Baltimore Orioles: Is youthful hunger preferable to veteran leadership?

I maintain what I wrote yesterday in my game recap about the Baltimore Orioles’ 11-5 loss to Tampa. The Birds had the lead, but well after the veterans and “regular players” had departed, Tampa dropped ten runs on the Orioles’ bullpen in the eighth inning. (I use the quotes on regular players because in some instances we don’t know who the regulars are going to be as of yet.) To reiterate that again, it’s just not a big deal. These games don’t count, and again nobody of any consequence for the regular season was in the game.

But is that attitude in and of itself part of the problem? And could it be part of why the Orioles found themselves rushing a rebuild mid-year last season as opposed to playing out the final year of what should have been a window to compete? Interesting question.

Even when the Orioles were in their heyday under the likes of Buck, Jones, Davis, Machado, et al, teams such as Tampa always gave them a run for their money. A big time run for their money, in fact. I’m using Tampa as a specific example, however there are a few other teams in this category. They’ve always remained young, and they’ve always remained hungry. And again, they’ve always been a thorn in the Orioles’ side – no matter what the records.

Young people are always going to be hungry when they’re getting their feet wet in their careers. I suppose exuberance is a fair term to use. Teams such as Tampa have always had that about them. The Orioles…not so much. The Orioles have always been more about veteran leadership and people who already knew what they were doing. As opposed to guys who were learning on the job. Until now, that is.

So again, have the O’s done it all wrong up to this point, and are they thus doing it right now? The answer is no on both points. Young players are exciting, and yes there does usually happen to be a certain never say die attitude about them. How often did we see innings such as what we saw yesterday during the 2018 season? By the end of the inning the veteran Orioles seemed to be all but beaten into submission. Because guys knew that you just don’t come back from a ten-run inning.

Instead, what did we see out of the young O’s yesterday? Ryan Mountcastle extended a single into a double to lead off the last of the eighth, and he was driven home by an RBI-single by Anthony Santander. Because young people haven’t been beaten down a bit yet, their attitudes are still fresh and they’re still thinking you have to start the comeback somewhere. This as opposed to a seasoned veteran, who’s probably going to play it safe and focus more on not getting hurt in a game that’s already out of control. Young people have the audacity to believe anything is possible, whereas veterans know not to hedge their bets.

I suppose I’m not making the case that veterans are better than youth very well, am I? Here’s the difference; it’s all well and good to be stocked full of youth and have guys who are hungry to win. However talent and experience will generally top that at the highest levels. There are exceptions of course, the 2018 Orioles being a glaring one.

Ultimately I think you can win some games if you have the audacity of youth on your side for sure. Not only that, but you can step up and surprise some people – the way that the 2018 Tampa Rays did. But when push comes to shove, is the audacity of youth going to be enough to win you a World Series? Is that going to be enough to defeat a group of wiry veterans who’ve been together since time immemorial in a playoff elimination game?

The other question I posed is whether or not the Orioles are now doing things the right way. I said above that they weren’t – right? In saying that I mean that even though they’re going through all the processes the correct way, they still have to choose the right players. At some point you have to get young and build from the bottom – which is what the Orioles are doing. But if you build with the wrong players, it’s pointless.

It wasn’t so much that the Birds were doing things wrong before, and that they’re now doing them right. A generation of Orioles’ baseball ended last year when the team got broken up. A new generation is beginning now. Ideally your franchise should have peaks and valleys. Hopefully if the Orioles are doing things properly, the valley will be short-lived. Eventually the young players become veterans. And yes while perhaps the audacity of youth is gone, the steady hand of experience takes it’s place.

Baltimore Orioles: Mike Wright strong, Chris Davis homers in loss

The Baltimore Orioles took it on the chin at Ed Smith Stadium this afternoon, however it’s tough to say whether starter Mike Wright Jr’s good outing or first baseman Chris Davis‘ two-run homer was a bigger deal. The Birds gave up ten runs in the eighth inning, but that’s beside the point – especially when the guys in the game pitching probably aren’t going to be on the roster come Opening Day. But the good news is that Mike Wright, who is trying to make the roster, looked good as a starter. Wright’s line: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.

The Orioles got on the board first on a wild pitch in the second inning. Steve Wilkerson would add a sac fly-RBI, and the Birds led 2-0. Lowe’s RBI-single in the fifth for Tampa would cut that lead to 2-1.

However as I said the other big story was Chris Davis. After Tampa got on the board, he responded with a two-run homer in the last of that fifth inning to run the Orioles’ lead to 4-1. We’ve heard a lot about how Davis has changed his approach at the plate and how the hope is that things will be different this year. He was 1-for-3 on the afternoon with two RBI on that two-run homer – so yes maybe something is a little different.

However even Tampa’s reserves showed the same moxie that their regular team seemed to show all of last year – anything you can do I can do better. They simply weren’t going to be denied Tampa’s first victory on the spring this afternoon. As I said above, they managed to put ten runs on the board in the eighth. The inning kind of snowballed, in a similar manner that we saw occur in 2018.

Again however, nobody in the game for either side at that time is expected to break camp with the big league club. (Although Tampa sure had some guys who looked hungry in that eighth inning.) So Orioles fans should not view this as here we go again. Just take it as a very bad inning at the tail end of an early spring game. Basically, take it at face value.

Anthony Santander smacked an RBI-single in the last of the eighth to cut the lead to 11-5. However after that the rains came…and by rains I mean a torrential downpour. The game was called at that point, with Tampa being awarded an 11-5 victory.

Incidentally however about that Santander RBI-single; it was set up by the previous at-bat in which Ryan Mountcastle stretched a single into a double. Those are the small things that you have to take away from these spring games, win or lose. The play was right in front of Mountcastle, and he saw he had a shot at second base. The new regime wants the Birds to be more aggressive on the base paths, which is exactly what Mountcastle did. These are the small things which don’t show up in the box score which help you win games.

Again, the takeaways from this one should be Mike Wright’s outing, and Chris Davis’ home run. Those are both very positive signs for the Orioles, who in reality shouldn’t feel too badly about this game. And the fact is that sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the other side – something the O’s did a lot last year. But again if you take anything away from this one, let it be Wright and/or Davis.

The O’s head back to Ft. Myers tomorrow, this time to take on division rival Boston at Jet Blue Park. Gabriel Ynoa takes to the bump for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Eduardo Rodriguez. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Nate Karns, Hunter Harvey see action in loss vs. Minnesota

For the first time this spring we saw a Baltimore Orioles’ starter struggle in his truncated outing. Nate Karns started for the Orioles against Minnesota, with lackluster results. Karns’ line: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 0 K.

Karns is healthy, which is more than could be said for him last year. However he hasn’t seen game action since last spring training. So it isn’t overly surprising that he struggled in his first action this spring today.

Karns loaded the bases in the last of the first, and Minnesota took a 2-0 lead on Buxton’s two-RBI double. The O’s tried to battle back in the second with a solo homer by Eric Young Jr. However Karns continued to struggle in the last of the second, giving up an RBI-single to Polanco. He was lifted in the middle of the inning – presumably after reaching his pitch count for the day. Karns on his outing and his objective on the afternoon:


Just getting out there doing what I do, pitching to what my strengths are. And trying to improve command, execution of my pitches, sequencing and at the same time competing out there on the mound. I feel like today I kind of came in like, I may not get the results that I wanted, but that’s not what we were focused on right now. That’s getting out there and trying to figure out where you’re at and then improve between starts and try to keep going in that direction until the season gets here

Quote Courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

Buxton would also add an RBI-single in the third to run the Minnesota lead to 4-1. One inning later it was 5-1 after a sac fly-RBI by Castro (on a foul pop). The last of the fifth brought some elevated excitement for Orioles fans, as we got a look at Hunter Harvey for the first time in about a year or so. Harvey’s velocity was good, and to be honest his appearance was mostly about just getting back out there in game action. However he surrendered a two-run homer to Buxton, extending Minnesota’s lead to 7-1.

When you look at the results turned in by Karns and Harvey, they’re certainly a tough sell. But keep in mind that these guys’ outings had more to do with them just getting out there in live game action than anything else. Odds are there weren’t any mechanical problems that can’t be tweaked or fixed. And that’s part of what these spring games are meant to do.

Obviously when you put on a uniform you’re playing to win. So that part of the day is disappointing. But the fact that Karns and Harvey got into the game is the story of the day. And a good story at that. The game results might not always be what fans want to see, but there are a lot more in-game stories in these games as opposed to just a win or a loss.

The Orioles return to Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow afternoon as the Tampa Rays come to town. Mike Wright Jr. gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Ryan Merritt. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles win a battle of crooked numbers (updated)

David Hess looked decent for the Baltimore Orioles in his first spring start this afternoon. Hess’ line: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K. It’s tough to judge anything based on two innings. Hess on his outing (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

Felt like, all things considered, it was a pretty good start. Getting out there for the first time and getting the rust off, in a sense. I left a two-seam over the middle. Obviously, the home run wasn’t ideal. Felt like I got a lot of soft contact today and made some good pitches and they couldn’t put the bat on a couple of them. All in all, it was a pretty good start to spring training.

Hess did load the bases in the first inning, and was able to pitch out of it. I always say that the nature of the position (pitcher) is that you’ll get yourself in trouble. If you can get yourself out of trouble, you’re in good shape.

Luckily for Hess and the Orioles, the bats came around almost immediately just as they did yesterday. Rio Ruiz smacked a three-run homer in the last of the first to give the O’s a 3-0 lead. However unlike yesterday’s game against Minnesota, Toronto wasn’t looking to roll over.

They got on the board in the second on a wind-aided solo homer by Pompey (the only run Hess surrendered). In the third they cut the lead to 3-2 on Gurriel’s RBi-double, tied it on Guerrero’s RBI-single, and then took the lead on Smith’s two-RBI single. All of those runs were charged to Tanner Scott, who struggled in his short time in the game.

But the O’s weren’t about to be outdone. They cut it to 5-4 in the last of the fourth on Austin Hays‘ RBI-single. Later in the inning Carlos Perez‘s two-RBI double gave the Birds the lead back at 6-5. (Perez was thrown out at third trying to extend it into a triple.) And the Birds never really looked back – although Toronto rallied again.

The O’s would also get an RBI-single by Cael Brockmeyer, an RBI-groundout by Christopher Bostick, and an RBI-single by Stevie Wilkerson in the last of the seventh. Toronto would get rally however in the top of the eighth on a solo homer by Cantwell, an RBI-HPB awarded to Knight, and an RBI-single by Fields. This left the score at 9-8. Maryland native Branden Kline sent Toronto down 1-2-3 in the ninth to preserve the win and record the save.

Not every game is going to be clean and easy in a sense. Especially in the Florida Grapefruit League. So while so many different players come through these games, all of whom are trying to do different things and so forth, it was good to see the Birds collectively win a game like this. Especially with Toronto making a late charge, only to have the ‘pen shut them down 1-2-3.

During the third inning of the game the Orioles announced that they had traded for RHP David Lebron from the Texas Rangers – in exchange for international signing bonus slots. The 25-year old Homestead, FL native has pitched one minor league season, split between two levels. While he has no won/loss record, he does have an ERA of 1.31. He’s appeared in ten games and has never surrendered a home run.

The Orioles will hit the road for the first time this spring tomorrow as they head to CenturyLink Sports Park to take on Minnesota. Nate Karns gets the start for the O’s, although at this point Minnesota has not announced a starter. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Update: Jose Berrios will start for Minnesota tomorrow against the O’s.

Baltimore Orioles: Only an exhibition, but in THE WIN COLUMN!

The Brandon Hyde era unofficially began this afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium with the Baltimore Orioles in THE WIN COLUMN! Yefry Ramírez took the ball as a starter, and provided some good results in his limited action on the mound. Ramirez’s line: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K.

Perhaps in an effort to highlight the fact that any of these games are in fact open competitions for jobs, Hyde submitted what almost looked like a travel roster for this game. More of the “regulars” such as Davis and Mancini will be in the lineup tomorrow, but Hyde obviously wanted to see what his younger players were going to do today.

Ramriez looking crisp in the first inning was an immediate good sign, as was the fact that Cedric Mullins drew a walk in the leadoff spot after being behind 0-2 in the count. Once Mullins got on base, he stole second and then took third on an errant throw. As I’ve said many times, things can happen when you get guys on the base paths and put pressure on the pitcher.

Later in that first inning Chance Sisco would smack a three-run home run, giving the O’s an early 3-0 lead. Interestingly this Orioles team was supposed to be more about manufacturing runs than anything else. But Brandon Hyde and company will certainly take homers whenever they come. Ramirez would allow his sole run in the second on a Telis run-scoring ground out. One inning later in the last of the third, the Birds in fact would manufacture a run – on Renato Nunez‘s sac fly-RBI.

Yusniel Diaz, the DH this afternoon, would smack a two-run homer later in that third inning, extending the Birds’ lead to 6-1. Minnesota would score in the seventh when Kranson reached on an error in the seventh, and Rio Ruiz would add a sac fly-RBI in the last of that seventh inning. All in all, you’ll take a 7-2 victory however you can get it, especially in day one of spring games.

As I said, Brandon Hyde obviously wanted to get a look at some younger players today, which is presumably why the aforementioned Davis and Mancini were omitted from the lineup today. We’ll see them tomorrow. However the young guns in today’s game atoned for themselves very well. That makes ultimate decisions tougher on management. And that’s exactly how management wants it.

The Orioles will remain at home in Sarasota tomorrow as the Toronto Blue Jays come in for a visit. David Hess gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Sean Reid-Kelly. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: GAMEDAY in Sarasota

This afternoon the Baltimore Orioles are going to play the biggest baseball game in the history of western civilization. Well, for this year anyways. Note the sarcasm, folks. However no matter how you spin it, this is a day that’s been earmarked in Birdland for some time.

The first spring game is about as meaningless as the final one, but starting today we’re going to start to see what kind of Orioles’ team we’re going to have in 2019. We’re also going to see what kind of manager Brandon Hyde is going to be in games. For what it’s worth, most of Minnesota’s regulars will be staying back in Ft. Myers today, as it’s a split squad day for them. They’ll be taking on Tampa this evening at home – not that too many regulars would have made the trip to Sarasota anyways.)

There are a lot of moving parts, however while the results don’t matter, how the games unfold do. That’ll go a long way towards telling us who’ll be on the roster come Opening Day. And as I’ve said before, when players put on a uniform, they play to win.

Fans can follow me on twitter, @domenicvadala, for in-game updates of today’s game, as well as for every spring game. That of course extends into the regular season also – basically from today until October I’ve got you squared! And of course following every game you can hop on here to Birdland Crush for game recaps and analysis.

So again, Grapefruit League Play begins this afternoon when the Minnesota Twins visit Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. Yefry Ramirez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Chase De Jong. Game time is set for just after 1 PM this afternoon.

Baltimore Orioles: How does the player rotation turn?

The Baltimore Orioles and new manager Brandon Hyde will play their first two spring games at home in Sarasota this weekend. Kind of a sweet way to open the spring slew of games; the first two games being at home, and on a Saturday and Sunday. But then again in baseball there aren’t days per se. Saturday may as well be Tuesday, aside from getaways days and so forth. But forget about that – we’re only in spring training.

But it will be interesting to see how Hyde (a rookie manager) spins his player rotation in these spring games. Usually the regulars will play in the home games, but the road rosters are usually full of what end up being reserves or minor leaguers. Obviously there’s a rule which says you have to bring at least three regulars to each road game, but teams find ways around that.

However what exactly is the Orioles’ starting lineup? I suspect Davis is at first, Mullins in center, Stewart in left, and maybe Sisco or Wynns behind the plate. That aside, might the home games have lineups that look a lot like those of the road games?

The Orioles are a team who can legitimately say that they may not be able to being “regulars” on the road, as they don’t know who the regular players are going to be. The Birds don’t hit the road until Monday afternoon when they head to Fort Myers to play Minnesota. I suspect that we’ll simply see different young players in that game as opposed to what we’ll see this weekend in Sarasota.

However as has been said as hoc, this Grapefruit League “season” is going to have a different feel. In the past the home games have been about guys getting their reps in to get ready for the season. This year we will see some of that – again from the Davis’ of the world perhaps. But for the most part each game (home and road) will be about competition. It’ll be about guys fighting for a job. And on the flip side it’ll be about Brandon Hyde and Mike Elias picking the very best 25 guys to put on the active roster after March 25th (the final spring game).

And for only the first time this spring (because I end up writing this frequently), I’ll remind folks that wins and losses don’t matter. At least in any game between now and March 25th. Sure fans are going to follow the games and root for the Orioles to win – and that’s okay. But a loss in which a guy or two steps up and tries to lay claim to a position, or a loss in which a pitcher retires the side 1-2-3 is much more valuable than a “ho-hum victory.” Now that said, when a player puts on a uniform, make no mistake that he’s playing to win!

Baltimore Orioles: How does the player rotation turn?

The Baltimore Orioles and new manager Brandon Hyde will play their first two spring games at home in Sarasota this weekend. Kind of a sweet way to open the spring slew of games; the first two games being at home, and on a Saturday and Sunday. But then again in baseball there aren’t days per se. Saturday may as well be Tuesday, aside from getaways days and so forth. But forget about that – we’re only in spring training.

But it will be interesting to see how Hyde (a rookie manager) spins his player rotation in these spring games. Usually the regulars will play in the home games, but the road rosters are usually full of what end up being reserves or minor leaguers. Obviously there’s a rule which says you have to bring at least three regulars to each road game, but teams find ways around that.

However what exactly is the Orioles’ starting lineup? I suspect Davis is at first, Mullins in center, Stewart in left, and maybe Sisco or Wynns behind the plate. That aside, might the home games have lineups that look a lot like those of the road games?

The Orioles are a team who can legitimately say that they may not be able to being “regulars” on the road, as they don’t know who the regular players are going to be. The Birds don’t hit the road until Monday afternoon when they head to Fort Myers to play Minnesota. I suspect that we’ll simply see different young players in that game as opposed to what we’ll see this weekend in Sarasota.

However as has been said as hoc, this Grapefruit League “season” is going to have a different feel. In the past the home games have been about guys getting their reps in to get ready for the season. This year we will see some of that – again from the Davis’ of the world perhaps. But for the most part each game (home and road) will be about competition. It’ll be about guys fighting for a job. And on the flip side it’ll be about Brandon Hyde and Mike Elias picking the very best 25 guys to put on the active roster after March 25th (the final spring game).

And for only the first time this spring (because I end up writing this frequently), I’ll remind folks that wins and losses don’t matter. At least in any game between now and March 25th. Sure fans are going to follow the games and root for the Orioles to win – and that’s okay. But a loss in which a guy or two steps up and tries to lay claim to a position, or a loss in which a pitcher retires the side 1-2-3 is much more valuable than a “ho-hum victory.” Now that said, when a player puts on a uniform, make no mistake that he’s playing to win!

Baltimore Orioles sign Jesse Sucre to a minor league deal

The Baltimore Orioles appear poised to throw a veteran into the battle for the starting catcher’s spot. Today they announced that they signed former Tampa catcher Jesse Sucre to a minor league deal. If Sucre makes the club out of spring training, the deal guarantees him $850,000.00. It also grants him a March 22nd opt-out date.

The contract includes an invitation to big league spring training, which usually means that the player will be given an opportunity to compete for a starting position. In six big league seasons, Sucre’s a .223 hitter. However he’s a .996 career fielder behind the plate. The Orioles could use his experience.

Catcher might be one of the big position battles this year in camp. The Orioles still have Austin Wynns and Chance Sisco on the roster, both of whom are rookies. More than anything else, this move tells me that the Orioles aren’t looking to have to young catchers behind the dish in 2019. Both Sisco and Wynns are probably interchangeable, and if Sucre ends up on the roster I suspect that both will see time in the bigs and in triple-A. Time will tell.

On an unrelated note, former Bowie Baysox manager Gary Kendall has been named the manager at Triple-A Norfolk for the Orioles. Kendall’s been a rising star in the organization for some time. Worth keeping an eye on over time as managerial jobs come available.

Baltimore Orioles to start Yefry Ramírez in Grapefruit opener

Baltimore Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde has named a starter for Saturday’s Florida Grapefruit League opener. The starting assignment goes to Yefry Ramírez, a name that shouldn’t be unfamiliar to Orioles’ fans. While he didn’t have much success (pitching to a 5.92 ERA), Ramirez did see action in 2018.

This does not mean that Ramírez is being green lighted to start on Opening Day. You really can’t read too much into these spring starts. All it really means is that Hyde and his staff want to get a look at Ramírez in game action in Saturday’s game. Odds are he’s only slated to pitch two innings – three at most.

Hyde hasn’t committed to a starter past Saturday. The Orioles are home in Sarasota both days this weekend. Saturday of course is against Minnesota at 1 PM. On Sunday they’ll host the Toronto Blue Jays at Ed Smith Stadium at 1 PM. For what it’s worth, tickets remain for both games. Or you could just follow along with my twitter feed, @DomenicVadala, for in-game updates! You can also check back here at Birdland Crush following all spring and regular season games for game recaps and analysis.

The Orioles also announced this week that Boog’s Barbecue will be coming to Ed Smith Stadium during spring training home games this year. The famed Camden Yards BBQ stand will be open in the left field pavilion area, and during all home spring games. In theory this is Boogs’ third location – the first outside of Maryland. The original of course is at Camden Yards, but there’s also a Boog’s stand on the boardwalk in Ocean City. And now Sarasota.