Steve Melewski

Pick four: The players that mean a lot to you

April 09, 2020, 5:33pm

Orioles

Pick four: The players that mean a lot to you

You know how everyone has a Twitter challenge or question for you these days. I got this one recently. Twice actually. Pick four players who mean and/or meant a lot in your life. I could pick many more than four but the four that jumped out at me were Brooks Robinson, Earl Weaver, Mike Martin and Andy Etchebarren. Brooks is an obvious one. My all-time favorite player and No. 1 for many around Birdland. An all-time great person. A Hall of Fame player and person. Not much more needs to be said,...

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Reaching out to non-baseball teams during MLB's shutdown

April 08, 2020, 4:05pm

Orioles

Reaching out to non-baseball teams during MLB's shutdown

Today was supposed to be opening night in minor league baseball. Triple-A Norfolk would be hosting Gwinnett and Double-A Bowie would host Richmond. Single-A Frederick was scheduled to play at Fayetteville and Single-A Delmarva would be hosting Asheville. But when baseball was shut down March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Orioles' minor league teams had yet to even play exhibition games. There were around 150 players at The Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex at Twin Lakes Park. Some had...

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Taking a look at the Arizona plan

April 07, 2020, 3:29pm

Orioles

Say this for officials of Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association: They seem very determined to play baseball in 2020. That may prove to be ambitious, but the will to get it done is clearly there. The plan that ESPN and other outlets reported on yesterday included all 30 teams playing their games in the Phoenix area in parks with no fans. Players and other essential personnel would basically be under a form of quarantine, going back and forth from a hotel to a...

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How it might look in 2020: O's outfield

April 06, 2020, 3:29pm

Orioles

Over the next few weeks, let's take a look at some aspects of the Orioles and how they were shaping up at the time that spring training was halted. Today, a look at the outfield. Earlier, I made my projection for the five-man rotation in this entry and an infield with a roster of seven in this entry. While we may see rosters larger than 26 players when baseball does start this year, we are going with a roster of 26 for this exercise. So with five in the rotation and eight in the bullpen...

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Did Rio Ruiz lock down third base gig with strong spring?

April 05, 2020, 6:15pm

Orioles

Did Rio Ruiz lock down third base gig with strong spring?

Chris Davis was not the only Oriole with a strong spring training at the plate. Third baseman Rio Ruiz had a solid spring and was spraying a few line drives around ballparks all over Florida. Ruiz led the club in hits in spring training, batting .440 (11-for-25) with three doubles, a homer and two RBIs. He posted a .464 OBP and a .680 slugging percentage in that small sample. In a game March 1 against the Phillies in Clearwater, Ruiz went 3-for-3, hitting all three base knocks on the screws. He...

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Take this Orioles quiz

April 04, 2020, 3:11pm

Orioles

Let's have some fun today with a pop quiz. OK, this is not School of Steve, but it still could be fun. I'll throw out 10 questions. To me, a few are somewhat easy, but most are not. I don't provide any multiple answer questions, so you have to come up with the answer on your own. If you don't know the answers, don't fret. I know these answers due to researching over 60 players heading into spring training. I made a bunch of notes and these questions came out of that research. As a hint,...

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Chris Davis had a strong spring, but what could it mean now?

April 03, 2020, 1:09pm

Orioles

Chris Davis had a strong spring, but what could it mean now?

It was during a radio broadcast of the "Orioles Hot Stove Show" on 105.7 The Fan in late January when Chris Davis first revealed what he did this winter that could help him hit come summer. He got bigger. To say the least, many were skeptical when they heard that. The revelation came after Davis said that he did not make any swing changes over the winter. At 34, he said, he hits the way he hits. But getting bigger was part of the plan. "One of those (adjustments I made) is just my overall...

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Providing a draft ranking and a Palmer take

April 02, 2020, 3:00pm

Orioles

Providing a draft ranking and a Palmer take

At a time when we hope, but don't know for sure, that there will be a baseball season, we do know for sure there be a First-Year Player Draft. The draft is going to be held, although we don't yet know for certain if it will be limited to five rounds. But it may be just five. At a date yet to be decided - reportedly between June 10 and July 20 - there will be an amateur draft and the Orioles will make the No. 2 overall selection for the first time in club history. Readers here have asked...

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Revisiting the trade of Manny Machado

April 01, 2020, 4:40pm

Orioles

When the 2018 season started, the Orioles were trying to make one last playoff run with an opening day roster that included Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Chris Davis, Jonathan Schoop, Trey Mancini, Dylan Bundy, Andrew Cashner, Alex Cobb, Kevin Gausman, Brad Brach and Darren O'Day. Two years previously, they made the American League wild card game, losing in extra innings in Toronto. But in 2017, the club went 75-87. They were trending down, but with Machado in his last year before free agency,...

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A look at games possibly being played without fans

March 31, 2020, 3:49pm

Orioles

A look at games possibly being played without fans

It's becoming increasingly apparent that we may see at least some Major League Baseball games this summer with no fans. It will remind the Orioles of their 8-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on April 29, 2015. No fans were allowed in Camden Yards, but a game went on. The city of Toronto yesterday banned public events through at least June 30. Is that a sign that baseball will not be back until July, if at all, during 2020? Not necessarily, but it is also true that cities and states are...

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Draft math: O's to top 2019 total pool in just five rounds this year

March 30, 2020, 3:04pm

Orioles

Draft math: O's to top 2019 total pool in just five rounds this year

If the 2020 First-Year Player Draft is going to consist of just five rounds, the Orioles would make six draft picks this summer, sometime in June or July. The draft date is to be announced later. It was originally going to be a draft of 40 rounds from June 10-12. Since we also know that Major League Baseball is going to freeze the bonuses from the 2019 amounts, we know what the slot values will be for the Orioles for 2020. Here are their selections and the bonus amount from that spot from last...

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How it might look in 2020: O's infield

March 30, 2020, 4:46am

Orioles

Over the next few weeks, let's take a look at some aspects of the Orioles and how they were shaping up at the time that spring training was halted. Today, a look at the infield. Earlier, I made my projection for the five-man rotation in this entry. While we may see rosters larger than 26 players when baseball does start this year, we are going with a roster of 26 for this exercise. Under that roster size, I'm going with seven infielders, one of which can also play in the outfield, where later...

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A few more questions for O's fans

March 28, 2020, 2:01pm

Orioles

At this strange time in baseball and throughout the country really, it is nice to have normal things in our lives. I'd like to think this blog is one. It represents someplace we can go to discuss baseball. Baseball talk is understandably taking a back seat now, but there is still room and hopefully time to discuss the game and the players and get away from the world for a few minutes. One day, hopefully soon, all will be well and normal again. And baseball will become something important again...

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Another look at what could be coming in a 2020 MLB season

March 27, 2020, 4:35pm

Orioles

Another look at what could be coming in a 2020 MLB season

The agreement between Major League Baseball owners and players this week ensures that players will get service time in 2020, even if there is not a season. While both sides seem very committed to playing this year and playing the most games possible, they did account for this scenario in their latest talks. Players on the roster all year in 2020, no matter how many games are scheduled, will also get a full year of service time. That makes sense as they would have played a full year, even if...

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The comeback that rocked the Yard, plus draft notes

March 26, 2020, 4:19pm

Orioles

The comeback that rocked the Yard, plus draft notes

Camden Yards was full and loud. Orange shirts were everywhere. Spirits were high and Orioles fans were probably convinced their team was heading to the World Series. That is how it felt in early October 2014 and yesterday, during "opening day at home," we saw a replay of the Orioles' eighth-inning comeback win over Detroit in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. It was a nice way to spend a few hours and a nice diversion from the virus that has put the game on hold for now. The...

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Some things that could be part of a reduced baseball schedule

March 25, 2020, 3:40pm

Orioles

Some things that could be part of a reduced baseball schedule

Who would have ever thought we'd have an "opening day at home." But today, on the day that the Major League Baseball season was set to open, here we are. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic we are getting ready to watch previous great games. And not watch, attend or report on new ones. Major League Baseball yesterday made an announcement with a spoiler alert: Every team wins on this opening day. MLB will be showing a rebroadcast of one game for each team. For the Orioles it's the...

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Remembering bus rides to, BP homers at Memorial Stadium

March 24, 2020, 1:41pm

Orioles

Remembering bus rides to, BP homers at Memorial Stadium

For love of the game. We're not talking about a Kevin Costner movie here, but rather the love of baseball that probably all of us have, to some extent. For some, maybe love is too strong a word. For me, it's not. I fell in love with baseball as a kid and I still love the sport. Almost everything about it. From a well-executed relay that gets the runner at the plate to that line drive double in the gap to that great play in the hole at short. I love big swings leading to dramatic big hits and...

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Big Mike had a big year in 2019

March 23, 2020, 1:51pm

Orioles

In 2019, Orioles pitching prospect Michael Baumann had a special year. The right-hander threw well for both Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie and ended the season as the organization's co-Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He shared the Jim Palmer Award with Single-A Delmarva's Grayson Rodriguez. For an encore, Baumann will try to build on his gains from last season, continue to smooth out his delivery and take the next steps toward the majors. During his big season, no night was more...

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Where O's could look with the No. 2 pick in the draft

March 22, 2020, 4:31pm

Orioles

Where O's could look with the No. 2 pick in the draft

The Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft is scheduled for June 10-12. The Orioles will hold the No. 2 overall pick for the first time. They've now picked No. 1 overall twice, but never had the second pick. While there has been talk that the draft could be delayed, that is only speculation right now. At some point they will almost certainly hold a draft and it may just be beginning June 10 as scheduled. When I interviewed Baseball America national writer Carlos Collazo, who specializes...

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A few questions for O's fans

March 21, 2020, 11:08am

Orioles

Why not 10? No reason. Or maybe a shortened spring training, so a shortened amount of questions. No, not really. Just no reason. Major League Baseball will not start as planned on March 26. The Orioles were scheduled to open at home with a three-game series with the Yankees followed by a three-game series with Boston. I won't be covering the team during a scheduled first road series in St. Louis. I have never been to St. Louis and was looking forward to it. Maybe I still get to go there later...