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With all the Cal Ripken retirement hoopla surrounding Baltimore, few noticed how bad the Orioles finished this season. On July 1, they improved to a respectable 39-42, but closed the season with an embarrassing 24-56 (.300) clip. How far has this franchise fallen? After going wire-to-wire in 1997, the Orioles have headed straight down the drain since, winning 79, 78, 74 and a pathetic 63 games this season. While front office types -- owner Peter Angelos and "GM" Syd Thrift -- want to blame the 98 losses on injuries, the sad truth is that this club is awful, and may remain that way for quite some time.
Best Pitcher: There's really no clear-cut winner here. Pat Hentgen was the O's best pitcher for his first nine starts (3.47 ERA, 1.12 WHIP) before shoulder problems forced him to shut down. Rookie Josh Towers was 6-3 with a 2.22 ERA before the All-Star break, but went 2-7 with a 6.45 ERA after the Summer Classic. Jason Johnson put together four strong months, but finished the season 0-6 with a 6.62 ERA in his last nine starts. The best reliever was Buddy Groom who led the club in games (70), saves (11) and WHIP (1.11), but is certainly no All-Star. The only two Orioles pitchers to post a winning record were rookie Sean Douglass (2-1) and reliever John Bale (1-0).
Best Position Player: This is a much easier choice. Jeff Conine was clearly the one bright spot on this dismal ball club. He led the team in hitting (.311), runs (75) and RBI (97), while finishing in the top three in homers (14), steals (12), and on-base pct. (.386). Not exactly the numbers you want out of your best player, but in Oriole land, this was a wonderful output.
Grading The Manager: D. Mike Hargrove capped off another atrocious season by batting Cal Ripken seventh in his final game. Ripken only got up three times because Grover chose to bat chumps like Tim Raines Jr., Luis Matos and Brady Anderson ahead of the future Hall of Famer. Other than that, it was another lackluster performance from the underachieving Hargrove. The numerous pitching injuries and the late-season collapse of Josh Towers and Jason Johnson point to overuse and tired arms. Hargrove is saved from getting an "F" because Baltimore tied for fifth in the AL in steals (133), and finished 1.5 games ahead of the two worst teams in the majors -- Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh.
Most Improved: Despite his late-season slump, Jason Johnson showed Orioles fans that he could be a solid No. 3 starter. He finished with a 10-12 record, a 4.09 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP this season, an enormous improvement from his disastrous '00 campaign of 1-10, 7.02 ERA, 1.67 WHIP. If Pat Hentgen, Scott Erickson and Sidney Ponson can stay healthy next year, the starting rotation will be solid.
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Orioles 2001 batting
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AL Rank
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BA
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.248
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Last
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OBP
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.319
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Last
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SLG
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.380
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Last
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HR
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136
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13th
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Runs
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687
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13th
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Wins
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63
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13th
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Biggest Weakness: The entire lineup. The only two regulars who finished with respectable numbers were a pair of 35-year-olds -- Jeff Conine and David Segui. Nobody hit more than 15 home runs in an Orioles uniform and not one player surpassed 75 runs. Orioles designated hitters combined for a woeful 18 homers, which isn't really a surprise considering guys like Brian Roberts, Casey Blake, Greg Myers and Delino DeShields cracked the lineup in the DH spot. The front office claims they'll pick up a quality slugger and a proven leadoff hitter in the free agent market, but most free agents will likely echo Jason Giambi's "Thanks, but no thanks" sentiments.
Gaining Momentum: The bullpen. Shaky Willis Roberts is likely to close in 2002, but when you only win 63 games, a closer isn't too vital. The O's showed off some quality young arms in Jorge Julio (22 years old), B.J. Ryan (25) and Chad Paronto (26). Veteran southpaw Buddy Groom proved he could pitch in the late innings, and John Bale performed above expectations. If injury-prone prospects Matt Riley (22) and Luis Rivera (23) can get healthy and develop, this could have the makings of a quality 'pen.
Kicked Off The Island: Since both Peter Angelos and Syd Thrift are ineligible for this dubious honor, the odd man out here is Brady Anderson. Choosing Brook Fordyce (.209 BA) or Jose Mercedes (8-17, 5.82 ERA) could also work, especially since 50-HR man Anderson was once a quality player in Baltimore. But Anderson's time -- and his $6.5M salary -- are no longer needed in Baltimore. Mr. Sideburns finished this season with a .202 BA, .300 SLG and .311 OBP. He also had the distinction of ending the season by whiffing on a chin-high fastball, preventing Cal Ripken from getting one more at-bat in his brilliant career.
Brian Gramling is an assistant editor at ESPN.com.
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