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.

Baltimore Orioles to host Autism Awareness Day

The Baltimore Orioles announced last week that they’ll be hosting Autism Awareness Day at Camden Yards when they host the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, April 23rd at 1:35 PM. Discounted tickets are available at the link I provided above, and $5 of every ticket sold will benefit Autism Speaks. Incidentally, Autism Speaks will also be participating in the first pitch ceremony that afternoon.

Rarely to I get personal in this column because folks don’t come here to read about my personal life. However this is a cause near and dear to my heart. Autism is in my family, and it’s a cause for which I feel very strongly should get as much funding from government agencies as possible. And quite often when I make my voting decisions in November, I look at candidates’ views on funding for issues such as this.

So on behalf of my own family, I sincerely appreciate the Orioles bringing awareness to autism. I would submit that at this point it’s something that’s already well known in the public eye, however there can never be enough awareness or funding for research for something along these lines. Every little bit helps.

Incidentally it’s also something that’s touched the extended Orioles’ family. Hall of Famer Jim Palmer has a stepson who’s autistic, and former Oriole B.J. Surhoff has a son with autism. So the Orioles perhaps more than any other franchise recognize the impact that this has on families.

So nevertheless, if you come to the game on April 23rd, know that part of your ticket will go to autism research. And on behalf of my own family, thank you.

Baltimore Orioles: J.J. Hardy sidelined with back spasms

The Baltimore Orioles are already beginning to see some injury issues this spring, as it was revealed that J.J. Hardy is suffering from back spasms. This is something that’s plagued Hardy in the past, and he has missed time because of it. It seems to pop up either in spring or early in the regular season at times, most recently in 2014.

This is obviously a concern for an Orioles team that relies heavily on strong infield defense. However the good news for the Birds is that they have guys like Ryan Flaherty who can step right in and odds are not miss a beat. The O’s are expecting Hardy to resume baseball activities in early March. Furthermore, the expectation is that he can start playing in games perhaps by March 10th.

In the mean time, you knew the Orioles’ streak of wins in arbitration hearings was going to eventually come to an end. The Orioles had offered reliever Brad Brach $2.25 million, and he wanted $3.05 million. The arbitrators ruled in Brach’s favor, giving the Orioles only their second arbitration loss since Peter Angelos assumed ownership of the club. Some might argue that this shows Angelos to be cheap and obviously a good litigator. However the flip side is that perhaps the O’s under Angelos have simply been spot on when it comes to how much players are worth.

I myself was a bit shocked at the news given the Orioles’ track record. And I’ll be honest…in this situation I kind of sided with Brach. Anyone who watched the O’s last year should know how valuable he was to them. In many other cases it was almost laughable when players would go to arbitration with the Orioles, given their track record and the player’s production the previous year. But in this case my personal view was that Brach had a legitimate case. And the arbitrators felt the same way.

Baltimore Orioles: one week until games

One week from today, the Baltimore Orioles will take the field in Lakeland against the Detroit Tigers. It’s unclear who will be in the lineup and for how long, but Orioles baseball will be played. That’s a fact!

This is an interesting time of year because a lot of things are happening. This is NBA all-star game weekend, and the college basketball season is making it’s stretch run. Yet one week from today Spring Training games begin.

The O’s of course won’t open at home in Sarasota until Sunday the 26th. However as I said, they’ll be playing before then. Box scores with BALTIMORE ORIOLES will exist. And that’s a good thing!

Baltimore Orioles: Is Kevin Gausman the man of the hour?

With Tillman apparently sidelined, it seems natural to say that Kevin Gausman will be the Baltimore Orioles’ Opening Day starter. Again folks, I’m saying it seems natural to say that. In essence I’m looking into the future and reading tea leaves. Nothing has been decided yet.

Tillman’s said on numerous occasions that Opening Day is just one start. In essence, once you’ve gone through the rotation once or so, does it really matter who started when? However there is some prestige that comes with getting that nod. I suspect that Tillman will still be viewed as the staff ace either way. But if Gausman gets the start against Toronto that means he’s definitely on the way up.

It’s also interesting to point out that the Orioles are actually still in the market for another starter – possibly. And we know that Dan Dquuette has a track record of finding starting pitchers during camp. So the fact is that we just don’t know what’s going to happen.

However the early odds appear to be with Gausman to get the nod on Opening Day. Incidentally the Orioles have a pretty good track record of winning their Opening Day game, whether it’s at home or on the road. By my count the last time they lost was 2010 when Toronto beat them.

So if it is Kevin Gausman and history means anything, odds are he puts the Orioles in a position to win. And that’s all you can ask of a starter in a regular season game.