Orioles West

I mostly agree about players generally being able to deal better than us with the ups and downs, but I recall Hyde saying how hard those losing seasons were and he wasn’t sure how much more he could take. That aside, I am as addicted as Roy and a lot of us hear who love the game and the Birds in particular.

I “hear” you, and I don’t hate the list. If everyone is truly back and healthy, I hope Means makes a run with the rotation. I don’t know how long the Suarez momentum will last, but I’m hoping for some more quality starts before the league catches up. Count me in among the curious to see how Povich does in the show, I just think if we see him, some guys will have to be injured. I also hope Bradish gets healthy enough to be a strong 2-3 guy.

Game ball or the equivalent of hockey star(s) of the game for me: Suarez — all of those zero’s on the road, gets my game ball. Kimbrel is my runner-up. I know striking out Trout with the bases loaded is the job, but it ain’t easy. Cowser - Honorable Mention. I’m still not 100 percent in on the Milkman nickname, but he sure is fun to watch.

Agreed!

New Kids on the Block line-up — could be more fun than the singing group.

I agree — not enough starts yet to establish a full time rotation spot — I just love how he is making the most of this opportunity. Those adjustments the league makes next should happen fairly quick, but I kind of hope this gutsy effort rolls on a while longer.

I thought it was a decent signing, but I didn’t imagine him being as good as he has been so far. Some bumps ahead as you mentioned, and some more clutch saves ahead too. That strikeout of Trout with the bases loaded — fun stuff.

I don’t know how long this Suarez wave will last, but it’s fun and a really good story to see a guy fight for one more chance and take advantage of it.

I don't know what the record is for arms utilized this early, but it sounds like a lot. That's a bunch of teams that couldn't through their rotation 3-4 times without needing more arms. Even the Orioles at 6 starters already.

If — and I think we all hope JH gets it going — he does need more time to prepare for MLB pitching and returns to Norfolk, then I wouldn’t mind giving Norby a shot.

I think DR could well be the coolest thing for the O's since the '83 World Series title, and he is a successful human, who probably became successful because of wise investing and keeping projects within a budget. I would love DR to have endless resources and sign everyone possible, but I do not see any way we keep Burnes and a substantial number of our home grown Birds. John Angelos sounded defeatist at times, yet, he had a point about how many times Baltimore can drop 300 million dollar contracts. I love Burnes in orange and black. According to my wife, I probably love Burnes at an unreasonable level. However, I don't see any way we can keep him. And maybe we shouldn't. Pitchers break down way too much (setting aside modern pitch count debates). The Astros plan did include overspending for a starter or two, I'm just not sure that's our O's, even with DR.

Gunnar, Adley, and Jackson - based on the limits of the OP choices, but I understand wanting to keep Burnes around. On the G-Rod mentions, not a bad idea. O's have control, but if he continues to be a frontline starter, an extension could be cheaper than the last 2-3 arbitration years.

I had a chance to see him pitch during the spring for my week of visiting Sarasota. Looked decent there too, but I didn’t think much of it, as I didn’t see a lot of room for him on the roster. It’s a great story (so far) and I’ll just roll with his first start and hope he has a few more quality starts in him. Even if not, it’s a good story for a guy who hadn’t pitched at this level in so long.

Agreed! A pleasant surprise to see that performance — 34-year old back in the Bigs and apparently, wants to stay.

Yeah, the O’Hearn O-hate is going to have to take a few more days off.