Game Time! Hope Guthrie Doesn't Lose His Mind

Heading up to the Bronx in a few minutes to watch Sweet Robbie and the others knock some balls around in BP. It'll be the first time I've seen CC in person this year, and it's also a notable game because Jeremy Guthrie is pitching for the Os.

In case you missed the last time he pitched against us, on the 28th, here's what happened:

*Guthrie went 4 2/3 innings, got rocked, and the Os lost.

*He hit Jorge Posada with a pitch, and for a while it was touch-and-go whether Jorge would have to miss more than a game or two.

*Afterward, he said this to the gathered media:

"Let me start by saying I'm embarrassed by the way the game started, I was embarrassed by the way the game finished." I'm apologetic to fans who pay to come and watch the Orioles and watch us lose, in this case, because of me. I'm apologetic to teammates for the inability to help them win a game in four starts. I'm apologetic to Jorge [Posada] if he is to miss any time [because of me] yanking a pitch and hitting him."

*The next day, Guthrie took down his nameplate from his locker. He also removed almost all of his belongings, save for a few jerseys. Nobody was quite sure of the significance of that act. This article, titled "Guthrie Trying to Regroup After Yankees Loss," said the following: "Asked if he was trying to remove some clutter, he agreed that was part of it." Apparently he didn't elaborate on the other part. And this, from manager Dave Trembley:

"I think he really wanted to get one under his belt against the Yankees. It didn't happen for him, and I think he was disappointed. He felt responsible for it, and I told him today that he shouldn't feel that way. He's a guy with a lot of pride. He works real hard. I think he expects himself to be perfect all of the time. When he's not, he takes responsibility for that, and it bothers him."

While filming a MASN commercial earlier this season, Trembley saw Guthrie getting his running in despite a torrential downpour.

Clearly, this is a human being who puts way too much pressure on himself. Someone needs to give him a hug and tell him that the Orioles are a bad baseball team who will continue to be bad no matter how he performs. But with Teixeira starting to swing the bat and the Yankees coming off a 12-run performance yesterday, there's a strong chance Guthrie will spend at least part of tonight weeping into the dirt on the pitcher's mound.

On the other hand, the Os just swept Boston. So there's that to worry about. Let's hope CC can put a stop to their upstart ways.