Baltimore Orioles

Last year in the early parts of the season, the Orioles were in a bad position. 

Kevin Millwood was brought in, but it didn't seem like the solution for the next couple of years.

Mike Gonzalez, who was signed to close games, struggled since the first game and went down with a injury.

Nick Markakis seemed to be slowly declining, while Brian Roberts would miss around 100 games due to a foot injury.

Adam Jones was mightily struggling.

I have to preface this by saying, I know it's almost impossible to make any real substantive evaluations based on four games. But there is a lot of optimism in Baltimore right now and I want to write about something, so here we go.

Man, has it been sweet to be a Baltimore Orioles fan these past four days.

I grew out a goatee in honor of the O's facial hair policy being changed for the start of the season, and now, I'm afraid to shave it off tomorrow like I originally planned on doing.

They've been on such a roll, I can't recall a time when I had more fun rooting for this team, save the last two months of the 2010 season.

I love this. Tomorrow's off day is going to kill me.

According to Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com, Baltimore Orioles starter Brian Matusz will miss 3-6 weeks with a strained intercostal muscle.

Zack Britton will take Matusz’s spot in the rotation, making his major league debut on Sunday against the Rays.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES 

Last year: 66-96, 5th place in AL East 

Manager: Buck Showalter 

PROJECTED LINEUP: 

C- Matt Wieters (S)

1B- Derrek Lee (R)

2B- Brian Roberts (S) 

3B- Mark Reynolds (R)

SS- JJ Hardy (R)

LF- Luke Scott (L) 

CF- Adam Jones (R) 

RF- Nick Markakis (L)

DH- Vladimir Guerrero (R)

Here's the situation: Jake Fox of the Baltimore Orioles came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning with his team up by 10 in a spring training game on Monday.

The Orioles' catcher, who had not made the team at the time, had the audacity to swing at a 3-0 pitch with runners on second and third and no outs.

Baltimore Orioles (2010 record: 66-96)

Two words: Buck Showalter.

His hiring meant instant credibility for a moribund franchise. He brought energy, intensity, knowledge and savvy to the baseball diamond and the clubhouse…and he directed the team to a 34-23 finish after his arrival in Charm City—the second-best record in the AL during that 57-game stretch.

After 13 consecutive losing seasons, there is hope once again around Camden Yards.

In general, unwritten rules are stupid. That’s why no one took the time to write them down. Think about it. If something really needs to be a rule—and it’s widely agreed that it needs to be a rule—it’s going to be documented, set in stone and thumb tacked to the wall of every minor league clubhouse.

By not making something an official rule, Major League Baseball is officially saying that it is okay, allowable and within the realm of acceptability.

Anyone who has read my very first post to B/R knows that I am not a fan of the unwritten rules of baseball. I am even less a fan of these idioms during a spring training game.

On Monday, Baltimore Orioles catcher Jake Fox incurred the wrath of his own manager, Buck Showalter, as well as the ire of Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland.

The countdown has started.

Friday evening is the time.

Orioles baseball will be back, and for many, it couldn't have come too soon.

I, for one, have been so impatiently waiting for this 2011 baseball season to start. In fact, I've been much more excited for it than in any of the past five or so years.

I'm sure there are a lot of Balmer Hons who are in the same boat as I am.