With FanFest here again, it's time to turn our attention to the Orioles, the team that's often treated like the ugly step-child around here.
OK, I hate to start off being Mr. Buzzkill. But even with that second-half turnaround Buck Showalter engineered last season, and the trades and free agent signings the Orioles pulled off recently, you don't hear a lot of talk about this team.
That's not exactly a good thing, seeing as how spring training is right around the corner and the Ravens aren't dominating the headlines anymore.
Maybe Saturday's FanFest at the Convention Center will rev up the fan base — although the team's new policy of charging $15 for player autographs probably wasn't the best PR move, even with the money going to charity.
I'll tell you what else isn't a big hit with fans: The Orioles announcement that they're raising ticket prices this season.
It's amazing how tone-deaf the Orioles are when it comes to fan relations.
Thirteen straight losing seasons, sagging attendance figures and they raise ticket prices. And the news trickles out on the day media attention is focused on Steve Bisciotti's "State of the Ravens" news conference out in Owings Mills.
During which — ta-da! — the Ravens announce they're not raising ticket prices in 2011.
Unbelievable. If you're a marketing person for the O's, you probably wanted to hide your face.
Here's another thing that didn't help generate buzz: The Orioles didn't hold a news single conference to introduce their new players.
OK, the O's traditionally don't hold news conferences for players acquired through trades.
Fine. But how about the free agent signings?
They couldn't get new first baseman Derrek Lee to sit down with the local media for a half-hour? They couldn't get new reliever Kevin Gregg to do the same?
What was the problem there? Were those guys running off to Caribbean tee times?
Is that why interviews had to be done via conference calls?
If you want my snapshot analysis, I see the Orioles as an improved team in 2011. But only enough to land in the 70-76 win range.
On the other hand, this is a team that finished 66-96 and dead last in 2010. So a jump of 10 wins would probably be enough for the folks in the Warehouse to throw a parade.
But the bottom line is this: The O's still play in the tough AL East. Ten more wins might get you out of fifth place. But it might not.
I see improved talent on this team. I see tremendous potential with this pitching staff. But I also see question-marks up and down this lineup.
Can second baseman Brian Roberts stay healthy for the entire season? Or will his back act up again and lead to the same unending drama as it did last year?
Can Nick Markakis (.297 batting average, 12 homers, 60 RBIs) shake off his power slump of a year ago? Can he put up the kind of healthy homer and RBI numbers you want from your right fielder?
Can center fielder Adam Jones (.284, 19 HR, 69 RBIs), whom everyone anointed as a budding superstar two years ago, finally take a major step toward justifying that mantle? Especially after a season in which he seemed to regress — at least defensively?
Can catcher Matt Wieters (.249, 11 HR, 55 RBIs), coming off his first full season, live up to the incredible hype that accompanied his ascent to the big leagues two years ago?
And what will a platoon of Felix Pie and Nolan Reimold look like in left field? An injured Reimold looked terrible out there last season. Pie can go get the ball. But can he hit enough to be your everyday left fielder if Reimold goes back to the minors?
And what about the new guys?
Can slugging third baseman Mark Reynolds cut down on the 200-plus strikeouts he's had the past three seasons? And can he hit better than last year's .198, which he himself termed "embarrassing?"
Can Lee, at 35, come back from nagging injuries and have the kind of big year (.306, 35 HR, 111 RBIs) he did in 2009?
Can new shortstop J.J. Hardy get back to his 2007 All-Star form (.277, 26 HR, 80 RBIs)? Or will he put up the weak numbers (.268, 6 HR, 38 RBI)s that he did last year?
Yep, lots of questions surrounding this team. And we'll find out the answers soon enough. Pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota Feb. 13.
Baseball season draws closer.
You just hope it's a better season around here.
(Listen to Kevin Cowherd Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with Jerry Coleman on Fox 1370 AM Sports.)
