orioles

Some thoughts from the new Orioles scouting director

November 28, 2011, 10:51am

Orioles

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette and new scouting director Gary Rajsich just finished a conference call with several Baltimore reporters and here are some topics they discussed. Duquette on the amount of scouts the team will employ: "We have appropriate staffing levels and we are going to be making some other changes to the staff to make sure we are strong, not just in amatuer scouting, but in professional and international scouting as well." Duquette informed reporters that...

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Bordick not expected to join coaching staff

November 28, 2011, 6:09am

Orioles

Bordick not expected to join coaching staff

The Orioles are expected to reveal their coaching staff within the next few days, and it seems more likely that they go outside the organization to fill at least one opening. Having talked to a few people this morning, it appears that Mike Bordick will probably remain in his role as coordinator of offensive fundamentals instead of being hired as a base coach. He would join the team during home games as a seventh coach who wouldn't be in uniform after batting practice. Bordick doesn't have...

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Lee MacPhail being reassigned in organization (with quotes)

November 28, 2011, 10:27am

Orioles

Lee MacPhail being reassigned in organization (with quotes)

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed today that director of professional scouting Lee MacPhail IV will be reassigned within the organization. MacPhail will be given a major league scouting position, according to Duquette, who passed along the news to reporters during a conference call to introduce Gary Rajsich as the new director of scouting. MacPhail's duties included overseeing professional scouting, advance scouting and major league video coaching. He also went on the...

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Pondering a few questions

November 28, 2011, 5:03am

Orioles

Some questions to wonder about as we get a new week started: If Jim Johnson does get moved to the starting rotation in 2012, how many innings will he be able to pitch? Some feel he will be limited there, but C.J. Wilson of the Texas Rangers went from 73 2/3 innings out of the bullpen in 2009 to 33 starts and 204 innings as a starter in 2010. Last year he made 34 starts, pitching 223 1/3 innings for the Rangers. Johnson was already at a heavy relief load of 91 innings last year and there is...

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Rajsich hiring official (still waiting on Chong)

November 28, 2011, 8:01am

Orioles

Rajsich hiring official (still waiting on Chong)

The Orioles just confirmed in a press release that Gary Rajsich has been hired as director of amateur scouting. "We have added a very good, veteran baseball man with this hire," executive vice president Dan Duquette said in a statement. "Gary is an excellent judge of talent at all levels." Rajsich's name is pronounced "Ray-sitch." Here's more from the press release: Rajsich, 57, began his scouting career with the Boston Red Sox, serving in both the amateur and professional...

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Orioles name Gary Rajsich Director of Amateur Scouting

November 28, 2011, 8:07am

Orioles

The Orioles today announced that Gary Rajsich (pronounced Ray-sitch) has been named Director of Amateur Scouting. "We have added a very good, veteran baseball man with this hire," said Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette. "Gary is an excellent judge of talent at all levels." Rajsich, 57, began his scouting career with the Boston Red Sox, serving in both the amateur and professional departments from 1994-2006. In his time with Boston, Rajsich drafted and...

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A little more on Rajsich and the coaching staff

November 27, 2011, 5:25pm

Orioles

A little more on Rajsich and the coaching staff

Within the next few days, it should become official that Gary Rajsich has emerged from a pool of five finalists to replace Joe Jordan as the Orioles' new director of scouting. So who is Gary Rajsich? Rajsich is 57, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and a graduate of Arizona State University. He's been working as the Blue Jays professional scouting crosschecker after joining their organization in 2009 and previously served as a scout for the Red Sox while Dan Duquette was in their front office....

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Gary Rajsich expected to be named Orioles scouting director (updated)

November 27, 2011, 11:37am

Orioles

According to two industry sources, the Orioles are prepared to hire Toronto Blue Jays professional scouting crosschecker Gary Rajsich as their new scouting director. An announcement is expected this week. Rajsich would replace Joe Jordan, who left the organization to take a job as the Philadelphia Phillies' farm director. Executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed that Rajsich is one of five finalists, and an announcement should be made before the Winter Meetings that begin Dec. 5 in...

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Giving Kelly Johnson a second base thought

November 26, 2011, 6:19pm

Orioles

Giving Kelly Johnson a second base thought

It's been a quiet weekend, as least as far as news leaking to the media. No other executives left the organization. No free agents came to Baltimore to sign a contract. No one on the international market flew here to take a physical exam. The coaching staff still has two vacancies. The scouting director and director of baseball operations need to be replaced. Maybe the Orioles are waiting to send out one long press release. I just know that it won't arrive today. We were scrambling...

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Klentak: "Ultimately, it's an opportunity I just felt like I couldn't pass up"

November 25, 2011, 10:29am

Orioles

Klentak: "Ultimately, it's an opportunity I just felt like I couldn't pass up"

For Matt Klentak, it took a perfect storm to carry him from the Orioles' front office to the one in Anaheim. Klentak did his research on Jerry Dipoto while the Orioles conducted interviews for Andy MacPhail's replacement. Dipoto did his own research on the Orioles' executives, which allowed him to learn plenty about Klentak. Both men came away impressed, and now they'll reunite with the Angels, who announced on Wednesday that Klentak had been hired as assistant general manager and will...

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So what's the big deal about a baseball autograph?

November 25, 2011, 6:21pm

Orioles

So what's the big deal about a baseball autograph?

It is funny some of the things we remember from our youth. I can specifically remember standing in the parking lot at Memorial Stadium - I think it was in 1974 - and talking to Claudell Washington of the Oakland A's. He was holding a cab waiting for Reggie Jackson to ride back to the team hotel. He was not happy that Reggie was holding him up, but, hey, it was Reggie. I can remember being there waiting, but I can't remember when Reggie ever showed up, or if we even saw him that day. Of...

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Random takes

November 25, 2011, 6:16am

Orioles

Here are some random thoughts and takes for a Friday: * As I wrote back on Nov. 16, any cap on draft spending is not good for the game in my opinion. If Bud Selig's goal was to enhance competitive balance in this latest collective bargaining agreement, he failed. The draft was a rare area where a team like Pittsburgh, Kansas City or Baltimore could outspend the Yankees, if they chose to. While the Orioles, selecting higher, will get a larger bonus pool to sign picks next year than New York,...

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More on the rotation

November 26, 2011, 4:15am

Orioles

Let's just say for a moment that the Orioles don't trade Jeremy Guthrie. Let's say they acquire a veteran starter at the Winter Meetings. And let's also say they change Jim Johnson's role again and move him into the rotation. I'm counting three starters, though my math is sketchy. Jake Arrieta and Zach Britton figure to be penciled into the rotation. It would take a total collapse in spring training for them to be optioned before opening day. Now I'm counting five, which completes the...

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Leftovers on Thanksgiving

November 23, 2011, 7:19pm

Orioles

I want to start my day by wishing all of you a very happy Thanksgiving. Let's agree to be thankful for everything we have, both big and small, for more than just one Thursday in November. The Orioles would like to give thanks to Chong Tae-Hyon for signing with them, but it hasn't happened. As I told you yesterday, executive vice president Dan Duquette said no deal would be announced before next week. Nothing's going to happen over the weekend. Duquette told me that he's hoping to...

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Dealing with a lack of depth in the rotation

November 25, 2011, 4:22am

Orioles

Dealing with a lack of depth in the rotation

I hope everyone has recovered from yesterday's festivities and all the leftovers haven't been devoured for breakfast. Try to make them last. Yes, I know cold stuffing is quite the temptation. I can't walk past the refrigerator without grabbing a handful of it. And I only eat cranberry sauce over the holidays, so it qualifies as a real treat - as long as it jiggles out of the can. You can keep your homemade concoction. I'm not a yam guy, but I'd fill the bathtub full of mashed potatoes...

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Thankful for a few things including one football team

November 23, 2011, 6:35pm

Orioles

Thankful for a few things including one football team

A very happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and I'm sure many of you are like me in that you have a lot to be thankful for. That list always starts for me with my family and friends, and I am thankful for them every day, not just today. I'm thankful to get to cover my hometown team, the team I grew up loving as young kid in Baltimore. Even after 14 straight losing seasons, it's the only major league team I've ever wanted to report about. I am thankful I have this wonderful forum at...

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Klentak named Angels assistant GM, Chong and Guerrero updates

November 23, 2011, 7:08am

Orioles

Klentak named Angels assistant GM, Chong and Guerrero updates

UPDATE: The Angels announced that they've hired Matt Klentak as assistant general manager. Klentak signed a multi-year deal and will focus on all aspects of baseball operations, as he did with the Orioles. He'll work with general manager Jerry Dipoto, who interviewed for the Orioles' job. Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed this morning that Matt Klentak, director of baseball operations, interviewed for a front office position with the Los Angeles Angels. ESPN's...

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Still waiting on a backup catcher

November 22, 2011, 9:34am

Orioles

The Orioles had no interest in re-signing Jake Fox and breaking camp for a second time with him making the 25-man roster as the backup catcher to Matt Wieters, but we'll still cross his name off the list of available free agents after he signed a minor league deal with the Pirates. As you've probably noticed, Wieters is the only catcher listed on the Orioles' 40-man roster. They need a backup on their bench. The Astros claimed Craig Tatum off waivers. Triple-A catcher John Hester will be...

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Help for the Orioles? It now could take about five fewer wins to make playoffs

November 22, 2011, 6:24pm

Orioles

Things are looking up for the Orioles. They got closer to the playoffs yesterday without adding a single player. They did, really, but so did every other club in the game, too. When baseball adds a second wild card playoff team in each league for a total of five clubs, teams will obviously need fewer wins to make the playoffs. I went through the last 10 years of the American League standings. The wild card winner in the 10 seasons from 2002 through 2011 averaged 95.2 wins per year. The club...

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HGH testing in new labor pact gives baseball added credibility

November 23, 2011, 5:39am

Nationals Orioles

HGH testing in new labor pact gives baseball added credibility

The latest agreement between the owners and players, announced Tuesday, means baseball will have 21 consecutive seasons of labor peace, and that makes baseball look good compared to the NBA and, to a certain extent, the NFL. The key to this year's agreement was the workable personalities of Rob Manfred, the owners' top negotiator, and Michael Weiner, who heads the players' union. The two worked together much better than the Bud Selig-Donald Fehr battles that were part eight work stoppages...