It was an interesting day at the bar on Wednesday.

Lots of good discussion about the Orioles’ current defensive outfield situation.

And a few silly comments thrown in there, too. Everyone’s entitled to an opinion, but I am going to have to call a cab for some of you.

For the record, and in case it didn’t get spelled out Wednesday, I am happy for Adam Jones that he won a Gold Glove. I never questioned whether he is deserving; I simply said I was a bit surprised because I think he had a better defensive year in 2008.

And I do believe, at this point in their careers, Nick Markakis is a slightly better defensive outfielder, though Jones has the potential to be better as his career unfolds. Plus Jones plays center field, and that does mean something.

The important thing for beleaguered Orioles fans is that you have both of them for a long time. Enjoy that.

The overall discussion – and some of the rants about the Gold Glove going mostly to center fielders – got me thinking.

If you were to use the current Gold Glove rules – that is, choose three overall outfielders, not necessarily one each from left, right and center – to represent the Orioles’ all-time best defensive outfield, who would be in it?

As much as I don’t like the “three center fielders approach” that the Gold Glove committee uses, it’s true that when I think of the best defensive outfielders in O’s history, I immediately think of center fielders, before I shift to the left and right.

So here’s the task at hand today: If you were to give out Gold Gloves to three Orioles outfielders throughout the years, who would win?

There’s no question Paul Blair is one answer. Even if you never saw him play – and I don’t have clear memories of him in Baltimore – he probably should be on your list. Everything I have ever heard from players and fans is that Blair was the best defensive outfielder to ever wear an Orioles uniform. And he has eight Gold Gloves to prove it.

So he gets my first award. I think I have to give the second to Al Bumbry, who was the guy I watched growing up, and that little guy had serious hops before we ever referred to jumping ability as serious hops. Plus, he had his share of outfield assists.

The third is tricky. Mike Devereaux is probably my ultimate answer, but that leaves Jones (the only other Orioles outfielder with a Gold Glove) off the list. That also would deny Nick Markakis, Brady Anderson, Steve Finley, Frank Robinson and Jackie Brandt, among others, the award.

There is no wrong answer here. Pick three outfielders (yes, it can be all center fielders) to receive the Orioles’ all-time Gold Glove. I’d love to hear the reasoning behind your choices.

Daily Think Special: Who are the three best defensive outfielders in Orioles history?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:23 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (72)
        

I know it is football season, but we’re going to talk baseball today.

We are going to talk baseball lots of days, no matter what the temperature is outside. We won’t abandon the Ravens, but I have to stick with my so-called expertise on occasion.

And that’s baseball, and those battered and beaten birds of Baltimore.

Before I get to them, though, a quick scouting report on the Jason Isbell concert for those that care (and based on the e-mails I’ve gotten about my lack of music discussion recently, some of you, a vocal/typing portion anyway, do).

Isbell put on a heck of a show, one that would make all Drive-By Truckers fans proud. He played for about two hours, did several of his most recent solo tunes as well as covers of The Talking Heads and Tom Petty and mixed in some of his Truckers stuff (“Outfit,” “The Day John Henry Died,” “Decoration Day.”) There were some technical difficulties at the venue, but Isbell and his band, the 400 Unit, fought through it and sounded great.

The only disappointment was the size of the crowd. I wasn’t expecting a Truckers’ audience, but thought there’d be more people out. Of course, as an old guy, I’m much more comfortable with gatherings versus crowds these days.

Two Baltimore notes from that night: The opener was Charm City’s own J Roddy Walston and the Business, a fun band that’s energy is only matched by its volume of hair. The drummer is Steve Colmus, who is one of the Warning Track Power guys that created “How Bout Dem O’s?” which we have featured here before. Steve came up and re-introduced himself to me before his gig, which was cool.

Also, I discovered after Isbell’s show that one of the guys in his band, keyboardist Derry deBorja, is from Towson. He’s a McDonogh grad, and this old Calvert Hall guy didn’t hold it against him. I swear.

So, yeah, Baltimore’s music scene was well represented in Pa. last week. Good to see.

OK, back to something you care more about: the Orioles.

As I wrote today, Dave Trembley has brought back all of his coaches except bench coach Dave Jauss. I guess that’s somewhat of a surprise from a team that lost 98 games in 2009. But if you believe that Trembley deserved to return despite the record, the same can probably be said about his staff.

The fact that the only one to get the ax was the bench coach isn’t surprising. The manager and the bench coach have to have a special relationship and if that doesn’t develop – or if it slips some over time -- it’s an easy spot to make a change. Don’t worry about Jauss, who has been in the game forever. He’ll surely find a job somewhere else.

I know some were disappointed that Juan Samuel stayed. A bad team’s third base coach is always a target for fans. It’s by far the easiest coaching position to criticize and, in the time I have covered this club, fans wanted the heads of Sam Perlozzo and Tom Trebelhorn, too. Yes, Samuel made some mistakes in 2009. But a third base coach is only noticed when he makes a questionable decision. The other 700-plus times when the team scores, no one gives him any credit for waving his arm.

Here’s what you need to know about Samuel: He is arguably the most respected person in the Orioles' clubhouse – players and coaches alike. A former all-star, he’s unafraid to tell a player when he did something wrong or isn’t acting professionally. And, at 48, he’s still has the muscle (and resume) to back it up. I would have kept him, too.

In fact, I’m OK with the returning of these coaches; there is something to be said for continuity, But are you?

Daily Think Special: Should the Orioles have brought back most of their coaching staff?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:26 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

This is not an official poll. The results are haphazard and arguably meaningless.

What did you expect? I mean, it’s not even a real bar. But if you are truly disappointed, then I will return your cover charge.

Anyway, I tallied Wednesday’s comments for and against keeping Orioles manager Dave Trembley for 2010.

It was 32 against him, 25 for him and a bunch that commented around the specific question without giving a definite answer (I’m cool with that, too. We don’t judge at Connolly’s).

The point is it was close. An argument can be made each way.

I guess my contention is that those who criticize Trembley’s in-game moves are missing the big picture. Oftentimes, he is replacing one reliever who shouldn’t be in the majors with another reliever who shouldn’t be in the majors.

He is pinch-hitting a kid who won’t be in the big leagues in two years with a veteran who won’t be in the big leagues in two years.

OK, I’m exaggerating a bit, but the guy doesn’t have enough quality personnel to allow us to properly evaluate his managerial skills on a daily basis. Are there things he has done I disagree with? Absolutely. But are his mistakes so rampant that it proves he can’t manage at this level? Nope.

I keep him for 2010. And one of the reasons is I don’t know who should be his replacement. Or, I should say, what kind of manager should replace him.

Today I don’t want to get into the names of potential replacements. Trembley still has his job, and it would be disrespectful to start clamoring for another candidate.

But I want to know this: What type of manager should lead the Orioles in 2010?

What’s funny is that the Orioles have tried all kinds of prototypes in the past decade: There was the veteran who would force accountability onto the players (Ray Miller), the proven winner (Mike Hargrove), the fresh-faced hot commodity (Lee Mazzilli), the players’ manager (Sam Perlozzo) and the nurturing development guy (Trembley).

How did those work out?

What’s left is the hard-(nosed) disciplinarian -- which is usually a disaster for young teams. No doubt some Orioles could use a good benching when they don’t give 100 percent. But let’s see how that disciplinarian keeps the clubhouse when this team is losing 90 in 2010 and the veteran leaders are grousing about being treated like rookies. (Remember, the 2009 player is much different than the ones Earl Weaver terrorized in 1970.)

Again, I think it is a lot more about the personnel than the manager right now.

But I want to hear what personality type you want in your next manager. And I want to see how that differs from what Trembley brings to the table. Or what Sammy P brought. Or Mazz or Grover or Rabbit.

Daily Think Special: What type of manager do the Orioles need for 2010?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:22 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (89)
        

We have officially made it to the last week of the Orioles season.

And I am ready to address the elephant in the barroom.

It’s really a two-headed pachyderm.

Will Orioles manager Dave Trembley be fired at season’s end?

Should he be?

My colleagues at The Sun, columnists Peter “The Promised Land’s Ugly American” Schmuck and Kevin “Cat Hater” Cowherd give their differing opinions in Wednesday’s edition. If I were you, I’d check it out.

Now, I am weighing in as well.

I have been waffling on the first question during the past month, and now, as the Orioles are hideously stumbling to the finish line, I’m leaning toward the belief that Trembley will be fired. It’s tough to survive a 100-loss season (or something real close).

The second question I have answered consistently all year: No, Trembley shouldn’t be fired. He didn’t put this team together. He didn’t assemble the bullpen. He didn’t ask for several of his best veteran players to be dealt away or shelved with injuries.

Trembley did what he could with this mess of a roster. Like those before him -- Sam Perlozzo, Lee Mazzilli, Mike Hargrove -- he was handcuffed the moment he said, ‘I do.”

You can make the argument that Trembley has done a better job than those mentioned above. Because, collectively, he probably had less talent to work with, and, for the most part, the players haven’t openly turned against him.

Sure, Trembley made some lineup and pitching moves that could be questioned. But that’s the beauty of baseball. None of us is under the same pressure as the manager and yet we can second-guess his decisions.

The biggest criticism of Trembley is that his players failed miserably when it came to mastering the fundamentals. Yet Trembley’s teams practiced fundamentals more during the season than any other group I have covered. Whose fault is that?

Some of Trembley’s biggest critics within the clubhouse are the same guys who failed to do their job this year. But as the old adage goes, "You can’t fire 25 players."

The only reason to can Trembley now is to change the ever-present “culture of losing.” Yet whoever takes over almost certainly will have to suffer through another terrible season next year. And then that person will be caught in the undercurrent of losing as well. And the cycle, the criticism will continue.

That is until the club has enough horses to compete with the big boys in the AL East. That could be coming, but it isn’t here yet. And won’t arrive next year.

So until then, it doesn’t matter who the manager is. Therefore, it seems unfair to ship out Trembley now to pay for the sins of past regimes.

That’s my $2.02. Give me yours.

Daily Think Special: Would you fire Dave Trembley? Why or why not?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:37 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (78)
        

I am finishing up at Rogers Centre – I can call it Skydome in a blog, thankfully -- after the Orioles were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays in an amazingly forgettable three-game series.

There is truly only one highlight from this series.

Matt Wieters hit an absolute bomb against Scott Richmond that hit the façade just under the club-level seating in right field. They don’t give estimates in Toronto – and I am not smart enough to do the conversion anyway – but trust me, it was crushed.

There was so much buzz about Wieters when he arrived that his slow start at the plate and behind it made it seem like he was a disappointment.

But the kid has heated up in a big way.

After two hits Wednesday, he now is batting .290 with eight homers and 38 RBIs. He’s also made some great throws to second recently.

He has hit safely in 15 of the 19 games he has played in September and is batting .367 in the month.

He is hitting an outrageous 12-for-22 (.545) since being moved to the third spot in the lineup five games ago.

So I am impressed.

This kid has become a major league hitter before our eyes. Yes, he could exhibit more consistent power, but for a guy in his second pro season it’s a matter of time.

But I know some of you wanted more from Wieters early on. Has your perception changed in the past month or so?

Daily Think Special: What are your impressions of Matt Wieters now?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:17 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (66)
        

Thursday was an off day for the Orioles, but baseball writers still have to come up with stories.

That and the fact that baseball players make roughly 600 times what we earn in a year are really what separates the professions.

Oh, and the groupies. And the fact we can’t hit curveballs. And don’t have shoe or sunglasses deals.

OK, there is plenty.

Apparently, some of you believe there isn’t much that separates Yankees’ fans and Red Sox fans. It was another interesting debate at the bar Thursday. Some great points and very little name-calling, I like that.

Back to off-day stories. The one I wrote for Friday’s paper is about the possibility that the Orioles could lose 100 games in a season for just the third time in their history.

They did it in 1954 – the first year of the modern-day franchise here – and in 1988, when the club lost 21 straight to begin the season.

And now this year it could happen again. The Orioles (54-80) would have to go 9-19 in their final 28 games to stave off 100 losses. Coincidentally, they were 9-19 in their past 28 games.

So they’ll have to dip a notch below their current scuffling pace, but with a tough final schedule, the loss of center fielder Adam Jones to injury and the eventual shutdown of starters Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz, it’s within reach.

But does it matter? Do you want to see the Orioles avoid 100 losses, or is it just another number in a rough season?

Daily Think Special: Is losing 100 games a big deal to you?

Bonus Think Special: Will the Orioles lose 100?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:40 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (50)
        

OK people, the Yankees fans have gone. It’s safe to come out now.

They have taken their swollen pride and their “Hip, Hip Jor-Heys” and headed back up Interstate 95 for another year.

You only have to suffer through three more Red Sox games at home this month before you can reclaim Camden Yards.

Yeah, that Blue Jays series in October is going to be rocking.

Three-quarters of the park this week was filled with Yankees fans – par for the course these days. They did their thing, too, cheering everything pinstripe. But I’ll stay on record that Yankee fans are much more tolerable in 2009 than Red Sox fans. Not even close.

We’ve done this topic before, and most of you agree with me.

But here’s my question for today: The Yankees and Red Sox are, again, clearly among the best teams in the American League. They’ll both likely make the playoffs, meaning there’s a 50 percent chance one will get to the World Series.

I want to know which is the lesser of the two evils. Right now. In 2009.

Would you rather have the Yankees, who last won a world championship in 2000 but have 26 overall, get to the World Series?

Or would you still rather see it be the Red Sox, who have won two since 2004?

You don’t get an alternative option of swallowing cyanide in late October.

It’s a simple question. Two choices. One painful answer. If you had to choose – and I am making you – who would you rather see win the 2009 World Series?

Daily Think Special: Yankees or Red Sox?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:40 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (71)
        

This week, I’ve been at Tropicana Field, home of the inspiring Tampa Bay Rays and the annoying cowbell.

That’s what these fans in St. Pete do when they want their boys to rally. They shake their cowbells.

Who would have thought there would be such a thing as too much cowbell?

It’s not the most annoying cheer (or cheering apparatus) in baseball, however. The tomahawk chop in Atlanta is pretty irritating, and it didn’t even start with the Braves. So it’s stolen and annoying.

I actually think the rally monkey in Anaheim is somewhat entertaining. And I guess I can deal with the “Let’s Go Red Sox” and “Let’s Go Yankees” chants, even when they are in Camden Yards.

The wave, however, I can absolutely do without. I’d rather take a Justin Verlander fastball in the noggin than participate in the wave. If the Orioles want me out of the press box, all they have to do is institute a mandatory wave, and I am history.

The wave, to me, is the worst fan act/cheer in all of sports. Hate it.

There I’ve gotten that off my chest.

Now, more cowbell.

Daily Think Special: What is the most annoying fan cheer/act in sports?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:41 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (66)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ... "  Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With  ... "

It has been 30 years since he starred on the mound, a master of comic relief for the Orioles. Was there ever a closer like Don Stanhouse, the big righthander with the Harpo Marx hair, the wacky demeanor and a knack for making every save an adventure?

The stopper for Baltimore’s 1979 American League champions, Stanhouse won 7 of 10 games, saved 21 more and compiled a 2.85 earned run average. But it was the way he pitched – creating a jam, then escaping it – that drove Orioles manager Earl Weaver nuts.

"He (Weaver) would bring me in, then disappear down the tunnel and start chain-smoking his Raleighs," recalled Stanhouse, who was nicknamed "Fullpack" for that reason.

In the AL playoffs, with the Orioles enjoying a 9-4 lead over California, Weaver summoned his frizzy-haired All-Star in the ninth. Stanhouse promptly surrendered four runs before ending the game with the bases full.

Later, asked why he hadn’t yanked Stanhouse, Weaver replied, "I still had three cigarettes left."

Acquired in 1978, Stanhouse perked up the Orioles’ clubhouse with his quirky looks, offbeat antics and a panache right out of Woodstock.

"I’m pretty on the inside," he’d say. "When they took X-rays of my head, they found flowers."

Continue reading "Catching Up With . . . former Oriole Don Stanhouse" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Aubrey Huff is no longer an Oriole.

We knew it would happen eventually, but now it won’t drag into the offseason.

Huff was the club’s MVP in 2008, which was one of the more tumultuous seasons a player has had in an Orioles uniform (not including the disaster known as 2005).

From his offseason radio antics and “Baltimore is a horse---- town” comments to being booed on Opening Day to becoming the club’s best hitter in 2008, it was a whirlwind for Huff.

Honestly, I appreciated the way Huff handled himself last year – no pun intended – and he became one of the best Orioles to deal with. He’s funny and never took himself or the game too seriously. So, yeah, he’ll definitely be missed within the clubhouse.

That said, I think trading him for a relief prospect – right-hander Brett Jacobson, the Detroit Tigers’ fourth-rounder last year out of Vanderbilt University – makes sense.

Huff turns 33 in December, is a free agent and isn’t part of the club’s future. The only way the Orioles would have gotten compensatory draft picks for him would have been to offer arbitration this offseason.

And given Huff’s production this year coupled with the uncertain effect of a down economy on free agency, it was possible Huff would have accepted arbitration. And that would have stuck the Orioles with an $8 million-plus first baseman, who potentially would be blocking prospect Brandon Snyder.

So give the Orioles and club president Andy MacPhail credit for being proactive and getting something for Huff.

And here’s hoping Huff gets to the playoffs for the first time in his career and does well. He deserves it.

That’s my take. What’s yours?

Daily Think Special: What’s your take on the Aubrey Huff trade?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:30 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (55)
        

The Orioles have dropped two of three at home to the perpetually rebuilding, financially challenged Oakland A’s.

The Ravens start their exhibition season today against their Redskins.

I’m thinking it’s bad timing for the Orioles to continue another August swoon (they are 3-9 this month).

Of course, it’s been bad timing for more than a decade.

But we will persevere here with the Orioles at Connolly’s, at least until the regular NFL season starts.

Because I really don’t care if Troy Smith or Ray Rice looks good in August.

Instead, I want to know what’s bothering you the most about the Orioles right now. The good news is that there is plenty to choose from.

The baserunning continues to be embarrassing. The starting pitching is young and susceptible to ugly innings. The relief corps is dragging from overuse. The defense is solid but unspectacular.

And the offense, you know, the strength of this team, has been on summer vacation. In their past eight games, the Orioles have scored more than three runs once.

Sure, it can be deflating when you are in a big hole early. But this is an offense fronted by some big-salaried players. And it hasn’t been good since the first two months of the season.

Still, some of you may be so angered by the baserunning that nothing can top it for your disdain. What’s the worst of the worst?

Daily Think Special: Which facet of the Orioles’ performance bothers you the most?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:13 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (148)
        

Posted by Ron Fritz at 12:43 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (76)
        

This one is going to take some deep soul searching.

You are going to have to be honest with yourself and your fellow Connolly patrons.

The Orioles have had some seriously anticipated big league debuts this year.

There was Koji Uehara and then Brad Bergesen. Nolan Reimold followed, and then it was Jason Berken, David Hernandez and Matt Wieters.

Chris Tillman’s turn came Wednesday and now it looks like Brian Matusz’s shot is Tuesday in Detroit. I’ll be there, and I’ll make sure we chat about my/your observations on that one.

I don’t think I have covered as many anticipated Orioles debuts in the past eight years as I have this season.

For the record, according to Baseball America, the Orioles’ first (Wieters), second (Tillman), third (Matusz), fifth (Reimold), 10th (Kam Mickolio) 16th (Hernandez), 17th (Berken), and 18th (Bergesen) prospects are up in the majors.

It’s funny, given what we have seen, that Bergesen is the lowest-rated among the group heading into this year. But his debut had some hype around it, too, since he was the organization’s Pitcher of the Year in 2008.

I am wondering who you were most excited to see this year.

I’m assuming the answer is Wieters, simply because of the hype throughout baseball surrounding him.

But there was definitely a whole lot of buzz around Koji’s and Tillman’s debuts. And Matusz’s has some cache since it was the most unexpected, given that this is his first year as a pro.

I want to know the top three Orioles debuts you were/are most excited about in 2009.

Daily Think Special: Whose Orioles debut excited you the most? Rank your top three.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (29)
        

I’m back, a day after leaving you high, and more important, dry for a day.

Sorry, things have gotten a little out of control the past couple days. I was hoping to check out Pete Yorn down at the Ram’s Head this week, but duty called. (If there is anyone out there who saw him, let me know how it went. I’m a musical sucker for singer/songwriters from New Jersey).

I’ve been pretty busy with the news that the Orioles are leaving Fort Lauderdale and moving to Sarasota for the upcoming spring (and the 29 after that).

I’ve only been to Sarasota once and it was for a Josh Hamilton press conference and a game. So I wasn’t exactly hanging out at the beach or anything. I hear it’s a nice area – and I also hear it’s not Lauderdale.

From a selfish standpoint, I am sort of torn. I have spent parts of the past nine winters/springs in Lauderdale, and I knew the place pretty well.

I had my favorite restaurant, favorite dive bar, favorite pizza place and a joint where I could get my hair cut. I was all set. But the flip side is that there were no other teams close to Lauderdale. So we spent a huge chunk of our time driving up Interstate 95 or across Alligator Alley, and I won’t miss that.

From Sarasota, you can reach about six parks in the time it takes to get from Lauderdale to Fort Myers. And that will be great.

From an organizational standpoint, this is something the Orioles had to do. They’ll basically be getting a state-of-the-art facility after one year at Ed Smith Stadium. An easy penance considering the dump they played in back in Lauderdale. And they won’t have to pay any of the primary start-up costs for the new place.

More important, they’ll have their minor-league and major-league camps located in one town. That is a huge improvement over the three-hour drive between the two camps. Now, veterans can go over to the minors if they need some extra work and the youngsters can come over to get a taste of big-league camp.

So overall, it’s a great move for the Orioles, even if part of me will miss my favorite blackened mahi mahi sandwich in Lauderdale.

But I wonder if you, Orioles fans, care. I know those of you in Florida do, but what about the rest of you? Did you go to spring training? Will you again now that it isn’t based in Lauderdale? Does the season start for you only when the club comes north?

Daily Think Special: Do you care that the Orioles are leaving Lauderdale? Why or why not?

Bonus Think Special: For those of you that know Florida, what’s Sarasota like?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:30 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (49)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

Forty-five years ago, he was baseball’s boy wonder, a pitching phenom who, as a teenager, nearly fetched the 1964 Orioles a pennant.

Then Wally Bunker was gone. Overnight, or so it seemed, he vanished, done in by a bum right arm that finished his career almost as quickly as it had begun. The Orioles’ stopper at 19, he quit the game at 26.

Bitter? Not Bunker.

"No complaints," he said from his home in Ridgeland, S.C. "Playing baseball was magnificent, a dream come true. I was definitely really good, with a great sinker, but ... what can you do? I walked away in 1971, entered the real world and never touched a ball again."

1968 Baltimore Sun file photo by Paul Hutchins

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Oriole Wally Bunker" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 9:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

I am flying back to the bar Monday afternoon, and I am hoping I recognize the place.

I’m sure the “In Oscar We Trust” banner is no longer hanging over the bar.

I’m curious to get your thoughts on Sunday’s Oscar Salazar trade to the San Diego Padres for reliever Cla Meredith.

Basically, this is my take on the minor deal: Salazar is a tremendous guy, perhaps one of the nicest in the Orioles’ 2009 clubhouse (and there is a bunch of good guys in there).

He is a great story. He played in Italy, Mexico, etc., and never gave up his big-league dream. And he can flat-out hit.

But a 31-year-old pinch hitter/DH with limited defensive skills is not a good fit for a rebuilding club that’s jammed at the corners.

It’s possible he goes to San Diego – or somewhere else – gets a full-time chance and succeeds. I couldn’t be happier for the guy if that happens.

He just didn’t have a spot here. Like it or not, Melvin Mora is the Orioles’ third baseman for now. He has a no-trade clause and is still owed millions for this season. Cutting him outright with two months on his contract to find a spot for Salazar, who may not be able to play third effectively, seems like a harsh end for your most tenured Oriole.

Cutting Felix Pie, who is just 24 --younger than Nolan Reimold, for instance – also doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

So dealing Salazar – a guy who anyone could have had for free this winter – for a 26-year-old major-league reliever with a minor-league option was about as good as the Orioles could have done.

Meredith’s presence in the bullpen also makes it a little easier to deal Danys Baez or even George Sherrill this month. Think of Meredith as a poor (and young) man’s version of Chad Bradford.

Yes, it’s a very minor deal. But if Meredith ends up being a solid member of the bullpen for a couple years, it will be a solid, understated move. I wish Salazar luck, and I give Andy MacPhail credit for getting some value for Salazar.

Daily Think Special: What’s your take on the Oscar Salazar deal?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:41 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

At 81, Stu Miller has finally reached the age where his changeup is slower than when he pitched for the Orioles.

Has anyone ever thrown such lazy lobs with such success? Miller’s soft offerings baffled hitters for 16 years and made him one of the top relief pitchers in Orioles’ history.

A wisp of a player, Miller was already 35 when Baltimore acquired him from San Francisco in 1963. For the next five years, the 5-foot-9 righthander flummoxed American League sluggers and anchored a bullpen which ranked among the best.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Oriole Stu Miller" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With  ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

He still has the wild, shaggy locks that once swept beneath his Orioles cap, except the hair is now streaked with gray. And he hasn’t gained a pound in 30 years, though age has caused some seismic shifts.

"My weight is proportionately different from when I played," said Gary Roenicke, 54. "Gravity takes over."

Has it been three decades since Roenicke’s bat and glove helped the Orioles to an American League flag in 1979 and, four years later, to a World Series title? The man known as "Rhino" hit 106 home runs for Baltimore, played stellar defense and accepted his position as a role player – though he sure didn’t like it.

Roenicke still works for the club, as a full-time scout. And, no, he doesn’t share the job with John Lowenstein, the left fielder with whom Roenicke platooned for much of his eight years in Baltimore.

That two-headed monster, the brainstorm of Orioles manager Earl Weaver, blossomed in 1982 when the right-handed Roenicke and Lowenstein, a lefty, combined for 45 homers and 140 RBI, while batting .292.

Publicly, Roenicke shrugged off his part-time role.

"How can you argue when you’re winning?" he said. "But if I could change anything, I probably would have asked why I didn’t play a little more."   

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Oriole Gary Roenicke" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 7:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

The Boston Red Sox have left town. I saw the bandwagon lights heading up I-95.

We can joke all we want, but even after that incredible comeback Tuesday, the Orioles are just 1-6 against the Red Sox this season. And so it goes in this Groundhog’s Day at Camden Yards.

At least I can try to serve you a little spirit-lifter today.

Let’s talk about the Orioles who have played well this first half.

On Sunday, the All-Star rosters will be announced. The Orioles will get one representative, like they have in seven of the last eight years. It likely will be either center fielder Adam Jones or closer George Sherrill.

Both are fine choices – despite Sherrill’s rough outing Wednesday. Don’t forget the guy had only allowed one run in his past 21 innings before his Red Sox meltdown.

Given how tough it is to juggle All-Star rosters, outfield and the pitching staff are logical spots that need to be filled.  So that’s probably where Tampa’s Joe Maddon will go.

But is that who you would select? What about setup man Jim Johnson or DH Luke Scott or right fielder Nick Markakis?

Remember, this is regardless of position. Choose the Oriole who is most deserving.

Daily Think Special: Which Oriole most deserves to be an All-Star?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:05 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

This is when a bar owner gets into trouble.

This is when you have to worry that the liquor license might get revoked.

Can you imagine how loud it was in the bar Tuesday night when the Orioles rallied for the greatest comeback in their 55-year history?

You people woke up the Sleeping Baby Sallys in the Toy Department.

The cops came twice, and eventually gave up crowd control after the eighth.

I now have to suspend the backup bartenders for letting you all stay well past 2.

Heck, maybe it was worth it.

To be honest, I had another entry prepared for today. It wasn’t particularly positive, either. But I tossed it away. Sort of like the Red Sox bullpen Tuesday night.

So this one will be short and sweet – for you Orioles fans anyway.

This is primarily for those of you who stayed up to watch the Orioles rally from a 10-1 deficit in the seventh to beat Boston 11-10. But we won’t ignore the rest of you who went to sleep either. Some people have real jobs.

For those that stuck it out:

Daily Think Special: When did you believe the Orioles actually had a chance?

And for the rest of you:

Bonus Think Special: Where does Tuesday night rank among the best regular season wins in Orioles’ history?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:48 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (42)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

It happens every time Double-A Bowie hosts New Britain (Conn.) in an Eastern League game. Someone in the stands points out the visitors’ stubby hitting coach and the cry goes up.

"Hey there, Sugar Bear!"

Floyd Rayford smiles, saunters over and signs autographs.

More than 20 years after he last played for Baltimore, Rayford remains a crowd favorite.

"Orioles fans never forget," he said.

How could they? In the 1980s, few players won more hearts over than Rayford, the roly-poly, self-effacing utility player who looked like he’d never met a push-up. Yet he stuck in the big leagues for seven years, six of them with the Orioles, who could plug him into four positions – first base, second, third and catcher – without missing a beat.

Floyd Rayford doing a commercial for the Baltimore Symphony in 1984. (Baltimore Sun file photo by Irving H. Phillips)

"I never had a great body, but it was suitable to play everywhere," said Rayford. "I liked catching best. I was too busy back there to be nervous. It wasn’t like playing third base. There’s no time to get butterflies when you’re catching."

His hitting was unremarkable, save for 1985 when he hit 18 home runs and batted .306.

The reason?

"I got divorced in mid-season," Rayford said. "I thought, ‘Hell, I’ve got to pay her every month so I better start hitting.’ Alimony can be a tremendous motivator."

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Oriole Floyd Rayford" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 8:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

I am writing this from Fenway Park at Camden Yards, where 36,000 Red Sox fans and 548 Orioles fans converged for a baseball game.

You have to give credit to the Red Sox for traveling so well. But goodness gracious is this getting out of hand.

It seemed like there were more Red Sox fans watching batting practice than there were Orioles fans attending the game.

So, I figured it’s time for you guys to strike back. Even in a fictional way.

If you could steal one Red Sox player and put him on the Orioles, who would it be?

That has to be hard for many of you, since Boston stars like Kevin Youkilis, Josh Beckett, Jonathan Papelbon and Dustin Pedroia aren’t exactly loved by opposing fans (many of you have voiced that opinion before).

The catch is it has to be someone that fits on the Orioles team. So it probably wouldn’t make sense to grab a center fielder, right fielder or catcher.

Lefty Jon Lester is a solid choice, since he is young and absolutely destroys the Orioles. Papelbon, Beckett and Youkilis are excellent ones as well. Especially Youkilis, who could play either first or third next year for the Birds and bat third or fourth.

I’ll go with left fielder Jason Bay, but that means finding playing time for Nolan Reimold or Luke Scott. It’s worth it to get Bay’s bat – and attitude -- I think.

Daily Think Special: Which Red Sox player would you steal for the Orioles?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:53 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (51)
        

Nationals slugger Adam Dunn's fourth-inning bomb against Orioles rookie David Hernandez Sunday was the 50th homer to land on Eutaw Street in Camden Yards' 18-season history. Dunn's blast traveled 442 feet and hit the B&O Warehouse on a bounce.

Click here to view a complete list of all the Eutaw Street homers (and distances), courtesy of the Orioles. Thirty opposing players have hit the ball onto Eutaw Street and 20 Orioles have accomplished the feat.

So, the question is, which Orioles player do you think will be the next Eutaw slugger?

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 4:07 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

I had a great weekend, or at least an incredibly strong Saturday.

Went to my favorite annual book sale on Saturday afternoon and picked up about 30 titles for roughly $40. Nice haul.

I got some novels I had been eyeing and a few sports books, including compilations by Red Smith and Shirley Povich.

Then, in the evening, my wife and several of my journalism buddies saw my favorite band, the Old 97s, at the Recher Theatre. Love those guys (the Old 97s, not my journalism buddies).

Sunday, though, it was back to work at the old ballpark. And let’s just say my Saturday was a whole lot better than Orioles catcher Matt Wieters' Sunday.

The phenom went hitless in three at-bats, made his third throwing error in four games and dropped a ball to wipe out what would have been a sure out at the plate.

Afterward, Wieters was typically calm -- saying he’s working on his defense, and he’s not worried about a bad game.

This kid really is the whole package.

But, here’s the funny thing: The way things are going right now, Wieters (.234 average, two homers, six RBIs) is not the Orioles’ best candidate for Rookie of the Year. Outfielder Nolan Reimold (.286, 9 homers, 20 RBIs) is, with pitcher Brad Bergesen (5-2, 3.76 ERA) also ahead of the backstop.

The BBWAA doesn’t vote until the end of the season, however, and Wieters will eventually catch fire at the plate. Count on that.

So here is my question: When the dust settles on 2009, who will be the Orioles’ leading Rookie of the Year votegetter?

Will Wieters make a surge? Will Reimold or Bergesen falter?

Get your prognostication caps on people.

Daily Think Special: Which Oriole will finish highest in AL Rookie of the Year voting?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:10 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

Orioles first-round draft pick Matt Hobgood, 18, a hard-throwing right-hander out of Norco High in suburban Los Angeles, signed his contract and was introduced at a news conference tonight at Camden Yards. Hobgood, the fifth overall pick in the draft, received a signing bonus of $2.42 million and will report to Rookie-level Bluefield tomorrow. Here are some things you ought to know about him:

•  Hobgood hates to lose. At anything.

"I get competitive playing a game of Monopoly," he said. "When my (younger) sisters and I play this auto racing game on PlayStation 2, I let them get ahead and then I crush ‘em.

"I like to mess with people, let them think they’re beating me and then go after them. Sometimes in baseball I’ll get a little wild, walk a couple of guys and then tell myself, ‘You’ve got to get it done.’ Then I’ll strike out three people."

•  Hobgood likes to eat. Almost anything.

"I’ve seen him take fourth and fifth servings at a buffet," said D.J. Wood, his best friend from high school. "Matt is a big dude and he can freakin’ eat.

"Once, while hanging out at my house, he said, ‘Dude, I’m hungry.’ So he opened a family-sized box of Fruity Pebbles and had a bowl. Then we went upstairs to watch TV.

"A while later, Matt went back downstairs to get a glass of water. When he didn’t come back, I went down to find the cereal box in the trash and the gallon of milk almost empty. He’d scarfed down the whole thing in five minutes."

Continue reading "Five fun facts about Matt Hobgood" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 4:00 PM in Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

Brooks Robinson’s expression is matched by that of his four-year-old son, Brooks David, during the Orioles’ annual Father and Son game at Memorial Stadium in 1965. The youngster went on the play baseball at Loyola High and is now an investment banker living in La Grange, Ga. His dad’s likeness hangs in Cooperstown.

Sun file photo by Paul Hutchins

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 9:00 AM in Orioles, Through The Looking Glass | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

It’s September 11, 1970 and the Orioles are a cinch to win the American League East -- much to the chagrin of the New York Yankees, their opponent that night. Some weeks earlier, New York outfielder Curt Blefary had told his teammates that they could still catch Baltimore because the Orioles weren’t supermen. Here, Orioles slugger Frank Robinson suggests otherwise, ripping open his shirt as Blefary roars with laughter.

The Orioles won 108 games that season, swept Minnesota to win the American League flag and then defeated Cincinnati, four games to one, to win their second World Series.

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 9:10 AM in Orioles, Through The Looking Glass | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's going on in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ..."

He won 209 games in the big leagues, pitched one no-hitter and played in two All-Star Games as an Oriole. Yet Milt Pappas’ legacy will always be the part he played in the biggest trade in team history -- the one that brought Frank Robinson to Baltimore.

Never mind that in nine years here, Pappas never had a losing season. Or that he won 25 games for the Orioles before his 21st birthday. That Pappas was the bait that hooked F. Robby from Cincinnati in 1965 is what baseball fans remember.

Nearly half a century later, Pappas shrugs it off.

"That doesn’t bother me," the 70-year-old right-hander said of the deal. "There’s nothing I could have done to prevent it. What frosted me was that, two days before I was sent to the Reds, the Orioles told me I wouldn’t be traded. It rained that day, so I took my wife to the movies."

The feature? The Cincinnati Kid.

"I should’ve known," Pappas said.

Robinson led the Orioles to a world championship in 1966. Pappas won 12 games for the seventh-place Reds.

"That season was hard," he said.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... Milt Pappas" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 5:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

When the Orioles dealt for Luis Aparicio in 1963, they sealed the left side of their infield for years to come. Few balls got past future Hall of Famers Aparicio, the go-go shortstop, or unerring Brooks Robinson at third. For five seasons here, the airborne Venezuelan turned double plays like this one, against Cleveland (and base runner Max Alvis) in 1967.

Aparicio had perhaps his best year in Baltimore in 1966, when he had hitting streaks of 17 and 14 games. Three times that summer, he hammered five hits in one game to help the Orioles to a World Series championship.

"I disappointed vice president, though," he said afterward. "(Hubert) Humphrey told me to hit home run for him and I didn’t."

Now 75, Aparicio resides in his native land.

Sun file photo

Also see: Through the Looking Glass archive

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 12:50 PM in Orioles, Through The Looking Glass, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

AP photo

Pancakes. Orioles Hall of Famer Jim Palmer had to have them for breakfast every time he took the mound. Here, the 20-year-old right-hander digs into a stack of 41 (by our count) flapjacks prior to pitching Game 2 of the 1966 World Series. When Palmer defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-0, for his first big-league shutout, his nickname was for keeps -- Jockey shorts or no.

***

Through the Looking Glass archive

View more photos of Jim Palmer

View more photos of Orioles Hall of Famers

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 12:30 PM in Orioles, Through The Looking Glass | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

I love Sam Zell, owner of the Tribune, guardian of my career.

Direct. Funny. Articulate in his own way.

Born to Jewish immigrant parents who fled Poland before the Nazi invasion. Worked his way to the top.

Blah, blah, blah.

That's the sound of an employee with lips to boss's cheeks. Doesn't sound much different than former Oriole Brady Anderson's defense of Peter Angelos in yesterday's Baltimore Sun.

Anderson, major league heartthrob and one of the rocks on which the 1996-97 playoff teams were built, took exception to a recent Sports Illustrated piece that named Angelos the worst owner in baseball.

"He is the son of Greek immigrants who came to America with little more than their aspirations for a better life," wrote Anderson, as if that has anything to do with fielding a franchise with a record of 11 consecutive losing seasons.

What a head scratcher. If Anderson is mad at SI, why is he writing to The Sun? That's like complaining about a bad Domino's pizza to Papa John.  

Continue reading "Brady's Bunch" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (35)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's going on in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ..." Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ..."

The Oriole hitter with the hurricane swing turns 75 on Wednesday.

Happy birthday, Diamond Jim. What’s the best gift for someone your age?

"To live to be 76," Jim Gentile said.

In the early 1960s, he was Baltimore’s tempestuous slugger, a fiery first baseman with a whip-like cut that battered the air and roused the crowds, contact or no. Watching Gentile flail was as entertaining as seeing his home runs soar out of Memorial Stadium. Strikeouts begat tantrums, broken bats, smashed water coolers and ejections. But if Gentile’s ire prepared the city for the coming of Earl Weaver, his muscle lay the groundwork for Frank Robinson’s arrival.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... ex-Oriole Jim Gentile" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

A pitcher whose repertoire included smoke bombs, sneezing powder and live snakes.

A catcher who bought cattle during road trips and hauled livestock in his Cadillac.

An outfielder known to run the bases backward and spout maxims like, "This year I’m going to play with harder nonchalance."

What strange birds these Orioles can be.

Moe Drabowsky, Clint Courtney and Jackie Brandt were just three of the characters who have played for Baltimore through the years ...

Moe Drabowsky / Baltimore Sun file photo by Gene Sweeney Jr.

When the Orioles bought Moe Drabowsky for $25,000 in 1965, they got more than a bullpen savant. They got a master of comic relief.

Who put the garter snake in shortstop Luis Aparicio’s pocket? Gotta be Drabowsky. Who gave that hot foot to a howling Boog Powell? Just say Moe. The Prince of Pranks, they dubbed him.

In 1966, Drabowsky went 6-0 and emerged from the bullpen to win a World Series game. But it was his practical jokes, as much as his prowess, that drove the Orioles down the stretch.

"We had a pretty loose team, because Moe took the pressure off in the clubhouse," pitcher Eddie Fisher said.

He placed live mice in teammates’ shoes and lit firecrackers when the spirit moved.

"Rolling a cherry bomb under the door, while you’re in the bathroom, is real bad," said Powell, whose ears rang for days afterward.

Most stoppers are expected to put out fires. Drabowsky was a good bet to start them. He torched newspapers while players were reading them. A whiz at giving a hot foot, he delighted in igniting a match -- or a book of them -- that he had attached to someone’s shoe.

"It became his obsession," said Powell, the first baseman. "If there were 20 guys sitting on the bench, Moe would crawl on his belly under 19 of them to give the last guy a hot foot."

Everyone was fair game. Coaches. Reporters. baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Once, in Cleveland, Drabowsky lit the instep of an Indians fan.

He burned The Baltimore Sun’s Jim Elliott so often, the scribe took to staring at his shoes during interviews. Bemused, the pitcher struck a match to the notebook in Elliott’s hand.

Other Drabowsky shenanigans: He put goldfish in the visitors’ water coolers and sprayed their quarters with sneezing powder. In Kansas City, he telephoned the A’s bullpen, pretending to be the manager ordering a reliever to warm up.

Snakes were a regular prop. During a sports luncheon in Baltimore, Drabowsky snuck a small python into the bread basket at the head table. When Brooks Robinson reached for a roll, he nearly fell off the dais.

Drabowsky retired after 17 years, four of them in Baltimore. He died of cancer in 2006 at age 70.

Continue reading "That different drummer" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's going on in his\her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ..." Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

He was a tall, gangly relief pitcher with a lofty IQ and a low ERA. The Orioles’ Dick Hall could compute batting averages in his head. Most of those who faced him watched their numbers fall.

Other pitchers threw harder than Hall but few threw any smarter than the 6-foot-6 right-hander, a graduate of Swarthmore College and a cog in the Orioles’ bullpen during the club’s finest years.

In nine seasons with Baltimore, Hall won 65 games, saved 58 more and had an ERA of 2.89. He helped the Birds win a couple of World Series (1966 and 1970) and two more American League flags (1969 and 1971).

He had pinpoint control despite a herky-jerky motion that one reporter said made him look like "a drunken giraffe on roller skates."

Fans chuckled at his awkward, near-sidearm delivery, and so did the pitcher.

"People said I threw like a girl," said Hall, now 78 and living in Timonium. "Hey, as long as it worked, they could say anything they wanted."

Continue reading "Catching Up With ex-Oriole Dick Hall" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

Each Tuesday in the Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and let's you know what's going on in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ..."

He spent only two years in Baltimore, but few players have touched Orioles fans more deeply than Eric Davis.

It was here that Davis learned he had colon cancer, here that he fought it and here that he beat it. When the Orioles outfielder hit a dramatic ninth-inning home run against the Cleveland Indians in Game 5 of the 1997 American League Championship Series – with chemotherapy drugs coursing through his veins – all of baseball applauded.

Eric Davis connects for a solo homer off Paul Assenmacher in the ninth inning of the 1997 ALCS.

The pinch-hit blast won the game for the Birds and froze Davis’ image forever.

"I will be a role model for cancer patients for the rest of my life," he said. "But you know what? When I was getting chemo, those people inspired me.

"Circulating through the children’s ward and seeing terminally ill kids, heads shaved, smiling and having a ball despite the tubes and needles sticking into them, I thought: What do I have to worry about? If God takes me, at least I’ve lived for 35 years.

"Every (get-well) letter I got touched my heart; I kept them all. But those patients helped me more than I ever could have helped them."

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... Eric Davis" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

He has one barbecue stand at Oriole Park, another in Ocean City and a third set to open next month near the beach.

The only thing Boog Powell likes to do more than eat is to cook. As a ballplayer, he was great at the plate. As a gourmand, he may be better.

While Powell hit 303 home runs for the Orioles and led them to world championships in 1966 and 1970, it’s his appetite that’s the stuff of legend.

In his heyday, few could keep pace with Powell at the table. On a road trip to Boston, he and Orioles trainer Ralph Salvon together polished off a 37-pound lobster. Passing through Arizona, Powell singlehandedly tackled a 2-1/2 pound boneless steak at a beef house that promised free eats to anyone who could finish the huge sirloin. Powell ate the steak, plus several side orders and dessert.

"Boog would eat anything that didn’t eat him," John Steadman, the late Sun columnist, once said.

Continue reading "What's in Boog Powell's fridge?" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 1:00 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Most likely, zero dollars. But Jamie Walker is sure to lose some money for his post-game comments last night. I'm pretty sure the commish isn't going to like hearing a player accusing a major-league umpire of being on the take.

Anyhow, as the Orioles get ready to play the Angels this afternoon, I thought I'd pass along some video of Walker, courtesy of MASN. This bit is expletive-free.

There's not any part of me that thinks home-plate umpire Angel Hernandez was betting even a stick of gum on the game. I mean, Angels-Orioles? What kind of degenerate would put money on that? But if you are the betting type, here's some over/unders for you:

$10,000: Amount Jamie Walker gets fined

5 days: Length of suspension

10-1: Balls-to-strike ratio Walker can expect next time Hernandez is behind the plate and the strike zone shrinks to the size of a cracker

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 11:26 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

We were waiting for that.

No, not the Orioles watching another early lead disappear.

Not Adam Eaton getting tagged with another L.

Not Nick Markakis picking up two more hits and two more runs.

And not an umpire costing the Orioles a win.

I'm talking about manager Dave Trembley getting tossed from the game.

Trembley was sent to the clubhouse early last night after arguing what sure seemed like a questionable balk call from home plate umpire Angel Hernandez. In the seventh inning of last night's loss to the Angels, it looked like Jamie Walker had successfully picked off Maicer Izturis. It should've been the second out of the inning. Instead, Trembley got tossed arguing the call, and the Angels added two more runs, giving them a comfy 3-run lead.

It was the first ejection of the year for Trembley, and his first since last August. It was the right call to argue, and doing so endears Trembley with both fans in the stands and the players in his clubhouse. More on that in a second.

I'm not sure what more there is to say about the play -- I didn't see a balk, and I don't think the call should've been made from behind the plate -- and I definitely don't think I have anything to say that's better than what Jamie Walker offered. Here's his edited comments (I've taken the liberty of making them family-friendly):

"No way in (heck) did I balk on that pitch,'' he said. "That was a (woefully misguided and disagreeable) call. I don't know if the guy has a problem with me or what, but it was a (fundamentally flawed) call...I don't know if he had money betting on the game, but that was (un unpleasant and unfortunate) call."

Jamie doesn't have to be worried about being on MLB's unsuspended list. I'm sure the commissioner's office will be correcting that shortly.

But back to Trembley...

Continue reading "Trembley channels Earl Weaver" »

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 8:20 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

I applaud Major League Baseball for taking another step toward making its draft an event for fans. Maybe I'm a hopeless seamhead, but I look forward to seeing the qualities of Dustin Ackley and Aaron Crow debated in primetime.

Baseball's draft will probably never rival its football and basketball counterparts for notoriety. Too many players come straight from high school. Even those who play in college rarely make a splash on national television. Stephen Strasburg, widely regarded as the best pitching prospect in a generation, is probably less recognizable than the sixth man on your average ACC basketball team. Many first-round picks then take three or four years to reach the majors. Add it all up, and you have a festival of delayed gratification.

That said, interest in the baseball draft has risen tremendously since I became a sportswriter four years ago. ESPN.com has joined Baseball America in assigning writers to cover it year round. Fan buzz about first-round picks begins to build months before the June selection.

If you doubt the importance of the draft, look at all the first-round picks the Orioles blew between 1993 and 2002. Twenty players picked in the first and supplemental first rounds and Brian Roberts was the only star (Jayson Werth turned into a good player ... for the Phillies.) As a result, the farm system fed the major league club almost nothing of note for years at a time. And they're at 11 straight losing seasons and counting.

In 2003, the Orioles picked Nick Markakis in the first round. He hit the big leagues in 2006 and signed an extension last winter. Assuming he stays on his current track, the Orioles will have received nine years of star-level production without any open market bidding. That's the value of the draft. You get to control a guy through his best years at below-market costs.

Adam Jones was a first-round pick in the same draft. Chris Tillman was a second-rounder in 2006. Matt Wieters was a first-rounder in 2007. If the Orioles have hope for a brighter future, it's because they will have all of those guys together for the price of one year of Alex Rodriguez (roughly.)  

If you need a reason to watch the draft with interest, there you go.

If you're wondering whom the Orioles might pick, beyond Strasburg (probably headed to the Nationals,) you've got outfielders Ackley and Donovan Tate and a bunch of pitchers (Crow, Alex White, Tyler Matzek, Shelby Miller.) So the percentage guess seems to point to another hurler. We'll talk about this more as we get closer.

Photo by Gerry Broome of The Associated Press

Posted by Childs Walker at 4:30 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

I'm getting ready to head to the ballpark but thought it was important to pass this along: The Boooog Pows! have released a new song.

You'll remember The Boooog Pows! from such hits as "Boo Teixeira," and... well, OK, that's really it. But it was a hell of a ditty. 

Check out their new song and see if you think it measures up.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 3:45 PM in Must-see Web TV, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Each Tuesday in the Toy Department, veteran Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's going on in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With . . ."  Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ..."

He was short and squat, with a single eyebrow that rolled across his forehead like thunderclouds approaching. Don’t mess with me, his visage said. His right arm backed that up.

Forty-one years ago, Tom Phoebus spun a no-hitter for the Orioles, a 6-0 victory over Boston on a cool, wet afternoon at Memorial Stadium. When Phoebus fanned Joe Foy for the final out, the crowd of 14,000 was fit to bust.

The hero was one of their own.

Born and raised in Baltimore, Phoebus was the Oriole next door. His effort on April 27, 1968 evoked a sense of local pride for the hard-throwing pitcher from Mount St. Joseph who’d grown up playing stickball on the streets of Hampden.

"What a great thrill it was to throw a no-hitter in my hometown," said Phoebus, now 67 and a resident of Palm City, Fla. "My dream was to play for the Orioles. As kids (in the 1950s) we would go to games, sit in the bleachers for 50 cents and ride the right fielder of the opposing team."

Continue reading "Catching Up With former Oriole Tom Phoebus" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 8:40 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Nick Markakis is so good that he constantly forces me to adjust my conception of what he can be. That's extremely high praise for an athlete, something I'd say about LeBron James or Tiger Woods. And it makes me wonder if we take Markakis for granted sometimes, because he has played on losing teams and has not made a national splash. 

At Camden Yards on Saturday, my colleague Dan Connolly spoke to an NL scout about which outfielders he'd trade Markakis for. The scout's list stopped at Carlos Beltran and B.J. Upton. Dan and I tossed the question around a bit. I wouldn't trade Markakis for either of the scout's guys. Beltran is great but probably on the downside of his career. Upton is a tremendous physical talent who played great in 2007 and showed some signs of growth despite worse overall numbers in 2008. He has not established the same level of consistency as Markakis.

After some stammering, I came up with Grady Sizemore. He's not a .300 hitter like Markakis, but he plays center field, hits a few more home runs and runs better. What about Josh Hamilton, Dan asked? Well, Hamilton has more freakish physical gifts than Markakis. He's more likely to hit 40 home runs. But he doesn't control the strike zone as well and he lost so many developmental years because of his drug problem. Ryan Braun? Again, he's more of a power hitter, but he doesn't walk, so he's not on base nearly as much. Curtis Granderson? Terrific guy, center fielder, does everything well. But he doesn't get on base as much as Markakis either, and he's three years older.

The point is that you can list the very best young outfielders in baseball and it's not at all clear that you'd rather have any of them than Markakis.

So let's take it a step further and ask how many players you'd rather have if you were starting a team.

I'd rather have Albert Pujols, because he's the best player in baseball and still not 30. Hanley Ramirez is the same age as Markakis, has outhit him the last two years and plays shortstop, so he's a yes. David Wright has established a higher level of consistent performance.

Continue reading "Considering Markakis" »

Posted by Childs Walker at 9:30 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

Used to be, you had to be an aging action star to get this kind of hyperbolic tribute site. As time passed, the trend became somewhat diluted and even rookie pitchers were getting them. So it probably should surprise no one that MattWietersFacts.com is up and running. The site's slogan is, "Facts so good, they make Chuck Norris cry like a girl." And they don't disappoint.

A few of my favorites are below, but you should really check out the site to get the full flavor. And to encourage you to think up a few of your own, I've included some of my Matt Wieters facts at the bottom of this post.

(Wieters, by the way, returned to the lineup for Triple-A Norfolk last night. He went 1-for-4 and scored a run... and found a cure for cancer between innings.)

Matt Wieters Is So Good That Jim Palmer Stopped Talking About Himself.

2,131? How About 3,131? Wieters Laughs In The Face Of Injury.

Matt Wieters Took Batting Practice This Morning. There Were No Survivors.

When A Pitcher Plunks Matt Wieters, The Ball Is Awarded First Base For Enduring The Pain.

Chuck Norris Won't Attend Orioles Games Because He's Afraid Of Matt Wieters.

Matt Wieters Invented The Chicken...And The Chicken Sandwich.

Matt Wieters Signed Autographs Today For 5000 People Using 2 Fish, And 5 Loaves Of Bread

When Matt Wieters Retires, Eutaw Street Will Be Renamed For Him Because Of All The Home Runs That Land There. So Will Camden Street, Howard Street, And Pratt Street.

Matt Weiters Is Not Trying Out For The Baltimore Orioles, The Baltimore Orioles Are Trying Out For Matt Weiters.

Matt Wieters Took Batting Practice Today, And Wouldn't Give It Back.

In The Future, MVP And HOF Selections Will Be Made By The Baseball Wieters Association Of America.

Most Ballplayers Talk About Themselves In The First Person. Rickey Henderson Talked About Himself In The Third Person. Matt Wieters Talks About Himself In The Fourth Person.

A Pitcher Shook Off Matt Wieters...Once.

In Last Season's Finale Of Lost, Ben Didn't Move The Island, Matt Wieters Did.

Continue reading "When Chuck Norris is in trouble, he calls Matt Wieters" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 9:30 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

And you wanted to run Adam Eaton out of town? Let's convene an emergency session of the city council. Where should we erect a statue of this guy?

7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 Ks -- that's a line Orioles fans can live with.

With last night's performance -- which surprised everyone at Camden Yards except for Eaton and Orioles manager Dave Trembley -- the right-hander's ERA is down to 7.04. By this rate, it'll be below 6.00 by the All-Star break.

Eaton was quick and consistent. Seventy-four of his 102 pitches were for strikes. And when he left the game in the eighth inning -- Eaton's longest outing in nearly two years -- he received a standing ovation. It was well-deserved, though maybe the least surprising part of the night. Most fans were planning to stay late anyway, figuring they could meet Eaton in the parking lot afterward and help drive him out of town. 

But Eaton will be here a bit longer. And if he can repeat last night's performance a couple of more times, he'll be here a lot longer.

"It felt great," he said later. "It's been a long time since I have had that, and it felt very good."

It felt good for him -- but great for most fans.

Posted by Rick Maese at 8:30 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

I know it's way too early for such proclamations, but Major League Baseball doesn't want us to wait. We must pick our All-Stars now. Regardless, I feel pretty good about this: Nick Markakis will play in his first All-Star game in July.

A bit more on Markakis (who was 2-for-4 with another run in last night's loss) in a bit; first, the All-Star details.

The season is less than three weeks old, but All-Star voting has already begun. The Internet ballot boxes opened yesterday, and the Orioles don't want their fans to sit this one out.

Prior to last night's game, the Orioles introduced their “Vote Orange, $ave Green” campaign, which mixes colors and a dollar sign! The team is offering the chance to save money, save paper and help their favorite players win a spot on the All-Star team. At the same time!

Fans who vote at www.orioles.com and select the Orioles as their favorite team will receive an exclusive promotional code for $5 off any ticket to any non-prime Orioles home game after the All-Star break. Those who vote the maximum 25 times at the website will receive a promo code good for a free Upper Reserve ticket to any non-prime home game after the All-Star break.

Buying votes. Encouraging fans to vote early and vote often. Democracy in America -- Awesome!

Can we agree that giving every fan up to 25 votes and opening the ballots this early is a complete joke? Last year voting didn't begin until April 29, a full week later. Pretty soon, we'll be picking this team during spring training.

Regardless, Markakis is playing like an All-Star right now, and I think he'll be playing like an All-Star a couple of months from now, too. Let's discuss ...

Continue reading "Prediction: Markakis makes first All-Star team" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 8:30 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

There's little question that outfield is the most interesting area on the field for the Orioles. You've got the best player on the team in right and a possible star in center. And in left, well, you've got a fascinating mess.

It's clear what the Orioles want in that spot. They'd love to see Felix Pie augment his center field-quality range with better baseball instincts and, you know, some offense. It's not fair to judge a guy on 38 plate appearances, so the Orioles are wise to stick with Pie for the time being.

On the other hand, 325 plate appearances into his career, he has struck out 83 times, walked only 24 and compiled a .276 on-base percentage without much power to compensate. That's an awful long way from adequate for a corner outfielder and in reality, Pie would have to improve more than most players ever do to become a star. It's possible, given his athletic gifts, but it's not likely.

The Orioles just called up Lou Montanez. If Pie's numbers aren't much better by say, June, expect Montanez to steal a significant number of at-bats. That would be a mixed blessing for the Orioles. Montanez can probably out-hit Pie for now, but at age 27, he's already in his prime. His big season at Double-A Bowie has to be taken with a grain of salt, because he was old for the level. With the Orioles at least two years from contending, they have to think about what would be best in 2011-2013, not what's best now. Given his unexceptional power and plate discipline, Montanez is unlikely to be an above-average left fielder during that stretch.

All of which leads us to Nolan Reimold ...

Continue reading "A little Reimold with your Pie in Orioles outfield?" »

Posted by Childs Walker at 8:30 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (26)
        

I'm heading to the ballpark in a few but just in case a cease-and-desist order is about to be delivered, I figured I'd better share this with you now. For the past couple of weeks, it's been worth a chuckle a day, which is all I really demand of my Internets.

"Peter Angelos" has proven to be a rather prolific Twitter user, and it seems like he has amazing capacity for brutal honesty. Before the account disappears, take a gander at the most enlightening tweets thus far from "Peter Angelos":

This morning: Felt good to sleep in my own bed last night. Mainly because it has a built-in grappa fridge and a mattress made of koala pelts.

Yesterday: Days like these make me want to freebase asbestos. MacPhail took me to Boston Commons to feed ducks before leaving town. Feeling better now.

Saturday: Visited Kevin Youkilis this afternoon to tell him we were sorry his head got in the way of Baez's best pitch of the night.

Last Friday: I've turned off the game. Too angry. Going to fix myself a night cap to take the edge off: turpentine with children's tears chaser.

Last Friday: Fans will get more baseball insight stabbing themselves in the ear with a screwdriver than they'd get from the fools on @wnst.

Last Friday: Having moles removed today. Having Moeller removed next week. Also, trying to decide what to name my private blimp. "The Icarus", maybe?

Last Thursday: My private blimp's en route to Boston. Not looking forward to Theo Epstein asking why I haven't friended him on facebook. Awkward.

Continue reading ""Peter Angelos" offers entertaining tweets" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 2:30 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

This much is clear: The Orioles, who bring a five-game losing streak back to town tonight, need to find a new cliche.

Throughout the clubhouse during their first homestand earlier this month, we heard players trying not to bask in their good fortunes. As so many athletes had said before them, the Orioles players reminded us over and over, "It's not a sprint; it's a marathon."

Well, two weeks into the season, we now know that the Orioles are lousy at marathons. And that's not my assessment. It's what players say.

David Laurila from Baseball Prospectus was in the clubhouse early yesterday and what he found should have Orioles fans wishing that the season was more like a sprint. As is Patriot Day custom in Boston, yesterday's morning start coincided with the Boston Marathon. Here's the not-so-shocking truth Laurila uncovered about Orioles and marathons:

[Matt] Albers on if he could imagine himself running a marathon: “No, I couldn’t. I do a little running in the offseason, but three or four miles at the most. So no, I couldn’t imagine running 26 miles, or even what it’s like.”

Albers on which Orioles teammate he could see running a marathon: “I think that if anybody were to do it, maybe Jeremy Guthrie. He’d be a guy who would possibly challenge himself to run that far. I don’t know many baseball players who would try to do it.”

Aubrey Huff on if he could imagine himself running a marathon: “No, not at all. Honestly, I get tired driving 26 miles. I couldn’t imagine running it.”

Huff on which Orioles teammate he could see running a marathon: “Nobody. It’s insane. Baseball players aren’t runners. But maybe one of our pitchers. Our pitchers run quite a bit around here.”

Ty Wigginton on if he could imagine himself running a marathon: “No. No interest at all. I mean, I don’t mind running, but I don’t see myself wanting to get up early in the morning to go run 26 miles, or whatever the heck it is.”

Wigginton on which Orioles teammate he could see running a marathon: “Luke Scott. But I’m just saying that because he’s standing right there.”

Photos: Associated Press

Posted by Rick Maese at 9:35 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Looks like there's at least a slight chance of rain leading up to tonight's first pitch at Camden Yards. When it rains, a baseball grounds crew is only as good as its tarp, a one-ton sheet of plastic that acts as the last line of defense to protect the infield.

But gnawing rats and normal wear and tear can leave holes in the cover, which means the Orioles crew must periodically get out a bucket of glue and hunks of plastic to patch openings large and small. Here's how they do it.  

Posted by Candus Thomson at 8:20 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

From time to time, we'll share with you some photographs that catch our eye. We'll provide a couple of possible captions, and you can try your hand at one or two of your own. Check out previous editions of Caption This by clicking here. And for more fun with photos, check out the Sun's Caption Call blog.

-- Orioles catcher Chad Moeller dives into the stands, chasing after the Orioles' winning record.

-- Sensing things are about to take a turn for the worst, Moeller leaps into the stands to escape the 2009 Orioles.

-- Moeller has trouble handling Matt Albers' curveball.

-- Because Red Sox fans talk like they're always sucking on a baseball-sized jawbreaker, Moeller has trouble understanding a heckler and visits with him to seek clarity.

-- Moeller learns the hard way that with the Orioles, there's no such thing as easy outs.

Photo: AP

Posted by Rick Maese at 12:45 PM in Caption This, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

We're just a dozen games into the season, and you get the sense the Orioles are already encountering the sound-the-alarm, calling-all-cars types of problems they'd hoped to avoid. At the least, they hoped they wouldn't have to cross this creaky, unstable bridge for another month or two.

Forget the four-game losing streak they carry into today's season-finale at Boston. If you subscribe to the idea that this season isn't really about this season (does that make sense?), then you'll just have to accept a losing streak here and there.

No, we're talking about their pitching. Of course.

Here, check out this photo:

From the left, that's Troy Patton, Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, Brad Bergesen, Jake Arrieta and David Hernandez. That's the future. And Andy MacPhail wisely hid the Orioles' future down on the farm -- give them some seasoning, no need to rush them -- and I think most fans understand this approach. But are you starting to think that MacPhail has done a lousy job of shielding them, of insuring they can even remain in the minors as long as necessary?

Continue reading "Lousy rotation does O's prospects few favors" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 8:30 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

Of course, the Orioles would go on to lose, 19-6. Heart broken.

I point this out because I think there are two prevailing schools of thought right now as it concerns the Orioles. Outside of Baltimore faithful -- perhaps those who scan the standings each morning and watch the highlights on Baseball Tonight when it doesn't conflict with CSI reruns -- baseball fans notice the 6-3 start, the entertaining wins and the amazing offensive production.

For them, the season's headline thus far has been:

OMG! The Orioles Look Pretty Decent!

But Orioles fans know better. They've been selling squares in an office pool the past couple of weeks, picking the date everything will fall apart. For them, especially after the last two nights of baseball, the headline has always been:

OMG! Sky Falling! Pitchers Falling Faster! Everyone Run For Cover! This Isn't Going To Be Pretty! I Think My Heart Might Explode!

Maybe it's just a matter of how you view the glass: half full or half empty. Of course, O's fans have traveled this route before. They're bound to shatter the glass against the table and use the shards to inflict pain upon anyone who provokes them. 

So which fan are you? Do you find yourself following a team that's scoring 7.5 runs per game in its wins, that's won every series of the young season and seems to be finding a way to beat quality teams?

Or do you feel like you're watching a team that's been outscored 41-11 in three losses, that has just one or two reliable starting pitchers and that just wrapped up a series in which O's starters posted a 10.80 ERA and logged only 10 innings?

[For the record, the Orioles' optimist manager said, "I'll take two of three, though. Every time."]

Posted by Rick Maese at 10:55 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Every Thursday we'll present two Sun sportswriters squaring off in a video feature called Faceoff. This week, Rick Maese and Childs Walker discuss their early impressions of the Orioles' season.

Posted by Rick Maese at 8:45 AM in Faceoff, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Empirically, at least, the Orioles look like an outstanding defensive team. But I thought it would be fun to take a quick glance at what the numbers say.

As Sports Illustrated recently noted, analysts have come a long way in their ability to measure defensive quality. Even 10 years ago, defensive stats were like first-grade finger paintings compared to the Van Goghs we had for measuring offense. But no longer. My favorite system of defensive statistics is John Dewan's +/- rating, which he created for his excellent book, The Fielding Bible. Dewan's company, Baseball Info Solutions, actually reviews every play made by every MLB defender and compares each one to a database of similar plays. The system then counts how many unusually good and how many unusually poor plays a defender makes. The difference between the two is expressed as a +/- rating.

The system confirms that Orioles fans should be excited to have Cesar Izturis at shortstop. Izturis ranked third among all starting shortstops last year with a +19 rating. He was particularly superb on balls hit in the hole. Juan Castro, Alex Cintron and Freddie Bynum were a combined -19 at shortstop last year. Even if Izturis doesn't hit, he will help the Orioles.  

The system rated Brian Roberts as an average to slightly above average second baseman in 2006 and 2007. But he fell to slightly below average last year with a -3 rating. He was solid on balls hit at him or to his right but poor on balls hit to his left. Roberts affords the Orioles a huge offensive advantage compared to other second basemen but might only help them break even defensively.

Melvin Mora rated as an average third baseman in 2006 and 2007 but plummeted to a -13 last year, 34th among regulars at the position. Anomaly or sign of decay for an older player? We'll see, but it's an area of concern, especially considering that Ty Wigginton has always been a poor defender at third, according to the system.

Continue reading "O's defense a plus or a minus?" »

Posted by Childs Walker at 11:45 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Let's hope every play-by-play man has memorized the rosters by now. The amateur announcer is stuck tonight babbling, "No. 42 lets loose a fastball to No. 42 at the plate, who pulls the ball. It's a grounder to 42 at short who whips it across the diamond to No. 42 to beat 42 at first."

It's Jackie Robinson Day in baseball, which means every player, manager and coach is expected to wear No. 42 in honor of Jackie's first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, including the Orioles in tonight's series finale at Texas.

Also today comes the annual Racial and Gender Report Card from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports out of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, and the results are a bit surprising -- in a good way.

MLB's grades were, in fact, good across the board, but the most noteworthy statistic is the number of African-American players. This marks the first year since 1995 that the percentage of African-American players has increased from the preceding year. The report found that in the 2008 season, 10.2 percent of all players were African-American, a two percent increase from 2007.

"While we need to wait to see if this a one-year adjustment or a trend, this is more good news for MLB that its grass roots programs might be taking effect," said Dr. Richard Lapchick, who authors the annual study.

On the Orioles' roster, Adam Jones is the lone African-American player. In fact, he was the only African-American player in camp at spring training.

"It doesn't bother me," Jones said last month, "but I'd like to see more black athletes playing baseball. ... Most kids were playing basketball and football. I don't know why I chose baseball. I guess because I was just better at it. I love baseball."

The Orioles sent out a release this morning saying that each player’s game-worn, autographed No. 42 jersey will be auctioned at orioles.com starting at 6 tonight. The auction will conclude at noon next Tuesday, and the proceeds will benefit the Baltimore Orioles Charitable Foundation and the Jackie Robinson Foundation.

Posted by Rick Maese at 10:42 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

In his lifetime, Orioles Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson has given thousands of autographs, scribbling his name on everything from baseball cards to body parts – arms, legs, heads and feet. He has signed body casts, sneakers, golf gloves and footballs.

On Sunday, April 19, Robinson will appear, pen in hand, at a sports memorabilia show at the Pikesville Hilton from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

We asked No. 5 to list (and comment on) the strangest items he has been asked to sign:

1. A pet rock

"Remember that fad? I used a Sharpie and the autograph turned out fine."

2. A brassiere

"The woman was wearing it at the time. At a card show in Chicago, she just pulled down her dress a bit and asked me to sign her bra. Who am I to say no to that?"

3. Easter eggs

"Someone wanted them autographed before an egg hunt."

4. A photo of former Orioles teammate Frank Robinson

"The fan didn’t have my picture, so he had me sign Frank’s instead. I did and then wrote, ‘We’re not brothers, just cousins.’ "

5. A musty old locker from the Orioles’ clubhouse at Memorial Stadium

"The guy swore it was my locker too."

Also see:

Archived Sun coverage of Brooks Robinson

Brooks Robinson photos

Photos: AP (top) and Gene Sweeney Jr. / The Baltimore Sun (bottom)

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 1:38 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (23)
        

When you saw Orioles at Rangers on the schedule, you knew there'd probably be a baserunner or two. Or maybe three dozen.

The final numbers in the Orioles 10-9 win on the road last night: 20 baserunners, 16 hits and 10 runs for the Orioles. The two teams combined for 27 hits, 19 runs and 10 pitchers. The Orioles bullpen had 10 runs at their backs and a 6-run lead on the scoreboard -- and still nearly blew it in the ninth inning.

My advice: a steady supply of heart medication for manager Dave Trembley and for any fans planning on sitting through this roller coaster ride every night.

Watching last night's game reminded me of that 30-3 classic from August 2007. You haven't forgotten that one yet, have you?

I remember chatting the day after the game with Mark Jacobson, who was the official scorer the previous night at Camden Yards. I asked him about his scorecard, and I'll never forget his response. "It's just this inkblot," he told me. "A Rorschach scorecard."

Well, I forgot that I'd asked Jacobson for a copy of his scorecard. He'd kindly emailed it to me, but it never found its way into the Sun's print edition. I fished through some computer files yesterday, and last night's 10-9 game seems like sufficient reason to share the 30-3 scorecard with you.

So revel in last night's big road win. Or wonder what went wrong with the pitching and what this bodes for the future. But remember, even if the Orioles are on the wrong side of a 20-run game tonight -- there have been worse days.

Each Tuesday in the Toy Department we bring you a Q&A with the reporters and writers who are in the field, chasing the news. This week The Baltimore Sun's Orioles beat writer Jeff Zrebiec took time to answer some of our questions. Zrebiec has been covering the Orioles since 2005.

Question: First road trip of the season: You're wearing something that says "Baltimore" across your chest, right? I mean, what if you got lost walking the mean streets of Arlington, Texas?

Question: Be honest, is the Texas road trip the worst? If not, which is?

Zrebiec: It’s certainly on a short list of the road trips that I enjoy the least, but I wouldn’t say it’s the worst. That distinction probably would have to go to Detroit.

Question: Did you see anything last week that makes you think this Orioles team will be better than some of us expected?

Zrebiec: Not really. Although I wouldn’t have predicted that they’d hammer Sabathia and Wang like they did, I had no concerns about their lineup. The way Baez has pitched is intriguing, and I liked what I saw from Guthrie. I’ve learned not to get too caught up in a fast start. I’ve covered the team since 2005 and the Orioles have gotten off to good starts most of those years. Remember, the Orioles started 6-1 last year, too.

Continue reading "Q&A with Orioles beat writer Jeff Zrebiec" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 6:00 AM in Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Important reminder (or unimportant reminder, depending on which side of the uni-fence you fall): Tonight at Texas, the Orioles unveil their new road jerseys, which prominently feature the word "Baltimore" across the chest.

If you've been in a cave, here's the full background from Jeff Zrebiec's Sun story that first broke the news last June. 

Big surprise: WNST is taking full credit.

Continue reading "What to look for tonight: Baltimore!" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 3:15 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

From time to time, we'll share with you some photographs that catch our eye. We'll provide a couple of possible captions, and you can try your hand at one or two of your own. Check out previous editions of Caption This by clicking here. And for more fun with photos, check out the Sun's Caption Call blog.

-- "Thank you, sir! May I have another?"

-- Brian Bass begins making the walk toward Norfolk, Va., which according to Google Maps is a 225-mile journey that takes 3 days and 2 hours to hike -- just enough time to clear waivers.

-- "Hey Adam Eaton, Skipper says he wants to see you and me in his office. Come on."

-- Brian Bass takes a long look at the scoreboard. "Let's see, 2 outings, 5 1/3 innings, 12 runs, 13 hits and a 16.88 ERA. Plus I've given up five homers already. Gotta call mom and make sure she avoids those numbers on this week's lotto."

-- "Hey guys, I'm looking for the waiver wire. I was told it'd be around here somewhere. Anyone seen it?"

Posted by Rick Maese at 12:07 PM in Caption This, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

There will be plenty of time to talk about the Orioles' pitching this year, but the one thing that really struck me from the Orioles' season-opening homestand is the top of the batting order: Brian Roberts, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis. Through six games, those three account for more than 50 percent of the Orioles runs.

It might be too early for us to suggest that the Orioles will go as far as the top of the lineup takes them, but through their first six games, how could we ignore this: In their four wins, the top three in the order hit .479 (23-for-48) and scored 18 runs; in the two losses, they hit .143 (3-for-21) with one run.

Manager Dave Trembley was asked about his top three hitters after Saturday night's win, and while he thinks he has depth in his lineup, he did acknowledge that the Orioles need to get on base early and rattle opposing teams' starters. It falls on guys like Roberts, Jones and Markakis to get this done.

I've said a couple of times now that we should be cautious making too many big-picture projections based on a small sampling of early April games. But don't you get the feeling that the top of the Orioles lineup is among the best the team has put forth in recent years? I mean, you have to go back a few years to find better 1-2-3 hitters in Baltimore.

Continue reading "O's top of the order among tops in the league?" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 10:45 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Special to The Baltimore Sun: Contact Ricig at michaelricigliano@gmail.com.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 10:00 AM in Mike Ricigliano's View, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Orioles will send Mark Hendrickson to the hill to open their series against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 6-foot-9 lefty started 19 games for Florida a season ago. But his trip to this point has been a long and winding one. Here's the edited nickel tour through newspaper archives:

February 8, 2000 | Seattle Post-Intelligencer

It's a choice Mark Hendrickson isn't sure he wants to make just yet.

Give up baseball for basketball, or basketball for baseball?

For now, the former Washington State University two-sport star from Mount Vernon is still trying to find out what his future holds...

"I like them both and (would like to) keep doing them both," he said. "So far, it's worked out well for me."

The 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward would like to find a home in the NBA, but for now he's content to live the life of a nomad in professional sports while his career is in limbo.

...The Blue Jays, however, would like Hendrickson to make up his mind about which pro sport he wants to play.

"Our belief is that if he got to the point where basketball was no longer in the picture and he spent full time at baseball, he would have a chance to be a major league prospect," said Bob Nelson, the Blue Jays' director of baseball operations...

"If he's going to stay with basketball, that's fine," Nelson said. "The longer he stays there, his chances diminish in baseball. To make it in either sport, you have to be 100 percent behind what you're doing in that particular sport."

December 30, 1999 | Akron Beacon Journal

If forward Mark Hendrickson, signed Monday by the Cavs, looks familiar, there's a reason for it. In a well-known photo, Hendrickson is shown as a Philadelphia rookie in 1996-97 trying to defend Michael Jordan as he hangs in the air. The photo graces the covers of the books "Sports Illustrated Greatest Photos" and the "1997-98 NBA Register." "I was surprised it's been in as many books as it has," said Hendrickson, who was quick to remark Jordan scored on "a layup, not a dunk."

Continue reading "Hendrickson's long journey to Camden Yards" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 4:25 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

So much for the sweep.

The Orioles just lost to the Yankees 11-2 to finish their first series of the season. Still, taking two of three has got to feel pretty good.

I'm about to head down to the clubhouse and start working on a column for tomorrow's paper. But I just had to pass this along to you. I picked up this news release in the pressbox this afternoon, and I couldn't believe what I was reading.

Now my Japanese isn't the best. I have no formal training. (And I have no informal training for that matter.) But I'm pretty sure this release is announcing the signing of Roger Clemens.

Or that a Matt Wieters statue will be unveiled outside the ballpark on May 1.

Or that every broom brought into Camden Yards for today's presumed sweep will be donated to the city's sanitation department.

Or that the Orioles will host a special Mark Teixeira headless bobblehead doll promotion when the Yankees return to town.

Or maybe it's a memo to Teixeira that says, "Boo boo! Boo! Boo boo boooo! Boo! BOOOO! Boo. Boo! Boooooooo! Boo-boo-boooo!"

Or most likely, it's just a food menu on Orioles letterhead.

At any rate, I've got to get down to the clubhouse for interviews, so I'll let you offer your best translation.

(After the jump is an enlarged image, in case your own Japanese benefits from enlarged images.)

Continue reading "O's news you never thought you'd read" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 4:50 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

I feel like one of the construction workers talking about the Charlie Sheen-Wesley Snipes Indians in Major League.

Seriously though, one thought went through my head as I sat in the press box at Camden Yards on Opening Day and watched last night's game on television. The Orioles' position talent is, you know, actually good.

Brian Roberts is one of the best leadoff hitters in the league. Behind him, Adam Jones looks ready to take a big step forward. Then you've got Nick Markakis, only one of the best all-around players in the league. Aubrey Huff might not match last year, but he ain't bad. Luke Scott kills righties and Ty Wigginton lefties.

They've got nice lefty-righty balance in the line-up, a useful bench and a bunch of guys who can eat up ground on defense.

Let me repeat for you skeptics or those who haven't been watching: one through nine, this is a pretty intriguing team, especially with MVP-in-waiting (ok, that might be a bit much) Matt Wieters on the way.

Now, the pitching might undermine the whole thing as it almost did in the opener. But I haven't had these thoughts watching an Orioles team since Miguel Tejada, Melvin Mora and Roberts started 2005 on fire. Before that, the last team worth real optimism was what? 1998?

This isn't deep analysis or a prediction of some unexpected pennant run. It's just a note to say hey, maybe they're worth watching. And relative to many recent seasons, that ain't bad.

Posted by Childs Walker at 10:30 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Less than two years into his big league managerial career, it’s clear that Dave Trembley is no Earl Weaver. Trembley has been ejected from six games. In his 18 years of managing the Orioles, Weaver was tossed out 97 times – including both games of a doubleheader in New York.

Earl Weaver (left) argues with umpire Ken Kaiser during the 1982 season. (Sun file photo by William Hotz)

Now 78 and living in Florida, Weaver shared with us his favorite ways of showing umpires that their judgment was, um, wrong:

1. Tearing up the rule book under the umpire's nose.

"I did that in Cleveland after getting thrown out of a game."

2. Ripping third base off its moorings and hurling it off the field.

"If (the umpire) couldn’t tell fair from foul, why keep the base?

Continue reading "Fractious shoes to fill" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 8:45 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Speaking of being booed, Baltimore pitcher-in-waiting Adam Eaton got an earful when he was in Philadelphia yesterday for the World Series ring ceremony before the Braves-Phillies game.  Eaton (right), who had a 14-18 record and an ERA north of 6.0 in two seasons with the Phils, wasn't on the roster for last year's post-season but Philadelphia fans weren't about to be charitable to one of their favorite targets. Eaton is expected  to begin what he hopes is a more felicitous career with the Orioles on Sunday in a start against Tampa Bay.

Big League Stew went hard after Philly fans last night. And judging by the comments, Philly wasn't too happy.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:30 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

In the visiting team's clubhouse this afternoon, the New York media seemed much more interested in this Joba Chamberlain DWI video, so when I saw Mark Teixeira alone by his locker, I knew I had my chance to clarify something that's made several Baltimore bar stools wobble with anger these past couple of days.

Two days ago, the Orioles' fans let Teixeira have it. I mean, it's still ringing in my ears. The boos echoed far beyond Camden Yards and further than the Bronx. Baltimore's reaction became a national topic for sports talk radio shows, blogs and national baseball columnists. But while outsiders pounced on the idea that Orioles fans were responding to Teixeira jilting the Orioles, fan after fan filled my inbox with an explanation. Essentially, they said, they were venting their frustration with some of Teixeira's comments. They will not forgive him for appearing at a news conference in New York and professing his lifelong love for the pinstripes.

I asked point-blank whether he rooted for both teams growing up, and Teixeira said no. But he quickly added an asterisk.

"I rooted for Don Mattingly, though, whenever he came here,"Teixeira said. "He was my favorite player growing up. When the Yankees came to town, that's who I rooted for. I loved him. He was my guy. I wore No. 23 every chance I got. So the only time I was allowed to wear Yankees stuff was when Mattingly was coming to town and playing the O's."

So every other day, you were in Orioles' gear?

"Oh yeah. My favorite team was always the Orioles. I've always said that," he said. "But when the Yankees were in town, I'd wear a Mattingly T-shirt and a Yankees hat and root for him."

OK, so I'm sure that puts that little Bmore controversy to rest. Or not.

Teixeira said he avoided media coverage of the booing yesterday. He wouldn't say whether it was louder than he expected, but he doesn't anticipate wearing earplugs or anything tonight.

"I think the fans here are great," he said. "They're so passionate about the O's, the Yankees are in town and I didn't sign with the Orioles -- I think it's great for Baltimore that fans are so into the Orioles."

I asked whether he found himself hearing boos while walking around town on his off-day, but it doesn't sound like he was hanging around the Inner Harbor wearing his Yankees uni or anything like that.

"Just hanging out, catching up," he said of his free day. "I haven't seen too many friends. I'm going to catch up with some of them after the game tonight. I'm sure they were some of the ones giving me heck the other night."

For what it's worth, Orioles manager Dave Trembley had no problem with the boos. In his pregame meeting with reporters, he endorsed Baltimore's behavior.

"The fans have a right. That's their right," he said. "They pay their money and that's their right."

Photos: Associated Press; Karl Merton Ferron / Sun

Posted by Rick Maese at 4:27 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (84)
        

I'm headed to the ballpark but wanted to pass something along:

The sharp folks at Fangraphs.com have been ranking baseball's minor-league systems the past three days and this afternoon they unveiled their top 10. The Orioles came in at No. 7, pretty impressive when you consider what this farm system was not too long ago. The ranking is higher than what Baseball America (No. 9) bestowed on the Orioles and the same as Baseball Prospectus'.

No surprise: Oakland, Texas, Florida and Tampa Bay were among the top farms by all three publications.

There's no real Orioles' analysis that accompanied the piece, but it again speaks to the steady ground-up approach the organization has taken. While I'm sure fans appreciate the direction in which the franchise appears to be headed, a part of me sees lists like this and can't help but wonder: What in the world took so long?

Posted by Rick Maese at 3:07 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Before Oriole Park, Memorial Stadium and a few other Baltimore ball fields, there was Union Park -- home of the turn-of-the-century, three-time National League champion Orioles.

That the city even had a 19th-century major league team will surprise some Orioles fans, who thought life began in 1954, when the current club was born. Or 1966, when Baltimore won its first World Series behind the Robinsons, Brooks and Frank.

Union Park, home of the National League Orioles, circa 1895. (Photo courtesy of Maryland Historical Society)

Not so. Before B. Robby and F. Robby, there was W. Robby, Wilbert Robinson, catcher and captain of a conniving, single-minded ballclub whose tactics were as sharp as its spikes.

The 1896 Orioles did what it took to win, from blocking base runners to bunting a pitcher batty. They hid extra balls in the outfield, which they sneaked into play when a hit got past them. They writhed on the ground and pinched themselves to fake being hit by a pitch. They worked the hit-and-run a dozen times a game in an era when most players swung from the heels.

Baltimore's tactics ranged from sophomoric to sublime. Players yelled, "I've got it!" on pop-ups hit by teammates, and interfered with foul flies that drifted near their bench. Runners scooted from first base to third when the lone umpire's back was turned.

The Orioles also shaved their wooden bats flat on one side, for better bunting, until league officials caught on.

This was everyday subterfuge at Union Park, a double-decked 8,000-seat wooden stadium. Union Park sat on 25th Street, between Guilford Ave. and Barclay St. There, led by Hall of Famers Robinson, John McGraw, Willie Keeler and Hughie Jennings, the Orioles rattled off championships from 1894-96.

Union Park was fancier than most NL parks. Inside were a beer garden, picnic grounds and a ladies' grandstand, where well-dressed ushers served iced drinks and doled out hand fans to women who tried to shine their vanity mirrors in the eyes of opposing players.

Anything to help the home team.

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 12:27 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Orioles fans know what they're getting with Jeremy Guthrie. They have a sneaky suspicion of what they'll get from the Orioles 3-4-5 starters, too. So as far as the rotation is concerned, it's Koji Uehara who is the biggest mystery. It's not just fans who are uncertain, though.

I hope you caught Dan Connolly's feature in this morning's Sun. I was asking around the ballpark Monday, too, trying to get better idea of what to expect when Uehara takes the mound tonight against the Yankees. He says he's excited, but not necessarily nervous. Asked how he'll respond to the environment and the crowd, he said, "That I won't know until [tonight]."

We stationed Peter Schmuck in the Yankees' clubhouse on Monday (we told him there was a cotton candy machine there) and had him corner Hideki Matsui, who played with Uehara on the Yomiuri Giants from 1999-2002.

"He was a top pitcher, but he was injured toward the last four years. Aside from that, if he pitches to his ability, he'll win games," Matsui said. "His best assets are his command and his pitching rhythm. He's a pitcher with a lot of ability, but he's very tough on himself."

Continue reading "No idea what to expect from Uehara today" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 9:58 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Each week in the Toy Department, veteran Sun sports writer Mike Klingaman will track down a former local sports figure and let you know what’s going on in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With..." Let him know who you’d like him to find, and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With..."

Could Sam Horn’s Orioles debut have been any more dramatic?

Rescued from the minors just days before the 1990 opener, and rocked by his mother’s recent stroke, Horn hit a pair of three-run home runs to help the Birds defeat Kansas City, 7-6 in 11 innings.

For the day, the strapping Horn had four hits – all with bats he borrowed from teammates because his clubs had not yet arrived. That game, he dedicated to his mother, which he’d still like to think played a part in her recovery.

Sam Horn is congratulated after hitting a home run in 1991. (Sun photo by Bo Rader)

"Has it been 19 years?" Horn said. "For me, the date (April 9) never gets old. I’ve moved on, but the thought of that game will be there as long as I live."

Now 45, he works as a good-will ambassador for the Boston Red Sox, the club that originally signed and then surrendered the would-be slugger. The Orioles took one look at the hard-swinging Horn, 6 feet 5 and 240 pounds, dismissed his porous fielding and named him their designated hitter on Opening Day.

Continue reading "Catching Up With: Sam Horn" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 11:45 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Truth be told, the Orioles were a little bit too focused on the task at hand, so they weren't taking notes when Vice President Joe Biden addressed the team prior to yesterday season-opener.

"He told us a couple of stories about hitting the ball off the wall in old Memorial Stadium, like a politician pickup game or something like that," said George Sherrill. "It was good have him here. Real fun."

Accompanied by team owner Peter Angelos, Biden milled around the Orioles clubhouse for about a half-hour, players say. Angelos didn't say much; Biden did, which shouldn't surprise many.

"He’s from close to here, a surrounding state, so he just talked with some coaches and stuff about Memorial Stadium," said Adam Jones. "I just went up and introduced myself, shook his hand.

"I haven’t met anybody that high-profile. I did meet Bill Gates, though; got my picture with him, too," added Jones, who says he isn't too political but did vote for Obama-Biden last November.

Biden threw out the first pitch, which prompted about 48,000 people at Camden Yards to make the same joke at the same time (Gee, do ya think he could be our fifth starter?) and then in the top of the fifth inning, the Veep visited with Gary Thorne and Jim Palmer in the MASN booth.

"We inherited quite a mess. That’s not to blame anybody, just the facts,” Biden said. He went on to mention the economy, but I'm pretty sure he was talking about Andy MacPhail taking over a sinking ship of a baseball franchise a couple of years back.

Biden explained his own amateur sports background -- "I couldn’t make it in pro sports, so figured what the hell, I might as well be vice president" -- but the best moment came toward the end of the interview.

After Thorne asked Biden if they could take a photograph together -- groan --  Biden wrapped his arm around Palmer, smiled and said: "If I had this guy’s hair, I would’ve had a shot in the primaries."

Be sure to check out Caption Call to see a pic of Biden and the Oriole Bird and submit your choice for the most appropriate caption.

Photo: Elizabeth Malby / Sun

Posted by Rick Maese at 9:48 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

We’re not going to fall into the Opening Day trap here. I know it’s tempting to take that initial game and use it to project the next 161 (i.e. Adam Jones is on pace to score 486 runs, which would be a new major-league record).

So as we reflect this morning on what was a pretty exciting season-opener, Orioles' fans should use a cautious optimism. To make it easy, let’s divide our reactions into two categories: a first impression and the likely lasting impression.

The first impression: Severna Park native Mark Teixeira is not very well-liked in Baltimore.

The likely lasting impression: So will the bad feelings linger? Can Orioles fans hold a grudge against Teixeira for years and years to come?

If you remember back 12 months, Aubrey Huff received his share of boos at last year’s home opener in response to offseason comments that disrespected the city of Baltimore. He didn’t feel the least bit sorry for Teixeira last night.

“I got that -- and I was at home," Huff said of the boos.

While fans eventually started cheering Huff, Teixeira shouldn’t expect any mercy in the coming years.

Though I love the boos, I have a hard time getting upset with a baseball player who accepts more money to play for a winning team. Most Orioles’ fans don’t see it this way, but at least one Oriole player admitted to agreeing with this viewpoint. “Personally, I don’t see nothing wrong with what he did,” said Adam Jones.  “He went to a place he wanted to go to. You can’t fault a guy for making that decision.”

The first impression: Geez, if you thought your investments have taken a hit recently, how about the Yankees? Does CC Sabathia think he’s getting paid by the pound or by the pitch?

And Teixeira, after declaring before the game that “in a perfect world” he’d be an Oriole, goes 0-for-4. Could he be a double-agent, secretly working on behalf of the Orioles?

Continue reading "Orioles' morning after: Do you trust first impressions?" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 8:30 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

The Toy Department's Candy Thomson went strolling around Baltimore before today's season opener, trying to gauge fan's expectations for the 2009 season.

Video by Candus Thomson

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 5:29 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

At 1:40 p.m., Mark Teixeira emerged from the Yankees dugout to do an onfield interview for the YES network. There weren't many fans here, but those gathered around the Yankees dugout made themselves known.

"You're a sell-out, Mark!" one screamed.

"We hate you!" said another.

As you can see in the photo above, one even crudely painted, "Severna Park Hates you Tex!" on a sign.

For all the venom Teixeira is surely going to receive today, he couldn't have been more cordial to reporters and complimentary of Baltimore.

He even gave us this little gem of a quote:

"In a perfect world, the Orioles would've won the World Series every year I was alive, and I'd be an Oriole right now,"  Teixeira said. "I have so much love for this city, for this organization. But in the business world, in the baseball world, sometimes you have to make difficult decisions. When it came down to it, the Yankees were a better fit for me."

Teixeira said his new pinstripe-wearing bosses will "put us in position to win every year," and says he's felt comfortable with his new team since the day the ink dried on the contract.

"Right now, I feel like I made the right decision," he said. 

Continue reading "Teixeira: In perfect world, I'd be an Oriole" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 2:05 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (77)
        

Special to The Baltimore Sun: Contact Ricig at michaelricigliano@gmail.com

***  

Return Flight: Seventeen years after he flew the coop, the Oriole bird has returned to The Baltimore Sun.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 11:00 AM in Mike Ricigliano's View, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

There's good news and bad news for Orioles fans, at least as the baseball season is viewed through the lens of oddsmakers. The good news is that the guys who set the over-under number on how many games major league teams are expected to win are generally forecasting that Baltimore will win a fistful more games during this season than in 2008. The bad news is that even with that better opinion, the O's are still expected to finish 20 games under .500.

Oddsmakers for online gambling Web site Bodog had the Orioles' over-under number at 71 1/2 as spring training was winding down in late March.  At about the same time, the MGM Mirage sports book had the Orioles' number just slightly higher at 72 1/2. Last year, the Las Vegas Hilton had the Orioles' over-under number at 64 1/2, the lowest in the majors. The Orioles managed to cover that but not by much winning just 68 games. According to the MGM Mirage, just one AL team has a lower over-under number for 2009, the Seattle Mariners at 70 1/2.

Bodog also has some interesting individual over-unders. Aubrey Huff and Nick Markakis (left) are both listed at a home run over-under at 23 1/2. And Brian Roberts has a stolen base over-under at 39 1/2.

Photo: Getty Images

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:25 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I was finishing seventh grade in the spring of 1989 when Mr. Legg, my English teacher, gave us an interesting assignment. Take an article from the daily newspaper, he said, and spin a short story off of it.

OK, well, the sports section was the beginning and end of the paper for me in those days. And on that very morning, The Sun published an account of the Orioles' remarkable Opening Day victory over Boston. Inspired by that great win, I wove an improbable scenario of the scrappy young team rising from the ashes of a 107-loss season and rolling all the way to the playoffs. I was already a grizzled enough fan to realize it was little more than a kid's fantasy. But hey, I had fun writing it and got an A.

Then, the damnedest thing happened. My fanciful scenario almost came to pass.

No matter how long I live, I'm not sure a baseball season could pass 1989 as my favorite. I had learned to love the game during the Orioles' 1983 championship run. But success seemed more of a given back then. By 1989, it was the last thing anyone expected. Between the 21-game losing streak to begin 1988, the firing of Cal Ripken Sr. and the trade of a disgruntled Eddie Murray, the last sparks of Orioles magic seemed to be flickering out.

Expectations could not have been lower. But then, just as thoroughly as everything had gone wrong, all went right. Young outfielders made wreckless, wonderful catches. Starting pitchers with little pedigree and less stuff reeled off wins. An unheralded catcher discovered Fruit Loops and replaced Murray's switch-hitting thump in the line-up. A rookie closer unleashed one of the nastiest curves the game had ever seen. Every week, they seemed to find a less probable way to win.

The Orioles, a near-unanimous pick for last, led the American League East all summer. It didn't matter that their "Why Not" dream ended in Toronto on the penultimate day of the season. We still gave them a parade on Monday. It was that kind of year.

So whenever I hear that Opening Day represents the infinity of possibility and my inherent cynicism starts to rise, I think of 1989. That season taught me that hope in baseball is not bunk, no matter how lousy your team looks on paper.

Remember that 1989 opener folks. Rookie Steve Finley set the tone early, running at full speed to snare a long fly, paying no heed to the wall that would jar his shoulder out of place on impact. Then Cal Ripken, the lone old standby, tomahawked a high Roger Clemens fastball over the left field wall to erase Boston's 4-1 lead. In the 11th, Mickey Tettleton walked, Randy Milligan singled and Craig Worthington looped a blooper to left that scored Tettleton. Three new heroes + one patched-together rally provided an unexpectedly perfect introduction to the season.

Continue reading "Hope for the hopeless" »

Posted by Childs Walker at 9:00 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

"Tex" Teixeira anticipates great things this season from his son, the most expensive first baseman in baseball history.

He also anticipates that if weather doesn't postpone Opening Day, his son will be booed with great vigor.

I spoke last night with the elder Teixeira, who still lives in Severna Park, and he said he's planning to see his son play in-person today, sitting in seats set aside for visiting players' families. He knows he'll hear plenty of jeers from Baltimore fans who wanted to see hometown boy Mark Teixeira in Oriole black and orange, not Yankee pinstripes.  

"It's not a big deal for us," says Teixeira (the dad, not the Yankee). "If they boo, my wife and I will look at each other and smile."

Just before Christmas, Mark Teixeira dashed hopes he might give the Orioles a hometown discount ($150 million over seven years) and signed an eight-year, $180-million contract with the Yankees.  

Family obligations kept Teixeira's parents from seeing him play during spring training. So today will be the first time they will see him in a Yankee uniform, the number 25 on his back.

Continue reading "Tex's dad knows what he'll hear today: "BOO!"" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:37 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

Poll: How many games will the Orioles win this season?

Welcome to Opening Day, surely the best day of the season for Orioles fans. Sure, you could sit around and wait until early October to see how this tragic comedy plays out. But you don’t have to. The Toy Department has obtained an exclusive advanced copy of the 2009 Orioles season. Spoiler alert: If you don’t want to know all the twists and turns that await the Orioles, stop reading now. Seriously, go read Schmuck or something.

APRIL

A start no one expected, and an ending that couldn’t be avoided -- the first month of the Orioles season seemed to have it all.

Opening with a homestand that featured a pair of division front-runners -- the Yankees and the Rays -- many fans were bracing for a repeat of the 1988 team that lost 21 games out of the gate. But Jeremy Guthrie and the Orioles had something else in mind.

The Orioles, in fact, won the opener 9-8, courtesy of Cesar Izturis’ walk-off home run. It’d be the only homer he’d hit all season, but more importantly, it gave the Orioles momentum that led to them sweeping both the Yankees and the Rays and spreading a buzz throughout the baseball world.

Unfortunately, in that final win over Tampa, on April 12, the Orioles suffered their first injury of the season – which turned out to be a bad omen for the rest of the month. On April 12, during the seventh-inning stretch, the Oriole Bird climbed atop the dugout to dance to “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” but failed to notice a souvenir miniature bat on the dugout roof. He took a tumble and was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a clipped wing. Almost immediately, message boards and sports talk radio lines lit up to debate the merits of John Denver’s folksy anthem. The song was suspended for the remainder of the month.

The next day in Texas, the Orioles debuted their new road uniforms – which finally let opposing teams know precisely from which city this orange-clad group originates – but lost in spectacular fashion. In fact, despite winning the first six games of the season, the Orioles would lose 12 of the month’s final 16 games. The only starters who’d pick up wins after that first homestand were Koji Uehara and Alfredo Simon.

T-shirts started popping up across Baltimore with the slogan, “Koji and Alfredo, then pray for a tornado.”

MAY

What follows are excerpts from postgame news conferences:

May 3 -- Orioles 6, Blue Jays 2: "Well, this is our first two-game win streak since our first homestand of the season. You have to start somewhere. I've been saying that over and over the past three weeks, but I think we've finally decided -- this is where we'll start." -- Manager Dave Trembley

Continue reading "Spoiler alert: Orioles '09 season ahead" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 6:00 AM in Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Any Baltimore sports fan with a pulse knows that the Orioles open the season Monday at home against the Yankees. As if O's followers needed any more reason to dislike the Bombers, in the offseason hometown star Mark Teixeira signed as a free agent with the Yankees. Now no one begrudges Teixeira the money but the Yankees?  C'mon!  Even if you don't have tickets for Monday afternoon, there'll be plenty of opportunity to let him know how you feel about that. The doo-wop group is TheBooogPows.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:00 AM in Must-see Web TV, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Some readers might remember that until last summer, Childs Walker wrote a weekly column on fantasy sports for The Sun. That ritual died for the cause of reducing newsprint costs (tough business, newspapers). But with the Toy Department open and its aisles boundless, Childs is back with his insights, laments and odes to joy regarding pretend baseball and pretend football.

It's funny how often a fantasy draft is a reaction to what happened the year before. I just had my first serious draft (actually, auction) of the spring and when I look back on it, almost everything I did played off a poor 2008 auction in the same league.

It's a keeper league and last year, I underestimated the impact of inflation on bidding patterns. I also fixated too much on a few players and positions. So I ended up with a roster that was long on star power (Miguel Cabrera, Roy Halladay, Nick Markakis, B.J. Upton and others) but filled out with too many guys who hardly played.

In AL- or NL-only leagues, star-laden teams often lose out to those with solid starters at almost every position. You'd be surprised how often the team with the most total at bats, not the most All-Stars, has the best offense.

So I entered this year determined to avoid inflation and costly dead spots. I didn't want to wait for specific players. Instead, I would take anybody decent as long as bidding stopped near my pre-draft dollar value. My only hard-and-fast goal was to land a starter at every offensive spot.

All in all, I did pretty well, though I probably punted batting average by grabbing Jack Cust, Jim Thome and Russ Branyan in a late-auction effort to boost my power. I went in thinking that my top offensive buy would be either Ian Kinsler or Brian Roberts. Second base is not a deep position in the AL, so either guy would afford a big leg up on the competition. Kinsler's price jumped past the $33 I had written on my sheet, so I let him go. That discipline paid off when I landed Roberts, actually a better fit because of his stolen bases, at $32. I have both Roberts and Markakis. Guess I'm a homer.

Continue reading "Childs Play" »

Posted by Childs Walker at 3:05 PM in Childs Play/Fantasy, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (0)