orioles

This and that

October 06, 2011, 3:19pm

Orioles

I couldn't come up with an "other." My bad. For anyone who's still floating the theory that the Orioles are withholding confirmation on Andy MacPhail's status because teams can't make announcements during the playoffs, I point you toward the Chicago White Sox, who named Robin Ventura as their new manager yesterday afternoon. The Ventura news came after the Red Sox confirmed that Terry Francona wouldn't return as manager and the Angels cleaned out their front office. Other teams have...

Comments

Tags:

orioles andy macphail buck showalter matt wieters frontstory_orioles1

After solid year at Frederick, Sean Gleason is now pitching in the AFL

October 05, 2011, 7:49pm

Orioles

After solid year at Frederick, Sean Gleason is now pitching in the AFL

There are probably a couple of ways fans can look at Orioles minor league pitcher Sean Gleason. Because he turned 26 in August, some will write him off as a prospect. But he is also a guy that impressed a lot of people this past season and is someone that could push for time at Triple-A or even Baltimore at some point next season. A right-hander, Gleason was drafted in round 20 in 2007 out of St. Mary's College in California. He was a starter from 2007-2009. In 2008 at Single-A Delmarva, he...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski sean gleason frontstory_orioles2

Quick AFL update

October 06, 2011, 2:46pm

Orioles

I still see "AFL" and think "American Football League," though I'm much too young to have followed the sport before the merger. Anyway ... Only one Orioles farmhand, Xavier Avery, had gotten into a game for the Mesa Solar Sox before today, but five of them can be found in this afternoon's boxscore. Steve Johnson, making his first AFL appearance, tossed three scoreless innings against Surprise, allowing one hit, walking two and striking out four. He threw 38 pitches, 25 for strikes. As...

Comments

Tags:

orioles

Keys, Shorebirds selling the shirts off their backs

October 05, 2011, 12:33pm

Orioles

Keys, Shorebirds selling the shirts off their backs

Most baseball-crazy folks collect things that have some personal meaning, some hoard everything they can get their hands on with a team logo on it and still others focus their devotion to a specific player. And then there are the folks who see only the future in their motive for collecting, adding an item to their array of baseball goodies while a player is still riding backwoods buses and sleeping in a host family's home in the minor leagues in the hopes that a major league call-up will make...

Comments

Tags:

delmarva shorebirds frederick keys orioles orioles buzz pete kerzel frontstory_orioles2

Will Showalter's season two magic work here, too?

October 04, 2011, 9:37pm

Orioles

Will Showalter's season two magic work here, too?

As Orioles fans look for a nugget of hope (pun intended) that their team will actually be better next year, consider this: Each stop where Buck Showalter managed before, his clubs made a dramatic improvement between his first and second seasons. While Buck managed for two months last year, the 2012 season will be his second full season as Orioles' manager - if he continues in that role, of course. Showalter's 1992 Yankees team went 76-86 and then 88-74 a year later. His 1998 Arizona club,...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski buck showalter featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles3

A second look at second base

October 02, 2011, 8:28pm

Orioles

I won't make any promises, but we could find out today whether Andy MacPhail is staying in the organization and being given a different set of responsibilities. I've been led to believe that the first announcement would clear up MacPhail's status and the next one would reveal his replacement - whether that's Buck Showalter or someone else. But it's possible that the delay has something to do with combining both pieces of news and eliminating the ongoing speculation. I just want to get...

Comments

Tags:

orioles featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles2

Markakis reflects on his 2011 season

October 03, 2011, 4:47am

Orioles

The facts are there for everyone to see. Nick Markakis hit .284 this year with 31 doubles, 15 homers, 73 RBIs and a .756 OPS. His slugging percentage has dropped every year from 2008 on, from .491 to .453 to .436 to this year's .406. His 31 doubles is much fewer than recent seasons when he had 48, 45 and 45. That .756 OPS is a career low. It all started with a terrible start. Through the end of May, Markakis was batting just .249 with only four doubles, four homers, 17 RBIs and a .640...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski featured_sidebar frontfeatured_orioles frontstory_orioles1

Fox and Patton going in opposite directions

October 04, 2011, 1:02pm

Orioles

Fox and Patton going in opposite directions

Double-A Bowie's Xavier Avery, playing left field and batting ninth yesterday for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, went 0-for-3 with a walk, run scored and two strikeouts in a 12-8 loss to Phoenix. He was the only Orioles farmhand to appear in the game. I won't make any promises, but we could find out today whether Andy MacPhail ... OK, I'll stop. No lame incremental updates that don't advance the story an inch. Oh sure, it's tempting, but I won't subject you to more of...

Comments

Tags:

orioles andy macphail jake fox troy patton frontfeatured_orioles

"Too Much Moneyball"

October 04, 2011, 12:51pm

Orioles

This is worth watching, even if you haven't seen the movie.

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski

Orioles AFL notes

October 03, 2011, 7:16pm

Orioles

When the Mesa Solar Sox open their season at 2:35 p.m. Eastern Time this afternoon, playing Phoenix in the Arizona Fall League, there will be seven Orioles minor leaguers on their roster. But two players that were slated to play for Mesa are dealing with injuries right now in Joe Mahoney and LJ Hoes, and pitcher Chorye Spoone is no longer on the Mesa roster. Hoes was listed as on the Mesa squad, but for now, he is with the other players at the Orioles' instructional league in Sarasota as he...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski afl chorye spoone joe mahoney lj hoes frontstory_orioles3

Hardy named Orioles' nominee for Hank Aaron Award

October 03, 2011, 9:48am

Orioles

Shortstop J.J. Hardy has been selected as the Orioles' nominee for the 2011 Hank Aaron Award. Fan voting begins today on mlb.com and runs until Oct 9. A winner will be chosen from each league. The winners will be announced during the World Series. A panel of Hall of Famers, led by Aaron, will join fans in voting for the award, which has recognized the most outstanding offensive performer from each league since 1999. Joe Morgan and former Oriole Robert Alomar have joined the panel this...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontstory_orioles2 j.j. hardy

A thought on the future of the Orioles' front office

October 02, 2011, 7:19am

Orioles

As we all await the next few days to see how much gets resolved in the Orioles' front office, I will weigh in today with a few thoughts. I have no doubt that Buck Showalter could do a good job in the role of general manager. But I also realize he has never served in that role. I think the best move here is for Showalter to remain as manager and have the team add someone in the GM's role that he has total trust and confidence in. Then, those two men need to go out and fix the Orioles. They...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski frontstory_orioles3

J.J. Hardy named Orioles nominee for 2011 Hank Aaron Award

October 03, 2011, 9:47am

Orioles

Fan voting begins today at MLB.com; Award recognizes Most Outstanding Offensive performers in each League Roberto Alomar and Joe Morgan Added to Hall of Fame Panel, with Returning Members Tony Gwynn, Paul Molitor, Willie McCovey, Billy Williams and Robin Yount Major League Baseball and MLB Advanced Media announced that J.J. Hardy was named the Orioles' nominee for the 2011 Hank Aaron Award. Fan voting begins today exclusively online at MLB.com and the 30 Club sites. For the second straight...

Comments

Tags:

Orioles News Release orioles

Pitching is starting to look like a top priority

October 01, 2011, 6:04pm

Orioles

Pitching is starting to look like a top priority

In case you missed it, outfielder Felix Pie elected to become a free agent. He can sign with any team. I don't think the Orioles are near the top of the list. And speaking of lists, the Orioles rank starting pitching first among their priorities this winter. They need a bat in the middle of their lineup. They might need a left fielder, corner infielder, designated hitter and second baseman. They might need a late-inning reliever. But another arm for the rotation tops all of them. The...

Comments

Tags:

orioles featured_sidebar frontfeatured_orioles frontstory_orioles3

Jim Johnson: To start or not to start? That is the question

September 30, 2011, 9:30pm

Orioles

Jim Johnson: To start or not to start? That is the question

Here are the two best reasons I can think of for keeping Jim Johnson as a reliever next season: * He's an excellent relief pitcher. * He's easily the best option for closer among the current roster. But here is the reason I still think he should be used in the rotation next year: * The Orioles' starting rotation ERA this year was 5.39. That is bad, real, real bad. But there is some hope it can get much better in a hurry. What if Zach Britton improves even a little on his rookie year,...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski featured_sidebar frontfeatured_orioles frontstory_orioles3

Your incremental MacPhail update

September 30, 2011, 11:49am

Orioles

I always point out how I strongly dislike incremental updates that don't advance a story, but here I go again. The Orioles haven't made an announcement today regarding president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, and we probably won't hear anything until Monday at the earliest. Nothing has changed at this point. MacPhail will no longer serve as president of baseball operations unless there's a dramatic turn in events that nobody is anticipating. The question is whether he stays in the...

Comments

Tags:

orioles

What should Showalter do?

September 30, 2011, 8:21pm

Orioles

If you're looking for manager Buck Showalter today, he's attending the TCU-SMU football game. A promise he made to his kids. I'm not sure where president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail is hanging out this weekend, but he won't be making any statements on his future in the organization. Things change quickly around here, but as I wrote yesterday, we probably won't learn of MacPhail's decision before Monday. He's not staying in his current role, but he could stick around as an...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontfeatured_orioles frontstory_orioles2

Someone upset with O's celebration? Give me a break

September 30, 2011, 7:39am

Orioles

Someone upset with O's celebration? Give me a break

A couple of thoughts before we head into the first weekend since March without Orioles baseball. * Peter Gammons said of Terry Francona on MLB Network: "Sometimes you measure Boston managers in dog years and Tito managed 56 years." By the way, the Red Sox averaged a robust 5.4 runs per game during their 7-20 September. But here are the ERAs for some of their pitchers during the month: Erik Bedard 5.25, Jon Lester 5.40, Josh Beckett 5.48, John Lackey 9.13 and Daniel Bard 10.54. Ken...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski frontfeatured_orioles frontstory_orioles3

More about Matusz

September 26, 2011, 4:23pm

Orioles

If anyone with the Orioles needs a fresh start, it's left-hander Brian Matusz. Matusz left spring training as the No. 2 starter. He ended the season with one victory. I don't know anyone who saw it coming. I predicted that Matusz would become the staff ace after winning his last six decisions in 2010 and posting a 1.57 ERA over his final eight starts. Maybe I was just a year or two off. Matusz was 1-9 with a 10.69 ERA in 12 starts this season. He went on the disabled list in early April...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontfeatured_orioles frontstory_orioles3 featured_sidebar

Notes on Dylan Bundy and O's instructional league

September 30, 2011, 6:03am

Orioles

Notes on Dylan Bundy and O's instructional league

Here are a few things I have heard about the Orioles' instructional league workouts currently going on in Florida. The first thing I should point out however, is fans should realize instructional league is about instruction, of course and teaching the players. While they do play games there, you can't put a lot on evaulating any stats or results. No scores or stats are released from the games. Orioles 2011 top draft pick, pitcher Dylan Bundy, has been pitching in some of those games. He is...