In the dead of winter, with snow and ice in the forecast and bitter winds swirling, there are four words that ought to warm even the frostiest heart.
They are “Pitchers and catchers report.”
And so they have in preparation for a new baseball season, one that’s greatly anticipated around these parts as the Orioles prepare for the 2025 campaign.
To be sure, fans in every major league city have hope in February and why not? No games have been played, no injuries have been sustained, no disappointments have been suffered.
And here in Baltimore, it’s all blue skies, cold beer and dreams of pennants and World Series.
Here’s a question; Why? Or to be more specific, why is there so much hope around Charm City for the ensuing baseball season?
Indeed, the Birds are looking to head to the postseason for a third straight season, something that hasn’t happened around these parts since the 1969-70 and 71 seasons.
Those clubs not only made it to play in October, but won three straight American League championships with a World Series to boot.
As these Orioles, fresh off a 2023 division title and last year’s wild card appearance, head to spring training in Sarasota, Fla., they bring a young lineup of players theoretically hungry to get after the new season.
With Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg leading the every day lineup and closer Felix Bautista returning to the bullpen after a year’s absence because of an elbow injury, the Birds shouldn’t lack for leadership.
The club added starting pitchers Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton, Sugano from the Japanese Leagues and Morton from the Atlanta Braves. Outfielder Tyler O’Neill brings a potent bat from Boston. All three bring talent and most importantly, experience.
In theory, the aforementioned players and what might be baseball’s most talented group of youngsters, from Colton Cowser to Jackson Holliday to Heston Kjerstad in the field to Grayson Rodriguez on the mound, should send the Birds flying to the playoffs.
But that’s theory. No one knows how this group will respond after a second straight October flameout.
The Orioles went out meekly to the Kansas City Royals in the wildcard round, at home, as their bats went silent, as they had down the stretch. What did the kids take from that humiliation, and will they use it to make another run at the playoffs?
You’d feel a lot better about the answers to those questions if management had done more than the apparent tinkering around the margins that general manager Mike Elias has done.
Just about all of the American League East got demonstrably better. The Red Sox and Yankees both opened their prodigious wallets to address needs. Toronto got better at the Orioles’ expense, signing outfielder Anthony Santander to a lucrative free agent contract.
Meanwhile, Elias appears to be resting on his laurels, seemingly willing to gamble that his flock of homegrown baby birds can go toe-to-toe with the rest of the league.
Orioles fans, who crave the franchise’s first World Series title in 42 years, hope he’s right. Otherwise, they’ll have to rely on four more words: Wait until next year.
And that’s how I see it for this week. You can reach us via email with your questions and comments at Sports at Large at gmail.com. And follow me on Threads, BlueSky and X at Sports at Large.
Until next week, for all of us here and for producer Lisa Morgan, I’m Milton Kent. Thanks for listening and enjoy the games.