So… let’s get this straight right now. This is not a baseball blog. This will never be a baseball blog. If you want to read a baseball blog, there are several fine selections in the column to your right.

This is a blog about ME! It’s a personal blog. But it would never do to post about the cabinets falling on my head, the girl(s) I have a crush on or my thoughts on traffic, neighbors, food, or any of the other minutiae I’m apt to post on my Twitter page, it’s about the things I do every night. It’s about the things you could be doing. It’s about You.

That said, We wouldn’t be called the Baltimore Chop if we didn’t at least like watching baseball. So in the months to come, you will see much mention made of the Orioles, if we happen to be watching that night.

This is no place for advanced sabermetric analyses. It’s not where you go to check who’s pitching or what the lineups are. Nope. The best you’ll get here is some snide, jaded editorializing mixed in with a little blind faith in Birdland and a pure and unwavering hatred of the Red Sox. You’ll also get helpful information like yesterday’s post on the best free parking spots near the Yard.

We’ve been so busy, we haven’t even properly kept up with the events of the spring. If you are looking for a quick and comprehensive primer on the 2010 roster, head on over to Weaver’s Tantrum, where they’ve done it better than anyone else this year.

So what’s the chop up to tonight? Watching baseball, of course. We’re probably heading down to our local bar, which is not a sports bar, but is pretty good about showing the O’s. We’re ready to see what Millwood brings to the table, although we’re bummed that we won’t get to see ZAUN on either bench. The Chop thinks ZAUN is a hell of a guy, and we like him almost as much as we like his absurd website.

And for the record, here are the Chop’s picks to go to the playoffs this year. They’re pretty boring picks, but you know what? the MLB is kind of fucked up, and last year’s cellar dwellers aren’t charging to the top any time soon. if these picks look familiar, they probably mostly are.

American League:

East: Yankees

Central: Twins

West: Angels

Wild Card: Red Sox

National League

East: Phillies

Central: Cardinals

West: Giants

Wild Card: Dodgers

Orioles @ Rays. 7:10 pm at Tropicana Field. TV: MASN.