Maybe the Orioles will hire their president of baseball operations today or tomorrow. I can't see this process dragging out much longer, but you've heard that one already.
As you know, Blue Jays assistant general manager Tony LaCava met with owner Peter Angelos yesterday. You can read plenty into LaCava's return trip to Baltimore, though it's important to note that Angelos wasn't present for LaCava's first interview. He met with Dodgers executive De Jon Watson, so it's not like he's...
Blue Jays assistant general manager Tony LaCava is back in Baltimore today, meeting with owner Peter Angelos as the club draws closer to naming a new president of baseball operations.
LaCava already has interviewed once for the job, along with Jerry Dipoto, De Jon Watson and John Stockstill. Dipoto dropped off the list after being named the Angels general manager.
LaCava was the second candidate to interview for the job after Dipoto, and he's been viewed as the most likely hire. Today's...
I can't let you go to bed later tonight without another entry about the Orioles' search for a president of baseball operations.
As of right now - check the time on this entry - the Orioles haven't scheduled any other interviews for the weekend. Of course, that could change.
I've heard that they really want to sit down with Red Sox assistant GM Allard Baird. And they received permission from the Yankees to interview scouting director Damon Oppenheimer.
Multiple people close to the...
Mix politics and baseball, says Orioles pitcher Tommy Hunter, and you've got the potential for some awkwardness. At least that's what Hunter gleaned from a day at Camden Yards earlier this week, portraying himself in an episode of the forthcoming HBO comedy "Veep."
Hunter, teammate Jake Arrieta and other O's staffers spent almost six hours on the ballpark field shooting an episode that will air next March, when the O's are at spring training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarastota, Fla. The TV...
Here is a good question to ponder this weekend: How do you feel about a fan that dumps one team for another?
How would feel about an Orioles fan that dumps the Birds for say the Nationals or Red Sox or Yankees or any other baseball team?
I think fans have the right to be upset with their team, to rip their team on the message boards and talk shows and clearly they have the right to decide against purchasing any tickets or team merchandise.
No one could blame any longtime Orioles fan to be...
The Twins have denied the Orioles permission to interview Mike Radcliff for the position of president of baseball operations, according to an industry source.
According to the same source, the Twins denied permission because of internal reorganization and promotions that could be in the works.
Radcliff currently serves as vice president for player personnel for the Twins, but his title may now change.
The Orioles will interview former Expos and Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette later...
If you know me and this blog, you know that I was dragged kicking and screaming into the Twitter world. I had little choice. My profession dictated it.
Well, so did my bosses, but you know what I mean.
I was confused and amused by how many people simultaneously tweeted last night that Red Sox assistant general manager Allard Baird declined the opportunity to interview with the Orioles for the position of president of baseball operations. I thought he was on a conference call, but he actually...
The Orioles' international signings in recent years have been rated poor by many of the so-called experts, but there were some indications this year that the Orioles may have made one or two gains on the international front in 2011.
While I put almost no stock in a minor league team's record as it relates to their quality of prospects, the Orioles' Dominican Summer League team this year did finish in first place in its division and made the playoffs with a 46-24 record.
Jonathan Schoop...
For those of you keeping score at home, the Orioles will interview former Expos and Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette today, making him the sixth candidate to meet with the search committee.
As long as you're keeping score, Duquette is only the third candidate who's still in play, joining John Stockstill and Scott Proefrock.
You've seen a variety of names float past your computer screens. There's no exact list of remaining candidates.
The Orioles are expected to interview Red Sox...
I can make one promise: The Orioles won't introduce their new president of baseball operations tomorrow.
They will, however, interview former team executive Scott Proefrock, 51, an assistant general manager with the Philadelphia Phillies. Proefrock served as the Orioles' director of baseball administration from 2006 until 2008, handling a lot of the contract responsibilities.
The Orioles also have asked permission to interview Tampa Bay executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew...
This will be a very quick update on the Orioles' general manager search, since I'm less than an hour away from The start of the Mid-Atlantic Sports Report on MASN.
The Orioles are placing calls to numerous teams seeking permission to interview candidates to replace Andy MacPhail. I've heard that the teams include the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies.
That's only a partial roll call.
It's fair to speculate that one of the names is Mike...
On a conference call to talk about his Rawlings Gold Glove Award, Nick Markakis updated reporters on an injury. If you recall, he was taken out of the last game of the season with a bone bruise in the abdomen area.
"It happened a couple of weeks prior to the end of the season, stealing a base, just dove in and hurt myself. As far as healthy right now, I'd say I'm about 70 to 75 percent. Just a slow healing process. I'm taking it easy, resting. That's about all you can do for a bone...
Nick Markakis has played plenty of games in right field with Brian Roberts patrolling second base. Markakis talked to Roberts recently and hopes Roberts can return to regular duty next season after playing in just 98 combined games the last two years.
"I talked to him not too long ago," Markakis said. "I know 100 percent he plans on coming back. He wants to be a part of this as much as anybody else. It's unfortunate with the injury he has right now. It's a long healing process and I hope...
The Orioles claimed right-hander Darren O'Day off waivers from the Texas Rangers, continuing their roster infatuation with the American League champions.
O'Day, 29, was 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 16 games and 16 2/3 innings this season. He also was 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA, four walks and 27 strikeouts in 18 games and 21 1/3 innings with Double-A Frisco (one game) and Triple-A Round Rock (17).
O'Day, a submarine-stylist similar to Chad Bradford, also has pitched for the Angels in 2008, the Mets in...
The Orioles today announced that they have claimed right-hander Darren O'Day on waivers from the Texas Rangers. O'Day, 29, was 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA (16.2IP, 10ER) in 16 games for the American League champions this season. He was also 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA (21.1IP, 6ER), 27 strikeouts and four walks in 18 total games with Double-A Frisco (one game) and Triple-A Round Rock (17 games).
In four major league seasons with the Angels (2008), Mets ('09) and Rangers ('09-'11), O'Day is 8-5 with a...
I opened yesterday's entry by saying that we might have an announcement on a new president of baseball operations, and I came close to being right. An offer was made to Blue Jays assistant general manager Tony LaCava. He turned it down yesterday.
Otherwise...
LaCava returned home, huddled with his family and broke the news to the Orioles that he wasn't leaving the Blue Jays.
I'm sick of this topic, but it won't go away.
Dodgers executive De Jon Watson is waiting to find out whether...
Catcher Matt Wieters was made available to reporters in a conference call earlier this morning. Here are some of his comments regarding his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award:
"I take a lot of pride in the award," he said. "It's definitely something I always work at to get better, and to be able to win a Gold Glove, I'm honored to be in the same class as the other great catchers in the game defensively. It's an honor, for sure. I'm very blessed to be able to win the award this early in my...
Orioles catcher Matt Wieters can add "Gold Glove winner" to his expanding resume.
Named to his first All-Star team over the summer, Wieters just learned that he's also won his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award.
Wieters beat out American League finalists A.J. Pierzynski and Alex Avila for the award, which was announced on ESPN2. He's the first catcher to win the award in club history.
Nick Markakis also won his first Gold Glove in right field, beating out the Angels' Torii Hunter and the...
Orioles outfield prospect Xavier Avery rode an 11-game hitting tear right onto a roster spot for the East squad in Saturday's Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars Game.
The rosters were released Tuesday and Avery earned a spot on the East squad that will take on the West team Saturday night at 8:10 p.m. Eastern time in a game that will be televised live on the MLB Network.
"I'm happy about it. It's a compliment. It's great," Avery said by phone last night from Arizona.
In 19 AFL games...
Late tonight, Rawlings announced that Orioles catcher Matt Wieters and right fielder Nick Markakis have been named this year's American League Gold Glove Award recipients for defensive excellence at their respective positions.
The award for Wieters culminates a season in which the 25-year-old was also named to his first All-Star team and set new career-highs in eight offensive categories, including hits, home runs, runs and RBIs. His .995 fielding percentage tied for the American League lead...