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Are you an optimist or a realist about the Orioles’ season?
By Mike Franz
Mandatory Credit: H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports
The series that gave the Orioles all sorts of trouble is finally over as the Royals completed the sweep over the Birds with their 2-1 win in Game 4. And with the sweep, the Orioles’ “storybook” season has come to an end.
Although fans knew this was coming when the team lost last night in Game 3, there were still the die hards that believed Baltimore could come back and win four straight just like the 2004 Red Sox. Despite not being able to win a game in their first ALCS since 1997, the Orioles did have a productive year.
If you are a fan of Orioles’ baseball, you can be an optimist or a realist at the moment?
The optimistic fan will look at the bright side. They will say this team got farther than anyone could have ever dreamed of at the beginning of the season. With season-ending injuries to Matt Wieters and Manny Machado and a 25 game suspension to Chris Davis, the team kept winning. The Orioles were crowned American League East Division Champions for the first time since 1997.
Without a certified ace on the mound, the starting rotation performed well throughout the season. Above all else, the signing of Nelson Cruz as a free agent during the off-season proved to be one of the best of the year as he hit a league-leading 40 home runs during the regular season. And with Buck Showalter most likely earning American League Manager of the Year honors this season, you are looking forward to seeing him leading the Birds for years to come.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the realist fan would tell you, “If you lose the last game of the season, no one really cares about all of the other stuff.” This team was not playing for progress, they were playing for a championship. Just four wins away from getting to their first World Series since 1983, they could not get the job done.
Whether you are an optimist or a realist about how this season ended, one thing is for sure: this 2014 season for the Orioles was exciting to watch.