masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgToo soon for leftovers? There will be lots of cold turkey and stuffing in the coming days. And if you’re like me, you’ll prefer the cranberry sauce that jiggles out of the can.

In the meantime, I’ve got some leftover Orioles notes and quotes to pass down the table. Try not to spill them on the white tablecloth.

As the Orioles began compiling a list of candidates to interview for the job of hitting coach, they briefly considered Melvin Mora before deciding against it.

Mora was a career…Too soon for leftovers? There will be lots of cold turkey and stuffing in the coming days. And if you’re like me, you’ll prefer the cranberry sauce that jiggles out of the can.

In the meantime, I’ve got some leftover Orioles notes and quotes to pass down the table. Try not to spill them on the white tablecloth.

As the Orioles began compiling a list of candidates to interview for the job of hitting coach, they briefly considered Melvin Mora before deciding against it.

mora-swings-gray-sidebar.jpgMora was a career .277/.350/.431 hitter in 13 major league seasons. He batted .280/.355/.438 in 10 seasons with the Orioles.

I wonder how many fans remember that Mora batted .340/.419/.562 with 41 doubles, 27 home runs and 104 RBIs in 140 games and placed 18th in Most Valuable Player voting in the American League.

Only 18th?

It’s not known whether Mora wants to put in the time required to handle a job that’s considered the most difficult on the coaching staff. There were a handful of candidates contacted by the Orioles who weren’t up to the task and declined the chance to be interviewed.

Hall of Famer Eddie Murray isn’t on the present list of candidates, in part because there’s a sense that he wouldn’t take the job.

Murray served as bench coach with the Orioles in 1998 and later became first base coach under manager Mike Hargrove. He was the hitting coach with the Indians and Dodgers.

Last week, the Orioles claimed outfielder Alex Hassan, 26, off waivers from the Athletics after attempting to get him a few days earlier from the Red Sox.

Hassan, a 20th-round pick of the Red Sox in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of Duke University, made his major league debut this summer and went 1-for-8 with five strikeouts. He batted .287/.378/.426 with 40 extra-base hits and 55 RBIs in 114 games for Triple-A Pawtucket in 2014.

HassanRedSoxSidebar.jpgIn six minor league seasons, Hassan has batted .291/.396/.436 over 538 games and posted a .315/.434/.520 line in 648 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. He has minor league options remaining, which gives the Orioles roster flexibility.

“Hassan is a good player,” said executive vice president Dan Duquette. “He can do things to help us. He can hit left-handers, he plays left field and right field and can back up at first base, and he can get on base. He’s young and he’s strong.

“This guy is an interesting kid. And his career profile in the minors is a very similar one to Steve Pearce. Keep in mind that Pearce bounced around a few times on the waiver wire.

“He gets on base enough against right-handed pitching and he hammers left-handed pitching, which is going to be an asset. Those numbers against left-handed pitchers are very good.”

In case you’re wondering, Pearce was a career .294/.371/.522 hitter in nine minor league seasons.

The Orioles are expected to invite Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson to speak to the team in spring training, just as he did on Oct. 1 before the workout for Game 1 of the American League Division Series.

The Orioles will hold the fifth annual OriolesREACH Birdland Golf Classic at The Founders Club in Sarasota on Feb. 23 to benefit the Miracle League of Manasota, an organization dedicated to providing an opportunity for every person to play baseball, regardless of their ability. Registration is now open for golfers and corporate partners.

The event begins with registration and lunch at 11 a.m., with a shotgun start set for 12:30 p.m. The classic will feature a silent auction and the chance to play a round with current and former Orioles players and coaches.

Multiple levels of participation are available for corporate partners, including MVP Sponsor packages which consist of recognition as a presenting sponsor, a foursome with the opportunity to select your Orioles playing partner, four infield box seats to a 2015 Orioles spring training game, and more. Since its inception, the Birdland Golf Classic has raised more than $125,000 for the Miracle League of Manasota.

For the 14,000 school-aged children with disabilities and their adult counterparts in Sarasota and Manatee counties, a synthetically surfaced baseball field with all the requisite amenities was built in 2012 in Longwood Park. Sarasota County committed $500,000 to building the field, with the Orioles and Pirates each contributing $75,000.

For more information or to register for the golf event, visit www.miracleleaguemanasota.org or contact the Miracle League of Manasota at (941) 225-2966 or info@miracleleaguemanasota.org. The entry deadline is Feb. 8.