Jai Miller bears a striking resemblance to Jets receiver Plaxico Burress.
OK, they're not separated at birth, but they could be related.
It's been a relaxing winter for shortstop J.J. Hardy, who usually sat at home wondering where he'd be playing the following season.
"It was one of the first off-seasons in the last three or four off-seasons where I wasn't in all the trade rumors and stuff," he said. "It was nice to know where I was going to be in spring training."
Hardy isn't...
Pitcher Brad Bergesen is sporting a beard that actually looks good on him. Neatly trimmed. Doesn't look like he just staggered out of the woods after an eight-month hibernation.
Bergesen said he'll prepare in spring training as if he's going to be a starter, though his role is undefined.
"I've had a great winter with my son and just watching him develop and he's healthy, so it's just been flying by this offseason, but I've been preparing as usual," he said. "I switched things up a...
The players keep filtering into the backstage area at FanFest. I click off my recorder, turn my back and someone else is waiting to be interviewed.
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette finished his forum with manager Buck Showalter that was reserved for season-ticket holders. He didn't quiet the Prince Fielder speculation when he said, "Are we going to get him? I don't know. But if we don't, we'll look for someone just like him."
Showalter said he just wants the chance to...
I've arrived at the Baltimore Convention Center after skating from Lot A at Camden Yards. I attempted a Hamill camel, but I ended up on the seat of my pants.
The Foo Fighters is cranked up here, which seems appropriate, since I'm learning to walk again after slipping all over the icy sidewalks (see what I did there?)
Anyway, now it's a party.
Season ticket holders are allowed inside at 10 a.m. and can attend a private screening of "The Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter Show." That's not...
Just a friendly word of warning to the next person who sidles up next to Jay Moskowitz at his friendly neighborhood tavern and tries to stump him with a trivia question, with the loser footing the night's bar tab: You run the risk of getting aced by someone whose trivia knowledge has been judged superior by none other an entity than the MLB Network.
Moskowitz, who serves as the Orioles' coordinator of baseball information and is entering his sixth season with the club, was chosen as the...
When Mike Boulanger was hired yesterday as the Orioles minor league hitting coordinator, he was reunited with executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter.
From 2000-2002 Boulanger was a minor league manager for Boston when Duquette was the Red Sox GM and he later served as Triple-A hitting coach and manager for Showalter when Buck managed at Texas. He had a record of 497-496 in nine seasons with Minnesota and Boston as a minor league manager, taking three teams to the...
Rick Peterson has 12 years of experience as a major league pitching coach, most recently with Milwaukee in 2010. Yesterday, he officially joined the Orioles as the club's director of pitching development. Peterson will oversee the organization's pitching development program.
With Peterson now on board, Orioles pitchers, at both the major and minor league levels, are going to become familiar with something called biomechanical analysis. It's a little more involved than "work fast and throw...
One of the most memorable moments from my night at Sports Legends Museum, where I served as emcee for "An Evening With Buck Showalter," is when the Orioles' manager said that pitcher Brian Matusz looks to be in excellent condition.
The crowd let out a collective sigh of relief that almost fogged the windows.
Everyone understands Matusz's importance to this club, and that includes Brady Anderson, who's been training the young left-hander in California. Showalter and Anderson offered high...
Following up on a tweet that I sent out earlier today, the Orioles have reached agreement on a minor league deal with right-hander Oscar Villarreal that includes a spring training invitation.
Villarreal, 30, hasn't pitched in the majors since 2008 with the Houston Astros. He's 24-15 with a 3.86 ERA in parts of six seasons, including stops in Arizona and Atlanta. He's made only five starts among his 258 appearances.
Villarreal was 9-1 with a 3.61 ERA in 58 games, including four starts, with...
Former Oriole Brady Anderson was officially named today as special assistant to Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette. Even though Anderson has the same title as the recently hired Lee Thomas, Duquette said the duties will not be the same for both men. He also was asked if it was fair to describe Anderson as an assistant general manager.
"We don't have a GM, so we don't have an assistant GM," Duquette said on a conference call with Baltimore reporters. "I don't know that you can...
The Orioles confirmed today that Brady Anderson has joined the front office as a special assistant to executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette. He will assist with player relations and player development, and oversee conditioning throughout the organization.
Also, John Stockstill has been promoted from director of player development to director of player personnel. In his new role, he will oversee the day-to-day operation of the minor league system and help to procure...
New Orioles outfielder Jai Miller has had about two weeks now to adjust to the news which came on Jan. 3. He was traded from Oakland to Baltimore for cash considerations.
"When I found out, there was some initial shock," Miller said this week. "But then I was excited. It's always good to be wanted. Now I'm ready to move forward. The Orioles are getting a player that is excited to be in the organization and is ready to go."
Miller said he got a call from executive vice president Dan...
The Orioles today announced numerous promotions within, and the re-structuring of, the Baseball Operations department.
Orioles Hall of Famer Brady Anderson has been named Special Assistant to the Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. He will assist Dan Duquette with player relations and player development and oversee conditioning throughout the organization. A veteran of 15 major league seasons, 14 with Baltimore, Anderson ranks among the top 10 in Orioles career batting leaders in...
Here are two questions worth pondering and discussing: Should the Orioles sign one player to handle most of the at-bats at the designated hitter spot this year? Should that player be Johnny Damon?
The Orioles appear to have at least some interest in the former Red Sox, Ray, Yankee, Tiger, Royal and Athletic.
We've been hearing rumblings that manager Buck Showalter would prefer to not have one player take up most of the DH at-bats like Vlad Guerrero did last year and Luke Scott the season...
The Orioles continue to focus a lot of their energies on the international market, the latest example being the reported signing of New Zealand native Pita Rona.
Rona, 17, is a former softball player who switched codes so he could concentrate on baseball. The Orioles apparently scouted him this week and signed him to a "seven-year major league deal," according to this report.
The Orioles reportedly will send Rona to their developmental program In Australia.
A seven-year major league deal?...
Now that I've managed to slow my heart rate after the excitement of the Orioles exchanging salary figures with their four arbitration-eligible players - it can't be over-written enough - it's time to move onto another topic.
Let's go back to former shortstop Mike Bordick, who will serve as a MASN analyst on 81 Orioles games this season. He accepted the job last Thursday, as first reported here.
Bordick expressed some concerns over finding enough time to handle his on-field duties with the...
Clear some space on your bookcases, mantels and computer nooks. You're going to need room to accommodate some new hardware after the Orioles' announcement of their 2012 promotional schedule of giveaways and goodies.
As part of the 20th anniversary celebration of Camden Yards, and to commemorate the dedication of statues honoring the club's six members of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., the Orioles will distribute miniature replicas of the likenesses of Frank Robinson, Brooks...
Series to feature the unveiling of the 6 Hall of Fame sculptures, as well as giveaway of replica sculptures to all fans in attendance
The Orioles have scheduled a variety of giveaways and promotions designed to appeal to fans of all ages during the upcoming season, the 20th anniversary of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The highlight of this year's schedule includes giveaways of replicas of each of the sculptures of the six Hall of Famers who will be honored as part of the Orioles Legends...
The Orioles and pitcher Jeremy Guthrie are $3 million apart after exchanging salary figures earlier today.
Guthrie is requesting $10.25 million, and the Orioles countered at $7.25 million. He earned $5.75 million last season while going 9-17 with a 4.33 ERA in 34 games and 208 innings.
Adam Jones submitted a figure of $7.4 million, and the Orioles countered at $5 million. Jones made $3.25 million last season and was named Most Valuable Oriole after batting .280/.319/.466 with 26 doubles, two...
Free-agent pitcher Joe Saunders has agreed to a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to Steve Henson of Yahoo! Sports.
The Orioles were interested in Saunders, a native of Falls Church, Va., who was non-tendered by the Diamondbacks, and they had discussions with his agent. Shortstop J.J. Hardy works out with Saunders in Arizona, and he mentioned on Jan. 3 during a phone interview on "The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report" that Saunders confirmed how the Orioles made "recent"...