Baltimore Orioles: Are They For Real?

So, I am writing about the Baltimore Orioles (the basement of the American League East Division). Why would I write about a team that is thirty plus games under .500 on the season, thirty games back of the Yankees in the East, and has finished dead last in its division for the past two years? In my opinion, the Baltimore Orioles, as of recent, have been the hottest team in baseball. Are they for real?

They have won eight of their last ten games including an impressive win last night against the highly-praised Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays are a team that used to see plenty of basement action in the East like the Orioles before the Rays improved their pitching, hitting, and fielding to make a World Series appearance a couple of years ago. Now, the Rays are competing at the top of their division with the best of the best, the New York Yankees. Is the Orioles turn around a fluke, or is it a sign of better things to come for the organization and the desperate baseball city of Baltimore? I think the Orioles' spark on the field in the past couple of weeks means more of the latter than the former.

Ever since the Orioles hired Buck Showalter as the new manager at the beginning of August, the Baltimore baseball team has seen better days, better pitching, improved hitting, and flawless fielding. Is Showalter the prime reason for the wins in Baltimore? Is Brian Robert's veteran leadership finally paying off for the Orioles' plethora of young talent? I do not who the credit goes to. Does it go to the organization for all its firings over the years? I do know most of the credit should go to Buck Showalter. In my opinion, there is a new and improved American League East. The Baltimore Orioles have just made their division even tougher. In fact, the AL East is the toughest division in baseball. The Orioles are far away from postseason contention this year, but if they can use the rest of this season to build momentum for 2011, the Rays, Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays better watch out. Is this a bold prediction on my part? Sure, it absolutely is, but the Baltimore Orioles are for real now. They were not satisfied with the way they played in the past, and they were not at all happy sitting at the bottom with the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Mariners in the American League.

I have heard Camden Yards is a beautiful ball park. It is going to be even sweeter when the Orioles start contending for the playoffs again in the near future. The days of Cal Ripken Jr. in Baltimore are long gone, but the Orioles organization have young, healthy ball players like Felix Pie, Adam Jones, and Matt Wieters to build the ball club around for the future. Are the Baltimore Orioles for real? To conclude, yes, the Baltimore Orioles are for real.

Book Review: "Coming Back Stronger" By Drew Brees

Every one remembers the dramatic, exciting Super Bowl win this year for the 2010 Champion New Orleans Saints as they beat Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in a superb fashion. It was a great achievement for the fans and residents of New Orleans after the horrific catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. After the hurricane, homes were submerged underwater, buildings were demolished, and it was one of the deadliest hurricanes in United States history. Some New Orleans' residents packed up their belonging and moved to other parts of the country before the storm hit to be with family members in safe places. Others were less fortunate, and either took refuge inside the Superdome (Home of the Saints), they had to be rescued days later, or died.

I give my total respect to the Colts and their fabulous 16 win season. I think Peyton Manning is one of the best quarterbacks of all time. However, the Super Bowl win for the city of New Orleans was destiny. I am not totally positive, but I believe the win was a part of God's plan to show that he was not done with the state of Louisiana, specifically the city of New Orleans. There was still work to be done in New Orleans. The championship gave the people of New Orleans hope for a better future in their rebuilding city.

The journey of how the Saints organization went from paper bags to the top of the football mountain is an amazing story. Saints football was the one thing that brought the people closer together to produce hope for better days, to rebuild, to restructure, and to win a championship. The Saints' success story is God's happening, but it would not be at all possible without the leadership, determination, and Christ-like attitude of Drew Brees.

Drew Brees originally played the quarterback position at Purdue University in Indiana. Then, Drew was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played for San Diego from 2001-2005. Then, Brees became a free agent, and he decided to take his talents and services to New Orleans where he signed in March of 2006. Remember, Katrina took place in 2005 right before Brees' signing, so Drew made a real difficult decision, but a choice led by God in hopes of resurrecting and reviving the Saints franchise, the devastated city, and its people. Drew Brees is truly a man of God. He has been a saint on and off the football field. The Saints' story is an inspiring one. It shows that anything is possible through God if you have faith and trust in him. God can do miraculous things if you obey and follow his words and ways. Like Drew Brees said in his book, "See adversity as an opportunity." The hard parts of life can be opportunities if you have the positive mind-set, the right attitude, and the vision of Jesus Christ.

Read Drew's book, "Coming Back Stronger." If you think you are not the type of person who can be motivated by a book or a speaker, think again because this book will have you jumping out of your bed each morning equipped for a good day, ready with a positive attitude, and seeing God's wonderful purpose for you. Besides the Bible, this book is my new favorite. It has something for everybody. The book has a positive message, it is easy to understand, everyone can relate to at least one of Drew's experiences, and there are multiple things to learn from each chapter. I highly recommend reading this phenomenal piece of work.

Not to give anything away, let me share some interesting quotes from the book. "It is not where you start in life, but rather how you finish." "Any situation, no matter how bad, can ultimately make you stronger." "If God leads you to it, he will lead you through it." There are many more inspirational messages and sayings inside of the book. I have now seen the perspectives of two Christian NFL quarterbacks, Kurt Warner and Drew Brees. I absolutely love reading about Christian professional athletes and the work that they do because these athletes share their stories, and it has inspired me to follow God more intimately and closely in order to fulfill his purpose for me.

I hope when you read a book like the one by Drew Brees, you might feel the same way as I do. It is amazing how God can use people's life stories through books and writing to touch the lives of others. This book is not a football book. You do not have to know anything about football in order to read it. "Coming back Stronger" is a memoir that can be easily understandable for anyone who feels inspired or led to read this autobiography. I suggest you read this book, but I also suggest you read the one by Kurt Warner and his wife, Brenda, "First Things First." Enjoy the reading!