Orioles News - Gibbons Suspended - Rule 5 Draft

Baltimore Orioles player Jay Gibbons has been suspended. Gibbons has received a 15 game ban for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Jay’s suspension will start right away at the beginning of the 2008 season.

Also, the O’s have picked Randor Bierd, a right handed reliever. He was taken in the Rule 5 Draft from the Detroit Tigers. Last year in Double A, he struck out more batters then he allowed base runners. The O’s could use a few more relievers like him. Also taken in the Rule 5 Draft was southpaw Ryan Rodriguez, first baseman Tim Brown, and right handed pitcher J.P. Martinez. And, to top it all off, no teams took any of the O’s players in the Draft. Wait, maybe that’s a message: That there is no player in the farm system worth taking… - John T.

Orioles News - 10/23/07 - Two Players Come Up From Minors, Five Taken Off DL

Well, it's official. The Baltimore Orioles took two players up from the minors yesterday, and took 5 players off of the Disabled List to bring their amount of players on their roster to the limit of 40. The players who came up were right handed pitcher Fredy Deza and right handed pitcher Bob McCrory. They both came up from Double A Bowie.

Also, five players came off of the 60 day Disabled List. Those players were pitcher Erik Bedard, pitcher Kris Benson, pitcher Adam Loewen, closer Chris Ray, and Outfielder Jay Gibbons. My first thought: Kris Benson is still here? My second thought: If Gibbons took steroids, why is he still on the team? Weren't the O's going to release him after it was found that he used steroids? It appears the O's were all talk and no walk. Ain't that the story of the last 10 years? - John T.

Orioles News - 9/9/07 - Gibbons & Steroids - Bedard out for year, Guthrie too? - O's lose again

Yesterday was a very busy day for the Baltimore Orioles. Jay Gibbons, a Orioles outfielder, was linked to HGH and other steroids. This information was found when a pharmacy was raided last spring, linking Gibbon's adress as a buyer. Jay recieved these shipments from October 2003 to July 2005. That's a shame. In more O's news, Erik Bedard's oblique strain is now ending his season. Rookie pitcher Jeremy Guthrie just suffered the same injury, and it looks as if his season might be over also. Ouch. Double Ouch. In more Orioles news, the O's lost to the Boston Red Sox, 3-2. In case your keeping track, that's 16 losses in 19 games. Ouch again. This loss has now assured the Orioles of their 10th straight non-winning season. Nick Markakis and Melvin Mora both hit solo homers in yesterday's game, providing the Orioles only runs. In the 8th inning, JD Drew singled, stole 2nd base, went to 3rd base on a sacrifice fly, and then scored on Coco Crisp's single off of Chad Bradford. That was it, the final run that secured a Boston victory. It was a busy, yet terrible day for the Baltimore Orioles. - John T.