Category Archives: Baltimore Orioles News

Baltimore Orioles: Hindsight is 20/20 with Chris Davis

The Chris Davis contract has become one of the most scrutinized in Baltimore Orioles’ history. Especially when the alleged contract that’s been offered to Manny Machado by the Chicago White Sox amounts to approximately $2 million a year more than what Davis is making with the Orioles. That’s certainly not lost on the fan base.

However hindsight is always 20/20. At the time the Davis contract was inked, there was legitimate fear amongst fans and team officials that one of the best sluggers in the league would leave Baltimore. And yes, at the time Davis was considered one of the best sluggers in baseball. The contract was widely applauded by fans and analysts alike. Nobody could have predicted that the bottom would fall out on Davis when it did.

We’re also talking about a different time. Yes for the Orioles, but also for the league. That Chris Davis contract might well end up being one of the last massive long-term deals. Teams aren’t as willing to commit big time dollars over a long period of time. Granted the Machado deal that’s on the table in Chicago is bigger. But it’s a far cry from the ten years, $400 million that he was seeking.

Ultimately, it’s unfair to judge the past by the standards of the present. Furthermore, the final chapter on Chris Davis in Baltimore doesn’t have to have been written yet. Things can always improve. And if the new regime in Baltimore has anything to do with it, perhaps in fact they will.

Baltimore Orioles hire Doug Brocail as pitching coach

The Baltimore Orioles appear poised to hire their next pitching coach. They’re expected to announce that Doug Brocail will be landing the job, replacing Roger McDowell. Brocail previously served in the same role for the Texas Rangers.

For what it’s worth, Brocail pitched in 15 major league seasons – primarily as a reliever. Two of those seasons were spent under Buck Showalter as his manager while in Texas. At this point I suppose that means very little, given that Showalter is no longer with the organization.

Personally I think that Brocail will come from a good position when preaching to his pitching staff. The fact that a 15-year big league veteran will be providing them direction should mean something. This is a guy who will have been there and done that. Let’s put it this way; Brocail is inheriting what was the league’s worst staff in 2018. Nowhere to go but up!

Baltimore Orioles: Would the Birds want Manny Machado?

Former Baltimore Orioles’ third baseman/SS Manny Machado has reportedly been offered a contract by the Chicago White Sox Worth $250 million. This over eight years. Give or take, that’s approximately $31 million per year for eight seasons. To a simpleton such as myself, that sounds like a no-brainer.

But as we all know, that’s far off from the 10 years, $350-$400 million contract that Machado craves. However here’s an interesting question: would the Orioles even want Machado? The reasons for having him on your team are obvious. But the argument against it…?

In looking at Manny’s actions and comments since leaving the Orioles, it strikes me what a great job Buck Showalter did in reigning him in. You never saw Manny say something along the lines of I’m not Johnny Hustle, or anything like that. That isn’t to say that he didn’t have his moments – because he most certainly did. But for the most part, he was fairly subdued in terms of some of his darker tendencies.

Whether or not that would continue to be the case or not would remain to be seen. Manny’s been gone from the Birds since July. And obviously when he went to L.A. he was allowed to express himself a bit more freely. Would he feel strange about coming back to a place where he might be expected to conform?

Obviously whether or not Brandon Hyde would want to reign Manny in the way Buck did is another story. Whether or not he would have the clout or presence to do so would remain to be seen. But there’s another angle to this as well. The Orioles be Orioles fans like their players to be members of the community, and in effect institutions. Is Manny, and his selling of his talents to the highest bidder, what they want?

End of the day, Manny isn’t on the Orioles’ radar. Not because of anything I said above. But because of the fact that the franchise is rebuilding. He doesn’t fit into their future. The Orioles are trying to find a new Manny Machado.

Baltimore Orioles: Should rules be bent?

The Baltimore Orioles and all of the other teams in MLB operate under the same rules. This much we know – in general. But there’s a player out there named Kyler Murray, who you might know as the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from the University of Oklahoma. Or maybe I should call him a “potential player.”

Murray plays both football and baseball – and he could have a legit future in either sport. He was drafted by Oakland Athletics in last year’s draft. Both the A’s, and the league want Murray to pick baseball. He’s a great talent. It appears that he’s more inclined to pick football – because of the possibility of more up front money right away. (If it were me I’d look at the fact that baseball would potentially provide for a longer career and more money over a longer period of time. Plus baseball contracts are guaranteed while football contracts are not – but that’s just me.)

According to various reports, Murray is willing to pick baseball right now – at a price. Murray wants a big league contract worth $15 million. That’s more than is allowed under the rules of MLB’s collective bargaining agreement. But the question is whether or not MLB would consider bending that rule, or in essence waiving it – to keep a promising talent in the game.

I’m kind of a “rules guy.” The rules are there for a reason, in this case to ensure that there’s no wage disparity. But MLB also risks losing a talent to another sport. So what gives?

I’m not sure that there is a right answer. Baseball certainly has a stake in keeping Murray in the sport, and obviously the A’s do as well. But if I were the Angels, Mariners, or Rangers, what exactly would I think of this prospect? Baseball bending it’s own rul in favor of one of their division rivals? That might not sit well.

I suppose that at the end of the day my stance is that the rules are the rules. They’re there for a reason. An entity like MLB would probably not want to be bending it’s own rules – from the perspective of precedent. Because any team could then come and ask for a special accommodation, and reference that they did it for Oakland. Time will tell.

Baltimore Orioles: Is social media changing the dynamic?

For years and years fans complained that they didn’t know what was going on with the Baltimore Orioles. The ownership of Peter Angelos rarely seemed to communicate or.’a plans, leaving people in the dark in terms of the direction of the franchise. However much of that seems to be over, as sons John and Lou Angelos are running the show.

Whether or not the general public should know or has a right to know “what’s going on” is another story. Fans think they should have this right and/or privilege. And they aren’t shy about expressing that sentiment.

And a big part of this is social media. That’s a tool that I use myself quite often. However it also gives people a stake in what’s happening with any team that they follow. It allows them to speak directly to the team – via twitter and other manners.

And if fans don’t feel they.’really being heard, they seemingly have no issue packing up and in essence finding another team. Fans are mandating more access and more of an understanding on what’s going on with the team. And if they don’t get it, the team doesn’t get their money.

Years ago this wasn’t the case – and again, years ago there was no social media.

Baltimore Orioles: Will the fans stand behind the 2019 Birds?

As it stands now, the 2019 Baltimore Orioles appear to be void of any star power. Certainly there are a few familiar names, such as Chris Davis. Four or five years ago he would have been considered a star. But odds are that’s not the case any longer – at least not for now.

He’s not the only familiar name. Orioles fans will also recognize the Mancini’s, Bundy’s, and Trumbo’s of the world. And a few others. However there’s a difference between familiar players and stars. For years it’s been Adam Jones‘ team. He was the star. Until further notice, there’s no real star on this team.

And that make no mistake that there’s still an upside to that. Because that means that the next true Orioles’ star could be anyone. At this point it appears that time, fate, or consequence will decide who that’s going to be. It’ll happen organically.

However there is a concern and quite frankly a risk on the part of the organization. Most fans and analysts alike applauded the Orioles for the rebuilding effort. Both in deciding to do it, and how it’s been done to this point. But will fans respond in kind at the box office?

That’s the age old question. There is a certain mindset amongst some people that if they’re going to see (what temporarily could be deemed) minor league talent with no star power, they may as well use their entertainment dollars by going to Keys or Baysox games. Time will tell, but hopefully the fans remain constant and accepting of the process – and turn out to see this team play.

Baltimore Orioles: Piano Man set to rock the yard

The Baltimore Orioles won’t be the only thing rocking the yard this summer. It was announced yesterday that legendary singer and songwriter Billy Joel will be making his maiden appearance at Oriole Lark at Camden Yards on Friday, July 26, 2019. In fact, it’ll be the first concert in the history of Camden Yards.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on January 18, 2019 at 10 AM. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to support music and arts education programs across Maryland. Needless to say, this is big news for Baltimore.

Billy Joel played M & T Bank Stadium in 2014. But neither he nor any other artist has ever played Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The only other “act” ever held there to my knowledge is a mass in 1994 said by his holiness, Saint John Paul II. So in the history of the ballpark, this will be a historic event.

On a selfish note, Billy Joel’s my favorite singer. Covering the Orioles and Angels game that night will probably take precedence, but I think it’s cool that my favorite musician will be the first to ever play Camden Yards. And the fact is that Joel’a act belongs in a baseball stadium. There are references to baseball throughout his songs; mostly New York baseball, but references to baseball. Needless to say, for at least one night in July, Baltimore will be in a New York State of Mind!

(Side note: I’m a Billy Joel superfan. I listen to his channel on satellite radio on a daily basis. Did you REALLY think that I wasn’t about to say something along the lines of that NY state of mind line? Keep in mind that Allentown isn’t far from Baltimore – I could have just worked a lyric from that song in also. Or mentioned the lyrics from PRESSURE where he talks about it being in the ninth with two men out and three men on. Nowhere to look but inside, right?!)

Baltimore Orioles: I don’t know who’s on third

Baltimore Orioles’ GM Mike Elias said that roster construction was going to be slow-going when he signed on and took the job. So Orioles fans shouldn’t be concerned that things are moving at a snail’s pace. However Orioles’ FanFest is in fact coming at the end of the month; it would be nice for a few things to be in place by then.

Let’s start here; who’s the starting third baseman? In the past this was never an issue, as the Orioles had a guy named Machado. But this year we’re going to see a new starting third baseman – or perhaps a platoon of them.

If there’s an incumbent, it’s probably Renato Nunez. However I’m not sure even he can get that distinction. He was taken by the Orioles off of waivers last year, as was Rio Ruiz, Nunez’s apparent competition for the role. Of the two, Nunez is probably the better one. The Orioles could let these two duke it out in spring training, or even look outside the organization.

There’s also another option, which I’ve suggested before. We talk a lot about Chris Davis and his offensive struggles. Davis has played third base in his career, including during his stint with the Orioles. He’s a solid first baseman, and a decent third baseman. Would the Orioles consider making Davis the full-time third baseman this year if no better option were out there?

The other hidden benefit of that arrangement is that it would open up competition for more younger players in the outfield. The Orioles could simply move Trey Mancini to his normal position at first base. The question is whether or not the Orioles would want to do that or need to. Time will tell.

End of the day, I think there needs to be more of a plan in place for that position than “we might look at several people.” Once the regular season starts, that is. The hot corner is a very important position, which is something that Orioles fans have probably taken for granted at times in the recent past.

Baltimore Orioles: April sets the tone

For years I’ve said that the Baltimore Orioles needed to get out to a good start in April. Last season really showed what can happen if you get down early in the season. I maintain that last year’s team was better than 46 wins. And while we don’t know what this year’s team will look like, I would hesitate to say the same.

Last year’s team just got down early in April and the season snowballed. And that was a team of veterans. This is going to be a very young team, with a young manager in Brandon Hyde. You just can.’this afford to get down big in the standings early.

But this year it’s for a different reason. In the past the idea was to compete for a post season spot. That’s not expected to be something that’s on the line and n 2019. So why would I still put an emphasis on April?

The answer is simple; because you want this year to be about guys getting comfortable playing together and for the Orioles. If the team gets too buried early on, guys will start going through the motions – which is part of what happened last year.

You want the games to be compelling, and for people to come away saying, “…win or lose, that team’s fun to watch.” Which incidentally is the exact opposite of what they said last season. But I digress.

You don’t want this young team starting to think that losing and losing big is the modus operandi around here. Not even in the midst of a rebuild. The expectation is to play hard and to get the basics correct. The rest will eventually fall into place.

Baltimore Orioles: My fickle friend

I admittedly thought it was ridiculous that a few Baltimore Orioles fans wanted to replace manager (at the time) Buck Showalter after the 2016 AL Wild Card game. Utimately those people got their wish after last year. However given Showalter’s record with the Orioles and his skills as a manager, I thought it was a bit ridiculous.

This morning I awaken to my twitter timeline full of tweets and re-tweets of Alabama Crimson Tide fans saying that the University should terminate head football coach Nick Saban. Let’s be frank; that’s an overly-emotional reaction to a situation that’s still very raw for those people – having lost the national title game last night. But…do you really want to suggest firing someone who’s considered not just Alabama royalty, but College Football royalty?

What this shows is the newly fickle nature of fans. Yes, I wrote that. We hear so much about how younger fans don’t consume sports the same ways that previous generations did. And we’re told that’s not necessarily a bad thing. And in fact it’s not. But the flip side of that is a lot of younger fans are simply going to tune out of the team isn’t meeting their goals or needs.

The Alabama case (and even the situation with Showalter) is really an extreme one. You made it to the title game, and since you lost fans want you booted? Again, that’s an emotional reaction to what’s still a very raw situation. However I’ll be honest; that type of fickleness bothers me. How can sports as an industry survive in that climate? Because let’s be honest; Alabama lost one game this year. It was obviously THE GAME, but in reality they lost one. Are we in essence saying that anything less than perfection is unacceptable?

Because if we are, sports as an industry are doomed. Heck, a lot of businesses are doomed. That’s not a standard that’s attainable. My hope is that this is simply young people shooting their mouths off. No way Nick Saban deserves to be fired for losing that game last night, especially coming off of multiple other titles – including last season. Just like there’s no way that Buck Showalter deserved to be fired after the 2016 AL Wild Card Game, especially coming off of returning the Orioles to glory, winning the AL East title in 2014, and multiple post-season appearances.