Baltimore Orioles Division Championship Prospects

There is a good deal of baseball history that surrounds the Baltimore Orioles. Baseball aficionados recall the glory days of stars like Brooks Robinson and Eddie Murray and continue to debate the moves of Manager Earl Weaver. But recent history has not been kind to the Orioles. Baltimore has paid the price of sharing the American League East with the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. These two powerhouses have dominated division play in recent memory and monopolized the Division championship over the last half dozen years. But perhaps 2006 will be different say Orioles fans. This year the Yankees and the Red Sox are struggling to put together healthy starting rotations, not an easy task when you look at the ages and past injuries of the players involved. As the Yanks and the Bosox scramble to put healthy pitchers on the field and fill other holes in their batting orders and defensive alignments, could this be the year that the Orioles will finally put together a complete season of solid baseball . Do the Baltimore Orioles have the bodies they need to successfully challenge their Eastern Division rivals?

If you measure a team by its starting pitchers then maybe the Orioles are ready to do battle. A look at the Baltimore pitching staff gives fans cause for hopeful anticipation of the 2006 season. When healthy, Bedard, Benson, Chen , Lopez and Cabrera are formidable. They have shown flashes of near greatness and inspired the team with their no nonsense, professional approach.But last season, injuries broke up the rhythm of the rotation and the group, though good in streaks, never lived up to the Baltimore Orioles fans’ expectations. The starters have demonstrated the capacity to silence the big bats of the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Injury free perhaps they can do so in 2006 with a consistency that will allow them to capture a division title.

While the Baltimore Oriole pitching is good, the bats may even be better. Tejada, Roberts and Mora all can hit for average and sufficient power to lead the Orioles to a championship season. But the Orioles can go deeper than that with Gibbons, Matos and Lopez, experienced hitters able to play a position or appear in the DH slot to add punch to the lineup. This year the Baltimore Orioles welcome Red Sox cast off Kevin Millar. Time will tell if Millar can bring additional clout to the lineup. Millar’ s career in Boston often centered as much on his value as a clubhouse motivator and joke maker as it did on his actual performance. At best Millar is a streaky hitter who when he is hot he is as they say very, very hot and when he is not well that’s a whole different story. Is Millar poised to be that extra special someone who can propel the Orioles past Boston and New York and the entire Eastern Division – or not.

No matter how good Oriole pitching and hitting might be, consistency in the field can truly make or break their season. In 2005 the Baltimore Orioles fielding percentage was .981 which sandwiched them in the defensive standings between you guessed it Boston and New York. To win a division championship may require more than defensive parity. Mora, Tejad and Roberts have experience sharing the infield duties and with either Connine or Millar at first, the infield defense should be passable. When called upon to play in the outfield however poses the first basemen can create problems. There the age in Connine’s case and the lack of speed and everyday playing experience in Millar’s could mean that left field could become a danger zone for Baltimore. Fortunately Corey Patterson , 26 and fleet of foot, will hold his own in center and Jay Gibbons has earned his spurs in right. But will two out of three be enough fields for the Baltimore Orioles to cover and still be able to win the division. There is cause here for Oriole fan concern.

That’s where the managing comes into play. As much as the division title is the result of the talented athletes on each team playing their best to win, there are also key moves that managers make which can dramatically effect the outcome of a game, a series and even a season. In 2006 Sam Perlozzo is the man at the helm in Baltimore. Having taken over as interim manager last year and eventually hired on in his own right, Perlozzo will get his first full season opportunity to skipper the team to glory. Perlozzo is not without credentials. Previously serving the team as bench coach Perlozzo knows the team, its strengths and weaknesses. But as with every first year coach the question is will he have what it takes to make the tough, unpopular, but in the long run correct decisions. More to the point can Perlozzo match baseball know how and staff management skills with Francona of the Sox and Torre of the Yanks?. As much as the battles for the Eastern Division Championship, the League Pennant and ultimately the World Series are won and lost in the trenches by the players, managers still play a pivotal role in determining playing assignments, positioning, substitutions, and all around team efficiency.

When the 2006 season comes to a conclusion will the Baltimore Orioles have outplayed, outwitted and outlasted their Eastern Division opponents? Who knows, but it looks to be an enjoyable ride.