And then depression set in

And then depression set in
Well, another night of little offense, clutch or otherwise. The Orioles are 1-6 with four losses in a row and are 0-4 on the homestand. Tonight's attendance of 9,129 was the smallest crowd in Camden Yards history. Tonight they went 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position in the 5-1 loss vs. Tampa. Felix Pie's homer leading off the game, his first-ever leadoff homer, produced the O's only run. The O's are now 1 for 17 the last three games with RISP and just 9 for 57 (.158) in that stat...

Tonight's attendance

Tonight's attendance
....was just announced at 9,129. Yes, that is sparce. That is the first time in the history of this ballpark a game attendance has been under 10,000. The previous lowest attendance for a game in Camden Yards history is 10,130 on May 26, 2009 vs. Toronto.

Numbers and notes

Numbers and notes
Here are some notes and stats concerning tonight's game. The Rays scored two in the 6th vs. Guthrie to take a 3-1 lead. This is interesting. Stolen base attempts this year by Tampa. First series vs. O's: Went 1 for 4 Second series vs. NY: Went 7 for 7 The Rays easily led the AL in steals last year. Does this mean Matt Wieters is getting a rep for throwing out runners, even with a good team like Tampa. Or am I reading too much into that stat? Luke Scott was 0 for 10 in his career vs....

To bunt or not to bunt

To bunt or not to bunt
Sometimes when a team is struggling to score runs they have to do unconventional things. In the American League, that could include a sac bunt in the second inning of a game. You don't see it often. Maybe the Orioles should have dropped one there tonight. They had runners on first and second vs. Matt Garza with no outs in the bottom of the second. Number seven hitter Garrett Atkins did not bunt. Instead he swung away and hit into a 6-4-3 double play. It was a bit of a rally...

No issues with Rowell

No issues with Rowell
You may have noticed that Billy Rowell of the Frederick Keys played the first game of the season, went 0 for 4, and has not played since. Rowell is not hurt. He was feeling the effects of a bad cold over the weekend and even stayed in the hotel one night as the Keys played a season-opening series at Lynchburg. Rowell may return to the lineup tomorrow night when Frederick plays its home opener. New Keys manager Orlando Gomez will be with the team for the first time tomorrow. He missed the...

Roberts to the DL now official

Roberts to the DL now official
The Orioles have just announced that they have placed 2B Brian Roberts on the 15-day disabled list with a strained abdominal muscle, retroactive to April 10. Roberts was batting .143 (2-14) with one double when he injured himself sliding into second base Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays. To fill Roberts' roster spot, the Orioles recalled INF Justin Turner from Triple-A Norfolk. Turner appeared in 16 spring training games for the Orioles and batted .344 (11-32) with one home run and...

Post-game notes: Jays rally and O's fall to 1-5

Post-game notes:  Jays rally and O's fall to 1-5
This could have gone better: The Orioles were outscored 15-8 and swept three straight by Toronto. The Orioles are 1-5, their worst start since beginning 1-5 in 2002. They have been outscored 27-19 this year. The Orioles scored just two runs on 15 hits in the series final two games. They have scored just 19 runs with a team batting average of .236 on the season. They have scored three runs or less in four of six games. The club's slugging percentage to date is just .374. The Orioles...

What does the 1 and 5 start mean?

What does the 1 and 5 start mean?
So the Orioles have started the year 1-5. They have an injured star player who may be headed for the DL, a struggling closer and they are scoring on average just three runs per game. Oh yeah and they soon have a West Coast road trip and have yet to play the Yankees and Red Sox. Hard to predict a winning streak is in their near future. Here are several ways a fan could feel about this: *Just see a poor record and believe it's the same old Orioles and they stink. *Put most of the blame on...

Talking to Bergesen

Talking to Bergesen
Brad Bergesen continued his running program yesterday, the third time he's picked up the pace without having any issues with his leg. Bergesen told me that he starts with a five-minute walk, then a five-minute run, then a five-minute power walk. "It all felt good," he said. "I've been doing my core training for three weeks now, going into a fourth. Everything's good. I still feel (the leg) a little, but I'm able to do everything. It's not like it's painful or anything." Asked if...
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To Dye for

To Dye for
A report from FOXSports.com that free-agent outfielder Jermaine Dye is willing to play first base next season, and how he could be "a right-handed hitting alternative at first for several clubs, including the Braves, Mets, Giants and Orioles," has stirred up some readers. It's important to stress that the report doesn't state that the Orioles are interested. They're just tossed into the mix because they need a first baseman and a right-handed bat for the middle of their lineup. Back on...
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Welcome Matt

Welcome Matt
I caught up to pitcher Matt Albers yesterday as he was heading to the Texans-Titans game (I didn't have the heart to tell him that I took Tennessee +4 ½). For the past two weeks, Albers and Triple-A Norfolk left-hander Troy Patton have been working out at a facility about 20 minutes north of Houston. "There are about 20 to 25 guys who either play pro ball or just finished," Albers said. Albers won't start throwing until mid-December, but it's more important for him...
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Updating Hendrickson

Updating Hendrickson
Free-agent pitcher Mark Hendrickson isn't preoccupied with thoughts of his next contract. He got married over the weekend, so his priorities have shifted. Hendrickson just told me that he remains encouraged that he'll re-sign with the Orioles, but nothing is imminent. "Right now, it's always kind of tough because it's the Thanksgiving week. Usually, everything slows to a crawl in the world of Major League Baseball," he said. "If I don't hear anything, we've already had discussions...
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Which Orioles rookie isn't Topps? (Updated)

Which Orioles rookie isn't Topps? (Updated)
Topps is unveiling its 51st All-Rookie team this morning, and a certain highly touted and much-publicized Oriole went ignored. Matt Wieters didn't make the list. I'll take my eggs over-easy, with a side of outrage. The New York Mets' Omir Santos beat out Wieters for top (or Topp) rookie catcher after batting .260 with 14 doubles, seven homers, 40 RBIs and a .688 OPS in 281 at-bats. Wieters batted .288 with 15 doubles, nine homers, 43 RBIs and a .753 OPS in 354 at-bats. I forgot that...
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Liz is gone (updated)

Liz is gone (updated)
The San Diego Padres have claimed pitcher Radhames Liz off waivers. Now he can be reunited with Oscar Salazar. Liz, 26, appeared in two games with the Orioles this season and allowed 10 earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. He was 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA in eight starts with Double-A Bowie, and 0-3 with a 5.68 ERA in 17 games (six starts) with Triple-A Norfolk. Live arm, bad mechanics. The Padres must figure out what to do with Liz, something the Orioles never did. Is he a starter or a two-inning power...
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Many thanks

Many thanks
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I hope you ate a light breakfast. Today is a marathon of eating, not a sprint. Pace yourselves. So is it the tryptophan in the turkey that makes you drowsy, or the carbohydrates in the potatoes and stuffing? Or maybe it's the boxed wine. That's my theory. We tend to blame the turkey, but it's apparently built around a myth. Says so here, too. I always eat too much and then collapse on the couch. My sister volunteers to turn me over every 30 minutes so...
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Not getting Miggy with it

Not getting Miggy with it
I'll be heading to Ocean Pines later today with my daughter, who retains complete control of the radio, to spend the weekend with my parents, sister and niece. I barely moved from my couch yesterday while going 1-2 picking against the spread. I guess somebody woke up the Broncos. Just my luck. I allowed my daughter to accept an invitation to spend Thanksgiving with her best friend's family. The kid suffers enough from my cooking. I figured that she deserved a break. And I knew she'd have...
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Tiger and Edgar

Tiger and Edgar
Until more details surface that might change my mind, I'm nominating the Tiger Woods "crash" as the biggest non-story of 2009. Early reports had Woods involved in a "serious automobile accident," as if it could be life-threatening. Later, we found out that he suffered "lacerations" to his face and was released from the hospital. Lacerations: n. A jagged wound or cut. See also: Scrape. It's like calling a bruise a "contusion." Sounds worse than it is. I don't care why Woods was...
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Selig's days numbered?

Selig's days numbered?
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Bud Selig will step down as commissioner of Major League baseball following the 2012 season. According to sources, Selig informed owners of his decision last month during a meeting in Chicago. Andy MacPhail has been the rumored successor to Selig since the day he joined the Orioles' front office as president of baseball operations. As The Tribune's Phil Rogers notes, MacPhail would be a popular choice among owners. If MacPhail isn't the frontrunner...
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The Commish

The Commish
Tigers Woods and his wife requested that police delay interviewing them about "the accident" until today. I didn't know you could do that. The next time I'm pulled over for a traffic violation, I'm going to request that the officer hold off writing the ticket until later. Give me some time to collect my thoughts. Somewhere, John Daly is breathing a huge sigh of relief (and destroying a breakfast burrito). For once, it isn't him. So who's backing up Dennis Dixon tonight? Cliff...
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Countdown to Indy

Countdown to Indy
We learned one thing about Ravens rookie linebacker Paul Kruger last night: He has tight end hands. That wasn't an easy pick, and it might have saved the Ravens' season. If I'm Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, I'm pulling Hines Ward aside this morning, slamming his head with a 2-by-4 and asking whether he'll start on Sunday. The countdown to the winter meetings has officially started for me. I fly to Indianapolis on Sunday, which means I must check-in online exactly 24 hours...
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