This is a weekly column that dives into eight random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. Why eight? It’s a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. of course. That, and doing 2,632 of these would be a little overboard. – A.S.
1. I didn’t want to be the one to bring this up, but it might be time to start thinking about moving Dylan Bundy back to the bullpen. This isn’t a direct reaction to yesterday’s outing, which was not good. I’ve actually been saying this for a little more than a week now. If you look over Bundy’s last few starts, you’ll realize that his velocity has been trending down. Results have still been there at times, but it hasn’t always looked pretty.
Back when Bundy entered the rotation, there was a serious question about how many innings he’d be able to pitch this season. Perhaps he’s starting to reach that mark. Yesterday marked his shortest outing since his first start (which also happened to be at Tampa Bay).
It’s time to start re-evaluating Bundy for the rest of the season.
2. I’m not hitting a panic button with Bundy, just like I’m not saying Ubaldo Jimenez deserves to take his spot. That’d be the default move, once Chris Tillman returns, but there is no guarantee. Jimenez has been a breath of fresh air over his last few outings.
Do I think it will last? Definitely not. But it’s nice to see so far.
Everyone talks about how nice of a guy Jimenez is and how they root for him. All that is fine and good, and I agree with it. But more than anything I just want to see him pitch well. I don’t need a complete game every time. I need him to be a back-end rotation quality starter. That’s it, that’s all.
If we can go back to that world, that’d be nice.
3. I’ve reached that point where I’m happy that the Orioles are once again in a pennant race as we approach mid-September. I remember too many seasons where that wasn’t even a possibility. Too many instances where the O’s were out of it by the All-Star break. I’m enjoying this. I’m taking it all in and watching every game and embracing the fact that it’s meaningful baseball.
Sure, the Orioles had a division lead back in June. Sure, they’ve lost that, and are now scratching and clawing just to hold on to one of two Wild Card spots. I don’t care anymore. I’m happy they are competitive.
If they play well enough down the stretch, they will make the postseason. That’s all that matters at this point.
GulfBird Photo/Craig Landefeld
4. Seeing another injury on this team is a bit concerning. Chris Davis sat yesterday with a sore hand, and I’m worried about it. It’s something he’s battled throughout the season, but now we are seeing him miss time at the most crucial part of the year.
I predicted back at the All-Star break that Davis would bust out of his mid-season funk. He did just that in August, blasting a ton of home runs. He’s been at the center of the Orioles’ power surge here of late, and being able to stick him in the lineup is crucial to their success. Here’s hoping he can get back soon and continue to launch the ball over the wall.
5. The Orioles are on the verge of actually getting good injury news. Chris Tillman and Darren O’Day appear to be making their way back soon. I can’t even decide which addition would be more crucial at this point, because they are both so important.
Tillman will help a rotation that has had to roll the dice and rely on Ubaldo Jimenez (though that’s obviously worked out). As mentioned, Dylan Bundy is faltering. Getting Tillman back at this point only alleviates some of the pressure on Wade Miley and Yovani Gallardo.
With O’Day, his presence in front of Zach Britton in the bullpen is also important. The O’s have relied on Brad Brach and Mychal Givens too much this season. Now in September, they are throwing their hopes behind too many call-ups. O’Day in the eighth inning could be a recipe for success down the stretch.
GulfBird Photo/Craig Landefeld
6. It’s still incredible to me that Caleb Joseph doesn’t have an RBI all season. It’s a complete statistical anomaly. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, no one has had as many at-bats as Joseph in a season without recording at least one RBI. That’s since the stat was recorded starting in 1920.
I remember a time not too long ago (last winter) when many believed Joseph was capable of being the starting catcher on this team. Now, RBI is not the telling stat here, I’m not saying that. And Joseph has had to deal with injury this year as well (one of the worst ones imaginable). But to say that he should just be handed the starting gig is a bit unreasonable.
Believe it or not, there are still many fans who believe he should be the starter next year, too.
7. Adam Jones is this year’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. And he should be. If you don’t know what the Clemente Award entails, I urge you to look into it. The award is described as just about everything Jones is, on and off the field. “Extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”
Buck Showalter is the brain of the Orioles, while Jones is the heartbeat. He helps the club tick, and keeps the blood pumping through. If ever there was a representative that deserved such an honor, it’d be #10.
8. This past week, we got to experience one of the more memorable dates on Orioles history. September 6th isn’t just important because it’s my son’s birthday. It’s also the day Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak in 1995. A year later, on that same date, Eddie Murray clubbed his 500th career home run off of Felipe Lira. I was lucky enough to be in attendance for both of those games. Cal’s 2131 game, it goes without saying, was an all-time moment. The fact that he homered sent the crowd into a frenzy. His lap around the stadium was magical. Every part of it.
But many overlook what a special moment Murray’s 500th homer was. Eddie was a polarizing player in Baltimore, and one of my all-time favorites. The only time I’ve ever been to Cooperstown was for Murray’s induction into the Hall of Fame. His sweet swing was one I’ll never forget, and watching that ball soar into right-center field was a moment I won’t forget either. The fact that it’s been 20 years since then just makes me feel old.
