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: Adam Jones’ homer and five-run seventh rule the roost

Adam Jones and the Baltimore Orioles opened the home portion of the exhibition schedule this afternoon in Sarasota. It was what they call a chamber of commerce day in Sarasota, and the Orioles’ faithful once again packed Ed Smith Stadium to see their Birds in the flesh for the first time in 2017. Needless to say, it turned out better than last year’s AL Wild Card game.

Wade Miley gave the Orioles two solid innings, which set the tone for the game. Miley’s line: line: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Jones put the O’s on the board early with his first home run of the spring, giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead. However one inning later Pittsburgh’s Wood knotted the game at one with a solo shot of his own – that appeared to be wind-aided. However the Orioles took the lead back again in the last of that second inning, on a Kim RBI-single.

For awhile, it appeared that the teams were exchanging home runs. Pittsburgh tied it at three in the fourth on an Osuna homer, however one inning later the Birds took a 3-2 lead on Manny Machado‘s first homer of the spring. Pittsburgh would later tie the game again at three, and it appeared the teams were locked in an epic showdown under the Florida sun…

…far from it, in fact. This is spring training; there’s nothing epic or even memorable about it for the most part. However as the regulars began to rotate out of the lineup, the Orioles’ reserves and minor leaguers showed that they had the propensity for the dramatic big inning just as their big league counterparts were.

Aneury Tavarez gave the O’s the lead for good with an RBI-single in the last of the seventh. They would later break the game wide open on Trey Mancini‘s two-RBI single, giving the O’s a 6-3 lead. Later in the inning David Washington would strike out swinging, however the ball would bound away from home plate. Washington ran to first, which allowed the Orioles to score another run when the catcher committed a throwing error. A Giavotella sac fly-RBI would close out the scoring in the Orioles’ 8-3 victory.

Overall, Oriole pitching allowed three runs – two of which were solo homers. And as we know, those rarely hurt you. Granted, starter Wade Miley was the only guy who’s projected to be in the big leagues who played in the game. However thus far in camp the Orioles have shown great pitching depth. That’s only through three games, but it’s something.

The O’s will remain in Sarasota tomorrow as the New York Yankees come to town. Ubaldo Jimenez will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Chad Green. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Injury updates on Zach Britton and others

According to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports, Baltimore Orioles’ closer Zach Britton has improved in terms of his condition. Britton began feeling discomfort in his left side towards the beginning of camp, and was in essence shut down. For the time being, it appears that he’s dodged an oblique injury…again, for the time being.

It’s tough to say where, if anywhere, this goes. But needless to say it’s something to watch as the Grapefruit League “season” wears on. Keep in mind also that this isn’t necessarily a setback for Britton in terms of time. Teams reported a bit earlier than normal this year due to the World Baseball Classic. So whether or not he would have been playing in games at this point is another story.

Catcher Welington Castillo is in this afternoon’s starting lineup, which is a good sign. Castillo, as was reported here on this column earlier today, woke up with neck spasms yesterday and was unable to play. I suppose we’ve all done it; slept the wrong way and suffered from a stiff neck the next day. But the fact that he’s playing today means no harm no foul. So that’s a bit of good news for the Birds.

I will be interested to see how far into today’s game Wade Miley is allowed to go. At this stage of spring most starting pitchers are getting two innings, and that’s what the first two games yielded. However Miley is probably slated for the rotation, so might he be in the game for a bit longer? Possibly, but we’ll have to see.

I say this every year, and several times at that. However fans should keep in mind while watching these early spring games and results that pitchers are ahead of the hitters. So the focus for a lot of hitters in games such as today’s is going to be timing. So strikeouts might pile up, and runs might be hard to come by. But at this stage of the game that isn’t a sign of any sort of pending offensive doom.

 

Baltimore Orioles starting to see injuries pile up

The Baltimore Orioles’ 6-2 loss in Bradenton against Pittsburgh yesterday afternoon should be of no concern to anyone. However the fact that injuries seemed to come in a wave yesterday should be on people’s radar. Welington Castillo was to make his maiden start of the spring yesterday, but woke up with neck spasms – he ended up being a scratch.

How ironic a twist of fate is it that less than a week after Wieters signs elsewhere, his apparent replacement comes down with an injury? The Orioles don’t appear overly worried about this per se, but it’s something to watch. If Castillo appears in the Orioles’ lineup for this afternoon’s home opener in Sarasota, perhaps that indicates that the Birds dodged a bullet.

But they didn’t dodge a bullet with outfielder Michael Bourn. He’s going to be on the shelf for about a month, after breaking his finger playing football in the outfield during a workout yesterday. First off let’s be clear; guys on every team chuck the football around before and after workouts, and even during the regular season. It’s lighthearted of course, however it’s also a good warm-up or even cool-down activity.

The Orioles believe that Bourn could in theory be ready for Opening Day if he had to be, but there’s no reason to do anything but take this slowly. According to reports he simply caught the ball wrong. It could happen to any of us, but it happened to Bourn.

The Orioles also signed infielder Paul Janish to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training yesterday. That doesn’t appear to be related to any current injuries – or does it? The O’s of course already have J.J. Hardy who’s battling his normal routine of back spasms; does the Janish signing indicate there’s a chance Hardy might need to spend some time on the DL? Or perhaps at extended spring training?

To top it off, Christian Walker was claimed off of waivers by the Atlanta Braves yesterday. And that’s probably a better situation for him in the sense that he’s not going to be in a  log jam of players. However that’s just another very talented player out of the Orioles’ system, with nothing in return.

As I said above, the Birds will play their spring home opener this afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota against Pittsburgh. Wade Miley will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Jameson Taillon. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Zero’s are a good thing for Tyler Wilson and company

Tyler Wilson and the Baltimore Orioles aren’t judging wins and losses in spring training – per se. However if you’re going to play these spring games, you might as well try to win them. And that’s exactly what the Orioles did in Lakeland, defeating Detroit 2-0.

Wilson was in and out of the game as the starter, but he set the Birds up nicely for the win. Wilson’s line: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Those are stellar numbers for anyone, much less the starter in the first Grapefruit League game. Again folks, this game doesn’t count, and as is generally the case it was largely scripted. But again, if you’re going to play these games you might as well win them.

As a staff throughout the entire game, the Orioles gave up four hits and one walk. Of note, Donnie Hart pitched a perfect seventh inning for the Birds. As you may recall, Hart became a favorite of manager Buck Showalter late last season during the stretch run. And he’s off to a decent start again this year.

Ryan Flaherty put the Orioles on the board with a sac fly-RBI in the second inning. In theory that’s all the Orioles would have needed. However Hyun-Soo Kim reached on a fielding error in the fifth, which allowed another Oriole run to score. And when your pitching is as good as that of the Orioles was yesterday, you’re as good as golden in that position.

Buck Showalter was complimentary of almost everyone after the game, however he really seemed impressed with Tyler Wilson (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Tyler’s a reliable pitcher. He’s a guy who’s always ready. He’s in great shape. He’s always aggressive. Those strikes. He’s a guy you’re always reaching back for because he’s just reliable. He’s a guy you know what you’re going to get from him.

While this game didn’t count in the standings, it was a blueprint for how any team can win games: put a couple of runs on the board, and shut-down pitching. Some will point out that the second run was unearned. Well that can sometimes happen when guys get on base. So if you get on base, you’re putting yourself in a position to potentially score.

The Birds will hit the road again tomorrow, heading to Bradenton to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Gabriel Ynoa, for whom they recently traded, will get the start for the Orioles. He’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Steven Brault. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Today is gameday

This afternoon the Baltimore Orioles are going to play the biggest baseball game in the history of western civilization. Well…for this year, anyways! Far from it, although the Birds will head to Lakeland, FL to open up Florida Grapefruit League play against Detroit.

However it almost feels like the unofficial start to the unofficial start. I say that because it’s unclear how many of the Orioles’ regular players will be making the trip to Lakeland. Odds are the veterans will be few and far between. However needless to say, the Orioles will appear in their uniforms on the field in a game. Not only that, but there’ll be a box score with their names, real umpires, and people in the stands who paid admission.

The real key to today’s game is for the Birds to test their depth. That’s how a lot of teams and managers view these road games, especially early in the spring slate of games. If someone looks good today and continues that trend throughout the spring, he might find himself coming north with the team, or ending up just a phone call awa in Norfolk.

At the end of the day, once today’s game is over it’ll be forgotten – in the grand scheme. But when players get to Ed Smith Stadium today and see their names on the travel roster, it’ll be important to them. Hopefully that goes without saying.

For what it’s worth, Tyler Wilson will get the start this afternoon for the O’s. He’ll be oppposed by Detroit’s Michael Fulmer. Game time is set for just after 1 PM. Play ball!

Baltimore Orioles: What can fans expect this sprin

The Baltimore Oriles begin Florida Grapefruit League play tomorrow. Let that sink in for just a moment! The Birds will travel to Lakeland, FL to the spring training home of the Detroit Tigers to open up their spring training slate at 1 PM tomorrow. On Saturday they’ll head to Bradenton for a game against Pittsburgh, and they’ll round out the first weekend with their home opener in Sarasota against Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon.

So if you’re heading down to the Gulf Coast this year to catch a game or two, what exactly can you expect in terms of the games? First off, be forewarned that spring training games aren’t unlike their NFL counterparts (preseason) in that there’s very little ebb and flow. For a guy such as myself who loves to strategize and figure out what’s going to happen next, that makes it tough!

The games are just what we would think: “training.” Especially in the first two weeks or so, some games might be pretty rough. Remember that pitchers and catchers are going to be be a week or so ahead of hitters. So the likes of Jones, Davis, Machado, etc. may well pile up a few strikeouts here and there before the ball starts bouncing off their bats.

But that’s why they play these games, so as for players to get ready for the season. They help players to get their timing back, as opposed to doing it in the regular season. And for that, fans should be thankful!

In these early spring games, you can expect the starting team to play between 4-6 innings in each game. In some instances they’ll get guys two at-bats and then get them out of the game. Pitchers of course will be on innings limits or pitch counts, regardless of how well they pitch.

It’s rare to see managers going to the mound in the middle of an innin so as to make a pitching change, because usually it’s pretermined that the starter will go two innings, then someone else will go one, another guy will go two, etc. It’s not unheard of however to see a starter leave the game only to go down to the bullpen and complete his workday by throwing 30-40 pitches down there – while the game is going on.

At the end of the day, it’s sunny, the weather’s beautiful, it’s Florida, and it’s baseball. Fans can’t ask for much more I suppose. These Grapefruit League games are a far cry from the drama of a pennant race, but needless to say they’re something!

Baltimore Orioles: Matt Wieters stays in the neighborhood

Most Baltimore Orioles fans had probably come to terms with the fact that Matt Wieters wouldn’t be on the team any longer. Odds are, that happened some time ago. But the good and bad news is that he’s staying in the neighborhood.

Wieters signed with the Washington’s Nationals yesterday. So if you liked him in Baltimore, he’ll still be in the neighborhood! Wieters signed a two-year deal, worth $21 million ($11 million the first year). He does have the option of opting out after year one.

So in the coming days we’ll see people wondering how the O’s could allow “their guy” to go right down the pike. Keep in mind, that if the Orioles wanted to keep Wieters, he’d still be here. That’s not to say hat they wouldn’t be a better team with him, however they felt that their money was spent better elsewhere. And I would tend to agree.

Again, the O’s would be a better team with Wieters. But his production went down after his surgery a couple of years ago. So does this mean he’s over the hill? Not in the least! He’ll have a great season this year down in DC. In fact, he’ll probably make an already formidable pitching staff even stronger.

He also has a manager in Dusty Baker, who’s similar to Showaler in Baltimore. He’s an old school manager who lets his team do their thing without getting in the way. At the end of the day, Wieters will have a great year in DC. But the O’s did the right thing by walking away.

Baltimore Orioles sign Michael Bourn to Minor Leagu

I’ve always thought that if the Baltimore Orioles hadn’t traded for Michael Bourn last August they might not have made the post season. Bourn and his speed played a big role for the Orioles offensively on the base paths, and again my personal opinion is that helped put them over the hump. The good news now is that the Birds have re-signed Bourn to a minor league deal.

Bourn will get an invitation to Spring Training, and can make $2 million if he ends up in the big leagues. This is a move that upgrades the Orioles’ outfield defense, as well once again as their team speed. Bourn also hit .283 in 24 games with the Birds last year, and he got on base very consistently.

So needless to say, this is a move that should help the Orioles across the board, and won’t cost them too much in salary. Bourn’s deal also includes an opt-out if he’s not on the major league roster by March 27th. However I suspect that’s not going to be an issue, because I don’t see the Birds breaking camp without Bourn. And again my thought is that fans should be okay with that.

Baltimore Orioles: Will Donald Trump revive a time-honored tradition?

The Baltimore Orioles are still in camp, and Donald Trump is in the White House. We knew the former would be true today, but the latter not so much at one point. However today being President’s Day, I wanted to continue a tradition I started while at Birds Watcher for this holiday.

The President throwing out the first pitch is a time-honored tradition in baseball – and thus in America. President William Howard Taft began the tradition in 1910, when he attended the Washington Senators’ Opening Day game and tossed out the first pitch. Since then, every President up to and including Richard Nixon threw out the first pitch on Opening Day at least once in Washington D.C. until the Senators moved away. A couple of highlights:

  • 1923 – President Harding opened the Senators’ season two days after doing the same at Yankee Stadium in NY
  • 1940 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first pitch at Griffith Stadium hit a Washington Post camera
  • 1950 – President Harry Truman threw out two first pitches, one with each hand
  • 1962 – President John F. Kennedy threw out the inaugural first pitch at the new D.C. Stadium, which would later be renamed in honor of his late brother

After Washington got a team back in the form of the Nationals in 2005, the tradition was revived. President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch for the Nationals’ first home opener in 2005, and again when they opened Nationals Park in 2008. Two years later in 2010, President Barack Obama threw out the first ball on Opening Day at Nationals Park.

During Washington’s hiatus from baseball, the “Presidential First Pitch Ceremony” would often shift to the closest big league team to the nation’s capitol: the Baltimore Orioles. President Jimmy Carter became the first President to do the honors at Memorial Stadium, although not on Opening Day; Carter threw out the first ball in the 1979 World Series. President Ronald Reagan opened the season by throwing out the first ball in Baltimore in 1984, and 1986. President George H.W. Bush followed suit in 1989 and 1992, the latter of those being the inaugural game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. President Bill Clinton was the last President to do the honors in Baltimore, in 1993 and 1996.

Incidentally, President Clinton and others have done the job at several ballparks nationwide. However he (President Clinton, that is) had an interesting philosophy on doing it: he threw approximately 100 warm-up pitches. Keep in mind, pitchers usually throw 100 pitches or so in a game (not counting warm-ups). So why would a crafty lefty like President Clinton put that type of stress on his arm just to look good for one ceremonial pitch? His theory was that regardless of where you were, half of the crowd is going to dislike you. So…why give the other half of the crowd a reason to boo also?!

Presidents Bush and Obama are the only two POTUS’ up to now to have the opportunity to do this deed in DC since baseball returned. With that said, this Baltimore Orioles’ writer thinks that President Trump should begin the tradition anew. While this isn’t a politically-partisan column under any circumstance, I do understand the controversy that surrounds this particular President…

…but this is a fun tradition. And quite frankly, a sports fanatic such as Donald J. Trump would probably eat up the opportunity to throw out the first pitch. Yes, there would be some folks in the stands booing. But as I said, this is a time-honored tradition. Presidents Bush and Obama both said that they didn’t feel it was fair to make people coming to the game deal with Presidential security and so forth (which is why their appearances were few and far between), and I do understand that.

However baseball is America’s pastime. It’s representative of summertime, the beach, hot dogs, etc…translated, good times. It’s the only sport that’s intertwined with our nation’s leadership like this. And my personal opinion is that Democrat or Republican, the President of the United States should throw out the first pitch on Opening Day in Washington D.C. every year.

Baltimore Orioles trade for Vidal Nuno

The Baltimore Orioles have made a trade, and have acquired LHP Vidal Nuno from the Los Angeles Dodgers. In exchange, the Birds sent minor league pitcher Ryan Moseley back to Los Angeles. To make room for Nuno on the 40-man roster, the O’s were forced to designate reliever T.J. McFarland for assignment.

Nuno, 29, will be with his fifth organization in 3-4 years now coming to the Orioles. He’s 5-20 for his career with a 4.02 ERA and a WHIP of 1.260. The Orioles made the trade because they wanted Nuno as a left-handed specialist in the bullpen. Lefty hitters have hit .224 against him across his career, and he’s under team control through 2019.

This is an interesting move for a team who already has a strong bullpen. The O’s obviously feel that they’re stronger with Nuno than they would have been without him. They also lose McFarland, who’s now off the roster and out of the organization.

However I suspect that we’ll see McFarland back in Birdland in some form. The Orioles were very big on him across several years, and in effect he was out of options and had to be DFA’d. But I suspect that the Orioles gauged interest in McFarland across the league, and their impression is that they can get him through waivers. If so, he could either accept a minor league assignment or become a free agent.

But all we know now is that Vidal Nuno is an Oriole, and is going to be on his way to Sarasota shortly. After all, there are games to be played as early as Friday afternoon.