31-62.
No, it is not the Washington Nationalsโ current record (22-51), but itโs the Oriolesโ record against the Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards since 1998.
And despite what many would have you believe, the fans donning pink and green Boston hats and representing The Bandwagon Red Sox Nation havenโt hurled a single pitch or hit a single home run in those 62 losses.
Donโt get me wrong, Iโm as frustrated as anyone to see Camden Yards invaded by Red Sox or Yankees fans 18 times every season, but pleas to Orioles fans to buy those tickets are a waste of words. Nothing will change until this becomes a winning organization again.
Because of their strong national following, the Yankees and Red Sox have a strong representation wherever they go, whether itโs in Baltimore, Kansas City, or Los Angeles. The only way to containโnot eliminateโthe number of Red Sox or Yankees fans is to field a winning team that fans want to pay to watch.
Just look at the Ravensโ annual war with the Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. In the years in which the Ravens are competitive and in the playoff hunt, the number of Steelers fans is considerably lower than the years in which the Ravens struggle.
Itโs plain and simple; yes, Orioles fans could buy those tickets snatched up by Boston fans, but with a .333 winning percentage against the Red Sox since 1998, why exactly would they want to?
Trust me, Iโve been to plenty of these Orioles-Red Sox encounters over the last decade. Itโs typically a pretty miserable experience.
If Orioles fans are going to take back the Yard, the baseball team needs to make it something worth taking back.
Here are the 5 Wโs and 1 H for the week:
1. Who will be the Oriolesโ representative(s) at the All-Star Game in St. Louis?
Remember early in the season when we thought Brian Roberts, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis were all sure things for the All-Star Game? Seems like a long time ago.
Thatโs not to say the three arenโt having good seasons, but their numbers have certainly leveled off since early May.
With no Oriole threatening in the fan voting, weโll have to see whom Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon chooses to represent the Orioles. Markakis or Jones would still figure to have a decent chance of being selected as a reserve, but the most deserving candidate might be closer George Sherrill.
After a rocky start, Sherrill has been outstanding, earning 16 saves while posting a 2.05 ERA. In fact, since his blown save against Toronto on May 2, Sherrill has pitched to a 0.45 ERA and is 12-for-12 in save opportunities.
Heโs my pick for the Oriolesโ representative in St. Louis.
2. What NBA trade will have the biggest impact next season?
While Shaquille OโNeal being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers stole the headlines, the trade bringing Vince Carter to the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic might make a bigger difference next season.
The Magic sent Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston, and Tony Battie to the New Jersey Nets for superstar Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson. Itโs hard to remember a team so close to an NBA championship making such drastic changes to the makeup of its roster.
In addition to trading these three to New Jersey, the acquisition of Carter also means the end of Hedo Turkogluโs stay in Orlando. The 6-10 forward has already notified the team of his plan to opt out of his contract this summer.
The Magic hopes Carter can provide the veteran scoring presence the team sorely lacked against the Los Angeles Lakers in The Finals, but will he be willing to play the strong defense expected in Orlando?
This deal smells like a high-risk, high-reward situation. It could either bring a championship to Disneyworld, or it could kill the mojo of the Magicโs run last season.
Shaq playing with LeBron James in Cleveland will grab the headlines, but Iโm not sure the big man clogging the middle will be conducive to Jamesโ slashing style of play. Though he had a good season in Phoenix, he wasnโt exactly a difference-maker there.
3. Where should the Orioles turn to help their abysmal base running?
The name that immediately came to mind was baseballโs all-time stolen base king Rickey Henderson. Rumors are circulating that Henderson would accept a framed $2 million check as compensation for his services. Rickey wonโt even cash it!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXiAqh_dVHw[/youtube]
If Rickey isnโt your cup of tea, how about Ruben Rivera?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFJlT2ic1uw[/youtube]
Players will just need to keep an eye on their gloves and batsโjust ask Derek Jeter. Of course, if you donโt trust Rivera, the Orioles could always contact Billy Beane in Oakland to inquire about this guy:
4. When will Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs sign a long-term contract?
With Suggsโ revelation that he is close to signing a new deal with the Ravens and hopes to report to training camp on time, fans were undoubtedly excited to hear the news.
โWe are close to an agreement. We just have a few little things to work out,โ Suggs told The Baltimore Sun last week. โI donโt want to go into great detail, but itโs things like the years of the agreement and incentives, but the basic framework has been done.โ
Call me a pessimist, but the years of an agreement and incentives are not โlittleโ details, especially when considering how a signing bonus will be applied to the salary cap over the length of a deal. While I do believe the Ravens will reach a new deal with Suggs before the July 15th deadline, he might be using the media to turn up the heat on the Ravens just a little bit.
5. Why should we care about Brett Favre?
I typically roll my eyes at any Favre speculation in the offseason, but the report of Favre being spotted seeing a doctor in Minnesota last week really grabbed my attention.
After doing some more research, Iโve discovered reports of Favre wearing Fran Tarkenton pajamas to bed, watching a Twins game on TV, and having dreams of being a Vikingโjust like The Simpsonsโ Ralph Wiggum.
6. How impressive is the career of Mariano Rivera?
The 39-year-old closer joined Trevor Hoffman as the second member of the 500-save club on Sunday, just adding one more accolade to a brilliant career.
Itโs amazing that Rivera has had such dramatic success in New Yorkโthe toughest place to play in the worldโand by really only relying on one pitch, the devastating cut fastball.
The closer might be an overrated role in baseball, but a dominating closer like Rivera does not fit this description. Having been the teamโs closer since 1997, his run as the top fireman in baseball cannot be praised enoughโeven if he IS a Yankee.
In contrast, the Orioles have had at least eight regular closers during that time periodโwith many of them struggling. Rivera is the epitome of consistent domination.
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Luke Jones
Luke Jones is the Ravens and Orioles beat reporter for WNST BaltimorePositive.com and is a PFWA member. His mind is consumed with useless sports knowledge, pro wrestling promos, and movie quotes, but he often forgets where he put his phone. Luke's favorite sports memories include being one of the thousands of kids who waited for Cal Ripken's autograph after Orioles games in the summer of 1995, attending the Super Bowl XXXV victory parade with his dad in the pouring rain, and watching the Terps advance to the Final Four at the Carrier Dome in 2002. Follow him on social media @BaltimoreLuke or email him at Luke@wnst.net.
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