Great unknOwns?
Gone are high-profile players Erik Bedard, Miguel Tejada and the underachieving Orioles that followed them. In their place is a cast of characters known only to hardcore baseball fans and their respective family members.
The results are surprising to anyone outside of the Baltimore clubhouse. The Orioles, after topping the Rangers 8-1 on Tuesday, are 6-1 after the first seven games of the season and in first place in American League East.
Yes, that's the same division as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. The Blue Jays were supposed to be the surprise of the East, right?
Wrong. The Orioles are riding a six-game winning streak, matching their longest winning streak of 2007.
"This is 2008, and I think the guys have really kept the focus and they've done a lot of little things very well," Baltimore manager Dave Trembley said. "The fundamentals have been good, and we are playing team baseball. When you get two out of three -- pitching, defense and timely hitting -- you will have a chance to win. You get all three, you will win. We are getting all three right now."
He's right.
Who needs Tejada at shortstop when you have Luis Hernandez? Hernandez, from Venezuela, was claimed on waivers by Baltimore from Atlanta in 2006. Tejada and his Houston Astros are at the bottom of the National League Central.
Who thought we would be talking about replacing Tejada's legacy so early in the season?
"I'm always out there looking to make the play, turn a double play," Hernandez said. "We have a lot of young players, but we are playing good. There's a lot of enthusiasm. The veterans are helping young players."
It shows. Hernandez has four hits in his first nine at-bats and has scored three runs this season. He also has three RBIs. Not bad for a player who admits being nervous has affected his play in the past.
"You never know how long you are going to be in one place, so you just try to take advantage of the opportunity," Hernandez said. "One shortstop leaves like Miguel Tejada and another one comes. He's happy with his team. I know a superstar like that is going to help them. I'm happy with where I am."
Trembley should be happy as well. He likes what he sees from his shortstop so far.
"He seems to have relaxed now. He's making the plays. He's making some contributions offensively, which I will take as a bonus," Trembley said. "I want him to make the routine plays on a consistent basis. He seems to be a lot more focused. I think the pressure is off."
It's hard to blame Trembley for being so relaxed these days. The bullpen has been solid, posting a 1.10 ERA through the first seven games of the season, and it seems every move the Orioles have made is working out perfectly. It's easy to say who is at least the early winner in the Tejada-to-Houston trade: the Orioles.
Matt Albers (1-0, 0.00 ERA in 6 1/3 innings), Dennis Sarfate (2-0, 0.00 in 3 1/3 innings) and Luke Scott (.529), all acquired from Houston, have made immediate contributions. George Sherrill (0.00 ERA, four saves) and outfielder Adam Jones, both acquired in the trade with Seattle for Bedard are also making their marks.
Aubrey Huff? Remember him? He's only hitting .333.
Granted, they are not exactly household names. But maybe these overachieving Orioles will reach that status one day. And maybe they do it for good reasons.
"We have a young team, including me, I'm not old, so we have energy," catcher Ramon Hernandez said. "We don't really have any names that make you go 'Wow,' but we have guys who want to play the game. Everybody is doing their job and if we keep working as a team, we'll be able to do some good things."
The secret is really no secret at all, he says.
"We're having fun and we're playing good baseball," the catcher said. "We're playing the game the way it should be played. It's clean. We are making the routine plays and moving runners over. The little things you have to do to win. That's why we are winning."
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