REALITY: The Baltimore Orioles are winless so far in Spring Training.
PERCEPTION: Who cares! They are 0-8-1, but if you look back at the successful teams over the last few seasons, you’ll see that most were below .500 during Spring Training. So the Orioles record doesn’t matter, but some of the things happening can make you think.
Ryan Flaherty is playing very well offensively and defensively once again proving that he belongs in the majors. I have said it over and over again over the last few years…I have no idea why he gets picked on so much. Flaherty might be the best “6th man” (the term used for the 1st man off the bench in basketball) in all of baseball. He can play every position and brings a solid enough bat to help a team when filling in.
Joey Rickard, a Rule 5 pick, has played pretty well offensively and defensively, and could make the team out of spring, meaning he’ll have to stay on the roster all season.
Hyun-soo Kim doesn’t have a hit yet. It seems like it’s going to take quite some time before he gets adjusted to baseball in America.
Caleb Joseph and Matt Wieters are a combined 2-for-19 at the plate.
Did the team’s struggles at the plate early this spring force General Manager Dan Duquette to make a move?
REALITY: The Baltimore Orioles signed Pedro Alvarez.
pedro alvarez has deal with orioles
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 8, 2016
PERCEPTION: This move has been rumored all winter. Will Alvarez help the Birds offensively? Absolutely. The Orioles could threaten the record for most home runs and most runs scored in a season. He adds a much needed left-handed bat to a right-handed leaning line-up. He helps to make sure there are no soft spots in the O’s lineup.
[Related: Alvarez Gives Orioles More of the Same]
Will Alverez help defensively? No. I mean, he gives Manager Buck Showalter options in his starting line-up, or as a late-inning bat off the bench, but he could really hurt the team if he gets any time in the field.
The rumor is that we’ll see Kim in LF, Mark Trumbo in RF, and Chris Davis at 1B. Dariel Alvarez, Nolan Reimold, Jimmy Paredes, Ryan Flaherty, Rickard, or another minor-leaguer might see some time in the corner outfield positions every now and then, but overall you’ll see Kim/Jones/Trumbo in the OF with Davis at 1B.
As I said in my post last week, I still have a different opinion. If Buck is so against putting taking Davis away from 1B then why did he put Davis in RF for two months last summer? I think Davis in RF/Trumbo at 1B is less of a worry defensively then Trumbo in RF/Davis at 1B. Yes, I know the Orioles signed Davis to be their first basemen, but they also signed Trumbo and Alverez, so they have to have a plan. Trumbo is a better 1B than RF. Davis showed last summer he is serviceable in RF. Why not put him out there?
REALITY: Sports Illustrated released their “100 Greatest Moments in Sports History.” Cal Ripken becoming baseball’s Iron Man was #51 on the list.
RT @SInow: 100 greatest moments in sports history: RANKED.
Check out each of #SI100Greatesthttps://t.co/FbtUyIRiGFhttps://t.co/naOxsWDQcb— Joe Polek ????????⚾????⚽???? (@JoePolek) March 8, 2016
PERCEPTION: I remember it well… September 6, 1995. I sat in left field on September 5 and September 6 of that season. I was 16 and sitting in the bleachers at Camden Yards with my dad. We had an air-horn, and I had tears rolling down my cheeks. To this day, it’s one of my top memories in all my life.
Personally, I think it should be higher on the list, but I know that I’m biased. Still, Ripken helped bring the game of baseball back to the masses after a terrible lock-out turned many fans off.
If you were wondering, Jesse Owens in the Summer Olympics was #3, Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier was #2, and the Miracle on Ice was #1.
