Can Orioles get out of their deep rut?

I read your article on the Orioles’ struggles that have been so persistent over the last couple of months (“Orioles’ frustration over inconsistent play weighing on clubhouse: ‘Morale is down,’” Sept. 11). I agree that the entire ballclub has been decimated by injuries and it is indeed a miracle that this squad has been able to play .500 ball over the last two-plus months.

Not having Felix Bautista for the 10th inning against the Red Sox on Wednesday was indicative of the rut that the Birds have been in. The Orioles pay Craig Kimbrel (healthy all year) $1 million per month to do what he has done for more than a decade, which is to close out ballgames in a pennant race. But the O’s rental of the No.4, all-time closer for one year, and not using him in a save situation on Wednesday, means that the Birds have made an expensive mistake.

Why didn’t the Birds just release Kimbrel, pay him his money, and then retool the pen before September? It’s probably much too late for them to do anything now unless Kimbrel is injured. I say designate him for assignment if they don’t feel safe using him in high-leverage situations and bring up a minor-league pitcher to take his spot. Keegan Akin was set up to fail on Wednesday thanks to Brandon Hyde’s vote of no confidence in his “big hoss.” The Birds were forced to use a middle-inning lefty (Akin) against a guy (Tyler O’Neill), who has routinely crushed all left-handed pitching. Where was Kimbrel in a matchup/save situation? He pitched in a mop-up role in Monday’s opening debacle. He can’t say he pitched Wednesday to beg off.

Not having Jordan Westburg, John Means, Ryan Mountcastle, Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells, Grayson Rodriguez, Ramón Urias, Danny Coulombe, Heston Kjerstad, Jorge Mateo, and of course, Bautista, for the entire or significant parts of the season is one thing. But those losses aren’t the only manpower shortages that keep the leftovers in a rut from which they have not been able to emerge. Poor infield defense, combined with hitters who drop down to one knee (Adley Rutschman) for max launch angle can be put on the spin doctors and the metrics men. The O’s situational hitting has also been atrocious. They seem to be allergic to moving baserunners. The batting coaches have video equipment and computers that can break down the hitters’ swings into microseconds. They can do side by side, comparing past and present and hopefully, make the necessary adjustments. Should that take two months? I think not!

Ruts are filled with hard work by everybody willing to do the dirty work to fill those holes, and not just by the players.

— George Hammerbacher, Baltimore

What about Trump?

The letter by Theresa Toni simply cannot go unchallenged (“Honorable veterans do not embellish their service records,” Sept. 14).

Her first target is Gov. Wes Moore, who graduated from Johns Hopkins, was a Rhodes Scholar, served in the military for 16 years (including a tour in Afghanistan), and who served as the CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation. He recognized his mistake in not clarifying his position regarding the Bronze Star and, on multiple occasions, took full responsibility.

Then, her target is Tim Walz, who served his country for 24 years, but is now castigated for one comment made about using an assault rifle and for saying he was a command sergeant major, a rank he did acquire but officially retired as a master sergeant. Walz also recognized his mistake and took full responsibility.

I kept reading in hopes Ms. Toni would have something to say about Donald Trump, who not only did not serve in the military (because of bad feet) but called those who died in service to our country “suckers” and “losers.” He also famously said of Sen. John McCain, a military hero and POW during the Vietnam War, “He’s not a war hero, he’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who aren’t captured, okay? I hate to tell you.”

Ms. Toni finishes her letter noting that, for her friends and relatives, serving their country was honor enough, and to this I heartily agree. However, for Trump, they are simply “suckers” and “losers.”

— Hal Franklin, Towson