Nine Orioles Innings (Week of March 30)

During the 2009 season, Luke Jones will present Nine Orioles Innings every Monday, sharing his thoughts on what’s happening with the Baltimore Orioles. It will feature a mix of serious analysis and the lighter side of Orioles baseball.1. It’s hard to believe it was only two years ago that Jeremy Guthrie was an unknown heading to Baltimore on Opening Day 2007 as a long man in the Orioles bullpen. The Opening Day starter now represents the only safe bet in a rotation that is still deciding on the three starters to fill the back end. The pitching staff will need Guthrie to remain healthy after making trips to the disabled list in each of his first two seasons with the Orioles. The rotation will be extremely thin as is, so the loss of Guthrie could cause a massive implosion. The organization hopes that Guthrie’s terrific work ethic will influence the many young pitching prospects expected to arrive in Baltimore over the next two years. He may not be a true ace, but Guthrie cou...