To the Editor:
Rob Esposito's column "AL East: Yankees, Red Sox and Orioles all in the hunt" (July 28) inaccurately portrays the Orioles as a weak-hitting team and Sammy Sosa as the O's "lone shining star." This could not be further from the truth: as of July 28th, the Orioles are tied for the second best batting average in baseball, possess the second best slugging percentage in the majors, and have hit more home runs than the Yankess or Red Sox. The words "dismal" and "mediocre" are simply incorrect when describing the Orioles.
Sammy Sosa, meanwhile, has not been the team's standout, but rather its disappointment. He is currently batting a dismal .233 and has fewer home runs than five other Orioles. The Orioles do not need to "take Sosa's lead," but should continue to recognize the outstanding efforts of Brian Roberts and Miguel Tejada, both AL All-Stars who are having MVP-quality years.
In order to get back to the top of the league, the Orioles need to concentrate on improving their inconsistent pitching -- not their hitting.
