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Having just one bullpen lefty should not be a problem

March 31, 2011, 9:13am

Orioles

Having just one bullpen lefty should not be a problem

I am not concerned in the least that the Orioles will begin the season with just one left-hander in the bullpen. First of all, pitchers like Mark Hendrickson, Clay Rapada, Troy Patton and Chris George all may start on the Triple-A staff and will be a phone call away if needed. Also, there is this big reason not to be concerned: The stat sheet says it won't be an issue. Of the six right-handed hurlers in the O's pen, all but Koji Uehara have better statistics either recently and/or in their...

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Weekend starters still undecided

July 06, 2011, 9:55am

Orioles

The Orioles haven't listed a starter for Sunday's game in Boston that closes out the first half, but if you do the math, it's Mitch Atkins' turn in the rotation. Atkins held the Rangers to one run over six innings last night. He didn't walk a batter and threw 58 of his 90 pitches for strikes. As I pointed out in another entry, he retired the side only once in those six innings. He didn't dominate, but he didn't fold, either. Atkins gave the Orioles a quality start. Somebody had to...

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Has J.J. Hardy taken the upper hand in contract talks with the Orioles?

July 06, 2011, 11:20am

Orioles

You have to figure J.J. Hardy has the upper hand right now in any contract negotiations he and his agent will have with the Orioles. For one, he is having a super season and playing at a very high level. For two, he can simply choose to be a free agent at the end of this year and have several teams pursuing him. For three, the Orioles might be facing a deadline in these talks. If they can't sign him over the next few weeks, would they be forced to trade him by the July 31 deadline before he...

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A few pregame notes (and Orioles lineup)

July 06, 2011, 12:09pm

Orioles

For the Orioles: J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Vladimir Guerrero DH Matt Wieters C Mark Reynolds 3B Derrek Lee 1B Felix Pie LF Robert Andino 2B Jeremy Guthrie RHP The game-time temperature for the Orioles the last two days has been over 100 degrees. According to the club's PR staff, the last time the Orioles played as many as three games in a season in 100-plus degree weather was 2006 (July 18, Aug 1 and Aug 2), all at home. Anyone remember sweating out at least one of...

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Hobgood and Berry will likely be Aberdeen-bound soon

July 05, 2011, 9:30pm

Orioles

Hobgood and Berry will likely be Aberdeen-bound soon

Two Orioles pitching prospects that are on the comeback trail from injuries are expected to soon join the short-season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds. Right-handers Matt Hobgood and Ryan Berry are expected to pitch one more time for the Gulf Coast League O's, probably July 11, and then move to Aberdeen. The 20-year-old Hobgood, the Orioles' top pick in the 2009 draft, is rehabbing a strained right rotator cuff. He is 0-0 with a 3.52 ERA in four games over 7 2/3 innings in the GCL. He has...

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Taking a closer look at Jim Johnson

July 05, 2011, 8:07pm

Orioles

Before we point too many fingers at reliever Jim Johnson for causing last night's 4-2 loss to the Rangers, it's important to note that the Orioles went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base. And three kids. And a dog and cat. Also a hamster. Two solo home runs won't usually get you a victory in Texas. Hitting in the clutch hasn't been this team's strength. And that observation most likely will be the biggest understatement that you encounter today. Getting...

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Matthew Taylor: Wieters should emulate former O's All-Stars Kennedy, Triandos

July 06, 2011, 4:59am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Wieters should emulate former O's All-Stars Kennedy, Triandos

Matt Wieters is only the fifth All-Star catcher for the Orioles, following Gus Triandos, Andy Etchebarren, Terry Kennedy, and Mickey Tettleton. The good news for Wieters is that each catcher made more than one All-Star team. After reviewing the boxscores of this quartet of previous O's All-Stars I'd say that, come next Tuesday, Wieters would do well to model Kennedy behind the plate and Triandos at the plate. Kennedy made his final All-Star appearance in 1987 for the Orioles after...

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Luke Scott going on DL

July 05, 2011, 10:00am

Orioles

The Orioles will place left fielder Luke Scott on the 15-day disabled list later today to make room on the 25-man roster for pitcher Mitch Atkins, who gets the start tonight. The Orioles will purchase Atkins' contract from Triple-A Norfolk. He flew into Arlington yesterday. Scott is batting .223 with 11 doubles, nine homers and 22 RBIs in 63 games. He hit .226 with three homers and three RBIs in June, and went 0-for-9 in the Atlanta series. Scott has a tear in his right labrum, and the...

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Minor league notes on Hoes and Snyder

July 05, 2011, 7:31am

Orioles

After getting nine at-bats late last year with Double-A Bowie, Orioles prospect LJ Hoes began this season back with Single-A Frederick. But on May 23, he moved back to Double-A and this time he is staying there. Hoes currently is wielding one of the hottest bats on the O's farm and in 35 Baysox games, he is now batting .320 with no homers, 17 RBIs and a .745 OPS. He also has a most respectable 16-to-13 strikeout-to-walks ratio. Over his past four games, Hoes is 10-for-16. Over his past 14...

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Orioles and Nationals teaming up to have fans vote the "Beltways Ballot" into the All-Star Game

July 05, 2011, 2:22pm

Nationals Orioles

Orioles and Nationals teaming up to have fans vote the "Beltways Ballot" into the All-Star Game

The Orioles and Washington Nationals have announced that they have teamed together in an effort to help send the "Beltways Ballot" of outfielder Adam Jones and first baseman Michael Morse to Arizona for this year's All-Star Game. Fans voting for Jones will be eligible to win a VIP Meet & Greet with Adam, parking and four (4) field box seat tickets to an Orioles home game in July or August. Voting can be done by visiting www.orioles.com/finalvote . Voting for Jones can also be done via...

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Orioles select contract of Mitch Atkins, place Luke Scott on 15-day DL

July 05, 2011, 2:02pm

Orioles

The Orioles today announced that they have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Mitch Atkins from Triple-A Norfolk and placed outfielder Luke Scott on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 4, with a right shoulder strain. Atkins, 25, is 2-3 with a 3.11 ERA (46.1IP, 16 ER) in eight starts with the Tides. He has also pitched in games for Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie this season after earning a non-roster invitation to major league spring training. Atkins has pitched to...

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Update on Jones' progress in The Final Vote, memorable All-Star moments balloting (updated with Ripken quote)

July 05, 2011, 7:36am

Orioles

Update on Jones' progress in The Final Vote, memorable All-Star moments balloting (updated with Ripken quote)

Two Orioles - one past, one present - need your help in All-Star Game-related matters. We'll tackle the present first. Center fielder Adam Jones is one of the five players up for The Final Vote to determine the last player on the American League squad for the Midsummer Classic in Phoenix on July 12. In the first tabulations released Monday afternoon, Jones ranked fourth out of the five candidates, and White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko was in the lead. Unlike the fan vote to choose...

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Guerrero's days as Orioles' cleanup hitter could be numbered

July 05, 2011, 4:20am

Orioles

You have to wonder if Vlad Guerrero's time as the Orioles' cleanup hitter is coming to an end. Manager Buck Showalter talked about his concern over Guerrero during the O's last homestand and made similar comments to reporters in Texas yesterday, indicating that if he needs to make an adjustment there, he will. The time has pretty much come for that. I still remember the excitement around Baltimore when Guerrero was signed and the message boards leading up to that were buzzing with how the...

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Anthony Amobi: Reynolds finally emerging as legit power threat

July 05, 2011, 6:07am

Orioles

Anthony Amobi: Reynolds finally emerging as legit power threat

Yesterday, the Orioles lost deep in the heart of Texas to the Rangers. However, slugger Mark Reynolds again showed his power stroke. The third baseman, acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the offseason, put on quite the power display in Atlanta over the weekend, and followed up that performance with two homers last night, his 19th and 20th. Despite Baltimore's 13-4 loss to the Texas, the story of last night's game was the power and approach of the third baseman. I know a lot of fans...

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Matthew Taylor: Reynolds joins 20-20 club, only the wrong one

July 05, 2011, 5:54am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Reynolds joins 20-20 club, only the wrong one

Mark Reynolds joined a nontraditional 20-20 club on Monday when he hit his 20th home run of the season and committed his 20th error. Prior to the season, I identified Reynolds as the most likely candidate to become the Orioles' first traditional 20-20 player (20 home runs, 20 stolen bases) since Brady Anderson in 1999. I was enamored with Reynolds' power, concerned about his strikeouts and largely ignorant of his defensive struggles. Now I'm pondering the question many other fans in Birdland...

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Aberdeen adds three O's top-10 draft picks

July 04, 2011, 2:10pm

Orioles

Aberdeen adds three O's top-10 draft picks

The Short-Season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds today added three Orioles top-10 draft picks from the 2011 class. The IronBirds added third-round pick RHP Mike Wright, fifth-round pick LHP Matt Taylor, and ninth-round pick RHP Devin Jones. They join seventh-round LHP Trent Howard, and the IronBirds now have four of the Orioles' top-10 draft picks on their roster. Wright made 16 starts this past spring for Eastern Carolina University. A three-year starter for the Pirates, Wright went 6-4 with a...

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What's right with Reimold (and notes)

July 04, 2011, 8:31am

Orioles

The Orioles will face another right-hander tonight in the Rangers' Colby Lewis. Other than the Cardinals' Jaime Garcia last Thursday, I don't think the Orioles have seen a left-handed starter since Ron Guidry. It's no coincidence that Nolan Reimold hasn't been in the lineup since hitting a three-run homer off Garcia, and has started twice since June 15. Manager Buck Showalter prefers to use Luke Scott against right-handers. Felix Pie gets the starts if Scott is unavailable for shoulder,...

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Jones could still earn All-Star bid

July 04, 2011, 9:41am

Orioles

When the 2011 All-Star Game rosters were announced yesterday, Adam Jones didn't hear his name called. But that doesn't necessarily mean the Orioles outfielder won't get to take the field July 12 in Arizona for the 82nd annual Midsummer Classic. Jones, who made his All-Star debut in 2009, is among five American League nominees who are up for the All-Star Game Final Vote. The winner will earn the last spot on the AL roster for next Tuesday's game. The 25-year-old Jones has put together an...

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Reimold in tonight's lineup (Atkins in Arlington)

July 04, 2011, 1:50pm

Orioles

Reimold in tonight's lineup (Atkins in Arlington)

Nolan Reimold is starting in left field and batting eighth tonight. Mark Reynolds drops to fifth in the lineup behind Vladimir Guerrero. For the Orioles: J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Vladimir Guerrero DH Mark Reynolds 3B Matt Wieters C Derrek Lee 1B Nolan Reimold LF Blake Davis 2B Chris Jakubauskas RHP NOTE: Mitch Atkins left Triple-A Norfolk to join the Orioles in Arlington, but that doesn't mean he's definitely starting tomorrow night. It could depend whether Alfredo...

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Matthew Taylor: Beltway battle should include July 4 doubleheader

July 04, 2011, 7:31am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Beltway battle should include July 4 doubleheader

Happy Fourth of July, Orioles fans. I'm spending the holiday with my family in Catonsville, Md., where July 4 is, like a certain fictionalized news anchor, kind of a big deal. It certainly isn't more popular than Jesus (just "imagine" someone saying that); more like a secularized version of a holy day of obligation. Thousands of locals make the pilgrimage to Frederick Road in the afternoon for the annual parade and then on to Catonsville High School in the evening for fireworks. Both events...