Orioles Magic

It hasn't been too often, lately,  that I've been reminded of the Baltimore team I grew up following passionately from '97 to '06.

Fair weather? Not in my vocabulary. I vaguely remember Brady Anderson's magical 50 home run season when I was 5 years old in late 1997. But after that, it's only Joe Angel's voice rarely exclaiming that "the Orioles are in the WIN column."

Despite a rocky start to the post-break second half of the season against Oakland, it sure felt great to see the O's in first almost 10 games above .500. Hell, it almost feels better to see Boston in the cellar -- of course, I'd take the Yankees there any day.

My dad has preached the exact same strategic viewpoints for over 20 years: Don't swing at the first pitch.

Clearly, this is what makes Oakland successful (see Moneyball -- the book, not the movie, folks). Like the 2012 O's season, in which they beat Texas for the AL Wild Card spot despite only having a +7 run differential, there are exceptions to every rule.

Skewedness. Outliers.

But unless a team has millions to shell out on the oldest All-Stars in MLB, a strategic approach is its best bet.

Last night was an outlier game. Adam Jones and Manny Machado are notorious for swinging away. I can't comprehend Manny's justification for this tactic. In his few short years, he's never been a slugger. Last year before the All-Star Break, he was hitting for average while doubling as a doubles machine before somewhat tanking on the offensive end during the second half.

Jones, though, I can understand. He's a hometown favorite, a slugger with a swagger that you just can't wish away.

He has the numbers.

This confidence won the O's the game last night. In what was really a pitcher's duel between the O's Bud Norris and Angels' Matt Shoemaker, Adam Jones single-handedly knocked Shoemaker out of the game with 2 outs in the top of the 6th.

In four games so far after the break, Jones has 9 RBIs. He was this close to not being an All-Star, and has been overshadowed in the press (eh-hem, ESPN) by Baltimore's Nelson Cruz.

Hey, 19 HRs, 63 RBIs, and a .300 average? Need he do more?

In any case, the O's have the most HRs in all of baseball with 121. Do they need an ace? Most likely, yes, but it remains to be seen the kind of deal they may be able to get for trading away Dylan Bundy or Kevin Gausman, two youngsters who have been deemed the future of Baltimore's pitching.

But all I've been able to think of lately is what we'll be like once Chris Davis (16 HRs, 50 RBI, .200) picks up his average.

It will be a very timely second half in Charm City.