SARASOTA, Fla. - Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro is one of the many connections made by executive vice president Dan Duquette that may pay off for the Orioles.
Niekro is working for the Orioles as a consultant of sorts, as he mentors knuckleballer Zach Staniewicz at the Twin Lakes Park complex.
Long story short: The Orioles signed Staniewicz, 26, after Niekro recommended him to Duquette. Staniewicz went to Atlanta on his own to work out with Niekro, who later contacted Duquette and said that...
This week, with a little more downtime in my schedule, I've been able to dig into "From 33rd Street to Camden Yards," a book by John Eisenberg. Using quotes of Orioles, from Boog Powell to Earl Weaver, Eisenberg has taught me Orioles history through first-hand accounts. While I have yet to finish the book, I have been reminded of the rich history of Baltimore baseball while simultaneously watching current Orioles in the World Baseball Classic and spring training this week.
Talk about...
SARASOTA, Fla. - When your manager is Buck Showalter, a player knows he has to take care of the little things and always be prepared to best do his job.
The latest example came yesterday when Showalter spent a good portion of his postgame interview session talking about pitchers' times to home plate out of the stretch.
It is clear Showalter was not thrilled with some of the organization's pitchers in that respect when he came to the Orioles and he and his pitching coaches - in the majors...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed that the Orioles signed Clayton Tanner to a minor league deal and will assign him to Twin Lakes Park, where he will attempt to land a job at Double-A Bowie or Triple-A Norfolk.
"He should be in town soon," Duquette said.
Tanner, 25, signed the deal on Sunday, after the Orioles received permission from the Australian Baseball Federation. They scouted Tanner while he pitched for Australia in the World Baseball Classic.
"He...
VIERA, Fla. - Chris Young provided a solid four innings on the mound, Micah Owings provided the pop.
The Nationals beat the Astros 6-3 this afternoon in large part due to the efforts of a 33-year-old pitcher and a 30-year-old pitcher-turned-position-player who are both in camp on minor league deals.
Young threw four innings of one-run ball this afternoon. Outside of a leadoff homer that came on his fourth pitch of the game, Young did well to hold the Astros without a run, working out of a...
SARASOTA, Fla. - For Dylan Bundy, it was a day when his velocity increased some from his last start, but his command was still not where he wanted it to be. Bundy took the loss this afternoon when he gave up a ninth-inning run as Tampa Bay beat the Orioles 4-3 in Sarasota.
Bundy pitched the last three innings, allowing two hits and one run with two walks and one strikeout. He now has an ERA of 1.13 through four spring training games.
"It's never up to my standards, you know," Bundy said...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter didn't dispute the call from home plate umpire John Hirschbeck that allowed Tampa Bay's Wil Myers to score in the ninth inning and break a 3-3 tie. Catcher Luis Exposito was charged with interference, and an error, for using his mask to corral the ball. The issue for Showalter is the lack of intent. Exposito wasn't gaining an advantage only a few feet from the plate. It's a silly rule.
As for the pitching, Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy combined for 5...
Right-hander Paul Demny has come to the accelerated development camp looking good and ready to pick up where he left off following his play in the Arizona Fall League.
"He looks like he is in better shape," said Harrisburg Senators pitching coach Paul Menhart. "He took a couple of weeks off after the Arizona Fall League and came in here in really good shape. His arm is healthy. I expect big things out of him this year."
Here are updates on a pair of newcomers to the Nationals...
VIERA, Fla. - Micah Owings' power is as advertised.
Owings crushed a grand slam way out to right field in the seventh inning, his second home run of spring, giving the Nationals a 6-3 lead.
A former pitcher attempting to make the transition to a position player, Owings has really impressed with his bat this spring. He now is batting .368 in 19 at-bats, and five of his seven hits are for extra bases.
Owings needs to work on his defense at first base and the outfield, and prove that he can...
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have signed left-hander Clayton Tanner to a minor league deal after scouting him with Australia in the World Baseball Classic.
Tanner, 25, is a former third-round pick of the San Francisco Giants in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft. He was 0-2 with an 8.40 ERA and 50 hits allowed in 30 innings over 12 games, including four starts, with Triple-A Fresno last year, and 1-3 with a 4.08 ERA in 30 relief appearances with Double-A Pensacola.
In seven minor league...