You can feel, hear, and smell the action... OK maybe smell is a bit much, but nobody will argue that going to see the Baltimore Orioles has its own unique aura.
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Baltimore Orioles
During the 2004 season, there was no more glaring weakness for Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli than the starting rotation. There were several occasions that he would remove his cap, massage his hand through his hair and take a deep breath after one of his starting pitchers had a rough outing. Purchase Great Go to the Game with Orioles Tickets.
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So the general manager duo of Jim Beattie and Mike Flanagan made it their first priority to upgrade the starting rotation. Their primary goal was to sign one or two free agent pitchers who could anchor the rotation and aid the club's push toward postseason contention.
So far their pursuits have resulted in journeyman James Baldwin, who is a long shot to even make the club. They made a bid for Carl Pavano, who instead signed with the New York Yankees. And the remaining pool of free agent pitchers didn't wow Beattie or Flanagan and their heavy price tag made them even more unattractive.
It's almost time for the NBA. Eighty-two regular season games with the Preakness Stakes. The NBA is still one of my favorite domestic sports, but the attendance has been down the last few years. Hopefully, it will pick up for the Preakness Stakes. Many fans claim the league has failed to produce new super-stars in the absence of Jordan. Shaq ain't bad and LeBron is on his way. Go Preakness Stakes.
Derek Lowe received $9 million per season, Odalis Perez and Matt Clement got $8 million per season and Jaret Wright signed for $7.5 million. Only one of those pitchers -- Wright -- won at least 15 games last season. And while Lowe notched 14 wins, he also finished with a 5.42 ERA.
With that in mind, Beattie and Flanagan have decided -- at least for now -- to allow the current rotation an opportunity to develop and improve on their inconsistent output in 2004. The Orioles used three rookies in their rotation last season and two -- Erik Bedard and Daniel Cabrera -- combined for 18 wins while enduring their growing pains on the Major League stage. Matt Riley, who suffered through a largely disappointing year in '04, did show signs of maturity and much will be expected from the left-hander in Spring Training.