orioles buzz

Zach Wilt: Building on the core with Samardzija is the right move

May 29, 2014, 4:20am

Orioles

Zach Wilt: Building on the core with Samardzija is the right move

For years, I wanted to see the Orioles stockpile their farm system and build a winner through their homegrown talent. I understood that they would never outbid the teams in major media markets for big-name free agents and truthfully, there was something more satisfying about the thought of beating those teams with guys that have come through the system. In 2012, the O's snapped their 14-year losing streak and made the postseason for the first time since 1997. You remember, it was a magical...

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Daniel Clark: Time to make most of offensive resurgence

May 27, 2014, 8:19pm

Orioles

Daniel Clark: Time to make most of offensive resurgence

After an inconsistent start to the season, the Orioles offense really started to step it up a notch over the past 10 days and their American League rivals have been forced to take notice. In their past nine games, dating to May 18, the Orioles produced 137 base runners (101 hits, 30 walks, six hit batsmen) which resulted in 55 runs being scored. This was a significant increase in offensive production from their previous seven games, where a combined total of just 15 runs were scored. The...

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Jon Shepherd: An adequate catcher is hard to find

May 26, 2014, 12:37pm

Orioles

Jon Shepherd: An adequate catcher is hard to find

A week ago, it was announced that Matt Wieters had received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to help his recovery for his strained right elbow. Without knowing anything about his particular case, as well as reminding you that he has not yet been scheduled for surgery, I suspected that the team would soon be welcoming another catcher because PRPs tend to be a Hail Mary sort of treatment. The concept behind the PRP treatment is that your blood has a variety of components that assist with...

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Andrew Stetka: Viewing Markakis' place in O's history

May 26, 2014, 4:55am

Orioles

Andrew Stetka: Viewing Markakis' place in O's history

One of the big questions the Orioles will have this offseason is what to do with right fielder Nick Markakis. As many are aware, the 30-year-old has a mutual option in his contract which expires at year's end. The six-year deal worth more than $66 million was signed before the 2009 season when Andy MacPhail was the team's president of baseball operations. The team can decline its end of the option and pay a $2 million buyout at the end of the season or pick up the option of $17.5 million. The...

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MASN's first Social Media Weekend of '14 starts Friday

May 19, 2014, 9:30am

Orioles

MASN's first Social Media Weekend of '14 starts Friday

It's the most wonderful time of the year, O's fans! MASN is hosting its first Social Media Weekend of the 2014 baseball season at Camden Yards on May 23-25. All weekend long, we'll be on-site, celebrating our social media followers and rewarding those fans for their loyalty. Hopefully, you're one of them! We'll kick things off with Adam Jones on Friday afternoon for his second live chat of the season. Jones will be fielding fan questions live on the front page of MASNsports.com, so be...

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Matthew Taylor: 1950s bonus baby Nelson never hit it big

May 23, 2014, 5:46am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: 1950s bonus baby Nelson never hit it big

He was buried in his Orioles jersey and his obituary read, "He especially loved having a beer or two while watching baseball on TV." Robert "Tex" Nelson is a guy who's worth getting to know more about. I ï¬rst learned about Nelson, who played for the Orioles from 1955 through 1957, thanks to my wife. She sent me a proï¬le of former O's public relations director and current director of Orioles alumni Bill Stetka that ran in The Baltimore Sun last month. I give her ï¬‚owers, she...

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Zach Wilt: Slow start? What slow start?

May 22, 2014, 4:43am

Orioles

Through his first 30 games of the season, Chris Davis had hit just three home runs. After hitting a major league-leading 53 home runs in 2013, Davis was on pace to hit less than half of that total this season. Steve Pearce was matching Davis's power production in half the amount of games played, while Matt Wieters had two more homers in four less games. The questions were beginning to roll in from Baltimore fans. What's wrong with Davis? Did he rush back from his oblique injury? Is he being...

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Daniel Clark: Taking stock of a division leader, inconsistencies and all

May 21, 2014, 5:33am

Orioles

Daniel Clark: Taking stock of a division leader, inconsistencies and all

More than a quarter of the 2014 season has now passed and the Orioles are sitting on top of the American League East with a record of 23-20. Despite holding the divisional lead, there has at times been an overwhelming sense of frustration among Orioles fans as in between the moments of brilliance, there have also been periods of lackluster performances. It's been these periods which have halted the Orioles just as they were threatening to open up a significant lead on their divisional rivals....

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Jon Shepherd: The value of a Buck

May 20, 2014, 5:31am

Orioles

Last Saturday, Buck Showalter left the Orioles to see his daughter graduate from law school. While Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy was hammered in the sports world for missing games for the birth of his daughter, there has been little negative about Showalter taking time off for arguably a lesser family affair. One reason may be that after the reaction Murphy received, members of the sports media realized that perhaps they went to a little off the deep end. Another reason could be that the...

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Andrew Stetka: Checking in on some former Orioles

May 19, 2014, 4:50am

Orioles

We have reached that point in the season where you can start to analyze statistics and make an evaluation of how a player's year is going. I thought it would be fun to take a look at some former Orioles who have moved on. Let's start with fan favorite Mark Reynolds, who is taking his hacks with the Milwaukee Brewers in a platoon at first base. Reynolds has played in 34 of the Brewers' 44 games this season and even made a few appearances at third. He's offensive numbers are about what you...

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Matthew Taylor: For Horn, plenty of memories in Kansas City

May 16, 2014, 4:54am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: For Horn, plenty of memories in Kansas City

The Orioles are in Kansas City, and while there are plenty of current storylines to consider, I can't help but think of Sam Horn. It happens to me whenever the O's play at Kaufman Stadium. Horn is one of my favorite former Orioles, and he simply had a way of producing against the Royals. Horn's O's debut came at Kansas City on April 9, 1990. He went 4-for-5 with a pair of three-run home runs, including one into the stadium fountain. His eighth-inning homer erased a 6-3 deficit in a game...

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Daniel Clark: Hungry for postseason, Markakis is a picture of consistency

May 14, 2014, 4:45am

Orioles

Daniel Clark: Hungry for postseason, Markakis is a picture of consistency

Of all the Orioles hungry for success, none may be more driven to see Baltimore return to the playoffs and perform well on the big stage than Nick Markakis, a nine-year veteran of the club who has never played in a postseason game. As most Orioles fans are aware, it was a cruel twist of fate that struck Markakis down just a few weeks prior to the 2012 playoff run, which was the first time the O's had reached the postseason since 1997. That fateful day came on Sept. 8 at Camden Yards, as...

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Jon Shepherd: Say goodbye to Matt Wieters' ash

May 13, 2014, 4:39am

Orioles

Jon Shepherd: Say goodbye to Matt Wieters' ash

Before an arm injury put him on the 15-day disabled list and placed his entire season in doubt, Matt Wieters was terrorizing American League pitchers in April. His slash line of .338/.370/.554 had made some wonder if he has finally figured things out and become the offensive wunderkind so many in Baltimore had originally thought he would be. You may have noticed that Wieters was wielding a bat made of ash. This, in and of itself, is not very remarkable. Ash bats are still a common sight and, as...

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Andrew Stetka: Will the O's be able to weather Wieters' absense?

May 12, 2014, 6:45am

Orioles

Andrew Stetka: Will the O's be able to weather Wieters' absense?

The Orioles have been able to stay afloat through the first six weeks of the season, leading the American League East to this point despite not having a fully healthy lineup. Sunday marked the first time all year that Buck Showalter was able to pencil Manny Machado and Chris Davis into the same lineup. Sunday also marked the beginning of what could be the biggest loss for the O's to date - Matt Wieters. The elbow discomfort that Wieters is dealing with is very concerning and something that...

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Matthew Taylor: An historical comparison to the start of Hunter's closer tenure

May 09, 2014, 5:04am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: An historical comparison to the start of Hunter's closer tenure

Getting a knot in your stomach while watching your team's closer, like tying your shoes, quickly becomes second nature. Orioles closer Tommy Hunter has had my insides tangled from day one of the 2014 season. This week's series with the Rays was particularly challenging. In two innings pitched, Hunter faced 12 batters and allowed four hits, two walks and one run. He left the bases loaded in a two-run victory on Tuesday and stranded runners on first and third in a one-run victory on Wednesday....

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Daniel Clark: A closer look at the Orioles bullpen

May 07, 2014, 4:29am

Orioles

It could be the toughness of the American League East, or it could just be the curse of the Orioles' starting pitcher. However, whatever the reason, as has been the case over the last few seasons, the Orioles have relied heavily on their bullpen arms during the first five weeks of the 2014 season. Through 30 games, Orioles starters have pitched a combined total of 171 2/3 innings - the second-lowest amount in the majors. (The lowest is Detroit, which has played two fewer games.) This...

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Jon Shepherd: What to make of the Morales chatter

May 05, 2014, 7:37am

Orioles

Jon Shepherd: What to make of the Morales chatter

Last week, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the Orioles and free agent first baseman/designated hitter Kendrys Morales remained in negotiations. Those ongoing talks allegedly had agreed on the framework of a one-year deal, but differed greatly on the price. In response to that report, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said on SiriusXM Radio that the report is overblown. He further clarified noting that the improvement of Chris Davis' injured oblique (he was doing field...

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Andrew Stetka: A look at the muddy AL East

May 05, 2014, 5:56am

Orioles

Andrew Stetka: A look at the muddy AL East

The American League East has long been looked at as one of the best divisions in baseball, and with good reason. Since 1992, the division has produced 13 AL champions and nine World Series titles. Unfortunately for Baltimore baseball fans, the Orioles are the only one of the five current members of the division who haven't participated in the Fall Classic in that timespan. While the O's have come out of the gate this season spinning their wheels a bit, there is nothing to be discouraged about...

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Matthew Taylor: My memorable turn as a minor league mascot

May 02, 2014, 4:08am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: My memorable turn as a minor league mascot

What's it like to be a baseball mascot? Biographile provided a peek into the unseen world of the men behind the mascots on Thursday in its interview with AJ Mass, a former Mr. Met and author of "Yes, It's Hot In Here; Adventures in the Weird, Wooly World of Sports Mascots." The end result is what the article's author, Patrick Sauer, terms "Nine Mascot Life Lessons, one for each inning of life." I've learned some mascot lessons firsthand thanks to my own admittedly curious ambition and...

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Zach Wilt: Breaking down the Orioles' schedule in May

May 01, 2014, 5:04am

Orioles

Talk about April showers. The Orioles will kick off May with a doubleheader against the Pirates beginning at 4:05 p.m. after their Tuesday and Wednesday matchups were postponed. We haven't seen the O's play since Sunday, April 27. I'm almost beginning to forget what this team looks like. And oh yeah, Manny Machado makes his long-awaited 2014 debut this afternoon/evening in Charm City. As we say goodbye to April and welcome in May, it's time to look ahead to the Orioles' schedule for the...