O's Math Can't Add Up

Here's a snap shot from the press box on Sunday afternoon May 16, 2010:  prior to their game vs. Cleveland, they scratch scheduled starter David Hernandez who has right shoulder discomfort and an ERA near 6 (5.84), and he's replaced by emergency fill-in Mark Hendrickson who has an ERA near 6 (5.65) and when Hendrickson is removed in the 5th inning, he's spelled by reliever Matt Albers who has an ERA of 6 (6.00).  And with a starting lineup that includes Craig Tatum (.059 batting average), Julio Lugo (.220), Luke Scott (.225) and Garrett Atkins (.253 and 0 HR) they're expected to win a big league baseball game.   Granted, the Indians are no powerhouse themselves- but the point is the O's are too often entering a gun battle armed with plastic spoons.  It can't add up in their favor in terms of winning more than losing.

At the ballpark today, there was still an angry buzz lingering  over the loss to the Indians the night prior: the O's had a 2-0 lead going into the 9th and end up losing 8-2.  While there was much foaming at the mouth over manager Dave Trembley's use of  the bullpen in the 8th and 9th, what gets lost in the debate is that the O's managed just 2 runs (2 solo HR's by Ty Wigginton who's playing regularly only because Brian Roberts is hurt) and the so-called closer Alfredo Simon is only a closer by decree this season because the guy they're paying $6M to close games this season (Mike Gonzalez) has been ineffective and injured.  Again, look at the lineup, the lack of run production and the pitching and the overall inability to get other teams out...and to expect much other than the results of more losing than winning- is ridiculous.

Rebuilding sucks.   Fans have been feeling the pain for a few years under the Andy MacPhail plan and that pain plays out on a nightly basis.  MacPhail himself has found the overwhelming lack of success painful, the results are in many ways tied to his acquisitions of the most notable disappointments Gonzalez and Atkins.  Along with that has been the unexpected downturn in production of what are thought to be promising youngsters Adam Jones and Nolan Reimold.  Add more losses to your O's math thanks to that.

Wins and losses matter- MacPhail said it himself.  The pain of the plan may yield fruit at some point (and there's no guarantee that it will) but the daily grind in the interim is taxing. In the time that I've been typing this entry, on the field below Adam Jones has twice grounded out meekly- one of them a double play with a runner in scoring position.  And reliever Alberto Castillo (ERA 8+) has allowed a HR to Russell Branyan to give Cleveland a 5-0 lead.  Final score: 5-1.  The math is not adding up in your favor, O's fans.  Dave Trembley will no doubt pay by being fired, but what's the difference if you don't have better players to produce possible winning numbers?