a new hOpe

Believe it or not, the Orioles' win last night against the Tampa Bay Rays was a clincher. They clinched not getting to 100 losses. Now while this is a rather dubious accomplishment, it is nonetheless impressive considering that earlier in the season, many were speculating over whether or not the O's would get to 120 losses. Yes its another losing year, but that shouldn't stop us from appreciating how well the Birds have been playing during the last month and a half. There IS reason for optimism. And optimism is spelled B-U-C-K.

There is much argument over how Buck Showalter has affected the Orioles. Obviously, his presence has been a positive one, judging by the Orioles' record under his regime. And that's kind of how it feels now. He's the undoubted leader in the clubhouse, and brings a resume that hasn't come close to being matched by the previous three managers. Combined. To the players, that has to mean something. This guy knows what he's doing and the evidence is right there in the stats. Too often in the not-so-distant past, it seemed as though a spot on the team was taken for granted. But that's not surprising. After all, the Orioles have dealt with positional and pitching depth problems in both the major and minor leagues, throughout the duration of this seemingly unending losing streak.

Some say players have been playing harder under Buck. I don't buy that at all. While the clutch hitting has improved since the managerial change, the reality is that their numbers really couldn't have gone anywhere but up. Prior to August, they were atrocious offensively. In my view, Showalter treats them as they should be treated. As professionals. And adults. As much as he was a nice guy and supposedly astute on fundamentals, Dave Trembley seemed more like a teacher or mentor than a big league manager. Under the current administration, players are expected to play the game correctly, and if they don't, they're going to hear about it. Even if it means hearing through news programs or the paper. Trembley was always good about not throwing anyone under the bus, but maybe that's just what a player needs at certain times. A little negative motivation. The babying obviously never led to any success.

In a concrete sense, Showalter has done things a bit differently as far as actually managing a game. Namely, pitchers are being stretched out more, going deeper in games. On so many occasions under Trembley, I'd find myself wondering why in the world he would take a pitcher out who had been throwing a great game and just gave up two hard-luck hits in a row. Boom, out he goes. Bullpen blows the game, in large part because they're already taxed from contributing to past games where the starting pitcher could have kept going. It's a vicious cycle, and with a questionable relief corps, becomes that much more dangerous.

But I digress on these negative memories. My message this day is one of hope. Redemption. Revenge. Sleep tight 2011 AL East. The birds are back.

Ding Dong the Leak is Dead

After months and months of watching the Gulf oil spill reek havoc throughout the surrounding region in real time, the world's most depressing reality show is finally over (allegedly). Now before everyone starts poppin' champagne bottles and giving chest bumps to each other, I think we should all pause and reflect on what occurred over the last few months and what needs to change in the long run to prevent such a disaster from happening again. The collective memory of this country is extremely short, and don't think that BP doesn't know this. Deep sea oil drilling is still on the horizon, but I haven't heard much about how regulations have changed, improved, or become more stringent. Cutting corners is what got BP into this mess and I personally don't trust them to choose safety over profit. The federal government needs to be a true watchdog in this area. Global corporations don't get to where they are by having a conscience. Representative government, on the other hand, is an entity that should go about its business with the interests and values of the American people in mind. However, if we don't speak up and become passionate about this issue, nothing will truly change. It's great that the oil leak seems to have been stopped, and there's nothing wrong with celebrating this, but don't forget that something like this CAN happen again.

Change I Can't Avoid Believing In

It's been two and half weeks since my last post, and I guess there's no better time than now to resume my ramblings. A good deal has happened to me in the last few days. I won't really get into it specifically, but I will say that loss has a way of making life seem more important. While I heard this sentiment originally in an episode of Six Feet Under, I personally believe it to be true.

Change in life is unavoidable and to many out there, quite frightening. It's amazing how fear of the unknown has the impact to trump dissatisfaction with the status quo. Sometimes its just easier to remain in a rut than to risk change that could possibly leave one worse off than before. I suppose the logic is that even if life is unsatisfying, at least its familiar and mostly predictable the way it is.

Perhaps a fear of failure is to blame. This is certainly a terrible plight to experience, because this kind of fear can lead directly to the consequences one hopes to avoid. Let's compare this with other fears. Take fear of heights. Having this aversion doesn't make one more likely to fall off a tall building. The same can be said for fear of snakes, spiders, enclosed spaces, and Glenn Beck. Now it may be true that fear of failure can inspire one to try that much harder. This is certainly a possibility and probably speaks more to the character of the person who finds success.

I hope this post didn't bring ya down, but sometimes it takes a few rainy days to truly appreciate the sunshine.

You're Fired

The axe finally fell early today, as Dave Trembley was handed his walking papers...sort of. Apparently, Andy MacPhail would like the now ex-manager of the Baltimore Orioles to stay in the organization in some capacity. If I were the Trembs, I'd say 'no thanks, I'm good'.

This was an inevitable situation, folks. The truth of the matter is that the O's were destined for problems from the start. Their offensive igniter, Brian Roberts, never was healthy coming out of spring training, and his absence from the leadoff spot has had an immensely negative ripple effect on every hitter in the lineup. Felix Pie could have been a worthy replacement at the top of the order, but he went down to injury as well. Oh and then the guy we paid millions of dollars to close out games never got going, blowing two of his first three save opportunities. I still believe those early blown saves completely killed the sense of optimism and motivation that had been simmering among the team during Spring training.

This was supposed to be the year of respectability. As it turns out, it was another reality check. The Orioles are still just a team of potential. So far, the young guys have not developed at the pace that the front office would have hoped for. The team has no kind of veteran leadership, at least among positional players, which is essential for a team with so much youth and inexperience. You have rookie pitchers throwing to a rookie catcher. These guys have to learn on the fly, which is a tall task in the big leagues. Even Miguel Tejada, arguably the only semi-successful offseason pick-up for the O's, had to change positions going into the season. Although Tejada has at times shown impressive displays at his new post, he's still prone to committing errors that have cost the team some games. Oh yea and we haven't had a HR from the first base spot - that pretty much says it all in terms of the team's hitting woes.

I can't say I always agreed with Dave Trembley, especially when it came to his bullpen management. That was probably his weakest point as a skipper. However, he has remained a class-act throughout his tenure with the team. I'll always remember the press conference that took place after the O's ended their long string of Sunday losses (last year?). Trembley had a big fat cigar in his mouth for part of the interviews (although it didn't look like it was lit). That's the image I'll remember from Trembley, a guy who clearly appreciated all that was given to him.

The next coach that needs to be fired is Mr. Terry Crowley. I know the players probably love him, but he needs to answer for how this team is swinging the bat. Quality ABs are at a premium for this team. Aside from Nick Markakis, you can't point to many other guys who can effectively take pitches and work the count. It's time for the Crow to GO! That's all for now, peace and crackers.

Free Spilly

I just heard today that BP used a diamond-edged saw to successfully cut off the top of the damaged riser pipe! Yay! Unfortunately, the saw they used could only give them a 'rough' cut of the pipe instead of a clean one. The saw was actually used earlier in the week for the same purpose, but it got stuck halfway through. And that shit's made out of diamonds! The next step in this oily shitstorm is to put a cap on top of the opening in order to capture the oil and 'siphon' it to the surface. However, even this familiar challenge is being undertaken within BP's 'test and adapt' phase of operations. Isn't that where we've been from the beginning?

The oil spill is a problem that is getting worse by the day, and the effects it is having on the Gulf Coast region are just now being felt. Florida's coastal regions could begin seeing the oil as early as today. Life both in the sea and on the land will be directly affected, not to mention the economies of these areas, as tourism inevitably plummets and fishing companies lose money and go under.

This is an issue that the federal government needs to really step up in. I'd like to see President Obama become a little more vocal about the spill. He speak about BP with a harsher tone than he has thus far used. Bush was faulted for his complacency in dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Obama needs to be the anti-Bush in this situation - isn't that why is got elected in the first place? Obviously a president's time is priceless, but the oil spill has to be priority number one.

It should be obvious to most people by now that BP is a company that cuts corners in order to turn a larger profit. The Oil age is killing us people! As long as companies like BP are being relied upon for our energy consumption, we will have to deal with problems like these. Sure, the last significant oil spill was well over a decade ago, but the consequences that follow last for probably as many years after.

I read today that electric chargup stations will be installed in a handful of locations throughout the country. These stations will preclude the arrival of several semi-electric vehicles being introduced for 2011, including the Ford Focus and GM's Volt. This is a great step forward for our transition into a new energy era and I just thought I'd end the post on a positive note by mentioning it. See ya soon.

O Well

I know it's only the end of May, but it's already about that time when Orioles fans have to forget about the O's contending this season. For some, this should be easy. It seems so natural anyway. But to some die hards out there, this season has been particularly excruciating and letting go is a little bit tougher this time around.

Despite what the naysayers may espouse, for the last few years under president of baseball ops Andy MacPhail, the O's have made tremendous strides in terms of minor league depth and talent. This has been particularly true for pitchers. This year, the Oriole starting rotation was the best the team has seen for a long while. In spite of his rough 0-4 record, Kevin Millwood has been a revelation at the top of the rotation. His presence has subsequently affected the former staff 'ace', Jeremy Guthrie, who has been spectacular so far, and apparently pitches better when he doesn't have to carry the load.

Prior to his last 4 starts, Brian Matusz was living up to much of the hype that surrounded him when the season began. He flashed all his pitches, got strikeouts in bunches, and were it not for some inherited runners scoring off of relievers, would have had a serviceable ERA. Lately, things have been unraveling a bit for young gun. At this point, I'm not too worried about him, mainly because of how good he looked for much of April and May. We'll have to wait and see.

Number 4 and 5 were a little hazy for the O's, as these spots have been over the years. Brad Bergeson seems to be regaining his 2009 form, which is a good sign, but number 5 is still up in the air. It's also the spot that entices O's fans the most, for it could end up being occupied by either Chris Tillman or Jake Arrieta, both of whom are considered top pitching prospects. As of now, Tillman holds the edge and will actually be making his first start this Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The starting pitching will continue to be a source of hope for O's fans this year and beyond. What seems to be holding them back is lack of offense and a shaky bullpen. Those are two significant issues. Lack of positional player talent and depth in particular has been and remains to be a problem for this team. This goes for both the major and minor leagues. It is my hope that the O's front office will do more to fix this issue both in the draft, through trades, and via free agency. The latter will be the most difficult since it's obvious any big name player won't be interested in coming to Baltimore.

We ARE moving in the right direction people, don't let the awful record fool you! This team is better than the numbers show and I hope to God that translates to success at some point this year. I can't take much more of this crap!

LOST

Last night was the end of an era on TV. Lost wrapped up its six-year run with a near 5 hour finale spectacular. The first 2 hours were dedicated to looking back at seasons past, and included interviews with most of the regular cast. After that, the two and half hour final episode began.

Now with a show like Lost, which is open to a multitude of interpretations and creates more questions than answers, its hard to write an ending that won't disappoint someone for some reason. Lost is an intensely complex show, and perhaps the writers had developed certain story lines with no clean resolution. Of course, the big surprise that the show's creators had saved up was the revelation that all the "flash-sideways" scenes during the last season weren't actually taking place, but were instead a purgatorial-type world. In these flash scenes, Jack suddenly had a teenage son who he fathered with Juliet. Another difference from the earlier season flashbacks was that Sawyer was suddenly a cop. The question remains whether this semi-altered non-existence was exclusively from Jack's perspective.

All in all, I enjoyed the finale. While it didn't answer all my questions, namely what the island actually is, it did bring together lots of familiar faces from earlier seasons and played up the emotional connections between the characters.
Despite its many supernatural and scientific themes, Lost at its core is a show about the relationships between a diverse group of people who must put aside their differences to survive on the mysterious island. It seems almost everyone found their true love, and the scenes where old pairs finally remembered their time on the island together were particularly moving.

Regardless of how you feel, a show with the depth and complexity of Lost will probably never come around again. These days, networks have little patience for shows that require the same of their viewers. So even if you were just a mild follower of the program, try to appreciate this unique show, especially when major networks are parading out their 'original' trial-based procedurals and dramas that take place among hot young med students. Lost allowed viewers to see things how they wanted to, and much was left to the imagination - even in the end. The theme of last night's finale was 'let go'. It's a phrase that should be familiar by now to the avid Lost fan. It was the message given to Jack by his father during the final minutes. To me, it was also a direct message from the show's writers to its most dedicated followers. It's over. Let go. Move on.