Cross Ryan Theriot off the Orioles’ potential wish list as a shortstop/utility infielder.

Theriot was a candidate to be non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but instead they dealt him today to the St. Louis Cardinals for right-hander Blake Hawksworth.

That means you might be able to scratch the Cardinals off the potentially interested list for 2010 Orioles’ shortstop Cesar Izturis, who has been a Tony La Russa favorite for years.

There also was a report from Fox Sports that the Tampa Bay Rays were getting closer to dealing shortstop Jason Bartlett and that the San Francisco Giants had become one of the most serious suitors.

But the Associated Press is reporting that former Oriole -- and recent San Diego Padre -- Miguel Tejada said he has agreed to a one-year, $6.5 million deal with San Francisco. If he plays shortstop, then the Giants won't be in the market for Bartlett.

An Orioles source said today that if the Rays are moving closer to a deal for Bartlett, then it isn’t with the Orioles. My take from that is that discussions between the Orioles and Rays for Bartlett haven’t heated up recently.

The Giants needed a shortstop, in part, because they lost free agent infielder Juan Uribe to the Dodgers.

Meanwhile, the Orioles have continued interest in retaining Izturis if nothing else opens up. And they are intrigued by Minnesota’s J.J. Hardy, who likely will be tendered a contract by the Twins – the deadline is Thursday night at midnight — but could be made available for trade.

Hardy might be expendable now that the Twins have won the negotiating rights for Japanese shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Assuming they sign Nishioka to a deal and don't move him to second base.

Got all that? There will be a test later.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (56)
        

Let’s start with football and go from there.

Once again, the Ravens didn’t get any style points on Sunday, but they got another W. And, if Buffalo’s Steve Johnson was allowed to have a little Stickum on his hands, the Ravens might be looking at a one-game advantage in the AFC North.

Instead, they are tied at 8-3 with the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into Sunday night. The Ravens’ 17-10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was more of a defensive battle than most of us expected. No one on Prediction Friday was within 10 points of the final score, though most had the Ravens winning by between six and 10.

We’ll give drink chips to Jon, CSB Jack, Marty and two to Barry for his prediction that Mason and Heap would catch TD passes. And we’ll give the free tab this week to Baltimore 20, who had predicted a 23-17 Ravens’ victory which included two TDs and one INT by Joe Flacco. I’ll also put Old Crow Medicine Show on the jukebox for you – assuming that’s the version you were listening to (and if it were, another free drink chip, too).

Anyway, we’ll have a 2-for-1 today, since it is Steelers’ Week and that means something again.

We’ll paint the place purple and black this week and charge anyone wearing black and gold double. But this joint often gets elbow to elbow when the Steelers fans come to town.

I have a very simple question for you to kick off the festivities. Do you like it when the Steelers and Ravens are both good late in the season? Obviously, it means the Ravens could lose to their hated rivals, and no one enjoys that. But it also means the entire country is paying attention to these two teams, and the Ravens will have to earn the division title.

I may be in the minority in Baltimore, but I love the fact the two are playing Game No. 12 for, essentially, the division crown. Even if losing the division to the Steelers is the painful result. Frankly, I wish it were happening in Week 17. There is just something more compelling about potentially beating the Steelers late in the season than beating anyone else.

But maybe fans don’t care about that. Maybe you’d rather the Steelers be 4-12 every year. I don’t know. So clue me in. Do you like it when the Ravens and Steelers are both good?

Switching to baseball, the Hall of Fame ballot was announced Monday. And Rafael Palmeiro is on it for the first time.

I covered Palmeiro for several years and I have my own opinions. But I want yours. He is one of four players to reach both 500 homers and 3,000 hits. But he also failed a drug test.

So, simple question No. 2, is he a Hall of Famer in your mind?

Daily Think Special: Do you like it when the Ravens and Steelers are both good?

Bonus Think Special: Does Rafael Palmeiro deserve to be in the Hall of Fame?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (33)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

The Hall of Fame has announced its ballot for the 2011 class, and the most interesting addition for Orioles fans is Rafael Palmeiro.

By now, we all know the deal with Raffy. He has Hall of Fame credentials. He is one of just four players in the history of the game with at least 3,000 hits and 500 homers. The other three, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray, are already in the Hall.

But Palmeiro’s failure of a 2005 drug test likely sinks his chances for first-ballot induction -- if he gets in at all.

Palmeiro has continually denied using steroids, speculating that the only way the banned substance, stanozolol, could have entered his system was from a vial of Vitamin B-12, which he received from former Orioles teammate Miguel Tejada. That argument has never held much standing in the court of public opinion, and Palmeiro’s status as the first star suspended under baseball’s strengthened drug-testing program damaged his legacy.

The best Hall of Fame test case for Palmeiro is Mark McGwire, who never failed a drug test but eventually admitted to using steroids during his playing career. Last year, McGwire, in his fourth year on the ballot, received 128 votes or just 23.7 percent of the vote. It was the highest percentage he has received in his four years; he has 11 more years on the writers’ ballot, including this one.

Players need to be named on 75 percent of all returned ballots for enshrinement.

The former Oriole with the best chance of getting in is second baseman Roberto Alomar, who was named on 397 ballots -- or 73.7 percent -- last year, his first year eligible. It was the highest percentage received for a first-time candidate without being inducted in the Hall’s history.

Alomar, who played with the Orioles for three of his 17 seasons (1996-1998), and pitcher Bert Blyleven (74.2 percent) became the first duo to fall within 10 votes of induction in one ballot in 2010.

Other former Orioles on the 2011 ballot include newcomers B.J. Surhoff, Charles Johnson and Kevin Brown and holdovers Lee Smith (47.3 percent in 2010), Tim Raines (30.4 percent) and Harold Baines (6.1 percent).

Palmeiro played seven of his 20 big league seasons with the Orioles (and nine with the Texas Rangers). Overall, he had a career .288 average, .371 on-base percentage and .515 slugging percentage.

He hit 585 doubles (16th all time) and 569 homers (12th all time) and drove in 1,835 runs (15th all time). He was a four-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner and was top 20 in the AL MVP voting 10 times; his highest finish was fifth in 1999 with Texas.

Results will be announced Jan. 5.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Thursday night at midnight is the deadline for not tendering contracts to players facing arbitration.

The Orioles have six players that fit that category: pitchers Matt Albers, Jeremy Guthrie and Jim Johnson and hitters Adam Jones, Felix Pie and Luke Scott.

The only one who possibly could be non-tendered is Albers, who made $680,000 last year and went 5-3 with a 4.52 ERA in 62 relief appearances. As of today, the Orioles haven’t decided whether to offer the stocky, 27-year-old right-hander arbitration or allow him to become a free agent. All the others are expected to be offered arbitration, with the hopes the club can reach agreements with them before hearings are needed.

Albers is seemingly always on the bubble, but he ends up pitching just well enough to keep a job. When his pitches are sinking, he can be extremely effective, as evidenced by a 2.70 ERA in nine May games and a 1.93 ERA in 10 July games in 2010.

The problem, of course, is his inconsistency. His ERA in the other 2010 months: 6.75 in April, 6.94 in June, 5.40 in August and 4.80 in September/October.

The Orioles will be scouring the non-tender list Thursday night/Friday morning. Since they have money to spend, it’s not a bad way to grab solid players who have gotten too expensive for their previous teams. That’s how the Orioles got Ty Wigginton before the 2009 season, and considering he was their lone 2010 All-Star, it worked out pretty well for them.

Two potential non-tender candidates that we know interest the Orioles are shortstops Jason Bartlett of Tampa Bay and J.J. Hardy of Minnesota. But I have been told that it is unlikely either is non-tendered. Instead, the Rays and Twins are expected to tender them contracts and then continue to pursue trade possibilities.

Another name to consider, however, is Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Ryan Theriot. He was primarily a shortstop before last season, when he was switched to second base by the Chicago Cubs and then dealt to the Dodgers.

With the Dodgers reportedly signing Juan Uribe to a three-year deal, Theriot’s days with the Dodgers seem numbered.

And that could raise the eyebrows of the Orioles. Yes, Theriot is a former Cub and has connections to Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and player development director John Stockstill. He would be a fine utility infielder and good insurance at shortstop if the Orioles can’t fill that opening or at second base if Brian Roberts is hurt again in 2011.

In five seasons, Theriot has hit .284 with a .348 on-base percentage and a .356 slugging percentage. He has stolen at least 20 bases in each of his past four seasons.

There’s nothing official on Theriot, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Orioles kick those tires if the Dodgers let him go.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (27)
        

The next week could be an interesting one for the Orioles.

Typically, the Orioles, under president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, do nothing before the winter meetings, which officially start in Orlando, Fla., next Monday.

But the extra 10 days of free agency this year — the period for talking with other teams’ free agents was sliced from 15 days to five — has had a slight impact. Victor Martinez, probably one of the top five available players in this class and the Orioles’ No. 1 target, is already off the board.

And so, too, are Jon Garland, a second-tier starting pitcher, and Aubrey Huff, a solid first baseman and former Oriole. That early action could spur the process for everyone, including the Orioles.

The three best free agents, Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth, are still available, but the Orioles aren’t in on that trio.

They are most interested in a corner infielder, and the majority of their targets, besides Martinez, are still around. Players such as third baseman Adrian Beltre and first basemen Carlos Pena, Paul Konerko, Adam LaRoche, Derrek Lee, Lance Berkman and Adam Dunn have yet to sign.

Also looking for jobs are all seven of the Orioles’ free agents, including reliever Koji Uehara and infielders Ty Wigginton and Cesar Izturis.

Orioles executives would like to have something done by the winter meetings — a trade or a signing — but it’s also not a big deal if they don’t. When they left for the Thanksgiving break, the Orioles had no official offers out to free agents — except the one Martinez rejected — but they had talked to a bunch of free agents.

Fans are impatient, and understandably so, but there is still plenty of time left this offseason. Most of the better free agents aren’t signed until the weeks in between the winter meetings and Christmas.

Truthfully, with the exception of signing a first baseman, any splash the Orioles make would likely come via trade. And those discussions almost always heat up at the winter meetings.
So a betting man would wager big money that the Orioles head to Orlando with the same roster they have today.

But, as MacPhail likes to say, everything can change with a phone call.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (44)
        

It took awhile. But you knew there’d be video of it somewhere.

Orioles outfielder Felix Pie’s tirade during a Dominican Republic game a few weeks ago is now a video on the Internet.

It’s worth the wait.

There are a few differences from the original report -- I told you it was passed down through a channel.

Pie was ejected after blowing a gasket when called out during a pickoff at first in a tight game. That much was true. And he did appear safe. And he did not attack -- or even touch -- the umpire.

But it was the first-base umpire he went after (originally thought it was the home plate ump).

Felix certainly goes nutty, but it’s not as if it were so bad that he the Orioles had to take action. And that’s the most important thing.

Here it is.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

With Brad Komminsk’s move to Triple-A Norfolk, where he will serve as the hitting coach under Gary Allenson, Double-A Bowie is without a manager, but that should change very soon.

The Orioles will fill that spot internally with the three candidates being short-season Single-A Aberdeen manager Gary Kendall, Single-A Frederick manager Orlando Gomez and minor league field coordinator/Latin American field coordinator Bobby Dickerson.

Kendall, a local guy who graduated from Sparrows Point High School and played at the Community College of Baltimore, appears to be in the best position to get the job, though a final decision hasn't been made. Kendall has been in the organization for the past 11 seasons, the past three as the Aberdeen manager. He also scouted for the San Diego Padres.

Gomez has been in the organization for six seasons, managing at Frederick, Single-A Delmarva, Rookie-level Bluefield and the Gulf Coast League Orioles.

Dickerson, who was considered a candidate for manager Buck Showalter’s staff as he worked under him in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization, started last season as a field coordinator but became Norfolk’s manager after Dave Trembley was fired and Allenson was promoted to the big league staff. With the Orioles doing away with one of their two Dominican teams, Dickerson’s position has essentially been dissolved.

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Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Welcome to Prediction Purple and Black Friday, where we’ll hunt for a bargain while giving proper due to the Ravens-Buccaneers game on Sunday.

I think the Buccaneers are a whole lot better than I had assumed at the beginning of the season. But I’m not buying them as a force just yet – despite a 7-3 record.

We’ll get to that game in a second, but first a little Connolly’s housekeeping.

First, did anyone see what happened in the annual Calvert Hall-Loyola Turkey Bowl game? I was busy, and as a proud Hallman, I am just curious. So let me know. (By the way, fellow CHC alums need not respond. I want to hear it from the mouths of Dons. One time is a fluke. Two times ...)

OK, seriously, I do have a piece of business I ignored this week because I was too caught up in Orioles’ coaching hires and arbitration decisions (and turkey) to properly address last week’s Prediction Friday winner.

The Ravens beat the Panthers 37-13, and pretty much everyone predicted a blowout, including the fake barkeep. I had it at 31-3, and, honestly, it was way too close for comfort until the defense took over.

I am giving out drink chips to Ron (37-10) and Keith (38-7), but the big winner is Barry with his almost perfect 38-13 prediction. Due to the delay, you can drink up through all of next week on me, Barry. Enjoy. If I am not mistaken, this is not the first time Barry has squeezed the juice out of this place for a week.

As for this Sunday, I am going with the Ravens to win 27-20. I think Josh Freeman will manage a couple scores, but the Ravens’ D will eventually put the whippersnapper in his place. My hero of the game is Joe Flacco with three TD passes to three different receivers.

Now it is your turn. Predict the score and the player of the game (tiebreaker) for the Ravens-Bucs on Sunday. Winners get a bottomless imaginary glass for a week.

For those of you that want Orioles’ discussion in this space, I’ll give you a bonus – and one that is properly themed. Aubrey Huff, one of my favorite guys to deal with over the past few years, signed a two-year, $22 million deal to stay in San Francisco this week.

That’s a hefty raise from the $3 million he got last offseason. He is considered the best buy – given his price and production – of the 2010 class.

Since it is Black Friday, and all the bargain hunters are out, I want your prediction for the best free agent buy of 2011. The anti-Garrett Atkins, if you will.

I am going to go with another ex-Oriole. I say Miguel Tejada, after being re-energized on a competitive team in the second half last year, will get his competitive juices going and have one more above-average season – and do it all on a one-year deal.

There are plenty of other options, including guys coming off injuries such as Brandon Webb, Eric Chavez and Magglio Ordonez, for instance.

So give me some names.

Daily Think Special: Ravens-Bucs

Bonus Think Special: Who will end up as this offseason’s unlikeliest best buy?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (27)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

Happy Thanksgiving, all.

Here’s a quick Orioles’ entry you can fit in between the mashed potatoes and the cranberry sauce. New pitching coach Mark Connor was asked during Wednesday’s teleconference with the Baltimore media about his coaching philosophy. This is what he said:

“I don’t have a particular pitching philosophy. I think your pitching philosophy revolves around each individual pitcher. What is it going to take to make them successful? You just can’t have one philosophy that everybody has to adhere to. You hear ‘Strike one, get ahead, get people out with three pitches or less.’ I am on board with all those things, but I think basically you have to take each individual pitcher, their strengths, their weaknesses and work from that standpoint.”

I was curious as to what one of his former pitchers thought about Connor as a coach. So I talked to Kevin Millwood, who pitched for the Orioles last season and spent nearly three seasons with Connor in Texas.

“He’s a little more old school than other guys. I don’t think he is as into the computer stuff as most guys, but he does his stats work and stuff like that. He is good at the mechanics (part),” Millwood said. “He’s not a super talkative guy, but I think he knows a lot of things that can help a guy.”

Millwood said Connor had a tendency to allow the veterans to do their own thing, “until he sees something where he can help you and then he’ll step in.”

It’s slightly different with inexperienced pitchers, Millwood said. Connor may be a little more active with them, but at first he’ll probably assume an observer’s role as well with the Orioles’ youngsters.

“I’m sure, probably in the first part of spring, he’s not going to have a lot to say those guys because he doesn’t know them that well,” Millwood said. “But the more he learns them, the more he’ll have to say to them.

“I think he’ll definitely do a good job.”

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

We’ve gotten a ton of questions about the Orioles’ decision yesterday to not offer their “Type B” free agents -- Kevin Millwood and Koji Uehara -- arbitration, so I’m going to try and offer a better explanation for your Thanksgiving reading pleasure.

Before I do, I want to make one thing clear: I was surprised by the decision to not offer Uehara. I also don’t agree with it. I’m simply attempting to explain what the Orioles were thinking when they made the move.

Let’s tackle the Uehara decision first. It should, at least, be noted that Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail tried to enter a gentleman’s agreement with Mark Pieper, Uehara’s agent, where the reliever would have turned down arbitration if it was offered. That way, the Orioles would have gotten a supplemental pick after the first round of the 2011 draft had Uehara signed elsewhere.

Trevor Hoffman and Javier Vazquez entered in such an agreement with their 2010 clubs. Pieper and Uehara, however, weren’t interested, and the reason is obvious. Uehara stands to make more money in 2011 had he accepted arbitration rather than signed a free-agent deal. The 35-year-old made $5 million last year, and there is no way an arbitrator would allow a pay cut after Uehara pitched to a 2.86 ERA in 43 appearances, saved 13 games, set a franchise record by not issuing a walk in 32 consecutive outings and led American League relievers in strikeout-to-walk ratio.

I don’t care that Uehara had two more stints on the disabled list, giving him four in his two seasons with the Orioles. Pay cuts are rare, and a reliever who was dominant at times for the final three months of the season isn’t going to get one. Instead, Uehara would have probably garnered between $6 million and $7 million in arbitration, a number that MacPhail simply was uncomfortable with because of Uehara’s injury history.

Don’t misunderstand: MacPhail very much wants Uehara back on the 2011 Orioles, probably even to serve as the team’s closer. However, he wants him back on a one-year deal filled with incentives that will escalate if Uehara keeps taking the mound and staying off the disabled list.

There is also a sense that Uehara’s first choice is return to the club. He loves the responsibility of closing, and there are few other teams beyond the Orioles with openings in that role. He likes his teammates and the city, enjoying privacy that was especially elusive when he played in Japan. His son, who is picking up the English language, is enrolled in school in Baltimore.

So I gather the Orioles feel like they will re-sign him anyway. Had they felt Uehara would get a multiyear deal elsewhere, I assume offering him arbitration would have been a slam dunk. But MacPhail has certainly put added pressure on himself to resign Uehara. If he can’t, the Orioles will not only be without their closer, but they won’t get a draft pick either.

Now to Millwood, a situation that is much clearer. The veteran starter made $12 million last season. While he may not have gotten that much for next year had he gone to arbitration, he would certainly have received a figure that would far exceed what he’ll get in free agency.

The maximum 20 percent salary reduction does not apply to free agents, so the Orioles could ask an arbitrator to trim his salary as much as they pleased. However, as I said above in talking about Uehara, significant pay cuts are extremely rare just for practical matters.

Sure, the Orioles could fixate on Millwood’s 4-16 record and his 5.10 ERA. They can bring up the fact that the right-hander was among the league leaders in earned runs, homers and hits allowed.

Millwood is represented by super agent Scott Boras, who would undoubtedly point out how the pitcher pretty much served the exact purpose for which he was acquired. He ate innings, logging 190 2/3, the second-highest total on the club. He was one of the stingiest pitchers in the AL for the first couple of months, and he got some of the worst run support in baseball.

You get the point. The Orioles still would have to offer him a significant amount of money -- an executive from another club estimated about $8 million -- to win the arbitration hearing against Millwood. An arbitrator simply wouldn’t allow a 50 percent or more pay cut for a pitcher of Millwood’s stature.

It was much too risky for the Orioles to offer Millwood arbitration, though I don’t believe the same can be said for Uehara.

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Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 6:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

The Orioles had a conference call this morning with manager Buck Showalter and his new coaching staff. Here are some comments from that call, which did not include hitting coach Jim Presley and first base coach Wayne Kirby as they were unavailable:

Manager Buck Showalter
On the time the hiring process took: “I think process is a good word. It’s kind of like when we came in in August. I didn’t come in with any preconceived notions. I think it was very obvious the coaching staff that we had were good people too because they landed on their feet quickly and we knew they would. You can’t cheat the process. It was probably a little longer that I had hoped or thought. But as we got into the process, I knew that with all the managerial changes and all the changes that went on in baseball, there was going to have to be some patience on our part.”

On former hitting coach Terry Crowley moving into different role and Jim Presley becoming hitting coach: “We’re excited about the organization and the moves that were made. We feel like adding Terry to the job description that he’s going to have is exciting to all of his. We thank [owner Peter Angelos] and [President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail] for doing that. It worked out real well for us. It makes us better. Terry is an outstanding evaluator of hitting talent. I’ve know Jim for a long time. Every coach is different. You look at what you think your needs are. It’s something that Jim and I have talked about, what we can get better at. But the bottom line is players are going to have to embrace it.”

Pitching coach Mark Connor
On his pitching philosophy: “I don’t have a particular pitching philosophy. I think your pitching philosophy revolves around each individual pitcher, what it’s going to take to make them successful. Basically, you have to take each individual pitcher, their strengths and their weaknesses and work from that standpoint.”

On his impression of the Orioles’ young arms: “I’ve gotten some video sent to me by [video coordinator] Mike Silverman in Baltimore. I’ve gone through just about everybody that he’s sent me. It’s quite impressive. They’re young with the exception of [Jeremy] Guthrie who has been a mainstay there and a workhorse for the Orioles. I had the video sent to [bullpen coach Rick Adair] and he’s going to break them down. I’m going to rely on Rick a lot. We’ve known each other a long time. Two heads are better than one, but from what I’ve seen on film, it’s been impressive. I like [Jake] Arrieta and [Zach] Britton and [Brian] Matusz. I’ve watched quite a bit of these guys. I really look forward to the time we have in spring training. It’s going to go by quickly. We have to get to know these guys. There is going to be a trust thing involved and we have to build that trust. It’s fun to come into this situation knowing that there is some talent there. I think this is an organization now that is hell bent on developing young pitching. We’re at a situation where there is some ability and some talent. It’s just a question of them becoming consistent and knowing that they can do that.”

Bullpen coach Rick Adair
On his impression of Orioles’ young arms: “I echo everything Mark said. I’ve been fortunate over last couple of years to see this group of young pitchers from an opposition situation. Everybody that comes in, it was like, ‘Boy I’d like to have this guy.’ I’m excited about the opportunity. The talent that we have is unlimited.”

Bench coach Willie Randolph
On reuniting with Buck Showalter: “Hopefully, we’re going to have some fun. The only way you’re going to have fun is to win some ballgames. Buck is obviously very prepared. He’s one of the smartest guys I know in the game. The main thing to me is you’re going to have a guy who is going to be professional and organized … Obviously, I’ve very excited to be back with Buck. He gave me my first shot back in [1994] as a very young third base coach. He taught me a lot about the game. He was a young manager at the time also, but he was very polished and to me, wiser beyond his years. It kick-started my career.”

Third base coach John Russell
On working with catcher Matt Wieters: “I’m looking forward to it. All the indications that I’ve gotten is the kid really wants to be a good catcher. That’s important. If they have that, they can feed off that. He’s got to have that passion to be back there and it sounds like Matt really has that. I think it’s just the maturity of going out there day in and day out and handling the situations without looking over your shoulder. I look forward to it. Everything I’ve seen or heard, he’s on the right track. “

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

New Orioles bench coach Willie Randolph gets it.

He played for six teams in an 18-season career, starting with the Pittsburgh Pirates and ending with the New York Mets.

He managed the Mets for four seasons. And he most recently was with the Milwaukee Brewers, spending two years there as a bench coach.

Yet in these parts, he’ll always be primarily associated with the enemy. Randolph is a Yankee first in Baltimore’s collective memory. He was a key cog in those great late-1970s/early-1980s teams that were always battling with the Orioles for supremacy.

Randolph was a spark plug, a fast, shifty, no-nonsense second baseman that seemed to always be on base in the mind’s eye of the Orioles fan. The stats back that up. Randolph played in 160 career games against the Orioles -- practically a full season -- and hit .272 with a .391 on-base percentage and 93 runs in those AL East contests.

Randolph understands perceptions don’t die easily. But he promises his new fan base that he’s not a Yankee now. Or a Met. Or even a Brewer.

“I appreciated my time in New York. I am a New Yorker ... but that’s not what defines me as a person,” said Randolph, who lives in New Jersey. “I have tremendous respect for [the Orioles]. I remember back in the day you couldn’t get a ticket there. It was one of the most exciting places for me, and I hope to be a part of rekindling that excitement. When I put on that uniform, I will be part of them. And [the fans] can be assured of that.”

He was asked how he thought the fans would react to him the first time he is announced at Camden Yards in black and orange and not pinstripes.

And this is what he said: “I don’t know how I will be received, but hopefully warmly. I love Baltimore. My family loves Baltimore. ... And they played a big part in my decision. I love the city of Baltimore. We’ve gone there for years, and we’ll really enjoy it. That’s a given.”

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

The Orioles have decided not to offer arbitration to free-agent reliever Koji Uehara or starting pitcher Kevin Millwood.

Both were Type B free agents, meaning if they were offered arbitration, didn’t re-sign and went elsewhere, the Orioles would receive a supplemental pick (in between rounds 1 and 2) in the 2011 amateur draft.

Therefore, the Orioles will receive no compensation if the duo goes elsewhere.

The Orioles want Uehara back, but presumably at a lower salary than his $5 million last season -- he signed a $10 million, two-year deal before the 2009 season. The 35-year-old right-hander was 1-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 43 games. He walked just five batters while striking out 55 in 44 innings. When put in the closer’s role, Uehara excelled, saving 13 of 15 games.

But his inability to stay healthy -- he was on the DL twice in 2010 and pitched in just 12 games in 2009 while in the starting rotation -- is a concern.

Millwood, 35, was 4-16 with a 5.10 ERA in 31 games for the Orioles. He made $13 million last season in the final year of a deal he signed with the Texas Rangers.

The club’s other five free agents -- Ty Wigginton, Cesar Izturis, Julio Lugo, Mark Hendrickson and Corey Patterson -- did not qualify as A or B players, and therefore the club would receive no potential compensation if they sign elsewhere.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)
        

The Orioles agreed to terms with right-handed reliever Josh Rupe on a minor league deal with an invitation to big league spring training.

Rupe, 28, made 11 appearances for the Kansas City Royals in 2010, going 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA and allowing 14 hits and seven walks in 9 2/3 innings.

He’s familiar with Orioles manager Buck Showalter, having made his major league debut with Showalter’s 2005 Texas Rangers. Rupe made 70 appearances for the Rangers from 2005 to 2009.

He’s expected to start the 2011 season at Triple-A Norfolk.

In other news, Brad Komminsk, who has spent the past three seasons as Double-A Bowie manager, will likely move up and serve as Triple-A Norfolk's hitting coach under manager Gary Allenson.

Single-A Frederick field coach Denny Hocking is expected to move up to Double-A and serve in a coaching capacity. The Orioles aren't ready to announce the identity of the Baysox's new manager, but it's expected to be an internal promotion.

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Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 6:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Former New York Mets manager Willie Randolph agreed to terms this afternoon to become the Orioles’ bench coach in 2011, reuniting him with manager Buck Showalter, the man who gave Randolph his first big league coaching job in 1994.

Randolph, 56, had spent the past two seasons as Ken Macha’s bench coach in Milwaukee and before that was the manager of the New York Mets from 2005 to 2008.

A six-time All-Star second baseman in an 18-season big league career, including 13 with the New York Yankees, Randolph will also be the Orioles’ infielders coach. Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks made strides defensively this season, and Randolph was cited as one reason for that.

Randolph’s hiring became official this evening, when the organization announced its full coaching staff after months of discussions and negotiations.

With the hiring of Randolph, former Pittsburgh Pirates manager John Russell, who could have served as bench coach, will coach third base, a position he held with the Pirates from 2003 to 2005. Russell, a former big leaguer, will also instruct the team’s catchers.

Mark Connor will be the Orioles’ pitching coach -- the fourth time he has been in that role with Showalter as manager. Rick Adair, the former Seattle Mariners pitching coach, will handle bullpen duties, and Jim Presley, who most recently was the hitting coach for the Florida Marlins, will take the same role with the Orioles. Presley was also Showalter’s hitting coach with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The only member of Showalter’s 2011 staff without at least six seasons of major league coaching or managerial experience is new first base/outfielders coach Wayne Kirby. At 46, Kirby, a big league outfielder for eight seasons, is the youngest of the group. He has spent nine seasons as a minor league coach, including the past five as an outfielders/base-running instructor in the Texas Rangers' system.

When the offseason began, former Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu was the favorite to become Showalter’s bench coach if he didn’t land a managerial job. Instead, Wakamatsu agreed to be the Toronto Blue Jays’ bench coach, leaving the spot open in Baltimore.

Randolph was the obvious fit. He has been friends with Showalter since the early 1980s, when they were in the New York Yankees organization together. Showalter tabbed Randolph as his third base coach in 1994 with the Yankees. Randolph and his family live year-round in New Jersey, so he was hoping to return to the East Coast after two years with the Brewers, who fired Macha and hired Ron Roenicke this offseason.

\With the hire, Showalter adds a trusted friend, a former manager and someone who has a strong reputation of working with infielders.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Free agent first basemen are starting to drop like pop-ups in between Deivi Cruz and Tony Batista (I could have used Ty Wigginton and Julio Lugo, but thought that would be too soon.)

Fox Sports is reporting that former Oriole Aubrey Huff and the San Francisco Giants agreed to a two-year, $22 million deal with a club option for 2013.

Huff staying in San Francisco is not a shocker. The Giants signed him for $3 million last year and he emerged as an on-field and off-the-field presence on a team that won the World Series. That was huge for Huff, who had never before been in the postseason in his career.

The $11 million per season sure doesn’t hurt either.

Although they are seeking a power-hitting first baseman, Huff was way down on the Orioles’ wish list, partially because everyone assumed he was staying in San Francisco and partially because Orioles’ president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail doesn’t like to recycle – unless it’s an inexpensive fit (such as Miguel Tejada last season).

Huff’s signing comes on the heels of reports that the Detroit Tigers have signed Victor Martinez to a four-year, $50 million deal.

There are still plenty of first baseman on the market, and the Orioles’ wish list includes Carlos Pena as well as Paul Konerko, Adam LaRoche, Derrek Lee and Adam Dunn, among others.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Well, one of your baseball Christmas presents may be off the board before Thanksgiving.

And there’s report saying the Orioles came within a $2 million drumstick.

According to Ignacio Serrano of El Nacional and confirmed by Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (and brought to the rest of the world by mlbtraderumors.com), the Detroit Tigers have agreed to terms with catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez on a four-year, $50 million deal.

Serrano’s report said the Orioles offered four years and $48 million. A team source confirmed the accuracy of the offer early this afternoon.

But I’ve always thought Martinez was the Orioles’ No. 1 target. And I’ve always thought the Orioles were at a competitive disadvantage (no pun intended) because Martinez prefers to play catcher and the Orioles wanted him at first base. Although the Tigers may end up using him at first and DH more than catcher. We'll see.

The most interesting part is that one of the big free-agent dominoes may already be signed. Although there is caution in the report that the deal is agreed to but not signed.

The Orioles would have used Martinez, a 31-year-old switch-hitter who has been primarily a catcher for most of his career, as their regular first baseman, while also using him on occasion to catch and serve as the designated hitter. They particularly valued his ability to hit left-handed pitching, long a trouble spot for the club in a division that includes Jon Lester, David Price and CC Sabathia.

Martinez hit .302 with 20 homers and 79 RBIs for the Boston Red Sox this past season. That included a .400 average against left-handed pitching.

With him apparently off the board, the Orioles will turn their attention to other free agent first baseman. Former Tampa Bay Ray Carlos Pena, according to several sources, is one of their top choices.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (62)
        

If the Orioles can work out a deal with former New York Mets manager Willie Randolph, Buck Showalter's quest to complete his coaching staff will finally be over.

The Orioles are negotiating with Randolph, who spent last season as the Milwaukee Brewers' bench coach, for the final spot on Showalter's staff, according to team sources. As the Juan Samuel situation proved this month, it's not a given that the two sides will reach an agreement.

If a deal is finalized, Randolph would work with the Orioles' infielders and either coach third or serve as Showalter's bench coach. Randolph was Showalter's third base coach with the New York Yankees in 1994 and 1995.

Former Pittsburgh Pirates manager John Russell would fill whichever role Randolph doesn't between third base and bench coach.

Meanwhile, Gary Allenson, who served as the Orioles' third base coach when manager Dave Trembley was fired in June and stayed in that capacity for the rest of the season, is expected to return to managing Triple-A Norfolk. Allenson was at the organizational meetings, so he remains very much in the Orioles' plans.

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Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 5:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

The Orioles have until midnight tomorrow to decide whether or not to offer their two "Type B" free agents -- starter Kevin Millwood and reliever Koji Uehara -- arbitration. If it is offered and the player accepts, they'll be back with the Orioles on a one-year deal for 2011. If they decline it and sign with another club, the Orioles will get a draft pick as compensation.

Uehara, who is eligible for arbitration based upon a provision in his contract when he signed with the Orioles from Japan before the 2009 season, is really the only call the Orioles have to make. He made $5 million last year, and based on his impressive 2010 season, he'd likely get a decent-sized raise. There is no way of knowing for sure, but Uehara's price for 2011 could be in the $7 million to $8 million range. Still, I would think the Orioles, who are trying to re-sign the closer, would offer Uehara arbitration -- though I'm told that hasn't been decided.

As for Millwood, I really don't think there is a decision to be made. There is little to no chance the Orioles will offer him arbitration unless there is some agreement with his agent, Scott Boras, that he will decline it. Millwood lost 16 games last year and had a 5.10 ERA, arguably the worst season of his career. But he also made $12 million.

Millwood would certainly make a lot more money in arbitration than he will on the free-agent market this offseason, so it would make more sense for the veteran to accept it. However, he likely won't get that opportunity.

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Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

The Scottsdale Scorpions, a team that featured nine Oriole farmhands at one point, captured the Arizona Fall League championship with a 3-2 victory over the Peoria Javelinas on Saturday afternoon in Scottsdale.

The Oriole minor leaguers didn’t have much of an impact in the championship game as none of them were in the starting lineup, though Kam Mickolio did pitch a scoreless innings to finalize a very good AFL stint for the big right-hander who will have a lot to prove when pitchers report to Sarasota in about three months.

During the regular AFL season, Mickolio compiled a 0.75 ERA, allowing just one run on a solo homer. Perhaps the most impressive statistic was Mickolio, who has always struggled with his control, walked just two while striking out 18 in 12 innings.

Wynn Pelzer, the pitcher acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Miguel Tejada trade, had a 2.45 ERA, but walked an alarming 12 guys in 11 innings. Oliver Drake (Navy) started six games and went 1-3 with an 8.38 ERA, and reliever Pat Egan went 0-1 with a 2.13 ERA in 10 relief appearances.

As for the hitters, catcher Caleb Joseph, a taxi squad member of the club, batted .421 (16-for-38) with one homer and six RBI. Infielder Ryan Adams batted .265 (18-for-66) with one homer and 14 RBIs, and his 2010 teammate at Double-A Bowie, Greg Miclat, hit .308 (16-for-52) and drove in four runs.

Outfielder Xavier Avery hit .188 (13-for-69) with 5 RBI and six steals. First baseman Tyler Townsend, meanwhile, went 1-for-4 with two RBIs in his only game for the Scorpions as his AFL stint was halted when he needed surgery to remove a cyst from his hand.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

I’ve debated this question recently with several people, including a couple of members of the Orioles organization.

Those who say yes talk about Martinez’s ability to pound left-handed pitching. The switch-hitter batted .400 against southpaws this year with an astonishing 1.173 OPS and is a career .301 hitter against lefties. Hitting lefties has been a huge issue in recent years with the Orioles, and it will continue to be problematic in a division that includes David Price, CC Sabathia and Jon Lester.

They mention his offensive consistency, pointing out that the 31-year-old has hit 20 or more homers in five of the past seven seasons, and batted .300 or better five times during that span. He has also driven in 100 or more runs three times.

And finally, they bring up what a complete pro Martinez is and how much the Orioles’ clubhouse needs an intense, no-nonsense personality, a player who isn’t afraid to get into other players' faces and hold teammates accountable.

Then, there are those who point to his numbers and conclude that they wouldn’t constitute great production coming from a first baseman. Martinez hit .302 for the Boston Red Sox this past season with 20 homers and 79 RBIs. For a catcher, that’s great production. For a first baseman, the position he would play if he were to sign with the Orioles, those numbers wouldn’t look as impressive -- though the Orioles would probably be thrilled with them when you consider what they have been getting from first base in recent years.

Those against signing him maintain that he has never been an everyday first baseman and his defense would be a question mark. They also question the logic of giving a lucrative four- or five-year deal, which the Orioles surely would have to do to bring the coveted free agent to Baltimore, to a close-to-32-year-old with a ton of wear-and-tear on his body from being behind the plate all these years.

I see both sides, though I’ve always liked and respected Martinez and you simply cannot debate that he would be a significant upgrade in the lineup, though not the feared cleanup hitter the Orioles so desperately need.

However, the only opinions that matter come from Peter Angelos, Andy MacPhail, Buck Showalter and the rest of the Orioles' decision-makers. By all accounts, they are very high on Martinez and he is one of their top offseason priorities. They have let his agent know just that.

Still, they remain a sizable underdog to signing him. Martinez reportedly still wants to catch regularly, and he wouldn’t do that in Baltimore with Matt Wieters here. The Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers all want Martinez, and he would probably catch for all three. It stands to reason that the Orioles would have to go above and beyond and blow everybody else's offers out of the water to land Martinez, and their track record doing that is not very good.

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Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (53)
        

The Orioles today added three prospects to their 40-man roster, including promising starter Zach Britton, but opted not to protect 2006 first-round pick Billy Rowell.

That means that Rowell, a 22-year-old infielder who was picked ninth overall in 2006, one slot ahead of two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, will be available to other teams in next month’s Rule 5 draft.

It is unlikely that Rowell will be picked as Rule 5 selections have to be kept on the acquiring team’s 25-man roster for the entire season or be offered back to their original club.

Rowell, 22, has played three consecutive seasons at Single-A Frederick, showing few signs that he’s near major league ready. He hit .275 with 11 homers and 61 RBIs in 117 games in 2010, and if he stays in the organization as expected, he’ll likely get his long-awaited promotion to Double-A Bowie in 2011.

Britton, the organization’s top pitching prospect and its minor league Pitcher of the Year last year, went 7-3 with a 2.48 ERA in 15 starts at Bowie and then 3-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 12 starts with Triple-A Norfolk. Though it’s unlikely that the 22-year-old starts the 2011 campaign in the Orioles’ rotation, it would be surprising if he didn’t make his big league debut at some point during the season.

The other additions to the 40-man roster are first baseman Joe Mahoney and outfielder Matt Angle. Mahoney, 23, was named the organization’s minor league Player of the Year after hitting .307 and tallying 18 homers and 78 RBIs in 124 combined games at Single-A and Double-A.

Angle, 25, whose best tools are his speed and defense, hit .383 in 14 games for Bowie before moving up to Norfolk, where he batted .260 with one homer and 24 RBIs. He’ll likely return to Norfolk for another season.

Minor leaguers who have been in the organization for four or five years, depending on their age when they signed, and have yet to be put on the 40-man roster are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft.

The list of Orioles minor leaguers who are eligible to be drafted Dec. 9 on the final day of baseball’s winter meetings includes infielders Ryan Adams and Brandon Waring; outfielder Tyler Henson; starting pitcher Steve Johnson (St. Paul’s); and relievers Pedro Beato, Brandon Cooney, Pat Egan and Wynn Pelzer.

With the three additions today, the Orioles’ 40-man roster stands at 35.

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Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 6:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

I just thumbed through the most recent “ESPN The Magazine,” which features a ridiculous pictorial of athletes in movie scenes.

I have to admit that skier Lindsey Vonn’s portrayal of Sharon Stone’s character in Basic Instinct caught my eye – I am made of flesh and blood here.

But it was the Pulp Fiction re-enactment that made me laugh.

Seattle Mariners star and 2010 Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez is decked out as Jules Winnfield, the Samuel L. Jackson character. And the role of his partner in crime, John Travolta’s Vincent Vega, is filled by former Oriole Garrett Olson.

Olson was a media favorite in his two years with the Orioles because he was, well, just plain goofy, a true left-hander from the left coast (he attended Cal Poly and was one of the brighter players in the clubhouse).

I remember at the end of the 2008 season Olson walked around the clubhouse on the final day and hugged everyone. And I mean everyone: players, coaches, media, clubbies. It was the oddest and most elongated display of man-hugs I had ever witnessed.

He didn’t realize that would be his last regular season game as an Oriole. He was traded that offseason to the Chicago Cubs for Felix Pie.

Olson was definitely a character. And, apparently, a character actor. Take away the blond, surfer hair and he looks a little like Travolta. Here’s a link to the video.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I've already gotten a few questions about the report out of Japan that the Orioles will bid on shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka. From what I've been told, the Orioles still haven't decided whether they will bid or not on Nishioka, who was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines earlier this week. And even if they did bid, few expect that the total would be enough to land the opportunity to exclusively negotiate with the player. The Orioles do have some interest in Nishioka, but they also think the price of the posting fee, coupled by the contract that the player will be looking for, will far exceed what they view as the infielder's worth.

While we are at it discussing other reports, the Orioles are not aggressively pursuing free agent starter Jorge de la Rosa. They have what I would describe as tepid interest in the lefty, and haven't crossed him off their list, but their attention is on spending money to upgrade the offense, not giving out multi-year deals to middle-of-the-rotation starters. I still believe that if the Orioles add a starter this offseason, it will be via a trade or on a low-risk one-year signing, or even on a minor league deal. De la Rosa will be able to do much, much better than that.

The Orioles have had multiple conversations with the representatitve of closer Koji Uehara, who has interest in returning to Baltimore at the right price. It would surprise me, however, if the Orioles would be willing to offer him a two-year deal. If another team is willing to extend Uehara a guaranteed two-year offer, I'd be surprised if he's back in an Orioles' uniform in 2011. Either way, Uehara appears to be at the top of the Orioles' list of their own free agents that they want to resign.

The Orioles will probably make between "four and six" additions to their 40-man roster before Saturday's deadline. Top pitching prospect Zach Britton is obviously a given, and you'd think guys like Ryan Adams and Wynn Pelzer, who have been watched closely by scouts for several weeks in the Arizona Fall League, are also under heavy consideration. I see no chance that former first round pick Billy Rowell is added to the 40-man, meaning that the Orioles could lose him in next month's Rule 5 draft. I cannot imagine another team deeming Rowell, who has played three straight years at Single-A Frederick, ready to hold down a 25-man roster spot for the duration of the 2011 season. So really, leaving him unprotected is not much of a gamble at all.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (29)
        

I’m never a fan of the so-called “sure thing” game in pro football.

The NFL doesn’t work that way. Too much parity. Too many times a really good team gets beaten by a bad team. That Cowboys-Giants game last week was a perfect example.

So looking at the Ravens’ contest Sunday in Carolina, it appears to be a perfect trap game. Except that the Ravens were already tripped on the road last Thursday at Atlanta. They’ve had a couple extra days to prepare for the Panthers.

Oh, and there’s that little other matter: The Panthers are awful. Absolutely terrible. Probably the worst team in the NFL. And right now their starting quarterback is, wait for it, Brian St. Pierre. I don’t think the Panthers could win this one if they had St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes, under center.

Ravens win 31-3. This is finally Ray Rice’s big day. Three TDs and 150 yards rushing.

Now it’s your turn on Prediction Friday. Predict Sunday’s winner, final score and the player of the game tiebreaker. I’ll shower the winner with fake gifts next week at the fake bar.

We’re also continuing the 2-for-1 theme at this joint on Fridays. We’ll switch to baseball.

My Sun baseball partner, Jeff Zrebiec, had a story in Friday editions saying the Orioles have talked to the Tampa Bay Rays about shortstop Jason Bartlett and the Minnesota Twins about shortstop J.J. Hardy. Jeff reports that the Rays have, in turn, asked about reliever David Hernandez.

Considering Minnesota needs bullpen help with half their relievers heading to free agency, the Twins might be eyeing Hernandez, too, though that hasn’t been confirmed.

I want to know if you would give up Hernandez for either Bartlett, who is 31, a good fielder and a career .281 hitter who struggled at the plate last season; or for Hardy, who is 28, has a cannon arm and enough pop to hit 20 homers per season but was slowed by injuries in 2010?

I am not sure I would.

Listen, I’d take either shortstop on my team; they are both an upgrade offensively over Cesar Izturis and both are more than solid defensively. But each is a free agent after next season.

And I am a big believer in Hernandez’s upside. I think he really enjoyed the switch to the bullpen last year, and it showed in his numbers: He was 1-5 with a 5.31 ERA in eight starts last year. He was 7-3 with a 3.16 ERA in 33 relief appearances. He struck out 45 batters and walked just 14 in 37 innings as a reliever. In 42 1/3 innings as a starter he walked 28 and fanned 27.

Hernandez is 25, and he has that quiet confidence possessed by a lot of excellent relievers. I think he can be an effective set-up guy at the least and a quality closer if he reaches his potential.

So I wouldn’t deal him, even to fill an offensive hole like shortstop with a solid player such as Bartlett or Hardy. For the record, just so you know I am not playing the homer card here, I would trade any other reliever in the Orioles’ organization for either one of those two, even knowing Bartlett/Hardy may walk after 2011. Just not Hernandez.

Perhaps the equation involving Hernandez changes if Bartlett or Hardy would agree to a contract extension with the Orioles. But you can’t count on that. So you have to assume it’s a one-year rental

Maybe I am crazy here. Maybe I am overvaluing Hernandez. You tell me. Would you trade Hernandez for either Bartlett or Hardy?

Daily Think Special: Prediction Friday: Ravens-Panthers

Bonus Think Special: Would you trade David Hernandez for either Jason Bartlett or J.J. Hardy?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (69)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

The Orioles will need to set their roster ahead of the Rule 5 draft by Saturday, and they took another step toward doing that today when they announced that pitcher Armando Gabino and infielder Rhyne Hughes have cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk.

Gabino declined the assignment and elected for free agency.

Gabino, 27, went 7-0 with a 2.37 ERA in 30 games (eight starts) for the Tides in 2010, but that success did not translate to the big leagues. He allowed seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings for the Orioles.

Hughes, 27, was recalled and made his Major League debut for the Orioles on April 24, getting two hits and an RBI against the Boston Red Sox. He appeared in 14 games, batting .213 (10-47) with four RBI. He hit .258 (100-388) with 10 home runs and 39 RBI in 104 games for Norfolk.

The two moves leaves the Orioles' 40-man roster at 32. They'll add a couple of their prospects to the roster by Saturday, including pitcher Zach Britton and infielder Ryan Adams.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 5:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

In September, a writer friend who covers the Yankees and I made a bet.

He said that the over-40, stodgy, old school writers of the BBWAA were going to cost Seattle’s Felix Hernandez a deserving AL Cy Young Award this season because he didn’t have enough wins (Hernandez ended the season 13-12 while New York’s CC Sabathia was 21-7, Tampa Bay’s David Price was 19-6 and Boston’s Jon Lester was 19-9).

Being an old, stodgy, 40-something writer I took the whippersnapper’s bait. We bet dinner during the season that the writers would see the light, dismiss Hernandez’s win-loss record and concentrate on his other impressive numbers such as a league-leading 2.27 ERA, 30 quality starts in 34 attempts and 232 strikeouts.

I was right. I’ll be ordering steak or maybe the surf and turf.

The AL Cy Young, as voted by the Baseball Writers Association of America, was announced Thursday and Hernandez was the overwhelming winner, capturing 21 of the 28 possible first-place votes and 167 total points. Price finished second (four firsts, 111 total) followed by Sabathia (3 firsts, 102) and Lester (33 points).

I knew my fellow old, stodgy writers would look at the numbers as a whole, and not penalize Hernandez just because he was on a team that never scored.

I am of the minority that still believes “wins” has its place in an overall analysis – my saberfriends swear it is a “flawed metric” and I am a dinosaur – but I believe it is just one category and shouldn’t be the overriding factor in voting for awards.

Apparently 21 other writers thought similarly.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

The Orioles haven't ruled out bringing back Cesar Izturis, but they are currently looking at other shortstop options, according to club sources.

They've had trade discussions with the Tampa Bay Rays about Jason Bartlett, and the Minnesota Twins about J.J. Hardy.

The talks with the Rays included discussion of a potential swap of Orioles reliever David Hernandez for Bartlett, who hit .254 with four homers and 47 RBIs in 2010, but is a career .281 hitter. However, that deal appears unlikely at this point as the Orioles consider other options.

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, who remains in Orlando, Fla. to attend the owner’s meetings after the general manager meetings ended yesterday, wouldn’t comment on specific players, but acknowledged that he met with several teams this week to discuss potential trades, along with the representatives of several free agents.

“We’ve had some productive discussions,” MacPhail said.

The Hernandez-for-Bartlett deal does make sense for both sides as the Rays are aggressively seeking affordable relievers as they could lose five members of their 2010 bullpen in free agency, including All-Star closer Rafael Soriano. Top setup man Joaquin Benoit has already signed with the Detroit Tigers.

While the Orioles love the defense and intangibles that Izturis brings, they are searching for a better two-way option at the position. Bartlett, who is expected to be replaced at shortstop by a younger and cheaper Reid Brignac, is just one year removed from a season in which he hit .320 with 14 homers and 66 RBIs and stole 30 bases.

However, Bartlett is eligible for free agency after the 2011 season, and he struggled offensively in 2010.

Meanwhile, there are some within the organization that feel Hernandez, 25, is too valuable to give up for a potential one-year rental, and could be the team's closer of the future.

Hernandez, one of the most asked about Orioles in trade discussions, went 8-8 with a 4.31 ERA in 41 appearances while serving in a variety of roles this past season. He started the season in the rotation, making eight starts, before ultimately settling in the bullpen and even serving as the team’s closer at one point, saving three games.

Like Bartlett, Hardy, 28, will be a free agent following the 2011 season. He batted .268 with six homers and 38 RBIs in 101 games for the Twins last season and is a career .263 hitters. His best season came in 2007 for the Milwaukee Brewers as he batted .277 with 26 homers and 80 RBIs. However, his numbers have dropped each season since and he’s struggled to stay off the disabled list the past two years.

It isn't presently known what the Twins are looking for from the Orioles in return for Hardy.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (31)
        

I caught up with John “T-Bone” Shelby on Wednesday for a few minutes on the phone, and we talked about his new gig in Milwaukee as the Brewers’ outfielders’ coach and “eye in the sky.”

When it became clear to Shelby, the Orioles’ first base/outfielders coach for the past three seasons, that he wouldn’t be back in Baltimore, he started sending out feelers for jobs. One was to old friend Ron Roenicke, who he has known for decades.

Roenicke and Shelby were both first-round draft picks in 1977 – Roenicke with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Shelby with the Orioles – and they were managers together in the Dodgers’ minor league system in the 1990s. (And Orioles fans know Roenicke’s brother, Gary, and T-Bone played together in the outfield on some great Orioles’ teams in the early 1980s).

When Ron Roenicke landed the managerial job in Milwaukee earlier this month, he contacted Shelby.

“He wanted me and I wanted to coach for him,” Shelby said.

There wasn’t an available spot for Shelby on the field, so the “eye in the sky” position was created – Roenicke served a similar role for the Dodgers in 1992-93.

Shelby will suit up with the team pre-game and participate in normal coaching activities, but once the game begins, he can’t be on the bench and must watch – and position outfielders – from a skybox. He’ll travel with the team and be a regular staff member except while the game is being played.

“It’s going to be a little different, not being on the field,” Shelby, 52, said. “I’ll be overseeing the outfielders, and I’ll do the same things before games, drills and things, I just won’t be on the field when the game begins, and that will be different. But I’m still excited.”

Shelby, who has been a big-league coach since 1998 (for the Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Orioles), had discussions with other teams, but wanted to remain in the majors. Going to Milwaukee will allow him to be near his family in Kentucky three times a season when the Brewers visit the Cincinnati Reds. Most of his family, anyway. One son, John III, plays in the Chicago White Sox organization and another, Jeremy, was drafted by the Orioles last season.

Shelby will also get to work with Rick Kranitz again. The Orioles’ pitching coach from 2008-10 was hired by Roenicke to handle the pitching staff in Milwaukee. Shelby and Kranitz spoke by phone Tuesday.

Even though he is moving on, Shelby, who played seven seasons in Baltimore, said the city and the team will always be special to him.

“I’m going to miss Baltimore. I enjoyed my time with everyone … and I would have liked to have been there when things got turned around,” Shelby said. “But I got to see a little bit of that at times this year. I’ve still got a lot of good friends there and I’ll still be paying attention to the Orioles.”

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

I apologize in advance for the latest incremental update on the coaching staff, but I can now write that John Russell is a done deal and he'll be joining manager Buck Showalter's staff.

The Orioles still have to work out some "offsetting provisions" with the Pittsburgh Pirates because they have Russell under contract after firing him as manager last month. But everything else has been settled and he'll be joining the group that includes pitching coach Mark Connor, bullpen coach Rick Adair, hitting coach Jim Presley and first base coach Wayne Kirby.

What hasn't been decided is whether Russell will be Showalter's bench coach or he'll coach third base. That depends on Showalter's final hire. That position will likely be filled by an infield coach. Candidates include former New York Mets manager Willie Randolph, New York Yankees third base coach Rob Thomson and Triple-A Norfolk manager Bobby Dickerson.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Two impressive months of managing don’t equate to any votes for manager of the year.

The official voting for AL and NL Manager of the Year was announced by the Baseball Writers Association of America on Wednesday afternoon and the winners were Minnesota’s Ron Gardenhire and San Diego’s Bud Black.

The Orioles’ Buck Showalter, who took over an awful Orioles team on August 2 and guided it to a 34-23 record for the remainder of the season, did not receive any votes.

In the AL, Gardenhire received 16 of a potential 28 first place votes (and a total of 108 points) for his first award after being runner-up five other times. Texas’ Ron Washington finished second with 81 points and 10 first-place votes. Tampa Bay’s Joe Maddon was third with 44 points and one first-place vote. Toronto’s Cito Gaston also had a first-place vote and ended in fifth with five points. Boston’s Terry Francona placed fourth with two seconds and seven third place votes and New York’s Joe Girardi received one third-place vote.

In the NL, Black picked up 104 points, including 16 of the 32 first-place votes, and edged Cincinnati’s Dusty Baker (13 firsts, 103 points total) by one point. San Francisco’s Bruce Bochy (30 points), Atlanta’s Bobby Cox (28 points) and Philadelphia’s Charlie Manuel (20 points) all received one first-place vote. Houston’s Brad Mills (three points) received one second-place vote.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

Now that the AL Rookie of the Year voting is out of the way, there is only one award left that could result in an Oriole getting a mention.

The 2010 AL and NL Managers of the Year, as selected by the Baseball Writers Association of America, will be announced at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Minnesota’s Ron Gardenhire, who led his small-market Twins to 94 victories and an AL Central crown despite season-ending injuries to closer Joe Nathan and former MVP Justin Morneau, is a leading candidate, along with Tampa Bay’s Joe Maddon, whose Rays had the league’s best record.

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington could garner enough support to win, but, remember, the voting closes at the end of the season, so the Rangers’ postseason run to the World Series won’t be factored in by writers.

Boston’s Terry Francona had a mess on his hands in Red Sox Nation, and yet his club still won 89 games, so that could inspire some voters to throw a third-place vote or two his way.

And then there is the Orioles’ Buck Showalter, who took a team headed for its worst finish in franchise history and guided it to near-.600 baseball (34-23) in the season’s final two months. It was impressive, but didn’t last long enough to get him his third manager of the year award.

But will he get some votes, probably of the third-place variety? My guess is he will. Remember, the writers are asked to vote for their top three choices for manager. And I bet some leave Washington, or maybe even Maddon, off their ballots.

You watched the Showalter turnaround up close in August and September. Would you vote him in your top three for this year? Or would that be unfair given that the other worthy candidates had to complete a full season?

If Buck makes your top three, who comes off your ballot?

Daily Think Special: Should Buck Showalter finish in the top three for AL Manager of the Year?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

Former Orioles infielder Scott Moore will return to one of his former organizations as he has agreed to a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs. Moore, who turns 27 tomorrow, made his major league debut with the Cubs in 2006 before they traded him to Baltimore a year later in the Steve Trachsel deal.

Moore hit .280 with 11 homers and 45 RBIs in 61 games for Triple-A Norfolk this past season but again struggled to stay healthy. He also got 86 at-bats for the Orioles, hitting .209 with three homers and 10 RBIs.

I’ve always liked Moore’s swing and his versatility, but it seemed like every time he was about to get an opportunity, he was derailed by injuries.

I wrote yesterday how the Orioles have agreed to a minor league deal with pitcher Mitch Atkins, but overall, I don’t expect the club to make too many of these types of signings this offseason. Because they will be dealing with two fewer affiliates (they cut one of their Dominican teams as well as Rookie-level Bluefield), the Orioles simply won’t need as many players.

They do, however, need a couple of veteran starters/swing men to slot in the upper levels of the minor leagues for insurance purposes.

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Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 8:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Several people have asked about the Orioles’ interest in Japanese infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who reportedly was posted last night by the Chiba Lotte Marines. The last time I inquired about him, I was told that the Orioles had some interest but they hadn’t decided yet whether they would bid. My gut feeling is that they won’t be involved as the organization isn’t enamored of the whole posting process. This is more my opinion from talking to people, but I get the impression that the Orioles feel that the money they would have to put up just to win the ability to negotiate with the player, coupled with what they would have to pay Nishioka to sign him to a contract, would far exceed his worth. Again, this is not set in stone as the Orioles clearly are looking for a shortstop -- and the 26-year-old switch-hitter batted .346 with 22 steals this past season -- along with a versatile infielder as insurance for Brian Roberts. However, it’s my guess they’ll decide that they can find a comparable -- if not better -- option elsewhere at a cheaper price.

Speaking of Roberts, I haven’t talked to him this offseason, but I have spoken to several people who have, and it sounds like the second baseman is feeling good and the health problems he had late in the season haven’t lingered much into the offseason. That’s obviously a good sign as Roberts’ ability to stay healthy will be a prominent theme heading into the 2011 campaign.

Another popular question we’ve gotten recently is about whether the Orioles would consider trading Brian Matusz to upgrade their offense. Unless the Tampa Bay Rays come calling with word that Evan Longoria is available, or the New York Mets do the same with David Wright, the answer is likely: “No.” The Orioles view Matusz as their top young pitcher and a future front-end starter. While the team has at least some interest in all the sluggers being mentioned in trade speculation (Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, Mark Reynolds, Dan Uggla, to name a few), I doubt they’d include Matusz as part of any of those deals. But again, that’s more my opinion after talking to some team officials.

Orioles director of amateur scouting Joe Jordan’s staff continues to undergo changes. Dominic Viola, who scouted for the Orioles in the Carolinas, has left the organization to take a job in the professional scouting department of the Cincinnati Reds. James Keller, who previously scouted in Northern California, will shift into a professional scouting role with the Orioles. Rich Morales, who had been scouting in south Texas, will take over Keller’s area in California. Jordan, who let go two of his area scouts this year, has a 15-man staff, and five of them will be in new positions.

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Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (34)
        

The Orioles' FanFest 2011 is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 29 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

The event will feature Q&A and autograph sessions with current and former Orioles as well as clinics, exhibits and interactive games.

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Posted by Steve Gould at 10:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

The Milwaukee Brewers announced the hiring of three former Orioles coaches to complete first-year manager Ron Roenicke’s 2011 staff.

Rick Kranitz, who had spent the past three seasons as pitching coach in Baltimore, will fill the same role under Roenicke, and John Shelby, the Orioles’ first base and outfield coach from 2008 to 2010 and an outfielder with the team from 1981 to 1987, was named outfield instructor/“eye in the sky”.

Kranitz had been hired as minor league pitching coordinator for the Houston Astros earlier this month.

Milwaukee also hired Jerry Narron as bench coach. Narron, who formerly managed the Cincinnati Reds, spent years in the Orioles’ organization as a minor league manager and served as big league coach under manager Johnny Oates in 1993 and 1994.

Narron also played 95 games, most of them at catcher, in 1988 for Rochester, then the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate. His son, Connor, was a fifth-round draft pick of the Orioles’ in June and plays infield in their minor league system.

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Posted by Steve Gould at 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Former Pittsburgh Pirates manager John Russell hasn't worked out all the final details with Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, but he has been invited to join manager Buck Showalter's 2011 staff, according to club sources.

Russell still has to work out contract details with MacPhail, who is currently at baseball's general manager meetings in Orlando, Fla. And as we know from how the Juan Samuel situation worked out, nothing is final until all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed.

One source said that "things are moving in that direction" when asked about Russell's hiring, but he cautioned that it wasn't a fait accompli.

Russell would likely be the bench coach, but it's not impossible he will serve as Showalter's third base coach. That will depend largely on the final hiring for Showalter's staff.

That hiring will likely have an infield background as the Orioles don't currently have an infield coach on staff. The two front-runners are believed to be former New York Mets manager Willie Randolph and New York Yankees third base coach Rob Thomson.

Russell was in Baltimore last Friday to interview with Showalter and team officials at the warehouse.

A former big league catcher, Russell served three seasons as Pirates manager before he was fired at the end of this past season. He'll be asked to help mentor young catcher Matt Wieters.

He compiled a 186-299 record (.384 winning percentage) while at the helm of the Pirates.

Russell was a first-round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies' in 1982 and played parts of 10 seasons in the majors, five with the Phillies, one with the Atlanta Braves and the final four with the Texas Rangers.

In other news, Orioles' left-hander Brian Matusz finished tied for fifth in American League Rookie of the Year voting. He got three third-place votes. Texas Rangers closer Neftali Feliz won the award, followed by Detroit Tigers outfielder Austin Jackson.

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Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

The Orioles have signed right-handed pitcher Mitch Atkins to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league spring training.

Atkins, 25, went 8-3 with a 3.63 ERA in 28 games (15 starts) in 2010 for Triple-A Iowa, a Chicago Cubs affiliate. He allowed 98 hits and 42 walks while striking out 76 in 106 innings.
He also made seven big league relief appearances spanning 12 innings for the Cubs over the past two seasons, compiling a 5.25 ERA.

It’s way too early to project his role with the 2011 Orioles, but he’ll most likely come to spring training and compete for a long-relief spot in the bullpen.

The Orioles have also signed several of their own minor leaguers before they became eligible for free agency. They are relievers Will Startup and Raul Rivero, catcher Adam Donachie and infielder Carlos Rojas.

Startup, a lefty, went 3-0 with a 1.77 ERA while pitching in 24 games at three affiliates (the highest being Single-A Frederick) in 2010. Rivero was 4-3 with a 3.06 ERA in 37 appearances for Frederick and Double-A Bowie. Donachie hit .197 with four homers and 23 RBIs in 83 games for Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk while Rojas batted .239 with one homer and 40 RBIs in 93 games for Bowie.

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Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

The 2010 BBWAA awards will be announced over the next eight days, starting with Monday’s unveiling of the American League and National League Rookies of the Year. It will become official at 2 p.m.

Before the season started, Orioles lefty Brian Matusz was considered one of AL favorites, but a rough middle of the season likely crushed his chances.

Matusz ended the year 10-12 with a respectable 4.30 ERA. He led AL rookies in starts (32), innings pitched (175 2/3) and strikeouts (143).

Ultimately, the award winner is expected to be Texas Rangers closer Neftali Feliz, who was 4-3 with a 2.73 ERA in 70 games. He converted 40 of 43 saves for the American League champions and struck out 71 batters while walking just 18 in the regular season.

The runners-up could be a pair of Detroit Tigers outfielders.

Austin Jackson, my preseason pick for the award, led AL rookies in at-bats (618), stolen bases (27), runs scored (103), hits (181) and strikeouts (170) while batting .293 with a .345 on-base percentage. He also played very good defense.

Brennan Boesch led AL rookies with 14 homers and 67 RBIs in just 464 at-bats while hitting .256 with a .320 on-base percentage.

Both have chinks in their rookie armor, but they had pretty good seasons, nonetheless.

Another rookie who may get some consideration is Minnesota Twins infielder Danny Valencia, who batted .311 with a .351 on-base percentage, adding seven homers and 40 RBIs (one fewer than Jackson) in just 299 at-bats. And he did it for a playoff team.

Frankly, it’s tough for a starting pitcher to win the award unless his season was incredible or there weren’t any viable offensive or closing candidates. Voters tend to reward rookies who play more than every fifth day.

That said, Matusz probably would have made voters think a little more had he not gone 0-4 with a 7.50 ERA in May or 1-2 with a 8.10 ERA in July. Otherwise, his numbers were excellent. His biggest competition among starters is from the Tampa Bay Rays' Wade Davis, who was 12-10 with a 4.07 ERA in 29 starts.

Matusz may get a couple votes for third, but I doubt he’ll garner more than that.

I want to know: If you had a vote, would you put Matusz in your top three (that’s how BBWAA voters do it)? Orioles fandom aside, does he deserve to be a top-three vote-getter this season?

If not, what would your top three be?

By the way, here’s the schedule for the vote announcements: Monday, AL and NL rookies; Tuesday, NL Cy Young; Wednesday, AL and NL managers; Thursday, AL Cy Young; Monday, Nov. 22, NL MVP; Tuesday, Nov. 23, AL MVP.

Daily Think Special: Should Brian Matusz finish in the Top 3 of AL Rookie of the Year voting?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

As the Orioles’ coaching carousel continues, I have heard two questions from some of you about Buck Showalter’s bench coach vacancy.

“If Showalter is such a strategic genius, why does he need a bench coach?”

And then there is, ‘Why does anyone need a bench coach? Greats like Earl Weaver never had one and the game hasn’t changed that much.”

It’s true that inside the white lines the game’s challenges aren’t that much different than Weaver’s days. It’s outside of those lines, before the game starts and after it ends, that is vastly different.

Today’s manager has so many more pre-game responsibilities, including a televised meeting with the media that sometimes lasts 15 minutes or more.

And while the manager is dealing with reporters and front office types and also trying to put out little fires, it’s the bench coach that is doing a lot of the daily administrative work: Filling out various lineup cards, creating the day’s practice schedule, setting up series meetings, etc.

Those skills are honed in spring training, when most bench coaches double as spring training coordinators, devising all the schedules, from practice times to which players go on what road trips (with input from the manager, of course).

The bench coach is also often a conduit between the players and the manager. Someone who can be a trusted sounding board for both sides and someone who occasionally needs to bridge the two. It’s no coincidence that a bench coach usually is a good friend and trusted confidant of the manager but also commands the respect of the players.

And it certainly helps that the bench coach usually has been a manager before and so, through experience, likely knows how to handle some situations before they ever reach the manager.

There’s the other aspect, too, the one that most people associate with bench coaches: Giving suggestions to a manager during a game. But that really isn’t a huge responsibility for most bench coaches. In fact, a lot of bench coaches like to sit with the players and discuss situations as the games unfold – sort of acting as a breathing, continuing education course for big leaguers.

When I asked Showalter what he was looking for in a bench coach, he joked that he didn’t need somebody whispering in his ear about when to bunt. Showalter has all that figured out. Instead, the bench coach for Showalter – and for most experienced managers – is a combination of administrative assistant, baseball instructor, confidant and conduit.

So, despite the naysayers, it’s a pretty important position in today’s baseball world, though most of the responsibilities of a bench coach occur behind the scenes.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Orioles manager Buck Showalter interviewed former Pittsburgh Pirates manager John Russell on Friday for one of two vacant positions on his coaching staff, according to two industry sources.

Russell, 49, could fit as Showalter's bench coach or third base coach, a position Russell held with the Pirates from 2003 to 2005 under then-manager Lloyd McClendon. Russell rejoined the Pirates in 2008 and served three seasons as manager before being fired at the end of this past season.

He compiled a 186-299 record (.384 winning percentage) while at the helm of the Pirates.

Russell was a first-round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1982 and played parts of 10 seasons in the majors, five with the Phillies, one with the Atlanta Braves and the final four with the Texas Rangers.

He played 209 of his 448 major league games at catcher, with the highlight coming in 1990, when he caught Nolan Ryan's sixth no-hitter. Russell also played some outfield and corner infield as a pro.

After his playing career, Russell managed in the Minnesota Twins' and Phillies' organizations, earning the 2006 International League Manager of the Year Award with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Russell is a potential fit because Showalter is looking for a catching instructor who can serve on the bench or at third base. He would like to have a former manager as bench coach but said that is not imperative. He does, however, want a third base coach who has major league experience at that spot.

If Russell is hired, then Gary Allenson, who was the Orioles' third base coach for the season's final four months, likely would return to manage Triple-A Norfolk. Allenson is also a catching instructor.

That would leave the Orioles looking for an infield coach at either bench or third base. Possibilities include former New York Mets manager Willie Randolph and former Oriole Mike Bordick.

The Orioles have hired four other coaches: Jim Presley (hitting), Mark Connor (pitching), Rick Adair (bullpen) and Wayne Kirby (first base/outfield).

There is no timetable on when the other two will be hired or when the entire staff will be announced.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

The NFL screwed up Prediction Friday for Ravens’ fans this week.

So welcome to Predicament Friday. You’re charged today with figuring out how your two favorite local pro teams should finish games.

First, to the Ravens, who lost 26-21 to the Falcons in Atlanta on Thursday night. It’s almost getting tired around here, but I’ll again take bragging rights for the week, after predicting a Falcons’ 24-20 victory. I was closest, though a lot of you didn’t play along this week since the alarm clock went off too early.

A lot of the discussion this morning around the water cooler and (in our case) bar taps will involve several questionable calls that went against the Ravens. But the bottom line is that the Ravens are in the loss column in another game in which they led in the fourth quarter and eventually dropped.

This is a good Ravens squad and that was a tough game from the get-go – on the road in a short week against a quality opponent. The reality, however, is that they have allowed several winnable games get away from that at the end in the last year and a half.

I want to hear your take on that. I want your theories as to why it’s happening. Is it coincidence? Just football? Or is the intensity or game plan changing too much in the fourth quarter? And what can the Ravens do to fix it?

The Ravens aren’t the only Baltimore team to have problems closing out wins. The Orioles have had problems getting wins in any fashion. But they have blown their share of saves in the past few years.

And now Koji Uehara, who saved 13 of 15 games down the stretch, is a free agent and could walk to another team. That would leave Mike Gonzalez as the de facto closer; that’s what he was signed to be anyway. David Hernandez could be a future closer, and Jim Johnson must be mentioned since he’s been in the role with the Orioles before.

I want to know who you think should close games for the Orioles in 2011. Should they re-sign Uehara? Should they go after a free-agent closer such as Rafael Soriano, Kevin Gregg or even the declining Trevor Hoffman? Or should they look internally again?

It may not be Prediction Friday, but we are still having 2-for-1 specials.

Daily Think Special: What’s causing the Ravens’ late-game troubles?

Bonus Think Special: Who should close games for the Orioles in 2011?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail isn’t going to tell us who he has talked to since free agency began in earnest Sunday.

But he will acknowledge that he is speaking to agents -- many of them.

“We’ve talked to a wide variety of guys,” MacPhail said. “There’s been no shortage of conversations with players’ agents.”

So rest easy, Orioles fans, MacPhail has not gone into hiding. He’s just hiding his cards once again.

The Orioles are expected to pursue a corner infielder with power potential, and among those they have interest in are third baseman Adrian Beltre and first basemen Victor Martinez, Adam LaRoche, Derrek Lee, Carlos Pena, Paul Konerko, Adam Dunn, Lance Berkman and Aubrey Huff.

You can figure he has talked to the agents for the majority of the names above. He has also presumably touched base with agents for some relievers, which is the deepest talent base of a shallow free-agent pool.

Touching base with agents and other teams about trade possibilities is what a general manager does at this point in the offseason, so don’t get too discouraged or excited when the Orioles are connected to a certain player or team early on.

Really, things haven’t changed since September. The Orioles know whom they like, what holes they need to fill and who likely fits into their budget. Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth won’t be coming here, and Beltre most likely won’t either.

One of the above first baseman might, and so might a reliever or two. In fact, the Orioles might be more likely to add through trades than through free agency. But again, it’s not like they have a lot of available chips outside of the core they want to keep.

But, yes, if guys like Zack Greinke, Mark Reynolds, Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder and Jose Reyes are available through trades, the Orioles will kick those tires. Whether they have enough -- or whether their package of players is the best fit -- will be determined by the other team involved.

Earlier this offseason, MacPhail said he expected there to be more trade discussion this winter. On Wednesday, the Kansas City Royals dealt away outfielder David DeJesus to the Oakland Athletics for pitcher Vin Mazzaro and a minor leaguer. That’s really early for such a deal.

And maybe that’s indication that this will be the offseason of trades. As well as another offseason filled with lots of speculation.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (43)
        

There’s been some talk floating around the Internet -- after a tweet in Spanish yesterday -- about a Dominican Winter League incident involving Orioles outfielder Felix Pie.

Two things are important to note here: One, I wasn’t there, and so what I am passing down is what someone told me. Two, the Orioles were not contacted about it as of Thursday evening. The assumption is that if it had been something serious, they would have been notified quickly.

So here’s what was relayed to me by someone who should know: Apparently, in a tie game Wednesday, Pie was on first base and was picked off the bag by the catcher. There was no first-base umpire, and so the home-plate umpire made the call from 90 feet away. Pie, and many of those in the stands, thought it was a terrible call.

Pie raced down to home plate to argue and was ejected by the plate umpire. And apparently that caused fans to throw things like water bottles onto the field.

I’ve been told that Pie did nothing unusual, no contact or anything with the umpire. I was also told there may be some discipline handed down for the incident, perhaps a fine, more because of Pie’s standing as a major leaguer and role model more than anything he actually did.

Again, that’s all I’ve got. But the Orioles don’t seem to be concerned about the report.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Juan Samuel had a teleconference with reporters this afternoon, and I asked him about what happened with the Orioles, whom he was expected to join as a third base coach last week.

Simply put, Samuel said the sides could never reach a contractual agreement. Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail confirmed the same thing today.

There was a two-year deal on the table, but the money was too far apart. And as negotiations dragged on, the Philadelphia Phillies entered the picture. And Samuel, who played his first six-plus of 16 major league seasons with the Phillies, couldn't resist going back to his first baseball home.

Keep in mind, coaches get playoff bonuses, too. So on top of base salary, Samuel had the added incentive of joining the Phillies, an annual candidate to make the postseason. The Orioles can't necessarily boast the same thing.

Here are some of Samuel's quotes from today:

“We talked about my role, what it would be, and I talked to Buck [Showalter],” Samuel said. “Things just didn’t pan out the way I wanted it to be. And then later, here, Philly came into the picture through my agent Rex Gary … and then things developed quickly.”

“It was a decision that I had to do with my heart -- that had a lot to do with it. I feel like that the decision [had to be] made. It was very unfortunate that things didn’t work out, on one hand, with Baltimore, but we just couldn’t [agree] to the contract situation in Baltimore."

Samuel added: “Time is crucial here for everybody and the contract situation continued to drag out and we could not agree to things, and [so] I decided we have to go a different way.”

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

It’s official.

Juan Samuel will not be returning to the Orioles’ staff in 2011.

Samuel has been announced as the new third base coach and outfield instructor for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is moving his old Orioles boss, Sam Perlozzo, from the third base coaching box to first base.

Here’s what Phillies manager Charlie Manuel had to say about adding Samuel, who spent most of his best years as a player with the Phillies.

“I feel fortunate that we were able to add someone of Juan’s stature to our coaching staff,” Manuel said in a news release. “He was a tremendous major league player and a big part of Phillies history, and I’m looking forward to him passing on his knowledge of the game to our players. He’s a great addition to our organization.”

About 10 days ago, Samuel was ready to rejoin the Orioles and be the third base coach for Buck Showalter, who had replaced Samuel as the club’s manager on Aug. 2. But according to several sources with information on the subject, Samuel and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail could not agree on financial terms and eventually reached an impasse.

About the same time, Davey Lopes left the Phillies’ coaching staff, creating an opening that seemed natural for Samuel to fill. Samuel, 49, is on the Phillies’ Wall of Fame and becomes the 34th person to both coach and play for the Phillies.

The Orioles still have two spots remaining on Showalter’s staff: bench coach and third base coach. Potential candidates for the openings include Willie Randolph, Gary Allenson, Rich Donnelly, Rob Thomson and Mike Bordick, among others.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

Welcome to Prediction Thursday.

Yeah, that has a terrible ring to it. But I don’t make the schedule, just the dumb headlines.

Regardless, this whole entry is not going to sing a particularly pleasant tune for Ravens fans.

The Ravens play the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome tonight and it just strikes me as one of those trip-up games. Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan never loses at home (OK, he’s lost once in 18 starts there).

On a short week, the home team definitely has the advantage. And the Falcons are a very solid team, folks.

So I’m taking Atlanta to win this one 24-20. Ryan will be the star of the game with three touchdowns thrown.

Yeah, told you it would be a sour note. Now it’s your turn. Get the closest to the final score (and star of the game tiebreaker) and you’ll be lauded in this space Friday.

Since we’ve already started down the wrong path, we’ll just keep going for another depressing prognostication. This time it’s baseball.

Cliff Lee is, without a doubt, the best free agent pitcher on the market. The guess is that Lee ends up with the New York Yankees. The thought is he wants the most money and the Yankees have the most money.

There are plenty of other suitors out there, however. The Rangers are a possibility to re-sign him. The Boston Red Sox need to be mentioned for any candidate that may end up in New York. And even the Washington Nationals have admitted that they’ve contacted Lee’s agent and want a shot.

I’ll tell you this much: Lee won’t be an Oriole in 2011. Bank on that. But where will he end up?

Daily Think Special: Prediction Thursday: Ravens-Falcons

Bonus Think Special: Predict Cliff Lee’s landing spot

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

One year after expanding their Dominican Republic operation to two minor league teams, the Orioles are going back to one Dominican Summer League squad for 2011.

It’s the second minor-league club the Orioles’ organization has cut this year, announcing in late August that it was halting its rookie-level affiliate in Bluefield, West Virginia.

Orioles President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail said only a handful of clubs have two separate teams in the DSL and he did not believe that the quality of players in the Orioles’ academy warranted two entrants.

That belief was confirmed when former interim manager Juan Samuel evaluated the Orioles’ Dominican operation this summer and concluded that reducing the number of players would improve the quality of instruction and baseball experience for the remaining prospects.

“I just think our resources are better applied elsewhere,” MacPhail said Wednesday.

The organization’s international efforts have been a subject of criticism for years. The most successful Dominican major leaguer the organization has produced in the past decade was the enigmatic Daniel Cabrera, who had a 5.10 ERA in six seasons and didn’t pitch in the majors at all in 2010. The Orioles have never produced their own Venezuelan major leaguer and no 2010 major league Opening Day roster included an international player originally signed by the Orioles.

In the past, MacPhail has stressed the need to emphasize international scouting, signing and developing, which included a new facility in the Dominican and spending more money on international amateurs. But the club still lags far behind many other organizations in number of international scouts employed and money allocated for foreign signees – as well as legitimate international prospects.

One of last year’s Dominican teams is now a casualty of that reality.

“We'll be filtering out some of the players that had an ample opportunity to show they can play,” said John Stockstill, the Orioles’ director of player development. “One team appears to be adequate at this time.”

With the reduction of Bluefield and the Dominican Summer League club, the Orioles are going from nine to seven affiliates, a streamlining of the system and its talent base.

“You have to be realistic about the players you have,” Stockstill said. “Any scout likes the opportunity to have more longshot players that might take longer to pan out, but I don’t see this as a setback.”

Overall, the Orioles are expected to reduce their number of minor leaguers by about 60 – much of that reduction will occur through natural attrition from one season to the next.

There should be little effect on the Orioles’ staffing. Bobby Dickerson, who was the organization’s Latin America field coordinator in the beginning of 2010, was needed to manage the Triple-A Norfolk affiliate in June. That coordinator position will not be filled and Dickerson, one of the more versatile coaches in the system, will be utilized elsewhere, Stockstill said.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Your international Orioles

Major League Baseball, in conjunction with the players’ union, sent out a press release today commending Orioles’ pitcher Rick VandenHurk for assembling “the European Baseball Tour” with his father, Wim.

VandenHurk put together the tour, which is stopping at three places in his home country, The Netherlands, as well one city in Belgium, to provide free baseball instruction for children ages 6 to 15.

Among those instructing include two more current Orioles, outfielder Adam Jones and pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, as well as former Oriole outfielder Brady Anderson, who is serving as an instructor and “coach.”

Others helping out are Florida Marlins’ catcher John Baker, a former teammate of VandenHurk’s in Florida, and Seattle Mariners’ outfielder Greg Halman, also a native of The Netherlands.

One more cool thing Vandy and his group are doing. They are involved in a dinner and an auction in Amsterdam which will benefit KinderenKankervrij, a children’s cancer charity.

Here’s a quote from baseball commissioner Bud Selig about the initiative:

“Major League Baseball’s growth internationally has been tremendous, and we are delighted that Rick VandenHurk and the players joining him will be showcasing our sport to the people of the Netherlands and Belgium,” Selig said. “The support that our players and clubs provide is critical to the success of developing interest and participation in the game both throughout Europe and around the world.”

One other piece of Orioles’ business: The club made it official today, announcing a 12-year agreement with Delaware North Corp. of Buffalo, N.Y. to serve as Camden Yards’ exclusive concessionaire, replacing Aramark Corp.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 1:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Don Wakamatsu has joined the Toronto Blue Jays and so he won’t be Buck Showalter’s bench coach.

Juan Samuel and the Orioles haven’t been able to agree to terms and it’s looking more and more like Samuel may coach elsewhere in 2011 – possibly Philadelphia, the site of many of Samuel’s best days on the field. Samuel has been in contact with the Phillies about their vacant first-base coaching job and also has talked to other teams, according to his agent.

I’ve been told that the Orioles no longer anticipate Samuel will be part of the 2011 staff, so they are moving on to other candidates. That’s not saying the door is shut, but it is creaking that way.

That would leave two spots open on Showalter’s 2011 staff: bench coach and third base coach. One will be in charge of instructing the catchers and the other will handle infielders.

Originally, Showalter wanted a Spanish-speaking coach on staff, but as his needs and the coaching options have narrowed, he may forego that plan and just focus on the best catching and infielding instruction he can get.

We’ve heard plenty of names. Here’s a look at five legitimate candidates in the running:

Willie Randolph, 56. Yes, he’s a Yankee, and that’s frowned upon in these parts. But he was a six-time all-star infielder in an 18-season career, spent 13 years coaching the big leagues and parts of four more as the manager of the New York Mets. His first big-league coaching job was in 1994, on Showalter’s Yankees’ staff. The past two seasons he was the bench coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, who fired manager Ken Macha and replaced him with Ron Roenicke. If Showalter is looking for an experienced baseball man as well as a trusted old friend to be his bench coach and work with infielders, Randolph is the guy.

Gary Allenson, 55. The former big-league catcher was in his fourth season managing the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate when he received the call in June to come up to the majors and replace Samuel as third-base coach while Samuel took over interim managerial duties. When Samuel stepped down in August after Showalter was hired, Allenson remained on staff and by all accounts did a fine job as third-base coach. He has two major advantages: He knows most of the Orioles from managing them in Triple-A and he spent seven seasons as a big-league catcher, with Boston and Toronto, so he’d be able to handle catching instruction responsibilities. He likely could serve as bench or third base coach. He’s also been offered the Norfolk job again if he is not included on the big-league staff.

Rob Thomson, 47. Another Yankee, he has spent the past 21 seasons in various roles with the Bronx Bombers, including the last two as third base coach and 2008 as Joe Girardi’s bench coach. His contract expired at the end of the season, and he could join Showalter, whom he worked with in the Yankees’ system in the 1990s, in either capacity. He was a minor league catcher and third baseman in the Detroit Tigers organization for four seasons, but never made the majors.

Rich Donnelly, 64. He has spent more than 25 years as a big-league coach, 14 of it on Jim Leyland’s staffs in Pittsburgh, Florida and Colorado. He has also been a big-league coach for the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers. In his third-base coaching stint with the Dodgers, he organized spring training camp in 2006 and 2007, which is a responsibility that often falls on bench coaches. He was a minor-league catcher, playing four minor league seasons in the Minnesota Twins organization. Also a former minor league manager, he could serve as third base coach or bench coach. He was a serious candidate for the Orioles’ bench coach in 2010 before Jeff Datz was hired.

Mike Bordick, 45. A local favorite, Bordick played in the majors for 14 seasons, including six with the Orioles. Will forever be remembered in Baltimore as the shortstop who came to town and moved Cal Ripken Jr. to third base. He spent the last season as the Orioles’ roving offensive instructor and was a roving infield instructor for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2009. He helped out in spring training and at times at the big-league level last season. A former sure-handed shortstop, he’d likely coach third and be in charge of the infielders. If not, he’ll remain an instructor within the organization.

These aren’t the only names that have been thrown around, however. Here are a few more: Bobby Dickerson, who managed at Triple-A Norfolk for part of the season; former Oriole B.J. Surhoff; former manager and big-league catcher Jerry Narron.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

Five months after being fired by the Orioles, former manager and baseball lifer Dave Trembley has landed the minor league field coordinator position with the Atlanta Braves, according to an industry source.

He is also expected to supervise the instruction of coaches and players throughout the Braves’ organization.

Trembley, who has been out of work since he was fired by the Orioles on June 3, could not be reached for comment.

Trembley, 59, spent eight years with the Orioles organization, including nearly three full years as manager, before he was dismissed after the team started 2010 with a 15-39 record and was buried in last in the American League East.

In parts of four seasons as manager, Trembley’s Orioles posted a 187-283 (.398 winning percentage) record. He spent more than two decades in the minors, mostly as a manager, before being promoted to the big leagues in 2007 as the Orioles’ bullpen coach.

Trembley worked part of that season as bench coach when Tom Trebelhorn was on personal leave and then was named the team’s interim manager when Sam Perlozzo was fired June 18.

Throughout his baseball career, Trembley, a former high school teacher and coach, has been known for his ability to relate to and instruct young players.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get Orioles news on your mobile device. To receive Orioles text alerts, text BASEBALL to 70701.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

After winning a Gold Glove last season, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, and the rest of the club’s defense, was shutout of this year’s American League awards, which were announced Thursday afternoon.

Jones lost out in the outfield to Seattle Mariners center fielder Franklin Gutierrez, Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Carl Crawford and Seattle right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, who won his 10th straight award, tying Ken Griffey Jr. and Al Kaline for most consecutive by an outfielder.

Jones led all major league center fielders with 12 assists, but he also led American League center fielders with seven errors. He was attempting to become the first Oriole to win consecutive Gold Gloves since pitcher Mike Mussina in 1998-1999.

The other AL Gold Glove winners include three New York Yankees infielders: first baseman and Mount St. Joseph alum Mark Teixeira, second baseman Robinson Cano and shortstop Derek Jeter, who won his fifth. Teixeira has four Gold Gloves, including two straight.

Rounding out the team were Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria and Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get Orioles news on your mobile device. To receive Orioles text alerts, text BASEBALL to 70701.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 3:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

We're in the awkward period of the year between the end of the regular season and the active part of the offseason, so let's take some time for a little bit of shameless promotion for Orioles Insider.

The blog was nominated by fans -- thanks, guys! -- for recognition as one of the top blogs in The Baltimore Sun network. Now, we need you to vote for us to win the award as No. 1 overall.

OK, come on, at least help us beat The Schmuck Stops Here.

While you're showing your support for Orioles Insider in the Mobbies 2010 contest, be sure to check out the category for top non-Baltimore Sun Orioles blog.

Here is a list of blogs that are nominated for the Orioles category:

• Baltimore Sports and Life
• Baltimore Sports Report
• B'More Birds' Nest
• Bohs and O's
• Camden Chat
• Camden Crazies
• Eutaw Street Hooligans
• Oriole Post
• Roar from 34
• School of Roch
• Steve Melewski on the Orioles
• The Loss Column
• Tony's Take (Orioles Hangout)

Voting ends Friday at 5 p.m. You can vote once per 24-hour period for each category. The awards will be handed out at The Baltimore Sun's Mobbies party Nov. 15 at RA Sushi Bar Restaurant.

Posted by Dean Jones Jr. at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Rawlings announces the 2010 Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence today at 3:30 p.m.

And the big questions around these parts are will Orioles center fielder Adam Jones get his second consecutive Gold Glove? And will Nick Markakis get his first?

My guess: A definite maybe and a no chance.

Jones won it last year, which was a bit of a surprise since many thought he had a better defensive year in 2008 and was robbed of that award.

This season, he set a career high in assists (12) and errors (7). Both were the most by a center fielder in the American League. His sabermetric defensive stats aren’t particularly inspiring; no matter the stats used, though, it wasn’t his most consistent season defensively. He certainly had his rough patches.

But a lot of this has to do with reputation. Jones has a good defensive reputation around the league and, since he won one so early in his career, he may just get a second Gold Glove today. Remember this is an award voted on by coaches and managers and not writers. And, say what you want about the BBWAA, we study this stuff. Managers and coaches often don’t; that’s not their jobs. They use their own eyeball tests, and Jones made some very good plays over the past two years while piling up the assists (something old-school managers/coaches remember).

If Jones doesn’t win a Gold Glove, don’t expect his outfield mate, Nick Markakis, to claim his first. Traditionally, the outfield Gold Gloves go to center fielders or a guy named Suzuki. It’s real tough for a right fielder like Markakis to win one, despite some feeling he is the best all-around defensive Orioles outfielder.

Markakis’ assists have dropped from 17 to 13 to seven in the past three years -- partially because few run on him these days. But this wasn’t Markakis’ best year in the field either.

So if the Orioles get a Gold Glove, expect it to be Jones.

Regardless, Jones probably isn’t paying much attention to the hoopla. He is in Holland as part of a MLB youth camps' initiative. And, according to his Twitter account, he’s having the time of his life instructing and sight-seeing.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

Former Orioles bullpen coach Alan Dunn has agreed to take a newly created minor league pitching coordinator position within the organization.

Dunn, who spent three years with the big league club, will be one of two organizational pitching coordinators, along with Dave Schmidt, who has held the post since 2008. Dunn’s responsibilities will center more on relating the major league pitching philosophies to the organization’s higher-level minor league affiliates with some occasional work at the lower levels.

“I’m definitely looking forward to that position,” Dunn said. “I think it is going to be a good situation for the organization, giving me an opportunity to work with the minor league levels from A ball to Triple-A and tie it in with what we did at the big league level.”

Like the other members of last year’s staff, Dunn, 48, was not rehired as an Orioles coach when his contract expired at the end of October. But the Orioles wanted to keep the highly respected instructor within the organization. However, the Orioles will not stand in his way if he is offered a big league coaching job by another organization this offseason.

“Obviously, I’m very grateful that they thought enough of me to give me this opportunity to stay in the organization. I’m excited about that,” Dunn said. “I think a lot of good things are happening in organization, and I am glad I am a part of that. We’ll go forward from here and look for better things in 2011.”

Dunn is the second member of last year’s Orioles coaching staff to accept a minor league job in the organization. Longtime hitting coach Terry Crowley will be a hitting evaluator throughout the system. Also, third base coach Gary Allenson has been offered the Triple-A manager’s job he held in the first half of 2010. Allenson has not yet accepted it, waiting to see what happens with the Orioles’ third base coaching position.

Juan Samuel has been in negotiations with the Orioles for the post, but no agreement has been reached and, if that ends in an impasse, Allenson could remain in the majors.

Gillick with a Hall of Fame shot

Former Orioles general manager Pat Gillick has a chance to make the National Baseball Hall of Fame in July.

Gillick is one of 12 candidates on the Hall’s Expansion Era (1973 to present) Committee to Consider Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players.

The candidates must receive at least 12 votes from a 16-person committee made up of former players, executives and writers.

Besides Gillick, the other 11 candidates are: players Vida Blue, Dave Concepcion, Steve Garvey, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Al Oliver, Ted Simmons and Rusty Staub; manager Billy Martin; team owner George Steinbrenner; and players association executive Marvin Miller.

Gillick won World Series championships with the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies and led the Orioles to the American League Championship Series in 1996 and 1997. He left in 1998, and the Orioles are still searching for their next .500 or better season.

The voting panel has a significant Orioles flavor. Among those on the committee are former Orioles greats Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer and Frank Robinson, Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and current ESPN analyst and former Baltimore Sun writer Tim Kurkjian.

The result of the vote will be announced Dec. 6 during the baseball’s winter meetings in Florida.

Minor league free agents

When the Orioles placed pitcher Jim Hoey on the 40-man roster Saturday, they also allowed a number of players to become minor league free agents. The most notable include former Orioles Dennis Sarfate and Scott Moore as well as former major leaguers Joel Guzman, Chris George and Mike Hinckley.

The players are free to sign elsewhere or could return to the Orioles on minor league deals.

Orioles did not bid for Iwakuma

Major League Baseball announced Monday that the Oakland Athletics had submitted the winning posting bid for Rakuten Golden Eagles pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma and will have 30 days to negotiate exclusively with the 29-year-old right hander.

The Orioles were not among the teams to offer a bid for Iwakuma, who had a 2.82 ERA in Japan this season.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Former Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu will become the Toronto Blue Jays' new bench coach, according to multiple reports.

Wakamatsu, 47, was considered a leading candidate to fill the same role under Orioles manager Buck Showalter. Wakamatsu was Showalter’s bench coach for the Texas Rangers from 2003 to 2006.

The former catcher, who played 18 games for the Chicago White Sox in 1991, will join new manager John Farrell in Toronto. He was scheduled to meet with the New York Mets on Wednesday about their managerial opening.

The Mariners fired Wakamatsu in August. Seattle had a 127-147 (.464) record in his season-plus as manager.

Former Orioles starting pitcher Pat Hentgen will also become the Blue Jays' new bullpen coach, reports said. Hentgen had previously been serving in the team's front office.

Hentgen, who won the American League Cy Young Award with Toronto in 1996, went 9-15 with a 4.26 ERA in 41 games (35 starts) for the Orioles from 2001 to 2003.

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Posted by Steve Gould at 4:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

The secret is out. I am not perfect. I am just really close.

It’s a bit of a departure from early in the prognosticating season, when I couldn’t pick the right NFL team with a one-sided coin.

The Ravens won 26-10 over the Dolphins on Sunday on the strength of Billy Cundiff’s four field goals (and Dolphins’ QB Chad Henne’s arm). I had them winning 23-13 – I put one field goal in the wrong column. With my bulldog, Cammie, as my witness, I swear I originally had it 26-13, but thought four Ravens’ field goals would be excessive.

If I had stuck with my substantial gut, I would have won my own free bar tab for three straight Prediction Fridays. But, in fitting tribute to my life, I second-guessed it and will have to settle for pretty close. Also pretty close were Alex (28-13) and Ron (27-14) and a host of others.

I am going to let Week 9 end in a tie, though I am very sensitive about kissing sisters (my one sister enters this joint on occasion and I watch you clowns very closely). I am giving free tabs to both CSB Jack and Kevin in Iraq, two Connolly regulars who have been frequenting this dive when we had just one unisex bathroom and only Natty Boh on tap (in the bar, not in the bathroom). Kevin had Joe Flacco in the tiebreaker and Jack had Ed Reed. Both had good games, so we’ll let the house take a bath here.

Drink up, fellas. My pleasure.

We’re now halfway through the NFL season and the Ravens are 6-2 and tied with two others (and maybe three depending on what the Steelers do tonight) for the best record in the AFC.

By all accounts, 6-2 is what even the most optimistic Ravens fans could have expected to start the season. So the Ravens are definitely where they need to be in order to make a postseason run.

Now I want to know what your expectations are for the second half. After Thursday night’s game in Atlanta, the Ravens don’t have a road game against a team with a record currently above .500 for the remainder of the year. To me, 6-2 is doable again. That would make the Ravens 12-4 and a playoff team.

Does that sound right to you?

Here’s a bonus question for this Monday, the day after baseball’s free agency period officially got swinging: What are your expectations for the Orioles’ offseason?

Would you be happy with a power bat at first base (like Paul Konerko, Adam LaRoche or Lance Berkman) a mid-level starter and reliever and the re-signing of two of the following three: Cesar Izturis, Ty Wigginton and Koji Uehara.

That’s my guess on what the offseason moves will look like. Do you need something bigger and flashier?

Daily Think Special: What record do you expect from the Ravens in the second half and why?

Bonus Think Special: What expectations do you have for the Orioles this offseason?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

It's official, well, official without being announced by the team.

Mark Connor will be the Orioles' new pitching coach, replacing Rick Kranitz, whose contract expired and has moved on to the Houston Astros as their minor league pitching coordinator.

Connor, 61, attended part of the Orioles’ organizational meetings in Phoenix this week and a club source confirmed that Connor has reached an agreement to be the Orioles’ pitching coach. He joins a staff that includes Jim Presley (hitting), Wayne Kirby (first base) and Rick Adair (bullpen).

The club still has not agreed to terms with Juan Samuel, their leading candidate for third base coach, or Don Wakamatsu, who is the leading candidate to be bench coach but has interviewed with the Blue Jays for that role and is expected to have a managerial interview with the New York Mets.

The Orioles have contingency plans if Wakamatsu goes elsewhere and/or Samuel does not agree to a deal. Orioles President Andy MacPhail and manager Buck Showalter will not comment on the hirings until the entire staff is announced.

Connor’s resume is exceptionally full, and is often connected to Buck Showalter, for whom Connor has been pitching coach at three different stops (New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers).

. He has spent 35 years as a baseball coach, including the last eight seasons with the Rangers. He most recently was a special assistant in the Rangers’ player development department, working primarily with minor-league pitchers. He was the big-league club’s pitching coach from 2006 to 2008, and was originally hired by Showalter in November 2002 to be Rangers’ bullpen coach, a post he held for three seasons.

Along with working with Showalter, Connor was Buck Martinez’s pitching coach with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2001-02 and also has been the head baseball coach at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. A former pitcher in the Minnesota Twins organization, he played two seasons in the minors before an arm injury derailed his hopes of making the big leagues.

In other news, the Orioles wrapped up their three-day mini-organizational meetings in Phoenix. MacPhail, Showalter, Adair, Presley and Connor were there along with selected members of the organization’s scouting and development departments.

“I am pleased in that the guys were prepared and gave their opinions, which is the two things we asked of them,” MacPhail said.

He would not specify what was discussed at the meetings. He also would not comment as to whether the Orioles contacted any potential players on Sunday, the first day in which clubs were allowed to talk to other teams’ free agents.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

When the clock struck 12:01 a.m. this morning, all of baseball’s free agents were allowed to talk freely with any team in baseball.

That extra hour for daylight savings time gave Orioles’ President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail even more time to contact everyone on the club’s expansive wish list and get several first-strike deals done.

I kid because I can.

MacPhail’s not a “call you at 12:01 a.m.” kind of guy. He’s not a rah-rah college recruiter type, either. It’s his experience that most players seek out the best deals, not the most enthusiastic pitch.

So he may not have been burning the midnight oil -- actually he was still in Arizona wrapping up the organizational meetings, so it would have been the 9 p.m. oil -- but the guys he has interest will know it soon enough.

MacPhail’s not tipping his hand; only saying his philosophy hasn’t changed. But before he gets criticized for not being aggressive enough, remember what Michael Gonzalez said at his press conference when he signed last year. From early on, Gonzalez said, the Orioles showed the most serious interest, and they continued that until he was signed while other clubs wavered.

That’s a point for MacPhail’s slow and steady wins the race philosophy (you guys can decide whether inking Gonzalez counts as a race-winner).

One other thought on free agency opening. One player told me that the first time he became a free agent, 15 clubs contacted his representative within 24 hours. He ultimately signed the best deal with a club that first kicked the tires weeks later.

So enjoy your neighborhood free agent parties today, but don’t get too discouraged if you can’t pop those champagne corks until mid-December.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Another one of the Orioles 2010 coaches has landed a job elsewhere.

Jeff Datz, who spent one season as the Orioles’ bench coach, has taken a job as the third base coach for the Seattle Mariners, according to published reports out of Seattle.

Datz had been rumored to be heading to Seattle since the Mariners hired manager Eric Wedge, who was the manager of the Cleveland Indians while Datz was third base and bench coach for the Indians.

Former major leaguer Robby Thompson will be Wedge’s bench coach in Seattle.

Datz, 50, is the second coach from the 2010 staff to leave the organization after not having his contract extended this month.

Earlier this week it was announced that former Orioles’ pitching coach Rick Kranitz had taken a minor league pitching coordinator job with the Houston Astros. Former hitting coach Terry Crowley will remain in the Orioles’ organization as a hitting evaluator.

Gary Allenson (third base coach) and Alan Dunn (bullpen coach) have been offered minor league jobs with the Orioles’ organization as well. First base coach John Shelby said earlier this week that he is canvassing contacts in the majors to find another coaching position.

The Orioles also made a personnel move Saturday, adding pitcher Jim Hoey to their 40-man roster. Hoey, 27, pitched for the Orioles in 2006 and 2007, but a shoulder injury cost him all of 2008. He pitched in 36 games, all in relief, in 2009 and then had a strong year in 2010.

This season, he was 2-0 with a 3.16 ERA in 24 relief appearances for Double-A Bowie and then went 4-0 with a 3.38 ERA in 18 relief appearances for Triple-A Norfolk. Hoey was a 13th round selection of the Orioles in 2003. In 2006, he won the organization’s Jim Palmer Prize for top minor league pitcher.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

The Orioles’ 2010 season summary is out, and one of the things that struck me was the current roster construction.

The Orioles used 45 players this year -- certainly not ideal, but not unusual. They used 48 last year, 42 in 2008 and 49 in 2007.

What’s stark, though, is the way last year’s team was built in comparison to say, 2007, the year of the great upheaval when Andy MacPhail came in as president of baseball operations and Dave Trembley took over as manager in the middle of the season.

In 2007, 11 players who played at least one game for the Orioles were homegrown. That is the same number as this year.

In 2007, nine of the Orioles had been minor league free agents and four players were claimed on waivers. This year it was six and four. So things are about the same until you get to trades and major league free agents -- wow, what a difference.

That 2007 team had 12 major league free agents on it; this one had seven. And how about this? That 2007 team used nine players acquired via trade. This one had 17.

We all knew MacPhail attempted to build this team and its farm system by trading veterans for a bevy of younger players. But it’s also important to note how much he has gotten away from buying free agents -- or specifically giving them long-term deals.

Consider this: Of the Orioles’ seven major league free agents in 2010, only one is guaranteed a job in 2011: Michael Gonzalez.

One other thing of note about the 2010 roster construction: The Orioles’ drafts produced 11 players for the 2010 team. But the amateur international system -- we’re not counting Japanese pro Koji Uehara here -- didn’t get one into the majors this past season. That has to be fixed.

2007’s international output was dismal, too, but at least there were two nondrafted free agents that made the Orioles: Dominican pitchers Daniel Cabrera and Radhames Liz.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get Orioles news on your mobile device. To receive Orioles text alerts, text BASEBALL to 70701.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

We’re back at the bar for an NFL Prediction Friday. It’s about time.

Two weeks ago I was off; last week the Ravens were.

We’re both working again.

The Ravens host the Miami Dolphins after a bye week this Sunday. And I think the Ravens handle this one rather handily. But for some reason I think it will have a bunch of stalled drives and field goals.

I say Ravens 23-13. My player of the game: Billy Cundiff for his three field goals.

If you don’t know how this works, it’s pretty simple: Predict a winner, a score and a player of the game. And then check back on Monday to see if you were the closest. If you were, then you get a free fake bar tab and the admiration of all your fake friends.

I’ll throw in a baseball question as well today in honor of George “Sparky” Anderson, who died Thursday. Sparky was one of the game’s great characters, and an excellent manager, too.

I was wondering who you think is baseball’s best manager right now. With Bobby Cox, Lou Piniella and Joe Torre stepping down this year, the discussion is wide open. Tony La Russa, who is first among active managers in wins and third all-time, will get some consideration, along with Jim Leyland, Mike Scioscia and maybe even new World Champion Bruce Bochy.

Joe Maddon and Ron Gardenhire certainly have their supporters. And then there is the Orioles’ Buck Showalter, who wins wherever he goes and, somehow, won in the two months he’s been here.

Daily Think Special: Prediction Friday: Ravens-Dolphins

Bonus Think Special: Who is baseball’s best active manager?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (38)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

Orioles reliever Frank Mata was removed from the 40-man roster, cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk, the team announced.

Mata, 26, made his major league debut on May 26 and pitched to a 7.79 ERA (17.1IP, 15ER) in 15 games with the Orioles.

The move allows the Orioles to reinstate pitcher Jason Berken from the 60-day disabled list to the 40-man roster.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Online gaming site bodog.com, has set its odds for the 2011 baseball season.

The New York Yankees, despite their loss in the American League Championship Series, are bodog’s pick to win it all in 2011.

The Yankees are a 4-1 favorite, with the Philadelphia Phillies at 6-1 and the Boston Red Sox, who didn’t make the 2010 playoffs, tied with the 2010 world champion San Francisco Giants at 10-1 odds.

The Orioles? Their odds are 75-1 to win the World Series, that’s sixth worst in the majors. I guess the optimist looks at that as improvement.

The Orioles’ 66-96 record was fourth worst in the majors in 2010. So jumping up to sixth means the Orioles will leapfrog the Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals and Kansas City Royals while the Seattle Mariners slip ahead of the Orioles, according to bodog.

I guess the oddsmakers weren’t all that impressed with the Orioles’ 34-23 record in the final two months under Buck Showalter. Or minimally impressed, anyway.

It’s impossible to know what the teams will look like in spring training, not to mention next September. But it is the beginning of November, free agency hasn’t started yet and there’s not a whole lot to debate yet.

So let’s contemplate the Orioles as one of the six worst teams in the majors next year. They’ve been there each of the past five seasons. Will they make it a sixth?

Oddsmakers say so. What about you?

Daily Think Special: Are the oddsmakers wrong? Will the Orioles rise above being the sixth worst team in the majors in 2011? If so, how far?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (36)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

The Orioles are inching closer to completing their 2011 coaching staff after coming to terms with former big leaguer Wayne Kirby to be the club’s first base coach and outfield instructor.

According to an industry source, Kirby joins hitting coach Jim Presley and bullpen coach Rick Adair as done deals on Buck Showalter’s staff for next year. The club is still in discussion with Mark Connor (pitching coach) and Juan Samuel (third base/outfielders) and has not officially reached agreements with either, the source said.

Former Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu is considered the leading candidate to be Showalter’s bench coach, but there is still a possibility he could be hired this offseason as a big league manager. The New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates have not yet named new skippers.

Kirby, 46, has never coached in the majors but played professionally for 18 seasons, including eight in the big leagues for the Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. He has spent the past five seasons as the minor league outfield/base-running coordinator for the Texas Rangers after four seasons in the Indians’ player development system.

When Kirby joined the Rangers’ organization, Showalter was Texas’ big league manager. Kirby also likely will coach base running for the Orioles. The Williamsburg, Va., native stole 44 bases in his big league career, including 17 (out of 22 chances) in 1993 while with the Indians.

The Orioles begin their three-day organizational meetings in Arizona on Thursday morning after an organizational dinner Wednesday night. Presley and Adair will be in Phoenix, and there’s a possibility Kirby also will join them before the meetings adjourn Saturday.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

When San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson recorded the final strikeout of the World Series on Monday night, it didn’t just set off a celebration in Texas.

It opened the floodgates for 142 major leaguers to officially be released from the bondage of their previous contracts. They are free agents at last.

Here’s a quick primer on 2010-11 free agency:

Q: How is this year’s free agency different from the past?
A: In previous years, players had to file for free agency. It was just a formality; basically everyone who was eligible filed. That process has been eliminated, and now all those who are eligible immediately became free agents Monday night, even those who may soon re-sign with their old clubs. Also, the period of exclusive negotiating rights with a player’s old club has been shortened from 15 days to five. That means the open bidding process begins Sunday at 12:01 a.m., 10 days earlier than usual. Theoretically, there should be more signings before December’s winter meetings than there have been in the past.

Q: What do the changes mean for the Orioles?
A: Probably nothing. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said in September that he expected all the club’s free agents to test the market, so a five-day or 15-day exclusive negotiating period doesn’t alter those thoughts. The Orioles can now pursue free agents quicker, and they’ll likely touch base with a couple of agents soon after they are allowed to Sunday. But MacPhail isn’t a big believer in the bum rush; in the past, he has expressed his interest and then initiated dialogue as he deemed appropriate. Buck Showalter may do some recruiting on his own, but don’t expect the Orioles to have their cart full before late December, if not January.

Q: Who are the Orioles’ free agents, and will they re-sign any?
A: The seven are: infielders Ty Wigginton, Cesar Izturis and Julio Lugo; pitchers Kevin Millwood, Koji Uehara and Mark Hendrickson; and outfielder Corey Patterson. Wigginton, Uehara and Izturis are the most likely to return.

My guess is Izturis will re-sign, and the other two are 50-50 right now. Wigginton’s return depends on the intensity of the market for him while the Orioles seek out other corner-infield options. Uehara’s fate is probably tied more to his contractual demands and whether he would take an incentives-based deal. Lugo and Millwood are definitely out, and given the current roster construction, Patterson likely goes elsewhere, too.

Hendrickson, 36, wants to return, and the Orioles might be amenable, depending on what their bullpen looks like in January. They’ve already declined his $1.2 million option for 2011.

Q: Whom will the Orioles be targeting as free agents?
A: Their biggest need is a power bat in the middle of the lineup, and one that preferably plays corner infield. They’ll have money to spend and likely will pursue, at least on some level, third baseman Adrian Beltre and first basemen Victor Martinez, Paul Konerko, Derrek Lee, Adam Dunn, Lance Berkman, Adam LaRoche and Carlos Pena, among others.

They’ll also look for a veteran starter and a bullpen arm or two, but don’t expect them to make a real run at the three most coveted free agents this winter: Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth.

Q: When and where are the winter meetings this year?
A: Dec. 6-9 at the Swan and Dolphin Resort near Orlando, Fla.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (34)
        

Left-hander Mark Hendrickson knew it was a real possibility that his 2011 option would not be picked up by the Orioles. After all, his ERA rose nearly a full point from 4.37 in 2009 to 5.26 last season and, by his own admission, he had too many multi-run outings (10 in 51 relief appearances) in 2010.

Because of new rules, it happened quickly. The Orioles had three days after the World Series ended to make a decision on the option, and they officially declined it Tuesday.

“The hardest part of today is it’s kind of one of those reality checks. OK, now what is going to happen?” Hendrickson said. “There’s the uncertainty that comes with free agency, and as I’ve gotten older, there’s the implications on your family. That’s where it hits home the most. The emotions are all over the place, for my wife and for me as well. You’ve got to let it play out and deal with our emotions, for the next couple days anyway.”

After pitching well in various roles in 2009, Hendrickson wasn’t nearly as effective this season, allowing lefties to hit .317 against him and right-handers to hit .311. He was better under Showalter, however. He didn’t allow an earned run in nine of his first 10 outings for the new manager and dropped his season ERA from 5.31 to 4.80 before a disastrous final outing in October in which he surrendered four runs in one-third of an inning.

“I enjoy playing for the Orioles and enjoy playing for Buck, and we played well toward the end of the season,” Hendrickson said. “Ultimately, for me, I know I can be of value, but it all comes down to putting together a year I am capable of, and I am already back in the gym doing the things I need to do to improve.”

In the past, Showalter has heralded Hendrickson for his work ethic and calm demeanor.

“Mark is a professional. You see why he has had a long career and why his work is wanted in a lot of places,” Showalter said Tuesday. “He’s a guy that we’ll see, when the landscape shakes out, whether he fits or not.”

Hendrickson didn’t re-sign with the Orioles until January. It’s possible that same scenario unfolds this offseason.

The 36-year-old, who lives year-round in York, Pa., prefers pitching for the Orioles and living at home. He has a teenage daughter and a baby due in January, and the idea of going somewhere else to play isn’t as attractive. But he might not get that opportunity, especially if the Orioles want to give his long reliever/spot starter role to someone younger.

“You’re talking about being close to home or perhaps leaving a situation I was used to for the last couple of years. And I have a baby coming as well, and that makes it a little scarier,” Hendrickson said of free agency. “But I am a spiritual man, and God has plans for me. I just don’t know what they are right now, but we’ll deal with it as a family and go through the process and I’ll keep my options open.”

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

It looks as if Buck Showalter will be filling out his coaching staff with the man he replaced in August.

Juan Samuel, who took over as the club’s interim manager in June after Dave Trembley was fired and stepped down once Showalter was hired, is expected to be named the Orioles’ third base and infielders coach for 2011.

Samuel is waiting for a call from president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail to discuss contractual specifics, but he said he has given Showalter his word that he wants to return, so he assumes it will happen.

“It looks like I’m going to be back,” Samuel said via phone from the Dominican Republic. “We’ve had some good conversations, and I want to come back and I’ll be coaching third.”

Samuel and Showalter spoke by phone on Monday, and Samuel acknowledged that it was strange at first thinking that he would rejoin the Orioles in a position he had held since 2007. In fact, Samuel turned down the opportunity to return to third base from the manager’s office in August and instead took an informal role that required him to evaluate the organization’s Dominican Republic operation.

But Samuel, 49, said he thinks it will be easier to join Showalter now that it won’t be directly after his managing stint.

“It kind of surprised me a little bit when I got a phone call that [Buck] was going to call me. I was like, ‘Oh, boy,’ ” Samuel said. “But I think if I start [at third base] in spring training, the transition will be much easier. It was so uncomfortable to stay in that role [in August], but now I am looking forward to starting from scratch in spring training.”

In putting together his coaching staff, Showalter wanted a base coach who could work with infielders and also was hoping to add a Spanish-speaking coach. He accomplished both with Samuel. Although not involved in the organization’s glory days, Samuel is also someone with Orioles ties, given his four previous years as a coach with the club.

Showalter is not commenting on his coaching staff until it is officially announced by the organization, but it looks to be nearly complete.

Hitting coach Jim Presley and bullpen coach Rick Adair have agreed to contracts and will be present at the organizational meetings in Arizona, which begin in earnest Thursday. The club is negotiating with Mark Connor to be pitching coach, and though not official, it seems as if it will happen.

Don Wakamatsu is the leading candidate to be the club’s bench coach, assuming he doesn’t take a managerial job elsewhere. That leaves a first base coach who can also instruct the outfielders. Former major leaguer Wayne Kirby is considered a serious candidate for that job.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

The Orioles have declined their 2011 option on left-hander Mark Hendrickson, the club announced today.

In his second season with the O's, the 36-year-old Hendrickson went 1-6 with a 5.26 ERA in 52 games in 2010.

Hendrickson's club option was $1.2 million, which included a $200,000 buyout. He lives in York, Pa., and has made it clear that he would like to return to the Orioles for a third season, but for now, Hendrickson is a free agent.

Posted by Baltimore Sun sports at 1:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Had a little left over from my interview last night with Rick Kranitz that didn’t make the paper or the initial blog that I thought I’d share. Also, my colleague, Jeff Zrebiec, asked Brad Bergesen about Mark Connor, expected to be the club’s new pitching coach.

I’ll blog later on free agency, but know that the ending of the World Series means the Orioles have five more exclusive days to negotiate with their seven free agents before those guys are free to talk with anyone. And the Orioles can begin to talk to any free agent starting Sunday.

Back to the news of Monday: Kranitz accepted to be the minor league pitching coordinator with the Houston Astros. He was waiting the last month, hoping his contract would be renewed by the Orioles so he could return for his fourth consecutive season as the team’s pitching coach.

Instead, it looks as if Mark Connor will replace Kranitz and reunite with Buck Showalter -- their fourth time coaching together.

Kranitz said he felt like he and Showalter quickly forged a good relationship -- the pitching staff’s ERA dropped from a league worst 5.18 to 3.54 with the duo working together -- but he knows what it is like when you are comfortable with someone for a long time. He gets those bonds.

“If you’ve been in the game long enough, you understand the process. I understand I didn’t know Buck coming in and he didn’t know me. I thought we had a good relationship,” Kranitz said. “I also understand the other part of it. I understand he had someone else in mind -- I assume it is Mark Connor -- and that’s OK.”

What irked Kranitz is that the process took so long. Showalter told the media at the end of the season that he expected his staff decisions to be made in days and not weeks. He gave the same impression to his staff. But the process has dragged on and on -- it has been nearly a month now.

The holdup was caused by the unusual number of managerial openings this offseason. There were so many options and “moving chairs,” as Showalter put it, that it was hard to know exactly who was available and who wouldn’t be when the dust settles. Showalter said he felt like a college recruiter, trying to convince a potential coach to choose him over another opportunity.

Unfortunately, while major league baseball held its coaching/managerial dance the past few weeks, the Orioles’ staff was caught doing the limbo, waiting to see whether there was a match. Showalter called the staff about two weeks ago to let them know that decisions were still being made and they should look around for possible opportunities in case there wouldn’t be a spot for them in Baltimore.

So the coaches had to wait for official word -- and some still are. As Kranitz said multiple times yesterday, “the waiting was the hardest part, no doubt.”

Kranitz was caught up in the musical chairs on several ends. He was rumored to be a candidate for the New York Yankees’ vacant pitching coach job because he previously worked with Yankees manager Joe Girardi in Florida. But nothing was concrete on that front, and then Kranitz landed the interview with Houston.

When the Astros job was offered -- knowing his contract with the Orioles had expired Sunday -- Kranitz, 52, felt he needed to take it, even though that meant he would be out of the big leagues for the first time since 2005, because he wants to stay in the game.

“Obviously, as a pitching coach, my goal is to be a major league pitching coach, but I also understand the other part of it.”

The way this whole coaching thing has played out hasn’t been easy for anybody. And that includes the players, who have been waiting to find out who their direct supervisor will be. Starter Brad Bergesen said his mother kept checking the Internet, keeping him updated on the pitching coach rumors and how they were related to Kranitz.

“My mom was reading some stuff, telling me that everything was up in the air with him, that he may go to Boston, he may even go to the Yankees,” Bergesen said. “I was kind of keeping my fingers crossed.”

Now that Kranitz is gone, Bergesen and his rotation mates will have to adjust to a new pitching coach. And that likely will be the well-respected and well-traveled Connor.

“I don’t know anything about him. Hopefully, we’ll be able to mesh right away and we’ll be able to click,” Bergesen said of Connor. “The most important thing is for him to know my style of pitching. I’m sure he has tons of experience. I just look forward to meeting with him and going over some things with him."

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Rick Kranitz, who spent the past three years as the Orioles' pitching coach, has taken a minor league job with the Houston Astros the day after his Orioles contract expired.

Kranitz, 52, was announced Monday as the Astros' minor league pitching coordinator, joining an organization that includes one of his closest friends, Houston manager Brad Mills.

"First and foremost, I know the people at the top there very well … and it's an organization on the rise," Kranitz said. "They're looking to continue to develop their pitchers and players, and I feel like I am the right guy to do that. It's a very good fit for me."

Rick Kranitz, who spent the past three years as the Orioles' pitching coach, has taken a minor league job with the Houston Astros the day after his Orioles contract expired.

Kranitz, 52, was announced Monday as the Astros' minor league pitching coordinator, joining an organization that includes one of his closest friends, Houston manager Brad Mills.

"First and foremost, I know the people at the top there very well … and it's an organization on the rise," Kranitz said. "They're looking to continue to develop their pitchers and players, and I feel like I am the right guy to do that. It's a very good fit for me."

Kranitz's departure was not a surprise because the Orioles are expected to soon announce the hiring of Mark Connor as their pitching coach. Connor, 61, has been with Buck Showalter at each of the Orioles manager's three previous managerial stops.

Kranitz hadn't heard from anyone in Orioles management for nearly two weeks, and, when his contract expired Sunday, he felt he could no longer keep waiting.

"That's part of the process, honestly, I don't like, the waiting through October," Kranitz said. "It was tough, but I didn't hear anything through yesterday. As my contract expired, I thought it was time for me to move on."

Kranitz was the only big league pitching coach that many of the club's young hurlers knew.

"It's really tough for me," Orioles starter Brad Bergesen said. "Kranny, for me, was so influential. He was such an important part of my development over the last couple of years. I learned so much from him, not just on a professional level, but on a personal one. He knew everything I was going through this year, and he was always there to support and encourage me."

Kranitz came to the Orioles as one of the top assistants in baseball, a season removed from being named Baseball America's Major League Coach of the Year in 2006 for his work with the Florida Marlins' impressive cadre of young starters.

Life was rougher for Kranitz's inexperienced staffs in the American League East. Orioles pitchers finished last or second-to-last in AL ERA in their three seasons under Kranitz. However, the club's 4.59 ERA in 2010 was significantly lower than 2009's AL-worst mark of 5.15. In fact, the 2010 ERA was the Orioles' lowest since 2005.

"We've been able to develop a very good working relationship over the past three seasons," staff veteran Jeremy Guthrie said. "You see a lot of the positives that he brought to the pitching staff with the way a Brad Bergesen threw [in 2009] and at the end of this year and the way a Brian Matusz came up and got acquainted with the big leagues."

The Orioles had an AL-worst 5.18 ERA before Showalter took over Aug. 2. In the following two months, Orioles pitchers combined for a 3.54 ERA, including a 3.16 mark by the starters.

"The numbers speak for themselves through those last 60 games," Kranitz said. "There were a lot of friendships with those young kids, and I am going to miss them. Obviously, it is tough. I feel like some of those guys have really grown and are in a position now where they are going to take off. And I am not going to be a part of that, and, sure, that hurts."

Kranitz is just the second Orioles pitching coach to last at least three consecutive full seasons since 1995. The Orioles have had 11 pitching coaches since 1994, including two separate stints each by Ray Miller and Mike Flanagan.

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Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Rick Kranitz, who had spent the previous three seasons as the Orioles' pitching coach, was named the Houston Astros' minor league pitching coordinator today.

Kranitz wanted to remain on a big league staff, but it became clear that Mark Connor was Buck Showalter's top choice to be the Orioles' pitching coach. Kranitz was also discussed as a potential fit with the New York Yankees and his old boss, Joe Girardi.

Kranitz is a close friend of Astros manager Brad Mills, who didn't have any vacancies on his big league staff but wanted to bring Kranitz into the organization.

"Rick adds a wealth of knowledge and experience to our development system," Astros director of player development Fred Nelson in a team news release. "He has a reputation for developing young pitchers and the understanding of what it takes to pitch in the major leagues. We are fortunate to have someone of Rick's caliber join our organization."

The Orioles haven't officially announced Connor as their new pitching coach, but it's not exactly a secret that's the direction this is headed.

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Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 8:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Baseball America today released its list of the top 10 prospects in the Orioles' system.

We don't want to step on their toes too much, but here's how they see the top five:

1. Manny Machado, SS
2. Zach Britton, LHP
3. Xavier Avery, OF
4. L.J. Hoes, 2B
5. Dan Klein, RHP

I don't think anyone is shocked to see Machado, the third overall pick in the 2010 draft, in the No. 1 spot on that list (or Britton at No. 2, for that matter).

But where there are some surprises, at least to me, is in BA's projected 2014 Orioles lineup. We're not going to reprint it here, but it's definitely worth checking out. If you're like me, there are a couple of names I was surprised to see still projected to be in the lineup four seasons down the road.

You can check out the rest of the top 10 Orioles prospects, the 2014 projected starting lineup, a list of the top prospect in a bunch of "tools" categories, the top Orioles prospects of the decade, and more here.

To get Orioles news on your mobile device, go to mobile.baltimoresun.com. To receive Orioles text alerts, text BASEBALL to 70701.

Posted by Steve Gould at 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

When Aubrey Huff hit a Tommy Hunter pitch deep into the right-field stands Sunday night, I had to smile. And not because Hunter looks like the second-coming of Sidney Ponson, especially when he gives up a key homer.

Huff is a rare character in Major League Baseball these days. He never takes himself too seriously, except when he’s in the batter’s box or at first base.

I know a lot of us who covered him would like to see “The Happy Slacker” get a World Series championship ring after nearly 1,500 regular season games and no postseason appearances. He’s a good guy and never ceased to make everyone in the clubhouse chuckle. (I remember when he received the 2008 Silver Slugger, held it over his head and bellowed in the clubhouse: “First the Silver Slugger, next the Gold Glove.”)

But I am curious as to how you view Huff now. We all remember his comments in the 2007-08 offseason to a Florida-based shock jock in which he called Baltimore “a horse(bleep) town” when referring to the city’s nightlife.

He was skewered after that, and booed on Opening Day. But he responded by having a tremendous season in 2008, eventually being named Most Valuable Oriole that season.

When he was traded in 2009, I asked many of you patrons what you thought of Huff and it was a mixed reaction. Some loved his sense of humor (remember the “I Heart Baltimore” T-shirt he wore at the 2008 Fanfest?); others couldn’t forgive him for his derogatory comments.

Baltimore has a long memory; just ask Cito Gaston, who still heard a smattering of boos this September at Camden Yards when he took out the lineup card before a Blue Jays-Orioles game.

So I want to know where you stand with Aubrey Huff. Do you want to see him get that elusive ring? Do you want to see him fall just short? Or do you not care anymore?

Daily Think Special: Are you pulling for Aubrey Huff to get a World Series title ring?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (42)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar