Baltimore Orioles 2004 Season Preview

By Charles Curtis

The Camden faithful can't wait to see this jersey in orange and black

It seems like it has been a while since the Baltimore Orioles have opened their wallets, but Co-General Managers Jim Beattie and Mike Flanagan have done it with a vengance. They signed former AL MVP and powerful shortstop Miguel Tejada. While rumors swirled about the O's signing Pudge Rodriguez, Baltimore went out and got another power-hitting catcher, Javy Lopez. The other big move was a homecoming, as they signed ageless wonder and first baseman/designated hitter Rafael Palmeiro, who had spent five seasons with the Birds from 1994 to 1998.

The O's most important acquisition, however, wasn't a big-name free agent. Instead, they hired former Met outfielder and Yankee first base coach Lee Mazzilli who, as a first-year manager, brings a youthful exuberance to the clubhouse unlike his predecessor Mike Hargrove. Baltimore's front office believes that this new leader fits the changing image of a ball club whose previous marketable face was some guy named Cal Ripken Jr.

With Tejada, who rebounded from a terrible first half in Oakland to end up knocking in 106 runs last year, and Lopez, who now holds the season record for home runs by a catcher with last year's 43 as an Atlanta Brave, the O's lineup now expects to pack a lot punch. Baltimore fans imagine that opposing pitchers will shake in their spikes when they see a 3-4-5 of Tejada, Palmeiro and Lopez. They'll be surrounded by a few other players who should benefit from this powerful trio, starting with outfielder Jay Gibbons, who hit a respectable 23 dingers and 100 RBIs. Starting third baseman Melvin Mora surprised everyone with a fantastic season by hitting .317 and a mind-boggling OPS of .921 that seemed to come out of nowhere. His 2003 season may have been cut short by injury, but Mora will be expected to fit in nicely to this retooled lineup. Other starters, like speedy second baseman Brian Roberts (23 SB) and highly touted prospect Larry Bigbie, will fill out a strong lineup that will finish better than 18th in the Majors in runs scored.

However, because the O's spent most of their cash in the offseason on batting, their starting rotation is slightly suspect. Baltimore brought back fan favorite Sidney Ponson, who was traded to the Giants last season, to anchor the Birds' starting five. Ponson finished last season with 17 wins (14 of which came with the Orioles) and 4 complete games. He'll serve as the staff's ace, while the O's are hoping that the other starting pitchers can pick up more wins with the added run support. Rodrigo Lopez, who won 15 games two seasons ago, will hopefully rebound from a dismal 7-10 record with a 5.82 ERA. Former San Francisco standout Kurt Ainsworth, one of the pitchers acquired by the Orioles in the Ponson deal, has the potential to be a star. The other two members of the rotation, 24-year-old Matt Riley and southpaw Eric Dubose, are young guns that Baltimore hopes will develop this season. If this team contends in the first half of the season, expect them to go looking for an experienced pitcher to help them out during the summer.

If these starting pitchers can survive for six innings or more, Lee Mazzilli will be relieved (pun intended) to go to his strong bullpen. He's got two setup men, B.J. Ryan and Kerry Lightenberg, who are more than capable of getting out of tough situations. Ryan struck out 63 batters in just 50.1 innings of work, while former Braves closer Lightenberg had a 3.34 ERA. While lefty Buddy Groom couldn't repeat his 1.60 ERA performance of 2003, the O's still think he's dangerous even at the age of 38. Closer Jorge Julio's numbers from last season (0-7, 4.38 ERA) suggest he's not the most reliable reliever in the game, but this is a young pitcher (25) who saved a solid 36 games last year.

The O's certainly have the weapons to contend in the American League, combining youth with playoff-tested veterans. There's only one problem: they're stuck in the most competitive division in baseball, the American League East. Another problem? Just about every single team in the division made big acquisitions in the offseason that may even surpass Baltimore's moves. However, this season will certainly be an improvement over last year's 71-91 record. While the talk of the town may be Yankees-Red Sox, should one of those teams falter, watch for this dark-horse to be breathing down their necks in September.