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Promoting players

July 11, 2010, 7:13am

Orioles

One of the biggest decisions teams make for their minor leaguers is when to promote players to higher levels. When is the time right? What if the player doesn't succeed at that level? How fast should prospects move through the system? O's president Andy MacPhail worked with David Stockstill when he headed up the O's farm system and now works with his brother, John, who is the current director of player development. The O's may be going through some subtle changes in philosophy in how...

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Q&A with John Stockstill

July 11, 2010, 1:21pm

Orioles

John Stockstill has been with the Orioles for five years. He joined the club in December of 2005 to oversee the O's Major League and pro scouting. He has also served as the club's director of international scouting. Since early April of this year he has worked in his latest role with the club as director of player development. In that role he oversees the development of players at all levels of the organization, to include overseeing the workings in the O's minors. Here are some...

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After the All-Star break

July 14, 2010, 12:34pm

Orioles

When baseball resumes after the All-Star break, the O's kick off the second half with a 10-game homestand against Toronto, Tampa, and Minnesota. During that homestand, things will be busy here in Birdland. Check out the list of O's events and promo nights coming up in the days just after the All-Star break: Fri, July 16: Fireworks Night Sat, July 17: Replica Brooks Robinson Jersey (Click here for info on a change to this giveaway) Sun, July 18: Kids Batting Helmet Tue, July 20: Jason...

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Where in the Yard? (Updated w/Answer)

July 12, 2010, 6:52am

Orioles

If you're thinking it feels like a long time since the O's have brought fans of Birdland together at the Yard, you're not the only one. The Birds embarked on a ten-game road trip following the completion of a nine-game homestand against the Marlins, Nats, and A's that ended on July 1. With the All-Star break upon us, it'll be a few more days before we're back at the Yard for Orioles baseball, but we make sure to visit Oriole Park here in the Orioles Buzz every Monday morning with the...

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Ranking the Orioles

July 10, 2010, 10:02pm

Orioles

Earlier today, I presented comments from Baseball America's Will Lingo on the O's farm system. Lingo and Baseball America ranked the O's farm in the top third of baseball earlier this year. "We rated them ninth coming into the season in our Prospect Handbook. For our midseason update, I wouldn't say they are one of the top organizations right now, but I would say they are in the middle of the pack," Lingo said. But if the O's were ninth then and now are in the middle of the pack, are...

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An opinion from Baseball America

July 10, 2010, 10:11pm

Orioles

Yesterday, we began our series of stories around this All-Star break on the Orioles minor league system and how well - or not - it is performing. After getting Andy MacPhail's take, today we solicit an outside and independent, but very well informed, opinion. I interviewed Baseball America's Will Lingo, who has followed the O's minors closely for years and who puts together the publication's Orioles top prospects list every year. How are the O's doing on the farm right now at the...

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Do the O's have enough scouts?

July 11, 2010, 5:05pm

Orioles

As we continue our series on the O's minors, how about scouting and the number of scouting positions a club uses? Fans have pointed out that, according to the Baseball America directory, the Orioles rank last in the AL East in the number of scouting positions. Here is what Baseball America reported: Baltimore: Director, International Scouting - 1 Director, Professional Scouting - 1 Major League Advance Scout - 1 Major League Scouts - 2 Pro Scouts - 7 Director, Amateur Scouting - 1 Scouting...

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Six games, 35 runs

July 10, 2010, 10:13am

Orioles

Don't look now, but the offensively-challenged Orioles have scored 35 runs over their past six games with a team average of .316 during the stretch. They have scored 13 runs on 25 hits with four homers in the first two games of the series at Texas. Let's see if they can keep that going, or some semblance of it, tonight vs. Cliff Lee. It's been such a tough year for Chris Tillman that even when he gets to return to the O's mound, this time it's to face a former Cy Young winner. Here are...

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Assessing the O's minor leagues: Andy MacPhail's take

July 10, 2010, 4:34pm

Orioles

Assessing the O's minor leagues: Andy MacPhail's take

When it comes to how the Orioles are doing in the minor leagues these days, the general consensus seems to be good - not great, but better than in some past years. The O's farm system has sent several players to the Majors over the past few years, including some like Brian Matusz and Matt Wieters, who were high draft picks that are projected to be All-Star caliber Major Leaguers during their careers. Today, we begin a series of stories here looking at the Orioles and how they are doing at...

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O's produce first four-game sweep at Texas in 34 years

July 11, 2010, 2:35pm

Orioles

O's produce first four-game sweep at Texas in 34 years

The Orioles beat the Texas Rangers 4-1 this afternoon, to complete their first four-game sweep at Texas since June of 1976. Jake Arrieta followed up Chris Tillman's stellar outing Saturday with one of his own today. Arrieta allowed six hits and one run over 6 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out three, throwing 90 pitches. He improved to 3-2, 4.38. Arrieta has allowed just 5 ER over his last three starts, pitching to an ERA of 2.41. He has recorded five quality starts among his...

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Minor league notes on Widlansky and Britton

July 11, 2010, 11:42am

Orioles

Minor league notes on Widlansky and Britton

It appears that Robbie Widlansky of the Double-A Bowie Baysox will be out for the rest of this season. He suffered what is believed to be a fractured right ankle on Thursday during a game at Erie and is expected to miss at least six weeks, meaning the soonest he would be back is at the very end of the minor league season. Widlansky, who won the Carolina League batting title last year while at Frederick, is batting .269-5-30 in 74 games with the Baysox. He was just two for 21 in July at the...

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Minor League series on the way

July 10, 2010, 9:54pm

Orioles

I wanted to pass along another reminder about what you will be reading in this space beginning Monday. I'll present a series of blogs on the Orioles minor league system. We'll take a look at how the O's are doing on the farm, how they develop players, how scouting and player development work together and how the O's make decisions like deciding when to promote a player. For those of you that are diehard fans of the minors, I hope it will add some information for your further enjoyment of...

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O's homer notes

July 10, 2010, 5:54pm

Orioles

The Orioles have hit three homers off Cliff Lee tonight at Texas. Lee had allowed just five homers all year over 103 2/3 innings and 13 starts. This is the most homers he has allowed in a single game on the season. Nick Markakis hit a solo shot in the fourth, his sixth of the season and third over his last nine games and second on the year vs. a lefty. Markakis homers in 2010: April through June: 3 homers over 287 at bats. July: 3 homers over 40 at bats. Cesar Izturis hit a solo homer to...

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Swinging early and often vs. Lee

July 10, 2010, 5:08pm

Orioles

Juan Samuel wasn't kidding, apparently, when he said earlier today that his team needed to be aggressive tonight vs. Cliff Lee. Lee has a rep for getting ahead of hitters and the O's are sure swinging early in the count tonight vs. the 2008 AL Cy Young winner. It worked when Corey Patterson led off the game with a double and then, on the very next pitch, Miguel Tejada lined an RBI single to right. Two pitches and a 1-0 lead on Lee, who went 8-3, 2.34 for Seattle and is 4-0, 2.38 in five...

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Notes and stats on a wild O's win

July 09, 2010, 10:45pm

Orioles

It was scheduled to start at 8:05 Eastern Time on Friday night, but after a rain delay of two hours and 29 minutes, it started around 10:30 and when it was over it was closing in on 2:30 a.m on Saturday. Corey Patterson's Grand Slam with two outs on a 2-2 pitch in the top of the ninth tied the game and the Orioles got a solo shot from Jake Fox an inning later to post a wild, comeback, 7-6, 10-inning win over Texas on Friday and Saturday. Here are some stats and notes from this crazy...

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Stockstill confirms Veloz signing

July 09, 2010, 9:18pm

Orioles

Orioles director of international operations, David Stockstill, confirmed in an interview tonight that the Orioles have reached agreement on a deal with 16-year-old Dominican third baseman Hector Veloz. "I can confirm we have agreed to terms," Stockstill said. "He's a third baseman with a lot of tools and some good power. He has a good arm and quick feet. "I'm really proud of our organization for getting this done. This is a player we have scouted for two and a half years. Felipe...

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Minor moves

July 09, 2010, 3:19pm

Orioles

There were a few roster moves today in the O's farm system. Right-hander Josh Perrault went on the disabled list at Bowie. The 28-year-old Perrault is 0-2, 9.24 over seven games after going 1-4, 2.13 last year between Bowie and Norfolk. Also, lefty Chris George has been transferred from Bowie to Norfolk. Aberdeen lefty Brandon Holloway has been placed on the disabled list. He is 1-1, 0.00 on the year. Over six innings he has given up just three hits and two unearned runs. Frederick,...

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An Orioles debut

July 09, 2010, 12:54pm

Orioles

Have you seen the new Orioles team page on MASNsports.com? O's and Nats team pages have been in the works since our redesign brought forth a new look on MASNsports.com near the start of the 2010 baseball season, and they've arrived in style. If you click on the Orioles tab (or the "Orioles Section" from the dropdown menu that appears when you scroll over the O's tab), you'll find our whole range of O's coverage all in one place. Scores, recent videos, featured news, links to our...

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A giveaway change

July 08, 2010, 11:20am

Orioles

Though Brooks Robinson Jersey night isn't scheduled until Saturday, July 17, there's been a change to the previously scheduled promo night at Camden Yards that's worth noting ahead of time. The Orioles PR department has announced that a vendor error will delay the arrival of the replica Brooks Robinson jerseys promised on the promotions schedule on July 17. But rather than simply giving fans a raincheck, the O's will compensate the inconvenience to fans by giving away Brooks Robinson...

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O's reportedly agree to terms with Dominican third baseman

July 09, 2010, 8:35am

Orioles

O's reportedly agree to terms with Dominican third baseman

The O's have finally made a splash of sorts on the international signings front. Here is an article from Baseball America on the possible signing of Hector Veloz. It is very unlikely that any O's club official will comment for the record on Veloz. His signing will need to be cleared through Major League Baseball's Dominican office and that could take weeks or months. The reporter mentions in the story that a club official did not return calls when he was seeking comment. Let's just say...