After a 7-0 start, our Birds have hit the skids a bit, going 1-4 in their last five games. Last night, a quality start by Mike Wright was wasted, as the offense could manage only three runs of Blue Jays pitching in the series opener. Here’s hoping they get back in the win column tonight.
Until then, let’s hit the links…
Natty Boh Not Being Sold at Camden Yards, Future Uncertain
Two weeks ago, when the O’s were playing the Twins, I bought a Natty Boh draft at a mobile bar behind the left field seats. Last night, I immediately noticed that that stand had disappeared. Maybe because it’s a Tuesday? I moved onto a tastier option without giving it another thought, but today I saw the above link, in which Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Boh is, indeed, completely gone. When and if it will be back is anybody’s guess. Bummer. And, quite shady, if you ask me.
Bird’s Eye View Episode 160: The Pen Is Mightier
Jake and Scott are back with Episode 160, and they do their damndest to try to make us feel better about the starting rotation. I felt better after listening, so hopefully their logic can have the same effect on you. Alan Smith of the Baltimorons also joins them to talk O’s, MLB, and to preview their annual Nickname show.
The Silver Lining for the Rotation
Speaking of trying to make us feel better about the rotation…Paul Sporer of Baltimore Sports and Life looks for silver linings for Ubaldo Jimenez, Chris Tillman, and Yovani Gallardo. He finds some encouraging indicators…for two of them, anyway.
Mike Wright Gives Glimmer of Hope for Reeling Rotation
Eddie Matz of ESPN has some quotes from Mike Wright, Manny Machado, and Buck Showalter following Tuesday’s loss, in which Wright turned in a quality start but the bats couldn’t solve Marcus Stroman. It was nice to see Wright pitch well, certainly, and hopefully it’s a sign of things to come from both Wright and his rotation-mates. We’ve seen in the past how one good pitching performance can snowball into a few in a row, as guys take it upon themselves to not be the weak link.
Mark Trumbo’s Hot Start a Bit of Deja Vu
It’s been a blast watching Mark Trumbo smash baseballs so far this season. Will he keep it up? Alex Chamberlain of FanGraphs says that we’ve seen this side of Trumbo before, so perhaps we shouldn’t get too excited. I say, screw that. We have this year’s Nelson Cruz, and he’s even on a one-year deal just like Nellie was. Let’s hope we can ride the wave of TrumBombs (and bombs from all the other guys, of course) to another AL East title.
The Rise and Fall of Rafael Palmeiro
This is a long, but very good – and very sad – read about Rafael Palmeiro and how his life has gone since he famously wagged his finger at congress, then was busted for steroid use. Palmeiro says he has never been back to Baltimore, and never expected his home fans to treat him that way. The article paints him as a sympathetic figure, and I’m interested to see if fans of the O’s – and baseball in general – will experience some softening of the heart after reading it.
And in NFL News…
Favorite/Least Favorite Pick – Part 6
In a week and a day, the NFL Draft will finally be upon us. Russell Street Report continues their favorite/least favorite pick series, with Tyler Lombardi tossing Laremy Tunsil in one category and Joey Bosa in the other. Click on over to see which player goes in which pile.
