Staff writer Josh Land conversed with Aubrey Huff about the roots of the Orioles’ hot start before they left for Texas.

TIMES: With the start you guys have had, the clubhouse seems even looser than early last year. Why has that been?

AUBREY HUFF: Last year, I think there was a lot of expectations we didn’t live up to. This year, there’s none and we’re just having fun and playing loose, playing relaxed and just having a good time. It’s paying off so far. I know it’s early, but we’re off to a better start than last year and a lot of that has to do with the young guys and the energy they bring.

TIMES: Did you see it coming this spring?

HUFF: You just never know what the season’s going to bring. The Rockies last year, look at those guys. You never know. We could be that team this year. You just never know how that works out. Baseball’s a funny sport. You just can’t measure heart and payroll all the same. We’re obviously playing good baseball and hopefully it continues, but there’s going to be peaks and valleys all year as with any team.

TIMES: You’ve talked a little bit about how the media has put lower expectations on this club. Do you feel like that’s part of why the team is playing with so much energy?

HUFF: It’s kind of frustrating. You’re getting written off before the season’s even started, even before you’ve thrown out the first pitch. But that kind of gives teams fuel, man, when national media, local media’s got you counted out, [saying] it’s one of the worst teams to come through Baltimore. It really kind of heats you up a little bit, makes you want to play a little bit better and take away all those doubts and prove all those naysayers wrong.

TIMES: For you, personally, it’s been a solid start. Were you expecting coming in that maybe the fans weren’t going to receive you well and you needed a hot start to quiet them a bit?

HUFF: Well, I’m not really worried about that anymore and hopefully that’s all in the past now.

TIMES: The fan turnout also hasn’t been great early on. How much of a motivator has that been for you guys — play well, fans see the record and come back?

HUFF: I think that’s part of it. They believe what they read and everybody’s written us off. You guys have written us off. No matter what, people are going to believe the paper. So we’re going to have to go out there and win and make you guys start printing some positive stuff and maybe they’ll come out. Also, the weather’s been kind of tough here right now. It’s cold. Hopefully when we get back from this road trip, we’ll get better weather.

TIMES: Last year, you guys were playing pretty well until the Mother’s Day game when Boston came back in the ninth to win 6-5. Do you see April 5’s three-run rally in the ninth to win 3-2 as a victory that can spin you off on a reverse kind of streak?

HUFF: It was a weird feeling [last year]. When we have a game like that and we get in the ninth, it felt like, “Here we go.” We felt like, Nick [Markakis] put up that double and I know we were still down by two when he hit that double, but that just gave us some hope. It was a different feel. It was a really weird feeling. We had Felix [Hernandez] out of there, thank goodness, and we just felt like we had a chance.

(carrollcountytimes.com)