Steve Melewski

Are free agents looking at Baltimore in a different light?

March 26, 2010, 8:35am

Orioles

Are free agents looking at Baltimore in a different light?

ESPN's Buster Olney recently wrote an article praising the Orioles young base of talent. Baseball America listed Josh Bell as the fifth best prospect in the Arizona Fall League. That same publication listed six Orioles among the best players in their Double-A and Triple-A leagues from 2009. A picture has emerged that some national media think the O's have top young talent to build around. The Orioles are not talking up their own players, others are doing it for them.

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steve melewski orioles

Would short-term gain be shortsighted?

March 26, 2010, 8:31am

Orioles

There are a mountain of stories you can read on the internet about baseball and each team in the Majors. You can be online all day and still not come close to checking it all out. But the other day, I read an article in the Boston Globe that was very interesting to me. It was written by Sox writer Amalie Benjamin and is filled with quotes from Boston GM Theo Epstein.

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steve melewski orioles

Pondering Millwood

March 26, 2010, 8:29am

Orioles

We don't know for sure how hot or cool the O's trade talks are for Kevin Millwood. That doesn't stop us from expressing a few opinions and facts about the right hander. One reader suggested (without any documentation I may add) that the pitcher the O's are considering sending to Texas for Millwood is Brandon Erbe. If that is true, no thanks to that deal. Especially after Bowie manager Brad Komminsk told me recently he had Erbe as rated better than Jake Arrieta. If it would be a...

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steve melewski orioles adam jones

Not overwhelmed by the Granderson deal

March 26, 2010, 8:28am

Orioles

Let me understand this, or try to. The Yankees, who are looking to cut payroll some this year, acquired a player owed $23.75 million over the next three years and gave up three young players earning less than $1 million combined so far. Oh those misers in New York. I know that as an O's fan we might look to criticize anything the Yankees do, but I'm not sweating their Curtis Granderson acquisition.

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steve melewski orioles jeremy guthrie

Chris Ray: "I haven't heard anything"

March 26, 2010, 8:24am

Orioles

Chris Ray has now been mentioned as an Oriole that could possibly go to Texas in a deal for Kevin Millwood. But that's news to Ray himself. "I haven't heard anything. I'm not surprised I haven't heard anything. I don't think my agent would know anything about this either," Ray said by phone from Baltimore's ESPNZone where today he took part in the O's annual Christmas party for kids.

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steve melewski orioles

A Rangers' broadcaster talks about Kevin Millwood

March 26, 2010, 8:23am

Orioles

A Rangers' broadcaster talks about Kevin Millwood

To find out about more about the likely soon-to-be newest Oriole Kevin Millwood, I put in a call to my friend Josh Lewin, former Baltimore radio broadcaster. Josh, one of the top broadcasting talents in the game, is the Texas Rangers' TV play-by-play broadcaster so he knows Millwood well and has seen him pitch often. He provided some excellent insight. Here is what Lewin said about the right hander.

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steve melewski orioles Brandon Erbe

Steve Johnson awaits the Rule 5 draft (taken by Giants)

March 26, 2010, 8:19am

Orioles

Steve Johnson awaits the Rule 5 draft (taken by Giants)

Thursday morning Johnson was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 draft. The next few hours will certainly be interesting for O's minor league hurler Steve Johnson. Traded by the Dodgers to the O's in July in the George Sherrill deal, Johnson has not been placed on the Orioles' 40-man roster and he could be taken by another team in Thursday's Rule 5 draft at the Winter Meetings. "It's exciting, because if I do get picked I have a chance to stay on...

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steve melewski orioles Buck Showalter Jake Arrieta

Duran's stats (updated)

March 26, 2010, 8:06am

Orioles

With the third pick in the Triple-A phase of today's Rule 5 draft the O's selected RHP Jose Duran from the Houston organization. Duran is a 6'1", 205 pounder from the Dominican Republic. He is 16-19, 4.08 in his career in 101 games, 39 starts. Duran is 24 years old. Last year, with Lancaster of the California League, he went 2-5, 8.06 in 27 games, 7 starts. Over 63 2/3 innings, he allowed 89 hits with 29 walks and 43 strikeouts.

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steve melewski orioles

Talking to the newest San Francisco Giant

March 26, 2010, 8:06am

Orioles

Talking to the newest San Francisco Giant

Steve Johnson, it turns out, was playing it rather cool today during the Rule 5 Draft. So cool that he was sleeping when his name was called by the San Francisco Giants. His dad, MASN broadcaster and former Oriole Dave Johnson, was listening live to the draft and rushed upstairs to tell his son he'd been taken by a Major League team. "I got up kind of early the last few days, so I was sleeping today and he came in and jumped on the bed and woke me up to tell me. It was confusing when I...

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steve melewski orioles

Dave Johnson on Steve's selection in the Rule 5 Draft

March 26, 2010, 8:05am

Orioles

Dave Johnson on Steve's selection in the Rule 5 Draft

Here are some comments from MASN broadcaster Dave Johnson. This morning Dave's son Steve was selected from the O's organization by the San Francisco Giants in the Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings. Dave says Steve was sleeping at the time. "I didn't want to wake Steve up before the draft because I knew if he didn't get taken he was really going to be bummed. I knew that would make it a depressing day around the Johnson household. I barely slept last night, I was at my desk at 5 a.m....

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steve melewski orioles

Stockstill sizes up Jose Duran

March 26, 2010, 8:04am

Orioles

If it's a long shot for a Rule 5 Draft pick to stick with the Major League team that selects him, then the odds must really be against a player taken in the Minor League phase of the draft ever making it. That didn't keep the Orioles from taking RHP Jose Duran from the Houston organization in today's Triple-A phase of the draft.

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steve melewski orioles David Hernandez

Good news on Bergesen

March 26, 2010, 8:03am

Orioles

O's pitcher Brad Bergesen is no longer worried about his left leg injury. In fact, he now pronounces himself completely healed as he gets ready for the 2010 season. "Everything is good. It finally feels 100 percent. It took awhile, about three months it turned out, until I felt this way. I've been working out now doing my normal routine for five weeks and everything feels good. Can't wait for spring training.

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steve melewski orioles

In MacPhail fans can trust

March 26, 2010, 8:03am

Orioles

There is probably a reason you don't hear much criticism of Andy MacPhail in the Baltimore media. He hasn't done much to criticize. No, I'm not drinking any cool aid or spouting any homer comments, just an honest opinion. MacPhail's pickup of Kevin Millwood this week could turn out to be big during the 2010 season and if Millwood is the positive influence on the young pitchers some say he will be, the O's could reap benefits long after Millwood is gone from the team.

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steve melewski orioles adam jones jeremy guthrie

More beef for Tillman

March 26, 2010, 8:02am

Orioles

It's not like he plans to begin a steady diet of double cheeseburgers, but O's right hander Chris Tillman, at the urging of club officials, would like to add a few pounds for the 2010 season.

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steve melewski orioles

Not lacking in their rotation

March 26, 2010, 8:02am

Orioles

Should we worry that John Lackey, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester are a combined 24-5 in their careers vs. the Orioles? If and when the Red Sox complete the deal for Lackey, they will have the most formidable top three starters in the game. Who is the number one and number three? Are they just interchangeable? Remember the O's went 2-16 vs. Boston last year and they didn't have Lackey then.

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steve melewski orioles

Looking back at the 2009 Bowie Baysox season with Brad Komminsk

March 26, 2010, 7:55am

Orioles

Looking back at the 2009 Bowie Baysox season with Brad Komminsk

Today we continue our look back at O's minor league teams from the 2009 season with a feature on Double-A Bowie of the Eastern League with comments from Baysox manager Brad Komminsk. Komminsk has been in the O's organization for two years. His 2008 team went 84-58, made the playoffs and he was named Eastern League manager of the year. Last season, Bowie was 3rd in the Southern Division at 73-69 and a wild-card contender until the season's final days. The Baysox were 7th in the league...

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steve melewski orioles

Erbe gets a clean bill of health

March 26, 2010, 7:48am

Orioles

O's pitching prospect Brandon Erbe says the sprained right pinky finger that limited him to nine innings in the Arizona Fall League is no longer a problem. "It's doing well. Everything is fine. I'll start throwing here in the next week or two, just now, give it a little rest. There has been plenty of time to let it heal. I'll be ready for spring training." The 21-year-old Erbe says an O's hand specialist looked at the finger and pronounced it fine. He'll now have a normal winter...

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steve melewski orioles

Andy MacPhail talks about Billy Rowell

March 26, 2010, 7:47am

Orioles

Since he hit .328 in 2006 between Bluefield and Aberdeen, the career of Billy Rowell has been on a downward spiral. While he's still very young, and the O's management remains solidly behind him, Rowell has put together back-to-back mediocre years at Frederick. Rowell w-Fred, 2008: .248-7-50....315 OBP.....368 slug......104 K's Rowell w-Fred, 2009 .225-9-39....284 OBP......336 slug.......122 K's

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steve melewski orioles

Talking Baysox pitching with Brad Komminsk

March 26, 2010, 7:39am

Orioles

Talking Baysox pitching with Brad Komminsk

Today we continue our review of the 2009 Bowie Baysox season with a look at some of the Bowie pitchers and how they fared during this past season. All stats in bold are from Bowie only and all the quotes in this article are from Baysox manager Brad Komminsk.

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steve melewski orioles

Moreland had a big year in 2009

March 26, 2010, 7:37am

Orioles

There is a pitcher in the O's minor leagues who had a sparkling record, a 2.74 ERA and a 6.8 to 1.0 strikeout to walks ratio in 2009, yet he is seldom talked about and for sure went under the radar this past year. This is nothing new for right hander Kenny Moreland. If you spend a few minutes talking to the 23-year-old Moreland you can sense he's rather grounded and would much rather pile up outs than accolades.