Rosenthal Admits Baltimore Orioles are Competitive

Aug 9, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph (36) is interviewed by Ken Rosenthal after a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles defeated the Cardinals 10-3. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports /

In an article on the Baltimore Orioles yesterday, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports writes that they are indeed doing something right to be atop the AL East.

Orioles fans know that it is rare indeed for national baseball writers to see the Orioles in a very positive light, their negative annual spring predictions as dependable as the flowering of crocuses, penning dire forecasts for the season ahead.

So it is noteworthy when a writer of the stature of Rosenthal picks an article title that says, “Say what you will, but the Orioles are doing something right.”

We could translate that a bit better … something like this: “Good God, the annually hapless Baltimore Orioles are winning games in number and fashion that no intelligent baseball fan could have anticipated, so there must be some random set of bizarre circumstances heretofore never seen in the universe that explains this total outlier.”

The article does not actually go on to talk about the positive things that have happened to position the Orioles atop the divisional standings. Rather, he jumps rather immediately to identify the problem…

"Their deficiency is painfully obvious — they rank 13th in the AL in rotation ERA, ahead of only the Athletics and Twins."

Rosenthal then goes on to talk about the starters traded away over recent years. You know the names: Arrieta, Davies, Rodriguez, Hader. But he commends the Orioles for trying, and then gives what is a very good summary of defining how difficult it is to find quality pitching, along with what the Orioles might need to give up to attain it.

But you still can’t get away from the tone that it is so surprising that the Orioles are as good as they are and sitting where they do at this juncture. He writes …

"Sure, the Orioles blew it on Arrieta, sacrificed Davies for an ineffective Parra, perhaps gave up too much for one good year of Norris. But they are headed for their fifth straight non-losing record, including a .500 mark last season. If the season ended today, they would be in the postseason for the third time in those five years. They’re doing something right, huh?"

Orioles fans are not surprised to see the team with a 41-30 record. Nor are O’s fans surprised that the season has settled into the most predictable scenario of an ability to hit homers and score runs, while also worrying about eating up innings by the rotation.

Looking back, exactly where did Rosenthal project the Orioles? He wrote an article on March 30^th that ranked the 30 teams. While on one hand laughing at himself and the effort, it is also serious in the sense that he ranks the top three as the Cubs, Rangers, and Nationals. The Orioles? #23. Behind all the other AL East teams.