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: On the other side of the fence

Many Baltimore Orioles fans are also Baltimore Ravens fans. The O’s of course played a major role in what I still say is the greatest closing act of all time in terms of a season, back in 2011. As we know, the Orioles defeated Boston in game 162, and five minutes later Tampa defeated New York on a walk off home run. The two acts combined to keep Boston out of the post-season.

However this past Sunday Baltimore found itself on the losing end up a similar situation. The Ravens lost to Cincinnati, and Buffalo beat Miami – clinching what was previously the Ravens’ playoff spot for Buffalo. Oh how times change.

I would argue that the 2011 Orioles were better than the 2017 Bengals, but I digress. The fans of Baltimore still found themselves on the opposite end of a similar situation. I would submit that it wasn’t quite as savage as what the O’s and Rays did to the BoSox in 2011, but it’s still tough.

Interestingly enough, I would submit that the NFL has tried to take a page out of MLB’s book with the end to it’s season. In fact, MLB itself has tried to take a page out of it’s own book. The NFL forewent a Sunday nighter this past week, and in effect scheduled all games with big-time playoff implications to begin during the 4 PM hour. This guaranteed that most of them would end at the same time.

The past couple of seasons, MLB has had it’s entire slate of games on the final date of the season begin at just after 3 PM EST. Again, this all but guarantees that everything should end at around the same time (barring extra innings). And that’s what the league wants.

Again in my view, this is in response to baseball’s final day in 2011. A feat in which the Orioles played a major role. And one that will nary be forgotten anytime soon.

Baltimore Orioles: Boston interested in Manny Machado

Over the weekend reports emerged that the Baltimore Orioles had continued interest from Boston regarding Manny Machado. And that in and of itself is interesting. Multiple people around baseball have suggested that there would be some response from Boston after New York acquired Stanton from Miami – might Manny Machado be that response?

I’ve said before that it’s a bad idea to trade within the division. Of course various people who think it’s fashionable to go against-the-grain in anything and everything wonder why. The answer should be obvious, but the fact is that teams don’t make trades to help another club improve itself. Boston wants Machado because he would in theory make them better.

Obviously however, it’s not that one-sided. If the Orioles were going to listen to trade offers from a division rival, it would have to include a huge haul – heavy on pitching at that. So Boston would deal with the Orioles for a price. Again though, not a good idea to deal within the division.

Then there’s also the matter of Machado not being a huge fan of the Boston organization given the situation with them throwing at him after a takeout slide involving Pedroia on the base paths. Machado didn’t mince words about how he felt about the situation. However if the Orioles had a deal in place to send Machado to Boston, there would be little he could do about it. He doesn’t have a no-trade clause.

Again if the Orioles were seriously going to listen to an offer from a division rival, the return would have to include pitching. And the tug-of-war since the winter meetings has been that nobody wants to give up anything of value in that department for what amounts to one year of Manny Machado. But for the Red Sox or anyone else, could the Orioles not pull off a sign-and-trade?

That’s another column for another day – perhaps tomorrow or the next day! However the fact is that Boston’s showed a continued interest. I do believe that the Orioles need to play it safe here and ensure that a division rival doesn’t have Manny fall into their laps. On the flip side however, if you had the opportunity to gut the farm system of a division rival, do you not take that chance?

Baltimore Orioles: Welcome to 2018!

Happy New Year, Baltimore Orioles fans! I write a variation of this column every New Years morning; mind you folks, when you refer to the 2018 MLB season, you can now use the term this year! We obviously still have a ways to go before the season starts, but we’re getting there…

…but, do we really have that long? This being January, it’s actually the last full month without games. Pitchers and catchers report on February 13th, and Grapefruit League Play begins on the 23rd. That’s not far from now, folks!

And I don’t need to remind Orioles fans that this year‘s spring training will be more important than ever. The O’s will have a different look to them this year, even if nothing else changes. It’s a time when the new players and the veterans will want to mesh as best they can to form a new team core. So the hope is that guys treat the games as much like regular season games as they can.

That aside, my hope is that all of Birdland has a very Happy New Year. Enjoy the college bowl games today!

Baltimore Orioles: Signature moment of 2017?

Many Baltimore Orioles fans are going to say that the 2017 season was a total failure. The record and the final month of the season was underwhelming for sure. But even underwhelming seasons have good moments, right?

So on this New Year’s Eve, I thought it would be appropriate to look back at a few moments that could be seen as the Orioles’ signature moment of the year. And these are just a few; perhaps you have one of your own. For starters, look no further than Mark Trumbo‘s walk off home run in extra innings on Opening Day. I’d hate to think that something which happened in the first game would be the signature moment of the season, but it was certainly memorable for sure.

After limping to the all-star break, the Birds also came out of it hot. They began their second half with a four-game sweep of Texas at Camden Yards. While the eventual world champion Houston Astros would cool them off, they did manage to beat Houston in the Sunday series finale – in what felt like the first time in forever. Even when Houston was a lackluster team, they gave the Orioles fits.

Tim Beckham gave the Orioles a shot in the arm when he arrived via trade at the deadline. And he paid almost immediate dividends, as on August 5th against Detroit he smacked the Orioles’ 10,000th home run in franchise history. For a team that’s had so many great sluggers and players, that’s quite a feat. And you can forever say that Tim Beckham is the answer to a trivia question!

My vote goes to the Trumbo homer on Opening Day. But perhaps you feel differently. Either way, when the clock strikes midnight tonight all of this will officially be last year. Always forward!

Baltimore Orioles: Minicamp, January 8th

The first big event of the year for the Baltimore Orioles is the team’s annual minicamp in Sarasota. This year (or I suppose at this time I should still say next year) Buck Showalter and company will hold the minicamp the week of January 8th at Ed Smith Stadium. Speaking of which, Florida…too bad I left it yesterday and am now back in this winter nightmareland. (Sorry folks, not a fan of winter time!)

I suspect that this year’s minicamp will take on a much more important role, as the Orioles have holes to fill in the lineup. Not only on the mound, but across the board. The Orioles need to figure out who’s going to be starting in the outfield. And where, for that matter. I can’t see the likes of Jones moving out of centerfield, but the fact is that you never know.

Does Hays crack the starting lineup? If so, is it as a platoon player in various spots, or a solid starter in one position? Minicamp will be a great opportunity for young guys such as he to showcase their stuff for the coaching staff early on. And obviously it’s a precursor to spring training in that the players can begin to work out and get ready for the season.

Incidentally, the cold smack in the face of leaving Florida was lightened just a bit by virtue of the fact that I was able to attend the “Battle of the Old Line State” last night and got to see Maryland beat UMBC. While I’m glad the Terps won, if you’re a UMBC fan you’re in for a good season. Tough team, and they give a great effort.

Baltimore Orioles: Don’t blame the Birds for being smart

There’s actually more than starting pitching for which the Baltimore Orioles are looking. They’d also like a left-handed bat – someone who could hit-for-average. But I digress; the starting rotation is the most direly needed spot.

The easy out here is for them to trade the likes of Machado. And many of you question why they haven’t done that. The answer is simple; they didn’t get the proper offer. The Orioles were steadfast in their need for pitching in exchange for Machado this off season. Many teams made offers, but they didn’t involve pieces that the Orioles liked.

The Chicago Cubs reportedly offered some hot prospects, but not enough pitching. If the Orioles don’t get the deal they want AND need, they aren’t going to sell. Point blank, that’s just how it’s going to be. And that’s smart.

The Orioles know that’s smart, and other teams know that’s smart. However other teams are kind of intelligent also. They’re smart enough to know what they have in terms of pitching prospects. And they aren’t willing to just relinquish those prospects because the Orioles need and want them. Granted the Orioles are offering a heck of a piece in return, however again I digress.

To their own chagrin, the O’s have been quick to trade pitching prospects over the past couple of years. Now many of those were actually decent trades that in theory should and could have helped the team. But not all of them worked out. Point being, opposing teams aren’t quite as willing to trade their top pitching prospects – even for Machado.

But while it might be okay to second-guess some of the Orioles’ past trades (while understanding that hindsight is 20/20), fans should also be thankful that the team isn’t parting ways with Machado – for a low return. They know what they want and need, and they aren’t going to give Machado away unless they get that. Sometimes that process is painful, but if you’re going to trade a guy of his caliber, you need to be very targeted in what you get in return.

Baltimore Orioles: Is selling the new buying?

Should the Baltimore Orioles buy or sell? That’s always the question at the deadline and in the off season. Most people are entrenched firmly in their view – one way or the other.

Personally I’m of the mindset that you don’t rebuild in the AL East. The northeast is really all about results, whether it’s work or play. What have you done for me lately is the big saying, right? So teams like the Orioles can’t really sell a rebuild to their fans, the idea being that their fans won’t necessarily show up to support that rebuild.

In my antiquated view of the world, rebuilds also take time. The Orioles began that process last time around in 2008 when they traded for the likes of Jones. They didn’t hit pay dirt until 2012. But is that still the way of the world in terms of the time invested?

As the minor leagues have gotten more refined and coaching has gotten better, I think we’ve seen players become more and more ready for big league play. And the same is true of college coaching; players are more suited to quickly go through the minor league system and get to the bigs. That’s why teams such as New York, Cleveland, Boston, Houston, and others have made decisions to sell, and in essence have gotten better almost immediately.

So…should the Orioles commit to following suit? I still say that it would be a tough sell to the fan base. There’s a large portion of people who won’t buy tickets unless a team’s committed to winning in the here and now. Furthermore it’s still running a risk. Do the Orioles generally have the luck that New York got – where all of the prospects that came to them start hitting at the same time? Odds are against that.

It’s a tough call. My personal opinion was that they could have done a bit of a warm-over, perhaps by trading someone like Britton for a prospect or two. They almost had that done last year at the deadline, but at the last moment there was an issue with the medicals on one of the players the Orioles were to get in return. Many people will say that the O’s are too stringent in that regard. But would you rather trade for a guy who’s going to be injured on and off?

Obviously Britton isn’t a guy who can be traded any longer. Many people will say that’s what the Orioles get for not wanting to take a chance. I would argue it’s simply dumb luck. However at the end of the day, it is interesting that teams have sold and then suddenly gotten better very quickly. Should the Orioles run that risk?

Baltimore Orioles: Dealing with bad bounces

As I sit here in sun splashed Florida, yes it’s very easy to think of the Baltimore Orioles. Baseball being a summer game, I’m used to getting up in the morning and looking towards covering that day/night’s game! And yes folks, from my vantage point right now, it’s eternal summertime!

That aside, I saw an interesting feature on the NFL Network the other day which really is applicable in every sport. The discussion was how do you deal with being on the wrong side of bad (or controversial) calls. For the record, I was in a restaurant and I couldn’t hear what the commentators were saying. But I saw that was the topic du jour, and I thought it was interesting.

Ask yourselves how often we see the likes of Buck Showalter red-faced in the dugout barking at the umpires for one thing or another. Remember a few years back when he got tossed out of a game against St. Louis for coming out and wanting to talk to the league office in NY after a review didn’t go his way? How often do Orioles fans seem to grouse from the stands at what they assume are bad calls?

The answer to those questions is probably no more or less than any other manager or fan base. And incidentally, I’m not talking about an inconsistent strike zone, or even a run-of-the-mill controversial call on the base paths. I’m talking about big time calls whereby the ball bounces in the other direction. Think of the Jeffrey Maier-aided home run in Yankee Stadium.

And there’s a situation where the Orioles didn’t handle it well. Mind you, that wasn’t an elimination game, and the O’s had every opportunity to come back and still win the series. But for all intents and purposes, it decided the game. Granted you can’t totally blame them because it was so blatantly a horrible decision by the umpiring crew, but the fact is that the O’s allowed that one moment to decide the game.

And that’s really the crux of what you don’t want to do. That one moment snowballed in the Orioles’ faces. On the flip side, New York did exactly what you do want to do – they moved on. Granted it was much easier for them given the fact that they were gifted something they shouldn’t have had. But had the Orioles allowed that not to phase them as New York did, the series might have ended differently.

And incidentally, it’s a mental state of mind in a sense. This is not to say that you don’t argue the call or try to make your point with the umpire – because in effect you have an obligation to do so. If you just sit there and let a bad call unfold around you, due diligence isn’t being done. However once it’s over, you have to accept that it’s over.

And Buck Showalter is generally pretty good at that. You don’t see him commenting too much after games about things like this, no matter how egregious the call. He might make some round-about comments, however nothing that’s going to stick in the media and have people talking for days on end. And that helps the team move on as well.

Bad calls are going to happen. The mistake the Orioles made in the playoffs so many years ago was they allowed the bad call to define both them and the series. You can’t do that. Just ask that Orioles team, which was potentially good enough to win the World Series.

Baltimore Orioles: How does the bullpen play out?

With the likes of Britton not available for potentially the first half of the season, how does the Baltimore Orioles’ bullpen cycle through? Can we assume that Brad Brach is the closer? Who sets up? Those are all questions that will need to be answered.

For starters, my personal opinion is that yes…Brad Brach is the closer going into spring training. And while many fans lament the Orioles’ fortunes in not being able to get a deal done with Machado and Britton’s injury, remember that Brach was considered trade bait at the winter meetings. Imagine where the team would be had they pulled the trigger on a trade including Brach or Darren O’Day, only to find that they’d be in a spot where those pieces were direly needed.

Speaking of O’Day, I suspect that he’ll slide into the setup role. Keep in mind that at various points when Britton was injured last year, those two represented the back end of the bullpen. And they were fairly successful. (In games at least where the O’s were leading.) While losing Britton is tough, you don’t lose as much as you think with those two playing those roles.

The middle relief is a bit more of a question mark. My personal opinion is that the likes of Mychael Givens and Donny Hart will play major roles in those slots. The Orioles really like both of them, and I don’t see a scenario where they don’t play a huge role in middle relief. But you never know.

Obviously we don’t know what types of deals are made which could bring other relievers to Baltimore. And we don’t know how spring training shakes out. The Orioles under Showalter have a grand tradition of allowing players to play their way onto the roster in Grapefruit League play. Time will tell.

And with that, I’m off to Florida for a few days. I’ll still be writing this column during my stay, however it’ll just be from a much more tropical climate. You know…sun, surf, and ocean spray. Pretty much everything you can get in Ocean City in June or July. But the calendar says December – which is why I’m headed to Miami!

Baltimore Orioles: Christmas miracles happen

The Baltimore Orioles should be the furthest thing from anyone’s mind on this Christmas morning. Unless of course you’re unwrapping orange and black-themed gifts! However with that said, I noticed something interesting on my twitter feed last night…

…people were still complaining about the Orioles’ past few weeks. People are kind of relentless in their views – which is fine. But…it’s Christmas, isn’t it? As I said, don’t we have a few more important things to do?

I would say this; miracles happen, folks. I’m not saying that it would have to be a miracle for the Orioles to compete in 2018, because I don’t feel that way. But if you do, ’tis the season – is it not?

On my behalf as well as on that of all close to me, I wish all Orioles fans a very Merry Christmas today!