Jan

18

It will come as no surprise to readers of this list that I am an Orioles fan. Like most fans,

(In 33 days, Orioles pitchers and catchers report. Spring is almost here. It's raining in NorCal and there's snowpack at Lake Tahoe. Almost all is right in the world.)

I enjoyed the dominance of the 1970s (actually, 1969) through the early 1980s, and living through the dim times at the beginning of this century. The Orioles traditionally were built around pitching defense and the 3-run home run (aka Earl Weaver Specials). Speed didn't much matter, contact hitting didn't much matter, bunting and such didn't have much of a place, hit and run wasn't of consequence (though these days, the Os are hardly unique in that regard), and so on. And Orioles Park at Camden Yards (aka Camden Yards, or just Yards for the locals—23 years young and still one of the greatest, if not the greatest, places to watch a ball game in the baseball universe) is certainly a ballpark made for power hitting left-handers, with 318 ft down the right field line.

Of course, not every major hitter the Os have sent to the plate at the Yards has been a left handed one. Cal Ripken spent half of his epic career (no, not just the streak, but the 400 HR and 3,000 hits) at the Yards—always as a righty. More recently, Nellie Cruz dominated the HR race as a righty at the Yards. But lefties have an advantage.

Enter Chris Davis, the Os All Star first baseman. Davis started his career in Texas, and it's pretty clear that it's principally been since coming to the Os that he's experienced success. Lots of success. Twice leading the AL in homers, once in RBIs, and if he didn't strike out so much chasing some awful pitches, he may have gotten a Triple Crown. Alas, it was not to be.

This year, Davis is a free agent. He's been offered $150+ mil for 7 years. Not chump change. But the Os have made it clear to Davis's agent, Scott Boras, that the offer is what it is. Some have even suggested that the offer has been withdrawn )including the Os). But if Davis were interested in accepting it, I doubt there would be the least hesitation from the Orioles front office in putting it back on the table. Meanwhile, Boras is shopping Davis as a first baseman-left fielder. That latter one is interesting. I can't imagine Davis hitting as well while learning left field on a permanent basis. But he is getting shopped around, and some have suggested that Detroit will pick him up and drop him into left field. Maybe. But one of the things that no one has ever suggested about the Os, even during the awful 2000-2010 period, is that the team lacks heard, lacks soul. Cruz made it pretty clear that he wanted to stay in Baltimore. Seattle apparently made him an offer impossible to refuse.

So what will happen with Chris Davis? If I were a betting man, I'd bet that Davis is going to play for the Tigers next year. Fortunately, there are only a limited number of games that the Os would have to face him. I think he might find that his performance isn't quite what he's used to, at least for a year while he learns a new position. As for relations between Scott Boras and the Os, well, it's baseball, there's always next year. At least Duquette actually did something this winter.


Comments

Name

Email

Website

Speak your mind

Archives

Resources & Links

Search