Just a passing fancy..
..or will it last?
One of the biggest surprises this season has been the reemergence of the long dormant Baltimore Orioles. Its a franchise that hasn’t been above .500 since their 98 win group in 1997, and hasn’t broken 70 wins since 2006. This year, they’re 86-62 and have been a thorn in the side of the 1st place Yankees for the past month. Unlike other sports, the 162 game baseball season is a great way of sorting out the men from the boys. That’s not to say there aren’t one year wonders, most years one or more teams will emerge that seem to get a heaping of good luck after years and year of being snake bit. That’s life at the blackjack table in a game loaded with randomness. In other instances, a young team poised for a breakout will put things together and go from doormat to perennial contender for multiple years. Skill being the dominant factor in their success. So which category does the 2012 Orioles fit best? Are they for real?
The story of the 2012 O’s got off to a good start. They asserted their presence early with a 14-9 record in April and occupied at least a share of first place for much of the first two calendar months of the season, dropping out on June 8 following a 6 game losing streak. The months that followed their hot April start were largely mediocre, posting a 41-40 record from May 1 to the end of July. It appeared the Orioles were seeking their level after playing over their heads early in the year. Improved under the stewardship of Buck Showalter and GM Dan Duquette, but still not ready for prime time. The Yankees held a 10 game lead on July 18 and appeared to be ready to coast their way to October. Then August happened. The team went 18-9 as the Yankees were the ones who found themselves floundering through injuries to multiple star players and a 28-26 record from July through August. Suddenly the Yanks found themselves in a flat footed tie with the birds, and haven’t been able to shake them since.
So how are Buck’s Orioles doing it? Here’s a quick reference from their team page on ESPN’s website. (pardon the old-timey stats, but my glance at their page inspired this piece)
