It's Bergesen's turn (updated)

It's Bergesen's turn (updated)
My off-day is over and it's back to work. The two entries I filed yesterday, plus calling into "The John Riggins Show" on MASN and Steve Melewski's show on 105.7 The Fan, seemed more like a mini-vacation compared to the spring training and opening day workloads. I swung by Liberatore's to say hello to a few people and pick up cream of crab soup for my daughter - one of her favorites - and received a tab that included $2,700 for "lost revenue." That trip to Sarasota was more costly...
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Will more wins mean more tickets sold for the Orioles?

Will more wins mean more tickets sold for the Orioles?
Here's a good question: Will the Orioles' 4-0 start and some of the buzz right now surrounding the club translate into more tickets sold at Camden Yards? For the next two nights, the answer to that question is probably "No." A club official said the Orioles are expecting an attendance the next two nights of "between (the) low to mid-teens." That means between probably 13,000 and 17,000 or 18,000. I'm told a real strong walk-up sale later today could push the attendance to near...
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Minor league releases

Minor league releases
The Orioles have released the following players, some of which may have asked for and received their releases from the minor league system. Pitchers: John Mariotti, Daurin Tavarez, Chad Thall Position Players: David Anderson, Danny Figueroa, Joseph Donaldson, Gary Helmick (Towson University product), Joe Gaetti, Anyi Tejada, Grolmann Gonzalez, Freuny Parra, Austin Rauch, Randy Winn and Jeremy Shelby. Gaetti was in his first year in the organization and is the son of former big leaguer Gary...
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Guthrie remains hospitalized

Guthrie remains hospitalized
Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail received an encouraging report from head athletic trainer Richie Bancell earlier today concerning pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, who missed the home opener after being diagnosed with a form of pneumonia. "I was told there's no infection, which is good news. Nothing terribly contagious. He's doing better. All of that is a plus," MacPhail said. Guthrie is expected to remain hospitalized overnight, but could be released tomorrow. Brad...
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Spoone will get the ball on opening night for Bowie

Spoone will get the ball on opening night for Bowie
Right-hander Chorye Spoone will be the opening night starting pitcher on Thursday at Harrisburg when the Double-A Bowie Baysox open their 19th season. Manager Gary Kendall announced his rotation at the Baysox media day at Prince George's Stadium this afternoon. Steve Johnson will pitch the second game and will be followed by Rick Zagone, Tim Bascom and Eddie Gamboa. "Anytime they say you are first out of the chute, it's exciting," Spoone said. "It's not like the pressure is on you, but...
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Stacey Long: A different feel with invested, invigorated O's fans

Stacey Long: A different feel with invested, invigorated O's fans
The online community for the Baltimore Orioles is a passionate and relatively tight-knit bunch. We comment on each other's blogs, we follow each other on Twitter and we never stop talking about the O's. Because of this it can be hard to have the proper perspective on the team's fan base as a whole. There are, of course, a lot of things to be excited about as an O's fan: The offseason acquisitions changed the look of the lineup, the young players are a valid reason for hope and we have our...
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Orioles have four shining moments

Orioles have four shining moments
My one shining moment came when I missed the first half of last night's UConn-Butler game. What a stinker. I've seen better basketball at the local Y. Jeremy Guthrie is remaining in good spirits despite missing the Orioles' home opener. He tweeted the following last night: "Initially thought I had BieberFever but turns out I have pneumonia. Feeling better but got myself an overnight stay at hospital. Go #Orioles." You can follow him: @JGuthrie46. And myself, of course: @masnRoch....
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Don't downplay Wieters' impact on 4-0 start

Don't downplay Wieters' impact on 4-0 start
Matt Wieters has gotten a bit of heat for how he's fared early on in his major league career. You might be aware of this by now. Following a 2010 season in which Wieters hit just .249 with 11 home runs and 55 RBIs, some baseball publications were already calling him a bust, and analysts and scouts might have been left wondering whether they'd missed on a can't-miss prospect. Well, just four games into the 2011 season, it's already clear how much of a factor the Orioles' young catcher is...
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D-Lee feels like his offense is starting to come around

D-Lee feels like his offense is starting to come around
I guess we could look at this as a positive for the Orioles. They are 4-0 right now and have scored just 17 runs with a team batting average of .237 and slugging percentage of .351. Derrek Lee and Vlad Guerrero have a combined .167 batting average with no homers, no RBIs and no extra-base hits. Lee was limited to just 22 spring training at-bats over eight games due to injuries, but feels he is starting to get close to producing some of the offense he was signed to deliver for this...
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Jake Arrieta: "It's fun to be a part of this team right now"

Jake Arrieta: "It's fun to be a part of this team right now"
Jake Arrieta got tested early in the Orioles home opening win, 5-1, over Detroit today. Three times in the first five innings, he faced Tigers cleanup hitter Miguel Cabrera with at least one man on base. Cabrera, who entered batting .455 with two homers and five RBIs, was retired each time. In the third, Cabrera came up in a 1-1 game with runners on second and third and two outs. Arrieta could have pitched around him or walked him, but instead got him to line out to left. "Not really...
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Showalter talks about Weaver and Tyler

Showalter talks about Weaver and Tyler
I can't pack up and leave the press box without passing along manager Buck Showalter's thoughts on catching the ceremonial first pitch from Earl Weaver and watching the video tribute to Ernie Tyler, who passed away in February. "Looking at the emotion in Earl there and how much he means to the people here in Baltimore and how special the time was that he allowed us to spend with him in spring training...there's a lot of vinegar there," Showalter said. "You can tell how much the Orioles...
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Showalter time

Showalter time
Manager Buck Showalter hit on a variety of topics after today's 5-1 victory over the Tigers. Here's a sampler platter for you. It's made for sharing. No napkins required. Showalter couldn't possibly ask any more from his starters after four games. "No, you couldn't, especially with some of the challenges we've faced with Matusz and Duchscherer and a couple line drives off pitching arms toward the end of spring training," he said. "And now Bergy's going to have to pick up the slack...
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Brian Roberts: "An incredible atmosphere out there today."

Brian Roberts: "An incredible atmosphere out there today."
Brian Roberts has now hit both of the Orioles homers this year. Both his three-run shots broke open a tie score and led to O's wins. His three-run shot today carried the Orioles over the Tigers 5-1 in the home opener. Roberts praised the crowd and quickly noticed the excitement the club has generated with its unbeaten, 4-0 start. "We were in the clubhouse last night when we were told that standing room only tickets were going for 75 to 100 bucks. I was like 'wow.' I don't think even the...
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Guthrie diagnosed with form of pneumonia

Guthrie diagnosed with form of pneumonia
Jeremy Guthrie will remain hospitalized overnight after being diagnosed with a form of pneumonia, according to manager Buck Showalter. Guthrie has been scratched from Wednesday's start against the Tigers at Camden Yards. Brad Bergesen will take his place. The Orioles are hoping that Guthrie can take the ball on April 10, the original date that Bergesen was supposed to debut, against the Rangers at Camden Yards. No roster move is forthcoming. Guthrie blanked the Rays on three hits over eight...
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O's win home opener to go to 4-0

O's win home opener to go to 4-0
Earl Weaver threw out the first pitch today. Then the Orioles went out and won using solid starting pitching and a three-run homer. Earl should know that formula pretty well. The Orioles stayed unbeaten, winning their 58th home opener by beating the Tigers 5-1 before a sellout crowd of 46,593 at Camden Yards. Brian Roberts tells Tom Davis about the team effort in the Birds' 5-1 home opening win The Orioles have their first 4-0 start since 1997. Just once in franchise history have the...
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Arrieta follows tough acts

Arrieta follows tough acts
Earl Weaver has to be loving this team. A four-man rotation and three-run homers. It could be 1970. Koji Uehara has the sideburns for it. Jake Arrieta held the Tigers to one run and six hits over six innings, with two walks and three strikeouts. He threw 99 pitches, 60 for strikes. Not a particularly clean outing, but it was quality. Orioles starters have allowed two runs and 12 hits in 26 innings through four games. Remember when the rotation was the No. 1 concern as the Orioles broke...
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O's get to Porcello for the lead

O's get to Porcello for the lead
Despite scoring just one run through four innings today, the Orioles had hit some balls hard off Tigers starter Rick Porcello. That continued in the last of the fifth when they produced four straight hits to break the 1-1 tie. Felix Pie led off with a single and reached third on J.J. Hardy's third double of the year. Brian Roberts followed with a three-run homer to right center on a 1-2 pitch. Nick Markakis followed that with a double. After a pair of strikeouts, Matt Wieters lifted a bloop...
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Roberts rolling along, Simon information (and more)

Roberts rolling along, Simon information (and more)
So when did Brian Roberts become an RBI machine? Doubles machine, yes. Stolen base machine, yes. This is something new. Roberts belted his second three-run homer in three days, his 388-foot shot to center field off Rick Porcello breaking a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning. Earl Weaver has got to be loving it. Roberts has eight RBIs on the young season, easily the most on the club. He's registered three multi-RBI games, one more than he mustered in the 2010 season, when he appeared in 59...
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Observations on Wieters and Lee

Observations on Wieters and Lee
The Tigers tied the Orioles, 1-1 in the third inning on a one-out double by Brandon Inge and singles by Austin Jackson and Will Rhymes. Center fielder Adam Jones got a late jump on Jackson's fly ball into shallow left-center field. He appeared to take a step back before racing into the gap. Nick Markakis is 2-for-2. Matt Wieters isn't fast. There's no debating that point. He's one of the slowest players in baseball. But he tagged and took third on Jones' long fly ball to right, and he...
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Hearing from the Earl of Baltimore

Hearing from the Earl of Baltimore
Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver threw out the first pitch before today's game. He was asked what he thought about that and gave a real honest answer. "I don't want my performance to interfere and I certainly don't want to jinx them. We've gotta get a win today," he said. Weaver said he's impressed with the work of current skipper Buck Showalter. "Unreal. He's going to be a favorite here for a long, long time. Whoever invented the phrase 'Buck's Birds,' that should stick,"...
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