Trying to put Arrieta's debut in perspective

A fan calling in to the Mark Viviano show on the O's flagship station, 105.7 the Fan today said he thought the Orioles were calling up Jake Arrieta to sell more tickets to tonight's game. Some fans' lack of knowledge knows no bounds. What about his league-leading ERA of 1.85; what about his ERA of 0.82 over his last three starts; what about his recent improved control? Maybe the O's should wait until he pitches back-to-back no hitters or gets that ERA under 1.00. That will show us he's really ready. Amazing. I can't promise Arrieta is ready for the Majors or will have instant success. But the stat sheet says he is and his Norfolk manager Gary Allenson feels he is. And, please stop the panic over the fact he is facing the Yankees. Can fans not find enough to complain or worry about these days? Oh my gosh, A-Rod may take him deep, and he won't emotionally recover for the next ten years. Give me a break. Have the Yankees beaten the Orioles so much that now the fans are even intimidated by them. Isn't it time to say "bring those -------s on." Good grief, let the kid pitch and let's watch him over the next 10, 20, 30, 100 starts and see him develop or grow in front of our eyes. Or not. One thing I can say for sure. The fans will put way too much into tonight's results. If it goes badly, we'll get a steady stream of how pitching versus the Yankees was the wrong move. If he throws well, he'll be anointed the next ace and O's Cy Young winner by 10 o'clock. Some fans forget to just enjoy the ride, and yes, the fun of watching young players. Tonight will be a special moment for Arrieta and his family. It's always neat to see a player make his Major League debut. Maybe even some O's fans will be in the park tonight and actually get a chance to cheer. Let's try to have a few hours of fun. You can go back to panicking, worrying and questioning everything tomorrow.