Suddenly, the Baltimore Orioles are very interesting and actually fun to follow, because, in case you haven’t noticed, the future is here, with the biggest chunk of it scheduled to arrive tonight at Camden Yards.
Youth is being served, and tonight when can’t-miss catching prospect Matt Wieters takes his first squat behind the dish against the Detroit Tigers, most Orioles fans will get their first glimpse of the future they’ve been clamoring to see for close to two years now.
By the way, upon announcing Wieters’ arrival during the same week the smallest crowd in Camden Yards history took in an O’s game, the club went to great lengths to point out that since a fireworks night had already been scheduled for tonight, they already knew they’d have a big crowd due to advanced ticket sales. (But, you know, if the few people within driving or walking distance of the park, who do not yet have a ticket to tonight’s game, would like to attend ... Well, the Orioles will find room for them I’m sure.)
Sure, the presence of Matt Wieters is going to help the Orioles’ failing attendance, and that’s a good thing; but it’s not the issue. The issue is Andy MacPhail’s plans to rebuild player development and build from within have been in motion since he arrived, but now we’re finally seeing them come to fruition.
How about the pair of dingers outfielder Nolan Reimold sent out this week, the first one a home-run hitter’s homer to center, and the second one a rope to left that secured an unlikely 12-10 comeback win in 11 innings? They brought up Reimold to fill a roster spot, but guess what? He won’t be going anywhere any time soon.
How about the two starting pitchers, Brad Bergesen and Jason Berken — three, if you count David Hernandez, whom the Orioles called up Thursday? Bergesen and Berken have looked pretty good, so far. Hey, it’s a long, hard road, I know, but these guys already seem as though they belong. They’re getting off to good starts, and that’s contagious.
“So many young players are being brought in,” said MASN analyst Buck Martinez during Wednesday’s telecast. “There’s a lot of enthusiasm, and it’s noticed up here (by the veterans), and it’s noticed back there (by the minor leaguers busting tail for their call-up).”
There’s 25-year-old utility infielder Robert Andino getting four hits on Wednesday and making great plays in the field. This guy, whom MacPhail picked up from Florida for Hayden Penn, represents your typical Andy MacPhail deal. And between Andino and starter Cesar Izturis, the Orioles are (who knew?) very solid at shortstop until some more can develop in the minors.
That was Andino, by the way, not even with the club in March, giving Reimold the shaving-cream-to-the-face treatment during his Wednesday postgame TV interview.
Don’t worry, kid, they showed your home run on SportsCenter, too.
“You don’t think the mood in that clubhouse is changing?” said Martinez.
And, hey, it’s not as though these kids are being thrown to the wolves. The heart of this current Orioles team, Nick Markakis and Adam Jones, are both still in their early 20s, not to mention locked up with the club for some time now. And there is nothing wrong with veterans Brian Roberts, Aubrey Huff (the guy’s just a hitter), Izturis, Luke Scott, Ty Wigginton and catcher Gregg Zaun, the perfect choice to bring in to help young Wieters find his way.
Why even Miserable Melvin Mora seems to be enjoying himself these days, which speaks volumes about what a little developing and talented youth can do for one’s outlook.
Sure, not everything has gone according to plan. Offseason acquisition Ryan Freel fell victim to the Felix Pie experiment, and we don’t know how much longer the O’s are going to keep their infatuation with Pie, but, sadly, it looks to be a case of, “Felix Pie! You are not going to make it!”
The poor guy looks lost, and just seems to be getting deeper and deeper into the woods.
In the late 1980s, the Orioles, after their latest bungled foray into free agency, which ended up destroying their farm system, adopted the marketing slogan of, “These are exciting times. You gotta be there.”
I wanted to believe it then. Over 20 years later, I’m beginning to believe it now.
Mike Burke is sports editor of the Cumberland Times-News. Contact Mike Burke at mburke@times-news.com.
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