Josie's on a Vacation Far Away....

...A little reference to one-hit wonder "The Outfield" could only mean one of two things - Camden is either making a fool out of himself, drunk off Jack at Klondike Kate's '80s night or it's time to preview the Baltimore Orioles 2009 outfielders. Lucky for you guys, it's the ladder tonight.

This preview is gonna be a little different, I'll take a look at the O's current OF's as well as a couple of guys that should be greeting us in Left Field at the 'Yard later on this summer. Also, just for grins, each player gets a music lyric that reminds me of them. Why? Because it's my blog and I can do what I want. Let's get started.   

                                                                                       

Nick Markakis, RF, #21 (in case you are stupid and don't know who he is)

"I'm a pimp in every sense of the word, bitch." -Jay-Z

Nick defines the term "Alpha-male." He's 25 years old, he's rich, and he makes a hard game look easy. He is the undisputed cornerstone of this franchise and one of the best all-around players in the game. He is a phenomenal bat at the plate, a heady base-runner, and should be sittin' on at least one Gold Glove, if not two. His six-year extention in January literally added 5 years on to my life. With him patrolling RF for us, hey, we at least have something    (Balt. Sun)

 to watch every night. I'm thinking .310 with about 28 bombs, 100 RBI and 20 steals, and more importantly, he'll do something that make's you say wow every night. Simply put, he's "The Man."

Adam "Sugar Bear" Jones,  CF, #10

"Picture Me Rollin" -Tupac

I would like to take this time to personally thank Bill Bavasi, former GM of the Seattle Mariners, for bending over and taking one for Charm City on the Erik Bedard trade. O's get a Superstar CF in the making, an all-star reliever, and possibly the best pitching prospect in baseball for a whiny bitch that is always hurt. Bill, this Bud's for you, wherever the hell you are. Sugar Bear (let's start referring to him by that for now on), has the tools to be great, and I look for him to show that off even more so in 2009. The kid bleeds athleticism and just needs to put everything together. He worked out with B-Rob in Arizona all off-season and looks to enjoy the fruits of his labor. I'm thinking .280, 18 hrs, 25 steals and stellar "D."

Felix Pie, Left Field, #18

"And you may ask yourself, where does that highway go?"  -Talking Heads

Who the hell knows what we have here. All we heard was how if nothing else, he was a sure-thing with the glove, yet he's been a bigger train wreck in left than Britney and Lindsay combined. He was named the Cubs top prospect two years in a row, but I'm not real confident he ever puts it together.  I admit I was for the trade, but if Garrett Olson wins 10 games and pitches 180 innings this year and Pie is released by the trade deadline, i'll have to eat a large crow hoagie. I'm not feelin' the dude at all. I say he is replaced in June by...

Nolan Reimold

"Just a little patience, yeah-yeah, some more patience, yeah-yeah"  -Guns N Roses

This kid has pop, no-doubt, but when he swings and misses, it looks like an Oklahoma twister. He's gonna have streaks where he hits 5 bombs in a week and he might "K" 15 times in a week. He is very athletic for a big man and should be an asset patrolling left. He's raw, but when it's said and done, I think he is the LF of the future. He'll hit 25-30 bombs a year and strike out a ton. Never an all-star, but when your other two outfielders are all-stars, you just need a solid everyday player. Enter Nolan Reimold.

Also in the mix:

Lou Montanez  

"Two out of three ain't bad." -Meatloaf

Can hit for average, can hit for power, couldn't catch an STD on the block at 2 a.m. Should get ab's later in the year as a 4th or 5th OF.

Ryan Freel, Util, #2

"Let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the flooooorrr." -Drowning Pool

This guy has an imaginary friend (Farley), runs through walls, steals bases, plays all over the field and thoroughly enjoys himself playing the game. I'll take him.

All in all, I love the outfield. Nick is my man-crush. Sugar is a blossoming star, and we have a couple of intriguing youngsters on the horizon. I think we'll run-down every ball that stays in the 'Yard (which might not be many) in sight and get better every night. What more can you ask for from a rebuilding team? 

Mac, hit them with the infield bro...