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: Who’s the next manager if Buck Showalter is out?

One thing we know for sure: the Baltimore Orioles will have a manager next year. Reports say that it won’t be Buck Showalter, although nobody knows for certain as of yet. I’m on record as saying that I think Buck should be at least offered a contract to manage next year – if he wants the opportunity. And even if the next guy far surpasses Showalter’s accomplishments in Baltimore, that’s a stance I’ll take to my grave.

But let’s assume for just a moment that Showalter in fact isn’t the manager next year. Who is? Speaking for myself, the three candidates that make the most sense are former St. Louis manager Mike Matheny, former New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, and former Boston manager John Farrell. At least two of those names are going to make Orioles’ fans uneasy. (And Girardi’s turned down an opportunity to manage the Orioles in the past.) But the fact is that all three are accomplished managers and are available.

Notice however that I said the candidates that make the most sense. I didn’t say that those were the best candidates. In general, I like coaches and managers who have done the job before at a high level. I get it that at some point someone has to take a risk on a guy in terms of elevating him to the top spot. I’ve just never wanted to be the person to roll the dice. I’d rather know what I’m getting in someone who’s proven he can do the job at this level.

But I really think that would be the wrong approach for this team – and I don’t say that lightly. A full rebuild is no joke, and it’s not for the faint of heart. The Orioles might really want to consider finding a young manager in the form of someone’s bench coach or a base coach so as to help bring these young Birds along. And here’s the other thing; whomever the manager is (presuming it’s not Showalter) might not be here long. By that, I almost mean he could be a placeholder.

Most guys would jump at a shot to manage a big league team. So if a Sandy Alomar Jr. (currently Cleveland’s first base coach) or if a Kevin Long (currently Washington’s bench coach) were offered a two or three-year deal to manage the Orioles, they might consider taking it. (And incidentally the Alomar family already has some ties to Baltimore.) It would come across as perhaps a provisional type of move. However it would give Dan Duquette and the Angelos brothers a chance to see what they have both in players and in a manager

Obviously if the organization is going in the right direction on the field towards the end of that contract, they would consider extending the manager. Again, in general I like experienced managers – such as Buck Showalter, who again I maintain should be the manager next year in my view. But the Farrell’s and Girardi’s of the world are going to want a big contract both financially and tenure-wise. If after two or three years the rebuild isn’t going as smoothly as the Orioles would have liked, they would either have to eat the remainder of the contract or continue plugging along at that pace.

With last night’s rain out, the O’s will play a split doubleheader today at Boston’s Fenway Park. Ryan Meisinger gets the start for the Orioles in the first game, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s David Price. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Did Buck Showalter tip his hand?

The Baltimore Orioles were unable to get it together again in Boston last night the way that they did in New York on Sunday afternoon. Dylan Bundy couldn’t keep Boston bats at bay, and they took advantage of the Orioles’ starter’s short outing. Bundy’s line: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

Boston got back-to-back doubles in the second inning, culminated by Holt’s RBI-double to give them a 1-0 lead. Holt would later score on Vasquez’s RBI-single later in the inning. Even further into the inning brought Betts, an MVP candidate, to the plate, and his two-run homer gave Boston a 4-0 lead.

Buck Showalter said after the game that he felt Bundy never really got a fair shake on borderline pitches throughout his short outing (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

This is going to sound like excuses and everything and I’ve got it. A lot of people in our situation and rightfully so. There’s about six to seven pitches … The difference between a 3-1 count and a 2-2 count, I mean, 2-1, 1-2.

Dylan couldn’t catch a break with the borderline pitches. I’m going to be nice when I say borderline. It’s one of those things I’ve learned through the years, go back and take a look at yourself and you end up going, ‘I’d want that pitch,’ or, ‘I wouldn’t want that pitch.’ I thought it was kind of a little one-sided.

I felt that was a really interesting take from a manager. We’ve all heard the rumors about Showalter not returning next season. Coaches and players alike have to be careful when talking about umpires because the league will fine you at the drop of a dime if you’re overly critical. While Showalter did parse his words a bit there, it seemed like he went a bit further than he otherwise would have.

Boston would get RBI-singles by Benintendi and Bogaerts in the fourth to run the score to 6-0. But the Orioles’ bullpen also pitched a solid five innings to close the game, not allowing even a run. The O’s would also net two runs, with Tim Beckham scoring on a fifth inning wild pitch, and Adam Jones providing an eighth inning sac fly-RBI. But the Birds fell in game one at Fenway Park, 6-2.

Going back to Buck Showalter, I really was struck by that quote. Quite frankly I think he probably wanted to go much further than that at various times this season, but again had to keep quiet. Now maybe he’s letting it fly a bit more because he knows anything that comes down from the league can’t hurt him for the most part. That’s purely speculation on my part.

The series continues this evening, weather permitting (it’s supposed to rain all day in Boston). Jimmy Yacabonis gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s David Price. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles win finale vs. New York

Let the record show that the 2018 Baltimore Orioles won the season finale against New York – at Yankee Stadium. That’s small consolation in a season in which New York was only one of the teams that pushed the Orioles around, however you take small victories however you can get them. The only downside of this victory was that starter Alex Cobb left the game after throwing four pitches (and statistically having pitched no part of an inning) – after re-aggravating a blister on his throwing hand. I would assume that Cobb’s done for the year.

So enter Mike Wright Jr., who promptly gave up three runs. But the comeback started immediately for the Orioles, as Tim Beckham smacked a solo home run in the second inning. He replicated the homer in the sixth, this time with a runner on base – tying the game at three. Renato Nunez would follow suit in that sixth inning as well with a solo homer, and DJ Stewart would add a sac fly-RBI.

When the smoke cleared after that sixth inning the O’s had a 5-3 lead. Stewart would also tack on an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI-double. And that’s something that’s very important, as these young players are starting to see the light when it comes to insurance runs. Are they always necessary? No. But you never realize that they were necessary until after the other team’s re-taken the lead.

Alex Cobb’s suffered from that blister for the better part of a month-and-a-half, but to his credit he never wanted to totally shut down for the season. Even in a lost season. Cobb on the blister (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

It’s nothing that’s going to be career-threatening or anything like that. You feel fortunate about that. You obviously want to finish on a better note, deeper in the game, come back and be healthy for two starts, but we tried pushing it. We tried pushing it because we could. We knew that the risk wasn’t that great that we were taking, that it wasn’t going to cause any further injury.

Second baseman Breyvic Valera is also done for the season after breaking his left index finger trying to dive into home plate in the fifth inning yesterday. There’s no indication that Valera won’t be ready for spring training next year – whether he figures into the Orioles’ long term plans or not. But it certainly personifies how this season’s gone for the Orioles.

The Birds now head to Boston for the finale road series of the season. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Nathan Eovaldi. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Another valiant losing effort

The Baltimore Orioles seem to be playing New York tough regardless of the circumstances or situation. And given that these two teams will meet 18 times next year, that bodes well for the Birds and their fans. While New York eventually won yesterday afternoon, they probably shouldn’t have had to resort to extra innings to beat a team with 44 wins.

David Hess got the start yesterday, and in essence he threw two bad pitches. Hicks and Voit smacked solo home runs in the second inning to give New York a 2-0 lead. Hess’ line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 5 K. While he only pitched five innings yesterday, Hess said after the game that he believes that he and the team have improved (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Overall, I think we’ve improved. You look at where we started when I first came up to where I am now, I think the past month or two, there’s been a lot of improvements and I think that shows with the numbers. But more than anything I think just the overall feel and the comfort that I’ve grown into more out there, I think that reflects and going forward we want to continue to grow in that and be as competitive as possible.

The O’s battled back an inning after those two homers. Cedric Mullins reached on a New York throwing error, allowing a run to score. DJ Stewart‘s fifth inning RBI-single would tie the game at two. And that’s where the score remained…for some time.

The game went to extra innings, and the O’s had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the tenth. The Birds put two runners in scoring position with nobody out. However they also managed to record three consecutive outs without netting a run, keeping the score tied at two.

And unfortunately for the O’s, teams have made a habit of getting fat on what they’ve left behind this season. Especially a good team like New York. One inning later in the eleventh, Hicks’ RBI-double gave New York a walk off 3-2 win in extra innings.

You obviously want to win the game, however the fact is that many of these young players are scrappy guys. They played New York tough, and that bodes well for the Orioles’ future. And that’s what we’ve really been talking about since about May – the future.

The O’s will try to salvage one game in this afternoon’s series finale at Yankee Stadium. Alex Cobb gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s J.A. Happ. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Young Birds didn’t mail it in when they could have done so

If last night’s game at Yankee Stadium is any indication, the Baltimore Orioles may well be on the right track in terms of their rebuild. Offensively, that is at least. The O’s found themselves behind early in New York behind starter Yefry Ramirez, but battled back valiantly. Ramirez’s line: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The O’s spotted New York six runs, two of which came on a Gregorius two-run homer in the first inning. It was 6-0 after four innings. Conventional wisdom indicates that when you have a situation like that, maybe you mail it in so to speak. New York’s a contender, they’re home standing, and you have a group of young players on the team. Nobody would have blamed the O’s for “mailing it in.” But they didn’t do that.

Adam Jones started the comeback attempt with a two-RBI single in the fifth inning to cut the lead to 6-2. Two innings later Austin Wynns smacked a solo home run, and Jonathan Villar added an RBI-single. Before you knew it, the score was 6-4 in a game where New York had previously been coasting.

But New York added on, which should have been expected. McCutchen’s RBI-single in the last of the seventh ran the score to 7-4, and Voit’s two-RBI single later in the inning should have closed the door at 9-4. Notice I said should have closed the door. It didn’t totally close the door.

Renato Nunez‘s two-run homer put the Orioles right back into the game in the eighth inning. Later in the inning DJ Stewart added a two-run shot of his own, and the Birds were to within one at 9-8. However Judge’s RBI-single in the last of the eighth finally did close the door, and the O’s fell 10-8 in New York.

This isn’t a game which had to make New York happy to win. They’re a contending team, and they had to battle and scrape to win a game against a group of guys most people have never heard of. I think most people, including the New York players, thought the game was over at 6-0. Most people except the Orioles, that is. And that’s a welcome sight, because these young players showed last night that they don’t give up.

Prior to the game there were rumors floating about that the Orioles would not be retaining manager Buck Showalter after the season. In the same breath, there were rumors about Vice-President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette getting a new contract for 2019 and beyond. Both men’s deals are up after the season.

First off keep in mind that these are only rumors. And one thing that most people who disseminated them got wrong is that they said Showalter would be “fired” after the season. That’s incorrect, as his contract’s up. Granted the ends are the same, however it’s important to note that.

I’ve said this on twitter and I’ve at least alluded to it here in print in an indirect manner. But I feel it would be a huge mistake for the Orioles to not retain Showalter. There are few managers in the game who insist on the attention to detail and professionalism in the manner that Buck Showalter does. You rarely see Orioles’ players pulling some of the unprofessional stunts that players on other teams do; that’s because Buck runs a tight ship.

Buck Showalter’s been good for the community and good for the Orioles. In my view he at least deserves to be offered a chance to stay if he wants it. And I say it in that manner because for all we know if in fact he’s out after the season it’s more mutual than we know. Buck became a grandfather last year for the first time, and I have to believe that’s somewhat of a game-changer in life. So there’s every chance that perhaps he’s ready to not be in the dugout any longer at this stage of his life.

Again, I think he should be at least offered a contract. That’s not to say that there’s nobody else out there who could manage the Orioles. I’m sure that if in fact the front office finds itself looking for a manager after the season, they’ll have a plethora of very qualified candidates from which to choose. But there can be no doubt that Buck Showalter will be remembered in Baltimore fondly for some time – whenever the time comes that he’s finished.

The series in New York continues this afternoon. David Hess gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Lance Lynn. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Do chicken little’s actually have the right attitude?

This has been a season to forget for the Baltimore Orioles, although odds are it’s not going to be forgotten quickly. Let me be frank; I’m a stay the course guy in all things. So when people were tweeting at me and commenting on this column after the Orioles blew a lead and had to go to extra innings to win on Opening Day, I shoo’d that commentary away. You can imagine what the reaction was then after they lost 7-1 in game two.

With the exception of the eventual Opening Day win, all of that was a harbinger for the rest of the season. I do believe in the it’s early defense when it comes to sports. Just as I wouldn’t be harshly judging the 1-1 Baltimore Ravens right now, I don’t think you can garner too much from one month’s worth of league play. I’ve never believed that; mainly because I believe in staying the course. But…am I wrong?

In this case, I suppose I was. The chicken little’s of the world who were sounding the alarm back in April were right. Now I would also remind folks that this season was literally the perfect storm. I’m not sure that even the worst chicken little of the bunch would have seen this coming at that time.

Again, the difference between someone like me and a chicken little is that I really believed that this team would progress back to the mean. I believed that after last September when they fell off the map. It stood to reason that they would progress back to the mean numbers of most of their careers going into this year. However that never happened. In fact, it got worse.

People told me back in April and May that the Orioles needed to do something drastic – and quick. I don’t believe in that sort of thing, again because I’m a stay the course guy. But also because most of the time when people say things like that, they do so with very little thought as to what that drastic measure would be. They just say something needs to be done.

And eventually it was, with all of the deals the team made in mid-summer. However even now with the franchise in rebuilding mode, some still question the track. That includes catcher Caleb Joseph, who earlier this week said that the mentality needs to be more focused on winning. Circa 2009 I recall the mentality being that the young players on the team were learning to lose together, which boded well for the future. Because eventually they would learn how to win together. And eventually they did.

What Joseph’s saying contradicts that idea. He’s saying that if you learn to lose that’s all you’re really going to know. And complacency sets in, allowing people to “just be happy to be here,” and you never get over the hump. The chicken little’s of the world would probably agree with that, because you always have to be hungry.

And for the record, you do always have to be hungry, and that’s especially true now. The Orioles are going to be a young team moving forward, so we really don’t know what to expect. While the stay the course crowd such as myself were incorrect at the end of the day, it wasn’t a bad bet to assume that proven veterans would progress back to their career means. It just didn’t happen. Given the same circumstances again, I’d take the same stance.

The Orioles head to the Bronx this evening for a three-game set with New York. Yefry Ramirez gets the call for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s CC Sabathia. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: DJ Stewart’s first homer leads Birds over Toronto

The Baltimore Orioles snapped a two-game losing streak with last night’s victory over Toronto. I’ve mentioned how the O’s have struggled against their AL East foes over time, however at the very least they finished strong against them. Jimmy Yacabonis got the start, and while he didn’t qualify for the win, set the Orioles up nicely. Yacabonis’ line: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Part of rebuilding is getting a look at the future. And while it’s been rough-going for sure, there are parts of the future that look bright. DJ Stewart gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead in the third inning with a solo home run. It was Stewart’s first career homer, which is always special to see.

Toronto threatened in the fourth with the bases loaded and nobody out. However Yacabonis pitched out of it, helped out by Adam Jones nailing a runner at the plate. It was his first assist from right field, and it certainly impressed manager Buck Showalter (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Adam, I was talking to him in the dugout. You’re so used to throwing from a certain angle, getting used to that. You’re taught as a cutoff guy, if the ball ever goes toward the first base dugout, you cut it. I’m talking about a step or two, because the catcher never vacates to the right and then gets an out. You can vacate a little bit to the left toward the runner. We teach it that way anyway. If it comes from center or right. Anytime the throw takes the cutoff man to the right, you’ve got to cut it.

So, I said, ‘How was that angle, how did that feel?’ He said, That’s really the first one I’ve really had other than practice.’ But I thought Austin made a really good play, too. To say, ‘I’ve got to catch it and then see if I can beat him to the plate.’ It was a huge play.

The Orioles’ 1-0 lead stood up until the seventh when they got an insurance run on Cedric Mullins‘ RBI-single. Again, the O’s are getting a look at the future with Mullins in the lineup. He’s shown a lot of promise to this point, which is good to see. McKinney’s solo homer in the eighth for Toronto would cut the lead to 2-1, however the O’s would close the game out and conclude the 2018 season against their rivals with a victory. Too little too late for sure, but the games still count.

 

Baltimore Orioles: Sloppy defense grants the lead, and takes it back

The Baltimore Orioles couldn’t hold on last night against Toronto. They had the game in essence won behind starter Dylan Bundy, but the bottom fell out and it turned into a loss. And a record-setting loss at that; no other Orioles’ team has lost 108 games. Bundy’s line: 6.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R (2 earned), 1 BB, 6 K.

The O’s led early, as Cedric Mullins led off the game with a solo homer. In the fourth Mancini appeared out at home plate on a Valera sac fly attempt. However the play was overturned on replay, as the Toronto catcher blocked the plate and Mancini never had a shot at crossing. That gave the O’s a 2-0 victory.

Later in that fourth inning DJ Stewart got his first big league hit on a single to right field. It’ll go down as one of the most bizarre first hits in Orioles’ history, and one about which Stewart will probably jokingly tell his grandchildren one day. Two errors on the play later, not only had Chris Davis scored, but Stewart scored as well. Due to Toronto’s shoddy defense, the Orioles held a 4-0 lead.

But Toronto chipped away. Smith’s RBI-double in the fifth cut the lead to 4-1. One inning later Smoak’s RBI-groundout cut the lead to 4-2. Bundy started to tire in the seventh, almost out of nowhere. Unfortunately however, the Orioles couldn’t get him out of the game early enough. He loaded the bases, and was lifted.

However the base runners were still his responsibility. And a Steve Wilkerson throwing error allowed two runs to score, tying the game at four. Shoddy defense gave the Orioles part of their lead, and it also took it back. Gurriel’s subsequent two-RBI single gave Toronto a 6-4 lead, which turned into a 6-4 victory.

As I said above, this sets a record of the wrong kind for the Orioles. It was only a matter of time I suppose, however no Oriole team has ever lost 108 games plus. Now if there’s a silver lining anywhere, it probably forced their hand in rebuilding the way that they are. Had they ended up a run-of-the-mill 70-loss team, would they have been forced to do a total rebuild of this nature?

The O’s will try to salvage one game in this series this evening at Camden Yards. Jimmy Yacabonis gets the call for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Marco Estrada. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Listless against Toronto

In a season where the Baltimore Orioles have struggled seemingly against everyone, it seems that’s been especially true against Toronto. And that’s been the case for a couple of years – really, since 2015 in a sense. The Birds defeated Toronto in September of 2014 to win the AL East, but since then it’s really been downhill.

And the ironic part is that it doesn’t seem to matter who the personnel is on each side. Both rosters have undergone massive changes since 2014. Yet the results seem to be the same. It’s a bit uncanny.

The Orioles turned to the Tampa and Oakland methodology last night in terms of starting pitching. Evan Phillips got the start, but in reality he was used as an “opener.” Phillips’ line: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 2 K.

Phillips gave up an RBI-single to Tellez in the second which gave Toronto a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning Jansen smacked a two-run home run, and suddenly it was 3-0. Toronto also got solo homers from Pillar in the seventh, and Diaz in the ninth to round out their 5-0 victory over the Orioles, who only mustered three hits on the night. The Orioles are 4-13 this year against Toronto, with two games left to go (tonight and Wednesday).

The Orioles used the “opener” concept last night most probably out of necessity given the number of injuries in their starting rotation. When Tampa started the concept of the opener earlier this year, I thought it was nuts. I still think it’s nuts – and that’s not going to change.

You might ask why I think it’s a crazy idea. You might sit there and say, why not? It’s a valid question. And one I intend to tackle in the off season a bit. But for now, needless to say it’s a little too against the grain, outside-the-box, and against tradition for the ultimate sport steeped in tradition.

With the loss, the Orioles tied a club record for losses in a season at 107. That’s not the type of history you want to make, and after the game Buck Showalter was asked to wrap his head around that fact (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

I’ve got too many things and people depending on me to do certain things between now and the end of the season. I think because it’s unpleasant to wrap around, probably I’m as guilty as anybody of staying tunnel vision about what we’re doing every day trying to do what’s best. So, if that’s an answer to your question.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Aaron Sanchez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones goes yard as Birds avoid sweep

Adam Jones smacked home run number 15 on the season this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles, as they avoided a sweep at the hands of the ChiSox. David Hess got the start, but was unable to go long enough into the game to qualify for the win. Hess’ line: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R (3 earned), 1 BB, 7 K.

The Orioles put five runs on the board in the first inning, their best output in the first this year. Jonathan Villar‘s RBI-single got things going, which was followed by a subsequent RBI-single from the aforementioned Adam Jones. The O’s also got runs on a fielder’s choice, and error, and a sac fly-RBI.

But Chicago made an effort to fight back. Palka’s solo homer got them on the board in the second. But the O’s were having none of that. Jonathan Villar also smacked a solo homer of his own in the fourth, running the score to 6-1. But Sanchez’s RBI-single in the fifth cut the lead in half at 6-3. A second Palka homer later in the inning made the Orioles even more uncomfortable as the lead was cut to 6-4.

However it was Adam Jones’ aforementioned home run that put them over the top. It was only a solo shot, but “the captain” wasn’t letting the team lose on this day. That swung the momentum back to the Birds, and put Chicago on notice that they wouldn’t be sweeping on this day at Camden Yards. Cedric Mullins would add an RBI-single in the eighth, and the Orioles closed out a 7-4 victory.

This game ended up being Mullins’ first career four-hit game, which he addressed following the game in the clubhouse (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

It was exciting and a great team win. For me to contribute in a big way today – had a solid defensive play, was able to tag on a big RBI so our closers could come on and finish the deal. It’s a day-to-day process. I come and take a look at the pitcher, see what they have. Just a matter of sticking with my approach, trusting myself and putting good wood on the ball.

So you had Jones’ solo homer acting as an insurance run of sorts for the O’s, and you also got a look at the future in Mullins’ first career four-hit game. That’s the type of production that the Orioles are hoping to see for years to come from their center fielder.

The Orioles will tomorrow open up a three-game set with Toronto at Camden Yards. They haven’t announced a starter as of yet, but they’ll face Toronto’s Ryan Borucki. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.