Bob Haynie: It's Memorial Day Weekend And The Orioles Are Still In First
Believe it or not, the month of May is coming to a close and the Baltimore Orioles remain on top of the American League East. Going into their weekend series against the Kansas City Royals, they only lead the Tampa Bay Rays by one game. But they are in first place nonetheless.
Is their position at the top precarious? Perhaps.
That doesn't mean we shouldn't appreciate and enjoy what has been accomplished, so far.
Center fielder Adam Jones has been the team's best player. He has blossomed into a legitimate All-Star candidate.
Jones leads the Orioles in batting average, HR's, runs, RBI's and stolen bases. He makes his hits count , as well. The Birds are 13-1 when AJ goes deep.
Closer Jim Johnson has also been outstanding in 2012 as he has converted all 16 of his save opportunities.
As a team, Baltimore leads the majors in HR's and saves and 7th in runs scored.
Some good things are happening.
Injured players such as 2B Brian Roberts and LHP Zach Britton could be returning to the team to help the cause within the next month.
There is a chance manager Buck Showalter's club could get better.
Then again, we should expect the Yankees and Red Sox to get better too. And we are definitely not forgetting about the Rays and Blue Jays.
The Al East is tough and Orioles have played with the big boys.
As the summer starts to heat up, we'll find out if they are for real.
BH
