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Fresh from West Coast workouts, Matusz eager to get going

January 29, 2011, 7:26am

Orioles

Fresh from West Coast workouts, Matusz eager to get going

Orioles lefty Brian Matusz is enjoying the optimism around the Baltimore Convention Center today and said he is pretty psyched for the 2011 season. "You can see it, everyone is excited," he said. "We just seem like a team, we all are real comfortable right now. I keep saying it, but I am real excited about this spring. Our new park (in Sarasota), I hear is amazing." Matusz said he had a productive winter of workouts on the West Coast. "It's been a good offseason. I've been working out...

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Talking Millwood, J.J. and Vlad at FanFest

January 29, 2011, 5:45am

Orioles

Talking Millwood, J.J. and Vlad at FanFest

President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and manager Buck Showalter are taking questions from season-ticket holders at the first forum of today's FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center. Showalter received a rousing ovation and chants of "Buck, Buck Buck." MacPhail told the crowd that the Orioles have interest in bringing back Kevin Millwood, saying the idea hasn't been ruled out "by any stretch," but the hindrance in signing any of the remaining free-agent starters is the...

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Showalter weighs in on starting pitching, Scott's future role

January 29, 2011, 6:53am

Orioles

Showalter weighs in on starting pitching, Scott's future role

After he and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail held their fan forum here today with season ticket holders, Orioles manager Buck Showalter talked with reporters on a few O's topics. Showalter was asked if the club still wants to sign a veteran starting pitcher. "It's something we have kicked around a lot. Just because a guy doesn't necessarily look attractive with his recent track record doesn't mean he's not going to be an impactful pitcher for us," he said. "We are still...

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MASN to unveil text-messaging service at Saturday's FanFest

January 28, 2011, 11:31am

Orioles

MASN to unveil text-messaging service at Saturday's FanFest

Saturday's Orioles FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center will be full of fan forums, autographs and giveaways. But Orioles fans attending the annual baseball-centric celebration will also get the opportunity to participate in a brand-new MASN initiative: a mobile text-messaging platform that will deliver important FanFest updates directly to their cellular devices and smart phones. By texting ORIOLES to 74499, O's fans will be given an opportunity to receive updates throughout the day....

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Quick Duchscherer update

January 29, 2011, 6:18am

Orioles

President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said he received a positive report on free-agent pitcher Justin Duchscherer, who threw for their Arizona-based scout yesterday. The Orioles retain interest in Duchscherer, but MacPhail warned again that you can't read too much into a pitcher's winter bullpen session. "We're pleased with the way he's come along at this point," MacPhail said. "As I mentioned before, that is not an uncommon occurrence for us. We have seen this year three or...

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Orioles sign utility infielder Nick Green (updated)

January 28, 2011, 11:36am

Orioles

The Orioles have added another candidate for their second utility infield job, agreeing to terms with veteran Nick Green on a minor league contract with a spring training invitation. There's your big FanFest announcement. OK, not really. But he did agree to the deal. Green will compete with Robert Andino and Brendan Harris for the chance to join Cesar Izturis on the bench. If this sounds like a repeat, the Orioles almost had a deal done with Green last month, but he was hoping to land a...

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O's announce minor league coaching staffs

January 28, 2011, 12:08pm

Orioles

O's announce minor league coaching staffs

The Orioles today announced the coaching staffs for their seven minor league affiliates for the 2011 season. Gary Allenson returns for his sixth season in the organization. He will manage Triple-A Norfolk for the fifth season after guiding the Tides to a 24-31 record in the first two months of the 2010 season. Allenson was promoted to Baltimore to serve as third base coach for the remainder of the season on June 4, 2010. Mike Griffin, who pitched for the 1987 Orioles, will serve as pitching...

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One last time: Jordan on 2009 draftees Berry, Cowan and Martin

January 28, 2011, 6:27am

Orioles

One last time: Jordan on 2009 draftees Berry, Cowan and Martin

In our last article with O's scouting director Joe Jordan on some of the pitchers selected in the 2009 draft, he talks about Ryan Berry, Jake Cowan and Jarret Martin. Berry has been a success story to this point, despite the fact he was a pitcher the O's selected even though he had been hurt as a college pitcher that year at Rice. He missed some time during Rice's 2009 season with a strained shoulder. The Orioles took Berry in round nine and he was signed to an over slot bonus and they...

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Luke Scott wants Guerrero in the lineup (updated)

January 28, 2011, 4:21am

Orioles

Luke Scott wants Guerrero in the lineup (updated)

The Orioles' search for a left-handed reliever won't lead them to Joe Beimel. He's apparently decided to sign with the Pirates, according to this tweet from Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Beimel was born in St. Marys, Pa. and pitched at Duquesne. He spent his first three major league seasons in Pittsburgh. Sounds like he wants to go home. We'll find out later how much the Pirates are paying him for that warm and fuzzy feeling. Yes, they beat out the Orioles. They also beat out the Red...

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Updates on Guerrero, Duchscherer and Beimel

January 27, 2011, 11:10am

Orioles

Updates on Guerrero, Duchscherer and Beimel

After making another round of calls today, I can pass along the following nuggets on a few of your favorite free agents: The Orioles have, indeed, made an offer to Vladimir Guerrero this week, and it falls in the $3 million to $5 million range. They most certainly did not exceed $5 million. I'd say it's a lot closer to $3 million. Also, team officials don't expect a FanFest announcement similar to what transpired with Miguel Tejada last winter. In fact, while they understand that the...

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The 2009 draft: Joe Jordan with updates on Henry, Tolliver and Wirsch

January 27, 2011, 4:37pm

Orioles

The 2009 draft: Joe Jordan with updates on Henry, Tolliver and Wirsch

Here is a followup to an article with O's scouting director Joe Jordan addressing some of the pitching injuries to hurlers the O's selected in the 2009 draft. In this post, he talks more specifically about some of those pitchers. Despite the injuries that impacted so many of the 2009 draftees last summer, Jordan remains quite hopeful for the pitchers taken in the top 10 rounds that June. Right-hander Randy Henry was the fourth-round pick that year from South Mountain Community College in...

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O's prospect Britton fired up to make a run at rotation spot

January 26, 2011, 5:46pm

Orioles

O's prospect Britton fired up to make a run at rotation spot

If some baseball prospects fly under the radar, Orioles pitching prospect Zach Britton isn't one of them. Maybe fans didn't know much about Britton when he was drafted in the third round out of a Texas high school in 2006, pitching at Rookie League Bluefield that summer. But it seems everyone now knows his name. Britton was named Carolina League pitcher of the year in 2009 and he pitched for Team USA in the Futures Game last July. He ended the 2010 season thriving at Triple-A and was named...

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Remembering the Jackson-Dempsey collision

January 27, 2011, 5:20am

Orioles

Remembering the Jackson-Dempsey collision

I was watching the MLB Network's "Top 50 Most Incredible Collisions" last night, and No. 8 was Bo Jackson plowing into Rick Dempsey and almost sending the former Orioles catcher flying into the dugout. I counted three backward somersaults. When I texted Dempsey, he replied, "Well, I've got that going for me." Which is nice. Dempsey, in his only season with the Cleveland Indians in 1987, missed the last six weeks with a broken left thumb. And get this: A proctologist in Kansas City set...

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Your incremental Vladimir Guerrero update

January 27, 2011, 9:09am

Orioles

Your incremental Vladimir Guerrero update

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, citing a major league source, says the Orioles have made an offer to free-agent designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero. Rosenthal estimates that the offer falls in the $3 million to $5 million range. If this is true, the offer must have come this week, because the two sides hadn't been in negotiations. The Orioles always left open the possibility of signing Guerrero, but only at a discount price. Guerrero has sought a multi-year deal, but he can forget it. And...

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More on Rapada

January 26, 2011, 11:56am

Orioles

Clay Rapada will compete for a left-handed relief role with the Orioles, but the Triple-A Norfolk Tides will gladly welcome him to Harbor Park if he's reassigned. Rapada, 29, is a Portsmouth, Va., native who pitched at Virginia State University. He won't hurt attendance. Rapada posted a 4.00 ERA in 13 games with the Texas Rangers in 2010, his third team since the Chicago Cubs signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2002. The Tides put out a release with more information on Rapada, in...

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One argument that fans are not losing interest in baseball

January 25, 2011, 6:31pm

Orioles

One argument that fans are not losing interest in baseball

According to a Harris Poll, pro football is the most popular sport in the United States. Among people that follow at least one sport, 31 percent say football is their favorite sport while baseball is second at 17 percent. In 1985, 23 percent in the same poll listed baseball as No. 1, so the sport is losing ground since then. There are some that think baseball is completely dwarfed by interest in the NFL and some that say the sport just doesn't generate the interest it once did. Oh,...

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Jim Palmer, Brandon Erbe added to FanFest autograph sessions

January 26, 2011, 6:41am

Orioles

Jim Palmer, Brandon Erbe added to FanFest autograph sessions

The Orioles have announced that Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer and right-handed mound prospect Brandon Erbe have been added to the roster of players signing autographs at Saturday's FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center. Palmer has been added to Station 3 at 3:20 p.m., while Erbe will be signing at Station 1 at 4:40 p.m. Fans should visit www.orioles.com/fanfest for an updated list of autograph session availability and a recap of the newly implemented autograph procedures. FanFest...

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Two O's on list of MLB's top 50 prospects

January 25, 2011, 7:02pm

Orioles

Two O's on list of MLB's top 50 prospects

The Orioles have two of baseball's top 24 prospects, according to MLB.com. In announcing its top 50 prospects last night, MLB.com named left-handed pitcher Zach Britton as the game's 19th best prospect and rated shortstop Manny Machado as the 24th. Britton, who turned 23 on Dec. 22, went 10-7 with a 2.70 ERA in 26 starts last year between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. The lefty, who was added to the O's 40-man roster in November, gave up two earned runs or fewer in 21 of 26...

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The O's 2009 draft: Addressing some pitching injuries with Joe Jordan

January 24, 2011, 6:30pm

Orioles

The O's 2009 draft: Addressing some pitching injuries with Joe Jordan

When it comes to the Orioles' 2009 draft, Matt Hobgood is not the only pitcher the O's selected then that has dealt with or is currently dealing with injury issues. The club selected 12 pitchers among the first 20 rounds in that draft, signing 10 of them. Of those 10, six pitched fewer than 50 innings last summer. They selected six pitchers in the first 10 rounds and five of those hurlers dealt with some type of injury last season. Here is a rundown: Round 1 - Hobgood: Currently...

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Some names in the news: Damon, Cashman and Vladdy

January 23, 2011, 6:06pm

Orioles

Some names in the news: Damon, Cashman and Vladdy

Starting the countdown to FanFest and spring training with a look around the AL East. Color me surprised by Tampa After years of watching the Tampa Bay Rays build an impressive franchise by signing and developing young talent as well as anyone, it was interesting to see their latest additions. Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez on the Rays? What is the AL East coming to? Maybe Andy Pettitte will sign with them too. Rays fans are going to notice a drastic difference in their left field defense...