Forget what you’ve heard about the A’s, Angels or Nationals. A team flying under the radar is poised to take Major League Baseball by storm. The 2014 World Series title is coming to the Charm City of Baltimore.
Forget what you’ve heard about the A’s, Angels or Nationals. A team flying under the radar is poised to take Major League Baseball by storm. The 2014 World Series title is coming to the Charm City of Baltimore.
I should probably explain myself. As a lifelong Orioles fan, I’m not sure what I’m exactly feeling, as my team is up 9.5 games in the American League East as of Monday and their magic number to clinch the division is now at 12. I hear it’s called "success." My overly optimistic sense of Orioles pride is not just that — I believe the Orioles are the best team in baseball.
The American League has experienced times of change over the summer. At the end of July, then-division leaders Oakland and Detroit brought in pitchers to bolster their rotation. The A’s acquired pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jon Lester and the Tigers traded for perennial All-Star David Price.
Since the trade deadline, however, the AL’s mightiest have taken a fall.
The A’s and Tigers have unexpectedly fallen out of the division lead and are now fighting with the Mariners and Indians to capture one of the two Wild Card spots.
In the National League, most has been quiet. The overrated Nationals have held onto the NL East lead for the majority of the season and the St. Louis Cardinals, with their deadline splash of pitcher John Lackey, have overtaken the NL Central from the Brewers. The NL features a much closer playoff chase, however, with three teams separated by .5 games for two Wild Card spots.
The AL this season has been flipped, with the usual suspects in pennant chases bowing out of the race early. The defending champion Boston Red Sox are now officially eliminated from playoff contention and the Yankees appear to be soon to follow (Yes, it’s OK to cheer).
With such turnover in the AL this season, there has only been one constant: the Baltimore Orioles.
With an underrated pitching staff to begin with, the Orioles have earned an earned runs average of under 3.00 since the All-Star break. Reliever Darren O’Day has a WHIP of 0.92 with 60 2/3 innings pitched. Starter and team ace Chris Tillman also has earned a 4-0 record in the month of August with an ERA of 1.33.
Like the AL, the NL is up for grabs. The Nationals — yes, those Nationals — with a closer problem and an inconsistent lineup, appear to be the favorite in the NL, while no clear winner has been projected in the AL. The Angels, led by Mike Trout, seem to be the "sexy" pick, however the A’s and Tigers are consistently picked to win the pennant and the World Series.
And then there are the Orioles.
With no one giving the team with the most powerful lineup in baseball a chance, it appears the Orioles will win the AL East with zero recognition from the media or fans. So, I can only say this.
The Orioles are coming.
