The New York Yankees climbed to glory once again and have set the bar in the American League East. The Baltimore Orioles struggled a bit last season and have made some moves to once again compete for the division. While they will have to have a few players put up some career numbers, it is not out of the question that they sneak in for the wild card in 2010.

One of the secrets to success over the past few seasons has been a stud bullpen. Pitchers are going less innings because of the new ballparks and without a solid bullpen, teams have no chance. The good news for Baltimore Orioles fans is that this is probably the best part of their team.

To say that Baltimore has the best bullpen in baseball is not stretching the truth. They are going to have players that get cut from the major league club that will fill in holes for just about every other team in the league. This is a great problem to have and one that will ensure that they keep only the best. It may just be the secret to their early success.

It is no secret that starting pitching suffers in the beginning of the season. Most big armed pitchers start slow and take a month or so to get into their groove. It is not uncommon for starters to get yanked after five or six innings in the early going. If the Orioles bullpen holds serve and their offense can take advantage of the weaker clubs pitching, they will put up some wins.

The early season schedule has a chance to be a blessing for Baltimore. They have some very winnable games and then get to face off against the big boys of the division. They have a stretch of 16 games that are played over 16 days that could be quite a momentum builder. How they handle this stretch will probably dictate their season.

The bolster the starting rotation, Baltimore signed Kevin Millwood. He is coming off a very nice year and looks to be back to the form that had Philadelphia drooling over him years ago. With him taking over the role of the number one starter, every pitcher in this rotation will benefit and should see better matchups.

If Baltimore fans were looking for a reason to get back to the ballpark, they finally have it. This team will contend and fan support will be what they need to get them over the hump. How can you not get excited about seeing the Yankees and Red Sox come to town in April? Get loud because this is their chance to make a mark and set the tone for the entire season.

By Heather Maxwell, article sponsored by Stub.com. Stub.com sells Baltimore Orioles Tickets, MLB Tickets, Sports Tickets and many more tickets to just about any event in your area.

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