orioles

Showalter talks sabermetrics

April 07, 2012, 1:54pm

Orioles

There were terms like UZR (ultimate zone rating) and wOBA (weighted on base average) mentioned today during Buck Showalter's pregame press session with reporters. This will come as welcome news to some readers of this blog. The fans that are into sabermetrics and some of the new statistics in the game are well aware of these terms and what they represent. But Showalter today mentioned that some people that may have been in the game for 30 years may not be up on the terms and stats. They...

Comments

Tags:

buck showalter frontstory_orioles1 jonathan schoop orioles steve melewski

A look back at some notes from the opener as we await Game 2

April 07, 2012, 8:49am

Orioles

A look back at some notes from the opener as we await Game 2

Checking in with more notes from Orioles opening day win a few hours before the second game of the season tonight at Camden Yards. * It was 20 years ago yesterday when Rick Sutcliffe pitched a five-hit shutout as the Orioles opened Camden Yards by winning by two runs, 2-0. On Friday, they won by two runs, 4-2 as the pitching staff allowed six hits. * Only 11 players from last year's opening day 25-man roster are on that roster right now. They are Robert Andino, Jake Arrieta, Kevin Gregg,...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski frontstory_orioles2

A first for Hunter

April 07, 2012, 5:28am

Orioles

Tonight marks the first major league game that Tommy Hunter has pitched in the month of April. Hunter spent parts of four seasons in the bigs beginning in 2008, but he always was recalled or activated from the disabled list after April. He's faced the Twins three times, allowing eight runs and 13 hits over 14 2/3 innings, with four walks and 10 strikeouts. Joe Mauer is 3-for-6 against him with a home run and two RBIs. Hunter was going to be the second or fourth starter for the Orioles, and...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontfeatured_orioles tommy hunter featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles3

Billy Rowell is going to try pitching, plus Norfolk's rotation

April 06, 2012, 3:39pm

Orioles

Billy Rowell is going to try pitching, plus Norfolk's rotation

Orioles 2006 first-round draft pick Billy Rowell, who has struggled the last few years as a hitter, has agreed to take a shot at pitching. He has been taking part in the beginnings of a throwing program the last two days in Sarasota and will continue with that for about a month. At that point, the Orioles will decide if he has made enough progress to pitch in extended spring training games. If he advances past that, he could possibly join a minor league affiliate as a pitcher later this...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski billy rowell frontstory_orioles3

Bundy's sensational pro debut (with play-by-play)

April 06, 2012, 9:39pm

Orioles

Bundy's sensational pro debut (with play-by-play)

I guess right-hander Dylan Bundy could have had a better pro debut. He could have struck out all nine batters he faced. He didn't quite do that, but he was very impressive nonetheless when he took the mound last night in Asheville, N.C., for his first game in the O's organization. Scheduled to pitch three innings, Bundy retired the Tourists in order three straight times with six strikeouts to pitch Delmarva to a 7-2 win in the Shorebirds South Atlantic League season opener. Bundy's debut...

Comments

Tags:

dylan bundy featured_sidebar frontfeatured_orioles orioles steve melewski frontstory_orioles3

Arrieta: "I think we made a statement today"

April 06, 2012, 2:52pm

Orioles

Arrieta: "I think we made a statement today"

Jake Arrieta said he doesn't feel he should be called the Orioles' No. 1 pitcher, but he sure looked like one today. Allowing just two hits - both singles - over seven, at times, dominant innings, Arrieta pitched the Orioles to a 4-2 win over Minnesota in front of a sellout crowd of 46,773 at Camden Yards. Arrieta walked two and fanned four. He faced the minimum three batters in five of his seven innings. Jake Arrieta talks about his strong outing in the Orioles' opening day win "My...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski featured_sidebar jake arrieta

Markakis on his homer, Arrieta, the fans and more

April 06, 2012, 3:18pm

Orioles

Markakis on his homer, Arrieta, the fans and more

Nick Markakis got the Orioles off to a fast start today, delivering a two-run homer off Carl Pavano in the last of the first inning as the Orioles beat the Twins 4-2 on opening day. Markakis went 2-for-3 and had a triple and three RBIs and it was a great sign to prove he is healthy for the season after being limited early in camp. He had abdominal surgery in January. He said hitting the homer was nice, but also noted that he hit it out to left center field. Nick Markakis talks with Gary...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski frontstory_orioles3 nick markakis

Duquette on Machado, Schoop and Bundy

April 04, 2012, 10:05am

Orioles

NORFOLK, Va. - Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette was asked today about Dylan Bundy's season. Does he see the O's 2011 top draft pick pitching all year with Single-A Delmarva, or could he moved up later to higher levels on the farm? "Dylan Bundy's year, I hope, is as a starting pitcher and that he gets into the flow of a routine that a good major league starting pitcher goes through in terms of understanding his delivery, throwing on the side, conditioning himself and staying...

Comments

Tags:

dan duquette dylan bundy featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles1 jonathan schoop manny machado orioles steve melewski

Showalter confirms Johnson is closer

April 06, 2012, 8:32am

Orioles

Orioles manager Buck Showalter won't keep his ninth-inning specialist a mystery. No need to wait until someone starts warming to figure out who's closing. Showalter confirmed today that Jim Johnson will be the closer. Johnson, who converted his final eight save chances last season, received the news in an unorthodox manner. "He texted me something about the baby and something else, and I said, 'Congratulations. And by the way, you're closing.' And he said, 'Yeah, I know,'" Showalter...

Comments

Tags:

orioles featured_sidebar frontfeatured_orioles jim johnson frontstory_orioles3

Arrieta and Markakis co-star as O's beat Twins in opener

April 06, 2012, 1:47pm

Orioles

Arrieta and Markakis co-star as O's beat Twins in opener

It took the Orioles a long time to name their opening day starter. It looks like Buck Showalter made the right decision. Jake Arrieta blanked Minnesota on just two hits over seven innings as the Orioles beat the Twins 4-2 to win this afternoon in front of sellout crowd of 46,773. Arrieta's strong outing came 20 years to the day Rick Sutcliffe blanked Cleveland 2-0 in the first regular season game at Camden Yards. Josh Willingham's two-run homer off Troy Patton in the ninth ended the...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski jake arrieta nick markakis frontstory_orioles3

Sutcliffe and Hoiles on first pitch and first game

April 06, 2012, 11:39am

Orioles

Sutcliffe and Hoiles on first pitch and first game

Twenty years ago today, right-hander Rick Sutcliffe threw a five-hit shutout to pitch the Orioles past Cleveland to open Camden Yards. He threw another strike today to help lift off the 2012 season. He said that 1992 opening day was among the most special in his career. "There was nothing like that one," Sutcliffe said. "There was always going to be another opening day, but there was never going to be another first opening day at Camden Yards." Sutcliffe remembered being a free agent a...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski camden yards chris hoiles rick sutcliffe

O's getting to Pavano again

April 06, 2012, 12:26pm

Orioles

When the Orioles got six earned runs off Minnesota right-hander Carl Pavano on March 22, it was in a spring training game that didn't count. When they got to him today, it did count. In the spring outing, the Orioles had eight hits in just four innings against Pavano. Last year, in two starts against the Orioles, he was 0-2 with an ERA of 8.49, giving up 11 earned runs over 11 2/3 innings in two starts. Nick Markakis entered today 6-for-19 off the righty but without a career homer off him....

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski

Markakis leaves his mark (Galarraga released, homer note)

April 06, 2012, 11:34am

Orioles

Markakis leaves his mark (Galarraga released, homer note)

If you picked Nick Markakis to hit the first Orioles home run of 2012, let me be the first to congratulate you. Markakis swatted a Carl Pavano curveball over the fence in left field, giving the Orioles a quick 2-0 lead. J.J. Hardy walked before Markakis stepped to the plate for his first regular-season at-bat since having abdominal surgery. I'd say he's ready. Jake Arrieta walked Jamey Carroll with one out in the top of the first before fielding Joe Mauer's comebacker and starting a...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontstory_orioles1 nick markakis

More Markakis (Arrieta's done)

April 06, 2012, 12:51pm

Orioles

Yes, Nick Markakis will be ready for opening day. (Sorry, just catching up on some old blog comments.) Markakis has hit a two-run homer, walked and delivered a run-scoring triple to help the Orioles to a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning. Markakis just slid hard into Twins catcher Joe Mauer while trying unsuccessfully to score on Matt Wieters' fly ball to left. He jumped to his feet and headed to the dugout. The impact didn't bother him. Another hurdle cleared. Markakis hasn't produced...

Comments

Tags:

orioles jake arrieta nick markakis

For starters, it's Arrieta against Pavano

April 06, 2012, 10:35am

Orioles

For starters, it's Arrieta against Pavano

It was 20 years ago today that Rick Sutcliffe was the first pitcher to take the mound in a regular season game here at Camden Yards. He pitched the Orioles to a win with a five-hit shutout that today. If Jake Arrieta could come up with a performance even close to that this afternoon, the Orioles could start the 20th anniversary season at the Yard in fine fashion. Arrieta went 10-8 with a 5.05 ERA last season. Arrieta is: * 7-6 with an ERA of 4.78 in 20 career Camden Yards starts. * 1-1 with...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski

Reimold talks about batting leadoff

April 06, 2012, 9:22am

Orioles

When the Orioles come up to bat for the first time today, Nolan Reimold will be batting first. He has just 24 career at-bats in the leadoff spot, but will add to the total today. "I'm excited. Get up there first and set the tone. Try to get on base and score runs is my focus," he said. He was asked if he has to change anything about his approach when batting atop the order. "No, I don't think so. I mean, the goal is always to get on base and get hits. In that aspect, nothing changes....

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski featured_sidebar nolan reimold

Showalter talks about Markakis and Roberts (updated)

April 06, 2012, 10:34am

Orioles

Showalter talks about Markakis and Roberts (updated)

We're getting close to the start of the opening day ceremonies. Batting practice is over, and starting pitcher Jake Arrieta has snapped his last photograph. Yes, Arrieta stood on the field during BP with a camera around his neck. I'd say he's pretty relaxed. Here's manager Buck Showalter on whether he initially had concerns about Nick Markakis' availability for opening day after the right fielder underwent abdominal surgery in January: "A little bit. We had to do it a little later on...

Comments

Tags:

orioles brian roberts frontstory_orioles1

Nick Markakis pronounces himself ready to go

April 06, 2012, 8:43am

Orioles

Nick Markakis pronounces himself ready to go

Even though he had just 24 at-bats in spring training after offseason abdominal surgery, Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis today pronounced himself fit and ready to go for this season. "Yeah, physically, I think I'm about as good as I can be right now. It's just a matter of going out and playing now. All the rehab and hard work in spring training is behind me and now I can focus on the season," Markakis said. "I feel close. There are some things where I can tell I had surgery. But I'm...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski featured_sidebar nick markakis frontstory_orioles2

For now, it's still the Eastern League for Tim Bascom

April 05, 2012, 9:04pm

Orioles

For now, it's still the Eastern League for Tim Bascom

BOWIE, Md. - At a time when the Orioles brought what seemed like dozens and dozens of pitchers to major league camp this year, there was an omission that was somewhat glaring to me. The Orioles failed to provide a major league spring training invite to their 2011 minor league Pitcher of the Year, Tim Bascom. I'm not saying that Bascom is ready to make the O's staff right now or is ranked as one of the club's top prospects, but I felt he had done enough last year to warrant at least some...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski tim bascom frontstory_orioles3

More opening remarks from Arrieta

April 06, 2012, 4:32am

Orioles

Now the games count. No more words like "exhibition" or "intrasquad" or "simulated." I'm hoping to use "postseason" while I'm still in the business. The sun's shining but I'm not fooled. I'm taking a jacket to Camden Yards. My blood thinned out during those seven weeks in Sarasota. At least it's not snowing. We've seen it in the past on opening day. We saw Jake Arrieta start the home opener last year, but this one's different. It's the first of 162 games. It's truly the...