What has Changed for the Orioles?

(Sportslogos.net)

The Baltimore Orioles have been nothing, but awful in the past 14 seasons of baseball. In fact, 2005 was the only season that the team wasn’t out of contention before the All Star break, but the season ended for the Orioles as they finished fourth in the A.L. East, leaving their fans greatly disappointed. However, as the All Star break has passed once again, the Orioles find themselves sitting in second place with five games over .500. But what have the Orioles changed that has resulted in such a turnover?

Camden Yards most certainly has not had any modifications; unless the construction of a colossal hotel butchering the view from the Downtown Baltimore stadium is of any significance. And the dearly loved owner, who should be given credit for not interfering with Buck Showalter’s attempt to salvage the Orioles, has yet to sell the team. There’s also a new general manager that once kept the bench warm for nearly 10 years as he decided to take a step back from the game, and some players that have come and gone. However, even with these meager changes, the core of the team has remained in-tact since Showalter started his tenure in Baltimore.

All in all, the Orioles are winning games; despite the fact that two-thirds of the outfielders are on the DL, there’s a struggling rotation outside of Jason Hammel, there’s a run differential of -36, and they lead the American League in errors.  A baseball fan with any logic whatsoever would most certainly have doubts as to whether a team, with so many negative factors playing against them, can continue winning come the second half of the season. An increase in game attendance confirms that faith still resides in Oriole fans as they seem to have forgotten the past, and are looking towards the future of the revived Baltimore team.

Looking back over the plagued years of Baltimore baseball, the Orioles have yet to finish better than third in the A.L. East, and have unfortunately, claimed last place since the Devil Rays changed their name to the Tampa Bay Rays. In the past 14 grueling seasons, the Orioles have also posted a 990-1278 record, a win percentage of .437, and have averaged a -96.5 run differential.

The young birds celebratings (Pen and Paper Sports.com)

It would seem that being .500 was an effortless remedy for the Orioles, as they developed a lack of heart and desire over the past decade due to their failures. Even though the Orioles had such a sour mentality in the past, under the new direction of Showalter there has been a change of culture within the entire organization. No longer are they just hoping to make .500, but the players of this team have prospered and have come to believe in themselves, knowing that they are more than capable of becoming winners.

Buck Showalter deserves recognition for such a turn-around. However, if it wasn’t for any of the players buying into Showalter’s messages, then the team would be in the same position they were in just a few years back. The player that presented himself this year, stepping up-to-the-plate and becoming the backbone of the Orioles, was Adam Jones. Had Jones not stayed in Baltimore and had not believed that he could bring the O’s back to glory, then who knows what the outcome of this team would be thus far. What is known is that without the culture change, and the never-ending support and faith of the fans, the Orioles would not have accumulated the confidence needed to become winners this year.