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What's Done Is Done, The Rest Is Yet To Come

No, I'm not dead yet.
A few people have asked me under what rock, exactly, I've been hiding. Truth be told, April wasn't a very good month, and by virtue of circumstance and conscious thought, I decided not to share my misery with the fourteen people who might still visit this site, at least not publicly.
But May is here, and so am I.
The Orioles have started off very well, much like they ended last season. Their 16-7 start has a lot of the talking heads wondering whether or not the black and orange is for real. I said way back on February 5th that the O's were cracking at least the top two in the AL East this year, and so far, so good. There's still an awful lot of calendar to cover, but things are looking up. We'll see how it ends up.
Just wanted to gloat a little, that's all. :)
Given my atrocious 3-10 record last year, I might just avoid Camden Yards for the entire duration, although I know as well as anyone else that my chance attendance has nothing to do with the outcome of a particular game, unless I decide to take a sniper rifle with me for use on Derek Jeter. Not that I'd do such a thing, of course.
A lot of these same talking heads said that April was a do-or-die month for the Orioles, what with 11 games against the perennial juggernauts of New York and Boston. How did Baltimore fare? 7-3. In fact, the only cause for concern was a pair of consecutive shutouts twirled off by Boston at Camden Yards. We returned the favor by taking two straight at Fenway.
If recent history is any guide, the Yankees will wake up and start taking it to the rest of the league any day now. Boston will hold a pretty consistent course. And Baltimore will fold at or around the All-Star break. Some things are different this year, though, and history may not repeat its well-worn course. Let's start with the hated Yankees.
Man, they got old in a hurry. Mo Rivera started the season horribly, but since he has been so dominant for so long, he gets the benefit of the doubt, and most likely he'll return to form before too much longer. The problem then becomes getting him a lead in the ninth inning. The starting rotation and starting lineup have some issues, most glaring being that of imminent AARP eligibility. The bullpen may still be sore from last year's overuse (Flash Gordon in particular has been less effective, as has Rivera). But the most damaging element in place is this: the Yankees have lost their air of invincibility, acquired over so many successful postseasons to close out the 20th century. Other teams no longer fear the Yankees the way they used to. Combine that with the precipitous decline of age, and perhaps they miss the playoffs for the first time since 1993.
Boston finally won the World Series again last year. Good for them. They lost 40 percent of a dominant starting rotation and replaced it with the ancient David Wells and the not-so-ancient and not-so-proven Matt Clement. Given that Wells and the prophet Schilling (who still gets mad props for ALCS game 6 and WS game 2) are on the DL, they have some rough times ahead in the immediate future. Their offensive lineup can still thump it with authority, being second in the majors to Baltimore. If Schilling and Wells come back with gusto, and if Wade Miller enters the fray with same, then things could get pretty frantic.
Baltimore, though, has been off the hook. The offense is leading the league, which comes as no surprise, disguising the sad demise of Rafael Palmeiro as any kind of offensive threat. The pitching has wavered between serviceable and superior, perhaps exceeding preseason expectations by a tad. The bullpen has been as good as expected, and not shredded by overuse as in recent years. Will Baltimore keep playing .700 ball? Can they win 100 games? I saw them coming in with about 88, but that was with a .500 performance in the 76 games against the formidable East. Anything seems possible at this point, but I think that the overall record will be directly related to the O's performance against the East. It's time for them to show if they can swim the sharks, so to speak. Of course, I'd be perfectly happy is some of the killer sharks lost their bite, but I'd be happier if we take it to them on a level playing field.
It's about time. After seven straight losing seasons a rational person can't expect the moon, but at least things are looking up.
If the O's make the playoffs, I'll be there.