A Quick Thought Before Orioles Opening Day

The 2019 Baltimore Orioles remind me of an indie film. Generally, they’re low-budget, like the O’s, with minimal expectations, also like the O’s. Usually, an up-and-comer or first-timer is directing these films, just like Brandon Hyde, Baltimore’s first-year manager.

For every low-budget indie film that wins Best Picture (see: Moonlight), there are hundreds, probably thousands, that get made and float on streaming services across the world. The O’s, this year, won’t be Moonlight — translation: they’re not winning the World Series. They could, however, be something like Cop Car, a critical success that features an out-of-nowhere solid performance from Kevin Bacon while also launching the career of Jon Watt, the film’s director (see below).

Jon Watt directed “Cop Car,” his first legit directorial effort, and followed it up with a Spider-Man film. The budget for “Cop Car” was $5 million; “Spider-Man: Homecoming” had a budget of nearly $200 million.

If Baltimore wants critical success, they’ll need to compete and develop their prospects. Also, avoiding 100-plus error seasons and late-game collapses will help with folks’ perceptions of the O’s.

The spotlight, undeniably, will be on Hyde, and wins, especially in the loaded AL East, are hard to come by. That said, judgments won’t be ruled specifically on Baltimore’s record this year. Instead, Hyde will need his guys to play hard, improve throughout the year, and look like an actual MLB ballclub.

A competitive team will earn Hyde the respect, as Watt did with Cop Car, and potentially set him up for a bigger spotlight. Likewise, if guys like Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo, and Alex Cobb can turn in bounce-back performances, a la Kevin Bacon, they’ll remind folks of their greatness.

The upcoming season for Baltimore is an important one, the first real building block, in my opinion. They’re not going to be a blockbuster, that’s for sure, but some positive reviews will be a step in the right direction.