Baltimore Orioles: The people’s pitch

Today is President’s Day, which means I get to pen one of my favorite “annual columns” for the Baltimore Orioles. Just a reminder, the Birds open Grapefruit League play this coming Saturday against Pittsburgh at 1 PM in Sarasota. The game will be shown on MASN.

Baseball has a relationship with the wheels of government unlike any other sport. This is a tip of the cap to its status as “America’s pastime,” due in part to how old the game itself is. But also due to how beloved it is. President Lincoln allegedly made reference to the game of “base” as far back as the 1860’s. However in 1910 President William Howard Taft began what’s become one of the game’s grand traditions when he threw out the first pitch at a game between the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Athletics.

President Taft was a baseball fan. He enjoyed the game, and sportswriters of the day apparently were immediately drawn to him in the wake of this event due to his knowledge of the game. What nobody knew is that he began a tradition with what at the time seemed like an innocent gesture, bordering on a photo op.

Through the early part of the 20th century, almost every President did the honors. Some better than others. Some more willingly than others. President Calvin Coolidge didn’t particularly care for baseball. But his wife, Grace, loved it. Silent Cal went and did the deed. Odds are to keep peace in his home.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt once hit a Washington Post camera with his first pitch one Opening Day. It’s important to note that most of these first pitches took place at Griffith Stadium, home of the Washington Senators. President Wilson however became the first President to do it outside of DC when he did it at the 1915 World Series in Philadelphia.

Several Vice-Presidents also subbed for their boss, starting with Richard Nixon in 1959. Nixon was perhaps the biggest baseball fan (and overall sports fan) who’s ever occupied the White House. President Kennedy did the honors in 1961, his first year as President. He would also open up the new “DC Stadium” on Opening Day with a first pitch, a stadium which still stands (technically…), but is more famously known as RFK Stadium – bearing the name of his slain brother.

Baseball was absent from DC from 1972-2005, and in that span the “Presidential Opener” was at times moved to Baltimore. Memorial Stadium saw the likes of Presidents Carter, Reagan, and Bush do the honors. For the record, it was President Reagan who became the first to throw out the first ball from the mound – previously it was done with the President sitting in the front row.

President Bill Clinton was the last POTUS to do it at Camden Yards. But the park was opened in 1992 with the aforementioned President George Herbert Walker Bush throwing out the first pitch on Opening Day. Bush later appeared on the HTS telecast. I remember Chuck Thompson commenting that the ball was in the dirt. The former Yale first baseman didn’t skip a beat; he said the catcher called for a slider low-and-away, and he felt he executed the pitch perfectly. Well said, Mr. President!

Following the return of baseball to our Nation’s Capital in the form of the Washington Nationals, Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama have done the honors at RFK Stadium and Nationals Park. President Obama is the last sitting President to throw a Presidential opening pitch. (Joe Biden did it at Oriole Park as Vice-President as well.) I can’t speak as to why the tradition has fallen away…

…but I think it should continue. I’m a history buff; I can name the Presidents in order from Washington to Trump, and I can probably tell you an anecdote or two about most of them as well – some more than others of course (some of those early guys were fascinating characters, while the Millard Fillmore’s of the world were fairly drab). Of all the annual recurring columns I write, this one is my favorite. It allows me to combine my love of history and the Presidency with baseball as a whole. And I always end it the same way, in pointing squarely at the current President:

I think the President of the United States should throw out the first ball on Opening Day in Washington DC every year.

Baltimore Orioles: And so it begins…

The curtain on the 2025 Baltimore Orioles inches ever-so-slightly towards raising up today. On this, the twelfth of February in the year of our Lord, 2025, we get to utter perhaps one of the most beautiful phrases in America: pitchers and catchers report today.

It’s just a milestone. The first in quite a few. Make no mistake, the offseason isn’t over yet. And it won’t be over next Saturday afternoon when the Birds begin Grapefruit League play against Pittsburgh at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. But the long march begins towards Opening Day, right now.

Where does this season end for the Orange & Black? That we don’t know. But it all starts on this day in February. So let us begin…

Baltimore Orioles: Super Bowl Sunday

With today being Super Bowl Sunday, it also means that pitchers and catchers will soon be reporting for the Baltimore Orioles. That, and the fact that Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander are gone, is all we know. But I would caution fans into thinking that all is lost.

Tyler O’Neil was a good pickup. And the likes of Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez, Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday, and others still happen to be with the orange & black. Not to mention, there are still some names out there.

But that’s another story for another day. Today’s Super Bowl Sunday, and the Philadelphia Eagles will be taking on the Kansas City Chiefs tonight. On national television. In the Super Bowl.

While the Ravens didn’t make it, mind you that the city of Baltimore has a rich history when it comes to football and championships. The greatest game ever played begins and ends that conversation – the 1958 NFL Championship game. John Unitas drawing the play in the dirt and inventing the two-minute drill. Perhaps similar to what fans have now in Gunnar Henderson and Lamar Jackson, Baltimore fans were spoiled at the same time by the likes of Brooks Robinson and John Unitas.

Unitas of course went onto help the (Baltimore) Colts win Super Bowl V, the first for the city in the Super Bowl era. Baltimore has also seen two Super Bowls of course with the Ravens. Needless to say, some cities would kill for championship pedigree like Baltimore has – including that city to the north which is part of today’s game.

Super Bowl Sunday is also somewhat of a transformational day, as pitchers & catchers report later this week. It’s the end of one sport, and the beginning of another. As much as I personally love football (and I do…), baseball’s a first amongst equals.

It’ll be a hard fought game tonight. But Kansas City wins in the end. That’s my prediction. Call it 41-38 or something like that. Close and high-scoring. Taylor Swift will get MVP honors – interpret as you wish. Enjoy the game!

Baltimore Orioles: Former pitcher Brian Matusz passes away

Late last night the Baltimore Orioles announced that former LHP Brian Matusz passed away yesterday morning. Matusz, 37, was drafted by the Orioles in 2005, rose to the big leagues in 2009, and pitched for the O’s through the 2016 season. He later briefly pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Whatever you thought about Matusz during his tenure in Baltimore, this is tragic. 37 years old. My deepest of condolences to all who knew and loved him.

Baltimore Orioles signing Tyler O’Neill

According to multiple reports, the Baltimore Orioles appear to be signing free agent outfielder Tyler O’Neill. The deal is reportedly for three years, $49.5 million. Again reportedly, there’s an opt-out after the first year. The deal is of course pending a physical.

The preliminary thought of course is that this spells the end for Anthony Santander in Baltimore. That of course isn’t set in stone yet. But it’s easy to see O’Neill and his 31 home runs in 2024 sliding into right field.

Jon Herman of MLB Network reported this first. It’ll be interesting to see how this affects the other holes the team needs to fill. Is this a less-expensive version of Santander, which allows them to look into more pitching options? Time will tell.

Another interesting point is that O’Neill was in Boston this past season, so barring anything else this removes a bat from a division rival. But again pending a physical, it appears that Tyler O’Neill is coming to the Orioles.

Baltimore Orioles’ Anthony Santander wins Silver Slugger

Anthony Santander of the Baltimore Orioles was announced as a Silver Slugger Award winner this evening. Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg were finalists but didn’t win. Santander and his 44 Home Runs in 2024 is a free agent this off season.

No pressure there for Mike Elias and company. Needless to say however, if Santander flies elsewhere, the Orioles know that they’ll need to replace him. And 44 homers aren’t easy to replicate.

Baltimore Orioles: Changes to the coaching staff

The Baltimore Orioles are making two changes to the coaching staff for next year. Two of which we know, that is. Bench coach Fredi Gonzalez and co-hitting coach Ryan Fuller will not be back, this according to multiple sources.

And that’s all we know. Not the circumstances of why they won’t be back. Just that they won’t be back in 2025.

Fuller isn’t necessarily a surprise, given the Orioles’ hitting woes down the stretch. It stood to reason that at least one of the two hitting coaches would cease to be there. Gonzalez on the other hand is a bit of a surprise, given how close he and manager Brandon Hyde are. Having said that, we obviously don’t know the circumstances. This may be his decision, or it might be mutual. He could have another job offer in hand. I guess we’ll find out.

Baltimore Orioles 2024 season recap

Opening Day dawned bright for the Baltimore Orioles in 2024. With the Francis Scott Key Bridge in ruins and community severely hampered as a result, Baltimore needed a pick me up. And they got it that day behind new starter Corbin Burnes; the Orioles bludgeoned the LA Angels, in what they hoped set the tone for the season.

And in many ways it did. The Orioles for starters seemed to beat up on every team they saw. They did it with a lot of homers, but they won games. End of the day, that’s what’s important.

However slowly, injuries are away at the Birds. The likes of Kyle Bradish, John Means, and Tyler Wells – all gone. To Tommy John’s. This isn’t to say however that the season went down the pipes. The 2024 Orioles very much had a next man up sort of mentality. However the issue became what happens when the next man up gets hurt also?

Yet, as I said they did win some big games. True to form they took care of business in the AL East, as well as against eventual playoff teams. They took two-of-three from Philadelphia in June, and three-of-four from Texas. They also had a very successful west coast swing around the 4th of July that put them in a good spot going into the break.

However again, injuries are away. Dean Kremer had to spend some time on the IL, as did a few relievers. Closer Craig Kimbrell also struggled to find the strike zone, blowing numerous saves. Jorge Mateo, Ryan Mountcastle, Ramon Urias, and Jordan Westburg all went to the IL. The latter of that group was out for two months. Mateo missed the rest of the season (after the end of July).

The O’s did struggle at times down the stretch. When they went from all-star Jordan Westburg playing third, to Emmanuel Rivera, you thought they could maybe be in trouble. However the division remained close. While the Orioles couldn’t make it over the hump to win the division, they were able to qualify as the top wild card in the playoffs.

And as we know, the Birds were swept out of the postseason by Kansas City. As had happened several times over the course of the season, Oriole bats went silent. The pitching however was about as solid as solid can be. Which is all but pointless, given that they only put up one run in two games. But it was strong.

Where do the Orioles go from here? It’s pointless to wonder what happened, or think it can be fixed overnight. It’s equally as pointless to think there’s a quick fix. Injuries played a role for sure, however with the exception of pitchers the O’s were fairly healthy going into the playoffs.

I would simply tell fans not to lose faith. Look down the road to the Washington Capitals of the NHL. It took them years of having a championship-caliber team before the final made it over the hump. It’s tough to get to that point – the postseason. It’s even tougher to stay there.

This off season is huge for the organization. They’re going to want to keep the likes of Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander, the latter of which hit over 40 homers this year. Both are free agents. The O’s can’t afford to lose them.

They also need to add to the roster they have. The fact that they have Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, and others is great. But they need more. If Adley Rutschman can come out of his second half slump going into 2025, that’ll put a lot of things to rest.

The story of this season is that injuries took their toll. However hope springs eternal in a few short months. Overall, you’d be hard-pressed to argue that it was a terrible year for the Orioles. They thought it would end differently and in a more prominent manner, yes. But February, Sarasota…hope springs eternal.

Baltimore Orioles: The day after

The Baltimore Orioles expected to be playing past today. That goes without saying. However the 2024 season has now ended. In a few months hope will spring eternal again.

The overall story of the season will probably be that it was riddled with injuries. The ironic part of that is that at the tail end of the regular season they got people back in the field (and at the plate), and the pitching staff remained decimated by injuries. Three guys having had Tommy John’s and all…

…yet you’d be hard-pressed to say that Oriole pitching let them down in the playoffs, the bats on the other hand…there’s almost an element of not making any sense in that. Especially given that Oriole bats were strong as soon as they started getting people back. New York and Minnesota would attest to that.

I don’t think anyone outside of that clubhouse is qualified to say what happened or why. Teams go through peaks and valleys throughout the season, and the Orioles saw both over the course of the regular season. Remember that folks – BOTH. While the valleys always ring lower than the peaks seem to reach, there were plenty of games where this offense battered pitching staffs. Including both the first and final series’ of the regular season.

It’s unfair to speculate on what, if anything, changes in the off season. This regarding the coaching staff or anything else. Obviously there needs to be some sort of urgency in the sense that Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander will be free agents. Most of the time teams don’t sign guys during the playoffs, but you never know.

And on that note we don’t know how the current ownership will do things. This is the first off season they’ve been at the helm. So it’s pointless to say that historical data says both players are elsewhere next year – because there is no historical data in a sense. David Rubenstein’s group took over stewardship of the franchise the day before Opening Day. The roster was already set.

But there’s time to look at that aspect of things. Needless to say, the O’s can ill afford to lose either. End of the day, the O’s need to figure out what went wrong, fix it, and move onward into 2025. Easier said than done.

Baltimore Orioles: Zanily eliminated

With today’s 2-1 loss to Kansas City at Camden Yards, the Baltimore Orioles were eliminated from the postseason, ending their 2024 season. It was another game of inches, and one that was there for the taking. Starter Zach Eflin probably would have gone deeper had this not been a postseason game. Eflin’s line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

The lone run surrendered by Eflin came in the first inning on an RBI-single by Pasquantino. And that came following a double and a groundout. That’s how Kansas City plays.

Despite pitching fairly strong, Eflin was pulled after four innings. I found that curious, as Eflin seemed like he was shutting them down after a giving up the one run. But the fact is you have to manage postseason games differently than you do regular season ones. Brandon Hyde made the decisions he did, and for his own reasons.

And say what you will, but somehow that did spark something in the Birds – sort of. Kansas City did load the bases in the fifth following Eflin’s departure. But the Oriole bullpen pitched out of it, with Jacob Webb recording a strikeout for the final out. A few pitches into the last of the fifth, it was tied due to a Cedric Mullins solo homer.

The O’s would load the bases later in the inning with nobody down. Not only did they look to take the lead, but they were poised for a big inning. However Anthony Santander popped out softly on the infield, and Colton Cowser struck out – technically.

I say that, because he was hit on the hand. With the bases loaded. However in getting out of the way, he swung the bat. Strike three. Adley Rutschman would ground out to end the inning.

The Cowser strikeout was especially tough to fathom. Cowser was later lifted from the game. Unfortunately if you swing, it’s a strike. Even if it hits you also.

Detroit would put two on in the sixth; one on an infield hit that was legged out, and a second on an infield hit resulting from a Baltimore chop. The irony. Witt’s subsequent RBI-single gave Kansas City a 2-1 lead.

Maybe it’s fitting the game turned out that way. What should and could have been an RBI-HBP ends up a strikeout. And two infield hits which otherwise would have probably resulted in outs put the opponent in a position to win. There are a million things that could be said about this game and this season. And I suspect it will be. But it’ll have to wait.

I’ll leave it at this; the O’s won 91 games this year. That can’t be discounted, and it can’t be forgotten. That, along with the low moments are part of the overall season story. You’re hard-pressed to say a team that won 91 games underachieved. Especially with the injuries they had. But needless to say, many will.

End of the day, you win with class and lose with dignity. This team did both of those things. Always. Everyday. That should mean something. Most will say it won’t. But to the true blue fans of this franchise, it does. Make no mistake, the O’s made the playoffs for a reason. And they will do so again.