SportsNation Blog Archives
Baltimore Orioles
Opening Day -- well, Opening Night, really, and we technically already had one of those in Japan, but who's counting? -- is finally here, as the Cardinals will take on the Marlins tonight in the first stateside regular-season MLB game. It's bound to be an exciting season with so many players having changed teams, but has the power structure been altered significantly?
Vote: Pick each division and pennant, and the winner of the World Series
Rank: Baseball's best teams? | Top players in the game?
World Series repeat?
The Cardinals prevailed over the Rangers in the 2011 World Series, but St. Louis lost its biggest gun this past offseason ...
Best player?
... which is a pretty big loss, considering he might be one of the best players of all time.
Odd one out?
The Red Sox missed the playoffs last season after an epic September collapse. Will they be on the outside looking in once again?
AL's best?
Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols were probably the two biggest additions to teams in the American League, meaning the balance of power could shift.
NL's best?
Likewise, the addition of Jose Reyes to the Marlins could give the team a huge upgrade -- offensively with new third baseman Hanley Ramirez, and defensively at shortstop.
Bringing back the old logo is one thing, but are the Orioles also working on bringing back Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray and Brooks Robinson? (Heck, these days, Orioles fans might even settle for Rafael Palmeiro). The AL East cellar dwellers are bringing back the cartoon bird for their caps, as modeled above by Murray in his prime. Does the SN fashion police approve?
- "Hallelujah!!! Finally, we get our logo back. No if we could only find a way to get rid of Peter Angelos and restore the once proud Oriole way, we would be in business." -- SN commenter destiny_driven55
- "Good lord! Have the '70's and '80s escaped our memories entirely?? Just hearing about these, let alone seeing them makes me retch. Orange jerseys? Seriously? Maybe they want to bring back the orange pants, too." -- SN commenter DrA_USA
Which bird is better?
Is a franchise many feel has become a joke in recent years really wise to replace the existing logo (above) with a cartoon?
What about ditching the bird?
We realize 'W' is the only letter that really matters here, but come on, it's November. Should the Orioles just ditch the logo for the alphabet?
What's the color of rebuilding?
Along with the new (old) logo, the Orioles will wear orange jerseys for select home games. It works for Oklahoma State, but what's wrong with white?
Are we doomed to repeat history?
The following link may not be suitable for some people (those with fashion taste), but do we really need to revisit uniforms like these?
Fernando Valenzuela and Dave Stewart once pitched no-hitters on the same day. Cal Ripken Jr.'s lap around Camden Yards was special. But has any regular-season day in your lifetime topped the drama that unfolded last night in baseball? Evan Longoria channeled Bobby Thomson with a walk-off home run, Jonathan Papelbon wrote a fitting ending for a September collapse, the Braves and Phillies battled deep into extra innings and the Cardinals took care of business. Like Jose Reyes, hopefully you rested up in the afternoon.
- "What a night of baseball! Watched Strasburg pitch a gem. Watched the Braves collapse. Watched the O's rally to beat the Sox. Watchd the Rays rally to beat the Yanks. Don't you love technology?" -- SN commenter luvdc88
- "My Orioles weren't in the race -- and haven't been since I had more hair -- but even though I've watched sports of all sorts since the late 60s and have been in sports media since 1979, this was a night I won't soon forget." -- SN commenter joeypsinger
Does it get better than Wednesday?
Well, sure, if you're a fan of the Red Sox or Braves, but from the perspective of the rest of us, have there been better days of baseball?
Which dropped your jaw most?
The Rays rallied from seven runs down, but we'd still be playing baseball today if Jonathan Papelbon hadn't recorded just his third blown save this season.
Should we have seen Mariano Rivera?
Rays manager Joe Maddon thanked the Orioles for playing hard to the finish against the Red Sox, but did Joe Girardi owe it to the sport to use Mariano Rivera?
Did Carl Crawford have a play?
It wasn't Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, but as you watch the replay above of Robert Andino's game-winning hit, did Crawford have a play?
What about the Cardinals?
We can't overlook Albert Pujols and the Cardinals, but with Chris Carpenter out of the mix until Game 3 and the Phillies waiting, was catching the Braves the easy part?
The last wild-card race of its kind?
If Bud Selig has his way and adds an additional wild-card spot in each league, a day like Wednesday would be decidedly less dramatic. But is that a fair trade?
What about Jose Reyes?
Jose Reyes had to love last night's drama, if only because it let him off the hook for taking himself out of a game earlier in the day to protect his batting title.
We can understand if you don't want to take the time to grade your tech-support help on the other end of the telephone, but when we're talking about the dollars and emotion you've invested in sports, we think it's worth the effort. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.
Take part in the 2011 MLB survey
2010 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 3)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 6)
3. Colorado Rockies (Overall: No. 13)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 14)
5. Atlanta Braves (Overall: No. 15)
Take part in the 2011 NFL survey
2010 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (Overall: No. 1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 4)
3. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (Overall: No. 19)
5. Baltimore Ravens (Overall: No. 20)
Take part in the 2011 NBA survey
2010 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 2)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 7)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 10)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Overall: No. 24)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Overall: No. 25)
Take part in the 2011 NHL survey
2010 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 5)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 8)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 11)
4. San Jose Sharks (Overall: No. 12)
5. Chicago Blackhawks (Overall: No. 16)
It's just like the census, only this one is fun and doesn't come in the mail. And nobody from FOX News or MSNBC will yell at you about it. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.
Take part in the 2010 MLB survey
2009 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 1)
2. Milwaukee Brewers (Overall: No. 7)
3. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 16)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 23)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (Overall: No. 24)
Take part in the 2010 NFL survey
2009 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (Overall: No. 3)
2. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 14)
4. Tennessee Titans (Overall: No. 15)
5. New England Patriots (Overall: No. 19)
Take part in the 2010 NBA survey
2009 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 5)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 9)
3. New Orleans Hornets (Overall: No. 12)
4. Houston Rockets (Overall: No. 17)
5. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 18)
Take part in the 2010 NHL survey
2009 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Carolina Hurricanes (Overall: No. 2)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 4)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 6)
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 8)
5. St. Louis Blues (Overall: No. 10)
So is born the legend of Sergio Mitre. A simple man born in a distant land (all right, Los Angeles), Mitre arrived in the biggest city in the kingdom accompanied by whispers of miracles performed in the hinterlands (or more accurately, a 2.40 ERA at Triple-A Scranton). And with him came sunshine and bountiful harvests. Or at least first place in the American League East.
The Yankees' new fifth starter, and a veteran of a 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs and 53 unremarkable starts in the majors, Mitre actually didn't have nearly as much to do with the Yankees claiming sole possession of first place as Robinson Cano or Alex Rodriguez, right, who drove in two and walked twice. And considering this is the latest in the season the Yankees have been alone in first since 2006, it's kind of a big deal.
As recently as two weeks ago, SportsNation voters were still sold on the Red Sox winning the division, but that support appears to be disappearing, albeit not as quickly as balls hit off John Smoltz.
- Will the Yankees hold their newfound lead? Vote on the AL East.
- Chat: Frustrated Jays fan? Ask Baseball America's Jim Callis about prospects at 2 ET
- Groups: New York Yankees Fan Club | Fans of the Tampa Bay Rays | BOSTON RED SOX
“The Sox need a bat they have lacked offense all season. Lets see if Theo makes a move, I doubt he does though. Shorstop has to be top priority, Nick Green was a good story for a few months but let be real here.....Lowrie and Green dont scare anyone and neither of them are gold glove shortstops either...Tejada can be had for a reasonable trade and can still hit, something needs to be done.
” -- BoSox1045K
“Who cares. I hate first place until the end of September anyway. It is what it is. 2+ months to go. I wish we were hitting better but it is what it is. Go Yanks. NOT.
” -- paulc1955
“Yankee fans need to chill out a bit. It's July 21st. There is a lot of baseball to be played, so don't get ahead of yourselves celebrating the Yanks being in 1st and the Sox in a bit of a funk. I have confidence in the Yanks, but at the same time I'm not getting all crazy over their current streak.
” -- BryanV21
We should be careful what we wish for. Running through National League reviews and predictions, we lamented the lack of sports on the day after the All-Star Game. But how could we be so foolish as to think Brett Favre wouldn't sniff out the opportunity and announce that he is definitely, positively, beyond a shadow of a doubt ... going to tell the Vikings whether or not he's coming back ... at some point between now and the start of the team's training camp. Whew, glad we've got that on the record.
Games not involving Favre's mind resume on baseball diamonds Thursday, but we're taking a look back at the American League before we get there. And compared to the projected runaways in the NL, the division races on this side of the ledger look like they could keep us entertained well into the fall.
American League Team MVP
Red Sox: Jason Bay
Yankees: Mark Teixeira
Angels: Torii Hunter
Tigers: Miguel Cabrera
Rangers: Ian Kinsler
Rays: Evan Longoria
Mariners: Ichiro
White Sox: Jermaine Dye
Twins: Joe Mauer
Blue Jays: Roy Halladay
Orioles: Adam Jones
Athletics: Matt Holliday
Royals: Mark Teahan (Offensive MVP)
Indians: Grady Sizemore (Least Valuable Player)
As the saying goes, the more things change, the more the Cubs struggle to find .500. At least, that's how we learned it. And by "we," we mean anyone born since 1909.
With the baseball season pausing for its official midpoint at the All-Star Game and its less official one in the firing of the Nationals manager, consider how SportsNation sized up the field after the first week of the season.
1. Florida Marlins
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Chicago Cubs
4. Atlanta Braves
5. Toronto Blue Jays
At least the Nationals were properly slotted at No. 30. Congrats on getting that gig, Jim Riggleman. Now the Cubs, Marlins and Braves are fighting for wild-card relevancy, hoping a division leader stumbles, and the Blue Jays are listening to offers for Roy Halladay.
- A Mariners fan, blogger Dawgman0387 gets a little excited about the team's winning record at the break and starts throwing out terms like "World Series run." But hey, with a top three like Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn, maybe he's on to something.
- Things aren't quite as rosy for the Reds. SportsNation blogger xubugg pleads for more "patients" at the plate. We're guessing that's supposed to be "patience," but when it comes to Dusty Baker's lineup experiments, you never know.
- We're all a little worse off having an All-Star Game without "Kung Fu Panda," but a Giants blogger upset that the so-nicknamed Pablo Sandoval won't be in St. Louis takes out his frutrations on the frauds that he feels are the Philadelphia Phillies.
“Love the Mariners, Wakamatsu, Fedex, Ichiro, Branyan, Griffey Jr., Aardsma, Branyan, "Gutierez", and everyone who has helped turn this year's team into an entertaining winning club.
” -- J.Bertelli
“[Jim Tracy] took the Rockies from double-digit games under .500 to Wild Card contenders. Not to mention the fact that the Rockies have the best record in baseball over the span that Tracy has been manager. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, expected the Rockies to be in the position they are now. Thus, Tracy definitely deserves to be National League Manager Of The Year, so far, and it's not really that close.
” -- JTRMS45
In Tim Wakefield's first season in the big leagues, the Red Sox and Yankees both finished with losing records (soak that in for a few blissful seconds). And the Brewers finished a close second in the American League East, four games behind the Blue Jays.
Yeah, Wakefield's not young. He wasn't then, debuting with the Pirates in 1992 at 25 years old, and he's not now. But he is going to the All-Star Game for the first time, weeks after passing Roger Clemens for the most starts in Red Sox history.
Before he beat the A's on Wednesday for win No. 11 this season, SportsNation wasn't entirely sure he belonged in St. Louis. And despite some well-placed lobbying (listen to Tim Kurkjian on "Mike and Mike," left) voters aren't buying him as the American League starter.
But despite becoming one of the oldest pitchers to win 11 games this early, he has at least two more good seasons, as the 'Nation sees it.
- Toronto's quick start had voters wavering on which team would win (May 18), but ...
- A month later the Red Sox had full control of the 'Nation's vote (June 11)
- More midseason reviews: AL Central | AL West | NL West | NL Central | NL East
- Groups: BOSTON RED SOX | The New York Yankees Fan Club | Oriole Nation
“Chris Tillman pitched 6 shutout innings [Wednesday]. He has pitches 13 consecutive shutout innings now. We are going to see this guy very soon. I can feel it. Tillman is going to get the call up and Matusz will be promoted to AAA. Patience O's fans. They are coming.
” -- nebula25r
“major league pitchers dont just stumble by accident on 11 wins at this point in the season. I watched Wakefield pitch against the Tigers in Detroit last season, sat near behind the plate and watching this guys pitches come toward the batter was just silly, the ball did look weak and lifeless but it moved so oddly that its gotta throw off big league hitters timing, obviously to the point of 11 wins at that!
” -- KaneBowman
“Since Matsui has gotten on track, things are backed up again but, as I've been saying all along, I would like to see Cervelli/Molina doing the MAJORITY of the catching... Posada is weak defensively AND he seems to have gotten worse at calling games... He's already just a DH that they keep telling to play catcher...
” -- KapteinStoertebeker
“Considering the way we've been playing we're lucky to be 5.5 games back. So, lets's get some home cooking W's this week and close that gap a little before the AllStar break. Go Rays!
” -- 23witness
“The Jays are on the verge of becoming less relevant than the Montreal Expos in Canada if don't they start showing a, and with apologies to Al Davis, "commitment to excellence" and not a "commitment to mediocrity".
” -- RapsJaysBucs
When it comes to All-Star selections, Keith Law thinks fans failed like a 24-year-old in Rookie Ball with poor plate discipline (too early on a Monday for sabermetric humor?). Then again, SportsNation's occasionally cantankerous guru thinks managers and players didn't fare much better in picking the reserves and pitchers. But until Law is established as baseball's supreme overlord, we're stuck with the current system.
There are 23 first-time All-Stars this year, including Yadier Molina, the first of the Molina brothers to make an appearance (leaving them just 18 Grand Slam titles and two Super Bowl titles shy of the Williams sisters and Manning brothers). The rookies also run the gamut, from 42-year-old Tim Wakefield to 21-year-old Justin Upton, who was born the year before Wakefield was drafted by the Pirates.
And if that doesn't make you feel old, consider that Tim Wakefield debuted for the Pirates in 1992 on a team that also included pitcher Dennis Lamp, who was born six years before Kevin Bacon.
- SportsNation can't pick if it should be allowed to pick the All-Star starters
- No surprise that AL is the overwhelming early All-Star Game favorite
“pedroia is a great player but based on how he has played this season, he doesn't deserve to start in the all-star game. aaron hill should be starting and kinsler should be the reserve. josh hamilton shouldn't be up there either. adam lind has played phenomenal this season and should at least be a reserve in the outfield. i also think that jered weaver should be there over wakefield. i mean wake is up there in wins, but only because he the sox give him great run support. just look at his numbers, he's pitched mediocre this season.
” -- bkzwhitestrican
“It's an All-Star game, not a best first half stats game. The fans want to see Jeter becase he's the most famous shortstop and a sure Hall of Famer. Fine. They want to see Pedroia because he's the MVP, you silly people. What's wrong with that? They voted for Hamilton because he was THE story of last year's game. Makes sense. The game is for the fans, and they want to see who they want to see. You Fantasy guys just go play your imaginary All-Star game with your make-believe players...
” -- Captaincompliance
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