Home » 2006 Baseball
Predictions
Baltimore Orioles Preview
Get ready for the 2006 season with our Orioles preview.
Despite a red hot 26-14 start to the 2005 season, the Orioles once again
couldn’t contend with the Yankees and the BoSox for the AL East crown as they
went just 48-74 the rest of the way out. The Orioles gained many backers in the
early going as they got off to a fast start. The odd thing was that these
initial backers, for the most part, continued to stick with Baltimore for the
remainder of the season, despite the breakdown the team experienced. These early
bandwagon jumpers, in non bandwagon-like fashion, stuck with the Orioles and it
ended up costing them as they finished their last 122 games at -31 units.
The 2005 Baltimore Orioles are the perfect example of why it is vital to do your
homework. Pay special attention to trends developing as the season unfolds.
Vegas was able to trap plenty of Orioles backers last season, but if you are
able to recognize when a team is in a terrible slump, you’ll be able to start
betting against them at the right time and you’ll make some nice gains instead
of taking huge losses.
The 2006 Orioles have all the makings of a mediocre team. Their pitching staff
isn’t good enough to keep them in games consistently. Last season, the Orioles
were terrible as a home favorite at just 11-18 against American League ball
clubs. Watch to see if a similar trend develops this season. You may be able to
take advantage of road underdogs beating up on the O’s at home, especially
within their division.
In my opinion, Baltimore has a great player in Tejada. His numbers are
incredible but they even suffer slightly as sometimes he tries to do too much at
the plate to help his team win. Javy Lopez is one of the better catchers in the
game. But overall, they just don’t have enough fire power to help out a mediocre
pitching unit. Acquisitions like Kevin Millar just don’t do enough to put a team
over the top, especially one who has to contend with two of baseball’s best
franchises.
2006 Baseball Previews
|
