Andy MacPhail's announcement that the Orioles will go with a 12 man pitching staff on the Opening Day roster still gives the O's an extra arm if needed in the early season games. If the O's decide to keep the top four starters on normal rest in the rotation, the April schedule would allow Dave Trembley and Rick Kranitz to have the 5th starter available for long relief in several of the games in the first month. Jeremy Guthrie and Koji Uehara, the top two starters will each get five...

Opening Day at Camden Yards was, as always, a big event, and successful with the Orioles' 10-5 win over the Yankees. There was a tremendous electricity in the air as O's fans, devoted to their team, made their presence felt and created an exciting home field advantage. Opening Day also brought the unveiling of the state of the art O's Xtra set in the picnic area behind the bullpens. The permanent structure is large and versatile and enhances our coverage of the Birds. All season long...

With their series win in Texas to begin the first road trip of the season, the Orioles have put together three consecutive series wins to begin the season for the first time since winning the first four series to begin 1998. After going wire to wire in 1997, the O's got off to a strong start in 1998 by taking 2 of 3 from the Royals and then sweeping three from the Tigers at Camden Yards. The O's then went on the road and swept a two-game series in Kansas City before taking 2 of 3 in...

Brad Bergesen was spectacular in his Orioles debut against the White Sox. He had a plan; he executed the plan; and he pitched. He mixed up his pitches, used his slider and change up effectively and he held a very good hitting White Sox team in check. Bergesen is an example of successful player development--a pitcher who signed out of high school, was brought along slowly, and understands how to use his talents. Orioles fans should be excited about the arrival of Bergesen as the first...

As the Orioles concluded their nine-game homestand, Koji Uehara gave the starting rotation a much needed deep outing. Uehara pitched 6.1 innings in a tough luck 3-2 loss to the Angels. Getting deep into games has been a consistent dilemma for the Orioles rotation and that has put the bullpen on overload to pick up the innings the starters can't complete. The O's bullpen went into Wednesday's game against the Angels having pitched 78 innings, the most of any bullpen in the American...

As The Orioles returned home to Camden Yards to open a seven-game homestand, I caught up with hitting coach Terry Crowley to talk about the O's 1-4 road trip and overall team hitting. Talking with "The Crow" on the field during batting practice, I asked Crowley about the numbers his hitters are judged by in the public and how he judges his hitters from his perspective as their coach. The Orioles as a team hit just .223 on the five-game road trip to Toronto and Tampa Bay. Those are the...

During an appearance at the ESPN Zone in the inner harbor Wednesday, Chris Ray reflected on the lonely time spent in Sarasota last season while rehabbing from reconstructive elbow surgery which cost him the 2008 season. Before signing autographs, Ray spoke to fans, recalling how tedious, and at times downright boring, the rehab process can be. Also because of the isolation of a long, slow rehab program, he said he tended to feel like he was no longer part of the team. But every morning...

Every young pitcher coming to the big leagues for the first time has to go through the adjustment process of facing experienced and patient major league hitters. Big league hitters know what they want to hit and they are patient enough to wait out a pitcher, especially an inexperienced one. Brad Bergesen has held his own in his first six starts for the Orioles, and his loss in New York against the Yankees will go a long way toward his continuing education, especially his battle in the...

For the first weekend of interleague baseball, the Orioles were scheduled in Washington D.C. for the first of their home and home series against the Nationals. It was a coincidence of the schedule but it was wonderful to be in the nation's capital over Memorial Day weekend. MASN combined its game crews and Jim Palmer and I got to share the booth with Nats announcers Bob Carpenter and Rob Dibble. It was interesting and a lot of fun to hear the Nats' perspective from Bob and Rob while...

Even with the Orioles on a west coast road trip, the Warehouse at Camden Yards has been a buzz of activity as Joe Jordan and his staff go through the final preparations for the 2009 First-Year Player Draft. This will be Jordan's fifth draft as the Orioles director of scouting. In a third floor conference room, reports on hundreds and hundreds of players fill the large table. A draft board goes through updates and changes. Empty food containers fill waste baskets. And the scouts on...