Last Rites

There now stands one team in the Major Leagues with a worse record than the Baltimore Orioles. Beginning with the August 22nd doubleheader 39-10 drubbing by the Texas Rangers, the Orioles have run up a record of 3-18. In those twenty-one games they've been outscored 196 to 96.

In the twenty-one game slide the Orioles have been outscored by 100 runs. That means the opposition has scored nearly five runs per game more than the Oriole hitters. While the hitting has been below average it's the pitching that's wrought this nightly destruction.

Just look at the names of the pitchers for the O's in the past two games in the order that they've appeared,

Victor Santos
Rob Bell
Fernando Cabrera
Kurt Birkins
James Hoey
Radhames Liz

then

Daniel Cabrera
Rocky Cherry
Fernando Cabrera
Danys Baez

Simply horrific. We're stuck with them until the end of the year and some of them into next year since they've been labeled 'prospects' by Oriole management. These guys are significantly worse than the inning fillers that usually occupy the last two spots on most team's staffs. Unfortunately, they fill the last four or five spots on our staff.

And as far as next year goes the O's have absolutely no help on the horizon in the minor leagues. Their top prospect, Billy Rowell, is having a solid season in the Sally league for a nineteen year old. He won't see the majors on a regular basis until '09 at the earliest. Other than that there's nothing.

My Uncle Jim has proclaimed the Orioles to be cursed. He says that no run of bad luck could ever happen to a team like it has to the O's night after night. The way they're losing simply seems impossible. Therefore, a curse may be the only explanation.

Between us we catch a lot of the innings the O's play and it truly feels like we're in unprecedented territory here. While there has been hope in each of the last nine losing seasons for a better tomorrow there's something that just tells you that things are not going to be OK this time around -- and for a long, long time into the future.