Montanez was a 1st round pick by the Cubs back in the day (2000 or 2001 I believe) If he isn't going to show anything now, he never will. Reimold should be moved up to AAA since he too is getting a bit old for AA (24). Time to see if he can make the next leap and then wait for a call up to the show in September.

Do my eyes deceive me? I think I saw Jay Payton with the bill of his cap flipped.

Trembley seems to play a lot of Monday Morning Quarterback. Every time the team or a player bounces back, he has these stories about how he motivated them to do better or gave them the right advice and whatnot. Thats a very good quality to have, but he needs to use it during games as well...he's a smart baseball coach.

Well guys, I'm headed to South Africa for a month on a missions trip, I hope the O's are still doing good when I get back.

Great win and great job again Roch keeping us informed. Go O's!

Think we can have Luis Montanez with the club? His 18 HRs would lead the team.

Adam did have a big night. He really looked great in his first appearance back with the team. He looked loose and easy pitching. I hope he can become a left-handed Matt Albers and help out the team in relief.

I was at the game and had a great time. Liz looked great besides the bomb onto Eutaw Street by Gordon. The offense stringed together some hits for a big inning as usual, and Loewen looked good, especially for it being his first game back. Good bounceback for Sherrill. But Sarfate -- come on dude. The two guys he walked he was up in the count 0-2 but couldn't put them away. Hopefully he learns from his mistakes, but this won't be the last time that Sarfate gives us all blood pressure problems...

Good game tonight. I was there and there was a lot of enthusiasm for George Sherrill when he entered the game, especially by those sporting his t-shirt. He threw strikes.

I was just looking at the Orioles web site and there is a picture of Payton with this hat flipped up in flat breezy mode:

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=bal

If you look at Montanez's numbers over the past couple years, he absolutely dominates AA, but then when he gets moved to AAA, he struggles. He's been back and forth a couple times because of this. He may be a career AA player.

Payton did have his bill flipped up and a smile on his face. Very nice to see.

Best game I have ever been too. Too bad I dont remember anything after the 3rd inning. I was right next to the dug out. Me and my friends were giving crap to Kuntz (take a guess at how we renounced it. Shelby gave us a ball which we gave to a kid behind us. Great night. Amber Theoharris thinks I am a stalker but I did manage to get a picture.

http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/548/n5701268395297194750ek0.jpg

Finally we see that Jared is not the Subway dude!

How'd you score meeting Amber, by the way?

And where did you sit, Jared?

what?!?! payton with the flipped bill? must be the other jay payton. i'll double check the roster for a second. can't be the one so many on here know and loathe. (me? i'm ambivalent on the guy. he's playing baseball for a living... i'm not. he wins.)

"j" is for jay-with-the-flipped-up-lid!

Jay also had a George Sherrill shirt on underneath.

loewen wasn't exactly sparkling but he survived. that double play was unspeakably huge.

Yet again, Trembley violates the cardinal rule of closer use: Never use thy closer more than two days in a row before September. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

I was at the game last night and I have to say there was a lot of love for Sherrill. He got a standing ovation when he entered and most of us stood during his entire appearance. It was a good night for Georgie and the O's.

Loewen looked good against lefties, but was a little shaky facing the right-handers.

I could swear I saw MASN show a replay of the bucket of gum going from sitting peacefully in the dugout to a resting place on the field, and it was propelled by Sherrill throwing it, not kicking it. If he actually kicked it, that just goes to show the value and reliability of "eyewitness" accounts.

Nice to see George bounce back, but it would have been even nicer for him not to have to get up to warm up, let alone come in the game. Nice to see Loewen have a good game first outing back.

payton rocked a flat breezy.

the dude abides.

GREAT atmosphere last night at the yard. especially for a Tuesdeee night against the Royals. This city wants a winner and the fans will turn out in droves if we get one.

FLAT BREEZY
FLAT BREEZY

I mean, what the heck is going on in the warehouse these days?

Did McPhail ever think about getting Hanley Ramirez to play short for us?

His 20 HR's would probably help our lineup.

Dont you guys recall that Stockstill once said that he prefers to keep their better hitting prospects at AA rather than AAA b/c there are more MLB quality arms in AA.

Come on...

Jared

What a fantastic post. I presume you don't remember beyond the third inning due to being drunk. Then you yell profanity at our own pitching coach. And then you give a ball to the KID behind you. Had I been that kid's parent I would've shoved the ball down your throat.

great game to watch. had to remove the negative thoughts after the two walks, but GS was a man on a mission last night. great win. let's keep it going. 6 games back from the wild card in july? if someone would have told me that in february, i'd have taken it.

Jared how can anyone here give you a hard time? Those seats were worth crowing about, and the picture is a classic. Although, to be fair, Amber might be on the right track with her stalker concerns. Was that arm behind you the long arm of the law starting to take you away (ha ha , ho ho..) or perhaps a gestapo usher?

"j" for .. what else?
If your real name is both Jared and Maier, you have a tough go of it for sure. Keep smiling.

Roch, seriously, I know Montanez's reads the blog but we want info on prospects. The guy is in the prime of his career and he's at AA, does it matter when he gets promoted to AAA?

Reimold is the guy to be questioning right now. He is 9 for his last 20 with 1-2B, 4HRs & 8RBIs. these last 20 ab's have come since Wieters was promoted and put in the line-up behind him. The question is why has Reimold gone on the hot streak? a. pitchers are afraid of Wieters (evidenced by his high walk total) so Reimold is getting better pitches to hit. b. Reimold is threatened by the younger prospect catching up to him in the organization. or c. it's just a coincidence.

I'll go with A.

Jared, I do see a little fear and I-better-do-whatever-this-freak-is-telling-me-to-do expression in Amber’s eyes.

And why don't you remember anything after the third ... were you drinking or did Kuntz knock your lights out?

So many "Holy Crap" moments to report!!!

1. Holy Crap! Jay Payton in flat breezy mode. Can't be? No way!!

2. Holy Crap! George Sherrill coming on to the field and thousands standing and waving his shirts. Chilling!

3. Holy Crap! Am I the only one who caught the old lady on old lady action on the Kiss Cam. I have no problem with that, but give us a little warning. I'm sure they were in love (or completely bombed) but it was truly shocking!!!!!

4. Holy Crap! Did you just read #3? I spit my beer onto the person in front of me. (whoever you are, I'm sorry. It caught me off guard.)

5. Holy Crap! Did anyone catch the fans of the game? I must have been really drunk because I have never laughed so hard in my life. Those ladies were hysterical.

6. Holy Crap! Mustard finally won! I pick that jerk to win every time and he never does. It's about time.

Go B-Rob! Go Liz! Aubrey Huff is my new favorite O! He is just super!

Hey Roch:

What are the chance that we will see the O's promote Bergesen or Tillman if Burris continues to struggle? ALso, is there a chance that Blake Davis will get a shot at short or could we see Weiters up at catcher or DH when the rosters expand or Ramon gets traded?

Leave Montanez at Double A where his trade value is the best.
Good Save Sherrill Im glad you gave up that base hit b/c Sarfate deserves those two runs. Also Sarfate needs to work on changing speeds he hits 95 on every fastball.
Go O's

Georgie take heart...I caught the Yankee radio broadcast in the ninth inning when Mariano gave up the winning run...sweet to Os fans. And yet another example of the life of the Closer. Nodody's perfect, but the best of the best come back and mow 'em down the next time.

Hey Roch...what's going on with Rocky Cherry? It seems we're calling every pitcher up but him, I'd like to see him get a chance. With Buckvich struggling do you think the O's will call him up? Or do they bring another position player up?

Roch,
As a UVA fan, do you know if the O's are any closer to signing Greg Miclat? Also, an update on Matusz would be nice if you have it.

Thanks.

Trembley is going to tell a story about the Gas House Gang and then talk about kicking a chewing gum bucket?

That's what we need. More guys that show zero emotion.

I just wanted to say "thank you" to all the fans who were at the game last night and gave George a standing ovation when he came into the game. This is just one more example of the classy and knowledgeable fan base of the Baltimore Orioles.

I see that Tony Pena Jr. has fallen out of favor with the Royals and was just wondering if anyone would like to see the Orioles get him. He is a better defensive player than Fahey, Bynum or Cintron. He is also scary fast. He is the son of a former player and a current coach so he "knows" how to the little things like bunting and moving the player over. His hitting is a weakness but maybe a change of scenery and some time with "The Crow" would get him to be a .250 hitter. I for one would rather see him than Uribe or Lopez

captain belligerent says you should rage face.

Yesterday, I read a very disturbing column in The Sun by columnist Jean Mirabella. She wrote about the impending layoffs and buyouts coming to The Sun.
She wrote about "packets" and firings and the grimness of having enough people to cover the news. Yikes.
Anyone who reads and enjoys this blog has to wonder how deep will these firings and cutbacks go.
In order to avoid a worst case scenario and make sure it never gets to that point, I would propose a plan of action.
In order to assure that nothing ever, ever impacts RATC or Roch's employment at The Sun, I would suggest that now is the time for someone to start selling sponsorships and ads for this blog.
With upwards of 50,000 hits a week which is always far more, depending upon an upcoming Orioles trade or a two-game losing streak, I would think that some smart marketer or advertiser would want to be seen by all those weekly hitters.
Obviously there are online ads at the top of the page and I am sure they are just thrown in as add-ons for buying space in the paper, but this blog's readership is worth more than that.
The people who contribute to this blog and read it religiously are obviously educated (we can read and write) and affluent enough to buy clothes, shop at supermarkets, do banking, eat at restaurants and look for bargains just like any consumer. So it only makes sense for advertisers to pay money to put their messages here.
I suggest someone contact the online sales person at The Sun and propose putting together a full-time sponsorship package and media buy for this blog.
If Tostitos can sponsor the Fiesta Bowl and plaster it's name all over the field, then we can certainly find a way to put a K-Bank slogan, Giant Food message or some bar's logo at the top of this blog or next to each entry.
Surely, some of us could even suggest potential advertisers who would love to reach this valuable audience.
This would turn Roch's Blog into a money stream for his employer and employers have a hard time letting go of people who bring in revenue. Even if it just paid for all or part of Roch's salary, it would be worth it.
And for those who think a bunch of logos will clutter things up on these pages, just think what it would be like if there were no pages.
There are too many people, and you know who you are, who take great pleasure in reading this wonderful blog.
In fact, it is more than a blog. It is a community where O's and baseball fans can vent, rage, and insult each other. We can praise the players and bludgeon the owner with all the bile we can summon. Plus, it's free and you can't beat that.
Certainly, if this blog were to disappear tomorrow, the world would not come to an end. But just think how much better and informed we all are for having Roch in the paper and Around The Clock.
Let's discuss.
Full disclosure: This message was written without the knowledge or consent of the Roch.

yes what a great game...adam jones is really starting to be a beast!

another great team win!

j is for jared the stalker, did she autograph your pic?

Has Montanez improved his approach to hitting since joining the Baltimore organization? If he did, who helped him and can they convice Scott Moore to do the same?

and yeah i do believe mora REALLY needs to sit, i'll finally admit it.

With the emergence of all the 18, 19, 20, 21 - year old phenoms in baseball, I think everyone's expectations of what age is appropriate is get to the Big Leagues is a bit distorted. These Uptons, and Longorias and Weiters (hopefully) are a select few athletes who have so much talent and have nothing left to learn in the minors. They are as polished as they are going to get in the minors and then they are promoted. Someone who breaks into the majors at age 24 or 25 will likely see their best years from the age of 27-32. Isnt that pretty norm for a baseball player? Athletes like the Snyders, Tripps, Rowells, Montanez, and Reimolds need to learn more in the minors and stay there until they are seasoned. It takes a very special athlete to be thrown to the dogs right away and thrive as an athlete.

So, as we turn for home having passed the halfway mark of the season, did anyone really think in March that any of the following five things would be true at this point?

1. The O's are over .500.
2. Aubrey Huff is our biggest threat, on pace for 30 homers?
3. Adam Jones is the only guy on the team to play in every game, is hitting north of .270, is on pace for over 150 hits and is near the top of the league in GWRBI?
4. George Sherrill is an All-Star, on pace to save 50+ games?
5. Olson and Liz are productive members of the rotation.

Unfortunately, in March we all probably thought the following five things would be true at this point--

1. The O's are in fourth and have no shortstops.
2. Despite periods of brilliance, DCab's ERA is approaching 5.
3. Loewen is not a productive member of the rotation.
4. Melvin Mora, while playing well defensively, is a grossly overpaid, offensive liability.
5. Millar, while an exceptional clubhouse guy, is hitting under .240. With him and Mora in the middle of the lineup, it's amazing we're scoring enough runs to be over .500.

On balance I think there is a lot more to like than not to like. Things are better than anyone could have expected. And, although we're a long way from contending, the Bedard trade does look like a steal and there finally are some guys (mainly pitchers) to be excited about in the minors.

I look forward to watching every night. It's fun to be an O's fan again.

Ever since the O's played Cubs , here is a checklist visits from the Injury Bug .
Matt Albers-DL
Jamie Walker-DL
Alex Cintron-DL
All of this in one week ?

Will the O's have any Vets left to trade come 31st ?

Roch,

First post for me here but I love the blog and read it daily. I'm headed to NC to visit some family for the 4th and we are going to a Greensboro Grasshoppers vs. Delmarva Shorebirds game Saturday? Can you give me some players to watch for the Shorebirds? I don't recognize ANY names on their roster! I know these guys are young, but there has to be someone there to watch right?

Jared needs to get a life.

Ben W - seats were 3rd row (since when is row AAA third row) right next to the dug out. That picture was taken after the game. She was down to the right of the Os dug out during the game (not the entire game) where the camera crew is. She was nice enough to grant me a picture. Our lot was right next to the players.

Did you guys know Guthrie rides a bicycle to and from the game? I wouldn’t downtown.

Wes M - Perhaps I exaggerated a bit. Rusty Kuntz is the KC 1st base coach. I was not making the last name reference although some of my friends did a few times, but only to the people in my group. The kid was 2 rows behind us and to our left, so he did not hear us, nor would he know what we were talking about if we did. We did not use profanity. I would never allow that. The hecking was really just shouting "Rusty!".

I asked the people around us throughout the game if we needed to tone it down, nobody had a problem with us. It was all in good fun and they joined in with us. Even got an invite to Scores, but declined.

I do remember most of the game, but wasn't really paying too close attention. I don't remember Roberts going deep. I was not THAT drunk, just wasn’t paying attention.

Mark C - I got a lot of crap back in high school when that happened.

Captain Belligerent - Possibly true. If you met me, you would like me though. But I do admit I could have acted better at the game.

Reimold needs to get called up to AAA now that he is healthy and hitting well. The future outfield for the O's should be in place very soon, I hope. Have you heard anything about Reimold moving yet, Roch?

"I don't recognize ANY names on their roster! I know these guys are young, but there has to be someone there to watch right?" -Nick

Shorebirds of note:

RF Joe Nowicki
C Wally Crancer
2B Ryan Adams

SP John Mariotti
SP Zach Britton
SP Sean Gleason
RP Brett Bordes
CL Mick Mattaliano

This is pretty much the best talent that team has to offer right now. It looks promising.

Gentlemen, gentlemen. Amber Theoharris has a boyfriend, so dream on.

You're never happy when someone gets hurt, but Cintron's injury essentially means there is one less bad choice in the mix. If I were MacPhail, I'd be tired of mediocrity and say why not try to go for broke. Why not ask Pat Gillick what it would take to get Jimmy Rollins down here? Probably a steep price, but why not ask? Someone recently mentioned the Phillies' AAA shortstop, but why settle for that?

terpfan,

#6 for your hard to believe list:
The Os have a better record than every team in the NL West.

Roch,

Can you ask some of the O’s this question? With years of hearing Yankee and Red Sox fans cheering in Camden yards, how good did it feel to hear the “Lets Go O’s” chant last weekend at Nationals Stadium? Next year O’s fans should declare the Nat’s stadium Camden Yard south, no wait we have class not like the fans of the evil empires.

I rather see Montanez at AAA then Adam Stern, he has earned it plus a September call up. Leave Reimold at Bowie until Payton is traded later this month, and then have him platoon with Luke Scott for the rest of the year.

terpfan--Nice summary of both surprises and expectations.

One other surprise--the emergence of Jim Johnson as a confident, tough relief pitcher.

Thanks Greg for the updates on the Shorebirds! I only ever hear of the names at AA and AAA so I'm excited to see these young guys play!

Absolutely right Barry. JJ has been our best pitcher. If only set-up guys made the All-Star team, he'd be our lead representative.