Coffee Companion -- 4/1

Each morning, Monday through Friday, I'll hook you up with some reading material to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday -- that way I'll have an excuse to do the same at the start of mine.

Running it back:

Optimism abounds as the Orioles try to bring baseball excitement back to Baltimore. ... Orioles legend Brooks Robinson was hospitalized yesterday, but he says he is doing fine. ... Amber Theoharis, who's been MASN's on-field reporter covering the Orioles since its inception, has a new role. ... Chris Tillman was the last one to know he made the Orioles' rotation. 

Hitting the links:

1. Four years ago, Jeremy Guthrie, tonight's Opening Day starter, was a waiver claim [Baltimore Sun]

2. Peter Schmuck: The time has come for the Orioles' lineup to deliver [Baltimore Sun]

3. The New York Yankees are underdogs? [Wall Street Journal]

4. Andy MacPhail and Buck Showalter are very different, but a shared vision unites them [Baltimore Sun]

5. Here's a last-minute AL East preview from Rob Neyer [SB Nation]

6. Looking at the best Orioles Opening Days in the past 25 years and the worst [Orioles Insider]

7. Having just one lefty in the bullpen should not be a problem for the Orioles [MASN]

8. John Eisenberg: The Orioles have an opportunity to take over the city [CSN Baltimore]

9. Fearless Orioles predictions [Dempsey's Army]

10. Good things do happen during road openers [Roar From 34]

11. In the ring and as a Raven, Tom Zbikowski wants to become world champion [SI]

12. The Ravens won't find another Ray Lewis in the draft [Ravens.com]

13. History isn’t on Dawan Landry’s side to stay with the Ravens [Ravens Insider]

You said it:

"Boy is Mike Puma full of it. There's no way they'll lose to the Red Sox in the ALCS!" -- reader CatcherOfTheRye thinks the NY Post writer was way off when he picked the Orioles to lose to the Sox in the ALCS

Video of the morning: 

Don't bring your crying baby near David Ferrer

Send me your funny and/or interesting links, photos, YouTube videos, blogs, Tweets, comments, emails, ideas, leads, etc. If I deem them to be worthy for the blog, I’ll give you a plug. You can reach me at [e-mail] and twitter.com/mattvensel.