A Snowy Night in Minneapolis

It's the second game of the year and the Orioles are playing in a racquetball court known as the Metrodome. They lost last night to the Twins 7-4 but Daniel Cabrera is pitching like Bob Gibson tonight. His new contact lenses seem to help him find the plate. The score is 2-2 and we have some new players like Aubrey Huff and Paul Bako to help the cause. Cabrera allows the Twins to tie the game with an error on a comebacker but he recovers to strike out the side. It looks like Daniel has developed a new pitch that cuts back inside at the last second on lefthanded batters. I'm watching the game on Peter Angelos's new television network MASN--his viewing rights deathgrip on the region which has bred bad feelings toward the Orioles among National fans. The commercial spots between innings feature digs at the Yankees. I'm feeling optimistic about the season, as I always do in the first few months, and my allegiance for the most part remains intact. Cabrera's stuff is amazing--dipping and diving across the plate--and the Twins look confused. Cabrera walks the lead-off man in the seventh and the Twins take the lead on a broken bat single from the ninth place hitter. They have developed a winning formula with homegrown talent. They are wholesome, prairie-home companion types. The Orioles put two on in the eighth with one out. With his frosted hair and great clubhouse attitude, Kevin Millar flies out to end the threat. He looks like he may never get another hit after an 0-8 start to the season. I need to turn in. It's too early to start bleeding orange.