"The Yankees have their dynasty. Now, let's make the Orioles a winning dynasty." This statement was made by Orioles owner Peter Angelos at the beginning of his tenure as Orioles owner. I say, "Hey Pete, what winning dynasty?!"
Most Orioles fans today still remember this statement. Nowadays, it has become a complete joke, after 11 straight losing seasons. However, the Baltimore Orioles still remain one of the most-storied franchises in the history of baseball. They had many winning seasons in the '60s, '70s, early '80s, and early-to-mid '90s.
The Orioles have won three World Championships in their franchise history. The first came in 1966, when they were led by the Triple Crown Award Winner Frank Robinson. The second title came in 1970, when the birds were led by the left-handed slugger Boog Powell and by Brooks Robinson's stellar defense at third base.
The third and final championship came in 1983, when they were led by the 1982 Rookie of the Year and World Series MVP Cal Ripken Jr. What have Orioles fans tasted since? Not much. They had a couple of winning seasons in the '90s, including their last playoff appearance to date in 1997, when they lost to the New York Yankees four games to one in the ALDS.
It hurt to lose to the arch-rival Yankees, but after the '97 season, the Orioles went into a downward spiral. Team owner Peter Angelos went out and spent all kinds of money on big name free agency players, including 80 million dollars on Albert Belle. What did he ever do to earn that kind of money? Belle never lived up to his superstar-caliber potential.
After a few more losing seasons, Angelos went out and signed star catcher Javy Lopez, star shortstop Miguel Tejada and "Slammin'" Sammy Sosa in 2005. They even brought back former Oriole great Rafael Palmeiro. It seemed as if Angelos was turning into the Dan Snyder of baseball. The team started the season on a hot streak and believe it or not, they were once in first place for 62 straight days.
Unfortunately, it was all too good to be true. The Palmeiro controversy came into play after he tested positive for a banned substance known as B-12 in the middle of the season and very shortly after his 3000th hit. Javy Lopez was always hurt and Sammy Sosa wasn't exactly "Slammin'" Sammy anymore, as he could barely hit the ball out of the infield.
The team, of course, finished that season and every season up to now, with a losing record. The franchise had hit rock bottom. Baltimorians were beginning to beg for owner Peter Angelos to sell the team. Some fans go to a game at Camden Yards wearing "Free the Birds" t-shirts, obviously showing their displeasure with the uncompetitiveness of their team. The Orioles had finally hit rock bottom.
So, here we are. It's 2009 and spring training is nearing its end and opening day is just around the corner. We are 26 years removed from the Orioles last World Title. Could it happen this year? Will they be competitive?
Hiring Andy McPhail to run the team is one of the best moves Peter Angelos has made in years. The team has not progressed over the past 10 years, no matter what it did. McPhail stated that the Orioles are in a rebuilding process and it will take some time until the team becomes winners again and they WILL be winners again. Many project 2010 is the year the Orioles will bring back the winning tradition.
In the short time McPhail has been the head-guy, he has already made a positive mark on the club. He made two blockbuster trades involving former Orioles Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard. These were trades in which the Orioles received promising young prospects in return. Andy is continuing to improve the Oriole's farm system, which is something that has been a problem for them in the past decade or so.
The pitching staff and bullpen are also improving because of the moves McPhail has made. There are a lot of young and talented arms in the organization nowadays. We just have to wait for those arms to progress into major league-caliber pitchers.
With Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, and Aubrey Huff in the lineup, the Orioles will most likely not have too many problems offensively, not to mention the five-star prospect the Orioles have in AAA catcher Matt Weiters. This kid has a lot of potential and is projected to be an all-star in a couple years. Once again, there is one major issue going into the '09 season.
PITCHING!
If the pitching pans out and is in the top 15 in baseball, then I think the Orioles will have a good shot at a .500 season or maybe even a winning season. However, if the pitching does not turn out well and the team has a couple of big time injuries here and there, then I think we could end up witnessing the same old story as in years past.
I am going to make my prediction with the mindset that the pitching will improve and the offense will remain in the top ten, as it was last season.
Barring any devastating injuries, I will predict the Orioles finish the 2009 season at (80-82) and third place in the division, of course behind the Sox and Yanks. This would be a drastic improvement from last year's 69 wins, and I really believe that this team can do it. The Orioles just have so much more potential than they did in past years and I think they are really starting to turn the corner.
Who knows? Maybe they could beat the Tampa Bay Rays of 2009. As a life-long Orioles fan, I can only hope. You just never know what will happen in the world of baseball.
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