Baltimore Orioles 2005 Season Preview

By Charles Curtis

For a team with Miguel Tejada, Javy Lopez, Rafael Palmeiro and Melvin Mora, you'd expect the front office at Camden Yards to pursue a staff ace in the offseason. But the brass did the unexpected instead. After a winter of discontent for Sammy Sosa in Chicago that included rumors of steroids, anger with Cubs management and the swirling story of the Dominican veteran leaving the park before a game was over, the Birds co-GMs Jim Beattie and Mike Flannagan did the Cubbies a favor and acquired Slammin' Sammy. That acquisition should boost the O's from sixth in the league in runs scored, but fans should be concerned about the pitching roster improving on an ERA that ranked seventh the American League. The hope seems to be that the group of young arms will mature and reach their potential.

With sluggers like Lopez, Tejada, Sosa, and Mora, the team can look forward to plenty of long balls and runs batted in. Even an aging Palmeiro, entering his twentieth Major League season, can contribute to this lineup at 41. Added to that potent mix will be speedy second baseman Brian Roberts and utilityman David Newhan, who stole 11 bases out of 12 attempts, though he may have trouble working into this star-studded lineup. Youngster Larry Bigbie proved why he was a former first rounder, knocking in a respectable 68 runs even though he struck out 113 times. And the return of underrated first baseman/outfielder Jay Gibbons from various injuries should help as well.

The star power on the 2005 Orioles will definitely drive this team. Tejada is sure to put up monster numbers as he did last year, showing no effects from an off year by his standards in Oakland in 2003. The X-factor for this year's squad, however, lies in their prized off-season acquisition. After Sosa's fallout with the Cubs organization and visible unhappiness, a fresh start could be exactly what Sosa needs even after a good 2004 season by MLB standards. The Camden faithful would love to see Tejada-like numbers out of the right fielder, and if that's the case, this year's O's should have no trouble scoring runs and swiping bases.

However, Baltimore should be nervous about their starting rotation. So-called staff "ace" Sidney Ponson has never won 15 games in any season and after being re-signed by the Birds (following a deadline deal in which he was traded to the Giants two seasons ago), he had an abysmal season, going 11-15 with a 5.30 ERA. Ponson is the key to this staff if they're going to be even marginally effective. Following Ponson will be sometimes-reliever Rodrigo Lopez, who dropped off the radar after a breakout in 2002, and youngsters Eric Bedard and Daniel Cabrera, who should improve after tacking on a year of major league experience. If the O's are still competing for a Wild Card in July (in one of the hardest divisions in baseball), expect them to be in the market for an arm or two.

The saving grace of Baltimore's pitching staff is its bullpen. 30-year-old lefty B.J. Ryan will most likely become the team's closer as Jorge Julio drops out due to injuries and inconsistency. Ryan has been an effective 8th-inning man for the last couple of seasons and could bring some stability in late innings. The O's co-GMs also acquired veteran relievers Steve Kline and Steve Reed, who, despite their age, can still work and inning or two successfully.

From an on-the-field standpoint, the O's could find themselves surprising everyone and competing for a playoff spot in the summer. Most likely, they'll be stuck in mediocrity once again without a true ace hurler. Off the field, owner Peter Angelos is still concerned about another X-factor that will possibly take fans out of Camden's seats. With the arrival of the Washington Nationals, Angelos, who was the only owner to vote against the move to D.C., will pray that Sosa's exciting presence will be enough to inject some glamour into a franchise whose image has blurred since Cal Ripken Jr.'s departure.