He's Back.......Erik Bedard against O's on Tuesday in Seattle

For the first time since the infamous trade that dealt him to Seattle in 2008, Erik Bedard will be facing the Orioles on Tuesday. It has been over 15 months since the deal. The game is in Seattle. Bedard had normally been out when scheduled against the Orioles last season.

The big deal had the Orioles shearing a lot of the sheep of the Mariners. Among the players sent to Baltimore included Adam Jones, the future star centerfielder, George Sherill, the Orioles closer, and Chris Tillman, a current top prospect and bigtime starting pitcher in the farm system.

This year, Bedard has been showing his stuff of old. In his nine starts he has fanned 54 batters with just 15 walks and a 2.48 ERA. But he is facing similar problems when he was with Baltimore; he has a 3-2 record. Very often he is not getting run support. But he is still showing his stuff.

This is quite the reunion between Bedard and the Orioles. Bedard did not seem happy in Charm City, especially in his final year with the O's. After Andy MacPhail got here, he needed to rebuild the farm system, and with Bedard being a relatively low paid pitcher with the possibility of being an ace, the O's shopped him around and found a suitor in Seattle. MacPhail also traded Miguel Tejada, but this deal was the headliner. When asked about the game today, Bedard told the media, "Seeing the guys again, I'll try not to laugh."

This is also a reunion for the other traded players. Seattle was an extremely disappointing team last season, and Adam Jones and Chris Tillman were two of the best prospects in the system that were lost in the trade. Though Tillman is still in the minors, Jones has been shining for the O's. But him coming back more is the reminder of last season. Last year Seattle was supposed to compete in the American League, and the acquiring of Bedard was supposed to push them over the top. Instead, despite a large payroll, the team lost over 100 games as saw the firings of GM Bill Bavasi and manager John McLaren. Though it happened yesterday and not today with Bedard pitching, in some ways it was just as important.

David Hernandez will be on the mound for the Orioles. After a huge game from Rich Hill on Monday, the Orioles look for the series win today. But the reunion between the two is finally here. It should be an interesting game.

(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)