The Baltimore Orioles used to be the envy of the baseball world. There was an Oriole Way: The team had an identity and a unique sense of fundamental soundness and professionalism. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, they won 90 games nearly every year and went to six World Series.
These days, that once-proud organization is in tatters. The team last won 80 or more games in 1997. They have finished as high as third in the AL East just once since then, and have been the worst team in the division three years running. Even the farm system is not strong, so the future is not (necessarily, at least) very bright.
But it’s early March, and thus the time for hope. Who knows? The Orioles have a plethora of talented young players and a rebuilt veteran infield with a chance to break out. They could come out of nowhere to displace the titans of the AL East and, a la the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays, surprise everyone with a World Series berth. Here are 10 things that could make that far-fetched fantasy a reality.
This is the third in a series of pieces listing 10 things that would have to go right for each MLB team to win a pennant this season. To find out when your favorite team’s article comes out, follow me on the twitter @MattTrueblood, or sign up for your team’s Bleacher Report newsletter.