Why is Jason Berken Still Pitching for the O's?

Uhh, did I miss something? There really is no argument left for Jason Berken to remain on the major league roster. Although Brad Bergesen is injured and Rich Hill has proved to be an incompetent big league starter, the Orioles are doing nothing but embarrassing their team and Jason Berken by letting him continue to start. I understand that the O's aren't trying to make a run for the pennant this year but I find it somewhat disturbing that they're letting a rookie pitcher start his major league career 1-9. He is the scheduled starter for Friday's game at Toronto. Chances are, he'll lose that game too and fall to 1-10.

I love how the Orioles are giving chances to their young players a shot to play in the majors. Some may argue that the O's are calling up too many of their young pitchers too early. I disagree. Guys like Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz deserve a chance to show what they can do in a time when the big league club doesn't care too much about wins and losses. However, Jason Berken's chance to show off his stuff (or lack thereof) this year has expired. He seems like a pitcher who belongs in the minors to develop his skills. As I said earlier, I don't have a problem with the O's letting their young guns work out their kinks at the highest level. But letting a young, undeveloped pitcher embarrass himself cannot be good for his psyche or his ego. As we all know, confidence in pitching is a huge component of one's success.

As for a Berken's replacement, let's go with someone who won't embarrass themselves. Who that is, I'm not really sure. There aren't many viable candidates for the job at AAA. Nonetheless, the Orioles need to be careful not to let Berken's introduction to major's get too far out of hand. When Bergesen comes off the DL, the Orioles better decide to send Berken back down to AAA.

Total Perfection + 5⅔ More!

Can you believe it?! Tonight, Mark Buehrle continued his terrific success by staying (almost) perfect!! Just one game removed from throwing the 18th Perfect Game in major league history, he took the mound in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, and calmly dismissed the first 17 batters in the Twins' lineup. Yes. You are reading this correctly. Mark Buehrle registered 45 consecutive outs. He stayed perfect for 5⅔ innings, after throwing a perfect game!This is unparalleled stuff folks. Never before has a pitcher been able to record such a beautiful streak. Never before, has someone been this perfect. Not even the Cincinnati Reds' beloved Johnny Vander Meer who pitched two consecutive no-hitters in back-to-back starts on June 11 and June 15, 1938.

As incredible as this feat is though, I would be willing to wager that years from now, people will fail to see the big picture — they often do. As time rolls by, the numbers start to lose their meaning, and they become just that... numbers. But this is an incredible achievement — this ranks right up there with Joltin' Joe's 56 game hitting streak. And would you believe it? Dimaggio ripped right into another 17 game hit streak the day after the Cleveland Indians held him to a hitless game on July 17, 1941 — hitting on all but one day of a 74 game span! Unfortunately though, years from now, people will be just as oblivious to Buehrle's start tonight as they are to the Yankee Clipper's extraordinary exploits after his record setting 56 game hitting streak came to an end in the summer of '41. And it's really a shame. Because we may never see something this amazing again...

The Orioles' Second Half Swoon Begins....

We all knew it was coming, it was just a matter of when. I'm worried that the slide has begun, a month earlier than usual. The inconsistent offense, the struggling and depleted starting rotation along with a recently faulty bullpen will combine to hurt this young team heading into the rough months of August and September.

You may be wondering why I am so quick to proclaim that this team is doomed. Well hear this: The O's are currently embarking on a 40 game stretch with only one off-day, yes, only one, thrown somewhere in the middle. 7 of the 12 series the Orioles play during the stretch are against teams with a record over .500. I've heard 'baseball experts' explain how this stretch is arguably the hardest stretch for any team in all of baseball during the entire season.

Since the All-Star break, the O's are 2-7. In addition, they've only one two games on the road in the AL East. However, there will be things to cheer about as the birds enter the home stretch. Chris Tillman's major league debut, projected for Wednesday at home vs. the Royals, is fast approaching. I have to assume that Jake Arrieta will be the next O's prospect to get the call sometime in the next month or two.

Seriously??

This is what james was talking about...Notice, this guy never even played for the Orioles. He also hasn't even played a single game since the 2003 major league season:He doesn't even look like Jeremy Guthrie!Seriously?? Come on ESPN, get your act together!!

Sometimes ESPN Makes Me Angry

Check out this preview for the first game of the upcoming Orioles-Yankees series. Now I know the Orioles are far from interesting on a national standpoint, but, come on espn.com! At least get Jeremy Guthrie's name right! Take a look at the third-to-last paragraph of this stupid piece of writing: http://espn.go.com/mlb/preview?gameId=290720110

Quick O's, Ravens Stuff

Orioles

Topic: Danys Baez.
Time to trade this guy before he falters even further. Someone who was seen as a good trade chip a month ago has done very poorly out of the bullpen since then. His ERA on June 22 was 3.22. His ERA coming out of the All-Star break was 4.26. And just before I started to write this blog, he came into a tough situation; first and second, one out. He hit Jermaine Dye in the head, so the bases were loaded. Then he allowed a home run to Jim Thome. So his ERA is now much higher than 4.26. Trade him and get what you can out of him before other teams notice he's going back to the Danys Baez of two years ago.

Topic: Nick Markakis and Adam Jones.
Is it a sign of a good second half to come for these two? Both of these guys came into the second half on homer-less streaks, and both have hit a homerun so far tonight, which is good to see from these two. Hopefully they can keep it up, especially Markakis, who has really disappointed me with his patience at the plate. It seems that every time he comes up he bounces a ball to the right side of the infield when he should have taken the ball the other way, swings at too many pitches early on in the at-bat, or takes strike three. Markakis needs to go back to what brought him success last year: being patient. He walked 99 times last year, and batted .306 with 20 homers. He's on pace to barely break 60 walks this season. Going into the second half, his batting average was .291 with 8 homers. Before tonight, he hadn't hit a homer since June 16th.


Ravens

Topic: SUGGS.
Great to see the Ravens give up a lot of money to get this guy signed. A six year, $63 million-dollar deal is rare in the NFL, but is a great idea to give to Suggs. The Ravens needed to get this guy back for a while. Having already lost Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard (Ray Lewis, too, will be gone sooner than we know it), we needed to keep this guy, who has really become the centerpiece of this tough, Ravens defense.

Topic: Derrick Mason.
After Derrick Mason's surprising announcement of his retirement, John Harbaugh will meet with Mason, and discuss his future. This retirement took Ravens Nation by complete surprise, considering there was no discussion of a possible Mason retirement. If Mason does not end up coming back to this team, the Ravens are in trouble. The duo of Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams is nowhere close to a playoff-calibur one. The Ravens need to sign a big-name receiver if Mason truly retires. Marvin Harrison, Anquan Boldin, Plaxico Burress, Brandon Marshall. Those big names are all out there, and they all wouldn't mind playing for a contending team, I'm sure. Check them out if Mason truly retires.

Orioles Midseason Awards

In an up-and-down first half full of disappointing losses, but many exciting wins (as Brad mentioned in his latest post), the Orioles ended up with a 40-48 record. This record stands out, though, because it is the best of the last-place teams in the majors, which is saying something in the AL East. Let's hope the Orioles don't make an August-September downhill dive, which has become commonplace in recent years. Here are my first-half Orioles awards, which I'm sure everyone has been waiting for with baited breath:


Orioles' First-Half MVP: Luke Scott

Who thought at the All-Star break Luke Scott would be leading the team in home runs, on-base percentage (of people with over 100 AB's), and slugging percentage (of people with over 100 AB's)? This could be Scott's career season, his numbers resembling Aubrey Huff's of last season. As long as he keeps it up, Scott could hit 35 homers, with over 100 RBI's, and have a batting average over .300. Right now, he's batting .305, with 18 homers, and 51 RBI's. No doubt this guy is the MVP of the first half. Even with a stint on the DL, he's put up these great numbers. Plus, he hasn't had a major slump, which it seems like every Oriole hitter has had once or twice here in the first half. What a great first half for LUUUUUUKE. Hopefully he can keep it up. At 31 years old, I hope he does not get traded before the deadline, for he could help us out at DH for years to come.
Sorry to: Brad Bergesen, George Sherrill, Adam Jones

Orioles' First-Half Pleasant Surprise: Brad Bergesen

This guy kind of fell off the radar for a lot of Orioles fans before the season, considering other, bigger names were getting all the publicity, like Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz, and Jake Arrieta. But there is no doubt this guy has had a huge impact on this team. After starting off relatively shaky, he has become the Orioles most consistent pitcher, and is the definite ace on this revamped pitching staff. In his last nine starts, eight have been quality starts. Overall this season he is tied for the team lead in wins with six, with an ERA of 3.54 and a team-best 104.1 innings pitched. This rookie looks like he has a bright future ahead of him. Great season for this little-known rookie prior to his call-up.
Sorry to: Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold, Robert Andino, Mark Hendrickson (out of the bullpen), Danys Baez

Orioles' First-Half Disappointment: Jeremy Guthrie

The team's "ace" has not pitched like one all season long so far. Granted he has not had enough experience in the majors to really be a team's ace, but he has never pitched this poorly in the majors. He can still eat up innings like the best of them, but he has given up a major league leading (i could be wrong about that) 20 home runs. His stats for the first-half are not stellar, either: 6-8, with a 5.35 ERA. We've seen how good Guthrie can be in past seasons, so here's hoping he can turn it around in the second half. As for now, though, it's looking like it could be a long second half.
You're welcome to: Koji Uehara, Chris Ray, Jamie Walker, Rich Hill, Melvin Mora

Orioles' Rookie of the First-Half: Nolan Reimold

Yes, I think Brad Bergesen actually deserves this honor, but because Reimold kept a good streak going up until recently, and Bergesen got the first-half surprise award, we'll give Reimold this prestigious award. Before his recent slump, Reimold was consistently hitting above .280. He has hit nine home runs, most among rookies, and has a solid 23 RBI's since being called up. He has been a major surprise. He was doing great at AAA Norfolk, and his success there immediately translated to the majors. His homers have always been exciting, whether their coming off of Mariano Rivera or winning a ball game in the twelfth inning. He has been exciting to watch, and completes the trio of a great future outfield in Reimold, Jones, and Markakis.
Sorry to: Bergesen, Matt Wieters

So, there are my first-half awards. Hope you agree. If you don't, well, you're probably wrong.