It all gets started at 7 PM this evening when the Orioles take on the Tampa Rays...the 2011 season that is. The term hope springs eternal is in essence a play on words. Baseball starts in the spring, and yes hope springs eternal. That all ends this evening when Buck Showalter's Orioles take the field in Tampa. (On a side note, this is the second year in a row that the Orioles have opened the season on the road against the Rays; not opening the season at home has a sort of anti-climactic feel to it.) One way or another, we'll then have something by which to judge this team in 2011.
We all remember what happened last year in Tampa. The O's had a small one-run lead which was blown by what turned out to be an injured Michael Gonzalez in the bottom of the ninth. That pretty much set the tone for the Orioles' season. The funny thing about last year was that had the Orioles won the games that they blew in the late innings, they probably would have had a respectable record. Instead, it was consistently other teams which we got to watch celebrate at the Orioles' expense. Therefore starting tonight the Orioles need to make ammends for what happened last season so as to move forward from tonight with the proper moxie.
Folks can see the title of this column, and it should speak for itself; LET'S ROLL! Over the course of the offseason so much has been written, said, and done with regard to the Orioles. Now is the moment where all of that needs to be implemented. If the game's tied in the 9th tonight and Vladimir Guerrero strikes out with the bases loaded, one might question whether or not all of the talk wasn't just a lot of talk. For the record, I don't think that's going to happen, however the fact remains that in order for this season to be successful the Orioles need to win on the field as opposed to in the offseason.
The fact is that I believe this year will be a success in Birdland. My personal prediction is 83-79, and third place in the AL East. By the standards of NY/Boston is that a success? Probably not, but if you measure that by the past 13 years it would be a success. In fact, if you measure the attitude that Buck Showalter is bringing to this club it's already a success! So I firmly believe that the likes of Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Mark Reynolds, Vladimir Guerrero, Derek Lee, and company will be on the MLB radar for most of this season. In the past the attitude has been this year will be great...but what if it's not? Now it's simply this year will be great. Any questions?...ladies and gentlemen, LET'S ROLL!
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