The Second Half Looms

Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!

Here be the thread where we predict the record for the Baltimore Orioles in the common tongue of wins and losses.

The honorable judge James Clayton Ephesius Wrathwright Baker IV presiding.

All honor to the majesty of the court, and Wieters save the King and country.


The Orioles march steadfast into the second half of the season seated, a now customary, eight games under the 500 mark. Bolstered by a solid performance from Adam Jones in the Mid-Summer borefes...I mean Classic and two wins against a Toronto squad that seems to be circling the drain - dare we say it - do Orioles fans actually have something to look forward this Summer? Is it possible? Could the Baltimore Orioles avoid their customary slide into the eighth circle of baseball hell in September?

I mean, this flies in the face of the Baltimore Inferiority Complex. What would we do if we became, gasp, good all of the sudden?

I am going to be brutally honest here, 500 is not out of the question. The Orioles have been playing right around 500 ball for the better part of seven weeks right now. And that play is in spite of massive offensive slumps in the names of Jones, Markakis, Roberts, Wieters and Reimold. Averages may be solid but power numbers have nose-dived and Luke Scott needs to have a second spine installed because he has been carrying this team for so long.

In the face of all that, the Orioles sit in a rather advantageous position - more advantageous than recent years at least. The Orioles are, arguably, UNDERperforming at the half and stand to only get better offensively. On the pitching side, the team ERA has been steadily falling since April and stands only to get better as the holy trinity of Tillman, Arrieta and Matusz continue to force the issue in the minors.

Thats right folks, I am upgrading the Orioles season one notch on the scale. If Tom Waits = ungodly depressing Summer and Ted Leo = Ultrafunawesome Summer, then I hereby upgrade the Orioles from Tom Waits to "Slightly less depressing Tom Waits".

Still, if everything breaks right for the Orioles the best we can hope for is to be over 500, but not significantly enough over 500 to consider making a run at the post season - not this year anyway.

Even then, I am optimistic. I am going to call it, I say the Orioles wake up on Halloween and are able to look back at an 81+ win season.

What say you BIC?