Roch Kubatko

More FanFest information (Quintanilla signs with Mets)

Orioles
More FanFest information (Quintanilla signs with Mets)
Vouchers for autograph sessions at the Orioles' 2013 FanFest, to be held Jan. 19 at the Baltimore Convention Center, will go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. The list of autograph session times and participants will be posted online for preview at www.orioles.com/fanfest by 9 p.m. Friday. Shortstop J.J. Hardy can't attend this year because of a family commitment. FanFest will run from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., with early entry for season plan holders to begin at 10 a.m. Here's more from the Orioles'...
0
Tags:
orioles fanfest frontstory_orioles3
Roch Kubatko

As the rotation turns

Orioles
As the rotation turns
Is it too soon to decide on the Orioles' opening day starter? I'm assuming that he's already on the roster. The Orioles aren't interested in re-signing Joe Saunders so he can take the ball on April 2 at Tropicana Field. The left-hander would slot lower in the rotation. Of course, Kyle Lohse would profile as a No. 1 starter on this club, but why go there? Jason Hammel and Wei-Yin Chen are the two leading candidates to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the opener. They figure to be slotted Nos. 1...
0
Tags:
orioles brian matusz chris tillman featured_sidebar jason hammel miguel gonzalez steve johnson t.j. mcfarland tommy hunter wei-yin chen zach britton frontstory_orioles3
Roch Kubatko

Waiting for new developments in a new year

Orioles
Waiting for new developments in a new year
The holidays are officially behind us. It's a new year. It's time for the Orioles to do something. The last press release issued by the club confirmed that Steve Pearce had been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk on Dec. 21. The buzz has since faded. My sarcasm, however, keeps going strong. I'll repeat that it's not a lack of effort that's preventing the Orioles from adding to their roster. They want to re-sign left-hander Joe Saunders and have engaged in talks with his agent. They have...
0
Tags:
orioles featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles3
Roch Kubatko

Hocking accepts managing job in Angels' system

Orioles
Hocking accepts managing job in Angels' system
Denny Hocking, who served as Double-A Bowie's field coach the past two seasons, has accepted a job as manager of the Los Angeles Angels' rookie-level team in Arizona, according to an industry source. Hocking has been a leading candidate to replace Bobby Dickerson as the Orioles' minor league infield coordinator, but they apparently decided to go in another direction. No hire has been made. Hocking's departure brings more change to the minor league coaching staffs. Einar Diaz is expected...
0
Tags:
orioles denny hocking frontstory_orioles2
Roch Kubatko

One last look back at 2012

Orioles
One last look back at 2012
Happy new year to everyone. I'll type quietly this morning in case your head is pounding. When the ball dropped at midnight, I fully expected Wilson Betemit to be charged with another error. (I kid, I kid.) I tried to avoid writing an Orioles-related remembrance and resolution blog entry yesterday because it's so cliched. Better to wait until today to be unoriginal. The Orioles provided plenty of memorable moments in 2012. I often sat in the press box wondering exactly how they were in the...
0
Tags:
orioles frontstory_orioles1
Roch Kubatko

Endy Chavez reportedly agrees to terms with Royals (so does Tejada)

Orioles
Endy Chavez reportedly agrees to terms with Royals (so does Tejada)
Former Orioles outfielder Endy Chavez has agreed to terms with the Kansas City Royals, according to a tweet from CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman. No other details were provided and the Royals haven't confirmed the signing. Instant update: ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reports that Chavez signed a minor league deal. Now is the time to frame your Endy Chavez jersey and hang it in your basement. Chavez signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Orioles last winter and batted .203/.236/.278 with six...
0
Tags:
orioles endy chavez frontstory_orioles3
Roch Kubatko

Which player could emerge as a difference-maker in 2013?

Orioles
Which player could emerge as a difference-maker in 2013?
Good Hall of Fame debate yesterday. I appreciate all the opinions and the passionate arguments. I'll concede that, for a guy who's often complained about the Hall of Fame being watered down, it was strange for me to choose 10 players on this year's ballot. I can no longer be viewed as part of the solution. OK, on to today's debate. Each winter, I try to predict which Oriole who contributed little or nothing during the previous season will emerge as a difference-maker the following year....
0
Tags:
orioles brian roberts featured_sidebar manny machado nolan reimold tsuyoshi wada frontstory_orioles3
Roch Kubatko

My Hall of Fame ballot (updated)

Orioles
My Hall of Fame ballot (updated)
My Hall of Fame ballot is mocking me again. It sits on a stack of papers on a chair in my living room, just waiting for me to pay attention to it. Always smiling. "Hi Roch." Judging, watching. Look at the ballot, look at the ballot. (OK, who got the movie reference?) This is the tough one, with Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa making their first appearances. Maybe you've heard of them. Seven-time Most Valuable Player and all-time home run king, seven-time Cy Young Award winner,...
0
Tags:
orioles frontfeatured_orioles
Roch Kubatko

Spring training competitions

Orioles
Spring training competitions
Another day passed without the Orioles signing or trading for a player. The 40-man roster still has an opening. Perhaps it will be filled during my drive home from Ocean Pines. News tends to break while I'm behind the wheel. I may have to brake a few times in the snow. Be careful if you're traveling today. I'm already looking ahead to some of the anticipated spring training competitions, fully aware that the roster could change at any minute. In past years, the backup catcher...
0
Tags:
featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles2
Roch Kubatko

Fanning the strikeout flames

Orioles
Fanning the strikeout flames
Looking for a good debate this morning? Perhaps you'll settle for the following: Should the Orioles' front office be focused on reducing the number of strikeouts in the lineup? One argument suggests that strikeouts are the same as a pop up, and much better than a double play grounder, so there's no reason to obsess over them. It's just one out. But another argument suggests that it's always better to put the ball in play - especially with a runner on third base and fewer than two outs -...
0
Tags:
orioles adam jones chris davis featured_sidebar matt wieters wilson betemit frontstory_orioles2
Roch Kubatko

Jim Johnson on spring training lessons, the bullpen and the WBC

Orioles
Jim Johnson on spring training lessons, the bullpen and the WBC
With pitchers and catchers set to report on Feb. 12, I'm reminded of perhaps my favorite moment from spring training 2012. Fans were obsessed with Jim Johnson's diminished velocity, and the media kept bringing it up to him and Orioles manager Buck Showalter after every outing. It wasn't just the radar gun that raised some concerns. Johnson was slowed in camp by a sore back and went 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in eight appearances, with six earned runs, seven hits and six walks in eight...
0
Tags:
orioles featured_sidebar jim johnson frontstory_orioles2
Roch Kubatko

Reserving judgment on the bench

Orioles
Reserving judgment on the bench
Because we're still in the month of December and the Orioles' roster isn't set for spring training, it's a real challenge to project starters at certain positions and which four players will comprise the bench. You'd have to be pretty ambitious or bored. Or you'd have to be fulfilling a request, which is where I come into play. I tried to come up with four reserves for a national publication, and I could only feel certain about the backup catcher. Thank you, Taylor Teagarden, for making...
0
Tags:
orioles alexi casilla danny valencia featured_sidebar taylor teagarden frontstory_orioles2
Roch Kubatko

Did everything really go right in 2012?

Orioles
Did everything really go right in 2012?
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good morning. So I wasn't dreaming of a white Christmas. There's still snow on the ground. I hope Santa was good to all of you and the Bumpus Hounds didn't get your turkey. Executive vice president Dan Duquette didn't find a power hitter or a veteran starting pitcher in his stocking, so he'll make more phone calls after today. The warehouse is closed for the week, but business doesn't shut down. During last weekend's "Wall to Wall Baseball" show...
0
Tags:
orioles frontstory_orioles2
Roch Kubatko

More props for Showalter (and RIP Oscar Madison)

Orioles
More props for Showalter (and RIP Oscar Madison)
I've been covering the Orioles on a full-time basis since 1997 and I can't recall a team being more supportive of its manager than the current group. These guys seem grateful for everything that Buck Showalter has done for them and for an organization that had lost its way. A manager can't please everyone, but Showalter's batting average is pretty impressive. Discussions about the playoff run in 2012 inevitably lead to a Showalter reference. It happened with Jason Hammel during...
0
Tags:
orioles adam greenberg buck showalter featured_sidebar joe saunders frontstory_orioles3
Roch Kubatko

Sad news regarding former Oriole Ryan Freel

Orioles
Sad news regarding former Oriole Ryan Freel
Ryan Freel, who appeared in nine games with the Orioles during the 2009 season, has died at 36. Freel committed suicide, according to a report from First Coast News in Jacksonville. The Orioles acquired Freel from the Cincinnati Reds on Dec. 9, 2008 for catcher Ramon Hernandez. They also received infielders Brandon Waring, who remains in the organization, and Justin Turner. The Orioles traded Freel to the Chicago Cubs on May 8, 2009, for outfielder Joey Gathright. The Royals purchased his...
0
Tags:
orioles frontstory_orioles2 ryan freel
Roch Kubatko

Hammel: "The knee feels great"

Orioles
Hammel: "The knee feels great"
The pain is still fresh for Orioles pitcher Jason Hammel. It hasn't gone away. Fortunately, it has nothing to do with his right knee. Hammel said it still "hurts" that the Orioles lost to the Yankees in Game 5 of the American League Division Series, but the best piece of news to come from his interview yesterday on WBAL Radio is that he's on a normal workout schedule and having no setbacks with his knee. Hammel underwent surgery in July to remove loose cartilage, and he limped off the...
0
Tags:
orioles featured_sidebar jason hammel frontstory_orioles3
Roch Kubatko

Tracking down the Hardy rumor

Orioles
Tracking down the Hardy rumor
It's the hot stove season and that means lots and lots of rumors and speculation. They make great stocking stuffers. The Orioles have expressed some level of interest in Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello, according to multiple reports. The two sides have talked. I've been asked about the rumor that the Orioles might send J.J. Hardy to the Tigers for Porcello and infielder Jhonny Peralta. I'm not privy to every conversation held by executive vice president Dan Duquette, but my guess is he...
0
Tags:
orioles david quinowski featured_sidebar frontfeatured_orioles j.j. hardy
Roch Kubatko

Pearce move brings more questions

Orioles
Pearce move brings more questions
The Orioles opened a spot on their 40-man roster yesterday and opened up themselves for more rumors and speculation. Steve Pearce was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk, the latest twist in a bizarre 2012 for the outfielder/first baseman/weary traveler. Let's review: March 27: Released by the Minnesota Twins March 29: Signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees June 2: Purchased by the Orioles from the Yankees July 28: Selected off waivers by the Houston Astros Aug. 27: Purchased by the...
0
Tags:
orioles denny hocking featured_sidebar joe saunders steve pearce frontstory_orioles2
Roch Kubatko

Random notes (O's outright Pearce)

Orioles
Random notes (O's outright Pearce)
I can't figure out the baseball market. Mid-level talent is rewarded with outrageous contracts ...and then left-hander John Lannan signs for a guaranteed $2.5 million and catcher A.J. Pierzynski signs for $7.5 million. Bargains, right? Just as they did last winter, the Orioles will hold a mini-camp of sorts at Camden Yards in the days leading up to the Jan. 19 FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center. It's mostly set up for pitchers on the 40-man roster, though Kevin Gausman and Mike...
0
Tags:
orioles adam greenberg frontfeatured_orioles henry urrutia
Roch Kubatko

Orioles continue their search for starting pitching

Orioles
Orioles continue their search for starting pitching
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette remains in talks with the agent for left-hander Joe Saunders - just one of the names linked to the club today. Duquette met once with Saunders' representative, Greg Genske, during the Winter Meetings in Nashville, referring to it as a "preliminary" discussion. There has been additional contact and negotiations continue, as the Orioles seek to add a veteran starter to their rotation before spring training. Saunders reportedly had an offer on the...
0
Tags:
orioles dan duquette featured_sidebar joe saunders frontstory_orioles2



LATEST ORIOLES NEWS

LATEST NATIONALS NEWS

       
771 772 773 774 775 776 777 778 779 780