2013 - Another Exciting O's Season

The Orioles were clinging to the last bit of hope to make the playoffs prior to this past weekend's 4-game series with Tampa Bay. Ideally they needed to sweep, but winning three out of four would have still kept them hanging by a thread. However, things went totally south and the O's wound up losing all four and thus suspending their playoff hopes until next season.

As disappointed as I am about missing the playoffs, I have to give kudos to the team for keeping me thrilled and entertained all summer. For many years, the O's seemed to be out of the playoff picture by the All-Star break. And quite honestly, there wasn't a whole lot to cheer about. But things are much better now as the September games actually mean something again.

There were plenty positive things to focus on this season. Chris Davis came right out of the gate with fireworks in his bat. When Davis connected, you knew instantly that the ball wasn't coming back. Some of his shots were absolutely mind-blowing. I can remember watching one game where Davis blasted one into the centerfield stratosphere. I happened to be alone, so my only disappointment was that I didn't have anyone to high-five. I really wish Davis could have broken Roger Maris' record of 61 home-runs. But at least he broke the all-time Oriole's record. Maybe he'll catch Maris next year.....

When it came to defense this year, the Orioles were stellar. I've been watching baseball since I was eight years old and this year's team was the best defensive team that I've ever seen. Some of the acrobatic plays by 3rd baseman Manny Machado simply amazed me. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Manny Machado is the best 3rd baseman to wear the black and orange since Brooks Robinson. Machado's talent is superb on the offensive side as well. He delivered many clutch hits throughout the season. It's hard to believe that this guy just turned twenty-one. It was heartbreaking to watch him being carted off the field on a stretcher after he injured his knee this past Monday. But the good news is that it's not too serious and he'll be back adding to his highlight reel of plays next season.

The defense certainly didn't stop with Machado. The O's were solid all the way around the diamond. I can't ever remember seeing so many outstanding plays from one team. It's quite possible that the Orioles could have five Gold Glove recipients this year. In my opinion, Chris Davis, Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, JJ Hardy and Manny Machado are all serious contenders for the award.

Of course, when it comes to offense, most of the attention has been on Chris Davis. But somewhat overlooked is that Adam Jones has 32 HR's and 100+ RBI's. That's a career year for most players. Aside for the big overall numbers, most of the other player's stepped up and delivered at some point in the season. The Oriole's have shown that they're a team. I'm not sure if the credit should go to Buck Showalter, but it's nice to see these guys pulling for each other. They appear to share camaraderie reminiscent of those classic O's teams of yesteryear..

Lastly, I need to say a few things about the O's pitching. First off, it was comfortingly to see that O's had a legitimate shot at having their first 20-game winner (Chris Tillman) in nearly 30 years. Tillman showed that he has the ability to be the ace of the staff. Although, he came up a little short, I look for Chris to make another strong run in 2014. Wei-Yen Chen started the season a little late, but showed signs of promise. He got roughed up early in a few outings but I still have confidence in him. However, if the O's are going to make a serious run next season, I think they're going to have to sign another quality starter this winter. We need a guy who can pitch into the late innings which will help keep the bullpen fresh.

Speaking of the bullpen, at times, they looked brilliant. Darrin O'Day and Tommy Hunter had good stuff all year. The biggest problem was they they were overworked at times. In today's fascination with the pitch count, even when pitching well, starters are sometimes pulled by the 5th inning. The biggest disappointment with the bullpen the closer role. Jimmy Johnson, who actually has an impressive-looking 47 saves, was downright frustrating at times. He uncharacteristically blew several saves this year, leaving fans wondering what the hell happened. Johnson, who almost always seem to let the lead-off man aboard, has become the modern version of Don "Fullpack" Stanhouse*. It will be interesting to see if the O's try to transition Johnson out of the closer role next season.

With all of this being said, I absolutely enjoyed watching the Orioles this year. The never-ending supply of dramatic moments and spectacular plays always left me wanting more. Although they didn;t quite make the post-season this year, the excitement was always there. And that's what really matters. No doubt, baseball is alive and well in Baltimore......

kw

* Don Stanhouse was the O's closer in the late 70's. He would often put multiple runners on base, creating volatile situations. Manager Earl Weaver would often be seen pacing the dugout and chain-smoking while Stanhouse attempted to pitch his way out of these jams. Weaver began to refer to him as "Fullpack" because of the amount of cigarettes he consumed while Stanhouse was on the mound.