Author Archives: Domenic Vadala

Welcome to Birdland Crush! Yes folks, for the record it's a spin off of the popular summer beverage native to the Mid-Atlantic Region - "orange crush." Nevertheless, I've been covering Orioles' baseball since 2009 in some capacity, and it's basically the greatest gig of all time so far as I'm concerned! But for those who aren't familiar with my work or bio, I'm familiar with pretty much every sport out there. But baseball is king - we all know that. So my hope is that you come back and check in after every Orioles' game, and throughout the off-season. I'm always on duty!

Baltimore Orioles win a battle of crooked numbers (updated)

David Hess looked decent for the Baltimore Orioles in his first spring start this afternoon. Hess’ line: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K. It’s tough to judge anything based on two innings. Hess on his outing (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

Felt like, all things considered, it was a pretty good start. Getting out there for the first time and getting the rust off, in a sense. I left a two-seam over the middle. Obviously, the home run wasn’t ideal. Felt like I got a lot of soft contact today and made some good pitches and they couldn’t put the bat on a couple of them. All in all, it was a pretty good start to spring training.

Hess did load the bases in the first inning, and was able to pitch out of it. I always say that the nature of the position (pitcher) is that you’ll get yourself in trouble. If you can get yourself out of trouble, you’re in good shape.

Luckily for Hess and the Orioles, the bats came around almost immediately just as they did yesterday. Rio Ruiz smacked a three-run homer in the last of the first to give the O’s a 3-0 lead. However unlike yesterday’s game against Minnesota, Toronto wasn’t looking to roll over.

They got on the board in the second on a wind-aided solo homer by Pompey (the only run Hess surrendered). In the third they cut the lead to 3-2 on Gurriel’s RBi-double, tied it on Guerrero’s RBI-single, and then took the lead on Smith’s two-RBI single. All of those runs were charged to Tanner Scott, who struggled in his short time in the game.

But the O’s weren’t about to be outdone. They cut it to 5-4 in the last of the fourth on Austin Hays‘ RBI-single. Later in the inning Carlos Perez‘s two-RBI double gave the Birds the lead back at 6-5. (Perez was thrown out at third trying to extend it into a triple.) And the Birds never really looked back – although Toronto rallied again.

The O’s would also get an RBI-single by Cael Brockmeyer, an RBI-groundout by Christopher Bostick, and an RBI-single by Stevie Wilkerson in the last of the seventh. Toronto would get rally however in the top of the eighth on a solo homer by Cantwell, an RBI-HPB awarded to Knight, and an RBI-single by Fields. This left the score at 9-8. Maryland native Branden Kline sent Toronto down 1-2-3 in the ninth to preserve the win and record the save.

Not every game is going to be clean and easy in a sense. Especially in the Florida Grapefruit League. So while so many different players come through these games, all of whom are trying to do different things and so forth, it was good to see the Birds collectively win a game like this. Especially with Toronto making a late charge, only to have the ‘pen shut them down 1-2-3.

During the third inning of the game the Orioles announced that they had traded for RHP David Lebron from the Texas Rangers – in exchange for international signing bonus slots. The 25-year old Homestead, FL native has pitched one minor league season, split between two levels. While he has no won/loss record, he does have an ERA of 1.31. He’s appeared in ten games and has never surrendered a home run.

The Orioles will hit the road for the first time this spring tomorrow as they head to CenturyLink Sports Park to take on Minnesota. Nate Karns gets the start for the O’s, although at this point Minnesota has not announced a starter. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Update: Jose Berrios will start for Minnesota tomorrow against the O’s.

Baltimore Orioles: Only an exhibition, but in THE WIN COLUMN!

The Brandon Hyde era unofficially began this afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium with the Baltimore Orioles in THE WIN COLUMN! Yefry Ramírez took the ball as a starter, and provided some good results in his limited action on the mound. Ramirez’s line: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K.

Perhaps in an effort to highlight the fact that any of these games are in fact open competitions for jobs, Hyde submitted what almost looked like a travel roster for this game. More of the “regulars” such as Davis and Mancini will be in the lineup tomorrow, but Hyde obviously wanted to see what his younger players were going to do today.

Ramriez looking crisp in the first inning was an immediate good sign, as was the fact that Cedric Mullins drew a walk in the leadoff spot after being behind 0-2 in the count. Once Mullins got on base, he stole second and then took third on an errant throw. As I’ve said many times, things can happen when you get guys on the base paths and put pressure on the pitcher.

Later in that first inning Chance Sisco would smack a three-run home run, giving the O’s an early 3-0 lead. Interestingly this Orioles team was supposed to be more about manufacturing runs than anything else. But Brandon Hyde and company will certainly take homers whenever they come. Ramirez would allow his sole run in the second on a Telis run-scoring ground out. One inning later in the last of the third, the Birds in fact would manufacture a run – on Renato Nunez‘s sac fly-RBI.

Yusniel Diaz, the DH this afternoon, would smack a two-run homer later in that third inning, extending the Birds’ lead to 6-1. Minnesota would score in the seventh when Kranson reached on an error in the seventh, and Rio Ruiz would add a sac fly-RBI in the last of that seventh inning. All in all, you’ll take a 7-2 victory however you can get it, especially in day one of spring games.

As I said, Brandon Hyde obviously wanted to get a look at some younger players today, which is presumably why the aforementioned Davis and Mancini were omitted from the lineup today. We’ll see them tomorrow. However the young guns in today’s game atoned for themselves very well. That makes ultimate decisions tougher on management. And that’s exactly how management wants it.

The Orioles will remain at home in Sarasota tomorrow as the Toronto Blue Jays come in for a visit. David Hess gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Sean Reid-Kelly. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: GAMEDAY in Sarasota

This afternoon the Baltimore Orioles are going to play the biggest baseball game in the history of western civilization. Well, for this year anyways. Note the sarcasm, folks. However no matter how you spin it, this is a day that’s been earmarked in Birdland for some time.

The first spring game is about as meaningless as the final one, but starting today we’re going to start to see what kind of Orioles’ team we’re going to have in 2019. We’re also going to see what kind of manager Brandon Hyde is going to be in games. For what it’s worth, most of Minnesota’s regulars will be staying back in Ft. Myers today, as it’s a split squad day for them. They’ll be taking on Tampa this evening at home – not that too many regulars would have made the trip to Sarasota anyways.)

There are a lot of moving parts, however while the results don’t matter, how the games unfold do. That’ll go a long way towards telling us who’ll be on the roster come Opening Day. And as I’ve said before, when players put on a uniform, they play to win.

Fans can follow me on twitter, @domenicvadala, for in-game updates of today’s game, as well as for every spring game. That of course extends into the regular season also – basically from today until October I’ve got you squared! And of course following every game you can hop on here to Birdland Crush for game recaps and analysis.

So again, Grapefruit League Play begins this afternoon when the Minnesota Twins visit Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. Yefry Ramirez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Chase De Jong. Game time is set for just after 1 PM this afternoon.

Baltimore Orioles: How does the player rotation turn?

The Baltimore Orioles and new manager Brandon Hyde will play their first two spring games at home in Sarasota this weekend. Kind of a sweet way to open the spring slew of games; the first two games being at home, and on a Saturday and Sunday. But then again in baseball there aren’t days per se. Saturday may as well be Tuesday, aside from getaways days and so forth. But forget about that – we’re only in spring training.

But it will be interesting to see how Hyde (a rookie manager) spins his player rotation in these spring games. Usually the regulars will play in the home games, but the road rosters are usually full of what end up being reserves or minor leaguers. Obviously there’s a rule which says you have to bring at least three regulars to each road game, but teams find ways around that.

However what exactly is the Orioles’ starting lineup? I suspect Davis is at first, Mullins in center, Stewart in left, and maybe Sisco or Wynns behind the plate. That aside, might the home games have lineups that look a lot like those of the road games?

The Orioles are a team who can legitimately say that they may not be able to being “regulars” on the road, as they don’t know who the regular players are going to be. The Birds don’t hit the road until Monday afternoon when they head to Fort Myers to play Minnesota. I suspect that we’ll simply see different young players in that game as opposed to what we’ll see this weekend in Sarasota.

However as has been said as hoc, this Grapefruit League “season” is going to have a different feel. In the past the home games have been about guys getting their reps in to get ready for the season. This year we will see some of that – again from the Davis’ of the world perhaps. But for the most part each game (home and road) will be about competition. It’ll be about guys fighting for a job. And on the flip side it’ll be about Brandon Hyde and Mike Elias picking the very best 25 guys to put on the active roster after March 25th (the final spring game).

And for only the first time this spring (because I end up writing this frequently), I’ll remind folks that wins and losses don’t matter. At least in any game between now and March 25th. Sure fans are going to follow the games and root for the Orioles to win – and that’s okay. But a loss in which a guy or two steps up and tries to lay claim to a position, or a loss in which a pitcher retires the side 1-2-3 is much more valuable than a “ho-hum victory.” Now that said, when a player puts on a uniform, make no mistake that he’s playing to win!

Baltimore Orioles: How does the player rotation turn?

The Baltimore Orioles and new manager Brandon Hyde will play their first two spring games at home in Sarasota this weekend. Kind of a sweet way to open the spring slew of games; the first two games being at home, and on a Saturday and Sunday. But then again in baseball there aren’t days per se. Saturday may as well be Tuesday, aside from getaways days and so forth. But forget about that – we’re only in spring training.

But it will be interesting to see how Hyde (a rookie manager) spins his player rotation in these spring games. Usually the regulars will play in the home games, but the road rosters are usually full of what end up being reserves or minor leaguers. Obviously there’s a rule which says you have to bring at least three regulars to each road game, but teams find ways around that.

However what exactly is the Orioles’ starting lineup? I suspect Davis is at first, Mullins in center, Stewart in left, and maybe Sisco or Wynns behind the plate. That aside, might the home games have lineups that look a lot like those of the road games?

The Orioles are a team who can legitimately say that they may not be able to being “regulars” on the road, as they don’t know who the regular players are going to be. The Birds don’t hit the road until Monday afternoon when they head to Fort Myers to play Minnesota. I suspect that we’ll simply see different young players in that game as opposed to what we’ll see this weekend in Sarasota.

However as has been said as hoc, this Grapefruit League “season” is going to have a different feel. In the past the home games have been about guys getting their reps in to get ready for the season. This year we will see some of that – again from the Davis’ of the world perhaps. But for the most part each game (home and road) will be about competition. It’ll be about guys fighting for a job. And on the flip side it’ll be about Brandon Hyde and Mike Elias picking the very best 25 guys to put on the active roster after March 25th (the final spring game).

And for only the first time this spring (because I end up writing this frequently), I’ll remind folks that wins and losses don’t matter. At least in any game between now and March 25th. Sure fans are going to follow the games and root for the Orioles to win – and that’s okay. But a loss in which a guy or two steps up and tries to lay claim to a position, or a loss in which a pitcher retires the side 1-2-3 is much more valuable than a “ho-hum victory.” Now that said, when a player puts on a uniform, make no mistake that he’s playing to win!

Baltimore Orioles sign Jesse Sucre to a minor league deal

The Baltimore Orioles appear poised to throw a veteran into the battle for the starting catcher’s spot. Today they announced that they signed former Tampa catcher Jesse Sucre to a minor league deal. If Sucre makes the club out of spring training, the deal guarantees him $850,000.00. It also grants him a March 22nd opt-out date.

The contract includes an invitation to big league spring training, which usually means that the player will be given an opportunity to compete for a starting position. In six big league seasons, Sucre’s a .223 hitter. However he’s a .996 career fielder behind the plate. The Orioles could use his experience.

Catcher might be one of the big position battles this year in camp. The Orioles still have Austin Wynns and Chance Sisco on the roster, both of whom are rookies. More than anything else, this move tells me that the Orioles aren’t looking to have to young catchers behind the dish in 2019. Both Sisco and Wynns are probably interchangeable, and if Sucre ends up on the roster I suspect that both will see time in the bigs and in triple-A. Time will tell.

On an unrelated note, former Bowie Baysox manager Gary Kendall has been named the manager at Triple-A Norfolk for the Orioles. Kendall’s been a rising star in the organization for some time. Worth keeping an eye on over time as managerial jobs come available.

Baltimore Orioles to start Yefry Ramírez in Grapefruit opener

Baltimore Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde has named a starter for Saturday’s Florida Grapefruit League opener. The starting assignment goes to Yefry Ramírez, a name that shouldn’t be unfamiliar to Orioles’ fans. While he didn’t have much success (pitching to a 5.92 ERA), Ramirez did see action in 2018.

This does not mean that Ramírez is being green lighted to start on Opening Day. You really can’t read too much into these spring starts. All it really means is that Hyde and his staff want to get a look at Ramírez in game action in Saturday’s game. Odds are he’s only slated to pitch two innings – three at most.

Hyde hasn’t committed to a starter past Saturday. The Orioles are home in Sarasota both days this weekend. Saturday of course is against Minnesota at 1 PM. On Sunday they’ll host the Toronto Blue Jays at Ed Smith Stadium at 1 PM. For what it’s worth, tickets remain for both games. Or you could just follow along with my twitter feed, @DomenicVadala, for in-game updates! You can also check back here at Birdland Crush following all spring and regular season games for game recaps and analysis.

The Orioles also announced this week that Boog’s Barbecue will be coming to Ed Smith Stadium during spring training home games this year. The famed Camden Yards BBQ stand will be open in the left field pavilion area, and during all home spring games. In theory this is Boogs’ third location – the first outside of Maryland. The original of course is at Camden Yards, but there’s also a Boog’s stand on the boardwalk in Ocean City. And now Sarasota.

Baltimore Orioles: Manny Machado to San Diego

Yesterday word finally came that former Baltimore Orioles’ third baseman Manny Machado has found a landing spot. Machado signed a ten-year deal worth $300 million with…the San Diego Padres. Nobody saw that coming – Manny to not only a west coast team, but a small market team. And one who’s probably not in a spot to win now at that.

But this is good news for Orioles fans. First and foremost, he’s out of the AL East. The Orioles were always wary (some would say too wary) that he’d end up in the Bronx. Furthermore he’s in the National League. The only way Manny signing with a team would have worked out better for the Birds is had he signed back here again.

For what it’s worth, San Diego does visit Camden Yards this year. They come in for a two-game series on June 25-26th. There’ll be an interesting dynamic in that series because while Manny will be returning to the park where his career began and where he undoubtedly has lots of memories, the Orioles team he’ll be facing certainly looks much different than what he knew before.

However needless to say, those two games should be fun for Manny and the Orioles fans. My hope is that they welcome him back with a standing ovation. You can also catch Manny and the Padres in Washington over the last weekend in April. The Orioles will make a return engagement to San Diego in July.

Baltimore Orioles: How will Brandon Hyde handle his bullpen?

With the beginning of Florida Grapefruit League play coming up this weekend, Baltimore Orioles fans are about to get their first look at Brandon Hyde in the dugout. However keep in mind that spring training in effect is a controlled environment. While the game outcomes certainly aren’t scripted, the pitchers certainly are – in terms of when they pitch and how many innings.

However with that said, I’ll be interested to see how exactly Hyde plans on managing his bullpen. We might get a sneak peak at that in the final week of spring training, when at times the rotations aren’t quite as scripted as they were in the beginning. But the biggest concern with a rookie manager is how he handles the bullpen.

Does he blow through relievers left and right like there’s no tomorrow? Does he leave a pitcher on the mound too long? Or…is he potentially really good at managing the bullpen?

Fact is that it’s not as easy as it looks. Not that I would know – because I don’t. But I would liken it to clock management in the NFL. We all sit there and complain when coaches birch clock management in the end of halves. We all think we could do better because it’s such an easy thing. But obviously it’s not that easy if so many people struggle with it.

There’s no doubt how important the bullpen is. Especially in the modern game. So how Hyde manages it is something worth watching from the beginning. He’ll make mistakes, and fans will have to accept that at first. But as things play out, hopefully those mistakes are fewer and further between.

Baltimore Orioles: Kennebunkport slider on Opening Day

There are several recurring Baltimore Orioles’ columns that I write every year. This one that I’ve made a point of penning every President’s Day is by far my favorite. Please note folks, there’s nothing that I’m writing here which is meant to be political. This column is about America’s Chief Executives playing a special role in her favorite sport – and nothing else.

President William Howard Taft began the tradition on Opening Day in 1910 at National Park in Washington DC. Since then, every sitting President (through Obama) and quite a few former Presidents have partaken in the event. It’s usually on Opening Day, however Presidents have also thrown out the first pitch in other games as well – such as President Jimmy Carter doing the honors at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore during the 1979 World Series.

Make no mistake, there’s no other tradition in sports like this. And I would submit that having President throw out the first pitch on Opening Day is about as special as anything. This past year America lost perhaps one of her most beloved former Presidents in George H.W. Bush. President Bush of course was a war hero turned politician, and a former first baseman at Yale to boot!

President Bush’s first turn at throwing out the first pitch was the year he entered office, 1989. He made the trek up the pike to do the honors at Memorial Stadium that April. He would return to Baltimore for Opening Day in 1992, when of course the Orioles opened Oriole Park at Camden Yards. President Bush’s first pitch wound up in the dirt, and he later said that he meant to throw a low-and-away slider.

President Bush also became the first and only sitting U.S. President (to date) to toss out the first pitch on foreign soil. He threw out the first pitch at Toronto’s Skydome in 1990. He had also traveled to Arlington, TX to do the honors for the Texas Rangers the following year. President Bush reprieved his duties of throwing out the first ball in 2003 in Cincinnati, and in 2015 in the ALDS in Houston.

So President George H.W. Bush is the answer to a trivia question. Who threw out the first pitch on Opening Day at Camden Yards in 1992? President Bill Clinton also did the honors a few times in Baltimore, but the 1990’s was the last time that a sitting President threw out the first ball in Baltimore. Presumably, that has a lot to do with MLB returning to Washington in 2005.

Which brings me to my final point. I always close this column in the same manner. Regardless of politics, popularity, or anything else, I think that the President should open the baseball season every year by throwing out the first pitch on Opening Day in Washington, D.C. Every President, every year. I hope you’re listening, President Trump!