Baltimore Orioles Soundoff

During last night's defeat of the Oakland Athletics, Sammy Sosa was once again a major contributor to O's victory.

By going 1-4, Sosa provided the hit, shot really, that lifted the O's to take down Barry Zito and the A's. That one hit of Sosa's, well that was an RBI single, an RBI single that was blasted softly to the pitcher. Yes, folks, Slammin Sammy Sosa's only hit in his past 17 at bats was a dribbling come backer to the mound.

How pathetic. Effective, but pathetic. A hit is a hit is a hit, says Sosa, he'll take it any way he can get 'em.

Oh really? Take them any way you can get them, huh? If that were so than why doesn't Sammy bunt in situations that calls for it?

The answer is because he won't take it any way he can get it. And he is full of it if he thinks all he cares about is the team. Of course, he is embarrassed that the only hit he's gotten in 17 at bats is a dribbler, so what else will he say but he'll take it. Of course he'll take it, what is he going to do? Give it back?

He doesn't bunt in bunting situations because he still believes that he can hit it out of the ballpark all the time. This just isn't so, anymore. He doesn't have the bat speed. He stands too far away from the plate. He is too slow. Give him a good fast ball up and inside of the zone and he'll whiff, every time.

Shoot, give him a good breaking ball out of the zone and he'll whiff, every time. The moral of the story is that he is more of a strikeout machine than an RBI machine. He hurts the team more than he helps.

Perlozzo has now taken to moving him progressively down in the order--Sosa hit 7th against the A's. What Perlozzo must do is not-so-progressively move him out of the order. Make him a pinch hitter or something. Just don't let him strike out in big situations anymore.

Pitchers do not fear Sammy Sosa anymore. He was once the most feared bat in the majors, this is just a memory. Pitchers, in fact, delight in facing Sosa. They can watch their stuff destroy a once impenetrable ego. To burst Sammy's bubble is to throw him something hard, down and outside. Or hard, up and inside. Just don't throw it hard, straight and right down the middle--Sosa CAN still hit those.

So, while Sammy will take anything he can get at the plate, Sam Perlozzo should not. He should explain to Sammy that he has two choices.

Choice Number One: Become a team player. Bunt when you come up with a runner on second and no outs. Sacrifice to get runners over. Play baseball like you belong to a team, not the Sammy Sosa, I-do-everything-for-myself club.

Choice Number Two: Start hitting home runs again! You were acquired because you are a right-handed power hitter, not a soft-slugging singles hitter, who doesn't single all that much and has a penchant for striking out in big situations.

If Sosa can not comply to either choice--smart money is that he can't--than it is time to bench the 500-homerun club member. If he does no good for the team, he doesn't belong on the team. That is simple, right?

It may be harsh, but it is what needs to be done. Look at the Yankees for example. Yes, Orioles Soundoff still hates the Yankees with a passion, but you have to give them credit for not tolerating losing. Jason Giambi was hitting horribly and the Yankees had no allegiance to him that wouldn't make them hesitate at sending him down to the minors or removing him from the order until he got his stuff together.

Sometimes threats work. Threaten Sosa, heck, beat him, for all I care. Just either get him hitting again or get him out of there.


Game Update: Orioles 6, Athletics 2
Box Score

Is it possible that there is just something about the Oakland Athletics that make the O's start to play like a cohesive unit? I don't think there is much to this claim but know this: Baltimore began the year red-hot, right out of the gates, but it began with a series against the Oakland A's. Baltimore won their home opener against, of course, Barry Zito--A game that Rodrigo Lopez also won. However, the O's dropped their next two to Oakland only to win 7 out of their next 9 to take first place in the AL East. Maybe the A's bring out the best in the O's. Maybe it is just the battle of the teams with one vowel and then an apostrophe to make it plural. Or maybe it is just coincidence. Either way, the O's defeated the A's 6-2 on a strong pitching performance by Rodrigo Lopez and some timely squibblers and errors. The birds managed to score five times in the 7th off Zito after he had blanked them the rest of the game. In that 7th inning the O's tallied 3 hits, two of them infield singles, two bases-loaded walks, two hit batsman, one error by Bobby Crosby and two pop-up outs by Melvin Mora.

Let's see if this kind of luck continues for the O's as they look to take a season-series lead on the A's with a win tonight.

O's Record: 58-60


Next Game: Baltimore @ Oakland, Tuesday, August 16 @ 10:05 p.m.






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