Miggy the Cheerleader

Losing two of three to the first place D-Backs on the road isn't horrible, though a better fate was certainly witin reach. You can't help but feel a little nervous about Trachsel's diminished performance over the last few starts. He responded pretty angrily to that suggestion after the game this weekend, but you can't help but wonder. Hopefully, he can stay strong until the trade deadline and find his way to another team to open a slot for Garrett Olson (though the Orioles should consider whether Brian Burres should head to the pen at some point).

But while the starting pitching has been a source of strength that just hit a speed bump, the hitting has been weak and it just got weaker. With Miggy going on the DL with no clear timetable for return, the Orioles are playing severely short-handed. Losing the heart and soul of the team is tough and knowing it's Gomez and Bynum behind him doesn't help (not that Gomez isn't great, but he's a role player, not Miggy). That said, there are two reasons why I don't completely mind the injury:

• people can finally forget about the streak
• I think the 162-game grind wears on a player like Tejada and the break could spur the right behavior.

When Tejada is in the zone, he is as good a player as there is in the majors. Unfortunately, he hits these funks where he's not as chipper, not running out grounders, lazy on throws, etc. Now we can all shriek in horror at how offputting it is to see a $13M player half-ass it. But losing is tough and who knows how things evolve. Watching from the sidelines is tough for anyone, but it's also a great reminder of how much the game is to be appreciated. Dave Trembley had suggested that some players were taking the game for granted and I fear Tejada was one of them. But you can already see how much he is anxious to be out of the field with his cheerleading and encouragement. I am betting he'll be ready and chomping at the bit right until he gets medical clearance. In the meantime, the Orioles will need to be a little more resourceful and step up in the absence of their heart & soul.