Cautious Optimism

The Orioles are off to an amazing start and I, like everyone else, had written them off for 2008. I nearly jumped ship to the Nationals with their new park in disgust. The presence of Andy MacPhail as GM has been felt with the acquisition of several quality players in the Bedard and Tejada trades--Sarfate, Sherrill, Jones, and Scott. Middle relief wins pennants these days and the Orioles look like they have acquired some quality arms to perform this function. Aubrey Huff is playing with a chip on his shoulder and manager Dave Trembley is the long-term answer for both the veterans and the youngsters. It's only been a week but they have swept the Mariners for the first time since 1998 and have won six straight, something they didn't do all year. This team believes in itself and sometimes, that is all you need.