2005, chances were good for a win. With both having departed, the 2006 bullpen looks like a disaster.
LaTroy Hawkins, brought over in a trade with San Francisco, seems to be the choice for closer on paper. The rest of the bullpen has combined for four saves, spread between a journeyman reliever (Tim Byrdak) and two rookies (Chris Ray, Franklyn Gracesqui). The O’s have invited former Phillies All-Star closer Ricky Bottalico to spring training for a chance at the job, because none of their arms in the pen seem to fit the bill. There is no contingency plan this year if Hawkins doesn’t work out.
The offense in Baltimore is solid and will produce runs. However, that seems to be the only sure thing for the 2006 Orioles. Under the guidance of Mazzone, the collection of unrealized potential that is the O’s starting pitching should improve, but the bullpen will almost certainly lose a bunch of games for this team. There is almost nothing the Orioles could have done this off-season to catch up with the Yankees and Red Sox, and losing Ryan to the Blue Jays was a major blow. With such a shaky bullpen and a schedule heavy with games against the toughest division in baseball, a serious playoff push is highly unlikely. Fourth place is where the Orioles will find themselves come season’s end.
Jonathan Bentz will graduate in May from West Virginia University on the four year plan (don't tell anyone, it'll kill his image). Some might say he's a hustla, others might say he "took dere jobs." He has been a stringer and wire contributor for the Associated Press since 2003, covering WVU and other sports in North Central West Virginia. He loves it when his teams win, and hates it when he watches them and they lose. He bleeds BLUE and GOLD, and wants to be the next Theo Epstein...without the Yale Law degree. You can reach him at jonathan.bentz@atomicsportsmedia.com.
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Miguel Tejada was a real crab this offseason, demanding a trade. Even with Tejada now saying he's happy, will the Orioles have enough firepower to compete in the AL East? Jonathan Bentz breaks it down.
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Of all Major League Baseball teams in 2005, the Baltimore Orioles were probably the happiest to see the regular season end.
After leading the American League East for 62 days during the first half of the season, the Orioles took a nosedive, finishing fourth in the division with a 74-88 record.
Needless to say, many involved in last season’s free fall will not be back for 2006. Manager Lee Mazzilli was fired August 4 and replaced on an interim basis by Sam Perlozzo. Co-general manager Jim Beattie was given his pink slip shortly after the season ended, and former Mets assistant GM Jim Duquette was hired to replace the O’s two-headed, mistake prone, management monster of Beattie and Mike Flanagan within weeks.
Executive headaches weren’t the only illnesses the Orioles needed to cure. Rafael “Roids” Palmeiro was sent home for the remainder of the season soon after Mazzilli was fired. After serving a 10-game steroid suspension and later accusing teammate Miguel Tejada of causing his positive test, it’s no surprise that Palmeiro wasn’t asked back for 2006. Sidney Ponson wasn’t brought back after being near the top of the league in dollars per victory in 2005 (8.5 million against only 7 wins). Sammy Sosa, expected to be a vital cog in the Baltimore lineup, was let go after hitting only 14 home runs and missing 60 games with injuries.
Perlozzo’s interim tag was lifted in October and as his first order of business he coaxed pitching coach Leo Mazzone to leave the Braves and take on what will likely be his toughest assignment to date: rebuilding a pitching staff that fell apart two and a half months into last season.
The starting rotation that Mazzone inherits desperately needs to develop consistency. Rodrigo Lopez, Bruce Chen, and Kris Benson have spent their careers as pitchers with ‘potential,’ but none have ever lived up to expectations. Lopez was the only O’s pitcher to eclipse 200 innings in ’05 and led the staff with 15 wins, but his ERA approached 5.00 by the end of the season. Chen was the only dependable O’s starter after the All-Star break in 2005, but his durability as a starter will be tested in ’06; before last season, he had never started more than seven games. Benson, a former number one draft pick more famous for his wife Ana than for his fastball, posted a 10-8 record last season with the Mets, well short of expectations.
The O’s young guns, right-hander Daniel Cabrera and southpaw Eric Bedard, were a main reason for their early success in ’05. Cabrera led the team in strikeouts, and Bedard went 5-1 with a 2.08 ERA in the first six weeks. If the Orioles are going to contend with the Yanks, Sox, and Jays in the AL East, both need to have breakout seasons. As the O’s slipped from contention, both pitchers struggled, combining for only a 2-10 record from July 25 through the end of the season.
While the starting pitching remains largely intact, the Orioles brought in Corey Patterson and free agent catcher Ramon Hernandez to reboot their offense. Hernandez (.258 batting average, 12 HR, 58 RBI) and Patterson (.215/13/34) are coming off seasons marred by injury (Hernandez) and minor-league demotions (Patterson), and stand to see considerable offensive improvement in hitter-friendly Camden Yards. The O’s also signed veterans Kevin Millar and Jeff Conine to play the outfield and first base. Both bring championship experience, with three World Series rings between the two (two more than the rest of the O’s 40-man roster combined), and will provide a veteran presence in the lower part of the order.
The top of the O’s lineup will once again be loaded with firepower. Brian Roberts is coming off a career year, and if his elbow injury is sufficiently healed he should be able to at least come close to that performance. Despite his off-season trade demand, Tejada is an absolute star and will be the focal point of the Orioles offense yet again. Melvin Mora will likely bat .300, and probably spend the first month of the season batting around .430, and if Javy Lopez can stay healthy and be a dependable DH this team could easily score eight runs a game.
The Orioles’ biggest problem remains their bullpen. Last year, the Birds’ biggest weakness was middle relief. When they were able to get a lead to Jorge Julio (traded to the Mets in the deal for Benson) and closer B.J. Ryan (signed with Toronto) in 2005, chances were good for a win. With both having departed, the 2006 bullpen looks like a disaster.
LaTroy Hawkins, brought over in a trade with San Francisco, seems to be the choice for closer on paper. The rest of the bullpen has combined for four saves, spread between a journeyman reliever (Tim Byrdak) and two rookies (Chris Ray, Franklyn Gracesqui). The O’s have invited former Phillies All-Star closer Ricky Bottalico to spring training for a chance at the job, because none of their arms in the pen seem to fit the bill. There is no contingency plan this year if Hawkins doesn’t work out.
The offense in Baltimore is solid and will produce runs. However, that seems to be the only sure thing for the 2006 Orioles. Under the guidance of Mazzone, the collection of unrealized potential that is the O’s starting pitching should improve, but the bullpen will almost certainly lose a bunch of games for this team. There is almost nothing the Orioles could have done this off-season to catch up with the Yankees and Red Sox, and losing Ryan to the Blue Jays was a major blow. With such a shaky bullpen and a schedule heavy with games against the toughest division in baseball, a serious playoff push is highly unlikely. Fourth place is where the Orioles will find themselves come season’s end.
Jonathan Bentz will graduate in May from West Virginia University on the four year plan (don't tell anyone, it'll kill his image). Some might say he's a hustla, others might say he "took dere jobs." He has been a stringer and wire contributor for the Associated Press since 2003, covering WVU and other sports in North Central West Virginia. He loves it when his teams win, and hates it when he watches them and they lose. He bleeds BLUE and GOLD, and wants to be the next Theo Epstein...without the Yale Law degree. You can reach him at jonathan.bentz@atomicsportsmedia.com.