ESPN.com - Major League Baseball - Baltimore Orioles preview


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Monday, April 2
Baltimore Orioles preview

ESPN.com

POWER RANKINGS


	Mike Bordick is back in Baltimore. If he hits 20 homers again, he may just lead the team.

Strength of schedule
.504, 8th in AL
Lineup ranking
12th in AL
Pitching ranking
14th in AL
Prediction
5th in AL East

The lowdown
2000 record: 74-88 (4th in AL East)
Runs scored: 794, 11th in AL
Runs allowed: 913, 12th in AL

Three key issues for 2001
1. Will they be worse than the '88 Orioles? That team finished 54-107 after starting the year with 21 consecutive losses.

2. How many of the veterans will be trade bait by the All-Star break? And if they are, will the Baltimore front office be able to get any players of value in return?

3. Is this the final year for Cal Ripken?

Three key facts
1. Jose Mercedes, who had been released by three teams in 1999, came on to lead the Orioles with 14 wins despite being shuttled between the starting rotation and the bullpen.

2. Cal Ripken joined the 3,000-hit club in April, but missed 79 games during the season and hit only .236 during an injury-plagued first half.

3. Right-handed free-agent pickup Pat Hentgen is 4-1 with a 3.76 ERA in his career at Camden Yards, and should be helped by the fact that left-handed batters had the second lowest average in the AL there last season.

RETURNING 2000 STATISTICAL LEADERS

AVG	D. DeShields	.296
HR	A. Belle	23
RBI	A. Belle	103
RUN	B. Anderson	89
SB	D. DeShields	37
WIN	J. Mercedes	14
SV	R. Kohlmeier	13
ERA	S. Ponson	4.82
Complete 2000 Statistics: Batting \| Pitching

Tim Kurkjian's scenarios
Best case: Closer Ryan Kohlmeier, outfielder/first baseman Chris Richard and second baseman Jerry Hairston are ready to play, and the O's win 75 games.

Worst case: The kids are too young, the veterans are too old, the Orioles lose 100 games and Cal Ripken announces his retirement.

ESPN.com's lineup analysis
Player	Comment	Pos. rank*
B. Anderson, DH	Will play OF, share DH with Jeff Conine	9
M. Bordick, SS	14 HR before break, 6 after	8
D. DeShields, LF	When he's your No. 3 hitter, things are bad	11
D. Segui, 1B	When he's your No. 4 hitter, things are bad	9
C. Ripken, 3B	Good enough to hit fifth -- on this team	11
C. Richard, RF	Late bloomer or fluke for two months?	13
M. Mora, CF	Part of the "youth" movement at 29	14
B. Fordyce, C	He's a year older than Charles Johnson	4
J. Hairston, 2B	About time he gets a chance to play	7
ESPN.com's pitching staff analysis
P. Hentgen, RHP	Has more career wins than Curt Schilling	44
S. Ponson, RHP	He's average, which is good on this team	26
J. Mercedes, RHP	Did you know he was 14-7, 4.02 last year?	48
J. Johnson, RHP	Great arm, but 11-22 career record	56
Middle relief	Cast of characters led by Buddy Groom	13
R. Kohlmeier, CL	Some doubt he'll be able to hold job	12

	Position average (AL rank):	9.55 (12th)
	Pitching index (AL rank):	13.25 (14th)

* Position rank, compiled by ESPN.com's baseball staff, compares each AL team's strength at that position, including platoons, based on players' total projected value (offense, defense, durability) for the 2001 season.

AL position players and bullpens ranked on a 1-14 basis, with 1 being best.
AL starting pitchers ranked on 1-56 basis, with 1 being best. Cumulative rankings of starting pitchers are combined with bullpen and closer for overall pitching index, with more weight given to starters.
In both rankings, 1.00 is the best possible score, 14.00 the worst.

Click here for AL position-by-position rankings.

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