Points of Pride Still Remain in O's Reach

Losing streak eliminates chances to reach .500; other, smaller goals remain possible for struggling Birds

By Matthew Taylor

The Orioles didn’t lose last night, which would come as even better news had they actually played a game.

The Birds’ painful losing streak started with the embarrassing 30-3 defeat against the Rangers. However, for this O’s fan, the reality of losing a late-game, four-run lead over Johan Santana and with it a win that would have provided a validating end to the late-August misery, somehow hurt worse. Dan Connolly and Roch Kubato track the Orioles’ somewhat traditional “Start of fall.”

Thankfully, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays come to town this evening for a three-game set. The O’s are 10-2 against the D-Rays this season with six games between the teams left on the schedule.

The Devil Rays are like baseball aspirin, a cure for the hangover of an extended losing streak like the Birds’ current six-game slide. They’re the one thing that stands between the O’s and annual last-place finishes. In fact, the Devil Rays are the only team in Major League Baseball that currently stands closer to elimination than the Birds.

CBS Sportsline offers each team’s “Elimination Number.” The Devil Rays’ number stands at three, while the O’s are at 12. Some of our neighbors at or near the basement level include: Texas (14), Florida (15), Washington (16), Chicago (16), San Francisco (17), and Kansas City (18).

Dave Trembley is big on pride. Perhaps hanging around longer than these others teams could serve as a point of pride for the O’s in their remaining games. A much more important point of pride should be winning the season series against the Yankees, as should consecutive series wins against Boston.

The Orioles are 8-4 against the Yankees this season with six games remaining against the original Evil Empire (Sept. 17, 18, & 19 on the road; Sept. 28, 29 & 30 at home). This means that the Birds must finish 2-4 in those games to win the season series against the Yankees, which, according to MASN, hasn’t happened in the previous nine seasons. In other words, at least one long run of losing can come to an end this season.

Speaking of the Yankees, the New York Times addresses Mike Mussina’s recent pitching woes, including last night’s drubbing at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, and questions his future with the team.

Mussina is the most analytical of pitchers, but he seems mystified by this slump. He talked about the small slice of the game that pitchers actually control. But even that much has gone awry, shaking his confidence deeply.

“Right now, I let go of it and I don’t feel like anything good is going to happen,” Mussina said. “It’s tough to pitch that way. You can’t play the game that way to feel like you have no control over anything, and that’s how I feel right now.

“Even the 60 feet, 6 inches, it doesn’t feel like I have a grasp of, and two weeks ago I felt like I could do anything I wanted. That’s how this game is. It’ll slap you in the face when you think you’ve got it. I felt good about it and now I don’t feel good at all.”

The Yankees owe Mussina more than $11 million for next season, but he seems to be nearing the end. It is a scary and sudden reality, and it has knocked him as low as he has ever been.

The same article mentions that the Yankees called up former Birds pitcher Chris Britton after last night’s game.

I’ve long been a fan of Mussina, so much so that I’ve struggled to hate him for committing the ultimate Baltimore baseball sin of donning a Yankee uniform, a fact that I addressed in the July 2006 posting, “Moose Was a Great Bird.”

There’s a part of me that wants us to take Mussina off the Yankees’ hands and hope that he can re-coup some of that old magic in a Birds uniform. After all, the O’s aren’t above nostalgia. We brought back Eddie Murray to hit home run No. 500. We brought back Maryland-native Harold Baines. Why not bring back Mussina?

Yo-Yo Baseball in the Bronx

A game that was bad for the heart ends well

By Matthew Taylor

“We play for respect, we play with pride, and we’re the Baltimore Orioles.”
-Dave Trembley

I don’t have any kids, my job is challenging without being stressful, and my marriage is going well. Clearly, the one thing responsible for the increasing number of gray hairs on top of my head is my favorite baseball team.

A game like Wednesday’s 6-3 victory over the Yankees just goes to show that, win or lose, it’s not over until the bullpen blows a lead.

With that said, the O’s came away from the Bronx with another series win against the Yankees and have now won four of their last six games, which came against the top two teams in the AL East.

Despite multiple phone-in meetings to the office and a terrible MASN signal, I was able to follow the game in an amazing display of multi-tasking. So here are some well-earned observations from Wednesday’s game.

-I hate that baseball has allowed the networks to utilize in-game interviews, including MASN’s “Wired Wednesdays.” Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed Dave Trembley’s remarks from the visitor’s dugout in the Bronx: “We play for respect, we play with pride, and we’re the Baltimore Orioles.”

Dave Trembley just reeks of optimism. Aside from the bullpen, he really does have the team playing with pride since the All-Star break. How better to explain the club’s resiliency? They followed up a Mariners’ sweep at Camden Yards with series wins over the Red Sox and Yankees, including today’s tenth inning rally immediately after the bullpen blew a three-run lead.

On the individual level, you have to credit Erik Bedard for his composure in the sixth inning, striking out Jorge Posada to end the inning with runners on the corners after Tike Redman lost an easy pop fly to left in the sun. The pop-up was recorded as a hit for Hideki Matsui.

-Has there been a more exciting pitcher wearing Orange and Black in recent memory than Erik Bedard?

During his peak years in Baltimore, Mike Mussina was a dominating ace. His performance in the 1997 ALCS – 25 strikeouts in two games, including an eight inning, one-hit affair in Game 6 - is one of the greatest in modern O’s history. However, Erik Bedard is poised to bandage the still-fresh wounds (at least in my mind) of Mussina’s departure.

Bedard already matched Mussina’s individual game mark for strikeouts with his 15 K performance against Texas on July 7. Now he’s on pace to shatter Mussina’s record for strikeouts in a season, 218 in 1997.

Bedard currently leads the league with 207 strikeouts; he is the first Birds pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts in a season since Mussina recorded 210 K’s in 2000. Bedard is 8-0 in his last 12 starts and hasn't lost since June 10 against Colorado, according to the Associated Press.

-We need Kevin Millar’s bat in the lineup, but I much prefer Aubrey Huff at first base.

While attending the first game of last week’s series against the Mariners I counted multiple occasions where the Birds would’ve gotten an out had Millar been able to stretch for a ball thrown high or scoop a ball thrown to him on one bounce. He also charged a ball hit lightly up the first base line only to miss the tag on the runner. It seemed like a case of bad baseball instincts.

The latter play serves as a good comparison to Aubrey Huff’s eighth inning defense during this afternoon’s game. Huff deflected a hard hit ball but wasn’t able to record the out on his own. He immediately retreated to the bag and stretched out to receive Brian Roberts’ throw just in time to record the out. Here was a case of good baseball instincts.

I’m not typically a stat guy, but I did a little research to see if there’s anything to support my case on this one. My research took me into bold new territory, beyond the limits of fielding percentage and into the terrain of Range Factor per Nine Innings.

This season, Aubrey Huff’s .992 fielding percentage at first base trails Kevin Millar’s .998 fielding percentage at the position. However, Huff’s RF/9 is 9.72, topping Millar’s 9.68.

Following the trend backwards over the past few seasons, Huff’s numbers at first base hold up against Millar’s.

2006 – Huff 10.12, Millar 9.38

2005 – Huff 7.75, Millar 9.99

2004 – Huff 9.48, Millar 9.21

I’m admittedly a rookie at using the Range Factor statistic, but in this case it generally matches my gut instinct.

Yankee Opponents: Hot or Not?

Jeter's explanation for his team's struggles doesn't add up

By Matthew Taylor

It appears that Derek Jeter doesn't read Roar from 34. I know, I'm just as surprised as you are. If Jeter did read RF34 he would know better than to make the following statement after Sunday's loss to the A's.

"It seems like every team that's playing us is playing pretty good. You try to stay positive but, yeah, it gets frustrating."

We already debunked the myth(s) surrounding New York's June winning streak, but now we're going to have to re-visit the topic.

The truth is exactly the opposite of Jeter's claim that "every team that's playing us is playing pretty good."

Consider that the A's had lost six of seven games headed into their series this past weekend against the Yankees. Or what about the Colorado Rockies? After sweeping the Yankees the Rockies went on an eight-game losing streak. San Francisco won two of three against New York and then promptly lost two of three to the Padres. And any O's fan can tell you that times have been, shall we say, a bit tough in Baltimore of late. The list goes on.

It's not just individual anecdotes that undermine Jeter's theory. Consider the combined June record of the Yankees' opponents last month: 105-136, a .435 winning percentage. Only three of the teams New York played in June had a winning record in the month: Arizona (15-13), Colorado (14-13), and Oakland (14-13). Clearly, the Yankees were losing to teams in June that were not playing very good baseball.

It all adds up to more myth making in the Bronx.

June records of Yankee opponents

Arizona: 14 – 13

Baltimore: 8 -17

Boston: 13 – 14

Chicago: 10 – 18

Colorado: 14 – 13

New York: 12 – 15

Oakland: 15-13

Pittsburgh: 10 – 15

San Francisco: 9 – 18

Combined record of Yankee opponents: 105 – 136

There's No "I" in Team

And there's only one "t" in Jeter, a fact that obviously was lost on a fan behind home plate at last night's O's game.

In other news from last night:

-The O's and Yankees are responsible for the rule change that cost the Birds a rain-shortened win. Or are they?

The AP and The Washington Post tell somewhat different stories about rule changes.

From the AP:

"Before 1980, the score would have reverted to the start of the inning, giving the Orioles a 6-4 win. But the rule was changed after a game on Aug. 13, 1978, when Baltimore led 3-0 after six innings and the Yankees scored five runs in the top of the seventh. "

From The Post:

"The game fell under a new rule enacted this offseason, which states that if weather halts a game mid-inning it becomes suspended and resumes from that point. If the game was official (with five innings in the books) and was called after a completed inning, it would have been over.

Had the game unfolded last season, the Orioles would have won. Under the old rule, the game is taken back to the last completed inning, and the result stands."

-Some player reactions to the umpires' decision to keep playing in the downpour:

Melvin Mora

"He just tried to make Jeter hit so they can score one run and they can get out of here. That's what I think," said Mora, making a comment that could draw attention from the commissioner's office.

Mora said that he couldn't even see the ball cross home plate, and told Tschida that before Jeter's at-bat.

"I just asked [Tschida], 'You don't think it's too wet?' And he just started yelling at me and cursing. I said, 'You don't have to curse at me for asking a question.' And he was upset. I said, 'This is worse than when you stopped the game when we were winning. Why aren't you going to stop it now? I can't even see the ball.' And he was just cursing and cursing and cursing, and I was like, 'OK, this is not good.'"

Chris Ray

"I've never pitched in rain like that before," Ray said. "I was just trying not to throw the ball to the backstop. When they called it in the seventh inning and we had something going and it wasn't raining nearly as hard, and then it's pouring down rain and we're just out there in terrible conditions."


Compiled by Matthew Taylor

The Return of the Feel-Good Moment

One series doesn't make a season, but it sure does feel good

by Matthew Taylor

They say in Annapolis that it doesn't matter what Navy's football team does any other game of the year as long as they beat Army. It's not exactly the same situation in Baltimore, but I do find that a Birds series win over the Yankees helps heal some of this fan's constant baseball pain.

Each series against New York is almost a season of its own, which means the O's are doing pretty well in 2007. Here are some of my favorite moments from the the first two games of this week's match-up with the Yankees:

-Rick Dempsey butchering player names in "O's Extra," including my personal favorite, Milk-y Cabrera.

-Learning that the Yankees have the fewest saves in baseball this season; yes, even fewer than the Orioles.

The only objective Yankee fan I know told me during the team's recent win streak that he didn't think they could catch the Red Sox - or even make the post-season, for that matter - because their bullpen is so bad. That's not something you commonly hear about the Yankees, but it has a nice ring to it.

-Zero strikeouts for Roger Clemens, ending his streak of 200 consecutive starts with at least one strikeout.

As usual, Joe Torre provided plenty of spin for the Rocket: "I think Roger, knowing the conditions, always has a plan. There was never really a situation where he needed a strikeout Roger was thinking more about contact than striking people out, though it was an oddity."

I hope the Rocket is sharing some of his ridiculous wealth with Torre for the manager's PR efforts.

-Denying Clemens win No. 350.

-My wife's comment after Aubrey Huff's three-run home run on Wednesday night: "I'm going to have to change my opinion of Aubrey Huff. I'm not used to him getting big hits."

No, hon, you were right in the first place.

-O's fans yelling "I got it" to Alex Rodriguez as he ranged into foul territory for the final out of the 7th inning.

-Chad Bradford ringing up Jorge Posada with a wicked third strike on a full count in the 8th inning. With two runners on, one out, and the tying run in the on-deck circle, the setting was starting to look all too familiar.

-Hearing cheers for the Birds in Camden Yards during a series against New York, including a very audible "Yankees Suck" number late in the game.

-With absolutely no apologies to John Sterling: "Orioles win! Theeeeeeeee Orioles win!"

-Waking up Thursday morning and reading an AP story with this wonderful lead:

"This was one personal accomplishment that Roger Clemens really wanted, mostly because it would provide the New York Yankees with a lift they desperately needed.

It was a win-win situation. Clemens earns his 350th victory, and the Yankees end a three-game losing streak.

Unfortunately for Clemens and the Yankees, that scenario did not play out Wednesday night at Camden Yards.

Clemens was denied his milestone win, his streak of consecutive starts with a
strikeout ended at 200, and the Yankees lost to the Baltimore Orioles 4-0."

Yankees Find Fools Gold

June record is as deceiving as Torre's explanation for it
By Matthew Taylor

Yankee fans will boisterously tell you that the franchise is the best at, well, everything. Modesty does not come in pinstripes.

One thing in particular that the Bronx Bombers are good at is myth making. The organization has more legends - real and imagined - than perhaps any other professional sports team. From announcers to managers to players, myth making in New York is part of the job description.

On Saturday, Joe Torre attempted to add to Roger Clemens' real legend with what, if you're being generous, could be called hype. If you're being realistic, it's called propaganda. Pinstripe propaganda. More myth.

Asked to explain his team's recent run of success during one of Fox baseball's "informative" in-game interviews, Torre used the opportunity to blandish the Rocket. In short, Torre's thinking went, Clemens is the reason the Yankees have turned things around this month. Which, of course, is exactly what Clemens wants people to think. Too bad it's not true.

If Torre were being honest he could've offered a much simpler explanation for the Yankees' 14-6 record in June prior to Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants: weak competition.

Aside from the Red Sox, whom the Yankees took two of three from to start the month, the combined monthly record for Yankee opponents in June is 46-71, good for a .393 winning percentage. Overall, those teams (the White Sox, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Mets, Rockies, and Giants) are a combined 209-225 for the season, good for a .481 winning percentage. In other words, the teams the Yankees have played during their win streak are either (a) not very good (the White Sox, Pirates, and Giants) or (b) they are slumping (the Mets).

Sure, the Mets are battling for first place in the NL East, but they headed into the Yankees series riding a four-game losing streak and having lost 10 of 12. The Yankees beat a slumping team.

Or consider the Rockies, the one hot team the Yankees have played since ripping off nine straight wins. Colorado came into the Yankees series having won 10 of 15 and continued their winning ways by sweeping the Evil Empire, who had previously won 10 of 12.

The truth is that the Yankees aren't as bad as their early-season run of futility would indicate. But they're also not as good as their June record suggests. And the Rocket is just a small part of it all.

Next up for New York: the Orioles. The trend continues.
____________________________________

Monthly Records of the Yankees' June Opponents (through Friday, June 22)
*Red Sox not included

White Sox: 5-15
29-41 overall, next to last place in the AL Central

Pirates: 8-12
31-42 overall, next to last place in NL Central

Diamondbacks: 10-9
42-32 overall, tied for second in the NL West

Mets (2 of 3): 5-14
39-32 overall, first place in the NL East

Rockies: 13-6
38-36 overall, next to last in the NL West

Giants: 5-15
30-42 overall, last place in the NL West

Combined opponents' records

June: 46-71, .393 winning percentage

Overall: 209-225, .481 winning percentage