Of course Ubaldo finally turns in a nice start and the O’s go up against Max Scherzer, which I believe roughly translates in German to “unhittable pitching machine.” Whatever, we got him when it really mattered, right?
To the Friday links.
An Interesting Conversation with My 2011 Self
In his weekly MASN guest column, Roar from 34’s Matt Taylor goes back in time (because it’s Matt, where else would he go?) to talk baseball with his 2011 self. If I were to do the same, I’m not sure my 2011 self would have ever gotten past the part where I’m told that the O’s are the winningest team around since 2012, but that wouldn’t make for much of a conversation, I suppose…
What if Zach Britton Couldn’t Strike Anyone Out?
Hm…a sinker-balling closer who doesn’t strike anybody out? That sounds kinda familiar…
But apparently there’s more to it than that, as Jeff Long and the Baseball Prospectus guys dive into.
With a Pinpoint Sinker, Britton Raises his Cy Young Chances
Fortunately for all of us who don’t play or cheer for other MLB teams, Zach Britton can – and does – strike people out. He’s still floating around in Cy Young discussions, but you should click on this article and read all the way to the bottom just to see a New York Times writer say that Mariano Rivera never had a regular season like the one Zach is having.
How Dangerous is AL East’s Red Sox – Blue Jays – Orioles Trio?
Danny Knobler of Bleacher Report says that the AL East isn’t getting enough respect. After all, if the O’s had won last night, there would be a three-team tie atop the division at the end of August. Don’t worry though – he still of course concludes that the O’s are the most flawed of the three squads, so don’t fill in that chip on your shoulder just yet, Baltimore.
Is Manny Machado Becoming a Better Investment than Bryce Harper?
ESPN’s Eddie Matz covers both the Orioles and Nationals, so he sees plenty of both Manny & Bryce. He thinks that the former may be becoming a better big-bucks long-term investment than the latter. That’s great news for the current Orioles, not-so-great news for the Birds of a few years down the road. Lock this guy up, Pete.
Have you heard that Manny mashes? Get your Breaking T Manny Mashado shirt here.
