Category Archives: Baltimore Orioles News

Baltimore Orioles: In memoriam for the late Mike Flanagan

August 24th is a day that Baltimore Orioles’ fans will likely never forget. In 2011 the team was in Minnesota on a road trip. As that evening’s game unfolded, news from back in Baltimore started coming in of a body being found on the Baltimore County property of former Oriole Mike Flanagan.

At some point during the game local police confirmed that the body was that of Flanagan. The next few days were a blur for Orioles fans. At that point in time Mike Flanagan was a color analyst for Orioles games on MASN. But obviously his entire adult life had been dedicated to the Baltimore Orioles.

On that day I swore that so long as I penned and Orioles’ column I’d always remember the late Mike Flanagan on this day. He was the very heart and soul of the team and perhaps the city through some very magical years. He was witty and had a charm about him that was symptomatic of his New England upbringing.

Flanagan also came from a time when athletes moved themselves to the city in which they played. That doesn’t really happen any longer. Some do that, but not many. So Flanagan and his family lived amongst the fans. His kids went to school with your kids and so forth. He was very much a member of the greater Baltimore community much more so than just playing for the Orioles.

I suppose I’ll never forget the way that this horrible news was received by Orioles fans and the Baltimore community. There was an outpouring of support both for and from the Orioles themselves, and from fans all over when the team returned from Minnesota that weekend. And my hope is that Mike Flanagan is never forgotten. He was a great Oriole, and remains so in death.

Some events rock the world. This one very much did for Orioles fans. Mike Flanagan will always remain a focus in the Orioles’ story over time. While his death sent shock waves across Baltimore, my hope is that Orioles fans just remain grateful that he came their way.

Baltimore Orioles: Another take on the Jon Heyman tweet

Yesterday I wrote about MLB Network’s Jon Heyman calling out the Baltimore Orioles on twitter. Heyman was…less than complimentary about the Orioles’ rebuild process:

The reaction was predictably poor, including that of this writer. My point is that Heyman didn’t react this way when the Houston Astros or Chicago Cubs went through this same process. Yet it’s the Orioles who not only get called out, but also are now in Heyman’s eyes the face of tanking in professional sports. (Whereas if you read my column – linked above – I say that there’s a difference between tanking and rebuilding.) I stand by what I’ve said on the matter; personally I think Heyman was out of line.

However there’s another take out there as well, and one that ever so slightly more benign at that. Heyman said that what the Orioles are doing isn’t good for the game. But is the criticism possibly coming from a better place than we think?

There’s no question that what the Orioles are doing is making things much easier on teams such as Boston and New York. The O’s of course are in Boston this weekend, but they finished their season slate against NY by dropping the final 16 games. Those games made New York look unstoppable – unnecessarily unstoppable. And they’ve had their share of games as such against Boston also.

Is it possible that Heyman’s point is that what the Orioles are doing is making things easier for teams such as Boston and New York? One could make that argument – I suppose. I’m not sure that I personally buy that, however it is in fact possible.

But if you buy into that mentality, my rebuttal would be what exactly are the Orioles supposed to do? Should they go all out just to get to 60-70 wins so that they come off as “competitive?” Because that’s in essence what they did from 1998-2011. And that famously didn’t really work out.

I would also say this to Jon Heyman and other naysayers; look at what the Orioles have in the minors. Their farm system was ranked 22nd by Baseball America last year. Fast-forward to last month after the Birds traded for so many prospects (in 2018) and replenished the farm system with a GREAT draft. Baseball America ranked them as having the 8th best farm system in baseball. Now that’s meaningless for the big league level in the here and now. However the Orioles are in this for the long game. And it’s evidence that the rebuild is working.

As I said earlier, the O’s head up to Boston for a weekend series at Fenway Park. Aaron Brooks gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Rick Porcello. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles called out by national writer Jon Heyman

Jon Heyman of MLB Network is apparently not a fan of what the Baltimore Orioles are doing. Heyman tweeted late Tuesday night:

Reaction to this commentary was swift and sure; most people felt that this was an unfair take on Heyman’s part. And I agree with that sentiment. I’ll even take it a step further; saying what Heyman said is beneath the dignity of a national reporter.

First and foremost, both the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs have gone through this exact process of late. And both of those organizations won World Series’. (Also worth throwing in that the Orioles’ GM and manager were both respective parts of those two organizations.) Was Heyman complaining about the process then?

And the answer is no. Here’s another point; the Orioles aren’t tanking. They’re undergoing a full rebuild. There’s a big difference. Tanking means you’re all but trying to lose games. Various NBA seasons involving the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics come to mind. The Orioles may only be fielding a lineup which sports an all-star by default, but I feel you’d be hard pressed to argue that the guys on the field at any given time aren’t trying to win games. When you see guys diving around for the ball, running hard, etc, the fact is that they aren’t mailing it in.

And that’s why I say that Heyman’s comments are beneath his position as a national pundit. He’s accusing players and coaches of something that first off isn’t true, but also of something that he couldn’t possibly know. It isn’t for Jon Heyman or anyone else (myself included) to say whether or not the players are playing hard and so forth. But the efforts they put in indicates that they are.

Heyman’s job is to report the news – not become a part of it. But again, I do find it odd that nobody called out other organizations for doing exactly the same thing as what the Orioles are doing now. Apparently it’s just the Orioles.

Baltimore Orioles: Return of the ‘Why Not’ Orioles

Baltimore Orioles fans are in for a treat this weekend, as it’s the 30-year reunion of the “Why Not” Orioles. As so many fans of my generation and older recall, the O’s were horrible in 1988. They started the season 0-21. The outlook wasn’t much better for 1989, either.

But a funny thing happened; the slightly re-tooled 1989 roster jumped out of the gate. They were in the race until the bitter end, falling out on the last day of the season. However their moniker became why not? A popular music video was also recorded (link here) and played throughout the season. But in the ballpark and on the radio.

That was refreshing to see after the horrors of 1988. Nobody does nostalgia like the Orioles, and this is a great opportunity for fans to get to see some of those old players return. Some of them we still know day in and day out. Obviously Cal Ripken Jr. is always around town. And Dave Johnson, Gregg Olson, and Ben McDonald are all a part of the Orioles’ broadcast teams. However when’s the last time Orioles fans saw the likes of Mike Devereaux, Bob Milacki, and others?

That’s part of what these types of celebrations are about. And obviously there’ll be a semi-pall hanging over the event, as the 1989 team’s skipper, Frank Robinson, passed away before the season started. But in the end, it’s the memories that counts. And as I said, nobody does nostalgia like the Orioles. And we’ll see it this whole weekend.

The Houston Astros will be the opponent this weekend during the festivities. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the Birds tonight, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Wade Miley (himself a former Oriole). Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Update on Hyde and Davis

Everyone saw or knows about what happened between Chris Davis and manager Brandon Hyde of the Baltimore Orioles last night. MASN cameras caught Davis going at Hyde in the dugout, and Hyde walking away. Just this afternoon via twitter, MASN’s Roch Kubatko offered an update via twitter on what this was about…

…in essence, Davis threw something in the dugout after recording an out. Apparently it hit Hyde, who said something to Davis. And of course Davis didn’t appreciate it, the results of which we saw on camera.

I would suspect that’s the gist of what we’re going to hear about this situation. There’s a very vocal group of fans on social media, on radio call-in shows, etc., who want Davis DFA’d. Let me assure you, if Davis is DFA’d it won’t be for anything to do with this. And I wouldn’t hold my breath on a DFA coming down the pike for Davis anytime soon.

These sorts of things happen all the time. I’m not defending it, I’m just saying that it happens all the time. Brandon Hyde said in his press conference after the game that in general he has a good relationship with Davis. When you spend as much time with people as these players and coaches do, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that sometimes things like this occur.

Both Hyde and Davis are in general very professional guys. I suspect that they’ll clear the air tomorrow afternoon when they come in after today’s off day, and that’ll be the end of it. I would submit that the media, both local and national, is making this into more of a story than it needs to be. Yes, it was unfortunate and it shouldn’t have happened. Yes it’s semi-noteworthy because it involved a guy hitting under the Mendoza Line who’s sitting on a pile of cash. But let’s not act like this was the first time in the history of baseball (or any sport for that matter) that there was a squabble between a player and coach. It happens, and it’s unfortunate. But it happens.

Baltimore Orioles stand pat at the deadline

The Baltimore Orioles in essence made no moves yesterday at the 4:00 PM EST trading deadline. They sent pitcher Dan Straily to the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations. That’s considered a minor league move, so again nothing major. As I alluded, the Orioles pretty much stood pat.

There were multiple deals on the table involving multiple players, however the Birds neglected to take any of them. Which tells you that the return package wasn’t sufficient for Elias and company. Even teams in the Orioles’ situation aren’t going to just give players away. That isn’t how it works.

In the wake of their successful road trip, the O’s will tonight open up a four-game set at Camden Yards against Toronto. The Birds are yet to announce a starter, whereas Toronto will start Trent Thornton. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Any trades involving the Birds?

With the MLB trade deadline this week, the question appears to be whether the Baltimore Orioles will make a move. Reliever Mychal Givens appears to be the biggest trade chip the Orioles currently have. According to numerous sources multiple teams have expressed interest.

The Orioles are willing to move Givens. Heck, I think with a few exceptions they’d move anyone. However they’re not going to give the guy away. So it really boils down to what kind of compensation they’re going to get in return.

One might ask why the Orioles would think they could get for a reliever. And I think that the answer to that is a decent return. While Givens may not net them what they got for relievers last year, keep in mind why a team would be looking to trade for Givens: for the postseason.

Bullpens have turned into an integral part of the game across the board. Heck, you can’t even finish a spring training game if you don’t have bullpen relievers. Much less in the regular season. But the bullpen is much more important in the post season, as starters and all pitchers are on a tighter leash.

Many managers will lift their starters in the third or fourth inning if they aren’t working out. Then it falls to the bullpen. Givens would also be a set up man on a contending team. And that’s tough to find.

So the O’s might well get a couple of prospects for a reliever like Givens. What they do with those prospects remains to be seen.

Baltimore Orioles: Were the Birds aided by an incorrect replay call?

The Baltimore Orioles almost lost last night. Granted that almost happened several different times in their 10-8 16-inning victory in Anaheim. But at one point it really appeared that the game was over. But instant replay stepped in.

Anaheim loaded the bases in the last of the 15th with the O’s leading by two. Mike Trout smacked what could have been a bases-clearing double, which would have been a walk off. However the trail runner (from first base) was gunned down at home plate. Dwight Smith dug the ball out of the left field corner, threw it to Jonathan Villar, who relayed it home. Pedro Severino tagged the runner out in a bang-bang play at the plate, and we played on.

However Anaheim challenged the play, saying that the runner was safe. The umpiring crew looked at it for a long time, and manager Brandon Hyde admitted later that he was just holding out hope that they would uphold the call on the field:

The only thing, because they called him out, I was hoping that it would stand. I had no idea.

Quote courtesy of Joe Trezza, mlb.com

Here’s the thing…the umpires in theory got the call wrong. In Theory. The ball didn’t beat the runner to the bag. Severino tagged the runner high, which was the correct thing to do. However the runner appeared to drag his hand across home plate at the exact same moment. And while not an official rule, a tie is supposed to go to the runner.

So should there be an asterisk by this win because of that? Is it tainted? Not really. Because – get this – the umpires were 100% correct in upholding the call on the field. The rule is that in order to overturn a call, there needs to be clear and concise evidence that the call on the field was INCORRECT. But it was a tie – I just said that there was clear and concise evidence that it was a tie, right?

Yes, but notice what I also said above: …while not an official rule, a tie is supposed to go to the runner. Is there clear and concise evidence that there’s a tie? Yes. But is that in and of itself clear and concise evidence that the call itself was incorrect? No.

There’s nothing in the MLB rule book which addresses a tie. You’re either out or safe. Now that’s a rule of thumb that’s been adapted over the years (a tie going to the runner), but as I said above it isn’t an official rule. So by the standards set forth in instant replay, there is evidence of a tie, or evidence of the play being nebulous. But a tie isn’t clear and concise evidence that the call should be reversed. Thus the umpire correctly upheld the call.

Could or should the umpire have called the runner safe from the outself? Maybe, maybe not. If we’re going by tie goes to the runner, then the runner probably should have been called safe. But it was a bang-bang play, and as quickly as the game moves one can understand how the guy made the call that he did. However upholding the call on review was the right thing to do. Because while it’s fashionable to say and believe, a tie doesn’t go to the runner given that in accordance with the MLB rule book there’s no such thing as a tie.

Baltimore Orioles: Is accountability starting to creep up?

You know it’s a slow news day when Jace Peterson returning to the Baltimore Orioles is the headline. But them’s the breaks when the team’s on the west coast sometimes. Peterson of course was with the Orioles all of last year, and now finds himself back with them at the big league level.

Peterson takes the roster spot of Rio Ruiz, who was sent to the minors after yesterday’s game. Ruiz had been hitting .238 on the year. This comes after they opted to keep Anthony Santander, when he in theory could have been sent back to the minors. Since being called up to replace an injured player, Santander had been playing at a frenzied pace. And that pace has continued.

Those are two very different, yet similar situations. During the first half of the year Orioles’ brass said many times that they didn’t want to pull the rug out from anyone prematurely. Basically, they wanted to give guys the utmost opportunity to prove that they belong in the big leagues. This is both fair to the player(s) and the organization. Because the last thing the organization wants is for a guy to walk and then hit it big elsewhere.

But the fact that Ruiz was sent packing and Santander is staying tells you that perhaps some of those opportunities have started to run out. At a certain point, you need to put your best foot forward in terms of winning games TODAY. And by that, I’m talking about the roster itself and the makeup thereof. This as opposed to the effort being put forth. Because I would never question that.

At the beginning of the season I suggested that success would look resemble winning more games than they did last year. So that’s 15 wins for the rest of the season at a bare minimum. Do we think they can do that?

Baltimore Orioles: Old Friends

The Baltimore Orioles will be in Phoenix this evening opening up a three-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks. And patrolling right field for Arizona is a familiar face: Adam Jones. I don’t need to tell you about Jones, as he was the face of the Orioles for ten years. Needless to say, he meant more to the Orioles and the city of Baltimore perhaps more than any player since Cal.

So it’ll certainly be odd to see him facing the Orioles tonight. However this happens all the time – it’s part of sports. What’s interesting to me is that there isn’t really much fanfare involved in the Birds facing their former star. Why is that?

First off this series is at Chase Field in Phoenix as opposed to Oriole Park at Camden Yards. When Manny Machado (who the Orioles will also see in San Diego as part of this trip) faced the Orioles last month, it was a much bigger deal because the games were in Baltimore. If these games were going to be in Baltimore, I think there would be a much bigger deal being made. Players changing teams after years and years of being with one team and then returning to their former home stadiums is a huge deal.

However it’s also worth mentioning that the Orioles team that heads into Chase Field tonight to face Jones and Arizona is vastly different from the Orioles teams of which Jones was a part. There’s no Machado, Markakis, Wieters, Hardy, etc. Now having said that, Chris Davis and Trey Mancini both played with Jones, so those are familiar faces.

However that aside, this is a totally different team than what Jones knew. It’s also a different coaching staff. One has to believe that regardless of the fact that he now plays for Arizona, it’s going to be strange for Jones to see the Oriole uniforms on the field, and then look in their dugout and not see the venerable figure of Buck Showalter pacing around. Things do change; that doesn’t mean it doesn’t look strange when they do.

I wrote last September about Jones and Showalter, as their time with the Orioles was wrapping up. That was a very reflective day for the Orioles (the last game of the 2018 season), as I chronicled here. And as I said in my game recap following that final game in 2018, it was a day that was tough for a lot of people – myself included. But in a beautiful way.

Before referencing it above, I went back and read the game recap from that final game, in which I described how Buck Showalter lifted Jones in the top of the ninth so the fans could pay homage. I also said that both Jones and Showalter were a part of the larger “Baltimore story.” And I stand by that. They’ll be a part of it forever.

But for the first part of this week, the O’s will have to face Jones as an opponent. He’s hitting .262 on the year, with 13 homers. Should be a fun series.