Take away hope and what does a person have left?  Instill hope, and possibility expands toward infinity.  If you’ve tuned into the Orioles the past few days, you could not help but notice the power of hope.  I was in the Oriole Park press box when the word of Matt Wieters’ debut began to spread through the ballpark.  The smallest crowd in the park’s history (just more than 10,000) made for an ironic setting for such big news.  But the news is larger than the place from which it eminated.  The word spread through the so-called Oriole Nation, and a fan base is awakened.  That’s what hope does.

 Andy MacPhail is manning the tap from which any hope flows, and he’s preaching “tempered” enthusiasm for the near future.  Too late, Andy.  O’s fans are beyond thirsty for hope and they’re ready to guzzle what’s offered.  Fans are grabbling up tickets for Wieters’ Friday night debut against Detroit.  One fan told me that he bought tickets so that his teenage son could see what could be a historic day.  That fan- who’s in his mid-4o’s- was on hand for the debuts of both Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken, and figures Wieters’ first big league game to be just as significant in Orioles history.  No pressure, rookie!

The MacPhail Plan could be developing like a Polaroid picture, slowly coming into focus.  Young, talented pitchers now make up most of the starting rotation.  A young, talented slugging outfielder hits a dramatic, game-winning homerun in the 11th inning vs. Toronto (Nolan Reimold), while 23-year old Adam Jones captures national attention for his rapid emergence as a five-tool force.  And, in case you didn’t hear, Matt Wieters is coming up.

There’s your hope, O’s fans.  Something you haven’t had much of for more than 10 years.  That’s powerful stuff.  Andy MacPhail just hopes that you’re not disappointed down the road.

Posted on Wednesday, May 27th, 2009 at 9:01 pm.
Categories: Mark's Blog.
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