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: What can be learned from Houston?

The Baltimore Orioles thought that they had something similar to what we see in Houston – back in 2011-2012. And they still might, incidentally. A crop of good young players who had come along through the farm system and through good deals, setting the table for the franchise to make a run for the future. This of course would have been the Adam Jones‘, Machado’s, Davis’, and Wieters’ of the world.

Again, we don’t know what the future holds. Everything could just click for this franchise, much like it did for Houston in 2017. Hope springs eternal, and no I don’t say that in a rhetorical manner. That really does ring true.

However Houston also did something that the Orioles have never truly been willing to do: a full rebuild. This is not to say that the Orioles haven’t tried to rebuild over the years, or that they haven’t considered it. They’ve just gone about it in a slighter manner than did a team like Houston.

Houston basically told their fans we’re going to stink for awhile. Maybe they didn’t put it in those words, but that’s the implication when you say you’re going to load up with young talent through the draft, trades, etc. You’re openly admitting to your fan base that the team isn’t going to be competitive in the near future.

Over the years the Orioles made a nip here and a tuck there to their roster, but the closest they came to totally retooling it was 2007-2009/10 or so when Andy MacPhail was the GM. However there wasn’t really a processes of telling the fans that the team would be non-competitive. They hadn’t been competitive prior to that, so nobody really knew the difference.

The Washington Nationals pulled a similar stunt in a sense when their goal was almost to be so bad that they were able to draft the likes of Strasburg and Harper. I suspect that the Orioles feel that they can’t afford to do that in the uber-competitive AL East. Would fans accept that type of declaration? Keep in mind that things operate a lot differently in Texas than they do on the east coast.

However, Houston’s management was honest about how they were going to build their franchise. And they encouraged their fans to invest in the young players they were acquiring. Sure enough, they did. And the rest is history.

Many feel that the Orioles would benefit from a full rebuild now. I disagree; I think that in the future that might be a possibility, however it’s not something that should be explored this off season. Too many big guns are still under contract.

Baltimore Orioles: Who catches in 2018

Odds are that the Baltimore Orioles are going to have a new starting catcher in 2018 – either Chance Sisco or Caleb Joseph. Welington Castillo is expected to decline his club option and hit the free agent market. It’s obviously not a foregone conclusion that the Orioles don’t bring him back as a free agent, I just don’t see it happening.

This is a lot easier to stomach after Sisco came up at the end of the season and looked really good in his first action as a major leaguer. He obviously still has a few things to learn, and would be a work in progress, but the steady hand he showed makes letting Castillo go easier. That combined with the fact that Joseph’s been an Oriole and seen action for some time is also comforting.

But who starts? Sisco wasn’t drafted and brought through the Orioles’ system to be a backup. At some point along the way he will be the starting catcher. However you could make the argument that Joseph wasn’t either. Personally I thought that they should have considered Joseph the starter this season as opposed to paying Castillo. I’m of the opinion that he earned it.

Odds are that if Sisco is the starting catcher, Joseph will accept that with the dignity and grace that he’s shown since coming up to the Orioles. He’s never ceased to just be happy to be a big leaguer. And the fact is that due to injuries and splits, he’s always seen his share of action.

And if in fact Sisco ends up being the starter, there’s no reason to expect Joseph would only see the field on Sundays or in day games after night games. So I expect the catcher position to be more of a platoon system than anything else. Perhaps we see somewhat of an open competition through camp, but both catchers will see their share of time.

If I had to pick one name as the starter for the sake of picking someone, I’d go with Caleb Joseph. Showalter trusts him and he’s deserved it for some time. But again, I think both guys see their share of action come the regular season.

Baltimore Orioles: That’s all she wrote!

The Baltimore Orioles can probably take some solace in knowing that the eventual world champions had their number this year. Heck, Houston’s had the Orioles’ number for some time. And last night they defeated the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-1, to win their first ever world series.

I predicted Los Angeles in six games at the beginning of the series, but I never would have thought that Houston would have had it in them to not only win in seven but to do it at Dodger Stadium. I’m not sure why I felt that way, but I just did. I suspect that part of their charm is that people such as myself underestimate them so much.

However it stands to reason that a team which looks for one run here and there couldn’t defeat a power-hitting club. Yet they did. And they’ve done it all year; that’s how they beat up on the Orioles, among other teams. They of course also went through Boston and New York in the American League playoffs, and eventually Los Angeles.

It’s a tough sell however to suggest that the power era of baseball is over, and that small ball should rule the day. As I’ve said before, the Orioles or any other team would get bludgeoned if they went to small ball as a way of life. The retort to that is of course what do the Orioles have to lose, they finished in last place.

Be that as it may, you can pretty much scrap the month of September. The team was so injured and tired, that they all but petered out at Labor Day. Many will argue that they were tired from the harsh swings they would often take while trying to hit home runs, but I digress. Small ball won’t work in the AL East. Can it win world series’? Obviously it can. But you have to get out of your division before you can do that.

Baltimore Orioles: Season comes down to one game

The Baltimore Orioles and the rest of the baseball world will watch tonight as the 2017 MLB season comes down to one game. Actually let me rephrase that; the O’s and the rest of the sports world will watch. Game seven is one of the best terms in sports, and when one comes around in any sport, people drop everything and pay attention.

With Los Angeles beating Houston 3-1 last night at Dodger Stadium, the Fall Classic is now knotted at three games a piece. It comes down to tonight’s game seven to decide the world championship in America’s pastime. Who will it be, the ‘stros, or Dodger Blue?

In general I try to call things from the Orioles perspective, but relatively down the middle on this column. However I’m not going to lie, I’m pulling for Los Angeles. Having said that, Houston has a great team with very likable players. And it would certainly be a great story to see them win it all after their city was decimated by a hurricane.

However I’ve always liked the allure of Dodger Blue. The history behind them, the great players, the breaking of the color barrier…they’re just a great franchise all around. Again, I’d be fine if Houston won also, but seeing Dodger Blue hoist that trophy tonight would be special.

I’m not a fan of the World Series stretching into November, however I suspect that won’t be happening in the future with MLB starting the season a week earlier moving forward. We’re nearing the midpoint of the NFL season…and pitchers and catchers report two weeks after the Super Bowl!

Baltimore Orioles: Does the fall classic end tonight?

One thing with which the Baltimore Orioles struggled in 2017 is expecting the unexpected. It seemed that they had a script for every game that they wanted to follow, and when the game deviated off of that script they would start to struggle. So odds are that they wouldn’t have done well in this World Series, because the unexpected has become the norm.

So it would stand to reason that the series should end tonight, probably with Houston blowing Los Angeles out. This has been such an entertaining series with so many twists and turns, and conventional wisdom says that it should probably go a seventh game. But again, expect the unexpected.

My prediction at the beginning was Los Angeles in six games. That’s no longer possible, however I do think that Los Angeles is still going to win. So obviously I’m going with conventional wisdom in a sense regarding tonight’s game. However would it surprise me if Houston won? Not at all.

Orioles FanFest Note: There was some minor Orioles’ news yesterday, as the Birds announced that their annual FanFest would be held on January 27th at the Baltimore Convention Center. A time-honored tradition in Birdland, the event will run from 11 AM – 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Houston finds ways to beat you

The Baltimore Orioles have struggled with Houston for years. No matter the circumstance, the venue, or who’s starting for whom, the Birds can’t seem to find a way to beat Houston. They always seem to play them in the midst of a slump as well, but one way or the other they find ways to beat the Orioles.

And the Los Angeles Dodgers got a bit of that medicine in last night’s epic World Series game, won by Houston, 13-12. The two teams combined for seven home runs, and Houston finally won it in walk off fashion (with a single) in extra innings. However keep in mind that Houston’s a small ball team. Yet, they just won a World Series game where the two sides combined for seven homers…

…and that’s sometimes how they would beat the Orioles (among other teams). They seem to at times assume the identity of their opponent in a sense. The games the Orioles play against them at Minute Maid Park seem to be typical small ball games. However when Houston comes up to the Orioles’ home turf they suddenly try to out-slug the Birds. And it works.

Again, Los Angeles found that out last night. Houston’s just a very nimble team in that they can beat you however. It’s almost as if they allow the opponent to choose how the game’s going to go (small ball or power), and they’re comfortable beating you either way. One way or the other, it has them one game from becoming world champions.

Baltimore Orioles: White elephant at the hot corner

Manny Machado is the white elephant in the room right now for the Baltimore Orioles. This is a topic that we’re going to cover a lot this off season – so hunker down and be ready! Consider this a “preliminary conversation” about it in a sense.

Machado will be entering the final year of his contract in 2018. There’s no question that he would have been at his peak value last off season if the Orioles wanted to trade him. However the fact is that they could still get a haul for the Gold Glove nominee. And when I say that, I mean perhaps a top pitching prospect that’s ready for the big leagues right now.

It really boils down to whether or not the Orioles feel they can compete in 2018 or not. If 2012-2017 are any indication, they’ll either go to the playoffs or be in contention until the bitter end. And that’s something that a lot of people seem to conveniently forget about this past year’s team; they were eliminated from contention one week before the end of the regular season. They were far from a walking disaster.

Now with that said, there’s another factor that was unexpected in that discussion. The New York Yankees weren’t expected to compete this past year. The fact that they not only competed but went to the post season might have changed the dynamic of the division for 2018. One way or the other, it’s something to consider.

On the flip side, they (along with Boston) will be changing managers this coming year. When you change managers you really never know what you’re going to get. What was thought to be a championship team could fall back to the pack. And the same is true in reverse. It’s really an unknown in terms of how the team responds and performs.

And with that said, there’s also now a “manager situation” in Baltimore. Buck Showalter will be entering the final year of his contract next season. Does Showalter sign an extension? Retire? Move to the front office? This furthers the point about whether the Orioles can compete next year. If Showalter decides he’s stepping down at the end of his contract, perhaps they err on the side of making a run at it in 2018. And make no mistake that Buck’s status plays a role in this decision.

My stance has always been that Manny Machado should be an Oriole for life. Now there is obviously a chance that the two sides take a detour to that end in a sense. The idea of trading him now with a wink and a nod – in hopes of re-signing him after the season is out there. In essence, renting him to another team. However that’s risky…his new team would own his rights until the end of next season.

Time will tell. But needless to say, this is going to be a popular topic as we move through the off season.

Baltimore Orioles: Stay hungry my friends

Adam Jones of the Baltimore Orioles is hosting his fifth annual Purple Tailgate this year. Personally I think it’s an awesome event, and it brings together both of Baltimore’s professional sports franchises. The event will be held from 3:30 – 8 PM on Monday, November 27th, prior to the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Houston Texans.

You can see the list of vendors, entertainment, etc, as well as buy tickets by clicking here. Proceeds go to the Boys and Girls Club of Baltimore. The event will be held at 152 W. Ostend St, Baltimore, MD. 21230.

One new twist for this season is that it’s taking place before a Monday night game at M & T Bank Stadium. In the past it’s always been before a Sunday afternoon game, however this year Jones decided to take his signature event to prime time. Ideally of course, the Ravens will rally a bit and still be in contention for something come Thanksgiving weekend.

If you decide to attend the event, I guarantee you that you’ll be well fed. Adam Jones is a well-known foodie, and the list of vendors supplying food is second to none. And at the end of the day, it’s Jones bringing Baltimore’s sports together for a good cause. And that in and of itself is worth supporting.

Baltimore Orioles: Did Buck Showalter luck out after last year?

There was a very small but boisterous group of Baltimore Orioles fans who wanted Buck Showalter shown the door after last year’s AL Wild Card Game. We all remember; he left Britton in the bullpen while the O’s lost in walk off fashion. It’s something that’s debated to this day.

One week ago Washington let go of Dusty Baker, and now yesterday the NY Yankees let go of Joe Girardi. Or let me correct that; their contracts were up and the teams neglected to offer them new ones. Girardi is a guy that Orioles fans have always loved to hate. And for now at least, they won’t have to deal with him anymore.

The criticism of Baker being scapegoated because of how he handled games in the post season is well documented. And the fact is that while Girardi had New York within a game of the World Series, he botched a potential instant replay call that could have changed the outcome of the series. Do these “transgressions” equate to things that should cost these men their jobs? In my mind the answer is no.

But is this now the way of the world? One mistake and you’re gone? If these two very high-profile dismissals (or non-renewals) are any indication, it could very well mean that. The World Series is going to be won by either Houston or Los Angeles; and both are flawed. And managed by flawed men.

I would just submit that if we’re now in the business of not bringing managers back because of one mistake, it means we’re toeing a very fine line. It means that the only acceptable outcome of a season is to win the World Series. And that means that Buck Showalter really lucked out – if in fact all of that is the case.

Baltimore Orioles: First pitch for the ages

The Baltimore Orioles got a feel for Fernando-mania for one year: 1993 to be exact. Fernando Valenzuela pitched in Baltimore that year, although certainly not with the success that he had with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Valenzuela will always be thought of as a Dodger, which is how it should be.

That aside, Valenzuela and former Los Angeles catcher Steve Yeager combined last night to make one of the most memorable first pitch ceremonies in history before game two of the World Series. The Dodgers feinted as if they were going to have legendary broadcaster Vin Scully throw out the first pitch. Scully made his way to the mound, mic in hand (speaking to the crowd the entire time), and appeared poised to toss out the first ball before the game.

Upon arriving at the mound, Scully called for a catcher; cue Yeager running out onto the field. However Scully pulled the old bait and switch on the crowd, “going to the bullpen” to find a wiry lefty to do the honors instead of him. Enter Fernando Valenzuela. And of course once Valenzuela had thrown the pitch, Yeager, Valenzuela, and Scully led the crowd in Scully’s timeless tradition of saying it’s time for Dodger baseball.

That was about as well done a first pitch ceremony as I’ve ever seen. Franchises such as the Los Angeles Dodgers are in fact timeless. And it was obvious that they worked very hard to channel some of the history of the franchise in that moment last night. Vin Scully of course is in his first year of retirement after a lengthy career with the franchise – spanning back to the old Brooklyn days. He literally called games with the great Red Barber, and of course made the move to L.A. with the team. And the rest is history.

That ceremony last night tapped into the romanticism of the game, and that’s a big deal. There aren’t many franchises who have the history to pull something like that off, but Los Angeles is one of them. And they did it very well. Anything involving Vin Scully is going to get a kudos, because I’m not sure if there’s a more beloved announcer in the history of the game.

Scully was the last of his generation calling games, a generation that also includes Baltimore’s Chuck Thompson. Ironically, both broadcasters did some national work. Yet Thompson is considered much more of a local guy than Scully ever was. You could go to other cities and your average fan might not know Chuck Thompson. But they all know Vin Scully. However both of their trademarks (it’s time for Dodger baseball, and ain’t the beer cold!) are beloved in both of their circles.

Nevertheless, for anyone such as myself who loves tapping into the history of the game, that was a very moving ceremony. And I suspect the city of Houston has a couple of wild cards up it’s sleeves once the series (now tied at one game a piece) gets there as well. Everything’s bigger in Texas, right?!