Jason Unger

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ESPN's Page 2 has a hilarious article up on "the next great sports rivalry … Orioles-Rays."

Welcome to the future of the American League East.

The Orioles are in first place, percentage points ahead of the Red Sox. Boston, hanging on to its dynasty by its fingernails, is the only thing standing between Baltimore and the fast-rising Tampa Bay Rays.

Obviously, it isn't going to stay this way. The Red Sox are the clear talent in the division, and the Yankees are, well, the Yankees.

But the "rivalry" will be exciting … while it lasts.

Give the story a read if you have a chance — it's the best comedy this side of The Onion. And it even quotes the Simpsons.

1. Aug. 8, 2000: Orioles win 10-9 (15 innings)
The Rays scored five in the eighth to send the game to extras. It took seven more innings for the O's to win the longest game in the history of this heated rivalry. The losing pitcher was Esteban Yan, who was immortalized by Bart and Milhouse in a game of baseball in the park, still the best random sports reference in the history of "The Simpsons."

Bart: "I'm Tomokazu Ohka of the Montreal Expos!"

Milhouse: "And I'm Esteban Yan of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays!"

Step aside Yankees Universe and Red Sox Nation

I didn't blog about our trip to Orioles Opening Day this year because, well, I kind of assumed it just didn't matter.

It's the first game of the year, expectations are low, you lose to Tampa Bay 6-2 … it doesn't seem like there's anywhere to go — you're already at the bottom.

One week later, and you've rattled off a bunch of consecutive wins and sit at the top of the American League East … but is it for real?

In all honesty, I kind of stopped following the O's when we moved to Boston. After 1997, their fall to mediocrity was pretty quick. And it didn't help that the Red Sox won 2 World Series during my 7 years in Beantown after that whole 86-year mess.

I would love to recapture that excitement from the winning days, but I'm not sure if I have the time to invest in it.

Maybe it helps that I'm playing fantasy baseball this year — too bad I'm currently bringing up the rear.

I'm not much of a half-asser, so either I'm living and breathing Orioles baseball, or I'm only casually caring.

I want it to be the first, but I don't know if it will be.

(PS - MASN, get your act together and broadcast all of the games in HD. It's really second-tier of you to do otherwise.)

Welcome to the times, MASN.

According to my pals over at EngadgetHD, the morons at MASN have finally figured out what broadcasters in 28 other markets already knew — people want their sports in HD.

MASN will broadcast 40 O's games and 40 Nats games, sez the Washington Times. I'd like to think they heard my bitching about it, but I know I'm not the only one. (A number of people come to the site looking for MASN HD in Google.)

The schedule of HD games hasn't come out yet, but I know at least one I'll be seeing in Full HD - Opening Day.

It's official: when the Orioles kick off (?) their season on March 31, I will be there for the first pitch!

Screw MASN HD, I'll have a 360 degree viewing angle of Camden Yards.

I haven't been to an Orioles game in a long time — probably 6 years now, since I moved to Boston. And although I don't have a lot to look forward to (11 straight losing years?), going to a game at Oriole Park is always a good time.

The most beautiful stadium in the game, one of the crappiest teams on the field.

That's the irony you get. No wonder the Yankees and Red Sox always have good teams.

(amazing photo by krug_photography)

Last night, I was watching a classic Orioles game — 1996, ALDS, O's vs. Cleveland, Game 4 — on MASN.

It was the Orioles' first playoff series in 13 years, and their first of two straight appearances in the ALCS.

Those were the days.

This year, I'm not expecting much out of the Orioles — especially with the O's three best players (Erik Bedard, Brian Roberts and Miguel Tejada) essentially gone.

But if there's one thing owner Peter Angelos can do for us lowly fans: please put MASN in high-definition.

It's despicable that the only teams to not have HD broadcasts are the O's, Nationals and Royals. Angelos has always treated our area like a second-tier market. It isn't.

(image from Nasty Nats)