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After suffering through an injury-riddled season in 2010, it looks like Brian Roberts will be spending a significant stretch on the sidelines again in 2011 following a serious concussion suffered in mid-May. Though the Orioles’ table-setter isn’t the All-Star he used to be, he is still a crucial part of the Baltimore offense and replacing his production will be a key as the O’s try to stay in contention in the AL East.

Much as it was the case a year ago, a big struggle for the Orioles in 2011 has been scoring runs in a consistent manner. The O’s rank 21^st in the majors in runs scored and have scored three or fewer runs in 25 of their first 51 games.

In an era when run production is down across the entire league, the Orioles must find ways to manufacture runs and try to improve their overall run production. They rank 16^th in team batting average, 19^th in walks, 26^th in stolen bases.

Even when Roberts was in the lineup, the two-time All-Star wasn’t playing at his peak, hitting just .221 with three home runs, 19 RBI and 18 runs scored during his first 39 games.

However, without Roberts the Orioles don’t have a legitimate leadoff hitter capable of regularly getting on base and sparking the offense. Felix Pie and Robert Andino, who have split the leadoff duties in Roberts’ absence, have combined to score only five runs since replacing Roberts as the leadoff hitter.

Baltimore has not scored a run in the first inning of a game since the last game Roberts was in the lineup and scored first in a game only once during the first 11 games of his absence.

These results are not significantly different than a year ago when the Orioles struggled to generate runs in the nearly four months that Roberts was out of the lineup. Baltimore was 29-62 during his absence in 2010 and then went 29-26 in games in which he played over the final two months.

Though Roberts will likely never return to the level that saw him average 100 runs scored every season between 2004 and 2009, he still is a solid veteran and capable table-setter.

However, given his recent lack of durability, it may be time for the Orioles to look for a permanent replacement to Roberts at the top of the lineup.

The O’s are obviously giving Andino a chance to audition while Roberts is on the sideline, but while a solid defensive player, he has shown no indication to be a top-level leadoff man. He has scored just three runs when serving in the leadoff role and in 35 total games so far this season has a .274 average with 11 runs scored and two RBI.

As the Orioles teeter on the edge of contention in the American League East, figuring out how to increase offense at the top of the lineup will be a key to whether they stay in the hunt or fall back during the heat of summer.

After more than a decade of mediocrity and a continual “building for the future” mentality, it appears that the future has finally arrived for the Baltimore Orioles.

Buoyed by the 34-23 (.596) record posted once Buck Showalter became manager in August of last season, the Orioles’ front office decided in the off-season to make moves designed to help the team take immediate steps toward contention in the difficult American League East.

The result is an everyday lineup that is comparable to the other powerhouse lineups in the American League.

For the Orioles in 2011, the key to success will be on the mound where the Orioles are relying on their young crop of talented hurlers to compete against the powerful American League lineups.

Below is a look at the 2011 lineup for the Orioles

Catcher:

After a promising rookie campaign in 2009, catcher Matt Wieters struggled for much of the 2010 campaign and finished with a .249 average, 11 home runs and 55 RBI. He has all the tools to be an All-Star and will look to have a breakout campaign in 2011.

Infield:

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First base was a black hole for the Orioles in 2010, but the position should be in capable hands in 2011 with the acquisition of veteran Derrek Lee.   The three-time Gold Glover and two-time All-Star hit .260 with 19 home runs and 80 RBI a year ago. He will be playing in the American League for the first time after a 14-year career terrorizing National League pitchers.

Often you don’t know someone’s true value until they are gone. That was the case for the Orioles last season with second baseman Brian Roberts. Spending the first half of the season without their table-setter, the Orioles had trouble scoring runs and were the worst team in baseball. Though he was never at top form, the return of Roberts in late July coincided with the return to respectability.

Shortstop Cesar Izturis has been a steady defensive performer and occasional offensive threat for the Orioles over the last two seasons. However, the team signed veteran J.J. Hardy in the offseason with the hope that he will provide more offensive spark. If both players remain on the roster, the Orioles should be well positioned at this important position.

Another disappointing position for the Orioles a year ago was third base. They are hopeful that Mark Reynolds, who hit 32 home runs for the Diamondbacks a year ago, can fill the void and give the Orioles another powerful offensive weapon.

Outfield:

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The outfield duo of Nick Markakis (.297 BA, 12 HR, 60 RBI) and Adam Jones (.284, 19, 69) is as solid as any centerfeld and rightfield combo in baseball. Both players struggled when Brian Roberts was out of the lineup because the Orioles were unable to get men on base. However, the additions to the lineup this season should help take offensive pressure off both players.

The third outfield spot will likely be split between Felix Pie and Luke Scott. After struggling with injuries for much of the season, Pie was healthy for most of the second half of 2010 and showed that he could be an everyday fixture in leftfield. Scott hit .284 with a team-high 27 home runs last season and could see time at a variety of spots in 2011.

Designated Hitter:

Newcomer Vladimir Guerrero could be the addition that puts the Orioles lineup over the top. A proven winner, Guerrero has been in the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons and Baltimore is hopeful that he can deliver similar magic for the O’s like what he did for the Texas Rangers a year ago. Now 36-years-old, Guerrero hit .300 with 29 home runs and 115 RBI a year ago.

Starting Pitchers:

It will be left to see if the decision not to bring in a quality veteran to go with the young starting rotation was a smart move or a regrettable one.

Instead, team president Andy MacPhail spent significant money on upgrading the offense and will look for the pitching staff to continue the strides made over the final two months of the 2010 season.

Though veteran Jeremy Guthrie (11-14, 3.83 ERA) is the opening day starter, the success of the Orioles in 2011 will go hand-in-hand with the performance of the young starters in the rotation.

Brian Matusz (10-12, 4.30) showed glimpses of brilliance a year ago and has the ability to be a number one starter.

Brian Bergesen (8-12, 4.98) was never as good in 2010 as he had been during his rookie campaign of 2009. He is a solid control pitcher who puts the ball in play. However, last season he allowed 26 home runs and more than a hit per inning. If he can regain his 2009 form, Bergesen will be a solid third starter.

Both Jake Arrieta (6-6, 4.66) and Chris Tillman (2-5, 5.87) are talented hurlers who could become staples of the rotation. If they can harness that talent, the Orioles will have a solid starting staff.

The one veteran brought into the mix is former Oakland A’s All-Star Justin Duchscherer. Primarily a reliever with the A’s before moving into a starters role the last three years, he serves as a backup plan if one of the young guns falters.

Relief Pitchers:

In the bullpen, the Orioles have a number of solid arms led by closer Kevin Gregg. Koji Uehera, Mike Gonzalez, Jim Johnson and Jason Berken are all solid pitchers who give the Orioles important pitching depth.

The key for the pitchers in 2011 will be for the starters to go deep enough into games that the bullpen isn’t asked to pitch four or more innings per game. That was a big difference after Showalter’s arrival in 2010 as the starters went an extra inning per game and the bullpen was no longer over-burdened on a nightly basis.

If the Orioles can replicate that situation for the entire 2011 season then they should have enough quality arms to contend.

Overall:

There is little doubt that the Orioles will be able to score runs, but the offensive key will be for the top of the lineup to get on base enough to allow the power hitters to drive them home.

The pitching staff is young, but if the glimpse of promise displayed in the final months of the 2010 campaign can be duplicated then the Orioles should post their first winning season since 1997.

Unfortunately, since the Orioles live in the same division as the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays, they may end up as the best fourth place team in baseball.

However, while that won’t excite the Orioles’ faithful, the fact that the team is starting a season thinking about this year instead of the future should bring a renewed excitement to Camden Yards.

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With the recent signings by the New York Yankees of Bartolo Colon and Andruw Jones, the Tampa Bay Rays of Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez and the Baltimore Orioles of Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero you have to wonder if these teams realize that it is 2011 and not 2005.
If it were 2005, the impact of these signings would without question make these three contenders the top teams in the division and favorites for the World Series.
In 2005, Bartolo Colon won 21 games for the Anaheim Angels and was named the American League Cy Young Award winner.
In the2005 American League MVP race, Vladimir Guerrero finished third, Manny Ramirez was fourth and Johnny Damon placed 13th.
On the National League side, Andruw Jones placed second while Derrek Lee was third.
Unfortunately as the Yankees, Rays and Orioles look toward 2011, most of these former superstars are years removed from performing at that high level.
That is especially the case for the two new Yankees Jones and Colon.

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Since his Cy Young season, Colon has won a grand total of 14 major league games and did not pitch in the majors in 2010. With the retirement of Andy Pettitte and inconsistency of A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes, the Yankees are crossing their fingers that Colon and fellow non-roster invitees Freddy Garcia (third in 2001 Cy Young voting) and Mark Prior (third in 2003 Cy Young voting) can return to past form.
They are also hopeful that at the age of 33, five-time All-Star Andruw Jones still has some pop in his bat. Though expected to serve as the fourth outfielder for the Yankees, the team would certainly like to see him provide another offensive weapon. However, if recent years are any indication, how much pop he has left is questionable. In his final three years with the Atlanta Braves (2005-2007), Jones smashed 118 home runs and drove in 351 runs. In the three seasons since he left Atlanta, Jones has hit a grand total of 39 home runs and driven in 105 runs. He also has gone from being a 10-time Gold Glove fielder to being a part-time outfielder and part-time designated hitter.
But New York is not alone in looking to the past to help save their present.
While the Tampa Bay Rays cut significant salary during the off-season, they still have a solid nucleus that is capable of contending in 2011. For that reason, the addition of Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez is hoped to help fill some of the void left by the loss of Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena.
Though he is now 37 years old, Damon is still capable of serving as a table setter for the Rays. Last season he played in 145 games for the Tigers and hit .271 while scoring 81 runs. He is no longer a base stealing threat, but he should be a solid addition to the lineup.
It is difficult to predict what the Rays will get out of Ramirez, who will turn 39 on May 30th. Since serving a 50-game suspension for violating the MLB drug policy in 2009, Ramirez hasn’t been the same dominating player that he was for most of his career.
Splitting time between the Dodgers and White Sox in 2010, Ramirez played in only 90 games and hit .298 with nine home runs and 42 RBI.
If he is healthy and motivated in 2011, he could be a huge addition to the lineup. However, if he struggles, Ramirez could become a distraction and have a short tenure with the Rays.
Of the three teams that went back in time looking for help in 2011, the Baltimore Orioles seem to have the best chance of seeing big dividends.

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The 36-year-old Guerrero had a tremendous season in 2010 helping lead the Texas Rangers to the World Series. Though he struggled during the playoffs, his regular season was still tremendous as he hit .300 with 29 home runs and 115 RBI.
If he can come close to a repeat performance in 2011 Guerrero will give the Orioles a much needed run producer in the middle of the lineup and take pressure off the young Baltimore hitters.
A similar statement can be made about the other big signing for the Orioles in first baseman Derrek Lee. The 35-year-old Lee had a solid season in 2010 with 19 home runs, 80 RBI and a .260 average. In 2009 he hit 35 home runs with 111 RBI and a .306 average for the Cubs.
If Lee is able to produce at a level somewhere in between those two seasons, he will be a huge improvement over what the Orioles had at first base a year ago.
Though the Orioles could have used a veteran starting pitcher, signing Guerrero and Lee will certainly help make them even more competitive in 2011 than they were over the final two months of the 2010 season when they went 34-23 under new manager Buck Showalter.
Because it is 2011, instead of 2005, the reality is that all three teams will likely spend the season chasing the only team in the division that spent the offseason signing players actually reaching the peak of their careers, the Boston Red Sox.

The New York Yankees haven’t made the World Series every year, it just seems that way. Since 1921, the Yankees have appeared in the World Series 40 times, winning 27 championships.

By contrast, post season play is something very new for the team that dethroned the Yankees as the American League Champions.

Since entering the league as the expansion Washington Senators in 1961 and moving to the Dallas–Fort Worth area to become the Texas Rangers in 1972, the franchise has had little success. They reached the playoffs three times between 1996 and 1999, but lost in the opening round all three times while winning only one post season game.

Just as a comparison, while the Senators-Rangers went 50 years without making the World Series, the Yankees have made 15 World Series appearances and claimed 11 titles during that stretch. In addition, they reached the playoffs nine other times for a total of 24 playoff appearances in 50 years.

Since the failed attempt to implement a salary cap in baseball in 1994, the Yankees have made the playoffs in 15 of 16 seasons with seven World Series appearances and five titles.

To many Yankee fans across the world, appearing in and winning the World Series every year isn’t just a hopeful expectation, it is considered an expected right. Over history, failure to achieve the annual objective has often resulted in quick changes, regardless of past success.

Beloved manager Joe Torre, owner of four World Series rings, was run out of town because the Yankees had lost in the opening round of the playoffs three years in a row and had gone eight years since claiming a World Series championship. But Torre wasn’t the first New York manager to endure such a fate.

Joe McCarthy led the Yankees to eight World Series appearances and seven titles in 16 years, but when the team went three straight seasons without a post season appearance, he was fired during the 1946 season.

Despite having led the Yankees to the World Series title in his first season guiding the team in 1947, Bucky Harris was fired following the 1948 season and replaced by Casey Stengel. The move certainly worked out for the Yankees as Stengel led them to seven World Series titles and 10 appearances in 12 seasons.

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However, after losing a dramatic seventh game in the 1960 Series, Stengel was replaced by Ralph Houk. The Yankees won the next two titles, but after being swept by the Dodgers in the 1963 Series, Houk was replaced by Yogi Berra despite the fact that New York won 104 games that season.

In 1964, Berra led the Yankees to 99 wins and the seventh game of the World Series, but it didn’t help the Yankee legend as he was fired after the season.

A similar fate met many Yankee managers during the George Steinbrenner era, but perhaps none was more pronounced than the firing of Dick Howser after one season leading the team in 1980. The Yankees won 103 games that season, but were swept by the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series.

Steinbrenner also had little patience with Torre’s immediate predecessor as Buck Showalter was fired following the 1995 season despite having led the Yankees to their first post season appearance in 14 years.

Photo of Yankees Mgr Joe Girardi by Icon SMI

It is doubtful that Joe Girardi’s job is in jeopardy after reaching the AL Championship Series in 2010, but given the past history it isn’t difficult to understand why there have been rumors of him looking at other potential jobs.

You can also bet that even with a 2010 payroll over $206 million, the Yankees will be in the market for new talent to put on the field in 2011.

With veteran shortstop Derek Jeter in need of a new contract and a number of other players reaching the downside of their careers, there will certainly be new faces added to the lineup in 2011.

The Yankees won’t be adding another championship in 2010, but you can count on them being back in the mix again next year.

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Major League Baseball’s “Year of the Pitcher” has a new defining moment following Roy Halladay’s no-hitter in the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds in the opening game of the 2010 National League playoffs.

In his first-ever post season appearance, Halladay enters some heady company as he joins Don Larsen as the only pitchers in major league history to toss a post season no-hitter. In addition, he became the first pitcher since Nolan Ryan in 1973, and the fourth ever, to toss two no-hitters in the same season.

After winning 148 games while toiling away for a decade on a perennial second division team in Toronto, this season Halladay showed that he could also have success on a winner. After being traded to the Phillies in the off-season, Halladay won 21 games in the regular season to help lift Philadelphia to their fourth straight Eastern Division title.

Even though Halladay was facing the best offensive team in the National League in his playoff debut, there was little surprise when he started the game by mowing down the Cincinnati hitters.

He was perfect until surrendering a two-out walk to Jay Bruce in the fifth inning. However, he quickly regrouped and continued to mow down hitter after hitter.

Many no-hitters have at least one signature defensive play to save the no-no, but Halladay was so dominant that the only close call was the last play of the game when Brandon Phillips tapped the ball in front of the plate and Carlos Ruiz briefly stumbled before firing the ball to Ryan Howard to end the game.

Halladay’s second no-hitter of the season is the sixth in Major League baseball in 2010. That is the highest single season total since 1991 when there were seven no-hitters. In fact, during the height of the steroid era from 2000 through 2003, there were only six no-hitters during a four-year stretch.

Though the playoffs are only hours old, it will be hard for another moment to eclipse Halladay’s no-no as the most memorable moment of the 2010 post season.

Of course, for Halladay, the post season won’t be complete unless he and the Phillies are bathing in champagne when the World Series ends in early November.

Photo of Broadcaster Vin Scully by Icon SMI

When I heard Sunday morning that Vin Scully had called a press conference for prior to the Los Angeles Dodgers game against the Cincinnati Reds, my heart sank. Could this be the end for the last of the legendary broadcasters from the golden era of baseball?

Fortunately, instead of announcing his retirement, Scully announced that he loves the game too much to walk away and will continue to broadcast at least through 2011.

Sometimes the great ones hang on too long and don’t know when it is time to walk away, but that couldn’t be further from the case for Scully. All you have to do is listen to a Scully broadcast to know that this is a man who truly loves what he does and that nobody does it better.

Just two nights ago, I listened mesmerized for more than an hour as Scully didn’t as much “call” the game between the Dodgers and Reds as he did tell the story of the game.

Unlike most broadcast booths that now include two people and include announcers who spend more time utilizing graphics and talking to each other instead of the audience, Scully works alone and I imagine broadcasts on television today much in the same way he did when he first started announcing games on the radio for the then-Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950.

When listening to Scully you can almost close your eyes and let his voice guide you through the game in a manner atypical of most modern television announcers. As he probably did 60 years ago, during the first game of a series Scully typically spells out the names of those players with unusual last names on the opposing team. Though fans today can simply go to the internet to find the live game box score, Scully still has one foot in an era when young boys sat at the radio scoring along with the broadcast.

While pausing only occasionally to catch his breath, Scully fills the air with tales about each player that make you feel like you have known them for years. Whether it is sharing stories about a player’s high school exploits on the field or in the classroom or how another player went from growing up in a small town to playing in the majors, Scully reminds viewers that these are young men living a dream and not simply highly paid athletes.

For three hours each night, Scully is having a conversation with you, the viewer. He occasionally will even ask questions as if to remind the viewer that you are in this together.

Even at the age of 82, Scully flawlessly transitions from one play to another with grace and ease. He often describes the nuances of the game in a manner that clearly illustrate that he has been doing this for a while.

When he broke into the game working with the legendary Red Barber and veteran announcer Connie Desmond, who could have imagined that six decades later he would still be going strong?

Scully now only works home games and road games against the NL West, but just to have a chance to hear his eloquent delivery on those occasions is magic.

He truly is a bridge from a time when the use of technology in baseball was still developing to a time now when you can watch games on a computer and see any team no matter where you live.

When Scully started with the Dodgers, it was only three years after Jackie Robinson had broken baseball’s color barrier. He was there in 1951 when Bobby Thomson hit the Shot Hear ‘Round the World and watched the Dodgers finally defeat the Yankees to win the 1955 World Series. He was also calling the action a year later when Don Larsen pitched a perfect game in the World Series.

After moving with the Dodgers to Los Angeles, he broadcast the exploits of Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax as the Dodgers won the World Series in 1959, 1963 and 1965. He then called the action as the Dodgers reached three Fall Classics in the 1970s and then finally won one for Tommy Lasorda in 1981.

Though he made his national broadcast debut in 1953, to many, Scully is best known for his work as the play-by-play voice of NBC’s Game of the Week from 1983 through 1989. This national exposure brought Scully’s style to fans every week and though he had a partner in Joe Garagiola, Scully was clearly the master of the booth.

Baseball has not been Scully’s only national exposure over the years. He was part of the CBS television broadcasting team for a decade calling NFL broadcasts from 1972 until 1982. He was in the booth during the 1981 NFC Championship Game and had the call on Dwight Clark’s game-winning catch. Scully also broadcast golf and tennis during his tenure with CBS.

But it is baseball for which he will always be remembered.

Sadly, when Scully does finally call it a career it will mark the end of an era in sports. Not just because Scully has been at it for more than six decades, but also because he is one of the final ties to the roots of broadcasting in sports and for more than 60 years has been baseball’s greatest story teller.

Photo of Orioles Manager Buck Showalter by Icon SMI

Buck Showalter has made a great early impression on the Baltimore Orioles during his first weeks on the job already guiding the O’s to more wins in August than they have registered in any previous month this season. As we look toward the long-term future for the Orioles, there are five keys that Showalter will have a chance to evaluate over the final 40 games.

1. Starting pitching – The biggest reason for the turnaround during the month of August has been the performance of the starting pitchers. After barely averaging five innings per outing and posting an ERA above 5 through the first 100 games, the starting pitcher has pitched at least six innings in 15 of the first 18 games for Showalter with an ERA under 3.

The question moving forward is whether Showalter and crew have found the key to pitching success or if at some point the starters will return to their old ways. With three of the five starters in just their first or second season in the majors, the hope is that they are building for long-term success.

Though veteran Kevin Millwood has pitched better in August, if the Orioles hope to make significant improvement in 2011 they will need to add at least one additional proven winning pitcher to the starting rotation.

1. Corner Infield – When the Orioles were the best team in baseball in the early 1970s they had superstars at both third base in Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson and at first base in 1970 league MVP Boog Powell.

In 2010, those two positions are significant weaknesses for the Birds. Showalter will have the next six weeks to see if rookie third baseman Josh Bell can be the long-term answer for the Orioles. So far, Bell has definitely not earned the spot for next season as he is hitting just .216 with no home runs and 4 RBI in 23 games. With the Orioles out of contention it doesn’t hurt to give him a long look. However, if he doesn’t turn things around soon the Orioles will definitely need to address the position in the off season.

At first base, Ty Wiggington has been seeing most of the action lately. Though he earned an All-Star trip, Wiggington has been inconsistent over the last couple months. He has a .252 average with 18 home runs and 61 RBI, but since the All-Star game he has only four home runs and 16 RBI. While Wiggington is a good utility player to have on the squad, if he is the regular first baseman for the Orioles in 2011 they will not be a contender in the American League East.

1. Closer – You get the sense that of all the Orioles auditioning for a spot on the team in 2010, reliever Alfredo Simon is getting a very hard look from Showalter. He has pitched in nine of Showalter’s first 18 games and registered two saves and one blown save. However, since blowing a save against the White Sox on August 9^th, all four of his appearances have been in non-save situations and as early in the game as the seventh inning.

The hard-throwing right-hander has a 3-2 record with 17 saves and 32 strikeouts and a 4.50 ERA in 40 appearances since joining the Birds in late April. Though he is 29-years old and has been in professional ball since 1999, Simon has little more than a year of major league experience, is earning $450,000 this season and is not arbitration eligible in 2011. So, I think Showalter is trying to assess if Simon can be a quality set-up man or closer for the O’s in 2011.

1. Leftfield – The Orioles have players in center and rightfield that should be anchors of the team for years to come. However, they have not been able to find the same consistency in leftfield. Entering the season many thought that Nolan Reimold would build on his solid rookie season and join Adam Jones and Nick Markakis in forming one of the best young outfields in the game.

Unfortunately, Reimold struggled from the beginning and was demoted after hitting only .205 with two home runs in 29 games. If he does return to the Orioles it could possibly be at first base instead of in the outfield.

Corey Patterson has had a solid season seeing significant action at the position, but at 30-years-old Patterson makes the team stronger if he is the fourth outfielder and not an everyday player.

The 25-year-old Felix Pie could still become that third regular starter, but injuries have hampered his season. He is hitting .284 with four home runs, 15 RBI and 21 runs scored in 46 games, but will have to put up greater production if he wants to play every day. If he can remain healthy over the final 40 games he should get plenty of chances to prove to Showalter that he deserves a spot in 2011.

Phot of Orioles DH Luke Scott by Icon SMI

1. Designated Hitter – One player who is definitely making the most of his audition for Showalter is Luke Scott. Seeing action primarily as the designated hitter, Scott is hitting .353 with five home runs in the month of August. He has seen some action at both first base and leftfield this season, but has primarily been used as the designated hitter.

Scott is earning $4.05 million in 2010 and is eligible for arbitration in 2011, but is not eligible for free agency until 2013. A good sign of whether the Orioles think they can contend in 2011 could be what they do with Scott. He will likely get another raise, so if they are willing to pay him and not deal him in the off-season it would be an indication that they are looking to make significant improvement in 2011.

The final six weeks should be interesting for the Orioles as they prepare for 2011. Showalter has certainly resuscitated a floundering franchise, but the question remains whether he can keep that momentum over the long term.

Baltimore seems to have components in place to start making major strides, but they will still have to make some big decisions regarding payroll and free agency before they are ready to compete in baseball’s toughest division.

Buck Showalter Photo taken from Google Images

After two months under the guidance of interim manager Juan Samuel, the Baltimore Orioles finally have a permanent captain for their floundering ship with the hiring of Buck Showalter to take over the team beginning on August 3^rd.

After hiring the interim manager to eventually be the permanent manager after each of the last two managerial firings, the former manager of the Yankees, Diamondbacks and Rangers becomes the first Baltimore manager to be hired from outside the organization since Lee Mazzilli in 2004.

Showalter began his coaching career in the New York Yankees organization and became manager in 1992. He led the Yankees to the best record in the American League in the strike shortened 1994 season and in 1995 led them to the first wild card playoff berth.

Despite the success, a deteriorating relationship with Joe Torre led to his dismissal following the 1995 season. The Yankees went on to win the World Series in 1996 and again from 1998-2000.

Hired by the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks in 1996 to serve as their skipper when the team opened play in 1998, he helped craft a roster that won 100 games and reached the playoffs in just their second season. However, a disappointing third place finish in 2000 led to his dismissal after three seasons.

In a repeat of his New York experience, Showalter left a team that went on to win a World Championship (ironically over the Yankees) in the year after his departure.

After moving to television as an analyst for ESPN, Showalter returned to the dugout in 2003 with the Texas Rangers. He led the Rangers to an 89-73 record in his second season, but after consecutive losing campaigns was fired following the 2006 season.

He returned to ESPN and served as a studio analyst until being hired by the Orioles.

Only 54 years old, Showalter has spent 11 years as a major league manager and has an overall career record of 882 and 833 (.514). He was named the American League Manager of the Year in both 1994 and 2004.

Showalter will have his toughest managerial assignment turning around a franchise that has a storied tradition, but has developed a culture of losing over the past decade. Baltimore has not had a winning season since reaching the American League Championship Series in 1997.

The 2010 Orioles have the worst record in baseball with a 31-70 record and have shown only brief glimpses of hope. A four game sweep in Texas the weekend before the All-Star Game has been the brightest highlight for the Orioles in 2010. The team also has demonstrated a surprising propensity for comeback victories and has a 7-3 record in extra inning games.

Hiring Showalter now gives the new manager nearly two months to review and analyze the team as they prepare for 2011. Despite the struggles this season, the team does include a number of talented young players and with the right tutelage could make great strides in a short span.

Unfortunately, as a member of the American League East it is likely that any significant improvement will simply get the team closer to the middle of the pack. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are both built to annually contend and both the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays have developed a bevy of young talent.

So, Showalter will have his work cut out for him. However, he has turned around teams before and should bring a much needed new attitude to the clubhouse as the Birds look to regain respectability.

O's GM & President Andy MacPhail Photo by Icon SMI

Less than two weeks ago, Baltimore Orioles president Andy MacPhail said that the team was in no hurry to hire a new manager because “it’s not like the barn is on fire right now. The players are doing a nice job for Juan [Samuel].”

Over the last two weeks, the Orioles have won just two of 13 games and suddenly there is again reasonable doubt as to whether the Orioles can muster enough victories over the final two months of the season to avoid eclipsing the modern record for baseball futility established when the New York Mets went 40-120 during their inaugural 1962 season.

So, my question to Mr. MacPhail is whether the barn is burning now?

The energy the team showed early in the tenure of interim manager Juan Samuel has disappeared.

Since staging a dramatic comeback on July 20^th to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 11-10 in 13 innings, the Birds have managed just one win in eight games and been outscored 52-20.

Despite some speculation that the hiring of former Yankees, Diamondbacks and Rangers manager Buck Showalter was inevitable, MacPhail doesn’t seem significantly closer to having a permanent manager than he did when firing Dave Trembley nearly two months ago.

As I have written several times before, in my opinion, every day MacPhail waits to hire a full-time manager is another wasted day.

If the Orioles’ manager for 2011 turns out to be Showalter or anyone else who is not currently working as a manager or coach, MacPhail will have wasted significant time that could have been used to evaluate players and set the tone for change that is desperately needed in Baltimore.

While the team president may not be alarmed by the current play of the Orioles, it is obvious that a growing number of Oriole fans are tired of the methodical indifference that seems to be exhibited by MacPhail.

In their recent 10-game home stand that included two weekends of baseball, the Orioles averaged 18,820 fans with only three of those 10 games drawing crowds in excess of 20,000.

For a team and city that has such a great baseball tradition, that is sad and simply not acceptable.

I certainly am not blaming Baltimore fans for voicing their displeasure with the current team by leaving plenty of empty seats at Camden Yards. Considering the current economy and exorbitant cost to attend a professional sporting event, the Orioles are probably lucky to be averaging that many fans.

Of course what has made it worse is that losing is unfortunately no longer a new thing in Baltimore. The 2010 season will mark the 13^th straight losing campaign for the Orioles. And barring a shocking late season turnaround, the Orioles will likely have the worst record during that stretch and have a very good chance of eclipsing the team record for losses in a season set in 1988 when the Orioles went 54-107.

Astute Oriole fans know that team began the season with 21 straight losses. However, that team actually had a better record after 100 games (32-68) than the current Orioles (31-69).

Following that season, the Orioles jettisoned a number of longtime veterans, including future Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, and in 1989 Baltimore surprised the baseball world by contending for the division title into September and finishing with an 87-75 record.

It would be great if the Orioles could repeat that kind of turnaround in 2011, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

In the first place, baseball has dramatically changed over the last 20 years. While every team was generally on a level playing field in those days, we all know that baseball today is setup so that the Red Sox and Yankees are pretty much guaranteed of being contenders every year.

The Orioles have the misfortune of not only being in the same division as both of those teams, but also with two solid teams with lots of young talent in the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays.

That means the Birds play a guaranteed 76 games every year against teams that have legitimate playoff aspirations.

That is a big reason that when Andy MacPhail took over as team president in 2007 he recognized that the answer for the Orioles was not a quick fix.

However, after three years of making moves designed to help the Orioles contend for the long haul, Baltimore is not only nowhere near contending, but they seem to be making steady steps backwards.

The victory total for the Orioles has declined every year since 2004 with no sign of team improvement in any area. In 2009, the Orioles won 64 games while scoring 4.57 runs per game and having a team ERA of 5.15. So far in 2010, the Orioles are scoring 3.61 runs per contest with a team ERA of 5.18.

MacPhail has staked the future of the Orioles on building a stable of young pitching arms designed to give the Birds enough talented pitchers to contend with the Yankees and Red Sox.

So far, that plan has been a complete disaster. The five members of the pitching staff who are 25 or younger have a combined record of 14-34 with a 5.72 ERA.

SP Kevin Millwood Photo by Icon SMI

MacPhail has tried to supplement the staff with inexpensive veterans, but that hasn’t been too successful either. In the last two years, Mark Hendrickson, Koji Uehara and Kevin Millwood have all been brought in with the expectation they would be inning eating starters.

Hendrickson and Uehara are now members of the Baltimore bullpen and Millwood has a 2-10 record with a 5.96 ERA this season.

Though not as prolific as a year ago, the Baltimore offense still has some solid components. However, if the Orioles ever want to become a contender, they must make major upgrades at the pitching position and cannot expect that fix to come from within the minor league system.

What MacPhail doesn’t seem to understand is that this is not the same Baltimore Orioles farm system that produced Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Storm Davis, Mike Flanagan, Dennis Martinez and Mike Boddicker. Even though the Orioles have been loading up on young arms, there is no guarantee that any of those pitchers will emerge as legitimate major league starters.

The game has also changed quite a bit since the Orioles were producing all those home-grown starters. Of the 11 primary starting pitchers for the Yankees and Red Sox in 2010, only four came up through the minor league system of either organization.

Top teams may have one or two starters who came up from within their organization, but they do not expect the entire staff to be homegrown talent. They supplement the home grown pitchers with top level starters from other teams. Not with aging veterans who are well past their prime.

I have applauded Andy MacPhail for trying to patiently build this team, but at some point he needs to become aggressive and signal to the Orioles, Baltimore fans and the baseball world that the Orioles are ready to win today.

It will take more than hiring a manager to signal that, but it would certainly be a good start. Then Baltimore needs to identify the top five available free agents for 2011 and make a legitimate attempt to add at least two of them to the roster.

Unless significant steps are made to jump start the franchise the cry of every season will be “wait until next year.” Then when “next year” finally arrives (if it ever does) it won’t matter because there will be no one left to care.

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After enduring one of the most disappointing first halves to a season in franchise history, the Baltimore Orioles headed into the All-Star break with a surprising four-game sweep over the West Division leading Texas Rangers.

What makes the sweep particularly shocking is that Texas entered the series with a 31-15 home record while the Orioles were an abysmal 9-34 on the road before heading to Arlington.

Though not as hot as they had been in June when they won 13 straight games, the Rangers still entered the series against the team with the worst record in baseball riding a two game winning streak and 16 games over .500.

On the other hand, with the exception of one stretch in late June when they won four straight and five of six games, the Orioles have been abysmal throughout 2010. Baltimore entered the series with baseball’s worst record and having lost six of their previous seven games.

So, while everyone in baseball knows that anything can happen when you get between the white lines, what transpired in Arlington over the final four days leading up to the All-Star Game would have been difficult for anyone to predict.

It almost seemed like the two teams switched uniforms. For four straight days, the team with the orange bird on their hats looked poised and confident while the team with the big T on their hats seemed to get worse as the weekend went on.

Things started as could be expected with Texas jumping to a 4-0 lead in the opening game of the series. After asserting their dominance, it almost seemed like the Rangers put it on cruise control and expected the Orioles to wither away.

Though Baltimore has been awful all year, their one strength in recent weeks has been comeback victories.

Trailing 4-1 entering the seventh inning, Baltimore rallied with five runs over the next two innings to pull out a stunning 6-4 triumph.

Figuring the Orioles were just proving the blind squirrel theory with their victory, there seemed to be no reason to expect the Rangers wouldn’t rebound and dominate the remainder of the series.

In the second game, Texas again jumped out to a 4-0 lead and then led 6-2 entering the ninth inning. Shockingly, Baltimore scored four runs in the ninth inning to tie the game and won it with a run in the 10^th inning.

After consecutive games in which Texas had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and the Orioles had rallied like a playoff contender, you couldn’t help but start to wonder if this was going to be one of those strange weekends.

Because Texas was rolling out their new weapon in lefthander Cliff Lee, acquired a day earlier from the Seattle Mariners, for the third game there was still an expectation that the Rangers would right the ship and restore order.

Chris Tillman Photo by Icon SMI

However, someone forgot to relay that message to the suddenly confident Orioles. Baltimore jumped out to an early lead with a first inning run and then made the score 5-0 before the Rangers were even able to get a hit off Baltimore starter Chris Tillman.

Looking like the All-Star pitcher on the mound that night, Tillman didn’t allow a hit until the seventh inning and left in the eighth inning having allowed only two hits and one run. The 6-1 victory was the first of the season for Tillman while Lee fell to 8-4.

After three straight shocking games there was little doubt that destiny was on the side of the Orioles for the weekend. Sure enough, Baltimore scored three runs in the second inning to erase an early 1-0 deficit and held on for a 4-1 victory and a series sweep.

Jake Arrieta Photo by Icon SMI

Rookie pitcher Jake Arrieta allowed just one run in six innings to earn his third victory since joining the Orioles in early June. He now has as many wins (three) as any other starting pitcher on the staff.

Even with the reversal in fortune for the four-game series, it is doubtful that much of consequence can be made from the baseball anomaly. The Rangers maintain a four and a half game lead in the AL West entering the break. Baltimore still holds the worst record in baseball though they now have just one less win than the Pittsburgh Pirates.

For the Orioles, the key will be to take the confidence earned during this series and use it to build toward a strong second half of the season. One of the unfortunate characteristics for the Orioles in recent years has been a solid start to the season followed by a horrible swoon over the final two months.

This year the Orioles started out horrendously, but now show signs of turning things around. If they can maintain a solid level of play over the final three months of the season they could be able to build some momentum for 2011.