If this was the same time a year ago and Felix Pie was placed on the disabled list and replaced with Lou Montanez, most Orioles fans would have been dancing in the streets. Pie looked lost at the plate in his early games of 2009 and a lot of people were questioning the wisdom of Andy MacPhail forcing him into the starting lineup, but things have changed dramatically since then.
The case could easily be made that he was the most consistent offensive player in spring training and one of the few Orioles who still seemed to have some fire in his eyes after the club started its season-opening collapse.
So, of course he would be the guy to end up on the DL after Thursday night's road opener in Oakland with a strained muscle in his back.
Things really are going that badly. But who knows, maybe Lou Montanez -- who has been recalled to take his place --- can come in and inject a little life into the Orioles lineup.