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: Interleague play, 2019

The Baltimore Orioles don’t start interleague play until the end of May this year. That’s when the San Francisco Giants come to town, for a weekend series. The American League East plays the National League West this year.

And as a result this might be one of the more fun years in terms of interleague games, because we’ll see matchups that we don’t see often. A month or so after that SF series, the Orioles will entertain San Diego for two games. However on the flip side, it also means more travel.

Towards the end of July the Birds will make a supplemental visit out west to drop in on NL West teams. The road trip will take them through Phoenix, Los Angeles (actually an AL series, against the Angels), and San Diego. So as a result, the Birds also get a visit from the zoos Angeles Dodgers in September.

Incidentally, the Orioles will get a visit from the Washington Nationals in July, and they’ll head down the pike to D.C. in August. Both series’ are in the middle of the week – not ideal for fans on either side. I was always a proponent of how they originally did these series’, three games in each park – and over a weekend. From the perspective of the fans, that was the best way to do it.

Baltimore Orioles need to honor Buck Showalter in 2019

The fact that 2019 will be a strange year for the Baltimore Orioles and their fans should go without saying. And it’s not just limited to the players on the field. Fans will have to get used to peering into the Orioles’ first base side dugout at Camden Yards and not seeing Buck Showalter manning things.

That’s not a dig at new manager Brandon Hyde. It’s merely stating a fact. As I said when Hyde was hired, fans shouldn’t dislike him simply because he’s not Buck Showalter. Because I can guarantee you that Showalter probably wouldn’t take that attitude.

That aside, the manager will simply be one difference this coming year. However I would submit that the Orioles do need to make Buck a small part of this season. I would hope that it goes without saying that he’ll be in the Orioles’ hall of fame at some point. But that’s not what I’m talking about…

…the Orioles owe it to Buck to have a “Buck Showalter day/night” at Camden Yards in 2019. I’m not sure how exactly that would work, but in essence everyone in attendance gets some sort of Buck Showalter souvenir, and have a ceremony on the field before the game honoring Buck and presenting him with some sort of award.

Let’s not forget that Buck took the organization and brought it further than it had ever gone in years. However perhaps more importantly, he restored pride to the Orioles’ organization. The same pride that Brandon Hyde is now taxed with restoring.

Too often we remember figures for how they left us – and Buck is no exception. However the Orioles and the city owe it to him to show their appreciation this year. Some of these theme nights can come across as corny for sure. But it’s an honor that Buck deserves – sooner rather than later.

Baltimore Orioles: Can Chris Davis regain his stroke?

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Baltimore Orioles in 2019 will be whether or not Chris Davis can improve his offensive output. Davis’ current contract, worth $161 million, is the largest in team history. It hasn’t paid off as of yet per se.

If Davis can turn things around, the “new administration” will immediately get props from the fan base. But either way, that’a a big if. Davis is doing his part however, as he’s changing up his workout regiment this off season. Davis has been working out in Texas for the past month or so. The hope is that he can regain the stroke he had a few years ago.

But what if he does regain some sort of power? That obviously bodes well for the O’s, but what would that mean for the rebuild? Odds are it would mean that the young hitters around him would become better in shorter time. No pressure there for Davis.

Baltimore Orioles: Hindsight is 20/20 with Chris Davis

The Chris Davis contract has become one of the most scrutinized in Baltimore Orioles’ history. Especially when the alleged contract that’s been offered to Manny Machado by the Chicago White Sox amounts to approximately $2 million a year more than what Davis is making with the Orioles. That’s certainly not lost on the fan base.

However hindsight is always 20/20. At the time the Davis contract was inked, there was legitimate fear amongst fans and team officials that one of the best sluggers in the league would leave Baltimore. And yes, at the time Davis was considered one of the best sluggers in baseball. The contract was widely applauded by fans and analysts alike. Nobody could have predicted that the bottom would fall out on Davis when it did.

We’re also talking about a different time. Yes for the Orioles, but also for the league. That Chris Davis contract might well end up being one of the last massive long-term deals. Teams aren’t as willing to commit big time dollars over a long period of time. Granted the Machado deal that’s on the table in Chicago is bigger. But it’s a far cry from the ten years, $400 million that he was seeking.

Ultimately, it’s unfair to judge the past by the standards of the present. Furthermore, the final chapter on Chris Davis in Baltimore doesn’t have to have been written yet. Things can always improve. And if the new regime in Baltimore has anything to do with it, perhaps in fact they will.

Baltimore Orioles hire Doug Brocail as pitching coach

The Baltimore Orioles appear poised to hire their next pitching coach. They’re expected to announce that Doug Brocail will be landing the job, replacing Roger McDowell. Brocail previously served in the same role for the Texas Rangers.

For what it’s worth, Brocail pitched in 15 major league seasons – primarily as a reliever. Two of those seasons were spent under Buck Showalter as his manager while in Texas. At this point I suppose that means very little, given that Showalter is no longer with the organization.

Personally I think that Brocail will come from a good position when preaching to his pitching staff. The fact that a 15-year big league veteran will be providing them direction should mean something. This is a guy who will have been there and done that. Let’s put it this way; Brocail is inheriting what was the league’s worst staff in 2018. Nowhere to go but up!

Baltimore Orioles: Would the Birds want Manny Machado?

Former Baltimore Orioles’ third baseman/SS Manny Machado has reportedly been offered a contract by the Chicago White Sox Worth $250 million. This over eight years. Give or take, that’s approximately $31 million per year for eight seasons. To a simpleton such as myself, that sounds like a no-brainer.

But as we all know, that’s far off from the 10 years, $350-$400 million contract that Machado craves. However here’s an interesting question: would the Orioles even want Machado? The reasons for having him on your team are obvious. But the argument against it…?

In looking at Manny’s actions and comments since leaving the Orioles, it strikes me what a great job Buck Showalter did in reigning him in. You never saw Manny say something along the lines of I’m not Johnny Hustle, or anything like that. That isn’t to say that he didn’t have his moments – because he most certainly did. But for the most part, he was fairly subdued in terms of some of his darker tendencies.

Whether or not that would continue to be the case or not would remain to be seen. Manny’s been gone from the Birds since July. And obviously when he went to L.A. he was allowed to express himself a bit more freely. Would he feel strange about coming back to a place where he might be expected to conform?

Obviously whether or not Brandon Hyde would want to reign Manny in the way Buck did is another story. Whether or not he would have the clout or presence to do so would remain to be seen. But there’s another angle to this as well. The Orioles be Orioles fans like their players to be members of the community, and in effect institutions. Is Manny, and his selling of his talents to the highest bidder, what they want?

End of the day, Manny isn’t on the Orioles’ radar. Not because of anything I said above. But because of the fact that the franchise is rebuilding. He doesn’t fit into their future. The Orioles are trying to find a new Manny Machado.

Baltimore Orioles: Should rules be bent?

The Baltimore Orioles and all of the other teams in MLB operate under the same rules. This much we know – in general. But there’s a player out there named Kyler Murray, who you might know as the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from the University of Oklahoma. Or maybe I should call him a “potential player.”

Murray plays both football and baseball – and he could have a legit future in either sport. He was drafted by Oakland Athletics in last year’s draft. Both the A’s, and the league want Murray to pick baseball. He’s a great talent. It appears that he’s more inclined to pick football – because of the possibility of more up front money right away. (If it were me I’d look at the fact that baseball would potentially provide for a longer career and more money over a longer period of time. Plus baseball contracts are guaranteed while football contracts are not – but that’s just me.)

According to various reports, Murray is willing to pick baseball right now – at a price. Murray wants a big league contract worth $15 million. That’s more than is allowed under the rules of MLB’s collective bargaining agreement. But the question is whether or not MLB would consider bending that rule, or in essence waiving it – to keep a promising talent in the game.

I’m kind of a “rules guy.” The rules are there for a reason, in this case to ensure that there’s no wage disparity. But MLB also risks losing a talent to another sport. So what gives?

I’m not sure that there is a right answer. Baseball certainly has a stake in keeping Murray in the sport, and obviously the A’s do as well. But if I were the Angels, Mariners, or Rangers, what exactly would I think of this prospect? Baseball bending it’s own rul in favor of one of their division rivals? That might not sit well.

I suppose that at the end of the day my stance is that the rules are the rules. They’re there for a reason. An entity like MLB would probably not want to be bending it’s own rules – from the perspective of precedent. Because any team could then come and ask for a special accommodation, and reference that they did it for Oakland. Time will tell.

Baltimore Orioles: Is social media changing the dynamic?

For years and years fans complained that they didn’t know what was going on with the Baltimore Orioles. The ownership of Peter Angelos rarely seemed to communicate or.’a plans, leaving people in the dark in terms of the direction of the franchise. However much of that seems to be over, as sons John and Lou Angelos are running the show.

Whether or not the general public should know or has a right to know “what’s going on” is another story. Fans think they should have this right and/or privilege. And they aren’t shy about expressing that sentiment.

And a big part of this is social media. That’s a tool that I use myself quite often. However it also gives people a stake in what’s happening with any team that they follow. It allows them to speak directly to the team – via twitter and other manners.

And if fans don’t feel they.’really being heard, they seemingly have no issue packing up and in essence finding another team. Fans are mandating more access and more of an understanding on what’s going on with the team. And if they don’t get it, the team doesn’t get their money.

Years ago this wasn’t the case – and again, years ago there was no social media.

Baltimore Orioles: Will the fans stand behind the 2019 Birds?

As it stands now, the 2019 Baltimore Orioles appear to be void of any star power. Certainly there are a few familiar names, such as Chris Davis. Four or five years ago he would have been considered a star. But odds are that’s not the case any longer – at least not for now.

He’s not the only familiar name. Orioles fans will also recognize the Mancini’s, Bundy’s, and Trumbo’s of the world. And a few others. However there’s a difference between familiar players and stars. For years it’s been Adam Jones‘ team. He was the star. Until further notice, there’s no real star on this team.

And that make no mistake that there’s still an upside to that. Because that means that the next true Orioles’ star could be anyone. At this point it appears that time, fate, or consequence will decide who that’s going to be. It’ll happen organically.

However there is a concern and quite frankly a risk on the part of the organization. Most fans and analysts alike applauded the Orioles for the rebuilding effort. Both in deciding to do it, and how it’s been done to this point. But will fans respond in kind at the box office?

That’s the age old question. There is a certain mindset amongst some people that if they’re going to see (what temporarily could be deemed) minor league talent with no star power, they may as well use their entertainment dollars by going to Keys or Baysox games. Time will tell, but hopefully the fans remain constant and accepting of the process – and turn out to see this team play.

Baltimore Orioles: Piano Man set to rock the yard

The Baltimore Orioles won’t be the only thing rocking the yard this summer. It was announced yesterday that legendary singer and songwriter Billy Joel will be making his maiden appearance at Oriole Lark at Camden Yards on Friday, July 26, 2019. In fact, it’ll be the first concert in the history of Camden Yards.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on January 18, 2019 at 10 AM. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to support music and arts education programs across Maryland. Needless to say, this is big news for Baltimore.

Billy Joel played M & T Bank Stadium in 2014. But neither he nor any other artist has ever played Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The only other “act” ever held there to my knowledge is a mass in 1994 said by his holiness, Saint John Paul II. So in the history of the ballpark, this will be a historic event.

On a selfish note, Billy Joel’s my favorite singer. Covering the Orioles and Angels game that night will probably take precedence, but I think it’s cool that my favorite musician will be the first to ever play Camden Yards. And the fact is that Joel’a act belongs in a baseball stadium. There are references to baseball throughout his songs; mostly New York baseball, but references to baseball. Needless to say, for at least one night in July, Baltimore will be in a New York State of Mind!

(Side note: I’m a Billy Joel superfan. I listen to his channel on satellite radio on a daily basis. Did you REALLY think that I wasn’t about to say something along the lines of that NY state of mind line? Keep in mind that Allentown isn’t far from Baltimore – I could have just worked a lyric from that song in also. Or mentioned the lyrics from PRESSURE where he talks about it being in the ninth with two men out and three men on. Nowhere to look but inside, right?!)