The Orioles are currently 44-37 at the halfway mark of the season.  They are on pace for their best season in 15 years.  However, this isn’t the best start to a season they have had in the last 15 years.  In 2005, the Orioles were 47-40 at the all-star break.  The Orioles have one more series before the all star break.  They begin a four game series with the Los Angeles Angels tonight in Los Angeles.  The Orioles are currently a half game back of the Angels for the first wild card spot in the American League.  This year, Major League Baseball will be adding a 5th playoff team.  The first wildcard team will be hosting a one game playoff with the 5th place team.  This series would be a preview of the one game playoff if the season were to end today.

This is about the time of year when most Oriole fans begin to write them off.  This is the mentality that the average Orioles fan has.  This is unfortunate, because this years team is different from the others.  This team has legitimate star players in Matt Wieters, J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis.  The pitching staff isn’t perfect, but they have a legitimate starter in Jason Hammel and an all-star closing pitcher in Jim Johnson.  This is a formula for success, along with the leadership of Buck Showalter, the Oriole’s veteran manager.

This upcoming series will tell us a lot about this current Oriole team.  A couple of games ago the Orioles were struggling, but they went into Seattle and won 2 out of 3 games.  They probably should have swept the series, but unfortunate errors cost them the game Monday night.  The Angels began the season slow with a 7-14 record.  Since then, the Angels are 38-22 and have been one of the best teams in baseball.  The Orioles have been excellent this year, but have a combined record of 5-12 against the American League elite of NY Yankees, Texas Rangers and LA Angels.

I believe the Orioles are good, but I don’t believe they are elite.  Many people have been asking me if I think they will make the playoffs.  I think they will, because I think they haven’t played their best baseball yet.  They have been very successful against their competition outside of the elite teams.  I don’t believe they are going to surpass the Yankees and take the division, but I believe they will make the playoffs.  Therefore, I expect the Orioles to play in the inaugural one game wildcard playoff.  I think this would be incredible, especially if the Orioles could host the game.  The Orioles haven’t played a meaningful game in  Baltimore since 1997, I think its about time.  Fans need to get on the bandwagon now, before its too late.  Believe in this team, don’t write them off and go out to the games and support the team.

Come September, when the Orioles are hosting the first ever one game wildcard playoff, its going to be the hardest ticket in town to get in the last 15 years.  The Orioles need to win at least two games in this series to guarantee their best winning percentage before the all-star break since the 1997 season, when they lost in the ALCS to the Cleveland Indians.  If the Orioles can manage to do this, I think it says a lot about them as a team.  If they get swept I think that will also say a lot about them.  That is why I believe this series is so important.

It is important to head into the all-star break with momentum, now is a great time to do so, and make a statement to the rest of the league.  The Orioles are a good team, they will remain competitive for the rest of the season and they are not to be messed with.  The Orioles have the 2nd best winning percentage in the MLB in one run games with a record of 15-6.  The Orioles are also one of two teams to have a winning record and a negative run differential.  This just goes to show, the Orioles are a tough, gritty and nasty baseball team.  I wish the Orioles the best of luck this weekend in Los Angeles, watch the games, root for your home team and let the chips fall where they may.  I know there is a lot of baseball left to be played, but I think we will know where the Orioles stand come Monday.

The steroid saga in major league baseball continues. Another liar walks. This time, Roger “Mr. Misremembers”, Clemens is found not guilty of lying to Congress. Acquitted of all charges. This comes on the heels last year of Barry Bonds getting convicted on only 1 out of 4 counts of obstruction of justice. Juicer Bonds got what? Home detention? That makes the “Justice” Department 0 -2 on going after the “headliners”. Two big guns walk, the unfortunate ones who didn’t ante up the fees for bogus testing or big time lawyers, were suspended for a couple weeks and/or had to pay a fine. “Bad MLB player, you all were bad boys. Now the rest of the 75% of you ball players who are using better stop or we’ll sick the “Justice Department” on you.”  Don’t fret you juicers; for cheating during three decades of baseball, you are being rewarded by keeping all your records and millions. You also have earned the distinction of having contributed to the “Steroid Era” of baseball.

I am not an investigative reporter. I do not get paid to investigate. In fact I’m not getting paid one red cent for typing my thoughts in this blog. All you are getting is my perception of  certain topics, with hopefully some “reported” facts thrown in and a little common sense. All that time and money expended on two people who lied to the public, lied in a courtroom under oath, were directly accused by their peers, their doctors and trainers, showed physical evidence of body and performance enhancement………….. then bought their way out. “Lies, lies, lies – I ain’t such a fool” – (Rolling Stones). Great album, by the way.

Was the taxpayers money wasted? Was the Federal and state courts time wasted?  Were the verdicts worth the bang for the buck? I say – yes to all three. Lessons learned (or we were reminded) – You can lie, cheat and prosper …………as long as you have the cash. It was reported around 8 years of investigation and 30 million spent on Bonds trial and 5 years, 3 million on Clemens’. To bad I wasn’t granted the authority to make the ruling. Could have saved a ton of time and money. Give me one of the cheaters paychecks for a week (tax-free), then give local schools the projected amount that would have been wasted in the corrupt “Justice” system. Decision would have been made in less than one hour. Real simple – you cheated, you lied, you’re done. See you in fifteen years. Oh and your records are stricken from the books. How’s that juice feel now? Anyone else want to juice?

Always amazes me the power of money. Witnesses recount their original testimony. Time and memories are bought. Million dollar laboratories somehow become dysfunctional. Ok, it’s not the lab, the lab has annual certifications, It’s the lab tech and/or lab board members. Pharmaceutical companies double up by prospering on providing the PED and then providing the “maskers”. Shysters, I mean lawyers, get rich. And the baseball fan/general public accepts it because “everyone is doing it”, “the drug use can’t be that bad”, “don’t want to rock the boat” and the most important ”who cares – when is the next game?”

Why lie? Clemens, Bonds, McGuire, Palmeiro, Petite, Rodriquez, Pujols, Teixeira, etc. (whoops slipped those last two in on ya). Why lie? You did it. Supposedly 75% of all of your peers were doing it. Nobody was stopping you.  You paid millions of dollars to shysters, I mean lawyers, to give poor advice. Then you paid them again to represent you. And who said jocks weren’t rocknuts? You put on a tainted show for 25 years. You made millions of dollars. You dug yourself in a hole – that now you may literally “lie” in sooner than anticipated. You may have damaged your body, no worries, wait until the effects of steroid claims start up in about 10-15 years. But hey, your living high on the hog now and your family is set. Game over.

Bud Selig tainted baseball for generations. Record books should be filled with asterisks. PED’s should be either out or in. Just stop the scamming.

Are finally attempting, to stop the lies and corruption? Whoa, better put that orange Kool-aid down. So what do we have now? 35% – avid juicers? Hey, that’s down from 75%. Thank you Jose Canseco, for blowing the lid on that one. Is there really “random” testing – during the year? I have read – they know when they are going to be tested. It “appears” steroid use has slightly diminished. I see less “Popeye arms”. Batting stats and HR’s are coming back to realistic numbers. And finally, the number of hazardous waste pick-ups has subsided at the ballparks.

May the Rocket, Barry, the Bash brothers, A-roid, etc. , NEVER make it into the Hall of Fame. Hall of Shame, yes. Hall of Fame – not worthy.

D.I.Y.

Fedman

During the 2012 season, Drew Forrester and Luke Jones of The Morning Reaction will provide the “10-Game Scorecard” for the Orioles, rating the club in 10-game increments in a number of categories and looking ahead to how Baltimore will fare over the next 10 games on the schedule.

To hear the full explanation from Monday morning, click HERE.

1. Should the Orioles have been better or worse than their 5-5 mark?
Drew: Worse
Luke: Worse

2. Most Valuable Player/Least Valuable Player
Drew: MVP – Wei-Yin Chen; LVP – Robert Andino
Luke: MVP – Jim Johnson; LVP – Jake Arrieta

3. Biggest surprise
Drew: How badly Jake Arrieta has struggled
Luke: Winning two out of three at Fenway Park

4. Best thing about the 10-game stretch
Drew: The Orioles went 5-5 and are still above .500 despite injuries and the pitching woes.
Luke: Wei-Yin Chen rebounded from recent struggles to pitch a gem in Boston.

5. Ten games from now…
Drew: Brian Roberts will be hitting .300.
Luke: Brian Roberts will be firmly established once again as the Orioles’ leadoff hitter.

6. Record in the next 10 games (three with Pittsburgh, three at Atlanta, three at New York Mets, one with Washington)
Drew: 4-6
Luke: 6-4

7. Stock rising/falling over the next 10 games
Drew: Rising – Wei-Yin Chen; Falling – Mark Reynolds
Luke: Rising – Mark Reynolds; Falling – Steve Pearce

8. Grading Buck Showalter in games 51-60
Drew: A
Luke: A-

With the Orioles off to their best start since 2005, executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette has made it no secret he’s looking to add pitching depth and veteran starter Roy Oswalt appears to be on his radar.

Baltimore is interested in the 34-year-old right-hander, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. After spending last season with the Philadelphia Phillies, Oswalt remains unsigned while being selective about wanting an opportunity to win with a team close to his home in Mississippi. He reportedly could seek an arrangement similar to Roger Clemens’ past run in Houston in which he was allowed to return home when not pitching for the club.

The Rangers have long been considered the frontrunner to land the three-time All-Star selection, and they remain in the mix along with the Red Sox and Philadelphia among others, per Heyman. With Oswalt wanting the best chance to play for a championship, it will be a tough sell for the Orioles even after a 28-17 start.

Oswalt was 9-10 with a 3.69 earned run average in 23 starts last season and has won 159 games in his 11-year career in the big leagues. He has spent that entire span in the National League, most of that coming with the Houston Astros before being dealt to the Phillies during the 2010 season.

While no longer the perennial Cy Young Award candidate he was a few years ago, the veteran would provide much-needed experience to the Orioles’ starting rotation whose current five starters are all under 30. After an impressive start, the rotation has struggled to get deep into games in recent weeks, putting more strain on their superb bullpen.

With left-hander Zach Britton close to returning to the big leagues after dealing with a shoulder injury, the Orioles would find themselves with two intriguing options for the rotation if they could entice Oswalt to come to Baltimore.

This would undoubtedly put struggling starters Tommy Hunter and Jake Arrieta under pressure to perform or risk being sent to the bullpen — or even the minors.

Oswalt made $16 million in 2011, but Houston paid $7 million of that salary as a part of the trade agreement with the Phillies.

A lot has changed in baseball over the last 30 years or so, from the specialization of roles on the 25-man roster to the new age analysis provided by sabermetrics. Surely, in this day and age advanced metrics and specialization, someone should be able to calculate the value of “the hammer”; if indeed there is any value at all.

In this the era of the “LOOGY”, the closer and many other specialized bullpen roles, is it still beneficial for the home team to bat last at all?

It seems that we’ve simply accepted that it’s to the advantage of the home team to know how many runs they’ll need in the bottom of the 9^th inning or in extra frames. It also though seems reasonable to say that the team batting in the top of the 9^th or extra innings is simply playing for one more run than the home team has at the time (in extra innings this would always be one). Teams leading going into the bottom of the ninth, or on the road in extra innings usually win anyway. It’s hard to say that under the typical urgency of the 9^th inning, trailing teams find much security, if any, in knowing how many runs they’ll need to win.

The real question is does the benefit of “the hammer” outweigh the advantage that a visiting team enjoys on the road in a tie game because of the impact of the closer role?

Tied in the ninth inning, home managers, used to the formulary approach to back end bullpen management, suddenly find themselves in uncomfortable territory left to decide which inning is the right time to deploy the closer and protect the tie. Once the closer is spent, if the home team fails to score in the bottom of the inning, the home manager has to decide whether to trot the closer out for an extra inning of work, or to go to the parts of the bullpen not already spent en route to the closer. Usually by then the set-up (8^th inning) guy has been in and out as have a specialist or two, leaving the manager with middle and or long relievers to dig in after that.

The visiting manager on the other hand will usually dig into the middle and long relief corps before spending the closer. Maybe that practice makes them more vulnerable at an earlier time than the home team by contrast (and only by an inning), but if the visitors survive the back end of the bullpen (an inning or two usually) the advantage would seemingly shift to them. At that point if the visitors can put up a single run in the top half of any inning, they’d have to like their chances of converting that run into a win with their closer coming on to protect it.

Road teams are also spared having to pitch the final inning (to its completion at least) of losses, sparing them wear and tear on the bullpen in losing efforts. Home hitters are also robbed of bases and RBI on walk-off hits that aren’t homeruns. Obviously shifting these benefits to the home team wouldn’t change much as teams “enjoy this luxury” for 81 road games per year already.

Flipping the top and bottom of innings would give home fans more chances to see their own closer under the games most dramatic circumstances, but baseball would lose the walk-off win for the home team. Given the propensity of baseball players to injure themselves celebrating, shifting the walk off to the road might quell the celebration just a bit and spare more Kendrys Morales type injuries.

PRESS RELEASE

The Orioles today announced that the Brooks Robinson sculpture unveiling originally scheduled for Saturday, May 12 has been postponed until Saturday, September 29.

Robinson’s sculpture will be unveiled as part of the Orioles Legends Celebration Series, in which the six greatest Orioles of all time will have a larger-than-life bronze sculpture dedicated in the newly designed centerfield picnic grove.

“I am sorry I am unable to be there for the originally scheduled unveiling of the Brooks Robinson statue,” Robinson said. “My wife, family and I have looked forward to this day for a long time. Due to health issues, I am unable to participate at this time. We are grateful that the Orioles have offered to reschedule the unveiling and we look forward to celebrating with you in September.”

The May 12 game vs. Tampa Bay at 7:05 p.m. will be played as originally scheduled. Fans no longer wishing to attend the May 12 game may exchange their tickets for the September 29 game, or any non-prime game this season, at no additional charge. The Brooks Robinson replica sculptures will be given to all fans in attendance only at the September 29 game. Tickets must be exchanged prior to June 30, 2012.

Fans who wish to exchange their tickets may do so at the Orioles Box Office or send their tickets to Baltimore Orioles, ATTN: May 12 Exchange, 333 W. Camden St., Baltimore, MD 21201. Please allow 2-4 weeks for processing of mail exchanges.

The AT&T Fans’ Choice Bobblehead, scheduled for September 29, will now be given to the first 20,000 fans 15 and over at the Sunday, September 30 game.

Tickets for the September 29 game or any other game in the Orioles Legends Celebration Series, as well as a special five-game package, are available for purchase at www.orioles.com/legends. The list of remaining dates is below.

Saturday, June 30 – EARL WEAVER

Saturday, July 14 – JIM PALMER

Saturday, August 11 – EDDIE MURRAY

Thursday, September 6 – CAL RIPKEN JR.

Saturday, September 29 – BROOKS ROBINSON

Another major league baseball major league blunder. We are two weeks into the season and MLB has deemed it acceptable to start voting for the best players on the baseball diamond of the 2012 season. Or is it the best players from the second half of the 2011 season? Or is it the most popular players? Or is it the players who will benefit financial gain due to contract incentives? Why are fans voting for the supposed 2012 major league all-stars in April? They just finished their second weekend out of 12 prior to the All-Star break. I’m old school and I’m sick of seeing Yankees, Red Sox and Rangers in the starting line-up. Especially when half of them do not deserve to be there. 

Heck, just stop reading and go cast your vote for the most popular major league baseball players of the 2012 season. Here, you can even follow this link, http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2012/ballot.jsp?tcid=news-asgballot-2012.

If by chance you really did just vote, do me and yourself a favor and seriously, stop reading this blog now! You need help. Go to a MLSA (Major League Scammers Anonymous) meeting. Or better yet, how about meeting me at the “It’s All Fixed Club”? Here goes MLB again, sucking you in to do more clicking on your computer and creating the illusion that your vote actually counts. Do you really think your “up to 25 times” vote counts? The all-star team is predetermined and/or bought off as time draws near. It’s a joke and once again evidence of how corporate sports feeds off the gullible fans. Do not Feed the Monster! I’m all for voting. Local and national elections, neighborhood board members, work associates, etc. But bottom line………….it’s all fixed.

Recommendation - do an honest one (for your own sanity), then “stuff the ballot” by voting for all Orioles the other 24 times.

Do you all enjoy the smoke and mirrors game of “on-line” voting  and the subsequent bombardment of on-line pop-up advertising, spam and virus laiden web links that invade your computer? How about all those paper ballots you receive at the ballpark? Ten bucks says after you “vote” and turn in your ballot to the usher or “voting box”, the majority of those rectangular computer cards find their way real quick into the recycle bin.

Supposedly the voting is divided up this way: a. (9) starters and (1) ”final selection” by the fans, (24) pitchers and second team by players, by peers, coaches and managers. The other caveat, each team must be represented. I do like the each team deal. I like the deception that my vote counts. I just like pulling out my car key and punching out the voting ballot and comparing it with the selections of the people around me.

Baseballs good ole “Midsummer Classic”. How about if we call it major league baseballs ”Midsummer Scam”? Or “Midsummers Night Parade of Stars Post Juice”? How about that Home Run Derby spectacle? I wonder if there is any drug testing prior to the Home Run Derby Contest? There’s no needles with performance enhancing supplements being injected into anyones gluteus maximus prior to that testosterone show, now is there? Follow the money.

Voting in April? Just not buying it. It’s degrading to the sport and the fan base. Come on MLB are you that desperate to try and keep fans interested? Give it to Memorial Day Weekend to unleash the scam. At least then, 1/3 of the season has been played and everyone is nestled in recognizing the rising stars and the declining ones. In this screwed up world of commercialism, you have to wonder if the folks that have put out this bogus all-star ballot are the same folks that put up the Christmas decorations in October?

I’m not trying to be “The Pusher” – (Steppenwolf), by swaying you one way or the other. Vote or Not to Vote? Scam or No Scam? Who cares, punch the card out with your son, daughter or friend and compare. It’s what all good baseball fans do …………..in June!

D.I.Y.

Fedman

Simply asking the question will invite a myriad of responses ranging from a bucket of baseballs to a sampling of Old Bay — and hopefully nothing more malicious than those barbs — but I’m going to do it anyway.

What would you do with struggling Orioles pitcher Kevin Gregg if you were executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter?

His outing in Toronto on Sunday was particularly disastrous as Gregg entered in the sixth inning with a chance to keep the Orioles in a close 3-2 ballgame. Instead, he allowed the first six hitters he faced to reach, turning a one-run deficit into an 8-2 lead for the Blue Jays against what could only be described as a “B” lineup going to the plate for Baltimore.

Gregg has made it clear he’s unhappy with no longer being the closer, and Showalter doesn’t view the 33-year-old as one of his best options despite using him in a high-leverage situation with two runners on base that were left behind in the sixth by starter Brian Matusz on Sunday. New closer Jim Johnson, veterans Luis Ayala and Matt Lindstrom, and young Pedro Strop all appear to have leapfrogged Gregg in the manager’s late-inning hierarchy of trust, and Gregg’s 12.27 earned run average in his first 3 1/3 innings of work hasn’t done anything to change that notion.

It appears Gregg would benefit from a change of scenery after being booed by the home crowd during player introductions on Opening Day. There’s little point in debating the merits of former executive Andy MacPhail signing Gregg to a two-year, $10 million contract two offseasons ago to become the Orioles’ new closer. Everyone can see it was a poor decision, just as it was the year before when left-hander Michael Gonzalez was inked to a two-year, $12 contract.

Many point to Gregg’s $5.8 million salary as the reason why he will remain in Baltimore, but the money is already committed whether you keep him around or not. If the Orioles no longer view Gregg as one of their seven best relievers, there is little argument to continue what’s become an ugly situation for what used to be a solid-enough relief pitcher. With potential long-relief man Tsuyoshi Wada working his way back from an elbow injury and lefty Zach Phillips waiting at Triple-A Norfolk, there are options at Duquette’s disposal to replace Gregg if the Orioles choose that course of action.

Ultimately, it’s not Gregg’s fault the Orioles overvalued a reliever with decent save totals but lacking the peripheral numbers — his walks and hits per inning pitched had increased four straight years prior to coming to Baltimore — to justify a $10 million contract.

But the club is now faced with the question of what to do with the disenchanted reliever, who has done himself no favors in making excuses for his struggles and recently admitting to being tired in a two-inning stint against the Yankees last week.

Releasing him might satisfy a fan base out for metaphorical blood, but it leaves the Orioles on the hook for his entire salary with no chance of any type of return.

His trade value is lower now than it’s ever been despite the San Francisco Giants potentially looking for a late-inning reliever after learning that closer Brian Wilson will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season. Even finding a team to take Gregg would be a challenge at this point, let alone trying to get something of value in return or to entice an organization to pay a significant portion of his remaining salary.

Perhaps the best move is to wait as the Orioles did with Gonzalez a year ago. Through the first two months of the 2011 season, the southpaw had a 7.79 ERA and appeared destined to be released after an ugly start to the year. However, Showalter and the Orioles stuck with him — picking their spots to use him in mop-up roles for a significant portion of time — and Gonzalez eventually began pitching more like the guy the club envisioned when signing him, posting a 2.17 ERA in his final three months with the Orioles.

As a result, the Orioles were able to trade him to the Texas Rangers for Strop at the end of August. The hard-throwing, 26-year-old Strop now appears to be a potential late-inning option moving forward.

So, before completely writing him off and cutting ties with Gregg, Duquette should take a long look at what happened last year.

History may not repeat itself and the Orioles may not be able to get anything for Gregg between now and the trade deadline, but the slim possibility is enough reason to stash him away in the bullpen for a little longer. There’s no reason to make a bad investment worse simply because it makes you feel better at the time.

The Orioles can only hope Gregg somehow straightens himself out in the coming days and weeks.

For the sanity of all parties involved.

BALTIMORE — As Yankees closer Mariano Rivera recorded the final out of the Orioles’ 6-2 loss to New York on Monday night, you may have missed the fireworks between his catcher Russell Martin and Baltimore second baseman Robert Andino.

Martin accused Andino of trying to relay signs from second base and the two barked at one another as the ninth inning concluded. Both Andino and Martin are in their respective lineups, and Orioles manager Buck Showalter is downplaying what happened while maintaining his club will be ready for any potential fallout or retaliation in the second game of the three-game set.

“We’ll deal with it if it happens,” Showalter said. “I know where I think the right and wrong in the sense of the reality. It’s not exactly like Mariano [Rivera] is featuring a curveball and a changeup and a split. Certainly didn’t work out too well [for us] if that was the case.”

In typical Showalter fashion, the manager quipped that the best way to prevent the opposition from trying to steal signs is to keep runners off second base.

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters always assumes the opposition is trying to relay signs and makes adjustments to prevent that from happening.

“That’s why you do sequences; that’s why you try to move late,” Wieters said before Tuesday’s game. “You’re not going to like it if you do think someone is stealing pitches, but at the same time, it’s where you go to disguise it.”

Taiwanese left-hander Wei-Yin Chen makes his major league debut tonight as he takes the hill against the Yankees. Showalter acknowledged the extra excitement in the air with Chen’s debut and pointed to how the game will be broadcast live in Taiwan, joking that many people will be late to work with the early-morning start in Chen’s homeland.

The 26-year-old features a fastball, changeup, splitter, and curveball and depends on command and location to retire hitters. His fastball averages roughly 90 or 91 miles per hour, so he isn’t the type of hurler to overpower the opposition.

Wieters is in the lineup for the fifth straight day and will start again on Wednesday, according to Showalter. With his starting catcher fresh and the start of the season, the manager wanted Wieters behind the plate for every starter’s first turn through the starting rotation.

The Orioles are off on Thursday and Wieters will receive either Saturday or Sunday off in Toronto, depending on the pitching matchups.

Here are tonight’s starting lineups:

New York
SS Derek Jeter
RF Nick Swisher
2B Robinson Cano
3B Alex Rodriguez
1B Mark Teixeira
CF Curtis Granderson
DH Andruw Jones
C Russell Martin
LF Brett Gardner

SP Freddy Garcia

Baltimore
LF Endy Chavez
SS J.J. Hardy
RF Nick Markakis
CF Adam Jones
C Matt Wieters
DH Nick Johnson
3B Mark Reynolds
1B Chris Davis
2B Robert Andino

SP Wei-Yin Chen

Visit the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault to hear more from Buck Showalter and Matt Wieters and be sure to follow WNST on Twitter for live updates throughout the evening from Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

BALTIMORE — Happy Opening Day as the Orioles begin the 2012 season by welcoming the Minnesota Twins to town.

With plenty planned for the 20th anniversary of the first Opening Day at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, there is sure to be a buzz in the air in what continues to be an event in Baltimore despite tempered expectations for the season. The battery that started the 1992 opener, pitcher Rick Sutcliffe and catcher Chris Hoiles, will handle the ceremonial first pitch.

After undergoing abdominal surgery in early January, right fielder Nick Markakis says he is healthy and ready to go for the start of the season. The 28-year-old was limited to just 24 spring at-bats but stated earlier in the spring he needed fewer than that to be ready for the regular season.

“Physically, I think I’m about as good as I can be right now,” Markakis said. It’s just a matter of getting out and playing. All the rehab and hard work in spring training is behind me and now I can focus on the season.”

While Markakis said he never doubted whether he would be ready for Opening Day, manager Buck Showalter felt uneasy after seeing how limited his No. 3 hitter was in the first week to 10 days of spring training.

Showalter also confirmed right-hander Jim Johnson will be his closer with Kevin Gregg settling into a less-defined late-inning role.

As anticipated, left fielder Nolan Reimold will begin the season as the Orioles’ leadoff hitter despite hardly looking like a conventional option. Entering his fourth season, Reimold is eager for the opportunity and wants to capitalize on what looks like a more defined role in the regular lineup than last year.

In 847 career plate appearances, Reimold owns a .328 on-base percentage — a number the Orioles would like to see increase if he’s going to remain atop the order.

“The goal’s always to get on base; the goal’s always to get hits” Reimold said about his new spot in the order. “In that aspect, nothing really changes.”

Here are today’s lineups:

Minnesota
CF Denard Span
SS Jamey Carroll
C Joe Mauer
DH Justin Morneau
LF Josh Willingham
RF Ryan Doumit
3B Danny Valencia
1B Chris Parmelee
2B Alexi Casilla

RHP Carl Pavano

Baltimore
LF Nolan Reimold
SS J.J. Hardy
RF Nick Markakis
CF Adam Jones
C Matt Wieters
DH Wilson Betemit
3B Mark Reynolds
1B Chris Davis
2B Robert Andino

RHP Jake Arrieta

Follow @WNST on Twitter for the latest for Camden Yards and be sure to visit the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault to hear from Buck Showalter, Nolan Reimold, and Nick Markakis prior to this afternoon’s game right here.