Slow start. Spin again.
If baseball is like the game of LIFE, then the Shorebirds need to take another turn.
I don’t know if it’s still the case, since the board game world is constantly changing, but in my juvenile version of the game of LIFE, spinning a 1 right away gave you a free spin because of the “slow start.” Unfortunately, for their first thirteen games the Shorebirds were stuck on one win (after an 0-8 beginning) so, needless to say, they have a huge hole to climb out of.
This malaise is caused, in my humble opinion, by two things: a nearly teamwide batting slump and a certain number of pitchers who can’t get anyone out. By and large, the latter number includes several of the international signees the Orioles have picked up over the last few years.
As I track games online, I’ve noticed that our pitchers seem to hit a wall - they may have a good, reasonably clean inning but then the roof caves in on them. It’s almost like the other team makes good adjustments and we can’t adjust back. Meanwhile, the hitters just can’t seem to get their hits to fall, which is why they’re dead last in the league in hitting.
But it’s not just us. At the big league level, the White Sox are six shades of brutal right now, and the sad part is their minor leagues aren’t all that much better, except for AA Birmingham. Their AAA affiliate in Charlotte has been on the wrong side of some really ugly scores, such as the five-game stretch in Norfolk where they were outscored 69-36. That’s where their help is supposed to come from. I feel a little bit bad for their fans, but then I remember they’re in the same division as the Tigers so their loss is our gain. Now if we can get the Royals and Cleveland to hit a slump, too.
Anyway, I hope that when I get to the first of my monthly reports on the Shorebirds next Thursday - I’m writing this Tuesday evening for Thursday publication as I shiver at the game - they’ll have at least one series win in their pocket, although they likely won’t be ahead of Fredericksburg on the year thanks to their 0-4 start against the Nationals. It may be a question of hitting the right string of pitchers in a row, given we have the reigning CL Pitcher of the Week in Trey Gibson. Just give him and Michael Forret some help.
In the meantime, though, you can Buy Me a Coffee, since I have a page there now.