The Orioles aren't confronted with many dilemma's they would like to have these days. Usually, they have to figure out which minor leaguer is the best candidate to be promoted in order to replace a struggling player on the big league roster. However, the Orioles are confronted with the opposite situation.

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In this supposed 'rebuilding' year for the O's, there have been a handful of thrilling games with spectacular performances from the young guys and veterans. While their record was 40-48 at the All-Star break, the majority of fans agree that this team is on the right track. Here is a list of the 5 most memorable games from the first half.

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While he only played two seasons for our Baltimore Ravens, I consider it an honor to have watched Steve McNair play in a Raven uniform. He'll always be remembered as a Tennessee Titan, as he should be, but he'll also go down as one of the toughest and grittiest players in NFL history.

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10-10 game. 4th down. 57 seconds left in the 4th quarter. AFC championship game berth on the line. From 43 yards out. Who do you want kicking? Steve Hauschka? Graham Gano?

No way.

You want Matt Stover. Sure, his range may be limited but I want the most accurate kicker in the NFL on my side. At a spry 41 years old, the Ravens most trusted offensive weapon in team history deserves to kick again. He earned it last January when he nailed the 43-yarder to seal it against the Titans.

Some cite his weakening leg and increased unreliability for reasons why the Ravens should move on. I cite the game-winning field goals and the ability to come into the most tense situation without crumbling under the pressure for reasons why he should kick for the Ravens. In a recent Baltimore Sun article, Mike Preston explains Stover's primary problem is that he has been too good for too long.

It's hard for me to doubt Ozzie Newsome's decision making, as he is the sole reason for why this team is able to reach such great heights. I don't know for sure if he made the decision to let Stover go but whoever did should come forward and fully explain why the Ravens are putting their money on the unproven youngsters, Graham Gano and Steve Hauschka. It's possible that one of those two can help the Ravens make a Super Bowl run. However, I would prefer that the Ravens re-sign Stover to kick field goals under 45 yards and keep one of the two young kickers on the roster to kick field goals over 45 and man the kickoff duties.

The Stover question is as easy to solve as the phrase which best summarizes the situation. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

So let me ask again. 4th Quarter. Season on the line. A chance to play for a spot in the Super Bowl. Who do you want kicking? I want Matt Stover. Do you?

Has there been a time in the past twelve seasons when you, as a die-hard Orioles fan, have felt more optimistic about the future? For the bulk of these 11 straight losing seasons, your head has been filled with false hope and a general sense that this team will bring a winning team back to Baltimore, eventually.

By now, there is no hope left. O's fans know that this team is on the right track. While the O's are still developing (as are most teams), the young talent is falling into place and the positive results are shining through. This most recent week may go down as the most significant week for the Orioles organization in the past decade.

Just think about what has happened over the course of one week, a week that included five shaving cream pies to the face, a game winning blast by a promising rookie, a triplet of solid outings by three pitching prospects, a grand slam in the midst of a scorching streak, and a date that may go down in history as the dawn of a new era of baseball in Baltimore.

Nolan Reimold, the Orioles second most talented hitting prospect, looked like the real deal by hitting 3 HR's including a walk-off shot. Jason Berken, one of the Orioles young pitching prospects, pitched solidly enough for me to believe that the pitching is actually on its way. David Hernandez kicked off his major league career with a fine outing Thursday night. Brad Bergeson pitched a gem and Luuuuuke Scott blasted his fourth and fifth homer in three games Friday night overshadowing the debut of the second coming of Jesus Christ aka Matt Wieters.  Was the rainbow over the warehouse on Friday a coincidence? I think not.

At 23-26, 5 games back of first and closing, the O's are winning for all the right reasons. Young talent is taking this team over and the light at the end of the tunnel is visible, for real this time. Then again, that's what winning does for a team and an organization.

Even though he is arguably the most talented prospect in all of baseball, don't expect Matt Wieters to blossom into a superstar from the get go. 

If history is any indication, it is unlikely that Wieters will be an impact player in his first couple months with the O's. While anyone is an upgrade over Gregg Zaun and Chad Moeller, don't expect Wieters to instantly provide a solid bat in the middle portion of the lineup.

Even the most highly rated prospects struggled in their first couple months in the big leagues. Nick Markakis, for example, batted .220 in his first 100 at-bats with only 2 homers. Through their first 100 at-bats, Adam Jones (.210), Evan Longoria (.220), and Dustin Pedroia (.180) each struggled in the first couple of months after getting called up. However, after their initial struggles, all of the aforementioned players turned into impact players.

Rarely will a rookie will burst onto the scene in the couple months following their call-up. Joe Mauer is an example of such a rarity. The batting title-winning Mauer hit .320 to go along with 6 HR's in his first 100 AB's.

As for Wieters, he may join the likes of Joe Mauer and immediately live up to the hype. Prior to the 2009 season, a large handful of 'experts' including ESPN's Buster Olney picked Wieters to win the AL Rookie of the Year award. Olney believes that Wieters is 'Joe Mauer, with power.' It is possible that Wieters comes right out of the gate swinging. However, a player like Mauer is an anomaly.  While some have considered Wieters to be an anomaly as well, I am not going to be foolish enough to expect too much out of this kid before he settles into the major league environment.

Either way, the Orioles don't need him to produce in the short run. If Wieters is batting under .230 halfway through July, don't panic. This kid seems like the real deal but we have to give him time to develop, much like the Orioles team as a whole.

Going into Sunday's series finale of the 'Battle of the Beltways,' the Orioles anemic offense had failed to post more than four runs on the board since May 14th, a stretch of eight games.

While the O's have won a few of these low scoring games, no right minded Orioles fan can expect to see the current Orioles pitching staff win games when the offense does not produce.

The Three-Headed Monster (Roberts, Jones, Markakis) at the top of the lineup is no longer the most feared 1-2-3 in baseball. Nick Markakis is slumping, badly. In the past nine games, he is batting .184 with only two extra base hits in that stretch. Most importantly, he has driven in only five runs. His performance is instrumental to the Orioles offense.

Aubrey Huff is another struggling Oriole crucial to driving in runs. Huff, similarly to Markakis, is batting .229 in the past nine games with 4 RBI's. Brian Roberts and Adam Jones have done an excellent job this year getting on base. When Markakis and Huff aren't able to capitalize with runners on base, the Orioles can't win ballgames. It's that simple.

What is going to get this offense going again? First of all, Nick Markakis needs to get back on track. His RBI triple on Sunday is good to see but he went 1 for 5 in the game. I expect that Nick will break out of this slump soon, he is too good of a hitter to continue slumping. Second of all, Aubrey Huff must capitalize with runners on base.

If the offense does not get back on track in their current form, Matt Wieters' inevitable promotion must come to fruition. In the past 10 games, the switch-hitting superstar-to-be is hitting .333 with 4 HR's and 14 RBI's.

If Andy MacPhail is waiting for the right time to promote Wieters, this is it. Chad Moeller and Gregg Zaun are embarrassing at the plate and the O's can't afford to lose games simply because Markakis and Huff aren't doing well.

--BK

Going into this season, O's fans knew that the pitching would be bad. But most came to the conclusion there was at least one legitimate starter on this team, Jeremy Guthrie. Those O's fans, including myself, were wrong.

After 9 starts, Guthrie is 3-4 with a 5.37 ERA. When Guthrie struggles, the long ball is primarily to blame. He has given up 14 HRs through the first month and a half this season. Last year, he gave up 24 over the course of the entire season.

In addition to the long ball, Guthrie struggles putting batters away. This can be attributed to the fact that he lacks an out pitch.  The Orioles former ace, Erik Bedard lived and died on his nasty curveball. Guthrie has a decent array of quality pitches but he does not have that signature strikeout or out pitch that most major league aces weild.

Since injuring his shoulder last August, Jeremy has not been able to regain the consistency and reliability he showed during the bulk of 2007 and 2008. Guthrie does not maintain the ability to stop, or at the least, mend the bleeding by the Orioles pitching staff, the primary objective of the staff ace.

Jeremy Guthrie's work ethic and effort should work in his favor as the season continues.  Whether you like it or not, Guthrie will remain the ace because he's the best we got.  The only other candidate to fill Jeremy's role as the ace is Koji Uehara.  The 34-year-old rookie is the most consistent and reliable starter on the team.  However, he has not played in the majors long enough to earn such a prestigous role.

Regardless of what we call Guthrie, he is going to have to turn it around in order for this team to stay afloat before the prospect levees break and the bevvy of young pitching talent floods Camden Yards.

--BK

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