orioles buzz

James Baker: Wieters on the perpetual cusp

September 16, 2011, 6:58am

Orioles

James Baker: Wieters on the perpetual cusp

Is there a more aggravating player than Matt Wieters on the Orioles right now? He is so good, and it appears that he is on the verge of breaking his season, and career, open at any second, but he never seems to take that final step. As of this morning Wieters' slash-line looks like this: .262 /.323 /.449 /.772 That .772 OPS is good enough for third in the American League among catchers. Detroit's Alex Avila is having a ridiculous season, but Wieters has hit more homers and has struck out 30...

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Daniel Moroz: Johnson's new role can't save O's from ill-advised signing of Gregg

September 14, 2011, 4:33am

Orioles

Daniel Moroz: Johnson's new role can't save O's from ill-advised signing of Gregg

Jim Johnson now has as many saves in the last week as Kevin Gregg has since the beginning of August. That gives me a great excuse to bring out two of my favorite hobby horses: Despite what many people say (including some allusions by the Orioles themselves), Johnson is perfectly capable of being the team's closer, and signing Gregg was not a good move. Johnson once blew a save (or two), which resulted in some people deciding that he didn't have the mentality of a closer, or something like...

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Oriole Advocates to hold annual Cardboard to Leather collection at Saturday's game

September 13, 2011, 7:33am

Orioles

Oriole Advocates to hold annual Cardboard to Leather collection at Saturday's game

Root around in your closet, poke down to the bottom of the equipment bag, check out the trunk of your family car. Think of anywhere where you might have some wayward baseball equipment - bats, balls, gloves, uniforms, etc - because some kid far away might be able to use the gear that you no longer need. Saturday marks the annual Cardboard to Leather collection at Camden Yards, when the Orioles and Oriole Advocates accept donations of new or gently used baseball and softball equipment. The...

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Lauren Tilley: Rooting against the O's?

September 13, 2011, 4:57am

Orioles

This is a very rare and difficult blog for me to write. I had a discussion with some friends today asking what in the world I should write about. I've discussed the endless pitching problems in many articles, as well as my problems with the management and entire front office, coaching, and training staff. What's next to complain about? As James Baker discussed in his recent guest blog, why do we even watch anymore? I've never thought of that question, just like many of the people he...

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Shake off the winter chill at Orioles Dream Week 2012

September 12, 2011, 9:48am

Orioles

When Camden Yards opened in 1992, the new ballpark launched a new era of Orioles baseball. Fans came in droves - the season attendance of 3,567,819 made tickets a tough get - and a blue-collar lineup under the direction of manager Johnny Oates managed to post 89 victories. There were two Ripkens in the infield, observers wondered whether Sam Horn could hit the warehouse on the fly, Rick Sutcliffe added a veteran presence in the rotation, Mike Mussina flirted with 20 wins and still-active Arthur...

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Flanagan to be remembered in New Hampshire hometown

September 12, 2011, 6:33am

Orioles

Flanagan to be remembered in New Hampshire hometown

Fans, friends and family members in Mike Flanagan's hometown of Manchester, N.H., have planned two events this weekend to celebrate the life of the former Orioles pitcher, coach, executive and broadcaster, who died Aug. 24 at 59. A tribute to Flanagan's life will take place Saturday, Sept. 17 at Manchester Memorial High School, where Flanagan excelled in basketball and baseball for the Crusaders. The following morning, a memorial Mass will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in...

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Ex-Oriole Jesse Jefferson dead at 62

September 10, 2011, 5:59am

Orioles

Former Orioles pitcher Jesse Jefferson has died of prostate cancer. He was 62, and lived in his hometown of Midlothian, Va. The O's made Jefferson a fourth-round pick in the 1968 amateur draft and the right-hander reached the majors in 1973. He spend three of his nine big league seasons in Baltimore, going 7-7 with a 4.13 ERA in 42 games, 17 as a starter. When he started, he usually finished, recording 12 complete games in orange and black from 1973-75. Jefferson was traded to the Chicago...

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James Baker: As fall slowly starts to arrive ...

September 09, 2011, 7:16am

Orioles

James Baker: As fall slowly starts to arrive ...

As the rain continues to fall here in Charm City, it is hard to believe that the season is coming to an end. Some would say a merciful one. With the Ravens about to kick off the NFL season against the hated Pittsburgh Steelers, the Orioles are about to be, once again, relegated to second-team status here in our fair community. And they deserve to be. Getting two come-from-behind, extra-inning wins from the Yankees is great, watching Nick Markakis lay out Francisco Cervelli is awesome, but...

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Heath Bintliff: Should the O's have traded Jeremy Guthrie?

September 07, 2011, 4:24pm

Orioles

Heath Bintliff: Should the O's have traded Jeremy Guthrie?

As the Orioles move forward into 2012, one thing they definitely need to take a hard look at is shedding veteran players and getting younger, yet again. After all, Nick Markakis, Adam Jones and even Matt Wieters are veteran players at this point, and with J.J. Hardy and Mark Reynolds under contract, the team could use some young talent. And one way to get some of that talent is to trade useful vets for promising kids. The front office has already made one move in that direction, trading...

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Coaching, scouting keep Sir Calvin busy in retirement

September 03, 2011, 8:15am

Orioles

Coaching, scouting keep Sir Calvin busy in retirement

It doesn't seem like Calvin Maduro has been retired only five years. The way the former Orioles right-hander has been keeping busy, he's hardly had time to reflect on the fact that he hasn't thrown a pitch in anger since 2006, when he went 1-5 and worked mostly in relief for the O's Double-A affiliate in Bowie. "That sounded old," Maduro chuckled when asked if he felt like he belonged signing postcards and posing for photos as part of the Orioles Alumni autograph series after a recent...

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O's aid Hurricane Irene recovery efforts

September 07, 2011, 12:40pm

Orioles

O's aid Hurricane Irene recovery efforts

The Orioles are teaming with the American Red Cross Greater Chesapeake & Potomac Blood Services Region on a series of blood drives this week to help build the supplies in local blood banks that were diminished by Hurricane Irene. To reward those willing to part with the gift of life, all donors will receive a complimentary ticket to the Orioles' game against the New York Yankees tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. Blood donors won't be the only folks in attendance at tomorrow's make-up contest to have...

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Daniel Moroz: Lumber numbers of struggling O's hurlers are surprisingly impressive

September 07, 2011, 5:18am

Orioles

Daniel Moroz: Lumber numbers of struggling O's hurlers are surprisingly impressive

The Orioles have had a tough season in many respects. Many, many respects. But there is one area in which they've been not only the best team in baseball, but the best team in baseball by far. It's their pitchers - when they're hitters. The best-hitting pitching staff in the National League belongs to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have a collective .190/.230/.257 line. That's obviously awful by regular standards (and one of the main reasons why I think the DH should be universal), but on...

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Lauren Tilley: Brian Matusz is no longer Brian Matusz

September 06, 2011, 8:25am

Orioles

Lauren Tilley: Brian Matusz is no longer Brian Matusz

For those of you who know how yesterday's game went, it was an offensive shootout that unfortunately ended badly for the Orioles (yet again). It all started with Brian Matusz who lasted only 1 1/3 innings or, to put it better, four outs. In that short outing, he gave up five hits, five earned runs and two walks. So far this season, he is 1-7 with a 9.84 ERA. His longest outing of the season was 6 2/3 innings in which he gave up eight hits and six runs in the loss. In his 10 starts this...

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Matthew Taylor: Some historical perspective on triple-digit losses

September 05, 2011, 5:19am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Some historical perspective on triple-digit losses

The Orioles are in the home stretch of their 14th consecutive losing season. That's a lot of bad baseball. However, one thing the Birds have never done during that run is lose 100 games. In fact, the O's have lost 100 games in a season only twice since the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore, going 54-100 in 1954 and 54-107 in 1988. Here are some facts and figures about 100-loss seasons in Baltimore and beyond: * The Orioles have more than twice as many 100-win seasons as they do 100-loss...

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James Baker: Where do we go from here?

September 02, 2011, 2:20am

Orioles

Does anyone really have an answer to that question? Everyone has a theory, but can anyone really say that any one of them will make the Orioles a competitive team in 2012? Yu Darvish is the latest Japanese superstar rumored to be on his way to America. The half-Iranian, half-Japanese Darvish will likely command a ridiculous posting fee to even begin negotiations. I don't see the Orioles doing that, so put it out of your minds. The Orioles are more likely to be involved with a free agent like...

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Heath Bintliff: Future of Orioles rotation murkier than ever

September 01, 2011, 4:58am

Orioles

With the arrival of "The Calvary," there was to be an influx of young arms in the Orioles rotation and it was thought that some would seize starting jobs and not let them go. I thought that the starting rotation for the 2012 Orioles would be in much sharper focus by the end of this season. I was wrong. Due to injuries, general ineffectiveness and the rise of some unlikely candidates, figuring out who will be in the 2012 Baltimore rotation has gotten much harder to figure. Jeremy Guthrie:...

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Daniel Moroz: Longball at center of Hardy's renaissance

August 31, 2011, 6:46am

Orioles

Daniel Moroz: Longball at center of Hardy's renaissance

J.J. Hardy is having a very good offensive season. He is, in fact, having the best offensive season of his career. And that's coming entirely from one factor. Not more walks (he's doing worse than his career numbers) or fewer strike-outs (he's doing worse than his career numbers) or more hits when he puts the ball into play (he's doing worse than his career numbers). It's the longball. Hardy's 26 home runs already tie a career high (in only 102 games, no less), and there's a good...

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Lauren Tilley: And the Orioles' closer in 2012 should be ...

August 30, 2011, 4:36am

Orioles

OK, before I tell you who I think the closer should be for next season, let me just preface it with a few things. Before you scream so much that spit and food crumbs end up splattered all over your computer screen, before you send me hate comments and before you send bombs to my family through your computer screen (I'm sure that piece of technology has already been created), hear me out. Read what I have to say and let me defend myself. Oh, and don't forget to breathe. Are you ready?...

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Monday Memory: Of flooded dugouts and faux fishing holes

August 29, 2011, 10:55am

Orioles

Monday Memory: Of flooded dugouts and faux fishing holes

This weekend's brush with Hurricane Irene got me thinking about some of the waterlogged nights I've spend at Camden Yards and Memorial Stadium over the years. Rain and games don't really mix - even in football, where hearty, big guys boast about playing through just about everything weather-wise. They certainly did at the soggiest sporting event I ever attended, a Canadian Football League game on 33rd Street during the first year of the Baltimore Stallions. The heavens opened and didn't...

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Matthew Taylor: Crafty lefty could also whiff opposing hitters

August 29, 2011, 4:32am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Crafty lefty could also whiff opposing hitters

David Price established a Tampa Bay franchise record on Sunday with 14 strikeouts in seven innings of work at Toronto. Price set the mark in his fourth big league season and exceeded by two his previous career high of 12 strikeouts. By his fourth season, former Orioles lefty Mike Flanagan had established what would be his own career-high strikeout total by having twice fanned 13 batters in nine innings of work. During this sad time for the Orioles franchise, it's nice to remember Flanny at...