I woke up this morning and the Orioles still hadn't signed any free agents.
I knew this process would drag along.
It's been more than 24 hours since the market opened...and nothing.
Here's that list again, in case you need a quick refresher.
The Orioles' needs haven't changed. A big bat for the middle of the order is their No. 1 priority - wherever it fits. That's the obsession. And they can't come up short this time.
They must address the holes at first and third base, which...
My interview with Jason Berken last week rekindled the debate over whether a pitcher experiences more strain on his injured or surgically repaired shoulder as a starter or reliever.
Berken bypassed surgery and is rehabbing his torn labrum, just as Matt Albers did a few years ago. Troy Patton underwent the surgery.
Berken and Albers have been working out of the bullpen. Patton was a starter at Triple-A Norfolk and a spectator in the Orioles' bullpen.
So is there a definite answer?
So far, I...
The Orioles made an interesting personnel move today, placing reliever Jim Hoey on the 40-man roster.
Gone, but not forgotten.
Hoey appeared in 12 games with the Orioles in 2006 and 23 in 2007, going a combined 3-5 with an 8.13 ERA, 23 walks and 24 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings. He didn't pitch in 2008 because of a shoulder injury that required an arthroscopic procedure, and he spent last year at Double-A Bowie.
That's the gone part.
Hoey was 2-0 with a 3.16 ERA in 24 games with Bowie this...
As I continue to flip through the Orioles' season-in-review and wonder why, in this version, Nolan Reimold has the bad back and Felix Pie injures his Achilles...
(OK, not really)
• The Orioles were 29-21 in one-run games, including 12-5 under manager Buck Showalter and an astounding 22-6 at Camden Yards. Minnesota led the AL with 31 one-run victories. Texas had 30.
• The Orioles were 11-21 in games decided by two...
My Orioles postseason media guide just arrived in the mail.
Spoiler alert: In this version, they make the playoffs.
Flipping through the pages, provided by the Orioles' first-rate PR staff, I'm reminded that:
• The Orioles won 34 games from the start of August through the end of the season, the most since 1996, when they won 35 games on their way to the Division Series and ALCS.
• The Orioles won 34 games after suffering their...
Bodog has made the New York Yankees a 4/1 favorite to win the World Series next year. The Giants are 10/1 to repeat.
The Orioles are 75/1, but that's better than five other teams.
Of course, you can't get a true read on a team until Opening Day. Rosters are a long way from being set.
New York Yankees 4/1
Philadelphia Phillies 6/1
Boston Red Sox 10/1
San Francisco Giants 10/1
St. Louis Cardinals ...
I have a few items to pass along on this rainy day, starting with the sad news that Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson died today as a result of complications from dementia. He was 76.
RIP Captain Hook.
Reliever Frank Mata cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. He's taken off the 40-man roster to make room for pitcher Jason Berken, who was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list.
And you thought today would be void of news.
Update: I should mention that Mata becomes a...
Did anyone watch "Modern Family" last night?
The smoke detector kept chirping. The guy finally destroys them all with a baton. I could relate.
The Orioles are in the market for a first baseman and a bat that can launch baseballs onto the flagcourt. They were interested in Adam LaRoche last winter and made an offer comparable to the one he accepted from the Arizona Diamondbacks - one year, $6 million.
Arizona declined to pick up LaRoche's $7.5 million option for next season, choosing...
An industry source confirmed that Wayne Kirby has agreed to become the Orioles' first base coach, nearly completing manager Buck Showalter's staff for 2011.
It's been later rather than sooner, but it's almost done.
The Sun cited a source earlier today while reporting that the Orioles came to terms with Kirby, who also will work with the outfielders.
I sought out former manager Mike Hargrove's opinion of Kirby a few days ago. You can review it right here.
It looks like we're down to...
I'm not sure if anyone saw this story about former manager Sparky Anderson, who's been placed in hospice care at his Thousand Oaks, Calif. home for complications resulting from dementia.
It's sad to know that Anderson's life is winding down in this manner.
Though he never managed the Orioles, he's also a vivid part of my childhood sports memories.
How many times have we seen video of his rant following "the call" by plate umpire Ken Burkhart in Game 1 of the 1970 World Series? It's...
Orioles reliever Jason Berken and his wife, Emily, spent a week in Aruba before returning to their Atlanta home a few days ago.
Now the work begins.
Berken started an exercise program on Monday as part of his rehab from a torn labrum that ended his season on Aug. 12. He's strengthening the shoulder in preparation for a throwing program that will begin, as it normally does, in late December or early January.
It's a good sign that Berken is holding to his usual schedule. He expects to be...
That didn't take long.
The Orioles declined to pick up reliever Mark Hendrickson's option for 2011, which officially makes him their seventh free agent.
Hendrickson went 1-6 with a 5.26 ERA in 52 games covering 75 1/3 innings.
Hendrickson, 36, wants to return next season. He's a York, Pa. resident who likes pitching close to home. I won't say the ship has sailed because I've been wrong before when using that analogy.
About 12 seconds after the final out was recorded in Game 5 of the World Series, officially ending the 2010 season, the Major League Baseball Players Association released the names of 142 players who had become free agents.
Why the holdup?
Glaus, Troy 1B AT
Hinske, Eric OF AT
Lee, Derrek 1B AT
Benson, Kris SP AZ
Hampton, Mike ...
It's been rumored and speculated for weeks that Mark Connor would replace Rick Kranitz as pitching coach. The Orioles haven't made any announcements, but Kranitz today was hired as the Houston Astros' minor league pitching coordinator.
You can check out an article about Kranitz's new job right here.
Kranitz appeared to be a candidate to join Joe Girardi's staff in New York, but it's not going to happen.
"Rick adds a wealth of knowledge and experience to our development system,"...
That's it. The joke has finally run its course.
As a few readers pointed out - and thanks for the heads-up - Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima isn't being posted, so he can't come to the U.S.
That's twice that the Seibu Lions' ownership nixed the idea. I think we can finally end the dance.
NPB Tracker sent out another tweet earlier this afternoon that read: "In the what's become a quite banal dialog, Seibu again denies Nakajima's posting appeals"
Two strikes and you're...
As Steve Melewski mentioned in his blog earlier today, Baseball America came out with its Top 10 list of Orioles prospects, and it may or may not surprise you that shortstop Manny Machado is No. 1 without playing a full season of professional ball.
Did he play a full week?
The rest of the list reads as follows:
1. Manny Machado, ss
2. Zach Britton, lhp
3. Xavier Avery, of
4. L.J. Hoes, 2b
5. Dan Klein, rhp
6. Wynn Pelzer, rhp
7. Mychal Givens, ss
8. Ryan Adams, 2b/3b
9. Ryan Berry,...
I woke up shivering this morning and noticed that my thermostat read 62 degrees. But I will not turn on the heat.
I will, however, start wearing a little more clothing to bed. But you don't really need to know that, do you?
Did anyone pick the Giants back in spring training to win the World Series this year?
The starting pitching was impressive, but I kept hearing how they didn't have enough offense.
Apparently, they have enough offense.
Perhaps the Orioles will announce their coaching...
The Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award will be presented next month, which makes sense, considering that we're down to our final day of this month.
Happy Halloween.
The two leading candidates are Vladimir Guerrero and David Ortiz. One player looked like he was finished and didn't draw a tremendous amount of interest on the free agent market. The other player looked like he was finished once the season began and dealt with all sorts of speculation about being benched or...
Just when you thought it was safe...
You'll recall that I passed along a tweet yesterday from Patrick Newman at NPB Tracker that said Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima wouldn't be posted, and therefore wouldn't be allowed to play in the majors next season.
Here's the latest tweet - I just pounded my fist on the kitchen table - from Newman:
"Despite announcement, Nakajima not giving up on posting, wants to talk with Seibu mgmt again"
So Nakajima might still be in play, though his...
The early projections among members of the media had manager Buck Showalter keeping a few of the holdovers on his coaching staff and going outside the organization to fill the remaining spots. As the process dragged out, reporters began to wonder whether most, if not all, of the coaches on the Orioles' payroll would return.
As you survey the landscape this morning, it's fair to assume that no one is coming back.
We'll know for sure once the Orioles make a formal announcement - with the...
