Baltimore Orioles look to make success a permanent feature - MLB Update
The Baltimore Orioles had a dream run in 2012. After a decade and a half of poor shows, they posted their first winning season in 2012 and also made it to the post-season for the first time since 1997.
The team has shown great unity and poise to play better last season. Much of the success has been attributed to Orioles’ manager Buck Showalter, who was recently named the Marylander of the Year by the Baltimore Sun.
The ball club made it to the American League Division Series and lost in the fifth and final game to the New York Yankees after a closely fought affair. Dan Duquette, the executive vice president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles is pleased
with the progress his team has shown. He believes that the team is in good shape.
“This is a pretty good ballclub with the people we have on it right now," Dan Duquette said earlier.
The O’s prefer to keep the players with them for the long run and avoid chopping and changing as much as possible. The ball club knows that it will probably have to make some more adjustments prior to the season but even if the season was to kick off today,
the Orioles are in decent shape.
Most of their players are set to return in 2012 season a part from Joe Saunders and Mark Reynolds, who was non-tendered by the Orioles. Joe Saunders may still make a comeback as he is a free agent in whom the Orioles have shown interest.
Duquette said, "We have a very competitive club as it's currently constituted. We are going to continue to look and try to add a few things to our ballclub, but if we were to break today, we got everybody returning except [Mark] Reynolds and [Joe] Saunders.
But I think we got some capable people that can do the job they did for us."
There will be some issues that the Baltimore ball club will be looking to address. These include fitness of Brian Roberts.
Brian has had a long association with the O’s and is in his last year of a four year deal worth $40 million, the Orioles have other players in shape of Alexi Casilla and Ryan Flaherty in case Brian is not fit at some point in time.
The ball club is also looking for a strong batter. Much of the team’s success came through some excellent pitching performances in tight situations. If greater run production can be done, the Orioles will certainly be able to have a greater chance to win
games.
The pitching unit has been doing well and has been a major reason behind the change in team’s fortunes. The starting pitchers as well as relievers have done their job well.
The ball club has raised the expectations that are associated with them. There are some issues that they will be looking to address before the next season begins. One hopes that they can continue the good work they did in 2012 into the 2013 season as well
and provide loads of entertainment to their fans.
Tags: