players currently laboring on teams that have lost hope for 2012.
The next two weeks will tell Baltimore sports just where Peter G. Angelos’ head is in regard to wanting to win. He’s 83 years old. If winning is a desire of his – and we have no tangible evidence of this over the past decade – he’ll need to spend money and bring in some real pitchers.
Of course, all of this will play out with MASN, The Sun, WBAL and CBS Radio – all bought-off pussycats in the “muzzled media” full of hanger-ons & employees of Peter Angelos – and all ready and willing to make any excuse about why they don’t take on payroll to win a playoff berth and play some meaningful games in the only time of the year that matters – September.
What is the trade value of the Orioles’ one-time “untouchable” closet of arms?
Could Jake Arrieta wind up a Cub in an Alfonso Soriano/Matt Garza blockbuster?
Will Brian Matusz be in Milwaukee as Zack Greinke comes to Baltimore to make a dozen starts toward a playoff berth?
Might the Orioles find some ability to lure Cole Hamels to Baltimore for 12 starts?
And most importantly, will trade requests fall on the floor in the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos, who will be called on to write the big checks to pay real players who are proven at the big league level in late-summer baseball games.
Dana Eveland isn’t going to get it done.
Praying that Zach Britton – who couldn’t make consistent starts at Norfolk for three months will come to Baltimore and catch fire is just that – a prayer.
Miguel Gonzalez made a nice start last week. But what’s he going to look like over the next 15 turns in the same rotation that Arrieta, Matusz and Hunter have forfeited with their combined awfulness?
Many years ago I had a blind caller named Maurice who taught me a baseball lesson that I’ve never forgotten.
He always said: “An IS always beats a MAYBE.”
Jake Arrieta has always been a maybe. Brian Matusz looks at this point to be amongst the list of never-was-es. Tommy Hunter has already been given away by a team that plays in October every year and wants to win the World Series so he can’t be seriously considered a prospect for any MLB team at this point.
Will Angelos open his wallet and start “reinvesting” some of the $500 million in profit he’s siphoned out of the pockets of the people of six states and improve the Baltimore Orioles in the second half?
Only time will tell…
And we’ll be here to chronicle how seriously the Baltimore Orioles are taking the 2012 pennant race.
