The first half is in the books, and the Orioles are right where most of us thought they would be—last place and out of contention. While it’s certainly been frustrating watching the Orioles’ inconsistent play, the club has also provided some excitement with the greatest comeback in club history—against the Red Sox, no less—and the unveiling of rookies Brad Bergesen, David Hernandez, Nolan Reimold, and the much-hyped Matt Wieters. The 40-48 record and last-place standing does not reflect the positive strides made in the first half of the season. Yes, there’s still a long way to go before we’re talking about the Orioles contending with the three heavyweights in the AL East, but as more youngsters join the fold, it’s easy to see this organization is in much better shape than it’s been at any point since 1997. Will it be enough to put the Orioles back in the playoffs in the next few years? Only time—and the willingness to acquire missing pieces via trades and free agency—will answer that question. It will be interesting to see how active general manager Andy MacPhail will be as the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline approaches. Aubrey Huff, Luke Scott, Danys Baez, Jeremy