Torres will fit in perfectly with our infield of R. Minor, J. Hairston and C. Pickering.

Wasn't that the sure-lock infield of the future?

/stuck in 1998

Roch, I agree with you. I think Matt Albers should get the call as the starter and leave Jim Johnson in the role he is in.

Roch, I'm definitely going Albers. While Johnson has been pitching lights out and should get a look, Albers' performance against Toronto as a fill-in starter was too good not to give the ball back to him.

What I want to know more is, does Torres coming up mean we'll see less Luis Hernandez at short? I think we've seen enough erros and .200 batting averages that they might wanna try someone else.

And from Trembley saying that he sees Albers role on this club being in the bullpen, I think Johnson's gonna get the next start.

Roch--I agree. Keep Jim Johnson in his current role--he's been outstanding. Matt Albers has the experience as a starter. My first introduction to him was on an ESPN game when he was lights out as an Astro starter against the Cardinals.

Totally agree, Roch. Johnson has been very poor in his few ML starts, but has been absolutely awesome out of the pen this year. Albers has proven he can pitch effectively no matter his role - starter, long man, short man, etc.

Plus, Albers was the next in line during ST, so I think he deserves the shot. I just hope they don't call up Olson yet. He's red hot down at Norfolk, but I'm still not completely sold on him as a successful major league starter.

Feel like they should have brought up Olsen and given him a look as the 5th starter, with Albers and Johnson in their respective roles in the bullpen. Feels like Fahey has the ultility infielder role taken care of.

I agree. Give Albers the job. He's earned it. Let Johnson eat the guys up in the later innings. He seems to be confident in the bullpen role.

I think Albers has to be the guy, Roch. He's sure earned a shot at it both out of the pen and in the one start he had.

It's a good move to bring up Torres. Has he been up to the show before? If not, giving him a taste and seeing what he can do are both good things.

I'm not getting my hopes to high, but having a bat to back up the middle infield, or even starting at short, would be nice. What do you know about his D?

Roch, I'm with you and I use Albers as my starter. Johnson has been great and he deserves the chance to start, but he is more valuable in his current role to this team.

Hm.. If I were manager, I would stick to what has been working, which is a 13-man pitching staff. With Adam on the DL, they should have brought up Olson. Yes, Albers and Johnson have been fantastic and deserve a spot on the rotation, however, they have saved us quite a few times and where they are now is perfect. Everything is working right now so why change it. Give Olson a shot and see how he does. If he doesn't work out, well you have your pick of Albers or Johnson, or even Loewen when he returns.

Sure one could argue that we need that extra position player, but we really don't. We had one game where that extra guy would have come in handy, but everything worked out.

Again, I say stick to what has been working. I still don't understand the Torres call up. But hey, I'm not the manager.

Actually if I were the manager, my first order of business would be to eliminate Bobble Head Night and replace it with Shirtless Player night! We'd have a full stadium on Shirtless B-Rob night and Shirtless Markakis night. Send all the ladies home with commemorative lifesize poster. YOWZA!

We could save Shirtless Millar or Ramon night for a Yankee game. It would definitely distract those Yanks!

Wow I need to lay off the meds... my mind is wandering into dark places. HAHA!

GO O's! Keep it going!

I'd put Albers in the rotation for Loewen, he started once already. Johnson is in a groove, has found his niche, is clicking in the pen, all cliches welcome.... don't wake him up, leave him in long relief. This also allows them to see if Albers is for real as a starter or just a good long man from here on out.

I am still puzzled at why Torres? Only answer... he is part of the PH brigade for the starting SS each night, thus taking at least one wasted AB from the two headed, offensively inept SS tandem.

Roch, I thought you were about to break into that old song.. the shoulder is connected to the elbow, the elbow is connected to the...forearm....

Stock up on the Red Bulls, another later than usual game gang.... I suggest adding a little Goose for flavor... after all , it is Friday night.

I agree, Roch. Stick with Albers, as he's already proven he can do it. Johnson can back him up. Let him continue thriving in the long relief role.

I agree let albers start and see what he can do. Johnson is do so good in his role it would be a shame to change him around. I try to stay positive with the orioles and there draft picks but the track record speaks for it self. I know loewen is hurt but the question remains why do so many of the orioles number 1 picks not even make it to the majors . How roch can you be so wrong about something so many times. I am hoping that under andy's watch they can change there luck in the draft and so far so good with weiter's.I am really happy with the way the orioles have played despite poor performances from milliar, huff, and ramon. I really know we are headed in the right direction but when a pitcher like loewen start having injuries to his arm in mutiple years that is not a good sign.If they said that he wouldn't be able to pitch again it really won't be a big shock.

I agree with you, Roch.....Johnson is smoking hot and seems very relaxed in his current role...we've already seen Albers in a spot start and he looked just as good as he did in relief so why go and mess with Johnson when we've already seen Albers do it?

I agree, Roch. Give the spot to Albers. He did well there last time and I think that means he earned the right to keep it or lose it now.
I don't get a good feeling, though, about Loewen. I'm not a doctor, and I don't have all the inside information. But something tells me this may just the tip of the iceberg.
On a good note, go O's!!!!! Now that we're rolling, let's bring back Albert and Sammy (...just kidding...)

I agree. Go with Albers.

Also, whoever is the producer is for the Birds games on MASN is doing one hell of a job!!!!

Albers. More experience and I have him on my Fantasy team

I have to hand it to Adam for at least trying to gut it out, I remember another left-hander who wouldn't go on the hill unless he felt perfect. You have to go with Albers to fill the starter role, that sinker of his is just the type of pitch you need to survive in this division. I am happy that Johnson seems more than capable to fill the long man's job.

I'd start Olson -- JJ and Albers are excelling in their roles - so keep them there! When we call up Olson, I'd send down Fahey. I think Torres has more value to us than Fahey. We can deal with Cintron and Bynum when we have to

Torres' and Roberts are exactly the same size and weight. 5-9 175. Something is in the wind. Andy please pull the triger. Rebuild Mac. Get off the pot. What's the problem? We don't care. Good or bad. We don't care. Shake it up. Be creative. Let us non millionairs have some fun.

Roch - I think there has to be another move on the horizon. Torres doesn't really add anything of significant difference to what you have in Fahey and Luis Hernandez right now. So here is what I'd do, and I think the O's are doing it as well. I'd recall Garrett Olson and let him make the start. When I bring Olson back, I'd send Fahey out - and let Torres fill the backup MI role.

By doing it this way, it gives them a few extra players on the bench for a few days, when the fifth starter isn't needed anyhow.

Either that or they are trying to add Dan Johnson and this move was just temporary until his transaction clears.

Nice! Torres, Fahey, and Luis all on the team at the same time! Is it possible we have any more light hitting scrubs to place on this team at the same time? Does Millar and his pathetic bat at clean up count?

Roch - I agree with you that you couldn't go wrong with either of them. My only concern is that the long reliever is the most underappreciated postion in baseball and wilth Albers and Johnson we have two of the best. If the starting pitching falters, you need two and we would be down to one.

I think you have to go with Albers. He's done it before at the major league level, and I agree he has more upside.

It was clear from Trembley's comments last night that the 13-man staff was about to enter the Jurassic period. It was killing his bench flexibility as much as Loewen was killing his bullpen.

Hopefully Adam just needs some rest and it's nothing more serious but there are disturbing connections between the location of this year's discomfort and last year's surgery.

I hope he'll be able to put all these injuries behind him by mid-season and have a standout career with the O's. It would be nice to see him live up to his potential. I think he definitely has the talent in him to succeed.

Despite just reading in the Washington Post about how Albers is thriving in the long relief role, I'd prefer to see him join the rotation. Johnson has been so great coming out of the bullpen and he's never succeeded as a starter in the big leagues. Why mess with him now? Granted, he seems far more mature and confident this season, so maybe he'd do just as well in the rotation. But I'd say give it to Albers.

Question for you, Roch:

Given Loewen's contract situation, how long could they keep him at AAA for "rehab" starts? Could he make 10-15 of them down there? Because pitching in the big leagues doesn't seem to be the best thing for him right now.

Hey Roch, are you writing for Sportsline.com's fantasy player news or are they just ripping you word for word? From the blurb on Loewen going on the DL:

Adam Loewen, SP BAL

News: Orioles starter Adam Loewen has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with left elbow soreness, according to the Baltimore Sun. The Orioles purchased Eider Torres' contract from Triple-A Norfolk to take his spot on the roster.

Analysis: The Orioles don't seem to believe the latest discomfort is related to Loewen's elbow surgery, but since he's feeling discomfort in the elbow and forearm area, you can't help but connect the two. Elbow trouble is obviously a red flag with pitchers, so hopefully this won't be an injury that will linger. Matt Albers and Jim Johnson are possibilities to come out of relief and take his rotation spot for the time being and are worth scooping up in AL-only leagues. If you have to pick one, Albers is the better bet at this point.

Notice how the first sentence of their "analysis" is the exact same as the 7th graf in your post...

Albers should start. Not sure why Torres was the guy brought up. Nice reward for him, but how does he fit in!

OFF BASEBALL:

Is there a Spring Football Game? I heard that MD has a football program and they practiced this spring! Can anybody tell me if this is true?

I would like to read about it, but it seems that with no coverage, it must not be happening. (not that Roch should be, as our baseball reporter)

I agree.

I'm not saying Loewen is done by any stretch, but the O's need to shut this kid down till they get his arm figured out. We can at least afford to lose while he gets his health in order (remember, we are supposed to be re-building).

If only Fahey would be sent down, too. I like the kid, but I think Torres is a better option.

Roch:

Can Torres play short stop???

Roch

Definitely Albers to fill in for Loewen. One, because I think he has better starting pitcher stuff than Johnson. Two, because the pre-season competition for the fifth spot was between Albers and Burres. Albers has done everything to show he is as capable of starting as Burres and passing him over for someone else would not be right. These things matter to players and they seem to matter to Trembley as well.

First off, I apologize for my post going through three friggin' times. No idea what happened there..

Second, I guess my question about Eider Torres coming up was answered sooner than I thought! Hope to see him do well. It would make for some interesting scenarios in our middle infield situation. I think Moore will work his way back up to the parent club soon enough.

Third, I would go with Albers. He showed in his last spot start that he can do the job. Jim Johnson hasn't been up that long, and since he is thriving in his role, it would be best not to mess with that for now.

It's gotta be Albers...He seems to be what we thought we were getting in Troy Patton from the Tejada trade. Albers has been with the O's all year long and has more than proven that he's capable.

As a hypothetical manager, i opt to demote Aquino and call up Olson, and keep Albers as a long man...it's a waisted option for both guys, but it shouldnt be a wasted roster spot.

Roch, I think you nailed it. Albers has certainly earned the fifth spot with a strong start earlier this month and Johnson appears very comfortable in middle or long relief. Let Johnson continue to gain confidence and adjust to the Majors in his current role and he can graduate to becoming a starter later.

As for Loewen, I can't say I'm shocked that he's feeling sore. Any pitcher coming off a significant injury like the one he had last season needs time to shake the rust off, re-strengthen his pitching muscles, and find his mechanics. That usually takes a half or a full season. I think he'll have to battle through this all year before he finds more consistency in 2009. Same deal with Troy Patton. It will be 2010 before he will be anywhere near peak physical form.

Sorry if this has been recently answered, but what's the latest on Rocky Cherry and Jim Hoey?

Dylan,

To clarify, El Sid was the lefty fatso Sid "What a Horrible Memory to Recall" Fernandez; Sir Sid was the righty fatso Sidney "Don't Forget that I was once traded for another '99 draftee / pitcher bust Kurt Ainsworth and somehow I still came back at twice the price" Ponson. Just so we're all on the same page here.

If it's past 5 and we're playing the south siders, I think it's time for a south side! Go O's!

X is for the X Factor a solid bullpen plays in 1 Run Games

Matt Albers.

You've got to reward people when they take advantage of an opportunity. Albers looked great in his spot start, so the job should be his. Johnson can continue to excel in his current role.

They'll both get an eventual start sometime in the next 4 months.

Totally agree with Albers upside as a starter, you know , this is much more fun than the previous ten years.

What if these young pitchers all mature at the same time , we could be a force if Peter the Great would bring in a bat or two , go O's,

Albers....Perhaps Scott Moore's timing if off due to him riding pine w/out any repitition to start the season

Who dresses Dempsey- whats with his white shirt sticking out way below his jacket?

Or perhaps send Aquino down to Norfolk and bring up Greg Olson, leaving Albers and Johnson in the roles that have brought them success (so far)

Albers deserves the shot and has more experience. Both guys should get a shot eventually.

I agree with you Roch, Johnson is thriving in his role and why interrupt his development. Albers has earned a chance to start. He had a tough spring but his earlier proved that he could also do a decent job as a starter. I didn't know what Moore was doing in Norfolk and I though he would be the logical choice to come up. Now I see why Torres was brought up instead. I figured maybe an OF would be brought to maybe ease the burden on Adam Jones in CF. Thought Tike Redman would be brought up.

Olson, Penn... send out Aquino

How are some of the others doing in AAA???

Liz needs more time, even though he been pitching well... Why rush him...

x stands for xray Loewens arm...

I'm a little late posting a comment on last nights game, but I suffered when I turned on Gameday and 105.7 FM and found out it was 5-0. Then the Orioles began to claw back and I went to bed an inning later after Adam Jones put them ahead 7-5. I think it was 12:33 when I went to bed. I was sure the pen could seal the deal, plus I didn't want to be dragging through the day from lack of sleep. Yea I remember the days of my youth watching those west coast games into the 7th and 8th innings and falling asleep during the commercials. Then waking up at 2 am not knowing who won. It was before the internet and I used to scan the tv stations in the morning to find out the score.
But Roch is in a different situation than the young kid I was then. So as your punishment; on the first home game back, when a person makes an outstanding catch in the stands, you have to find them and "give that fan a contract." I miss Rex Barney. I met him once and took some photos of him up there in the press box of Memorial Stadium. If anyone can find his book, I recommend it. "Thank Yuuuu."

Dave Trembley tonight hired Mike Curtis as a special consultant to institute a policy of respect towards the players on the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. Mr. Trembley stated that he will allow Mr. Curtis to deal with unruly fans as he seemed fit considering that Mr. Curtis had previous experience in dealing with matters of this sort.

I think Albers has earned his shot at the rotation. We wouldn't be lacking a long man in the 'pen, as Jim Johnson could hold down that post. Bierd can go a couple innings, as can Aquino.

My guess is Trembley will demote Fahey and recall a bullpen arm for depth purposes. I don't see him promoting Olson or Penn when he has seen (in the Majors) what Albers can do.

However, I didn't expect Moore's demotion, either, so what do I know?

It was a crime that this game was even started. I live in Chicago and everyone knew that there was going to be rain all night. In fact, at 6:30 central time, the White Sox pre-game people said that it would be raining in about an hour probably for the rest of the evening. With the Loewen situation, this should really scramble the starting pitching!!

Bird Fan in Seattle; Thanks for the story on the O's game. It was a good read for me.
I just checked to see how the Pirates Chris Gomez and Jose Bautista were doing and found that they were playing the Phillies. Great to see Jayson Werth, (O's 1st round pick in 97) who hit his 5th homer tonight and is batting .313. Wow!
Well Gomez didn't play and Bautista had a walk and is batting a buck-78.

I would go with Garrett Olson over Albers. This way you replace a lefty with another lefty, who also has now shown command of his pitches. He has proved he is a winner at Triple A and deserves another shot in the majors. I would even consider releasing Trachsel and moving Albers in the rotation to take his spot and move Hayden Penn to the long relief role.

I agree that Albers should fill the spot. I think Johnson hasn't been up long enough to be put in that situation yet.
And Fahey has been kicked to the curb, even though he was clearly the better player through spring training, now they bring up another body to fill the same role.He was on a roll out of spring training and they gave the slot to the struggling Hernandez. He hasn't performed as well from the bench as when he played regularly, I can't figure it. Has he pissed someone off?

Jim Johnson would be my choice. I'd agreee with DT that Albers is too important to the pen and I feel that is where his long term value is.

Could Eider Torres be the answer the O's have desperately needed to find in a #2 hitter? I know he will not get many, if any at-bats cause for some reason DT likes to frustrate us like that. But looking at his numbers he sure seems like an ideal fit. Good luck Eider!

Roch--Wanted to let marc c know how much I enjoyed the writing he posted at 12:42 PM Friday.

All I see is "0 Comments" since 3:07 PM.

I guess you got the inside weather report from Alexandra Steele and put the tarp on.

Its gotta be Albers. The kid looks sharp and makes the Tejada trade look a lil bit sweeter!

X is for X-Ray

Trembley said in an interview last night he likes Albers in the long relief role which I agree with. He really hasn't been getting enough work to stretch out as a starter. I'd rather see them call Penn or Olson up to make the start but I'm not sure where they are in their pitch cycle. But who knows because they still have 3 games with the WS where the bullpen could get trashed.

I agree Roch, keep Johnson in the pen doing 2 or 3 inning stints. Starting might be too much pressure on him too soon. I think Albers may take this opportunity and run with it.

Albers to replace Loewen.

Then I would go back to my preseason suggestion and move Trachsel to long relief and with Johnson then to starting pitcher.

Albers.

If he does well long term then when (or if) Loewen gets back they trade or release Trachsel. If his careeer is over, hopefully Olssen will have fought his way on to the team by then.

Johnson is doing well where he is leave him alone.

I totally agree. Matt Albers has pitched well out of the bullpen and in his one spot start. He deserves this start and if Loewen is out for a considerable amount of time, he should take over the spot.

I believe they may go to Olson specifically because he is a lefty. That reason only, to keep the mix in the rotation and look at the success left handers have in general in the AL.

I would go with Albers, he made a lot of starts last year in the majors, unlike others the Orioles are considering.

if i was manager i would start a blog and put an online poll on there and let the fanz choose.