Some observations after “bird watching” at O’s spring training in Ft. Lauderdale for 9 days:

New centerfielder Adam Jones has the look of a star in the making. Hope that’s not a curse on the kid, but he’s a smooth athlete with a strong, fluid swing and appears graceful in the outfield. Also impressive about Jones is his manner: intelligent, engaging, and genuine. He impressed me with his passion for baseball’s past. He’s read up on Jackie Robinson and the Negro League stars to know the pioneers who came before him. Impressive.

Melvin Mora is revitalized. Maybe it’s all the young players around him (no more Miguel Tejada at shortstop), but Mora seems to have sipped from the fountain of youth this spring. He joked with me that he’s dyed his hair. It’ll be interesting to see how Mora handles a season in which there are are bound to be some growing pains with the youth around him.

George Sherrill doesn’t look like a Major League pitcher. Amidst all the tall trees on the pitching staff that the O’s have acquired in their off-season trades, it’s easy to miss Sherrill who’s short and squatty for a pitcher. He’s another guy that gives you reason to root for him: he endured years of independent league baseball in pursuit of his big league dream.

Luke Scott may be the nicest Major Leaguer I’ve ever met. Picked up in the trade from the Astros, he works hard and does so with a smile on his face. He plays the game (and practices it) like I believe I would if I were so blessed to play in the big leagues. Scott is a devout Christian but he’s careful not to force his beliefs on anyone else. His philosophy is: if you ask about his faith, he’ll talk about it. Otherwise, he’s content to enjoy the experience of being a pro athlete and that’s evident in the way he goes about it. And not to be lost in the discussion about the good nature of some of the good guys, some of them are pretty good baseball players, too.

Matt Wieters has the look of a future stud, a cornerstone for years to come. He’s a big dude with a commanding presence behind the plate, and he’s still growing. Think Joe Mauer, Wieters looks like a keeper. Again, we’ll see.

The 2008 Orioles will be young and hungry…and prone to the mistakes of youth. I’m pretty sure they’ll lose a lot of games, 90 or more. Andy MacPhail told me that fans should watch this team with an eye toward the future: look for some of that God-given talent to grow for the future, he says.

Posted on Monday, March 10th, 2008 at 3:23 pm.
Categories: Opinion.
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