Goodbye

To all who read this blog, I'm leaving this site. I will continue my daily blog about the Baltimore Orioles, but I will now be blogging on camdenclubhouse.com. Check it out. Thanks, I just wanted to let you know what was happening. - John T.

Orioles News - Staying Or Going? (Part Four)

For the next couple of blogs, I will write about a player on the Baltimore Orioles and whether or not I think they will be back next season. The player I will write about today is Daniel Cabrera.

Daniel Cabrera, Starting Pitcher

Wait, is this the insanely inconsistent pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles? The guy who one-hits the New York Yankees on one night, but will come out and give up 6 runs and 7 walks the next? Yep, that's the same guy. He lead the Major League's in losses last year. Sure, he can throw hard, but will he ever get his control down? I can't answer you that, but I can answer the question of: What are the odds that he will be in an Orioles uniform next year? I'm 93% sure that Daniel will be back. I haven't gotten word of any rumors involving him so far. Plus, I think the O's are holding onto him for his potential. He has potential to be great, and has shown flashes of that at times. The O's don't want to give up Cabrera in case he does turn out to be good. I'm through waiting. I want him to leave, but it won't happen this off season. - John T.

Orioles News - David Segui Admits It

So, David Segui admits it. Admits what? Segui, a former Baltimore Oriole, admitted he has taken steroids in the past. He had already admitted to hGH use, but now he said that he has experimented with anabolic steroids. He said that he received them from a former New York Mets clubhouse attendant, Kirk Radomski. Segui became friends with Radomski when he was traded to the Mets from the O's. Kirk was just helping David with nutrition and weightlifting in the beginning. Then David began experimenting with many drugs, such as anabolic steroids and clenbuterol. What? Clenbuterol. It's a drug that supposedly melts body fat. It's on Major League Baseball's banned substance list. But that really doesn't mean anything because Major League Baseball's drug testing is so weak anyway... - John T.

Orioles News - Staying Or Going? (Part Three)

For the next couple of blogs, I will write about a player on the Baltimore Orioles and whether or not I think they will be back next season. The player I will write about today is Adam Loewen.

Adam Loewen, Starting Pitcher

Adam Loewen appears to be a pretty good pitcher. Too bad about last season... What happened last season? Let me fill you in. Loewen was off to a great start, 2-0 with a 3.56 ERA in 6 games. Then, he was injured. He needed season-ending surgery. It was frustrating from an O's fan's point of view. A player who was well on his way to having a breakout year, and he suffers a season ending injury and is forced to undergo surgery. He'll be able to return this year. But, what are the odds that he will still be in an Orioles uniform at the start of next season? There is a 95% chance that Loewen will be in a Baltimore Orioles uniform next season. How do I know this? No trade rumors have really involved him. And, he is happy in Baltimore. So, yeah, he'll be back next year. - John T.

Orioles News - Staying Or Going? (Part Two)

For the next couple of blogs, I will write about a player on the Baltimore Orioles and whether or not I think they will be back next season. The player I will write about today is Jeremy Guthrie.

Jeremy Guthrie, Starting Pitcher

Jeremy Guthrie, a great pitcher with some not-so-great run support. Guthrie is a great pitcher, but it seems every time he goes out to take the mound, the Orioles don't score. But, Guthrie could be the O's future Ace, especially since current Ace Erik Bedard might be traded. So, what are the odds of seeing Guthrie back in an Orioles uniform next year? I'm going to say that there is a 99% chance he will still be on the O's next year. Why? Well, no trade rumors have involved him. That's some convincing evidence, because it's not like the O's are going to release him. - John T.

Orioles News - Staying Or Going?

For the next couple of blogs, I will write about a player on the Baltimore Orioles and whether or not I think they will be back next season. The first player I will do is Erik Bedard.

Erik Bedard, Starting Pitcher

Ahh, Erik Bedard. A possible CY Young candidate late last year before he got injured. He also led all of Major League Baseball in strikeouts before he was injured late last year. So, what are the odds of him still being an Oriole by the start of next season? I'm gonna say 50%. Why? Well, he was trade bait at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, but he still has yet to be traded. Keep in mind that he is signed through 2009. Yes, contract talks with him and his agent have stalled, but I don't see the Orioles giving him up unless they get a very good deal. Which, apparently still hasn't happened because he still plays for Baltimore. Or it could be the fact that the O's are asking too much... Either way, there's a 50-50 shot that Bedard will be a Baltimore Oriole next year. - John T.

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 - Is Roberts Outta Here?

Could Baltimore Oriole second baseman Brian Roberts be leaving Baltimore? Apparently talks between the Orioles and the Chicago Cubs have gotten very serious. The talks have gotten so serious that the O's have actually contacted Rocky Hall, the agent of free agent second baseman Tadahito Iguchi. They have done this to see if Iguchi would be interested in playing for Baltimore, so the O's know they would have an option at second base should Brian Roberts be traded. It could be a three player deal, including a starting pitcher coming to the O's. But, this could be all talk. Roberts is a fan favorite, and owner Peter Angelos has killed deals in the past that would send Roberts to another team. I say that the Orioles should hold onto Brian, unless the deal being offered is too good to pass up. Roberts is a great player, (one of the few good players on the O's), and a fan favorite. Without him, what player would people come to Camden Yards to see? Erik Bedard could likely be traded, and he only plays every 5 days anyway, so what player would put the fans in the stands? Nick Markakis can't do it alone...

Bottom line: Keep Roberts unless the Cubs are giving some top pitching prospects away. - John T.

Orioles News - Most Wanted

Erik Bedard could be Major League Baseball's most wanted. Most wanted pitcher, that is. Yes, Johan Santana is still on the market, but it appears as if only the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees are the remaining candidates. The Yankees appear to be the front runner, though. At the Winter Meetings in Nashville Tennessee, the Baltimore Orioles have apparently had discussions with several teams about Erik Bedard and/or Miguel Tejada. The O's aren't currently negotiating with Bedard and his agent, but the door is still open to go back and sign Bedard to a deal.

Also, catcher Guillermo Quiroz was signed by the Orioles to a Major League contract. He will be the back up for catcher Ramon Hernandez. The O's also met with a few agents of free agent Relievers. - John T.

Orioles News - Great News For O's Fans

There is some great news for Baltimore Orioles fans right now. Slugger Miguel Cabrera has been traded. Cabrera was on the Florida Marlins, and almost every team was focused on getting him. (He was traded to the Detroit Tigers along with Dontrelle Willis as 6 players were sent to the Marlins.) Now that he is off the market, that means that Miguel Tejada could very well be the best 3rd baseman on the market. (Miggi has said he will play 3rd base, just for a winning team.) That means that the O's will be getting more interest in Tejada now, and they can hopefully pull off a deal soon an the Winter Meetings in Nashville Tennessee. Great news for the Orioles and their fans. - John T.

Orioles News - Not Again...

Why? Why can't the Baltimore Orioles stop scaring teams away? The O's have had several teams that have had interest in Miguel Tejada, but the Orioles have scared away most of those teams. Don't believe me? Then look at this: The O's have mainly been asking for two high-level prospects from teams that have had interest in Tejada. The Orioles scared away the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Fransisco Giants (They didn't want to give up either of their two top pitching prospects), and many more teams. Can't the O's just settle for one high-level prospect and a lower prospect too? Honestly, what team would give up two high-level prospects for an aging shortstop who has declining range and isn't all that great in the field? Not to mention that Miggi has 26 million dollars left on his contract over two years, and the fact that his power is declining too... It's upsetting when another team has interest in a player you NEED to get rid of and you scare them away. (Sigh.) - John T.

Orioles News - Winter Meetings

A slight change has been made to my blog. I will no longer put yesterdays date in the title, a habit that was useful during the season when the O's were still playing games. From now on, my blogs will not include a date in the title.

For all of Major League Baseball, the Winter Meetings will begin Monday in Nashville, Tennessee. So, what are these Winter Meetings? It's where GM's and top executives from all of the Major League teams go and talk baseball. They talk about trades, rumors, etc. So, which Baltimore Orioles players could be moving? Well, Andy MacPhail has said that no Orioles player is untouchable, but there are a few leading candidates to go. Disgruntled Oriole Miguel Tejada will probably be traded at the meetings. Ace Erik Bedard could also be traded. Several teams have offered good packages for him, and since contract negotiations between his agent and the O's have stalled, it is more reason to believe that he will be dealt. Also, Aubrey Huff, Jay Payton, Ramon Hernandez, and Melvin Mora could also be traded. What will the O's be looking for in return? The Orioles will most likely try to add a few relievers. The O's had their worst bullpen ERA in franchise history last year. Plus, Dany Baez and Chris Ray will be out for most of this year, leaving the O's short two more relievers. The O's will probably try to add some young arms. That's a good start... - John T.

Orioles News - 11/30/07 - Arbitration Deadline Approaches

As the arbitration deadline looms, it is appearing more and more likely that the Baltimore Orioles will not offer any of their free agents arbitration. The arbitration deadline is at 11:59 P.M. ET on today, Saturday. The O's aren't likely to receive any compensation draft picks for their free agents leaving. A main reason for this is that none of the Orioles free agents are ranked as Type A or Type B free agents. So, whats that mean? It means that the O's aren't losing any great players, so they won't get a free compensation draft pick. It is true, the O's really aren't losing anyone big. Their biggest loss to free agency will be Center Fielder Corey Patterson. Patterson had speed and could field very well, but he couldn't hit all that well. It won't be a huge loss, so the Orioles won't get compensation. Oh well. I guess that's a good thing... - John T.

Orioles News - 11/29/07 - Bedard Contract Talks Cool

Baltimore Orioles ace Erik Bedard's contract extension talks have stalled. For the moment, at least. The O's have been having recent contract talks with Bedard and his agent, Mark Pieper. The talks really haven't gotten serious, because it has been said that the O's and Pieper haven't even discussed figures. But, any start is a good start I guess. Anyway, it is unlikely that the O's will sign Bedard anytime soon. The O's just want to know what it would take to re-sign him first. Bedard is locked in a contract until 2009, and it's doubtful that the O's will continue contract talks anytime before or during the winter meetings for GM's. There is a lot of interest in Bedard, though. The New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, and Los Angeles Dodgers are all reported to have interest in Erik. That's good news. Unfortunately, that's about the only good news the O's have had this off season... - John T.

Orioles News - 11/28/07 - Mora In The Outfield?

Melvin Mora in the outfield? For the O's? Not quite. Mora should spend some time in the outfield, but for a different team. You mean that Melvin Mora is going to be traded? No, he is just going to be playing for Venezuela in a winter league. He'll also play some 3rd base too. Mora hasn't played in a winter league for several years. Mora hasn't played in the outfield since 2003, but the O's could ask him to move this season. If Miguel Tejada isn't traded, and that is a major if, then Mora could be asked to move to the outfield to make room for Miggi at 3rd base. Again, that's doubtful, but if it does happen, it's good for Mora to get some practice time in the outfield. After all these years, he definitely will need it... - John T.

Orioles News - 11/27/07 - O's New Baseball Academy

Thank you, Andy MacPhail. Why? What did he do? Well, MacPhail was a key part in the O's deciding to lease a Baseball Academy in the Dominican Republic. It will be just east of Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. The academy will be in Boca Chica, and it is more then halfway done.(It's set to be finished by April 1, 2008.) The O's will be in this new facility for 3 years, with an option for another year in 2012. This is a HUGE deal because the O's scouting system in the Dominican Republic is considered by most to be one of the worst in all of Major League Baseball. Some of you might be thinking that it really isn't that big of a deal. Well believe me, it is. The O's currently run an operation that basically has two barracks and a field for 50 players. The Orioles new facility will have two fields, and will hold 75 players. And, that includes full lodging, a kitchen, and classrooms. It is a big deal, and a great move. - John T.

Orioles News-11/26/07-Fanfest set

Finally some Orioles news that is fresh. Besides rumors I mean. Rumors are great, but that's all they are- rumors. Finally, the O's have done something real, something that's set...
Anyway, the O's have announced when fanfest is going to take place. It will take place on March 29th at Camden Yards. The time will be released later. For those of you who don't know, the O's fanfest is where players work out, and then sign autographs once they are done. After that, the O's players will head to Washington, D.C. for their exhibition game against the Washington Nationals. -John T.

Orioles News - 11/25/07 - Random Thoughts On The O's

Sorry I couldn’t write my blog yesterday, my internet went down. Here is my blog for today.

For this blog, I will just spit out my thoughts on the O’s. It just may become a weekly special… Anyway, here it is.

Aubrey Huff recently went on the Bubba The Love Sponge show, and he talked bad about Baltimore. Nice. You can tell Huff was thinking clearly. It’s not like the fans that he dissed on help pay his salary or anything like that…

Miguel Tejada just might be leaving Baltimore soon. My response: Finally. Haven’t the O’s been wanting to trade him for years? Oh yeah, they have, but they’ve never been able to finish the deal. Maybe this is the time… (Fingers crossed)

Ace Erik Bedard could be traded too. Andy MacPhail has said several times that no player is untouchable. I don’t want Bedard to go, but if the deal is that good that Baltimore will trade their Ace away, then I just might believe in it. Then again, the O’s have made some very bad trades before… I’ll leave you with that. – John T.

Orioles News - 11/23/07 - Why The O's Haven't Made Any Moves

Question: How bad do I hate Miguel Cabrera right now? And what about A-Rod? How bad do I hate those two players right now?

Answer: A lot.

Why? Oh, I don't know, maybe it's the fact that they froze the trade market. When A-Rod was a free agent, no one in baseball seemed to care about anything other then A-Rod being a free agent. Teams stopped trading and signing other free agents. It was like the whole market in baseball just froze over. The same thing is happening with Miguel Cabrera. Now teams like the Baltimore Orioles, who desperately need some different players, can't even trade. Almost every team has interest in Miguel Cabrera, so until he is traded or taken off of the trading block, all of Major League Baseball will be focused on one player. Which means teams like the Orioles can't make any moves. And it's not like the teams in the bidding for Cabrera really need another player. The O's are desperate for some new players. The O's are also desperate to get rid of Miguel Tejada, but the market is frozen. Fat chance of that now. I'm not saying for the teams in the bidding for Cabrera to just all of a sudden end the bidding. I'm just saying it sucks for teams like the O's that one player can freeze the whole market over. - John T.

Orioles News - 11/22/07 - O's Helping The Community

The Baltimore Orioles players often help out the community. Wait, aren't these players who make millions of dollars a year? Yes, yes they are. But that doesn't mean they don't have a heart. The O's help out the greater Baltimore area through several programs. Some of the biggest are OriolesREACH and RBI, which runs through Major League Baseball. RBI? As in Run Batted In? No, as in Revive Baseball in Inner Cities. In this program, O's players hold baseball clinics and equipment drives for the youth. This gives the local youth a chance to play baseball when they might not have had a chance otherwise. There is also the Orioles Food Drive, which has been going on for more then two decades. The O's also have numerous other events to help out the community. Almost all the O's players help out too. Reliever Jamie Walker often buys tickets for less privileged children. Even if they are rich, often-spoiled superstars, they can show they do have a heart. - John T.

Orioles News - 11/21/07 - Podsednik Coming To Town? - O's On Hold

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I just wanted to say that. Now, it's time for some Baltimore Orioles baseball chatter.

Is Scott Podsednik coming to town? If the O's chose not to re-sign free agent centerfielder Corey Patterson, Podsednik should be an option. He was designated by the Chicago White Sox, so the O's can pick him up. Last years stats aren't a good way to measure Podsednik considering he played in only 62 games as he was injured most of the year. But, boy can this guy run. In 2004 he stole 70 bases, 59 in 2005, and 40 in 2006. The O's should definitely think about picking him up if Patterson's asking price is too high.


The O's have been put on hold - again. The New York Mets have acquired Johnny Estrada, a catcher, so one would think that the Mets will no longer have any interest in Ramon Hernandez. Right? Maybe. The Mets can still non-tender Estrada next month. So? If the Mets decide to do this, Estrada would become a free agent. That would put the Mets back in the market for a catcher, like Ramon Hernandez. But until then, the O's and a possible trade will be on hold. - John T.

Orioles News - 11/20/07 - Swing And A Miss

Another swing, another miss. The Baltimore Orioles front office swung and missed on a deal that would have sent catcher Ramon Hernandez to the New York Mets. The O's wanted a top prospect in return, something the Mets didn't want to give up for Hernandez. The O's could still trade Hernandez to the Mets, but they'll have to give up on demanding a top prospect in return. But, if Hernandez is traded to the Mets, then what? The O's have a top prospect at catcher in Matt Wieters, but he wouldn't be ready for the Major Leagues by next season. So, what would the O's do? They would have to sign a free agent to a small contract and just wait until Wieters is ready to play. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of waiting. - John T.

Orioles News - 11/19/07 - Champions! - Miggi Finally Moving?

Champions! A championship has been successfully defended for the 4th straight time in a row. Who? What? For who, it is the Phoenix Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League. They are a team under the Baltimore Orioles. For what, it is the Arizona Fall League Championship, which has now been successfully defended by the Desert Dogs for their 4th title in as many years. The O's definitely have some real prospects on the Phoenix team. Congratulations to them on their big win. Here's to a championship in Baltimore, just for the O's next time.

Is Miggi finally moving? It seems to be likely. The Los Angeles Angels have pulled off a trade sending their Shortstop, Orlando Cabrera, to the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Jon Garland. This now leaves a vacancy at Shortstop. The Angels have gone after Miguel Tejada in the past, and they have offered some pretty good deals for Miggi before. The O's won't get a deal that even comes close to those they used to receive for Miggi, but they could still pick up a prospect. Everyone knows the O's could use a few... But, different story. Anyway, Miggi is a option for the Angels. If the Angels can't get 3rd baseman Miguel Cabrera, they could go after Tejada. Since A-Rod and Mike Lowell are off the market, teams that need 3rd baseman could be forced to go with options they didn't want coming into the off season, like Tejada. Tejada has said he will play 3rd base, but only for a winning team. The O's definitely don't qualify in that category... - John T.

Orioles News - 11/18/07 - Etch Staying In Maryland?

Ahh, Etch. Etch is staying in Maryland apparently. For those of you who don't know, Etch is Andy Etchebarren. He is the former manager of the Aberdeen Ironbirds, a Baltimore Orioles minor league team. Did Etch just move down a level but still stay as an Orioles' minor league coach? Not exactly. Etch is now the Bench coach for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The team is independent, and they just happened to be owned by a former Oriole. You might have heard of him. He goes by the name Brooks Robinson. Anybody here know him? I thought so... Anyway, Etch is staying in Maryland, just changing organizations. It's funny how things work out, isn't it? - John T.

Orioles News - 11/17/07 - A Look At The Lineup

The Baltimore Orioles haven't made many moves this year in free agency. The O's haven't had any significant players leave either, besides outfielder Corey Patterson. So, will they make any big moves this off season? Probably not. But, if you look, the base of the Orioles roster is still set. Here is a look at the Baltimore Orioles lineup for next year, as of right now.

The O's still have their lead off man, Brian Roberts. He isn't moving spots. The person who is hitting second is still a little iffy, since Corey Patterson is no longer on the team. It's also still iffy due to all of the trade rumors whirling. The man hitting third is pretty obvious - Nick Markakis. He led the team in batting average, home runs, and RBI's last year. Nick stays in the number three spot. Now for the fourth spot. If Miguel Tejada has a change of heart and decides to stay, and that's a big if, he will likely hit here. Miggi can still hit, it's just that his fielding is declining. A lot. In the number 5 spot, Aubrey Huff is a likely candidate. Huff hit .280 with 72 RBI's last year. Those numbers are OK, even if Huff does run his mouth. Now batting 6th, Melvin Mora. Mora, if he is still in Baltimore, should hit about here. Kevin Millar could hit in 7th, with Jay Payton hitting 8th. Rounding out the lineup, Ramon Hernandez should hit about 9th. - John T.

Orioles News - 11/16/07 - The O's Biggest Off Season Addition

The Baltimore Orioles have just made what will be their biggest off season pick up of the year. Your probably wondering, "Who did they pick up? The free agent pool is pretty weak this year..." The Orioles latest addition is a new scoreboard and video display. Maryland Stadium Authority voted to replace the Orioles current scoreboard, which is failing. ANC Sports Enterprises and Mitsubishi have agreed that the new scoreboard and video display will be finished by March 17. That is two weeks before the O's open up their season. But, there is more then just a new scoreboard and video display. Under the deal, a high-definition video control room and a revamped audio system are also parts. The new scoreboard will have a 24 by 74 foot screen. The old JumboTron's screen was 23 by 31 feet. This is definitely going to be the O's biggest off season addition. - John T.

Orioles News - 11/15/07 - Top Priority

The Baltimore Orioles need a lot of things. A new, younger, better bullpen. Some good starting pitchers. A left fielder. A center fielder. A shortstop and a third baseman. A new owner. Oops, that slipped. Some players who aren't always in the news for all the wrong reasons, like steroids, running their mouth on radio shows (Ahem, Aubrey Huff)... Oops, that one slipped again. But what really is the Baltimore Orioles' top priority this off season? The O's obviously won't be able to fix all of these needs, so what should they do? I gotta say that the Orioles should go out and get some new relievers for the bullpen. This would be great. It would make the bullpen younger, instead of the bullpen right now that is aging. The bullpen lost Baltimore a lot of games last year. Too many games to count. But, a new bullpen could change this and actually (gasp), win the O's some games. It's been a while since the O's have had a good bullpen. Hopefully the Orioles could get a few relievers to upgrade the bullpen. - John T.

Orioles News - 11/14/07 - How The Team Is Dealing With Huff's Comments - A Trade For Bedard?

Baltimore Orioles officials are looking into a pretty big issue. The issue is Aubrey Huff. After several comments by Huff on a radio show called Bubba The Love Sponge, including when he called Baltimore a horses--t city, O's officials are upset. The officials are looking into possible disciplinary action against Huff for his comments. That's just a shame that another O's player has ran his mouth. But unlike most other players who run their mouth, Huff won't go back on his comments. (Sigh.)

Baltimore Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail might be lying when he claimed that no Oriole player was "untouchable." Meaning no player was off limits to a trade. Left hander Erik Bedard could soon be off limits if he is signed to a contract extension. The O's are prepared to begin conversations with Bedard's agent sometime before next month's Winter Meetings begin. There is a lot of interest in Bedard via trade, but the O's don't want to trade him without at least trying to resign him first. (Bedard will be a free agent in 2009.) The Yankees, Angels, Mets, and the Dodgers all are reported to have interest in Erik. The Dodgers are considered to be the most aggressive team going for Bedard. The Dodgers could be offering outfielder Matt Kemp, reliever Jonathan Broxton, and minor leaguer Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw is a starting pitcher and is considered to be one of the best young starting pitching prospects in the league. Broxton and Kemp have had some success over the last two years in the Major League. That deal looks as if it would be pretty sweet. But, that would leave the O's without a real Ace for next year. It wouldn't help the O's win a lot of games in the short term, but it could pay off in the long run. I'm tired of the rebuilding that has lasted what seems like forever, but this deal seems to good to pass up. - John T.

Orioles News - 11/13/07 - Champions?

A championship in Baltimore? For whom? It can't be the Orioles because the season is over and the Boston Red Sox already won the World Series. The NFL season isn't even at the playoffs. So who could win a championship? The Phoenix Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League could become Champions. What does this have to do with Baltimore? The Desert Dogs are the Baltimore Orioles' team that some of the O's prospects play in during the off season. The Desert Dogs are alive for the League Championship on Saturday. They will face off against the Surprise Rafters. The key players for the Desert Dogs are pitcher Jake Arrieta and outfielder Nolan Reimold. Arrieta has thrown 15 innings and he hasn't allowed a run at all. Jake has also struck out more batters then men he let get on base. Amazing. Reimold is doing well too, but at the plate. Nolan is tied for the league league in home runs and he is 3rd in the league in RBI's. If these players can keep it up, in a few more years, look out... - John T.

Orioles News - 11/12/07 - O's Helping Nats - No One Is Untouchable?

The Baltimore Orioles are going to help the Washington Nationals. How so? By helping break in the Nationals new Stadium. On March 29, the O's and Nationals are going to play an exhibition game in the Nats new park. So, how can you get tickets? You can't unless you are have a season ticket package. No tickets are being sold to the public. The rest of the tickets that aren't taken by the season ticket holders will be given away. The O's helping their cross-town rivals. Who woulda thought of that?

Orioles president Andy MacPhail has said that no one on the O's team is "untouchable." Meaning that no one will be off limits to a trade. But really, are there untouchables? I gotta say yes on this one. Don't tell me that Baltimore is really going to trade a home-grown star like Nick Markakis. Or Erik Bedard? Are the O's really going to trade him? They better keep these players if they ever want to compete... - John T.

Orioles News - 11/11/07 - Who Could Be Headed To New York?

Another rumor off the wire about the Baltimore Orioles. It also involves the New York Yankees. It also includes a player who could go to New York in a trade. No, not Miguel Tejada, the player involved in the rumor is Melvin Mora. The rumor has Melvin Mora possibly going to the New York Yankees to play 3rd base. Since A-Rod has left New York, the Yankees are pursuing other options such as Tejada, Mora, and Miguel Cabrera who plays for the Florida Marlins. Mora has a no-trade clause in his contract, but he might be willing to waive his clause. This would be great. And why not? Mora has played the position unlike Tejada, he has played in New York so he can handle the pressure, and he is good friends with several Yankees. So, why not? - John T.

Orioles News - 11/10/07 - Huff's Comments

Why? Why do things like this always happen to the Baltimore Orioles? It never fails. Every off season it seems that at least one Oriole player will run their mouth about the team, the city of Baltimore, the fans and so on. So who was the latest to run their mouth? Aubrey Huff. On Thursday, Huff was on the Bubba The Love Sponge show for 90 minutes. The show was being broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio. Huff was asked about the nightlife in Tampa Bay, where he used to play. He was talking, and the focus turned to Baltimore. Huff basically said that Baltimore was horses*it because after games, most bars and other places to go were closed. *That is not an exact quote, just what he said in simpler terms.* Many people took this to mean that Huff was trashing the city of Baltimore. I actually take offense to this. I think it's unfair to say something like that about the city you play in, even if you didn't mean to trash Baltimore. Keep your mouth closed Huff. - John T.

Orioles News - 11/9/07 - Mora Outta Here?

There is hope. It could happen. Maybe, just maybe it could happen. What could happen? Baltimore Oriole Melvin Mora (pictured to the left) is thinking about waiving his no-trade clause in his contract if he would be traded to a winning team. My first thought: Remind me again why the Orioles gave him a no-trade clause in his contract? My second thought: This is huge news. This could open up 3rd base and let Scott Moore come in and play there. Or, it could help the O's to put more pressure on Miguel Tejada to switch over to 3rd base. Either way, it would great. - John T.

Orioles News - 11/8/07 - How Were The GM Meetings?

At the baseball GM meetings in Florida, the Baltimore Orioles accomplished their goals. They didn't pull off a trade or sign a free agent, but they were perfect in a different category. The O's went a perfect 15 for 15 in the category that really mattered to them. What category is that? Well, the Orioles met with all 15 teams that they wanted to coming into the GM meetings. They met with all of these teams to discuss possible trades this off season. The Orioles and Andy MacPhail also found that several teams had interest in some of the Oriole players. I'm excited about this though. The O's went a perfect 15 for 15 talking to all of the teams they wanted to at the meetings. That is a great start. Especially compared to some of the other years... Also, the Orioles found that several teams had interest in their players. That's great news because with Andy MacPhail calling the shots now, it's more likely that the O's will pull off more deals. - John T.

Orioles News - 11/7/07 - Tejada To New York, Others?

Miggi to New York? That's a maybe. The New York Yankees have shown interest in Baltimore Oriole Miguel Tejada. But, isn't Tejada a Shortstop? Don't the Yankees have Derek Jeter at Shortstop? Yes and yes. But, will Tejada play 3rd base? Apparently Tejada will play 3rd base, just not for the Orioles. With A-Rod opting out of his contract, (if the Yankees don't resign him), they would be willing to take Tejada at 3rd base. So Tejada won't play 3rd base for the Orioles, but he will play 3rd base for a winning team. Wonderful. Just wonderful. But, there are other teams with a little interest in Miggi. Miggi appears to be a back up option if other teams can't sign free agent 3rd basemen such as A-Rod, Mike Lowell and Miguel Cabrera, who is on the trade block. Hopefully the O's can get someone of value for Miguel Tejada... - John T.

Orioles News - 11/6/07 - Schedule Released

The Baltimore Orioles have released their 2008 season schedule. The highlight is that the Orioles will make their first ever trip to Wrigley Field to play the Chicago Cubs. The series begins on June 24, and goes through June 26. The O's will open up their season against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on March 31. The O's will also face the Brewers, Astros, Nationals, and the Pirates as a part of their inter league play. Here is the rest of the schedule:

(Date then Team. The times are still to be announced.)

March 31 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
April 2 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
April 3 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
April 4 Seattle Mariners
April 5 Seattle Mariners
April 6 Seattle Mariners
April 7 Seattle Mariners
April 8 at Texas Rangers
April 9 at Texas Rangers
April 10 at Texas Rangers
April 11 at Tampa Bay Devil Rays
April 12 at Tampa Bay Devil Rays
April 13 at Tampa Bay Devil Rays
April 14 Toronto Blue Jays
April 15 Toronto Blue Jays
April 16 Chicago White Sox
April 17 Chicago White Sox
April 18 New York Yankees
April 19 New York Yankees
April 20 New York Yankees
April 22 at Seattle Mariners
April 23 at Seattle Mariners
April 24 at Seattle Mariners
April 25 at Chicago White Sox
April 26 at Chicago White Sox
April 27 at Chicago White Sox
April 28 at Chicago White Sox
April 29 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
April 30 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
May 1 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
May 2 at Los Angeles Angels
May 3 at Los Angeles Angels
May 4 at Los Angeles Angels
May 5 at Oakland Athletics
May 6 at Oakland Athletics
May 7 at Oakland Athletics
May 8 at Kansas City Royals
May 9 at Kansas City Royals
May 10 at Kansas City Royals
May 11 at Kansas City Royals
May 13 Boston Red Sox
May 14 Boston Red Sox
May 16 Washington Nationals
May 17 Washington Nationals
May 18 Washington Nationals
May 20 at New York Yankees
May 21 at New York Yankees
May 22 at New York Yankees
May 23 at Tampa Bay Devil Rays
May 24 at Tampa Bay Devil Rays
May 25 at Tampa Bay Devil Rays
May 26 New York Yankees
May 27 New York Yankees
May 28 New York Yankees
May 30 Boston Red Sox
May 31 Boston Red Sox
June 1 Boston Red Sox
June 2 Boston Red Sox
June 3 at Minnesota Twins
June 4 at Minnesota Twins
June 5 at Minnesota Twins
June 6 at Toronto Blue Jays
June 7 at Toronto Blue Jays
June 8 at Toronto Blue Jays
June 9 at Boston Red Sox
June 10 at Boston Red Sox
June 11 at Boston Red Sox
June 13 Pittsburgh Pirates
June 14 Pittsburgh Pirates
June 15 Pittsburgh Pirates
June 17 Houston Astros
June 18 Houston Astros
June 19 Houston Astros
June 20 at Milwaukee Brewers
June 21 at Milwaukee Brewers
June 22 at Milwaukee Brewers
June 24 at Chicago Cubs
June 25 at Chicago Cubs
June 26 at Chicago Cubs
June 27 at Washington Nationals
June 28 at Washington Nationals
June 29 at Washington Nationals
June 30 Kansas City Royals
July 1 Kansas City Royals
July 2 Kansas City Royals
July 3 Kansas City Royals
July 4 Texas Rangers
July 5 Texas Rangers
July 6 Texas Rangers
July 8 at Toronto Blue Jays
July 9 at Toronto Blue Jays
July 10 at Toronto Blue Jays
July 11 at Boston Red Sox
July 12 at Boston Red Sox
July 13 at Boston Red Sox
July 14-16 All-Star break
July 17 Detroit Tigers
July 18 Detroit Tigers
July 19 Detroit Tigers
July 20 Detroit Tigers
July 21 Toronto Blue Jays
July 22 Toronto Blue Jays
July 23 Toronto Blue Jays
July 24 Toronto Blue Jays
July 25 Los Angeles Angels
July 26 Los Angeles Angels
July 27 Los Angeles Angels
July 28 at New York Yankees
July 29 at New York Yankees
July 30 at New York Yankees
Aug. 1 at Seattle Mariners
Aug. 2 at Seattle Mariners
Aug. 3 at Seattle Mariners
Aug. 4 at Los Angeles Angels
Aug. 5 at Los Angeles Angels
Aug. 6 at Los Angeles Angels
Aug. 8 Texas Rangers
Aug. 9 Texas Rangers
Aug. 10 Texas Rangers
Aug. 11 at Cleveland Indians
Aug. 12 at Cleveland Indians
Aug. 13 at Cleveland Indians
Aug. 14 at Cleveland Indians
Aug. 15 at Detroit Tigers
Aug. 16 at Detroit Tigers
Aug. 17 at Detroit Tigers
Aug. 18 Boston Red Sox
Aug. 19 Boston Red Sox
Aug. 20 Boston Red Sox
Aug. 22 New York Yankees
Aug. 23 New York Yankees
Aug. 24 New York Yankees
Aug. 25 Chicago White Sox
Aug. 26 Chicago White Sox
Aug. 27 Chicago White Sox
Aug. 29 at Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Aug. 30 at Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Aug. 31 at Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Sept. 1 at Boston Red Sox
Sept. 2 at Boston Red Sox
Sept. 3 at Boston Red Sox
Sept. 5 Oakland Athletics
Sept. 6 Oakland Athletics
Sept. 7 Oakland Athletics
Sept. 8 Cleveland Indians
Sept. 9 Cleveland Indians
Sept. 10 Cleveland Indians
Sept. 11 Cleveland Indians
Sept. 12 Minnesota Twins
Sept. 13 Minnesota Twins
Sept. 14 Minnesota Twins
Sept. 16 at Toronto Blue Jays
Sept. 17 at Toronto Blue Jays
Sept. 18 at Toronto Blue Jays
Sept. 19 at New York Yankees
Sept. 20 at New York Yankees
Sept. 21 at New York Yankees
Sept. 22 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Sept. 23 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Sept. 24 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Sept. 26 Toronto Blue Jays
Sept. 27 Toronto Blue Jays
Sept. 28 Toronto Blue Jays

Hopefully the Orioles will be playing long after September 28... - John T.

Orioles News - 11/5/07 - Bench Coach Named

The Baltimore Orioles announced their new Bench Coach today. The person who was hired is Dave Jauss. Jauss was a Bench Coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers for the last two years. He has been with the Orioles briefly. In 1995 he was a coordinator of Minor League instruction. He then left to go to Boston for a job as a Major League Advance Scout there.


This move completes the overhaul of the coaching staff under Manager Dave Trembley. Now that the coaching staff is complete, lets focus on some new players... - John T.

Orioles News - 11/4/07 - Changes?

For the Baltimore Orioles fans, everyone wants change. But will it happen? More importantly, when will it happen? This off season? Possibly.

Miguel Tejada is likely to be traded. He wants to play Shortstop still, but with 15 errors in 124 games last year and a .971 fielding percent, that seems doubtful.

What about Melvin Mora? Why doesn't he get traded? Mora has a no-trade clause in his contract. Unless he approves the trade, it's unlikely that he will be shipped out.

Other then the 3 players who have already opted out of their contracts (Or had the option declined), the O's seem to have about the same roster as last year. The same roster as last year? Uh-oh. We all know how that turned out... - John T.

Orioles News - 11/3/07 - Orioles Released - Trachsel: Coming Back?

The Baltimore Orioles released Sammy Snider and Rudy Arias. Never heard of them? Most people haven't and that's because these are the guys who do the dirty work. Their jobs would be to throw batting practice, to warm up pitchers that were in the bullpen, etc. They were the behind-the-scenes people who took care of odd jobs. But, why release them? It's not like they are players who aren't performing anymore and that they have become a distraction. They weren't hurting the team, so leave them to their jobs.

Pitcher Steve Trachsel was released by the Chicago Cubs. He was with the O's for a while last season but was traded to the Cubbies in a deadline deal. I'm pretty sure I remember Steve as a good pitcher who just needed more run support. Ain't that the story of all the Baltimore Orioles pitchers? - John T.

Orioles News - 11/2/07 - Happy Anniversary! - Looking At Arrieta

Happy Anniversary! To whom? To the Baltimore Orioles of course! Um, what have the Orioles really done? On this date in 1970, the Baltimore Orioles won the world series. Happy Anniversary to all of the members on that team.

In the minor league Arizona Fall League, pitcher Jake Arrieta has done excellent. He has just made his pro debut, pitching for the Phoenix Desert Dogs. He has had eight appearances and in those eight, Jake has gone 10 shutout innings and struck out 8. Hard to believe he just made his pro debut. But, a few more players like that, and watch out... - John T.

Orioles News - 11/1/07 - O's Broadcasters Up For Award

Happy Birthday to me! Now that that is over, I can talk some Baltimore Orioles baseball.

Every year, an award called the Ford C. Frick award is up for grabs. For whom? For broadcasters, that is. It is given to a broadcaster in either radio or television. The award is for baseball only. This year, the O's have 6 announcers up for the award. The candidates for Baltimore baseball coverage are Joe Angel, Jim Hunter, Fred Manfra, Buck Martinez, Gary Thorne, and longtime Oriole Jim Palmer. Fans can cast votes based on this criteria: longevity, continuity with a club, honors, and popularity. There will be a final ballot of 10 candidates that will be announced in early December. There will be three fan selections and seven other candidates determined by a Hall Of Fame research team. Vote Palmer! - John T.

To vote, go here: http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/awards/frick_2007/vote.jsp

Orioles News - 10/31/07 - O's Decline Option On Benson - Patterson Leaves - Bako Gone Too

Busy, busy, busy. That is what the Baltimore Orioles have been. I'll begin with the news about Kris Benson.

The O's have decided not to pick up the option on pitcher Kris Benson's contract today. Benson missed all of last season with a partially-torn rotator cuff. He underwent surgery last March to repair it. And to think we traded away a young pitcher with potential (John Maine) for a few starts by Kris Benson. Real good move there. Riiiiiight.

Center fielder Corey Patterson has officially filed for free agency. He will be joining a free agent class that includes Andruw Jones and Torii Hunter. That is a good class between those two players alone. Since those players are out there, Patterson is likely to get over looked by many teams. He will probably find out that little teams show interest in him.

Backup catcher Paul Bako has also officially filed for free agency. He wasn't the greatest backup ever, but still a good backup player. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/30/07 - Ripken's Tour

Happy Halloween! Well, now that I've got that out of my way, I can speak some baseball. Baltimore Orioles baseball, that is. To be more specific, I can speak about Cal Ripken Jr. and what he is doing China. I'll do just that.

Longtime Baltimore Oriole Cal Ripken Jr. is in China right now. Not as a coach or manager in a Chinese League, but as a special envoy for the State Department. He is attempting to get the Chinese youth more into baseball. This way, in a few years, everyone will know baseball and hopefully want to play it. This in turn will produce more Chinese baseball players and grow the market for Major League Baseball in China. There's not much more information right now about the trip that is available. But, from what I could tell, the trip is going well. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/29/07 - First Base Coach Named - Special Assistant Named

The Baltimore Orioles named John Shelby to the position of first base coach today. Finally. It had took long enough. O's manager Dave Trembley hired Shelby, who was on the Orioles 1983 world series team. Good idea from Trembley here, as he is reaching out to former players who were a part of winning teams. Good thinking. Even more good thinking: Trembley has been calling upon former Orioles to join his coaching staff. That's a great idea because they had been in the organization for years as players. Several were also fan favorites as players. You can't go wrong with that. If the fans liked someone as a player, they'll like him as a coach too. Great call. This move filled one of the two vacancies on the coaching staff that were left.

In more Orioles news, Andy MacPhail has hired his nephew, Lee MacPhail IV, as a special assistant. Andy is still looking for a top assistant to replace Jim Duquette, who resigned earlier this month.

That's all for today, check back in tomorrow for more Baltimore Orioles news. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/28/07 - Birkins Claimed Off Waivers

Left handed pitcher Kurt Birkins has been claimed by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays off of waivers that the Baltimore Orioles placed him on. This reduced the amount of players on the O's roster to 39, one less then the limit of 40. Birkins wasn't a huge loss for Baltimore. If you look at his stats, he wasn't great. He wasn't even mediocre really... He was drafted in the 33rd round in 2000, and in his major league career for the Orioles, he went 6-4. Nice record. But the ERA... That's where it goes down hill. A 6.61 ERA. Ouch. That's not good. That's actually pretty bad. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/27/07 - Iron Man Is Headed For China

Longtime Baltimore Orioles great Cal Ripken Jr. is headed to China. What is he doing in China? He will go on a 10 day tour through China teaching baseball to the Chinese youth and coaches. What he does to teach baseball to the youth will be similar to what he does in Aberdeen. He will set up skill clinics just like he does in Aberdeen for the Cal Ripken Jr. baseball camps. Cal will leave for China today, and arrive on Monday. On Tuesday he will host two baseball clinics with the youth. On Wednesday, Cal will host two more baseball clinics for the young and a coaching clinic too. On Friday he will have a meeting with the Chinese Baseball Association followed by two more clinics. He will have a clinic with kids and a clinic with coaches on Saturday. On November 4th, there will be a coaching clinic held. On November 5th, Cal will host two clinics and meet with the Chinese Baseball Association. On Tuesday, November 6th he will go the airport and depart home after a long trip of helping out the youth. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/26/07 - Radio Ratings Up

Even though the Baltimore Orioles attendance is dropping, the O's radio ratings went up. The younger male audience ratings, which is considered to be the most wanted, went from a 3.6 share in 2006 to a 7.7 share in 2007. As a matter of fact, every single division of the O's listeners went up. Some even doubled their old shares from 2006 to 2007. Why the sudden increase? A big reason for this is he fact that the Orioles changed radio stations in 2007. The O's games used to be broadcast on WBAL, which is an AM station. Last year, the Orioles switched to WHFS, which is an FM station. That is the most likely cause of the Orioles increase in radio ratings, because it's not like Baltimore is winning a lot of games... - John T.

Orioles News - 10/25/07 - How Are The Prospects Doing?

How are some of the Baltimore Orioles' prospects doing right now? In the Hawaii League, several players are doing and well and a few are doing not so well. The same can be said of the Arizona Fall League.

The good first.

First round draft choice Matt Wieters and former first round pick Brandon Snyder are doing great so far. Wieters is hitting .273 so far, along with a .379 on-base percentage. He has walked 9 times in his first 16 games. Nice numbers there. Snyder isn't playing a whole lot but when he plays, he puts up numbers. He is now hitting .370 with a .404 on-base percentage and a .565 slugging percentage. Great numbers for him, and I hope they can both keep it up.

So now that I've showed you some good players, you might be thinking, "Maybe there is hope." Well, after seeing these players, your mindset might change - for the worse.

Hayden Penn, a pitcher, has done poorly so far this season. He has a 13.50 ERA through his first three starts. In those starts, he has lasted 6 total innings. He has struck out 10 batters so far, but that means nothing if he keeps giving up large amounts of runs. Also, Jeff Fiorentino, an outfielder, has done badly. And I mean badly. He is hitting .091 on the year. He has whiffed 8 times so far too. Ouch. That's not what we need. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/24/07 - Goodbye Etch, 3 Others Also Gone - Who's The 1st Base Coach?

Goodbye Andy Etchebarren, Doc Watson, Tom Lawless, and Bien Figueroa. Right now your probably saying, "Who?" Andy Etchebarren, the manager of the Aberdeen Ironbirds, a Baltimore Orioles Single A minor league affiliate. Doc Watson was the minor league pitching coach and Tom Lawless was the infield and base running instructor. Bien Figueroa was formerly the manager of the O's Double A minor league team, Bowie. They were all fired and it appears Etch took it the worst. He was obviously upset. In his days as manager of the Ironbirds, he compiled a 102-124 record. He had been a coach or manager for the Baltimore Orioles franchise for the last 15 years. Adios Etch.

The O's have until 10 days after the World Series to decide on whether or not to pick up the option on Pitcher Kris Benson. It shouldn't take that long, as Benson should be outta here.

Who will be the 1st base coach for the O's next season? There's no word yet, but former Orioles catcher Chris Hoiles still remains a candidate for the vacancy at first base coach.

That's all for today, check back here tomorrow for more Orioles news. - 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 - 10/22/07 - Surhoff Declines Offer

It was an offer he could refuse. I'm talking about B.J. Surhoff, a former player, who was offered a job as a coach for the Baltimore Orioles. He declined the offer, probably because he wants to spend time with family. He has been gone from his family all throughout his playing career, so it would make sense for him to want to stay with his family. But if he had said yes, it would have been a great sign. Surhoff played outfield, 1st base, 3rd base, and was drafted as a catcher. He was also a good hitter. Now that would have been a great addition. A coach who did it all as a player. Maybe he'll want to come in a few years. It was a great idea from Dave Trembley though. He was going after a great player who would have been a great coach. Great job thinking outside of the box there. We are going to need that if we want to compete. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/21/07 - Was Millar Wrong?

Before you call out Kevin Millar of the Baltimore Orioles for last night first know the facts. Millar was at Game 7 of the American League Championship Series in Boston to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Was he fine in this move? Or was he in the wrong? To me, he was wrong. Boston is a hated division rival and though he played for them when they won the World Series in 2004, he is not a player on their team any more and therefore should not be doing things like this. To me, this move shows that he still wants play in Boston, even if it's only a little desire. If he didn't want to play for Boston anymore, he wouldn't be there to throw out the first pitch. So, the long and short of it all was that Millar went to a hated division rival and threw out the first pitch and cheered them on. You play for Baltimore so you should support Baltimore. You shouldn't be showing support for a team in which Oriole fans hate. Millar was way out of bounds with this move. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/20/07 - How Much Is The Orioles Franchise Worth?

You may want to sit down for this one, because it should come as a shock.

The Baltimore Orioles' franchise is worth roughly 395 million dollars as estimated by Forbes. Yes, 395 million dollars. Wait - This is the Orioles who had their 2nd lowest average attendance at Camden Yards last year, correct? And the O's who have had 10 straight losing seasons? Yes and yes. It's hard to believe, I know, but a main reason is because of MASN. The Mid Atlantic Sports Network, which is 90% owned by the team, is worth about another 400 million dollars at least. That's a main reason that the Orioles' franchise is worth that much money. Also, the O's are worth that much because of their stadium. Since it is a top ballpark, it increases the value of the team. But, 395 million dollars? Hey Peter Angelos, there's never been a better time to sell... - John T.

Orioles News - 10/19/07 - Who Will Close Next Season?

Since the Baltimore Orioles' season is over, the main personnel is focusing on next year. A major question is: Who will be the O's closer next season? Our real closer, Chris Ray, will be out most of next season after having Tommy John Surgery. So, who else? Not reliever Dany Baez (who took over once Ray got hurt earlier in the year), because he too is having Tommy John Surgery. So who will it be? Chad Bradford? Jamie Walker? Or someone else that the O's sign or trade for this off season? My money is on a new closer that will come in via trade or free agency. Why? Well, Chad Bradford is one of our few good relievers, so Baltimore will keep him as a reliever simply because they really don't have many more good relievers. The same can be said about Jamie Walker. He is a top reliever for Baltimore and when your relievers are that thin, you need to protect what few relievers you have. So look for a new closer to come into town via trade or free agency. Otherwise, we might be in trouble. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/18/07 - O's Send Players To Minors

The Baltimore Orioles sent 3 players to the minor leagues yesterday. They were all sent to Triple-A Norfolk. The players who got sent down were Eider Torres and Val Majewski and Adam Stern. Torres is an infielder but Majewski and Stern are outfielders. This leaves the O's with 33 players on their roster, though they do have 5 players on the Disabled List.

There is more news on Pitching Coach Rick Kranitz. His deal is believed to be a 1 year deal. The official terms of his contract were not released. This will mean that Rick's contract will expire at the same time as several other coaches. Hopefully he won't be going anywhere... - John T.

Orioles News - 10/17/07 - Odds Of Re-Signing Corey Patterson

What are the O’s odds of re-signing free-agent to be center fielder Corey Patterson? Though Corey is a great defensive player, but he isn’t great at hitting. He’s a good base-stealing threat but other then that, he is poor on offense. And with other free agent center fielders such as Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones, Patterson will be over looked by many teams. Patterson has been around for 8 seasons, (not full seasons) so teams know what they can expect from him if they have interest in signing him. But what about his asking price? Well, his price he’s asking for will likely be more then he is truly worth, and with other stars on the market like Hunter and Jones, there will probably be little interest in Corey. He’ll probably find out that no one will meet his asking price, and he’ll reduce his offer to an amount where more teams show interest in him. So unless his asking price is low, the Orioles are not likely to re-sign him. – John T.

Orioles News - 10/16/07 - Kranitz Named Pitching Coach

The Baltimore Orioles named Rick Kranitz pitching coach, a move that should pay off for the O's immediately. Kranitz spent 22 years in the Chicago Cub's organization. When he was there, he spent time with Dave Trembley (The Orioles current manager) and Andy MacPhail who is Baltimore's president of baseball operations. He also worked with bullpen coach Alan Dunn. His experience with these people was a big reason that he was hired. Besides the fact that he was named Baseball America's 2006 Major League Coach Of The Year. And the fact that he took a very young Florida Marlin's pitching staff to the 5th best ERA in the National League. And that in 2007 he led the Marlins bullpen to their 3rd best ERA in team history. But this all comes with an extra advantage: Since he worked with all of these men when he was with the Cub's organization, he has chemistry with all of these men. If he's already got chemistry with them, that is a huge advantage over another coach who would have to build up their chemistry with the team first. Maybe we will have a decent pitching staff this year.... - John T.

Orioles News - 10/15/07 - O's Claim Pitcher From Cubs

The Baltimore Orioles claimed pitcher Roberto Novoa (Above with Chicago) off of waivers from the Chicago Cubs. Novoa spent all of the 2007 season on the disabled list after suffering a right humeral head fracture in spring training. Wow. That shows how cruel Major League Baseball can be. Suffer a fracture in your head, and your canned by the team. Ouch. Roberto has a 7-7 career record with a 4.51 ERA. This was in 131 relief appearances. All in all, not a bad pick up. But after suffering an injury such as a fracture in your head, some pitchers are never the same...

Orioles News - 10/14/07 - New Video Board Coming

The Baltimore Orioles and Maryland Stadium Authority have reached an agreement that will replace the video and audio systems at Camden Yards. It will cost 9 million dollars. This deal was made as the Orioles and MSA can now avoid arbitration. Under this deal, Stadium Authority will pay 3.75 million dollars for a larger, high definition scoreboard and screen. The O's will pay for improvements like a revamped scoreboard for the out-of-town games and a new audio system. Hmmm. Looks like that could be the Orioles biggest off season pick up. (No pun intended.)

Also, the O's announced that pro scout Jim Howard is now an advance scout. This job was formerly Deacon Jones' job.

That's all for today, check back here tomorrow for more O's news. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/13/07 - Crowley Will Stay As Hitting Coach

The Baltimore Orioles announced that hitting coach Terry Crowley will return next year for his 10th straight season as Baltimore's hitting coach. Terry is the only person on Baltimore's staff who was with the Major League team at the beginning of 2006. Now that's an overhaul.

The O's didn't make much more progress in their search for a new pitching coach today. They are, however, expected to make an offer to Rick Kranitz soon for the vacant pitching coach job. Kranitz interviewed with the Seattle Mariners for a job there, and could be a candidate for a job with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

A little bit of sad information: Alex Rodriguez could get a contract at the end of the season. What he's seeking: The rumor is that it could be a 12 year, 360 million dollar contract. That's 1 million dollars more then the entire Baltimore Orioles franchise's estimated worth. That's what's wrong with baseball. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/12/07 - More On Mazzone's Firing - 3 Players Opt For Free Agency

Leo Mazzone, the Baltimore Orioles' pitching coach, was fired yesterday. I put that information in my last blog, but more information has come up. A possible replacement, (If he wants the job), is Rick Kranitz. Rick led the Florida Marlins young pitching staff to the 5th best ERA in the National League in 2006. Mazzone was going to take us there and higher right? Wrong. Under Leo, the Orioles had the 29th worst ERA in the League for 2 straight years, both his years in Baltimore. It wasn't hard to tell he was going to leave after longtime friend Sam Perlozzo was fired earlier this year.

Also, 3 O's decided to opt for free agency. The players that chose this are pitcher Rob Bell, pitcher Victor Santos, and Catcher J.R. House. Not big losses there, but with a bullpen that thin.... - John T.

Orioles News - 10/11/07 - Looking At The Daniel Cabrera Situation - Leo Mazzone fired

Now that the Baltimore Orioles season is over, one of the many questions on every one's mind is this: Should Daniel Cabrera leave or at least head to the bullpen? I will answer that question today.

Should Daniel Cabrera Leave Baltimore Or At Least Head To The Bullpen?

By now we all probably know the situation. Daniel Cabrera has been inconsistent in his short MLB career so far, dominating the strike zone one night, and missing the strike zone a lot the next night. So what should Baltimore do? Should he be traded while he still has a little value? Or should he be released? Should he move to the Bullpen? Or should he get another chance as a Starter in Baltimore?

I say see you later. Why hang onto him for another year, hoping for him to show his once-promising form again, only to be disappointed when he leads the league in losses or walks again? Why waste more time? After 4 frustrating seasons, it's time to be shown the door. Place him on the market just to see if any team wants to make a deal for him, but if not, then release him. It's been too long. After a career in which he has walked 388 batters, Cabrera should be outta here. So Danny, thanks for the memories. Even though most were bad memories.

In more Baltimore Orioles news, pitching coach Leo Mazzone was fired. With the way the O's pitching was, is this a surprise? Not to me... It appears that the front-runner for pitching coach is Alan Dunn. Manager Dave Trembley worked with Dunn in the Chicago Cubs organization. With that said, I'm out... - John T.

Orioles News - 10/10/07 - Looking At The Miguel Tejada Situation

Now that the Baltimore Orioles season is over, some of the many questions on every one's mind are these: Should Miguel Tejada leave or at least move to 3rd base? Should Daniel Cabrera leave or at least head to the bullpen? Today I will answer the first question, Should Miguel Tejada leave or at least move to 3rd base? The other question will be answered in the coming day.

Should Miguel Tejada Leave Baltimore Or At Least Move To 3rd Base?

This is certainly a big issue for the Baltimore Orioles this off season. Tejada has said he doesn't want to play 3rd base and that he would rather be traded to a team that would let him continue playing Shortstop. He has also complained about playing for Baltimore in the past few years because he doesn't think Baltimore is a winner. He's right on that part. The O's aren't a winning team. But does he have a point? Should we trade him to a team that would play him at Shortstop? But who will play him at shortstop? His defense is declining as he made 15 errors last year. Yes, 15. And he believes a team would want him playing Shortstop? My take: Miggi, you have helped this team in past years but unless you change your mind and decide that you wouldn't mind playing 3rd base or designated hitter, then thanks for the memories. Your not the player you were a few years ago, and it's obvious that your play is declining. Unless you change your mind, your likely to find out that not a whole lot of teams want you at Shortstop. Your going to have to find this out the hard way. You need to face the facts: your defense is declining and so is your hitting. There is not a huge market for players like you. Sure, some desperate team might make a deal with the Orioles for you but we all know that you can't get the job done. Admit you can't do it anymore and take whats left of your dignity and go to 3rd base. Otherwise, thanks for the memories. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/9/07 - Changes The O's Need To Make To Compete

Now that the Baltimore Orioles season is over, some of the many questions on every one's mind are these: What changes do the O's need to make to compete? Should Miguel Tejada leave or at least move to 3rd base? Should Daniel Cabrera leave or at least head to the bullpen? Today I will answer the first question, What changes do the O's need to make to compete? The rest will be answered in the coming days.

What Off Season Changes Do the Baltimore Orioles Need to Make to Compete?

The Baltimore Orioles off season checklist should look like this:

1. Relievers.

2. A good, middle-of-the-order hitter.

3. Starting pitchers.

Why is getting relievers ranked first? Well, reliever Dany Baez will most likely be out for all of 2008 with an arm injury that will require Tommy John Surgery. Not that he was all that great. He was 0-6 with a 6.44 ERA. He won't be missed by me. But, closer Chris Ray is also expected to be out for all of next year as he is having Tommy John Surgery too. Reliever Jamie Walker and Chad Bradford were good this year, but other then that, Baltimore didn't really have any good relievers. With two more arms gone from the bullpen, we need more relievers.

Why is a good, middle-of-the-order hitter a need? Well, the O's scored 756 runs last year, but the pitching gave up the 3rd most runs in all of baseball. Your not going to win a lot of games when your being outscored like that. Plus, this move would take pressure off of Miguel Tejada and Nick Markakis, because they would know they have a great hitter coming up behind them.

Why are starting pitchers a need? They are because our rotation has only 1 proven pitcher, Erik Bedard. Yes, Jeremy Guthrie is good but he was a rookie last year, and he'll need another good year to prove himself. Adam Loewen is good but who knows how he'll be after coming off major surgery. Other then that, we don't have any good pitchers for our rotation. We have young pitchers but they're just that: Young. And young pitchers means inexperienced pitchers. The O's need to pick up at least 1 veteran starter to help out the rotation and the younger players.

Coming tomorrow: Should Miguel Tejada Leave The Orioles Or At Least Move To 3rd base? - John T.

Orioles News - 10/8/07 - Looking At The O's Pitching In 2008

Now that the Baltimore Orioles season is over, some of the many questions on every one's mind are these: What will the Orioles' pitching rotation look like in 2008? What changes do the O's need to make to compete? Should Miguel Tejada leave or at least move to 3rd base? Should Daniel Cabrera leave or at least head to the bullpen? Today I will answer the first question, What will the Orioles' pitching rotation look like in 2008? The rest will be answered in the coming days.

What Will the Baltimore Orioles Pitching Rotation Look Like in 2008?

The O's pitching staff is one of the worst in the league, a fact that's not likely to change this year. But, with some key off season moves, the Orioles could have a chance at a mediocre pitching staff. Don't believe me? I'm not surprised considering the fact the Orioles pitching was ranked 2nd to last in ERA last year. But, the foundation has been laid. With left hander Erik Bedard as our ace of the present and future, the number one spot in the rotation is securely held down. Now comes number two. This will be close, as right hander Jeremy Guthrie and left hander Adam Loewen are likely to be duking it out for the number two spot. The runner up will likely take the third spot. Then there's the fourth and fifth spots up for grabs. It is unclear whether Daniel Cabrera will get a spot in the rotation after 4 frustrating seasons in Baltimore. If he does, it's likely that he does because of a lack of other good pitchers. There's also Kris Benson, the pitcher who was on the Disabled List all season. He could get a spot in the rotation once he comes back from injury. Throw in Radhames Liz, Garrett Olson, and Brian Burres and there is a 5 man battle for two spots in the rotation. It should be interesting during spring training...

Coming tomorrow: What Changes Do the O's Need to Make to Compete? - John T.

Orioles News - 10/7/07 - Looking forward to 2008

Now that the Baltimore Orioles season is over, some of the many questions on every one's mind are these: What will the O's everyday lineup look like in 2008? What will the Orioles' pitching rotation look like in 2008? What changes do the O's need to make to compete? Should Miguel Tejada leave or at least move to 3rd base? Should Daniel Cabrera leave or at least head to the bullpen? Today I will answer the first question, What will the O's lineup look like in 2008? The rest will be answered in the coming days.

What Will the Baltimore Orioles Lineup Look Like in 2008?

With Brian Roberts locked down in a contract, his place at second base is secure. Unfortunately, that's about the only spot that's secure in the Baltimore infield. Shortstop Miguel Tejada is unhappy and is likely on his way out of Baltimore. The O's want him to move to 3rd base, but Tejada is not going willingly as he has said that he would rather be traded to another team and continue playing shortstop. There's not much more certainty at 3rd base either as Melvin Mora's play has declined and Scott Moore is waiting in the wings to play. As for 1st base, Kevin Millar has played well but is obviously not the long-term answer. The catcher position is currently held by Ramon Hernandez, and it appears as if he will continue to hold that position. Now on to the outfield. Center fielder Corey Patterson is eligble for free agency this year, and it's not clear yet whether Baltimore will bring him back. The free agent pool is weak this year, so I think it would be wise to bring him back. In right field, Nick Markakis is holding down that spot and will continue to for years. Left field is a different story. Jay Payton wasn't spectacular and left field has been a weakness for years. That will probably continue this year unless the Orioles pull off a move to bring in someone new.

Coming tomorrow: What Will the Orioles Pitching Rotation Look Like in 2008? - John T.

Orioles News - 10/6/07 - Looking back at 2007

For the final part of the Baltimore Orioles season wrap-up, I will look back at the 2007 season and analyze some stats. This is going to hurt...

• The Baltimore Orioles gave up a total of 868 earned runs all year. That means the Orioles opponent's averaged over 5 earned runs per game. That is pathetic. How are you supposed to win when your giving up that many runs? This Baltimore team is not built for slug fests, as you can see below...
• The O's average 4 runs per game total. That's including un-earned runs too. So, if the Orioles pitching allows 5 runs per game, and the Orioles average only 4 runs per game, then you can see that the Orioles are being outscored, which means more losses for Baltimore. Sad.
• Baltimore's team ERA: 5.17. That's second-worst in the Majors, with only the Tampa Bay Devil Rays having a higher team ERA. Ouch.
• The Orioles hit only 142 home runs last year, which ranks them 23rd out of 30 teams. Camden Yards is a hitter park, one where the Orioles should be blasting many more homers.
• Baltimore walked 696 batters, the most in baseball.
• Roughly 1/6 of those walks came from Daniel Cabrera. And he's supposed to be our "future ace." Riiiiiiiight.

I'll leave you with that. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/5/07 - Grading the Position Players in 2007

As a part of the 2007 season wrap-up for the Baltimore Orioles, I will grade the Orioles position players. Here are my grades. (Note: Players who finished the year on the disabled list or not with the team are not included.)

Grading the Baltimore Orioles Position Players in 2007:

Player: Grade: Key Stat:
Nick Markakis A .300 batting average.
Tike Redman B More triples then 11 players.
Miguel Tejada C 15 errors at Shortstop. Time to move?
Luis Hernandez C+ Drew only 1 walk.
Brian Roberts B 50 stolen bases.
Aubrey Huff C- Only 15 homers.
Melvin Mora C- 10 errors. Time to leave?
Corey Patterson C- 37 stolen bases, but otherwise a bad year.
Freddie Bynum C Didn't get a whole lot of chances.
Ramon Hernandez D+ Only 9 home runs.
Jay Payton D+ .256 batting average.
Scott Moore D .260 on base average.
Kevin Millar C+ 2nd highest on base average on the team.
Paul Bako D+ 1 homer in 156 at-bats.
Brandon Fahey F 9 hits in 54 at-bats.

Wow. That is bad hitting. I gave out one "A". You can't compete if you can't score...

Coming tomorrow: The Final Part of the 2007 Season Wrap-Up: Looking Back at 2007. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/4/07 - Grading the Pitching in 2007

As a part of the 2007 season wrap-up for the Baltimore Orioles, I will grade the Orioles pitching. Some pitchers were good, but most were bad. Here are my grades. (Note: Players who finished the year injured are not included, with an exception of Erik Bedard.)

Grading the Baltimore Orioles' Pitching in 2007:

Pitcher: Grade: Key Stat:
Erik Bedard A 3.16 ERA in 182 innings
Jamie Walker B+ 81 games
Chad Bradford B 1 homer allowed all season
Jeremy Guthrie A- 175 1/3 innings for the rookie
John Parrish C+ 33 walks
Daniel Cabrera F 18 losses
Rob Bell C- 5.94 ERA
Brian Burres C- More hits then innings pitched
Dany Baez F 0-6 with a 6.44 ERA
Radhames Liz D Walks: 23. Innings pitched: 24.
Fernando Cabrera F 7.21 ERA
Jim Hoey D- 7.30 ERA
Jon Leicester D- More hits then innings pitched
Rocky Cherry F 7.71 ERA
Garrett Olson F 28 Earned runs
Kurt Birkins F 8.13 ERA
Victor Santos D- 5 homers allowed in 4 games

In other Baltimore Orioles news, executive Jim Duquette resigned. He has been with the team since October 2005. So long Jim.

Coming tomorrow: Grading the Baltimore Orioles position players in 2007. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/3/07 - Worst of the 2007 Season

As a part of the 2007 season wrap-up for the Baltimore Orioles, I will write about the Orioles worst moment and worst players of 2007. (And believe me, there were plenty of moments and players to choose from.)

Worst Moment in the 2007 Season:

It was one game, but it was a terrible game. The Orioles allowed 30 runs to the Texas Rangers on August 22 to lose, 30-3. The Rangers had 29 total hits, with every starter getting at least 1 hit, with one player collecting 5 hits. The Ranger's 8th and 9th hitters drove in 7 runs each!!! Each!!! That's 14 runs the Orioles gave up to a total of 2 players! That's terrible. But then again, it's fitting because the Orioles' season was terrible too....

Worst Oriole of 2007:

This dubious award goes to... Daniel Cabrera in a close race against Dany Baez! Cabrera, the frustrating flame thrower, had 18 losses this season, leading the Majors in that category. He also had a 5.55 ERA, gave up 126 earned runs, and 207 hits. Daniel led the league in walks too, with 108. He gave up 25 homers, the most on the entire O's roster. Well, every body's good at something. Unfortunately, Cabrera is good at helping the other team.

Runner Up:

Dany Baez. He was signed to a 3 year, 19 million dollar contract this off season to help out our bullpen. Well, he certainly didn't help Baltimore. Baez went 0-6 with a 6.44 ERA, in 53 games. He gave up 36 earned runs, and walked 29 batters while allowing 50 hits. Now you tell me, is Dany Baez really worth a 19 million dollar contract?

Coming tomorrow: Grading the Orioles Pitching in 2007. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/2/07 - Best of the 2007 season

As a part of the 2007 season wrap-up for the Baltimore Orioles, I will write about the Orioles best moment and best players of 2007.

Best Moment in the 2007 Season:

There were few great moments for the Orioles in 2007, but this one really stands out.

- Aubrey Huff hitting for the cycle. This was on June 27, as Aubrey hit for the cycle against the Los Angeles Angels. He began with a triple, his 1,000th hit, followed by a double, his 200th of his career, and then he homered. Only a single to go... And... Huff hit the single he needed, a bloop hit that gave him the cycle! He was the first Oriole to hit for the cycle at home. And what a game! His 1000th hit, his 200th double, and the cycle all in one day! Amazing.

Best Oriole of 2007:

There is 1 player that deserves this award the most. Here he is:

Nick Markakis, Right fielder, Baltimore Orioles, Number 21. That's what his bio says. They forgot to mention "Savior of the Baltimore Orioles." Nick Markakis has provided hope in another losing season. He has given fans hope for the future, that maybe, just maybe, he will be able to one day carry this team on his shoulders out of the cellar in the AL East, and into the playoffs. So by now your probably saying "Yeah right, fat chance." But just look at his stats. He hit .300 with 23 home runs and 112 RBI's this season. And he's only in his 2nd year, as he blew the sophomore jinx theory away with those stats. If these are his stats for his 2nd year, just imagine his stats in his prime...

Runner up:

Erik Bedard. He had a great year, going 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA and 221 strikeouts. He would have had even more impressive stats had it not been for an oblique injury that sidelined him towards the end of the season. He probably would have led the league in strikeouts too, had it not been for that injury. He is still a Cy Young award candidate, but his chances are slim due to him not playing late in the year. Oh well, there's always next year...

Baltimore Orioles Rookie Of the Year:

There's really no question about it. It has to be pitcher Jeremy Guthrie. Guthrie did good, finishing with a 7-5 record and a 3.70 ERA. In 26 starts, that is. Yes, 26 starts. That means Guthrie had 14 no-decisions. Those no-decisions are due mainly to poor run support. Guthrie, like Bedard, got hurt towards the end of the season but still came back to pitch one final game before the season ended. As of right now, he is still a possible Rookie Of the Year candidate, though his chances were hurt by his injury.

Coming tomorrow: The worst of the 2007 season. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/1/07 - 2007 season in review

This blog will be about the Baltimore Orioles 2007 season in review.

Season-changing moment:

Firing manager Sam Perlozzo and hiring Dave Trembley. This was key as the team did great when Trembley was the interim manager, but the same night that it was announced he became the Orioles' official manager, August 22, Baltimore lost to the Texas Rangers 30-3. That was a major turning point in the 2007 season as the O's would lose 8 straight after that and be stuck in a slump for the rest of the season.

What was good:

There were few things that were good, but I would say that Nick Markakis' season was the best thing for the Orioles this year. Markakis led the team in doubles (43), home runs (23), and RBI's (112). He also led the team with a .300 batting average. That's great because this shows that maybe, just maybe, the Orioles do have some good, young players that could help them win. But, I'll go into the subject of good moments in the 2007 season more tomorrow...

What was bad:

Just about everything. But to pick one main thing, I would say that injuries tore the team up. Adam Loewen, Jaret Wright, Kris Benson, and Chris Ray all suffered season ending injuries, with most of the injuries coming at the beginning of the year. Not to mention Miguel Tejada and Ramon Hernandez getting hurt... But, I will have more about the bad moments of the 2007 season in a few days...

In more Baltimore Orioles' news, pitchers Jaret Wright and Victor Zambrano were released by the team. Zambrano had a 8.76 ERA in 12 1/3 innings pitched and 11 walks during his stay in Baltimore. He won't be missed.

Coming tomorrow: The Best Moments Of The Baltimore Orioles 2007 Season. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/30/07 - Season ends in loss

It was a long, bumpy ride but now it's over. It ended on a sour note, but then again, the Orioles' season wasn't exactly sweet. The Baltimore Orioles lost yesterday, 10-4 to the New York Yankees to end their season. It was a bad season, as the Orioles didn't even hit 70 wins. Baltimore extended their streak of 10 straight losing seasons. Not a good streak, but a streak that could be turned around... But I'll have more about that in the coming days...

This game was a typical example of how the O's season has gone. Bad pitching, combined with poor hitting, and it's another loss. Want to see how bad the pitching was yesterday? Starter Brian Burres went 3 1/3 innings, giving up 9 hits, and allowing 6 earned runs. And it's not like reliever Victor Zambrano provided much relief as he gave up 3 earned runs and walked 4 in 1 inning. Looks like the bullpen will be a top concern this offseason...Again. But, I'll have more about that in the coming days...

The Orioles hitting was poor too, as the Orioles loaded the bases with no outs in the 4th inning, yet came away with only 1 run. Kevin Millar, Scott Moore, and J.R. House also drove in runs, but it wasn't nearly enough.

In other news, Right fielder Nick Markakis was named Most Valuable Oriole. Congratulations to him, but we need many more players like him to ever compete.

Coming tomorrow: The Baltimore Orioles 2007 Season in Review. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/29/07 - O's fall in close one, 11-10

The Baltimore Orioles lost last night, 11-10 to the New York Yankees. The game was in the Orioles' favor up until the 4th inning as the O's scored 2 runs in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd innings. They entered the 4th inning with a 6-1 lead. Then, the Yankees figured out Cabrera and started to hit off of him. By the time the inning was over, Cabrera had been chased from the game and the Yankees had scored 10 runs to take a 11-6 lead. Every Yankees starter scored a run in that inning. That's terrible. You have to have better pitching then that.

Daniel Cabrera's line for the game: 3 innings, 10 hits, and 7 runs. Looks like a typical pitching performance by Cabrera.

There were only 2 bright spots in this game for Baltimore: Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts. Markakis homered last night to bring his season total to 23. He also has 112 RBI's, 18 stolen bases, and a .300 batting average. Brian Roberts stole his 50th base of the season last night, so congratulations to him. Here's to several more seasons like that in an Orioles uniform.

The O's wrap up their season today with another game against the New York Yankees. If the O's win today, then they will have won the season series against New York. If not, they will have gone .500 in the season series with the Yanks. I figure the Orioles have a good chance since the Yankees will be resting most of their stars for the playoffs. Ahh, the playoffs. If only we could get there... (Sigh) - John T.

Orioles News - 9/28/07 - O's win in extra innings

The Baltimore Orioles won last night, 10-9 over the New York Yankees. It took 10 innings and a great rally by Baltimore to pull it off...

Coming into this game, the Yankees were 85-1 when leading after the 8th inning this year. Throw in the fact that future Hall Of Fame closer Mariano Rivera is on the mound, and the game seems to be over for the Orioles. Now throw in a 2 out, bases loaded triple by Jay Payton, and the O's sent the game into extra innings. Then in the 10th inning, Tike Redman hit a 1 out double, eventually moving to 3rd base on a passed ball. Nick Markakis and Miguel Tejada were intentionally walked to load the bases. Kevin Millar then came up to bat with the game on the line and... he struck out. Ok, lets try this again. Melvin Mora came up to the plate with 2 outs, the bases loaded, and a chance to be the hero. And Mora.... laid down a bunt to bring in the game winning run! A walk off bunt! (How many times do you hear that?) It was a gutsy call by the O's, but a call that paid off.

Our starting pitching wasn't much last night, as Jon Leicester went 4 1/3 innings, allowing 7 earned runs and walking 3 batters. But, our bullpen did a nice job after that, as they allowed only 2 more runs all game in this rare Orioles win. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/27/07 - Guthrie returns as O's win

Sorry I couldn't post this blog yesterday, my internet was down. So here it is.

A win! The Baltimore Orioles won last night, 8-5 over the Toronto Blue Jays. Rookie Jeremy Guthrie did great after coming back from a strained oblique. Guthrie allowed 3 runs (all earned) in 5 innings. Guthrie threw only 80 pitches due to the fact that he was on a pitch count. Guthrie was left with a no-decision because left fielder Jay Payton misjudged a fly ball which allowed a run to score. He also dropped a line drive which allowed a run.

Geez, Guthrie can’t catch a break anymore. Most of the time, the O’s aren’t providing him enough runs to win. But when they do, like last night, defensive mistakes cost him a decision. The rookie pitching sensation now has 7 no-decisions in his last 9 starts.

Jay Payton did make up for his mistakes in the field, as he drove in 3 runs. Also, Luis Hernandez hit his 1st major league home run last night. Congratulations to him. Hopefully this will be the 1st of many homers from him. J.R. House also homered, his 2nd this year.

So, a good day for the Orioles. – John T

Orioles News - 9/26/07 - 8 run Toronto 1st inning leads to O's loss

The Baltimore Orioles lost last night, 8-5 to the Toronto Blue Jays. This game was terrible. The Blue Jays began the game with a 8 run 1st inning. Yes, an 8 run 1st inning. With the pitchers we have, I'm not surprised. You can tell the game is going to be bad when on the 1st pitch of the game, you hit your opponet with a pitch. The Blue Jay who was hit was Reed Johnson. That was followed by a walk and then a single. So now the bases are loaded with Frank Thomas up and no outs. Great. Thomas crushed a pitch deep to left field but was robbed of the grand slam by Jay Payton (In picture). A run did score on that sacrifice fly though. After that, there was a single, a walk and another single. Then there was a fielder's choice and the O's got their 2nd out!!! Only 1 more out to go, right? Yes, but in the meantime, Toronto scored 3 more runs to run their total to 8 before the O's even went to bat.

So, after that 8 run inning by the Blue Jays, the O's were now down 8 runs against former Cy Young award winner Roy Halladay. But we can still rally to win, right? Fat chance. We did get some runs though, as Ramon Hernandez, Jay Payton and Tike Redman drove in runs. Redman drove in 2, as a matter of fact.

Just thought I'd share this with you: Victor Zambrono's line yesterday: 2/3 innings, 8 earned runs, and 3 walks. I'll leave you with that. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/25/07 - O's fall to Toronto - Baez out all of next year?

The Baltimore Orioles lost last night, 11-4. The winner of this game was the Toronto Blue Jays. This game was ugly. As a matter of fact, kid's should shield their eyes from this: The O's left 11 men on base in this game. That's terrible. A little league team could do better then that. Well, not really but you get the point. More facts to read with caution: This was the 17th game this year in which the Orioles have given up 10 runs or more. It was also their 25th loss in 34 games. Look here, another ugly fact. (The world is just filled with ugly facts, isn't it?) Starter Brian Burres went 3 1/3 innings, giving up 7 runs. All 7 of those runs were earned.

The Blue Jay's runs came in bunches as the scored 3 runs in the 2nd, 3rd, and 7th innings. The Orioles did get some runs as they scored 3 runs in the 5th inning on 5 hits and 1 error. They also scored again in the 7th inning, but it was too little, too late as this game was already decided.

In more news, reliever Dany Baez will likely miss all of next season with an elbow injury. Baez will have Tommy John surgery. My take on this: He won't be missed much by me. Baez is 0-6 with a 6.44 ERA in 53 appearances. Now you tell me, is he really worth a 3 year, 19 million dollar contract? - John T.

Orioles News - 9/25/07 - O's sweep season series against Royals

Swept! As in the Baltimore Orioles swept the season series against the Kansas City Royals with a win last night. The O's won 3-2. This game was being played as a make-up game for a rain out. In this matchup of 2 bad teams, it was actually a good game.

The Orioles struck first in this game, as they scored 2 runs in the 5th inning. The runs came after a Ramon Hernandez single, a groundout to advance Hernandez, and then a double by Tike Redman to score Hernandez. Brian Roberts then walked, and Melvin Mora singled to bring in another run. The Royals came back and scored once in the 6th to make the score a little closer. Daniel Cabrera left the game after he finished the 7th inning, as he allowed only 1 run all game. No, that's not a misprint. Cabrera really did allow only 1 run. He had a 2-1 lead when he left the game. That lead soon turned into a tie after a pinch hit home run in the 8th inning by Kansas City. That homer robbed Cabrera at his chance of getting a decision in the game. But, the O's proved they have some heroics in themselves too. In the 8th inning also, Nick Markakis hit a solo homer to give the O's the lead for good. Markakis now has 22 homers and 109 RBI's this season, a franchise record for a 2nd year player. Maybe we do have some young talent, but we're going to need plenty more players like him and Jeremy Guthrie if we ever want to compete. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/23/07 - O's shutout

The Baltimore Orioles lost yesterday to the Texas Rangers, 3-0. The O's were blanked again. That's the 4th time this month that the O's have been shutout. The Orioles wasted a great pitching performance from Jon Leicester. Leicester went the whole game, allowing only 3 runs. But the Orioles didn't score, as they left 8 men on base. 6 of those men were left in scoring position. That's a shame. We finally get a good pitching performance, yet it's wasted as we can't score. Baltimore also hit into 3 double plays. Two of those double plays came with men in scoring position. The Rangers however, took advantage of their opportunities as they left only 1 man on base in scoring position. Texas scored twice in the 2nd inning, with a triple and a single that brought in runs. They also scored again in the 6th on 2 singles, a wild pitch that advanced the runners, and a groundout to bring in the game's final run. It was a great pitching performance by Jon Leicester but in the end, it doesn't matter if you can't score. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/22/07 - O's win in shootout

The Baltimore Orioles won last night, 11-9 over the Texas Rangers in a shootout. Rightfielder Nick Markakis had 5 RBI's. That's right, Nick Markakis, the Orioles 2nd year player had 5 RBI's. That's what the O's need. Markakis now leads the team in home runs, RBI's, and runs scored. In his 2nd year in the Majors. Nice. Markakis also had a homer in the game. But, the Orioles still had plenty of missed opportunities as they left 11 men on base. That's poor.

Congrats to Brian Roberts on stealing his 47th and 48th base last night. Hopefully he can turn that into 50 before the year ends.

Radhames Liz, our starter, went 2.2 innings giving up 6 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks. Reliever Rocky Cherry came in, giving up 2 runs. Chad Bradford also gave up a run, but the Orioles could still take a victory. But let's face it. Your not going to win giving up 9 runs in one game. Most of the time at least. You need better pitching or your always going to lose. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/21/07 - O's fall to Texas

The Baltimore Orioles lost on Friday to the Texas Rangers. The final score was 3-2. It was a heartbreaking loss for Baltimore. The O's left 6 men on base. But, Miguel Tejada hit a homer, his first opposite-field homer all year. Wait, his 1st opposite-field homer all year? And Tejada is a power hitter right? That's sad. After that homer in the 2nd inning, the Orioles bats seemed to fall asleep. Until the 9th inning. In the 9th inning, the bases were loaded with no outs and Scott Moore hit a sacrifice fly to bring in a run. Now with 1 out, Paul Bako came in with the game on the line and.... Bako struck out. Melvin Mora was then caught stealing, and the game was over. That hurts. So, it was another loss for the Baltimore Orioles. (Sigh.) - Jon T.

Orioles News - 9/20/07 - O's win in 10 innings

The Baltimore Orioles won last night, 6-3 in the 10th inning over the Texas Rangers. A big part of the win is due to this guy, Brian Roberts (left), who hit a 3 run homer in the 10th inning to help lead the Orioles to a win. Miguel Tejada had the game tying hit, which at that point was only the Orioles 2nd run in their last 26 innings. The Orioles were doing badly, losing 1-0 in the 9th inning before a few hits turned into a run. In that game, the O's were 0-9 with runners in scoring position before the 9th inning. Another key factor in the O's win was pitching. (How often do you hear about the O's pitching doing well?) Starter Victor Zambrano went 5 strong innings, allowing only 1 run on 3 hits. He only walked 2 batters. Reliever Jim Hoey came in and mowed down the Rangers, not allowing a run. Rocky Cherry, Chad Bradford, and Jamie Walker all did the same, as they didn't allow a run. Fernando Cabrera did allow a run, 2 as a matter of fact but the Orioles still picked up a victory. Jamie Walker was the reliever who got the win.

Now for Miguel Tejada. He is our starting shortstop. But is it time for him to move? But where? To 3rd base? Or to another team? His range is declining at shortstop and he's making more errors then ever on the field. Should he move? I say yes. His play is declining. He's not doing well at the plate either. So, as much as I hate to say it, the O's need to trade him, possibly for some pitching prospects.

By the way, I am going away this weekend and I won't be able to post on Saturday and Sunday. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/19/07 - O's swept

Swept. The New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles last night, 2-1 to sweep the O's. The O's wasted a great pitching performance by Brian Burres. Burres went 7 1/3 strong innings, allowing only 2 runs on 5 hits. But, Burres' effort didn't matter because the Orioles only scored 1 run, on Melvin Mora's single to bring in Brian Roberts. It's tough to win when you only score 1 run. It's not like the Orioles didn't have chances to score. They had plenty, leaving 7 men on base. The Yankees scored only twice, once in the 2nd inning on a home run by Hideki Matsui and on a wild pitch by Burres in the 5th. If you have any kind of good run support at all, you can expect to win a game when holding your opponet to 2 runs.

Also in the game, Jay Payton was ejected in the 5th inning after striking out on a 3-2 pitch, a called third strike. Payton said something to the umpire, and as he walked away he tosed his helmet in the general direction of home plate. The umpire didn't like that, ejecting Payton from the game.

The O's play a 4 game road series with the Texas Rangers, the O's last road series of the year. Remember one of the last times the O's and Rangers faced off? If not, the final score was 30-3. Hopefully that won't happen again... - John T.

Orioles News - 9/18/07 - O's shutout by Yanks

The Baltimore Orioles were crushed last night, 12-0. The New York Yankees were victorious, with starter Mike Mussina mowing down the O's. Mussina allowed only 3 hits in 7 innings. Remind me again why we let this guy go... Orioles starter Jon Leicester wasn't nearly as good as Mussina, allowing 6 runs on 6 hits in 4 innings. Our bullpen then gave up 6 more runs in the 6th and 7th innings. This is the 3rd time this month that the O's have lost by 12 runs or more. And, this is the 3rd time this month that the Orioles have been shutout this month. That's sad. The Yankees had a 6 run 4th inning, but the O's could have escaped with minimum damage. There were 3 seperate times when a ball went off of or under an Orioles player's glove. These were not easy plays, but plays that should have been made. Orioles catcher Ramon Hernandez had 2 hits, and Miguel Tejada had 1, but other then that, the O's didn't have a basehit. Also, pitcher Daniel Cabrera dropped his appeal of a 6 game suspension for throwing at a batter. So, a terrible day for the O's as they managed just 3 hits. - John T.