So, I’ve been back from my trip to the West Coast for all of 15 minutes.
The Orioles, alas, are in SECOND PLACE…SOLE POSSESSION of second place! (I won’t bring up the actual records or the distance between them and the Red Sox — in terms of management, standings or otherwise — lest I be accused of being an "Oriole hater.")
So, I put the game on (Channel 17, Comcast, "Tonight in Washington" was omitted on CSPAN2 in order to accommodate us O’s fans in tough times) in midst of the sixth inning rally. It was 3-2 when I turned it on and the Orioles were turning on the juice on Jorge De La Rosa and Jimmy Gobble.
Melvin Mora — with NO ONE OUT — busted a move toward home plate on an errant throw to the third baseman after a Ramon Hernandez single into left field. Initially, Mora waltzed into third base, but upon seeing the errant relay, broke for the plate.
The truth: he would have been out by three feet had the Royals’ catcher John Buck held onto the ball.
Instead, the ball was bobbled ever-so-slightly, and Mora was immediately ruled safe.
So, what does MASN employee and LONGTIME baseball manager Buck Martinez say about Mora’s otherwise "Jeff Stone-ian" effort: "Heads up baseball by Melvin!"
Say wha….???
WTF???
"HEADS UP" BASEBALL???
He was all but OUT by a pretty decent margin — with NO OUTS in the inning!!!
He NEVER should have THOUGHT about taking off! Not unlike his decision to piss off Jay Payton last week with another "Stone-ian" decision on the basepaths.
And MASN’s Martinez and Gary Thorne prattled on for literally minutes praising Melvin’s ability to "keep his head in the game." They couldn’t say enough about his "wise" decision!
All I can say is this: it’s GREAT to be back in Baltimore, but it sucks that the Orioles continue to be a laughingstock even in the midst of winning four games in a row.
I’ve been gone four days. Since then, the Orioles haven’t lost, Davey Johnson rumors prance about town and the team is in second place, several games ahead of the Yankees and there’s still no hope.
And Sam Perlozzo twists for his job every night, even in second place and in the midst of a run of prosperity!
Oh, boy!
Ravens mini-camp begins next week…
