We should receive official word today that reliever Mark Hendrickson has re-signed, though he may choose to make the announcement at the next Oriole Advocates luncheon.
Hendrickson apparently has passed his physical. The MLB offices were closed over the weekend, which explains the delay.
Am I the only person around here who isn't getting all sentimental over Melvin Mora's departure?
Mora spent 10 seasons in Baltimore, including the second half of 2000 after coming here in the Mike Bordick trade - the only deadline deal worth mentioning that year.
He changed positions without complaint. He put up some impressive numbers and played solid defense at third.
He wanted to stay here despite the constant losing, making his home in Harford County and turning up at various local events while other players disappeared until FanFest.
He also had run-ins with managers Sam Perlozzo and Dave Trembley. Some teammates loved him, others rolled their eyes when day-to-day ailments turned into prolonged absences.
Mora was animated and emotional. And he was such a regular presence on the team that it will seem very strange to walk into the home clubhouse at the Sarasota complex later this month and not find him there, sitting with a group of Latin players - Oriole teammates and minor leaguers - and telling stories with wide-eyed expressions that left his friends doubled-over in laughter.
I wish him the best, but I don't need a hug.
Luke Scott said he started growing his beard around Christmas. He'll start shaving it by the time he reports to camp.
Calling into the Hot Stove Show on Friday, Scott said he stuck to his winter workout routine. You'll find him outdoors chopping wood, not inside a gym walking on a treadmill. And he's still taking his fish oil and cayenne pepper pills. If you own stock in Vitamin World, you owe Scott a dinner.
"I'm 31 years old, but if you put any 18 or 20 year old on a therapy table and check their range of motion of joints, ligaments and all that stuff, they couldn't hold a candle to me because I've invested in my body, I've invested in a personal trainer that's a physical therapist that keeps all my joints and my ligaments in proper working order," he said. "It's something I do on my own because this is my job, it's part of being a professional, it's part of getting the max out of what I can do."
Hitting coach Terry Crowley has speculated that Scott's brutal second-half slump intensified because he began pressing and tried too hard to pull out of it.
"Yes and no," Scott replied. "Being very analytical, and that's the type of person I am, it's a blessing, and it's also a curse. The blessing is the fact that I'm very driven, I take my job and my profession seriously. It's my heart's desire. This is the passion that God has given me in life, to play the game of baseball and give Him my best. Now, the downside of that is that, yeah, I can be my own worst enemy because I get over-analytical and try to figure things out.
"The truth is that slumps are a natural part of the game. I consider myself a very hard worker and I do struggle with that. I struggle with the failure part of it. You've got to handle success and you've got to handle failure in any aspect of life.
"I can't really say that because of that, I was in that slump for so long in the whole second half. I have to give credit where credit's due. I'm going against the best pitching in the world. They've done a good job. But the game of baseball is a feel game. If you feel good, you're going to play good. That's just the way it is. If you've got confidence and you're in the zone, you're on top of things. It's more mental than anything.
"I have not yet put my finger on it, exactly on what it is. I'm still trying to figure it out. But the one thing I can do is take care of what I have control over. I will be prepared for every game and I'll be in a position to be successful every time I step out on that baseball field."
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