The New York Yankees climbed to glory once again and have set the bar in the American League East. The Baltimore Orioles struggled a bit last season and have made some moves to once again compete for the division. While they will have to have a few players put up some career numbers, it is not out of the question that they sneak in for the wild card in 2010.
One of the secrets to success over the past few seasons has been a stud bullpen. Pitchers are going less innings because of the new ballparks and without a solid bullpen, teams have no chance. The good news for Baltimore Orioles fans is that this is probably the best part of their team.
The fact of the matter is that Baltimore will probably cut bullpen pitchers this spring that would be studs on other teams. This is a great problem to have because the quality of pitching fans will see is going to be incredible. This monster bullpen should be the reason that Baltimore gets off to a hot start this season.
It is no secret that starting pitching suffers in the beginning of the season. Most big armed pitchers start slow and take a month or so to get into their groove. It is not uncommon for starters to get yanked after five or six innings in the early going. If the Orioles bullpen holds serve and their offense can take advantage of the weaker clubs pitching, they will put up some wins.
The early season schedule has a chance to be a blessing for Baltimore. They have some very winnable games and then get to face off against the big boys of the division. They have a stretch of 16 games that are played over 16 days that could be quite a momentum builder. How they handle this stretch will probably dictate their season.
While they will probably have a lights out bullpen, they needed to shore up their starting pitching to give them a legitimate shot and they got one of the biggest names on the free agent market, Kevin Millwood is coming off a huge year and will immediately be the Ace of the staff. Guthrie can now pitch in much more comfortable two spot, eat up innings and rack up some wins.
If Baltimore fans were looking for a reason to get back to the ballpark, they finally have it. This team will contend and fan support will be what they need to get them over the hump. How can you not get excited about seeing the Yankees and Red Sox come to town in April? Get loud because this is their chance to make a mark and set the tone for the entire season. - 31492
One of the secrets to success over the past few seasons has been a stud bullpen. Pitchers are going less innings because of the new ballparks and without a solid bullpen, teams have no chance. The good news for Baltimore Orioles fans is that this is probably the best part of their team.
The fact of the matter is that Baltimore will probably cut bullpen pitchers this spring that would be studs on other teams. This is a great problem to have because the quality of pitching fans will see is going to be incredible. This monster bullpen should be the reason that Baltimore gets off to a hot start this season.
It is no secret that starting pitching suffers in the beginning of the season. Most big armed pitchers start slow and take a month or so to get into their groove. It is not uncommon for starters to get yanked after five or six innings in the early going. If the Orioles bullpen holds serve and their offense can take advantage of the weaker clubs pitching, they will put up some wins.
The early season schedule has a chance to be a blessing for Baltimore. They have some very winnable games and then get to face off against the big boys of the division. They have a stretch of 16 games that are played over 16 days that could be quite a momentum builder. How they handle this stretch will probably dictate their season.
While they will probably have a lights out bullpen, they needed to shore up their starting pitching to give them a legitimate shot and they got one of the biggest names on the free agent market, Kevin Millwood is coming off a huge year and will immediately be the Ace of the staff. Guthrie can now pitch in much more comfortable two spot, eat up innings and rack up some wins.
If Baltimore fans were looking for a reason to get back to the ballpark, they finally have it. This team will contend and fan support will be what they need to get them over the hump. How can you not get excited about seeing the Yankees and Red Sox come to town in April? Get loud because this is their chance to make a mark and set the tone for the entire season. - 31492
About the Author:
Written by Heather Maxwell, sponsored by Stub.com. Stub.com sells Baltimore Orioles Tickets, MLB Tickets, Sports Tickets and many more tickets to just about any event in the world.
