Baltimore Orioles

Texas Rangers vs. Baltimore Orioles
Free Pick: Baltimore Orioles (-128)
Friday, April 24, 2009, 7:05 p.m. ET—MLB Odds
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Rumor has it that Orioles owner Peter Angelos has an insane man crush on outfielder Nick Markakis. So much so that he would have mortgaged the farm, so to speak, to get him in the 2003 Major League draft. Nick the Stick can do that to a guy, whether he's an 80 something attorney or a 20 something retail superfan. His list of skills and intangibles is off the chart: hitting power and acumen, plate discipline, excellent fielding ability, speed and baseball knowledge. Here's why you should be a believer too.

On April 22, the Baltimore Orioles have announced that pitcher Simon is out for season and will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery in his elbow.

This is a big blow at an already thin rotation meaning that rookie pitcher Brad Bergesen will permanently stay in this starting rotation.

I may have trust issues, so excuse my hesitance to put any real meaning into early individual numbers.

But they are all we have up to this point...

The team, and by team I mean the Boston Red Sox, is 7-6. 

Not great, not bad, slightly better than mediocre, etc.

Some have struggled, some have been great, and some have been okay. 

Let us dive into a quick take on each hitter in the everyday lineup...

Jacoby Ellsbury:  OPS+ 55

Down seven runs to begin the bottom of the second inning, Boston never changed their approach at the plate. The Red Sox knew they were given too many innings to catch up.

J.D. Drew lead off the inning with a walk and Jason Bay followed crushing his third home run of the season into Baltimore's bullpen cutting the lead to 7-2.

Boston's comeback was just getting started.

Andy MacPhail has made no secret of his strategy to rebuild the Baltimore Orioles.

The future isn't now. This season, while not a throwaway year, is a work in progress. A .500 record has been considered a dream for this bunch, while a second straight last-place finish is far more reasonable.

The future, instead, is a couple of years from now. Three years, two years, perhaps next year, if all goes absolutely according to plan, and star pitching prospects mature quickly.

When you’re lucky enough to grab front row seats at Busch Stadium along the first base line, it means you’ll be only a few feet from what is likely the best player to wear the Birds on the Bat since Stan Musial. 

While it can be exciting just being within shouting distance of a Cardinal legend, when that same legend comes charging toward your seat chasing a foul ball, things get taken up a notch.  And when things get taken up a notch in the stands, it’s "Faces In the Crowd time…"

Toronto Blue Jays:

Don't look now but the Toronto Blue Jays are 6-2 and leading the revamped American League Eastern division. My first Bleacher Report article outlined this possibility when upon the re-hiring of former manager Cito Gaston on June 20, 2008 the team proceeded to finish last season on a 51-37 clip.

After the Orioles opening day thumping of the Yankees, most expected the Birds to be violently brought back down to earth. Instead, the Yanks bats were quieted for five masterful innings by the O's #2 pitcher, import Koji Uehara. Just as the Orioles learned many valuable lessons on Opening Day, they learned a few more things about how their 2009 season might turn out, on Day Two.