The acronym “CTD” is used often in the medical field. A few paramedic friends of mine have explained that while somewhat gruesome, “Circling The Drain” is used to describe a patient that is quickly heading to the light and may not be alive much longer. It’s also a term that could be used to describe the current state of the Baltimore Orioles. Despite a resounding win over the Yankees on Sunday, the O’s are slowly CTD and at this point, it’s going to take a lot to stop them. That victory could have halted a little bit of the water from sinking down the drain, but it’s merely a start in what seems like will be an uphill climb the rest of the way.
It wasn’t hard to recognize that this upcoming stretch would be important for the Birds, and that continues this week with a big series against the Indians in Cleveland. The issue is that the O’s are 5-7 in their last 12 games, all of which have come against AL contenders. That’s not going to get it done.
I’m by no means putting a nail in the coffin of the 2013 season, but I’ve at least begun to look around for one that will look nice when it’s lowered into the ground. The Orioles have no chance at claiming the AL East crown. The gap is too wide and the games are too few. With just 27 games remaining, making up a three-game deficit in the wild card race is still possible. The Orioles are leading the charge of four teams attempting to dethrone either the Athletics or Rays from one of the two wild card spots. I say “leading the charge” only because they are ahead of the Yankees, Indians and Royals, not because they are doing much “leading” at all.
The Orioles will get to face an Indians team that had lost five straight before a grand slam in the ninth propelled them past the Tigers yesterday. To say the Orioles have to take this series would be an understatement. They don’t only need the wins because it will help their playoff stature, but it would help their psyche as well. The White Sox enter town for a four-game series over the weekend. It’s another series, against a lesser opponent that the Orioles must capitalize on. Where I have I seen this before?
So what exactly is the problem recently with the Orioles? Why aren’t the wins coming in greater numbers? Is it the pitching? Is it the lack of offense? Have the managerial decisions put this team behind the eight ball? You could ask three different O’s fans that really follow the team intently on a day-to-day basis and you’d likely get three different answers. You could ask some of the reporters and experts that cover the team for a living and get a different answer from each as well. I’m to the point where I really don’t know what is plaguing this team aside from a lot of little things. When the bats show up, the pitching isn’t there. When there’s a great performance on the mound, the team can’t hit. When a certain pitcher enters a game or when that hit-and-run or bunt play isn’t called, Buck Showalter is having his job called into question. There are a lot of things going south for this team right now, but the amazing thing is, they are still right there. That’s still pretty impressive to me. I find it compelling to wonder what would be going on if this team was playing its best baseball of the season. Perhaps it can start today.
September is here now, and there is no room for error. Each win will be met with tepid optimism while each defeat will be proclaimed as the end for this year’s squad. No matter how it turns out, what most fans must realize is that it’s been a treat to watch a second straight year of competitive baseball into September. That’s something that will be overlooked by some if the O’s aren’t playing in October, but it shouldn’t be. With the weather changing and the pigskin being kicked around, some will lose sight of what a joy it is to have baseball worth paying attention to at this time of year.
Speaking of the pigskin being kicked around, it’s important to remind some of what will actually take place this Thursday night in Baltimore, and I’m not talking about Keith Urban performing in the Inner Harbor. The Orioles will play a game that matters against the Chicago White Sox. It matters not only because it’s a regular season MLB game, but because one of the two teams involved still has playoff aspirations. That’s something that some either rooted against or bet against earlier this year when the NFL released its schedule, which showed that the Ravens would open the season in Denver as opposed to at M&T Bank Stadium. It’s important to remind people that the Ravens are opening in Denver because of the NFL’s inability to bend. It’s important to realize that the Orioles, White Sox, or MLB had no real choice to move their game around to accommodate the NFL. It’s important to recognize that, with all due respect to the Jewish community, the game should be played Wednesday night as the NFL’s opener was last season (to accommodate a speech from the President). It’s important to realize that the Super Bowl champions will open their season on the road because of Roger Goodell, not because of Peter Angelos or the Baltimore Orioles. It’s also extremely important to realize that whether both teams win or both teams lose Thursday, the sun will come up on Friday and all will be alright. This isn’t the end of the world. Let’s not treat it like it is.
I was more than a little surprised to see Taylor Teagarden get designated for assignment to bring up Chris Snyder. I think we all knew that Steve Clevenger was on his way to join the big league roster at the first chance with September call-ups, but Snyder was a bit of a surprise. He had an opt-out clause in his contract for the start of September, forcing the organization’s hand. Still, it seemed that Buck Showalter was overruled on this one as “his guy” Teagarden was the odd man out. I realize that talking about backup catchers isn’t the most exciting of topics, but it really speaks to the depth in the organization and how it has improved since the start of the year.
We all know that the American League will have some great races down the stretch to see who plays in October, but there’s little to talk about in terms of the National League’s playoff field. The five teams that will play in the postseason are basically set – Braves, Dodgers, Cardinals, Pirates and Reds. The only question lies in the Central Division where all three teams are in striking distance. This is where the second wild card hurts, and helps, at the same time. We know which five teams will be in the playoffs from the NL, but St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati have to fight like dogs down the stretch to try and avoid that Wild Card Game. Two of those three teams will meet in a one-game playoff, which as Orioles fans know from last year, is a scary proposition. I’m still not totally on-board with the new playoff format, but it will at least make the race in the NL Central a bit more compelling down the stretch.
Orioles Player of the Week:
DH – Danny Valencia: It’s nice to see a guy like Valencia contributing the way he has over the last week. He played in just four of the six games over the past seven days, but Valencia hit .571 and smacked a homer to help the sometimes hapless O’s offense. There will be plenty of guys that contribute in small ways down the stretch, especially with the expanded roster, and perhaps Valencia can be one of them.
American League Player of the Week:
1B – Brandon Moss (OAK): The A’s are surging towards the postseason for a second straight year with help from a lot of players that not many people know about. Moss fits that billing for sure. He hit .364/.500/.955 over the last week with four homers and 11 RBI. Moss is just another result of Moneyball.
National League Player of the Week:
C – Wilin Rosario (COL): Rockies backstop Wilin Rosario has been on an absolute tear of late and it showed last week. He hit posted a .550/.550/.750 slash line last week for Colorado, which won series’ against the Giants and Reds. Rosario finished the month of August by hitting .351 with five homers and 20 RBI.
Be sure to tune in for my weekly appearance on The Coach’s Buzz on CBS Sports Radio 1300 tonight at 7:15 pm. You can also now view some more of my thoughts on the Orioles at MASNSports.com every Thursday where I will guest blog throughout the rest of the season.
Follow me on Twitter @AStetka.
