ESPN's Thinks The Orioles Are A Trainwreck; MASN To Air Norfolk Tides (AAA) Baseball...

Despite the joy we are feeling with the Orioles success in April, most in the media think the gravy train ride may come to a screeching halt.

ESPN's Jonah Keri in a piece titled, "The Failure Dynasties", picks the Orioles as one the prime examples of futility in the sport of baseball.

Also included in the list are the Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates & the Washington Nationals (formerly Expos). In the piece, he goes over some five bad moves each respective franchise made, their lowest moment, horrible staff/players, quotes, and notes for the future.

Here's his summary of the franchise as it stands...

"The 15-13 start is nice, but the Orioles probably won't see a winning season for a while. Nick Markakis and Adam Jones are great building blocks in the outfield, Luke Scott is an above-average player as the third outfielder, Brian Roberts and George Sherrill should fetch some interesting loot in a trade, and Matt Wieters is a potential franchise player a year away from taking over at catcher. After that, the closet is nearly bare, with a severe lack of pitching the biggest problem."

I would not dispute anything on the list at all, and he's pretty much right about the Orioles. No matter how some try to spin the recent success of Baltimore as more than potentially a fluke, the team is awfully weak in some area, and really needs to focus on rebuilding the minor leagues.

I'm not trying to be negative, but I see the forest from the trees and know reality all too well.

***

I got a press in my email stating MASN will start showing Norfolk Tides' baseball - a very interesting move.

While I have been somewhat critical of the network in the past, this announcement is wonderful to hear. It'll allow us Oriole fans to keep up of what is going on at the lower levels and get us acclimated with some of the future stars of the organization, as well as some names we might see up the pipeline in the future.

Let's hope MASN so can do a little of the same with those fans who are interested in the Nationals.

The Press Release:

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – MASN, the television home of the Baltimore Orioles, announced it will broadcast 16 minor league baseball games of the team’s Triple-A affiliate, the Norfolk Tides this season. The first broadcast will air on Saturday, May 3 from Harbor Park live at 7:00 pm when the Tides take on the Indianapolis Indians.

Throughout the season, MASN will air eight live and eight delayed broadcast Tides games against the Triple-A affiliate teams of the Cincinnati Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Philadelphia Phillies, the New York Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Boston Red Sox, the Detroit Tigers and the Washington Nationals.

“This partnership allows fans throughout the Mid-Atlantic to get a sneak peek at players who will one day have a major impact on the Orioles' future,” said Orioles President of Baseball Operations, Andy MacPhail. “Fans will be able to watch tomorrow’s Orioles today.”

The Tides have been the Triple-A home of the Orioles since the 2007 season. Several players who started the season with Norfolk are currently with the Orioles, including Jim Johnson, Garrett Olson, Bob McCrory and Eider Torres. Notable Orioles prospects currently playing for Norfolk include Mike Costanzo, Scott Moore, Radhames Liz and Hayden Penn.

“The Tides are excited to be playing on MASN this season. With the increased fan interest in the Orioles and the number of young stars playing in Norfolk, we are proud to be showcased to MASN’s 7-state audience,” said Tides owner Ken Young.

“This season, MASN viewers will have the unique ability to watch not only every star from the American League and the National League, but also the brightest young prospects from across the entire region,” said MASN spokesman Todd Webster. “We are giving fans more local baseball than has ever been available.”

MASN, the local leader in live sports entertainment, brings fans maximum access through player interviews, pre and post game shows before and after every game, and in-game features, like Wired Wednesday. The 16 Norfolk Tides games add to MASN’s already robust baseball lineup, including over 320 Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals games.