No one’s gonna give a damn in July if you lost a game in March.” Earl Weaver
Yes it is really spring. Spring Training games begin Friday March 2nd and I am excited. I will be following the San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles and Oakland Athletics closely. At the present time the only legitimate potential playoff contender among those three teams are the Giants.
However despite the fact that the Orioles and A’s are in divisions which are now dominated by money and talent rich teams I still maintain some measure of hope that both teams will surprise us. I have been looking at the Orioles 40 man roster and it is not bad, especially if the pitchers that have potential rise to the occasion this year. The problem for the Orioles is that they reside in the American League East where the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays all are solid organizations. The one team of those three that I wonder about are the Red Sox because I am not convinced that they have solid pitching and that their position players are starting to age. The Yankees have a similar issue but I think are deeper. Likewise I am not sure if Bobby Valentine is the answer to the Red Sox leadership woes.
The Yankees are aging as well but have both money and a deep farm system while the Rays under Joe Madden have been amazing in squeezing every last bit of performance from their young and talented team which is for the most part home grown. The Orioles biggest problem is owner Peter Angelos who has over his tenure in Baltimore killed the franchise while maximizing his profits.
As an Orioles fan I hope that the team is able to do well enough to screw up the rest of the American League East and keep things interesting. I was thrilled last year when they O’s killed off the Red Sox in the final week and a half of the season. Likewise since I know a number of players on the team and in the minor leagues I really do want them to do well.
The games begin tomorrow and while they count for nothing they do remind us that it will not be long before the games do mean something.
Peace
Padre Steve+
The Inglorius Padre Steve's World 