Official 2012 Baltimore Orioles Thread

[TD_washingtonredskins]

If we end this home stretch with a 5-4 record or better, I think it may be time to start taking them seriously.

Despite my self-protecting level-headedness...it would be difficult to see this team sitting at 24-13 and off of a 10-5 stretch against New York, Boston, Texas, Tampa, and New York and not start to buy in. 2005 showed us that even a team that seems to have arrived can completely fall apart, but that is the exception. If a team gets to June or July and is playing well, it's generally because they are a good team (at least for that season).

[MattFancy]

Despite my self-protecting level-headedness...it would be difficult to see this team sitting at 24-13 and off of a 10-5 stretch against New York, Boston, Texas, Tampa, and New York and not start to buy in. 2005 showed us that even a team that seems to have arrived can completely fall apart, but that is the exception. If a team gets to June or July and is playing well, it's generally because they are a good team (at least for that season).

I agree completely. I'm cautiously optimistic about this team. I want to believe so bad, but I've see what they've done for the last 14 years. But, if they're 24-13 going to Kansas City, its going to be tough to not want to buy in at that point. These next 8 weeks or so will tell us a lot about this team. So far I've liked what I've seen. But we're still not even a 1/4 of the way through the season.

[Bang]

Well, here comes the grind. We'll find out a lot about the O's in the next few weeks.

It'd be nice to have not played two full games yesterday.. thought it was interesting that Thorne and Palmer (who are getting REALLY good together) said that the Rangers were probably already in baltimore while the O's were in the 15th or so.

~Bang

[Ellis]

What a hell of a stretch of road games!!! 5-1. Damn nice.

A bunch of my friends and I are getting a tickets to the May 19th game @ Nationals.
It would be cool to see a lot of O's fans there!

[MattFancy]

What a hell of a stretch of road games!!! 5-1. Damn nice.

A bunch of my friends and I are getting a tickets to the May 19th game @ Nationals.
It would be cool to see a lot of O's fans there!

I think I'll be there too!

[Fight4RGIII]

I caught the Saturday game. It was so sweet seeing those bombs over the green monster. On the way out I ran into Peter Gammons and shook his hand and threw in a, "how bout them O's?" He was a really cool man.

[BALLz]

I know there's a long way to go, but I love how every one made a big deal about how embarrassing this team was because they lost to a college team. And a small college at that. A college team that used our pitchers. And what do you know, lots of teams are having a hard time hitting our pitchers.

[Chump Bailey]

I caught the Saturday game. It was so sweet seeing those bombs over the green monster. On the way out I ran into Peter Gammons and shook his hand and threw in a, "how bout them O's?" He was a really cool man.

Peter Gammons is the best baseball analyst out there IMO. He's fair, knows the game and players like the back of his hand.

[Popeman38]

It really is nice seeing the O's and Nats both playing good ball. It has been a long time since the O's could walk into Yankee Stadium and Fenway back to back and ***** smack those two teams. Loved it. I went to a few Nats-O's games in the first couple years (RFK and Camden), but I don't like going anymore. I root for both teams, and feel torn watching them play. Would much rather watch O's plays Sox/Yanks and Nats play Phils/Mets.

[pjfootballer]

Looks like the Nationals are trying to get away from us being their main rival and have ramped up their rivalry with the Phillies. Cole Hammels plunking Harper and then the GM Rizzo blasting him. That's the way it should be. Rivals with the division 18-19 times a year is more exciting then 6 times a year. I'll root for the Nats to ***** slap a Philly team any day.

[MattFancy]

Looks like the Nationals are trying to get away with us being their main rival and have ramped up their rivalry with the Phillies. Cole Hammels plunking Harper and then the GM Rizzo blasting him. That's the way it should be. Rivals with the division 18-19 times a year is more exciting then 6 times a year. I'll root for the Nats to ***** slap a Philly team any day.

Exactly. The O's/Nats is easy to call a "rivalry" since they are so close in proximity. But playing each other only 6 times a year does not lead to a rivalry.

[Ellis]

There will always be a beltway sports rivalry between DC and Baltimore. I like it but it would never be the primary rivalry.

[Dictator]

I always watch the crowd when the batters are out of the box or the pitcher is looking in..

All three games, right behind the plate sits this old guy in a suit and a trench coat with an old fashioned headphone-radio clamped over his head.
Earlier I saw him with some sort of mic thing folded down off of it.
Is he some radio color guy or something?

It's Jeremy Kapstein....I noticed him too. And did some googling. His expression never changed. Though it did look like he changed his seat a few times. I saw a pop-up right behind the catcher. everyone in the crowd looked up when the batter made contact. not him. he just stared straight ahead.
http://www.politifact.com/personalit...remy-kapstein/

[MattFancy]

Now it all makes sense:

[grhqofb5]

Chris Davis did a hell of a job yesterday. Imgaine not pitching since high school, and being asked to come in and face the Boston Red Sox in an extra innings game. You could see the difference between the two "emergency" pitchers. Davis looked like he knew what he was doing, throwing a couple fastballs around 90mph, had a change-up (or something) that had good movement too. And he threw strikes. McDonald looked like a running back trying to pitch.