Beating up the pathetic Birds

What in the name of Boog Powell is going on with the Baltimore Orioles these days?

It’s been a while since the Orioles were in the playoffs. 2014 to be exact, when they made it all the way to the ALCS under the guidance of the feisty Buck Showalter.  From 2007 through 2011 they never won more than 69 games. And now this, a team that has the inimitable Chris Davis who managed to go 54 straight at bats without a hit this month,  smashing the all-time MLB record for futility. How fitting that he’s still an Oriole.

Photo by Minnesota Score photographer Bryan Singer

The O’s of course had some pretty fair teams in the 90’s with Cal Ripken still playing including a trip to the ALCS in 1997 where they were eliminated by the Cleveland Indians and in 1996 where they lost the ALCS to the Yankees in five games.

But their World Series championship drought now goes back to 1983. It’s not exactly Indians-esq (1948),  but it has been 36 years.

But the days of Ripken, Eddie Murray and company are a distant memory. So are the memories of Frank and Brooks Robinson, Don Buford, Paul Blair and Mark Belanger. And how about a pitching staff that included Jim Palmer, Dave McNally and Mike Cuellar? Or even the 2012 Wild Card Orioles that included then up-and-comer and current Padre multi-millionaire Manny Machado, Nick Markakis, Adam Jones and JJ Hardy.  All long gone from Camden Yards. And so are the fans. In 2018 the Orioles drew just over 1.5 million, their lowest mark  in the 27 year history of Camden Yards and their lowest non-strike year attendance since 1978.

Enter the 2019 Orioles. And if you were at Target Field this past weekend, you’d be hard pressed to name any members of this collection of misfits without a program. Steve Wilkerson, Austin Wynns, Joey Rickard, Richie Martin. All in the starting lineup for the misery-O’S in Sunday’s series finale. One season removed from an abysmal MLB worst 47-115 record where they finished 61 games out of first,  the battered Birds may well be on their way to another sub .300 season.

While there’s no question that the Twins offense is much improved over last year, and right now is one of the best in the American League, they have the horrendous Orioles to thank for much of that success.  With Sunday’s win finishing off another weekend sweep, the Twins have now beaten Baltimore 12 straight times dating back to last year.  Unfortunately for Minnesota,  they have run the table on Orioles games for this season. A perfect 6-and-0 record and most of them weren’t close.

For the record, the Twins hit 23 home runs vs the sorry Orioles in this year’s six no-contests including five on Friday and five more Saturday.  They outscored the Zer O’s 45-19 this year. The Orioles made Twins starters Kyle Gibson and Martin Perez look like well, Palmer and Cuellar. The only question the Twins have after this past week’s bird-bashing is, “when can we play them again?”

Next year boys, there’s always next year.