If Guthrie Fails, The Orioles Fail

Jeremy Guthrie's struggles continued last night, giving up five runs on 11 hits in 4.2 innings in the Orioles 9-1 loss to the Athletics. On the season he is 7-12 with a 5.43 ERA on the season. He has now given up 81 earned runs in his 23 starts; to compare last year he had 76 earned runs allowed in a total of 30 starts.

This start was disastrous for Guthrie. His fastball did not move at all plus his curveball did not break much and was an easy target for the hitters looking for singles. As Jim Palmer said on the MASN broadcast, Guthrie does not have a knockout pitch like last year, which allows hitter to constantly foul off pitches to raise the pitch count and work Guthrie for hits.

What's worse, Guthrie just cannot seem to be good with Matt Wieters right now. He was solid with Gregg Zaun, but Zaun is no longer here, so Guthrie has to adapt to Wieters. The fact that Guthrie does better with a veteran is a pattern; he did very well with Ramon Hernandez last season and kept it with Zaun, but the Orioles have business to do with the future of Wieters, so these two need to start playing well together.

For the Orioles sake if they want to end this terrible stretch and at least play well in the rest of the season, they need Guthrie to do better. Even though Brad Bergeson returning should help, the fact is right now the Orioles are relying on four rookie pitchers in the starting rotation at any time with a rookie catcher. Not to mention this team is extremely young. It is almost a given that with the rookie rotation might of Hernandez, Berken, Matusz and Tillman, the Orioles will be fortunate to get 22 innings combined from their four starts, which tires out the bullpen very quickly. When Bergeson returns from the DL and replaces Berken, this can help matters, but that will still leave four reliable pitchers in the rotation.

The only reason I point out Guthrie is that he has been solid the previous two years and was supposed to be the Orioles ace. If he cannot, then the bullpen will never see enough rest. Maybe it is not terribly important the Orioles are not winning, but this has to be bothering the Orioles and the fans. The worst thing is, there probably is not an answer for this problem.

Except possibly next year. Or the Ravens on Thursday.

(Photo credit: AP)

Gregg Zaun Should Not Have Been Traded

The Orioles have a lot of rebuilding to do before they reach the playoffs. And obviously, players that are not part of the future of the club can be traded for prospects for the future. But some players bring a lot more value that what the stat sheet shows. And Gregg Zaun was one of those players.

This is not going to be a "Fire MacPhail" post or something accusing him of not knowing what he is going. I am a big believer in his quest to make the Orioles better. However, I do not agree with this move at all, as it is a demoralizer to the team and its fans.

Today, the Orioles traded Gregg Zaun, the backup catcher, to the Rays for a player to be named later or cash, according to the Baltimore Sun. To replace him, Chad Moeller is being brought back to the club from Norfolk and will backup Matt Wieters.

Zaun's stats are not overly impressive. In 56 games he is hitting .244 with four home runs and 13 RBI. At 38, he obviously is not part of the future. His contract had an option for 2010, and was making $1.5 million this season.

But his value went far beyond the box scores. Zaun was a veteran presence in the locker room. A catcher who had seen many years in this league and is hoping to be a coach one day. He calls a great game behind the plate. He has never complained about Matt Wieters taking his spot, and he has done many things to help the team get better and improve morale, from winning the Orioles Cook-Off to helping tutor Matt Wieters to learning some Japanese to help Koji Uehara on the mound. Not to mention it seems like Jeremy Guthrie is a much better pitcher with Zaun behind the plate. You can't put a price on someone like that.

He is a backup catcher, are the Orioles in such bad shape that they can't spend a little money to keep Zaun? Instead they have to trade him to a division rival for either a couple bucks or a minor leaguer with little potential? Then promote Chad Moeller, who is hitting barely over the Mendoza line in triple-A ball? Moeller was is not good at the plate, and when he was in Baltimore he was not a good signal caller, so he will not bring the mentoring that Zaun could.

The focus of the Orioles under MacPhail is to repair the minor league system and get the Orioles ready for the future. But, they still need to put a major league team on the field right now, and the one thing the front office is not doing well is trying to keep the morale of the team and its fans up. Players that are not a part of the future no matter how useful right now are being shipped away. Players like Kevin Millar and Gregg Zaun, who fully embrace their positions as backups and cheap players while still being great people in the clubhouse, are sent away for nothing. Sure Zaun is not part of the future, but isn't spending a little money for him worth it to the current squad?

Yes, the Orioles need to focus on the future. But not focusing on the present has its consequences too. We will miss you Gregg Zaun, and we wish you well in the rest of your playing days and future coaching career.

(Photo credit: ESPN)

O's Sweep World Champs, Have Won Five Straight

Jeremy Guthrie is struggling. Brian Roberts isn't showing enough energy. The starting pitchers are not lasting. They are playing with a backup shortstop. This team has no power. Get a lead against them into the ninth, and Baltimore has no chance.

Despite all of these criticisms the Orioles seem to be getting by outside sources, the Birds are responding with victories, winning five straight including sweeping the World Champion Phillies as two come-from-behind wins in the ninth inning after having zero such games before Thursday.

Of these five wins, only one was by more than two runs. The bullpen was stellar for the most part, with pitchers from Mark Hendrickson to George Sherrill doing very well. The bats are coming alive with more home runs and key hits from leaders Brian Roberts and Aubrey Huff. Interleague play has been good to the Orioles, who have a 9-3 record against National League teams this year, the best in the AL East. Some strange things have been happening. Robert Andino has been playing very well in place of the injured Cesar Izturis both offensively and defensively. Gregg Zaun hit a home run in the comeback win against the Angels. Guthrie finally had a big start. And finally, people other than Luke Scott and Nolan Reimold hit home runs.

Even though the Orioles are still in last place in the division, this five-game win streak is important in other ways. Not just for the morale of the team, but also for possible trade deadline deals. Names that have been thrown around include Aubrey Huff, Danys Baez, Melvin Mora, among others. Andy MacPhail has stated that there will not be any salary dumping, so if any trades go down, it will be because they get prospects in a good deal. But the cornerstones of the franchise and the potential young guns will still be here.

For now, the Orioles should enjoy the winning. The Orioles have two series left in interleague play, at Florida and the second round of the Battle of the Beltway with the Nationals.

(Photo credit: AP)

Free Kicks: Manny, O's, and NBA Playoffs Edition

Why am I Not Surprised?
I was not one of those baseball fans who cheered with glee when A-Rod finally admitted to his steroid use, and didn’t yell a quick “A ha!” when Selena Roberts’ upcoming book asserted that he has used for years even after his move from Texas. As such, when it was discovered that Manny Ramirez had been suspended for 50 games for use of a banned substance I simply shook my head. I, like many baseball fans, simply want all of this to be gone. Honestly, I don’t want to know anymore which players were juicing or whatever other chemicals were in their system. I am tired of every great hitter being attached to substance violations in one way or another. Bonds, Sosa, McGuire, A-Rod, Palmeiro (who was my favorite player growing up), and now Manny? I want to believe Albert Pujols when he defiantly goes out and says he has never and will never use performance enhancing drugs, but unfortunately for him I just can’t believe it anymore.

Is the Commissioner’s office partly culpable? Absolutely- Selig could have put a stop to this early but chose to ignore it, riding the waves of popularity in the sport before reality hit. Are doctors responsible? Partly. They sometimes gave their patients these supplements and assured them they were legal under the drug policy, only later finding out they were badly mistaken. But in the end it comes down to the players. Three years ago this would have been huge news. How sad it is that it is now just something to shrug about and move on.

An Uncomfortable “Sweep”
A two game “sweep” is a bit of a misnomer considering the Orioles won their first two games of their first two series and failed to take the third. But if I get to say that the Orioles swept the Twins I will take it, and I do think we learned a lot over this game and two-thirds (considering the first was called after 6 innings). The good news is that the top of the order doesn’t necessarily have to run the show, as Jones, Markakis and Roberts all went hitless in last night’s ballgame. Additionally, Lou Montanez and Gregg Zaun have started to come around, with Zaun getting a hit in 8 of his last 19 at-bats and Montanez driving in a game winning run in the 8th. We should also be pleased that Brad Bergesen is settling into about where we expected- he could have easily been blown up on his call up to the majors. Sure, his 4.98 ERA is not ideal and his WHIP is higher than it should be, but he has shown consistency in his last two starts, going 6 innings and giving up 3 runs in each. That is more than one can say about Mark Hendrickson, who has yet to pitch 6 innings this season. The bad news is that the bullpen is still not solid, with Dennis Sarfate going on the DL with a circulatory problem that could threaten his career. All things considered this could be the right way to open up a homestand against the struggling Yankees, even with the return of Alex Rodriguez to the lineup.

NBA Predictions
Okay, I have long lamented the lack of an NBA presence on this blog, for the simple and irreconcilable reason that Baltimore does not have a rooting interest anywhere. I would never root for a DC team, and most Baltimore fans couldn’t care less about my team (the 76ers). However, there is nothing quite like the NBA playoffs, and so I had to share some thoughts on the conference semifinal action:

Cavs lead Hawks in the series, 2-0: Honestly, I figured at some point they would tack on an extra win with the way the Cavaliers have beat down on the Hawks. At first I had this series going to 6 games… now I can’t see anything but a sweep. This team is on a mission.

Lakers tied with Rockets in the series, 1-1: I really like the way the Rockets are performing in the playoffs. Yao Ming has been so physical inside (which had been a problem in the playoffs in the last few years) and Ron Artest, when able to produce offensively is one of the best overall players in the game. The loss of Derek Fisher will hurt the Lakers more than they think, and Aaron Brook’s sharpshooting will give the Rockets a win in game 3. This one will go to seven, with the Lakers taking one in Houston and game seven at home.

Celtics tied with Magic in the series, 1-1: I am very worried if I am a Magic fan about game 3. Without Rafer Alston, the Magic lack the floor general required to distribute the ball to Orlando’s sharpshooters and create opportunities for Dwight Howard. This could get ugly if the Magic simply force the ball inside and aren’t able to move the basketball around the perimeter. I think Orlando is the better team, but Boston has the playoff experience to take game three tonight.

Nuggets lead Mavericks in the series, 2-0: I like the Rockets, but I love the way the Nuggets are playing right now. Having lived in Michigan (and about to move back there), I have had my share of experience watching Chauncey Billups and I loved the trade for Chauncey from the Nuggets side of things. He has provided a solid leadership figure, a confident clutch performer, and a desire to play great defense to this Denver squad, something they never had before he arrived. He has given this team a little bit of Detroit grit and they are showing it in the playoffs. Expect this series to end in 5, with the Mavs pulling it all together for just one game.

Orioles Win Series Against Yankees, Looking For a Sweep

The Orioles have started their season off well, winning their first two games of the season against the hated New York Yankees at sit in first place in the AL East. Now they look to sweep the Evil Empire tomorrow night. Yes we all know this is only two games out of 162, but Baltimore sure is happy tonight. They have the chance to win their first three games for the first time in over a decade.

The two Baltimore starters, Jeremy Guthrie and Koji Uehara, both earned wins. Each game involved a destruction of the Yankee starter, either C.C Sabathia or Chien-Ming Wang. Neither lasted more than 4.1 innings and neither notched a strikeout. The O's bullpen has had its shaky moments, but in the end they have at least held to win each game.

But this team seems to have developed some character and an image. Some were wondering if the departure of Kevin Millar and the depression of last season would hurt the clubhouse. But this team seems to be having a good time. From Gregg Zaun learning some Japanese to help Uehara to Adam Jones smiling in the outfield to a strange Aubrey Huff catch, to Dave Trembley working well with the team, this team seems to be enjoying themselves and not being afraid of their opponents. This could be because of the winning, but it is a nice sight to see considering last season. The fans are also getting more into the game. Despite that it was clear a Yankees contingent was in Camden Yards, the park was clearly in the hands of the Orioles fans. The constant booing attack on Mark Teixeira has clearly bothered him during this series. All in all, this has the look of a different Orioles team.

But make no mistake, this season has just started. Guthrie and Uehara are Baltimore's most reliable starters, and the O's don't have anyone else that is proven in the long term. Starters like Alfredo Simon and Mark Hendrickson will need to be ready. The bullpen has held on in the end in both games, but if the back of the rotation does not hold up, then the bullpen will fall with it. The Orioles look good to start, let's hope they can continue the success.

Tomorrow Alfredo Simon gets the call against A.J. Burnett as the O's go for the sweep.

(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)