Baltimore Orioles

Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas officially announced their retirements this week, ending speculation that either one would attempt a comeback in 2010 after not appearing in a big league game last season.  Glavine was a great finesse pitcher of his generation, and Thomas was a premiere slugger of the nineties.

Continue reading "Two more great careers reach the end of the line"

After the way Cliff Lee pitched against the Yankees in the World Series six weeks ago, I would have been surprised to hear that the Phillies were even listening to offers for their ace.  But when the chance to acquire Roy Halladay comes around, I suppose any team would be crazy not to listen.  Before I knew it, Halladay was a Phillie and Lee was heading to Seattle, where he’ll join his third club in the span of four and a half months.  How often does that happen to the defending Cy Young Award winner?

Continue reading "Phillies take a Halladay"

The 12-inning thriller that was the last regular season game ever played at the Metrodome was exactly what I wanted to see.  When the Twins and Tigers played a four-game series in Detroit last week, I found myself rooting for the Twins to close the gap in order to create an exciting finish to the regular season – ideally a one-game playoff.  When that happened, I decided it would be great for the city of Detroit to send their team to the playoffs, but what I wanted most was to see a great game.  My wish came true when the two teams played a nail-biter that could have gone either way, but eventually sent Minnesota to the postseason.  Props to both teams for giving the fans what they deserved.

Continue reading "Twins-Tigers game was exactly what I wanted"

Braves manager Bobby Cox announced this week his plans to retire after the 2010 season and to immediately take on a consulting role with the team.  Cox has won 2,409 games as a manager and is fourth all-time in the category, behind only Connie Mack (3,731), John McGraw (2,763) and current Cardinals manager Tony La Russa (2,550).  Cox has five pennants and one World Series title to his name, and won the Manager of the Year award four times.  Under his leadership, the Braves have won 100 games six times.  The next manager of the Atlanta Braves will have big shoes to fill.

Continue reading "Bobby Cox has one more season in him"

In the last week, baseball fans have been exposed to a number of unfortunate incidents that involved big-name, All-Star players.  My thoughts on each of them follow.

Kevin Youkilis charging the mound: Youk let his emotions get the best of him on Tuesday night after getting plunked in the back for the second consecutive night.  The Red Sox need Youk’s bat in the lineup and his glove in the field.  Now they have neither for five games.

Continue reading "Poor behavior on and off the field is Bad for Ball"

Since I last posted before my trip to Spain, there have been a number of noteworthy occurrences in Major League Baseball.

The American League won yet another All-Star Game – by a single run for the fourth year in a row.  Manny Ramirez returned from his 50-game suspension.  The Nationals fired manager Manny Acta.  Jonathan Sanchez threw the season’s first no-hitter.  The Braves gave up on underachieving hometown boy Jeff Francouer, and traded him to the Mets for Ryan Church, who hit the foul ball I caught at RFK in 2007.  The most exciting news, however, took place the day I returned from my voyage: Mark Buerhle of the White Sox threw a perfect game.  The following day, the A’s traded slugger Matt Holliday to the Cardinals, who now have protection for Albert Pujols.

Continue reading "While I was out…"

Someone at MLB must have read my blog post from 5/9/08 and decided that All-Star voting needed to start even earlier this season just to see my reaction.  Keep in mind that the 2009 season began later than the 2008 season.

Continue reading "All-Star balloting reminds me of the Iowa Caucus"

Tragedy struck the baseball world Thursday morning, as Angels 22-year-old rookie Nick Adenhart, hours removed from making his season debut, died in a car crash.  In just his fourth-ever big-league start, Adenhart threw six shutout innings against the Athletics and left with his team leading 3-0, only to see the Angels’ bullpen surrender the lead and lose 6-4.

Continue reading "A sad day for baseball"

Big baseball news in my life: I recently found out that I will be working as the Press Liaison for Team Italy at the 2009 World Baseball Classic, set to begin next week.

In the second-ever WBC, 16 teams representing countries in all continents other than Antarctica – from the 2006 WBC champion Japan to Australia to the Republic of South Africa – will vie to be crowned true World Champions of the game of baseball.  (One could argue that the World Series is something of a misnomer.)  With baseball not scheduled as one of the events at the 2012 Olympics in London, the WBC is an opportunity for players to represent their countries on the big stage.

Continue reading "WBC-bound"

Koji Uehara may not be the answer to Orioles fans’ prayers, but he’s certainly a start.  Though it is hard to judge stats from Japanese baseball (because of the perceived lower level of competition and other factors), Uehara holds a 112-62 record with a 3.01 E.R.A. in his 10-year career in Japan.  In 1998, he won 15 consecutive starts and 20 overall on his way to being named Rookie of the Year.

Continue reading "Orioles finally tap into Japan’s talent"

Francisco Rodriguez just signed a big-money contract with the Mets, who have missed the playoffs the last two seasons.  CC Sabathia chose to become the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history, signing with the Yankees in spite of the fact that they play in what is considered the toughest division in baseball and failed to make the postseason in 2008.  What drew Sabathia to the Bronx and K-Rod to Queens?  It wasn’t a near-guarantee to return to the playoffs, which they could have had with the Angels.  They didn’t grow up in New York dreaming of wearing Yankee Pinstripes and Met blue and orange one day.  There’s only one thing it could be: money – $161 million for seven years of Sabathia and $37 million for three years of Rodriguez.

Continue reading "Greed takes away from the game"

The Orioles still have a huge hole at shortstop, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad idea to trade their highest-paid player last offseason.  Miguel Tejada’s offensive numbers in his first season with the Astros were sub-par and certainly not worthy of the money he is making.  In hitter-friendly Minute Maid Park, a .283/.314/.415 line from one of Houston’s heavy hitters is not going to cut it.  Believe it or not, Miggy’s numbers actually declined from 2007 (.296/.357/.442), when he battled injuries and underachievement in what turned out to be his last season in Baltimore.

Continue reading "Looking back on the Tejada trade ..."

The Rule V Draft happens every December, and it is basically a tool to keep teams from hoarding prospects in their minor league systems for too long. Johan Santana is probably the most famous Rule V pickup, as the Twins got him for nothing. Last year the Orioles selected Randor Bierd from the Tigers.

Continue reading "Rule V Draft Stuff"

I hope you got a chance to read my post earlier today, explaining how the 40-man roster works, and setting up where we are in terms of getting our roster down to where it needs to be. If you get lost or confused at any time, please take a look at it, as I tried to lay out the basics of how the roster management works in the off-season. In this post, I’ll go into more specifics of who needs to be cut, why they need to be cut, and if I don’t ramble on too much, who needs to be added so they aren’t taken in the Rule V Draft.

Continue reading "Working on that 40-Man Crunch"

There is a long list of things to do for Andy MacPhail and company this off-season, and I’ll be tackling some of those things throughout the next few weeks. I’ll also keep you updated on the Arizona Fall League, as well as rumors about possible trades and free agent signings. For me, November, December, and January are always a lot of fun, with trades (and lots of rumors), big free agent signings, and roster re-adjustments.

Continue reading "Orioles Off-Season Priorities"

Or at least, when I do, I lose. Badly.

I guess I could have done worse on my Division Series predictions, since I did get the Rays winning in 4 right. But the Angels, Brewers, and Cubs? Gah! Who knows, if the Angels could actually execute a squeeze play we may have been back to LA for Game 5. However, they couldn't, and now the Red Sox are back in the ALCS for the 4th time in the last 6th years. Gag me please.

Continue reading "This is Why I Don't Gamble..."

Well, the playoffs get going today, so I guess I should weigh in with my thoughts. I'll be rooting for the Rays and Brewers to get to the World Series, because I've never seen either of them there, and because it will cause the executives at Fox to collectively form a mass riot. That would be fun.

Continue reading "Playoff Predictions"

With the MLB playoffs set to begin, there is a subtle difference in the air compared to start of any other postseason. In the NHL, fans can potentially look forward to a great Canadians/Bruins series that is not only exciting, but has a historical kick to it. Likewise basketball fans always have the chance to see if the Suns can finally get past the Spurs and football fans love seeing the rivalry of the Eagles Vs the City of Philadelphia when the Eagles so much as get tackled for a loss.

Continue reading "The Ups and Downs of the MLB Playoffs"

That he can dominate two leagues in the same season, and be considered the number one prospect in both of them!

The Eastern League Top 20 is out at BA, and once again Wieters takes the top spot. 

Continue reading "Matt Wieters is so Good....(How good is he?)"

Wanted to give a congratulations to Milwaukee and Tampa for getting into the playoffs. As a baseball fan, I like seeing new teams get into the playoffs. I love when the Yankees or the Mets have to sit at home and watch some teams that maybe the average fan doesn't know a whole lot about. It may hurt the TV ratings, but to me, there is nothing better than seeing some new teams get a shot in the playoffs.

Continue reading "Congrats to the Brewers and Rays"

Here is Baseball America's Top 20 in the Carolina League. Frederick puts 5 players in the Top 20, about as good as the Orioles could have hoped for.

No surprise that Matt Wieters placed #1, but very nice to see Jake Arrieta at #2. Brandon Erbe also was a nice surprise, not that he was on the list, but that he was all the way up at number 8. Also good to see Brandon Snyder and Billy Rowell, two former first round picks, both make the Top 20.

Continue reading "Orioles Prospects Dominate Carolina League Top 20"

Baseball America has continued to do their Top 20 prospects for each league in the Minors. I've told you that I'd keep you updated when the Orioles had a prospect named in a league's Top 20.

Well. Still waiting.

Continue reading "Bluefield + Aberdeen + Delmarva= Zero?"

This will be my last division wrap-up, just not going to do the National League division by division. I'll mention who I feel should win the NL awards in a post with my AL wrap up.  

Also, if you're wondering where the Orioles-related posts have gone....I just need a break. It's been really, really frustrating watching them lately, and taking the time to write about them just gets me even more frustrated. Don't worry...this off-season I will be all over every move, with plenty of suggestions myself. (Are you ready for Mark Teixeira-mania? Or as a friend called it, Tex-Mania! There will be like, a million Teixeira related rumors this off-season. Just be ready for them.)

Continue reading "It's the AL West's Turn"

Entrance into the Hall of Fame is the highest individual honour that baseball has to offer. Getting into Cooperstown means that without a doubt you are one of the greatest players of your generation and have earned the right for children to stare at your plaque as parents tell tall-tales of your abilities for years to come.

Continue reading "What makes someone a hall of famer?"

So, yesterday, I mention how the Orioles get a rare well-pitched game from Radhames Liz, and I wrote up my recap on the AL East. Then, Chris Waters goes out and throws a complete game shut-out last night. So, that forces me to mention it, and to do the AL Central wrapup today. By my logic, that means Brian Bass should be lights out tonight. (Or, maybe what I do has nothing to do with how the Orioles play. We'll see.) Anyways, on to the AL Central.

Continue reading "It's AL Central Time"

The next couple weeks will wrap up the MLB regular season, so I'm going to take a look at each division around baseball, and give you my thoughts on them. And yes, I'm only doing this because I'm sick of watching the Orioles give up 10 runs a night and try to come up with something positive to say (although Radhames Liz did pitch well on Sunday.....but I digress.) I'll start with the best division in baseball, the AL East. 4 of the5 teams are over .500, and all of those 4 are probably among the 10 or so best teams in the majors. The one exception, well....that would be the O's. Anyways, here is a look at my take on the AL East from this past season.

Continue reading "A Look Around the AL East"

Now that all of the minor league seasons have concluded, Baseball America has begun to come out with their top prospect lists. They are currently going through each minor league league, (starting with the Gulf Coast League, which is rookie ball, and working their way up to the Independent League, which is AAA.) and naming their top 20 prospects in each league. 

Continue reading "The Prospect Fun Continues"

3 Things I Need to Ask about Yankee Fans after an August Trip to Oriole Park at Camden Yards 

1st thing…Why are Oriole fans and the Oriole front office allowing Yankee Fans to invade Oriole Park at Camden Yards??? 

Continue reading "I don't understand Yankee fans."

Ok, it's not like I needed Baseball America to confirm that for me.... but they did anyways. 

Player of the Year. That's a pretty high honor, considering I would guess most people thought David Price would walk away with the award. Price, the stud left-hander in the Tampa organization, will still probably be the #1 prospect for BA before next season starts, but my bet is Wieters will be a close number 2.

Continue reading "Matt Wieters is the Man!"

It's a question asked in all sports: Once your team has no shot at the post-season, is it better long-term for the team to lose games at the end of the season, thus improving their draft status? Now, nobody is saying teams should tank games. However, from a fans perspective, is it better for the long-term success of the franchise to lose games down the stretch and improve your draft position, or to win meaningless (as far as this season goes) games and perhaps help build confidence for next year in the clubhouse?

Continue reading "The Non-Contender's September Conundrum"

Adam Jones is back!

Hopefully this means Jay Payton sightings will be much less frequent for the last month of the season. In fact, Payton and Kevin Millar, both of whom will be free agents at season's end, should spend a good amount of September on the bench.

Continue reading "Jones' return should solidify September line-up"

Despite his recent bout with arm soreness, I think I’ve finally figured out who Orioles pitcher Daniel Cabrera is… Daniel Cabrera is baseball's equivalent of the former Oakland Raiders wi

Continue reading "Who is Daniel Cabrera?"

Found this today. The Arizona Fall League will certainly be of interest to Orioles fans. Although we don't know which pitchers will be there yet, I'm sure we will know that sooner rather than later. When it comes to the position players, I have a few thoughts. Matt Wieters, Nolan Reimold, Blake Davis and Brandon Snyder will certainly be worth watching this fall and first off, the good news is that the Orioles guys have the benefit of the doubt when it comes to playing time because Norfolk Tides Manager Gary Allenson will manage the team that features the Orioles players. So the guys should all get a chance to play.

Continue reading "Arizona Fall League Rosters Announced....sort of"

Since we last talked:

- The Orioles signed Brian Matusz, giving him a bonus of around 3.2 million and a major league contract. He probably won't pitch in the minors this year, but I'd expect him to pitch in the Arizona Fall League later in the year. I still think he will start at Frederick next season, with a promotion to Bowie happening sometime during the season.

Continue reading "While I Was Gone..."

After the non-waiver trade deadline of July 31st, the next big date in baseball is August 15th. That's the day teams have to have all their amatuer draft picks signed. The Orioles have signed 9 of their Top 10 picks, the only one missing being 1st rounder and 4th overall pick Brian Matusz. Matusz, a left-handed pitcher from the University of San Diego, was thought to be an easy sign when the Orioles drafted him in June. Negotiations stalled, and he remains unsigned. Matusz, a Junior at USD, could return to school in the fall if not signed and re-enter next year's draft.

Continue reading "Another Deadline Approaching..."

After back to back starts where the starter got through only 4 innings, it's time for the Orioles to make some changes to their rotation/bullpen. While the offense keeps clicking along, the pitching continues to be an issue with this club. Here are the internal options that I would go to to try and help out the staff the rest of the season.

Continue reading "Let's See Some Changes"

The Orioles dealt right-handed reliever Chad Bradford to the Rays today, for a player to be named later. This is surprising because Bradford has been very effective this year, and the fact that we dealt him to Tampa means that no one with a worse record than the Rays (everyone in the AL except the Angels) claimed Bradford. Really? Nobody thought this guy who gets ground ball after ground ball, doesnt walk anyone, and has an ERA around 2.50 was worth taking? It's not like he has a huge contract (he is signed next year for 3.5 million), so I am surprised he got to Tampa. Good luck to Chad down there, and I hope he helps the Rays fend off Boston and New York.

Continue reading "Chad Bradford traded to Tampa Bay..."

I'm going to start my first Orioles blog entry by talking about one of the O's minor league affiliates - the Aberdeen Ironbirds - and an incident I was witness to during their home game on Mon

Continue reading "Don't go to the game to be comfortable"

After taking a brief hiatus this weekend from the Orioles-Mariners series (and Game 1 of the Angels set), I'm back. And what do I come back to? How about a 27-year old who has spent 9 seasons in the minors and is not even a TOP 30 Orioles prospect throwing an 8-inning one-hit shutout against the best team in baseball? Wow.

Continue reading "A Debut to Remember for Chris Waters"

What an All-Star Game!  Though I incorrectly predicted the National League would win for the first time since 1996, I enjoyed the game more than those in recent memory.  My favorite play had to be Nate McLouth’s throw home to nail Dioner Navarro at the plate in the bottom of the eleventh.  I wanted to see Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook named the All-Star MVP despite his team losing the game, but that has happened just twice in the award’s history, the last time being 1970.  Cook survived two errors by Dan Uggla (who made three in total in extra innings after replacing starting second baseman Chase Utley) and tossed three scoreless innings, getting out of a bases-loaded no-out jam in the 10th that his defense got him into.

Continue reading "All-Star Highlights, Snubs, Other Thoughts"

The deadline has passed. All the deals have been made, and the Orioles that are leaving town are: Nobody!

Andy MacPhail apparently felt that no one was offering packages worth dealing for, so he stood pat at the deadline. Now, moves can still be made in August, but players must clear waivers, making it much tougher to make a big deal. Basically, the Orioles big trading chips (George Sherrill, Brian Roberts, Aubrey Huff, and probably Chad Bradford) are now with the team for the remainder of the year. Guys like Kevin Millar, Jay Payton, Jamie Walker and Ramon Hernandez may pass through waivers, allowing them to be dealt.

Continue reading "Trade Dud-line"

Bobby Abreu slides into home, AP Photo/Frank Franklin II.

The Orioles' series at Yankees Stadium has sure been interesting. And yesterday's game was no exception. The Yanks pounded the O's 13-3 to avoid a three-game sweep. The star for the Bombers was designated hitter Bobby Abreu, who hit two home runs and doubled for a total of three RBI's.

Continue reading "touché, yanks get their revenge"

Well then. That certainly takes a bit of air out of the sails. The Yankees clobbered the O's today, 13-3. Joba Chamberlain looked very good for the Yankees, and the Orioles bullpen was atrocious.

Continue reading "So Much For A Sweep..."

To give a little recap of the Cabrera incident last night. It was the top of the eighth and Bobby Abreu was on second with nobody out. WIth a 6-1 lead, Cabrera threw a high-and-tight fastball that hit A-Rod in the shoulder. Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild immediately ejected the starting pitcher. Cabrera's very confused and Dave Trembley runs out of the dugout to argue the call. If you didn't see what went down, these will give you an idea:

Continue reading "cabrera controversy"

Wow last night's game was pretty eventful. First of all, the Orioles held off a ninth-inning rally to beat the Yankees 7-6 last night, extending New York's losing streak to three consecutive games. This is also the Orioles' first series win since July 24-26 against the Cubbies.

Continue reading "o's hold off yank's!"

Talk about two different ways to win a baseball game. Monday night, the Orioles pounded the Yankees, using Adam Jones’ first career Grand Slam to open up a 11-0 lead, eventually winning 13-4. The game was never in doubt, and those types of wins have seemed few and far between for the Orioles this season. It seems that when they do get into the win column, it’s a nail-biter.

Continue reading "Brooms in the Bronx?"

pretty ironic (and awesome) that the team in the AL East giving the Yankees the most trouble is the Baltimore Orioles. As of last night's defeat, New York (58-47) is 4-6 versus the last place O's (50-55). 

Continue reading "o's vs. yanks preview, 7.29.08"

So many bloggers and fans out there want the Orioles to make a play for Atlanta first baseman Mark Teixeira, who becomes a free agent at the end of this season. As the Major League trade deadline looms (THIS thursday!), O's fans are surely thinking about this Severna Park native who, in a 102-game total for the Braves this season, has been .283 with 20 home runs, 78 RBI's and an OPS of .902. We could use a little of that, I'd say.

Continue reading "teixeira trade talk (say that three times fast)"

Dave Trembley certainly doesn't just let things lie. Yesterday he announced that Dennis Sarfate is replacing Brian Burres in the rotation. This was after the Orioles optioned Radhames Liz to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. They haven't announced a replacement for Liz yet, but won't need a fifth starter until August 5. Trembley explained to MLB.com that all the changes are meant to get the O's pitching rotation back on the right track. 

Continue reading "pitching shake-up"

(Adam Jones after his grand slam in the sixth. John Dunn for The New York Times) 

The game just kept getting better after my update last night! The Orioles crushed the Yankees 13-4 thanks to a powerhouse offense (every Oriole got a hit last night) and a solid start from Jeremy Guthrie. The Orioles set a season high for runs and matched its top hit total with 17.

Continue reading "o's clobber the yanks!"

Orioles are off to a hot start! There has been some dangerous base-running: Brian Roberts got thrown out by a mile at home, but Mora went first to third on Luke Scott's single and both were safe. Then Millar got a three-run home run to make it 3-0. Ramon Hernandez stepped up to the plate and his 1000th career hit was a solo shot out of Yankee Stadium! Awesome. And props to starter Jeremy Guthrie who retired the first six Yankees.

Continue reading "game update"

After yesterday's rejuvinating win, the Baltimore Orioles (49-55) head up to the Bronx to face the New York Yankees (58-46). The Yanks are looking to win their 11th straight home game as they open this three-game series. In May, the Orioles took two out of three from the Yankees, but the pinstripes have been on a roll ever since the All-Star Game. After the break, the Yankees won their first eight games, sweeping a six-game homestand. They also just took two out of three from the Red Sox, so they're probably amped about that. Now they are only three games behind division leaders Tampa Bay. 

Continue reading "o's vs. yanks preview, 7.28.08"

I read about this before yesterday's game. Besides the fact that playing baseball in 90-degree weather in a thong is probably one of the most uncomfortable things ever, I think it's awesome. And no not because I want to get my hands on the undergarments of Brian Roberts or Nick Markakis. But, because it builds morale.

Continue reading "thong song"

Some people out there are saying that yesterday's post-game celebration was a little over-the-top. Yes, we are still in last place in the American League, our pitching is completely unreliable and even our (almost) all-star Brian Roberts sat out because of a recent slump. So some might say it was excessive when the Camden Yards crowd went wild, the word "FINALLY!" was broadcast on the bottom of the MASN screen and Dave Trembley showed up to the post-game press conference puffing on a cigar.

Continue reading "sunday surprise"

(Garrett Olson, AP Photo/Gail Burton)

When I walked into Camden Yards yesterday, I had a good feeling. I didn't want to vocalize it to my father, as not to jinx it. After all, the Orioles had lost their past 15 Sunday games, not winning on the day of rest since April 6 against Seattle. Not to mention the fact that today was my dad's birthday, so he had high hopes that everything would come together just for him.

Continue reading "so long, streak!"

Sid Sherrill is 34 years old and a Licensed Customs Broker for an international freight and logistics company in Texas. Sid’s younger brother also happens to be the Orioles closer and lone All-Star representative George Sherrill. I talked to Sid about what it’s like to have a brother in the majors, how he deals with all the trade rumors, and if he has the same sense of humor his brother shows in his interviews.

Continue reading "Interview with Flat Breezy's Brother"

A win on a Sunday!!! For the first time since April 6th, the Orioles are in the WIN column on a Sunday!

On the pitching side, this was an exact script of what you want to do to win ballgames, something the club hasn't been able to do at all recently. Garrett Olson was very solid through 6+ innings, although it was clear he ran out of gas in the 7th. However, with a lead, they turned to their 1-2-3 bullpen punch of Chad Bradford, Jim Johnson, and George Sherrill to get them to victory lane.

Continue reading "Cue the Band!!!!"

With their losses the past two nights, 6-5 and 11-6, the Orioles have now dropped 5 straight games, all at home. They'll go into today's game looking to snap not only that 5 game losing streak, but a 15 game Sunday-losing streak that ties a major league record.

Continue reading "This Feels All Too Familiar"

Sometimes an entire series can change on one play. Unfortunately for the Orioles yesterday, that play was a throwing error by Kevin Millar that ultimately led to 3 Toronto runs in the 8th inning of the completion of Wednesday nights game.

Continue reading ""Good Thing I Didn't Eat Breakfast""

With the game technically still going, it would be tough for me to do a game wrap. Since there was a rain delay, I went out and checked out The Dark Knight tonight. (OK, maybe I really was going to see the new Batman movie all along. I had a chance to see it at an IMAX theatre, you think I’m passing that up???) Anyways, the rain has helped me out and now I can catch the last 3 and a half innings tomorrow. Oh, and all the hype about the movie? Legit. One of the best movies, all-around, I’ve ever seen. Having a lot of the city scenes actually filmed on IMAX cameras made it so intense, and I thought the whole movie flowed perfectly. Heath Ledger was flawless as The Joker. Incredible. He should win an Oscar hands down, regardless of his death. He made the movie.

Continue reading "Game Postponed"

Tough loss for the Birds last night, as they fell 10-8 to Toronto. Same story as usual, at least of late. Lots of offense, bad starting pitching, and a shaky bullpen, and another defeat grabbed from the jaws of victory. My thoughts:

Continue reading "Blue Jays 10, Orioles 8"

These guys have been nice enough to add a link to my blog on theirs, so I thought I'd return the favor.

The Bad Oriole is one of my favorites. Sean does a great job discussing the team. He is often uber-critical, but always backs up his points with facts and makes solid arguments.  

Continue reading "Other Orioles Blogs"

As I mentioned briefly at the end of last night’s post, Rotoworld came out with their updated list of the Top 150 prospects in baseball. The O’s showed very well, putting 8 players in the Top 150, all of them actually in the Top 110. Only Oakland and Cleveland had more on the list, which is a great sign for the Birds. This list discounted players that are currently in the big leagues (so no Radhames Liz or Garrett Olson for the O’s) and also didn’t count players yet to sign (therefore no Brian Matusz).

Continue reading "Orioles Prospects Getting Some Praise"

It was a nice, easy win for the Orioles tonight, and a very important one at that. Knowing that the next three pitchers for Toronto are all very tough (Marcum, Burnett and Halladay), it was crucial to pick up a victory tonight if we want to have a shot at getting 3 out of 4.

Continue reading "Orioles 8, Blue Jays 3"

In my opinion, the reason a lot of people aren't as knowledgable as they'd like to be (or I'd like them to be, for some, but that's another story) isn't because they don't want to be. It's because they just aren't sure where to look for good information.

Continue reading "Helpful Links"

Welcome Orioles fans, and baseball fans in general, to my very first blog entry. You’re probably asking yourself, who is this guy and why should I care what he thinks? Well, first of all, you’re talking to yourself, so you have more issues than worrying about why I’m taking the time to blog about baseball. More importantly, I am a rare combination of sports fanatic. I love the Orioles, but I’m also not blinded by my fandom. I will openly criticize the team when I feel they’ve made a mistake (or, like, lots of mistakes), and can be rational and realistic when it comes to expectations and the team’s possibilities.

Continue reading "Welcome Aboard!"

of first place in the tightly packed American League East which is currently lead by the surprising Baltimore Orioles who do not figure to hang around much longer.

Things looked like they were about to get really bad after the Red Sox got swept in Toronto and capped off the second series of the season by committing four errors during a game in which ace Josh Beckett looked very ordinary in his return to the mound. Since getting swept, however, Boston has won 5 of the next 7 against such projected American League powerhouses as the Yankees, Tigers and Indians. Little by little, the Red Sox that we saw win the World Series last season are coming back.

Continue reading "Red Sox Should Feel Good About The Season So Far"

This time I’ll look at the key questions for each team in the American League East.

Baltimore Orioles

Is Adam Jones ready to be a star?

The only difference the answer to this questions might make is whether the rebuilding Orioles lose 100 games or only 95. The 22 year old Jones, who was the centerpiece for the Erik Bedard trade, is still not quite ready for primetime. He is however, immensely talented and has shown flashes of brilliance so far in spring training. This is the same player, though, who struck out 21 times in only 65 at bats in his brief appearance with the Mariners last season and Baltimore should expects similar periods this summer where he struggles as he makes the adjustment to playing in the big leagues. Jones should succeed in teaming up with fellow outfielders Nick Markakis and Luke Scott to provide some punch to what will otherwise be a listless Orioles offense and give the fans some hope that this rebuilding project has a bright future ahead.

Continue reading "MLB 2008 Season Preview: American Leauge East"

I am thoroughly looking forward to the Hank Steinbrenner Era. It seems he is hell-bent on replacing his father as the most obnoxious loudmouth, know-nothing owner in baseball. After watching the display he put on this winter in the Johan Santana Sweepstakes and his recent comments about the existence of Red Sox Nation, I don’t believe there is a bigger blowhard in sports today. All we need is for him to revive the Billy Martin routine with Joe Girardi, a possibility that may not be that farfetched as it appears Girardi not necessarily that easy to get along with. Little Stein seems to be unpredictable and impatient and not only expects the team to win now, but to do so in spectacular fashion. Earlier this year, Hank implied that general manager Brian Cashman would be on the hot seat if the plan to hold on to their young pitching instead of going all in for Santana didn’t pan out. If Steinbrenner allows his arrogance and impetuousness to take over the organization, I envision a return of the Yankees to the "glory" years of the 1980's when George was the show.

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