The All Star game traditionally marks the mid-point of the baseball season. So it is time to make a number of observations regarding the performance of the Orioles so far:

Biggest Disappointment:

Obviously Sammy Sosa … but no surprise to this prophetic blogger who registered his opinion right from day one of the acquisition.

We do not need any more one dimensional players. With So-So, what you get is an occasional home run coupled with a plethora of strikeouts (2,110 strikeouts in 8,021 career at-bats – sure sounds like you can count on 1-2 strikeouts a game from him). How many designated hitter types can we afford to carry?

(It turns out the “occasional” home run has been almost non-existent. Although he has played better in right field than I expected and has not been a problem attitude-wise.) In the beginning of the year he may have helped Tejada’s numbers (since pitchers would not pitch around him to face Sosa). But it didn’t take long for the scouts to catch on… we waited too long to drop him in the batting order.

Biggest Surprise:

Consistent outstanding offensive production of Brian Roberts. He is both leading the American League in batting average and putting up very strong power numbers. Other pleasant surprises have been the good outings contributed by Chen and Cabrera (we will overlook their bad outings). Tejada is no surprise… he has the stamp of team MVP written all over him.

Most Unproductive First Name:

That honor would go to the Steve boys – Kline and Reed. They have not performed up to their career stats and have left a gaping hole in the bullpen that Mazilli is still scrambling to cover. I am not convinced that Jason Grimsley will be all that helpful of an addition.

Most Damaging Injury:

We have plenty of candidates to choose from as we have seen many different players visit the Injured Reserve list. You would have thought the loss of catcher Javy Lopes would have been the toughest to overcome; but the fill-in replacements have performed admirably. I would have to go with Melvin Mora and his hamstring injury since the team performed the poorest when it was without his spark in the lineup.

Most Rabid Fans:

That honor in our home ballpark still goes to the Yankees faithful and the Red Sox nation. The Baltimore attendance has been disappointing …although the last four game series with league-leading Boston set a record. I think more of the fault lies with Angelos mis-management over the past 5 years (eroding the fan base) rather than with the competition from the Nationals. If we can stay close maybe the fans will be re-energized to recapture some of the old Orioles Magic.

Most Successful at Beating Father Time:

Both Palmeiro (catching fire after his uncharacteristic slow start) and Surhoff (always steady and reliable) continue to amaze on the Geritol Tour. Homering in three consecutive games against Boston should prove that Palmeiro is back in the groove.

Most Over-Used Player:

B. J. Ryan in a runaway. Why are we trying to pad his save stats at the expense of having him well-rested? There are certain games where we should leave well enough alone and not even get him up to throw. Hopefully he won’t break down later in the season. You also don’t want to bring him in before the ninth inning or in a tie game. Save him for his ninth inning specialty closer role.

Most Grease Applied in Personal Grooming:

Lee Mazzilli – what can I say here … at least he still has plenty of hair …

Most Mysterious Injury:

What was going on with the knee of Erik Bedard? For an injury that appeared out of nowhere and did not require surgery it sure has taken a lot of time to recuperate.

Best Catch of the Season:

I have to go with the grab by Matos (pulling back the three run homerun by Ortiz) that turned around this last crucial Boston series.

Related posts:

1. “Top Ten” – Obstacles The Maryland Terps Men’s Basketball Team Faces This Season: Mid Season Review
2. The “Heel Of The Game” For The Orioles
3. 2005 Baltimore Ravens Scouting Report: Game #4
4. 2005 Baltimore Ravens Scouting Report: Game #10
5. 2005 Baltimore Ravens Scouting Report: Game #15