orioles buzz

Domenic Vadala: Is Chris Davis an MVP candidate?

June 02, 2013, 1:16pm

Orioles

Domenic Vadala: Is Chris Davis an MVP candidate?

Going into the 2013 season, one of the big questions surrounding the Orioles was Chris Davis at first base. In 26 games at first last year, Davis fielded at a .989 clip and committed four errors before Mark Reynolds became the Orioles' everyday first baseman. However, for the season overall, Davis hit .270 with 33 homers. I remember saying on Birds Watcher during spring training that the nightmare scenario for the Birds would be for Davis to struggle in the field to the point that the O's...

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Matthew Taylor: Tracing the battle to before there were Beltways

May 31, 2013, 5:48am

Nationals Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Tracing the battle to before there were Beltways

The Orioles and Nationals wrapped up the 2013 edition of the Battle of the Beltways on Thursday night with the O's winning their third game of the four-game, split-stadium series. The series got me to thinking about the early days of this match-up and how much I'd forgotten since these two teams starting playing each other again. And then there's the stuff I never knew from the original days of Baltimore-Washington baseball. I took a look back at the first games between the two franchises in...

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Anthony Amobi: Is Chris Davis for real?

May 30, 2013, 5:17am

Orioles

At this point in my life, as a sports fan, I'm not often surprised by much. So far this season, Chris Davis has me wondering if what I am seeing from him is for real, based on his track record. I was not sure if he could replicate what he did last season, especially toward the end, coming into 2013. However, he is exceeding that - and a whole lot more. His nickname among fans and the media is "Crush", based on his power at the plate, size and physique. Since opening day, he has been doing...

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Neal Shaffer: J. Johnson's struggles illustrate why baseball should rethink closer role

May 29, 2013, 4:46am

Orioles

Neal Shaffer: J. Johnson's struggles illustrate why baseball should rethink closer role

Timely piece of work on Tuesday from SI's Tom Verducci about struggling closers around MLB, with our own Jim Johnson starring as co-Exhibit A with Fernando Rodney of the Rays. It's worth a read, but here's the salient point: It's not a surprise that Johnson, 29, and Rodney, 36, are struggling, especially given their age and workload last season. The surprise would have been if they pitched as well this year as they did last year. I'm on record as one who argues against statistics...

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Zach Wilt: What makes a rivalry?

May 28, 2013, 4:44am

Orioles

The purists tell me that interleague play doesn't belong in baseball. If they're fans of the National League, they despise the use of the designated hitter, and if they root for a team in the American League, vise versa. Personally, I've never understood the disdain on either side. In fact, interleague rivalry week is one of my favorite parts of the long baseball season. What makes a true sports rivalry? Some people argue that because the Orioles and Nationals don't play in the same...

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Domenic Vadala: Some thoughts on the Battle of the Beltways

May 26, 2013, 8:59am

Orioles

Domenic Vadala: Some thoughts on the Battle of the Beltways

First off, I want to offer my thanks to our nation's veterans who we celebrate today on this Memorial Day. I hope that all Americans remember that we should keep the heroism of our nation's service members in mind on all days, not only today. My late grandfather, Dr. Anthony Launi, was a World War II veteran, and later a catcher in the Washington Senators' minor league system before settling in Bethesda to practice dentistry and raise his family, which included my mother. Today is also a...

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Matthew Taylor: Ballpark franks aren't the answer in Toronto

May 24, 2013, 5:37am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Ballpark franks aren't the answer in Toronto

I can't watch the Orioles play in Toronto without thinking of my trips to see games there in its pre-2005 SkyDome days. Both of those visits were memorable in their own right - I'm sure I'm not the only one who has neglected to convert kilometers to miles upon first driving into Canada. However, it was the latter adventure some nine years ago that nearly landed me in a Major League Baseball video. The purpose of my trip to the Great White North was to attend an academic conference. I was a...

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Anthony Amobi: Gausman to the rescue?

May 23, 2013, 5:04am

Orioles

Tonight will be quite an event for the Orioles and their fans as Kevin Gausman - one of the organization's top pitching prospects - takes the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays. The fans have wanted him called up for a while, and they have gotten their wish. As of early last week, executive vice president Dan Duquette noted to the media that Gausman would not be in line for a promotion to the majors soon; however, considering the precarious state of the starting rotation, the Orioles may...

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Help the Orioles and Baltimore youth win with a simple #whiff

May 21, 2013, 9:09pm

Orioles

Over the course of this young season, the Orioles have recorded 303 strikeouts. While that number is not near league-leading, it has allowed fans the chance to give support to the Baltimore chapter of the RBI League 303 times. Whenever the O's record a strikeout, you have the power to rally round Baltimore's RBI League. Every time the Birds record a K, you can tweet with the @Orioles' Twitter handle and the hashtag #whiff. With each tweet, you'll record a vote for the Baltimore RBI...

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Neal Shaffer: Was O's frustrating skid a necessary evil?

May 22, 2013, 5:03am

Orioles

Neal Shaffer: Was O's frustrating skid a necessary evil?

Now that it's over, thanks to Nate McLouth and his walk-off 10th-inning heroics, I feel comfortable stating the less-than-obvious: Thank goodness for that six-game losing streak. Perhaps that sounds odd at best, a little stupid at worst. It should. But dig a little deeper with me and I think you'll see what I mean. It was just a week ago in this space that I declared the O's a good team and talked about how strange it was to adjust to the idea that they're no longer a band of losers. So,...

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Zach Wilt: Breaking down Jim Johnson's struggles

May 21, 2013, 5:41am

Orioles

Zach Wilt: Breaking down Jim Johnson's struggles

Last season, Jim Johnson blew three saves in 54 chances, while this year, he's blown three consecutive opportunities. The Orioles closer is scuffling and the team is stuck in a season-worst six-game losing streak. Johnson has allowed eight earned runs in his last three appearances and has watched his ERA jump from 0.95 to 4.22. Arguably one of the best at his craft a season ago, Johnson is a unique breed of closer. He doesn't overpower hitters or record high strikeout totals; he forces...

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Orange, black and cartoon birds reign in ESPN's "Battle of the Uniforms"

May 20, 2013, 4:12pm

Orioles

Orange, black and cartoon birds reign in ESPN's "Battle of the Uniforms"

Don't underestimate the black and orange. More than 147,000 votes were cast in the final round of ESPN's "Battle of the Uniforms." Facing the No. 1 seeded Cardinals, the Orioles emerged as champions after fans voted for the cartoon bird over the Redbirds by a final percentage of 59 to 41. But it didn't start there. The Orioles entered the competition as a No. 13 seed, which begs the question: "Have you seen the orange alternates?" Regardless, they started off the battle by facing the...

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Domenic Vadala: Do the Orioles need to trade for a top starting pitcher?

May 20, 2013, 9:06am

Orioles

Orioles pitching has been the elephant in the room all season long, and to a certain degree, it came to a bit of a head last week and this weekend. First off, while starters going deep into games has been an issue all season, I'm also a firm believer in not letting one bad start get you down. While Jason Hammel has struggled through his last few starts, he never struggled as much as he did Friday night against Tampa Bay. However, he can't allow that to seep into his mind, otherwise he won't...

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Birds battling St. Louis for title of best uniforms in baseball

May 17, 2013, 11:14am

Orioles

Birds battling St. Louis for title of best uniforms in baseball

Duking it out against the Cardinals, the Orioles are looking for their fans to rally behind them and support their push to the top. But this is not a battle of who's best on the diamond. Rather, it's a debate of who looks best on the field in ESPN's "Battle of the Uniforms." Mimicking their wearers' 2012 season, the Orioles' uniforms have played the role of an underdog, scrapping their way into the final round of the battle as a No. 13 seed. Defeating the other orange uniforms, the...

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Matthew Taylor: Some context on Johnson's consecutive saves record

May 17, 2013, 5:15am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Some context on Johnson's consecutive saves record

Jim Johnson's consecutive saves streak ended at 35 games Tuesday night in a 3-2 loss to the San Diego Padres. Johnson's streak was one better than Randy Myers' previous Orioles record of 34 and one worse than Mariano Rivera's personal best of 36. Eric Gagne is in a world all his own with his major league record of 84 consecutive saves for the Los Angeles Dodgers. While it's interesting to see how Johnson's run stacks up to those of other great relievers, the more remarkable context is...

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Neal Shaffer: Embracing a dilemma at the season's quarter-pole

May 15, 2013, 4:57am

Orioles

Neal Shaffer: Embracing a dilemma at the season's quarter-pole

The 40-game mark, the quarter pole, has traditionally been one of the first real mile markers of the baseball season. It's the point at which we can no longer say, "Yeah, but it's early." By 40 games in, there's a sense of things. A lot will still happen, but the season is no longer a series of maybes. As the Orioles close in on that mark for 2013, it's safe to say they're off to a hell of a start. Here they stand at 23-16 with a 14-9 mark away from Camden Yards. They've scored 192...

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Zach Wilt: Has Pedro Strop bounced back?

May 13, 2013, 3:52pm

Orioles

Zach Wilt: Has Pedro Strop bounced back?

Coming off a stellar performance in the World Baseball Classic, the Orioles seemed very optimistic about Pedro Strop heading into the 2013 season. Buck Showalter leaned heavily on him through much of 2012, until Strop struggled with pitch location in September and into the postseason. In Strop's final 11 regular season outings, he surrendered six earned runs over 7 1/3 innings pitched, issued eight walks and struck out seven. Opponents were hitting .371 against him with a .444 BABIP (Batting...

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Domenic Vadala: Anatomy of a comeback

May 12, 2013, 5:08pm

Orioles

We all saw what happened Friday night, as the Orioles came back and defeated the Minnesota Twins after being down 6-0. Six runs isn't the greatest comeback of all time, however there's certainly a difference between that and being down by one or two. I think that in all sports there comes a point in a game where a team feels somewhat secure in its lead. In the NFL, I'd say that a 21-point lead is fairly safe, and the same would be true of a 15-point lead in the NBA. Minnesota had the...

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Matthew Taylor: Enjoying the ride

May 10, 2013, 6:00am

Orioles

The Orioles enter the weekend with a 21-14 record, in a three-way tie for first place in the American League East with the Red Sox and Yankees. If you've followed baseball long enough, you've likely developed the reserved reflex that is so common to the sport. It's the one that produces programmed responses to good news, led by the many variations of "it's early." We're not supposed to get excited about individual efforts yet because of sample size, and as for teams, well, "It's a...

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Anthony Amobi: O's took a chance and gamble with Machado has paid off

May 09, 2013, 5:40am

Orioles

Anthony Amobi: O's took a chance and gamble with Machado has paid off

In August 2012, the Orioles were in the wild card hunt and desperate to solve a problem - third base. Former Oriole Mark Reynolds, despite his power, was struggling at the hot corner, and executive vice president Dan Duquette, the front office, along with manager Buck Showalter were looking for a solution. In the middle of that month, the Orioles did something bold and head-scratching at the same time. They promoted Manny Machado from Double-A Bowie to the majors. At first, I was bewildered...