MASN Sports

WJZ Baltimore

Baltimore Orioles Ticket - Sports News & Rumors
Spring Training is Upon Us; Quick Hits
Written by The Oriole Post   
Friday, 13 February 2009 10:48

As start of Spring Training is upon us, one has to look at the work Andy MacPhail has done so far. I know that there were a lot of fans – myself included – who thought the man at the helm of the Orioles was well, a tad slow.

I guess we all jumped to conclusions, and although Baltimore may not be a contender this season, or next – the organization is in a lot better shape than it has been in the past. So we didn’t get Mark Teixeira, Derek Lowe or A.J., but I see improvement.

While the Orioles didn’t get the marquee or veteran arms we like, he finally made inroads into Japan and Far East by acquiring Koji Uehara and rid us of Daniel Cabrera. Meanwhile, he stockpiled on arms and got Rich Hill – a pitcher who started with such high hopes with the Cubs, but is a work in progress – David Pauley, and a litany of others.

As well, he went back to the Cubs again and acquired Felix Pie – a player who may have not gotten a fair share in Chicago – who may be part of an amazing outfield that may bring us thoughts of some old school Oriole teams (now, let’s hope he can figure it out at the plate).

We also got Ryan Freel – all hustle, and never dove for a ball he didn’t like; Ty Wigginton – who can slug the ball and is ‘versatile’, and “Fresh Hands” may be back for another tour of duty in Charm City.

The Orioles didn’t engage in another Bedard or Tejada trade; however, we signed the Oriole “golden boy”, Nick Markakis, and are in talks with extending Brian Roberts. Also, if Melvin Mora, Jeremy Guthrie and Aubrey Huff can have strong years, and Adam Jones can further his development, fans here might have something to look forward in summer. Ok, I don’t think we are going to go and fight with the elite of the division; however, we can make things interesting.

Our bullpen is better just by fact our guys may be healthy, and the rotation may be a question mark, but I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in Florida.

Whether or not we sign a marquee name or extended anyone at this point, this much I am sure of -- MacPhail has done a great job, and will be given a chance to continue it. Let’s hope we keep moving upward.

Comments (0)Add Comment

Write comment

busy
 

Contact Info

For inquires, feel free to email me at mdguy2415@aol.com or follow me on Twitter under the username oriolepost. You can also join My Facebook blog page here!

About Bloguin

Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics.

Advertisers

The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.

Most-Wanted List

The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. Here are some of our high-priority areas that we're specifically looking to grow. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.

  1. NBA/Basketball Blogs
  2. NFL Blogs
  3. Major League Baseball Blogs

The Bloguin Login

The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account!