Baltimore Orioles: The ever-changing industry of sports

The Baltimore Orioles do a great job in my view with what’s now called the gameday experience. I’ve never met one person who’s attended a game at Camden Yards that’s come away saying that the Orioles really need to step up their game in terms of how the game is presented to the fans. And fortunately or unfortunately, in many cases that presentation is the game these days.

I say that because it used to be that people came to the ballpark to see the game itself. While in many cases that’s still true, it seems that people sometimes need an incentive here and there. How often do you find yourself looking at the promotional schedule so as to try to get to the park the day of a big giveaway?

At the end of the day, that’s part of the business of sports nowadays. As a purist in most sports, I feel like it would almost be refreshing to attend a game where the game was literally the attraction. No crab shuffle, no kiss cam, etc. Just a scoreboard filled with statistics for fans to read and analyze in between innings. To me, that’s how baseball should be.

But luckily for Orioles fans, I’m not in charge of that. I recognize that I’m in the minority on this, and a bare-bones presentation like that would probably drive fans away. And I also understand that teams are constantly looking for new ways to keep fans engaged throughout the game…

…over the weekend I attended a basketball game at George Mason University down in Fairfax, VA. Now as a Maryland fan I was there purely as a spectator with no real rooting interest. However while I’d prefer that not every timeout have a sponsorand so forth, I also recognize that it’s a revenue-generator. Furthermore perhaps it’s that revenue which allows the school to throw free t-shirts into the stands whenever the team hits a three-point shot and so forth.

Here’s one nice touch that you’ll never see at an MLB game or a professional sporting event at all: the game program was free. When I was a kid I’d buy a program at every game I attended. I have fond memories of gleefully reading the Washington Bullets’ game program from cover-to-cover the day after attending a game. Unfortunately for today’s youth, game programs are obsolete. And while the game program from the game I attended was small and short as compared to what I’m used to, I thought it was a nice touch to give it away for free.

Again, you’ll never see that at a professional game. In fact, the Washington Wizards don’t even sell game programs any longer. The fact that the Orioles still print one up and sell it means that people still buy them. However giving it away for free was a nice touch.

The fact is that sports is now entertainment in a way. Perhaps it always has been for all I know. So if you aren’t doing things such as shooting t-shirts into the stands, the crab shuffle, etc., people aren’t going to pay attention. In some circles is that sad? Yes, perhaps. But if the idea is to keep people in the stands, you have to do what you have to do.

Baltimore Orioles: Arbitration is a waste of time

The Baltimore Orioles currently have three players with whom they haven’t reached agreement on a salary for 2017: Kevin Gausman, Brad Brach, and Caleb Joseph. The club and each player will set a date and time for an arbitration hearing at some point in the near future. Those hearings will in theory occur prior to the beginning of Grapefruit League play.

I say in theory, because in general the parties come to an agreement before the hearing. If that happens, the hearing is canceled. There are times that’s happened literally the morning of the arbitration hearing itself – it’s an ongoing process.

However I think it’s one that needs to stop. This is one area where sports such as the NFL do things much more efficiently than they’re done in MLB. I get the whole point of the big league clock starting on a player once he comes up from the minors and so forth – which is part of why arbitration exists. However can we not all agree that it’s a fruitless process?

In saying that, I’m suggesting that it causes unnecessary ill will at times. Think about it; the player of course goes to arbitration to argue that he’s worth the salary he’s proposing he should make. The team however is going there to argue against that view. Basically, they’re saying this guy isn’t all he’s cracked up to be.

So again, could that not cause ill will down the line? Let’s say you as the team win your arbitration hearing, which incidentally is how it usually goes across the board – especially with the Orioles. When it comes time to re-sign that player as his rookie contract is expiring, he may well remember that the team didn’t think he was all that. So maybe the cash didn’t flow at that time, but in order to keep that player it may have to do so down the line.

Would both teams and players not be better served by srapping that entire system and just signing contracts worth x-amount of dollars for x-number of years? Yes, that sounds very simplistic, and for the most part I’m not the most simplistic of guys. However in this case I think that would work better.

To say the least, it would take a bit of money out of the pockets of agents and lawyers. But hey, what do I know?! As I said, I expect these three Orioles to be signed well before their arbitration hearings. They’ll be on the team, it’s just unclear how much they’ll be making.

Baltimore Orioles: First month will be telling

The Baltimore Orioles and the rest of Major League Baseball operate on a schedule that’s heavy with division games at the beginning and end of the season. That’s why of late, teams have had the opportunity to come back and win divisions late in the year. Previously they would have been out, however having a division game-heavy slate in September gives teams opportunitites.

Throughout the month of April, the Orioles play against AL East teams for all but three games. (An interleague series in Cincinnatti.) They say that you can’t win a division in April; but you certainly can lose one. That will be true again this year.

I tell people all the time that the goals of an MLB season should come in phases. First off the goal should be to come out of spring training with no serious injuries. Then the goal should be to be competitive through the first half. At that point you can set your sights on either selling or getting into the post season. After that, it’s advancing in the playoffs – at which point you set your sights on the World Series.

Hand-in-hand with getting into the post season is winning the division. As the O’s found out last year, you really do want to do everything in your power to stay out of that Wild Card Game. And the first month of the season might well dictate if the Orioles are able to have a shot at doing that.

When you play a slate of games that heavy in your division, there will be some things that are figured out early. How will Oriole pitching stack up against AL East bats? Are the NY Yankees for real coming out of last season? Will Toronto fair with their new lineup?

Mind you, the post season picture won’t magically come forward on May 1st. However the first month of the season will give us an idea of whether or not the Birds might stand a chance in the American League East of 2017.

Baltimore Orioles shore up two of their own

The Baltimore Orioles avoided arbitration yesterday with both Ryan Flaherty and T.J. McFarland. Flaherty signed on for 2017 with a salary of $1.8 million, and McFarland for $685,500. The Orioles of course have several other notable players elgible for arbitration, however these are two who’s deals are done.

Speaking for myself, I think that these are both fair salaries for these players – especially Flaherty, who made $1.5 million last year. Ironically both players are former Rule 5 picks. While it’s a running joke across the league that the Orioles always utilize the Rule 5 draft, if you’re a player chosen by the Orioles in that fashion you also know at this point that you’re going to be given much more than a fighting chance.

Flaherty of course was chosen in the 2011 Rule 5 draft, and began with the Orioles in 2012. He was a fan favorite from day one, mainly because he was a jack of all trades in a sense. He’s an infielder by trade, but he can play the outfield, and even pitch and catch if necessary.

McFarland of course is a big part of the Orioles’ bullpen, which is one of their biggest strengths. He’s a good long man to say the least, and he’s helped the Orioles out in some tough spots to say the least over time. Needless to say, both of these players were smart to sign. The Orioles haven’t lost an arbitration hearing in over 20 years!

Baltimore Orioles: Matt Wieters is still out there

With all of the emphasis on Trumbo, it’s worth mentioning that now former Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters is still out on the free agent market as well. Wieters of course came up with the Orioles in 2009, and has been on the team ever since. He signed a qualifying offer to stay with the O’s last off season…

…but this year the team didn’t slap one on him. So he’s out there to be signed without any strings attached. I do find it interesting that he’s still out there. What gives?

If I were a team looking for a starting catcher, Wieters would be tops on my list. To make him even more attractive, as I said there are no strings attached. So why aren’t teams rushing to sign Wieters?

Probably for the same reason the Orioles are waiting on certain players: money. If you have a reasonable expectation that the player will still be out there and that you can wait until even as late as February, why give that player big money when you can avoid it? To me, that’s good business sense.

So the question is whether or not the O’s could still bring Wieters back if they so desired. And the answer to that is yes. We all know that the O’s are a better team with Matt Wieters as opposed to without him. Welington Castillo and Wieters could easily share catching duties, with Wieters DHing a bit as well. So where does that leave Caleb Joseph?

If this scenario were to come to pass (which I don’t believe that it will), Joseph might well be very valuable to the Orioles on the trade market. Could the Orioles not potentially re-stock their farm system in a piecemeal manner by unloading a player of Joseph’s caliber? I suspect that he would yield the Birds a prospect or two.

I’m not saying that this will happen, or that it needs to. However with Wieters still out there, the Orioles would be foolish not to consider it. They’ve obviously moved on from Wieters with the acquisition of Castillo, however that’s not to say they should turn him away if he falls back into their laps.

You always use the resources that you’re given, and if they have an opportunity to get Wieters back they should do so. If that means trading Joseph, a fan favorite, so be it. As I said, they’d probably net themselves a prospect or two.

Baltimore Orioles: Jose Bautista still lurks out there

I know what you might be thinking; how many times can we talk about the Baltimore Orioles and Jose Bautista?! And the answer to that is simple; as long as he remains on the free agent market. And I’ll be honest in that I’m surprised that Bautista’s still out there.

In saying that, it would have stood to reason to me that Toronto would have taken him back somehow by now. But obviously they’re as caught up on price as the Orioles can be. (Funny, they didn’t view things that way when trying to undercut Dan Duquette away from the O’s a few years ago.) But again, I would have thought that Bautista’s potential would have meant someone would have signed him by now.

Are his antics really that unpopular? I suspect that they are, although most teams might consider taking a chance on him if he’ll help their team. But I’m on record as saying that at some point Bautista’s the type of guy who’s going to get one of his teammates injured. You show us up, and we throw either at you or at your teammate. That’s part of baseball.

But again, are the Orioles being foolish in dodging a potential deal with Bautista? Many people complained that Dan Duquette put that on the fans, saying that Bautista’s unpopular. The fact is that he’s unpopular league-wide. The Orioles were just the only one willing to say it.

So would fans want someone that they previously loathed that might better the team? First off, I don’t think Bautista’s capable of putting up Trumbo-like numbers. He’s also had some injury problems the past couple of years. Combine that with the fact that he and his antics are unpopular, and that makes him tough to sign. Whether you’re the Orioles or someone else.

There’s a school of thought out there which states that the O’s should put all other things aside in signing guys like Bautista. And while that may be a valid point, sometimes I wonder if people don’t understand that stability and peace in the clubhouse is part of what allows the “Buck-O’s” to succeed. Bautista would threaten that – his mere presence.

Time will tell, but I am still surprised that he’s still out there. Someone will sign him, but probably for much less and much shorter than he wants. But he’ll only have himself and his attitude at times to blame.

Baltimore Orioles: As the offseason turns

The Baltimore Orioles began a week-long mini-camp down at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota yesterday. This is a time-honored tradition for the Orioles, who get various players together every January. I suspect it helps guys hone their skills as we move towards spring training.

It also helps new players break into their new roles with the Orioles. Keep in mind that their first impression of the organization will be roughly two weeks of workouts and drills, followed by a month’s worth of spring training games. Familiarizing oneself to the facilities is always a good idea.

And it also helps to begin the process of getting the rust off a bit early.  Practice makes perfect, right?! This event is normally a bit closer to Orioles’ FanFest, which of course will be held on Friday January 28th at the Baltimore Convention Center. But this year this was when it wa scheduled to be held. And the Orioles are lucky that’s the case, incidentally. The MLBPA was slow in approving their members to do this.

Incidentally, this is the last full month before games begin. The Orioles are scheduled to begin Grapefruit League play on Friday February 24th in Lakeland against Detroit. Their home opener is on Sunday February 26th against Pittsburgh at Ed Smith Stadium.

Baltimore Orioles: The smoke in mirrors tactic

Contrary to what you might have heard of late and what resurfaced again over the weekend, the Baltimore Orioles aren’t walking away from the table regarding Mark Trumbo. That much I know. As is the case in all business deals, you have to let your counterparts know that you’re willing to walk away.

The Orioles did this with Davi last year, and it worked. Some will argue tht the Birds still overpaid for him, and maybe they did. But he’s still an Oriole, and I’d hardly call it a gross overpay. Nevertheless, I gaurantee you that they aren’t “done” per se with Mark Trumbo. The lines of communication are still open.

But one might also argue that this tactic of walking away being smoke in mirrors is very risky. It’s very much an old school business ploy, and one with which i personally agree if we’re being honest. And that’s really a key word – honesty. A lot of people would submit that it’s bordering on dishonest to pretend to walk away but to not really do so.

So the risk of course is that Trumbo’s agent and perhaps another team decide to take the Orioles simply at their word. Since the offer’s off the table, there’s no reason to keep the Orioles involved, right? Someone else could swoop in and make an offer only slightly better than that of the Orioles. Since at this point Trumbo has to wonder where and when he’s going to get a deal, he may well decide to take it. And again, since the Orioles claimed they were away from the table, would the agent still call them and ask them to match the offer?

It’s almost like a game of chicken in a way. Obviously the Birds are starting to grow tired of some of Trumbo’s agent’s ploys, however they certainly don’t want to lose a chance to get Trumbo back because of  what some might call shady tactics.

Mind you, I’m not saying the tactic is shady. However some naive folks who can’t see the difference between smart and shady would think differently. Again, trust me folks; at the end of the day, the Orioles very much want Trumbo back. They just don’t like his salary requirements, and they want Trumbo to think they’re done. Again, it’s like a game of chicken.

Baltimore Orioles: Winter Classic at Camden Yards?

As we wait for the Baltimore Orioles to make more news worthy to report, we sit through the winter doldrums. Sports can sometimes present very unique and interesting opportunities, one of which I think is the NHL’s Winter Classic. Every New Year’s Day the NHL partners with a stadium (usually an MLB ballpark) to host an outdoor hockey game that airs on national television.

A few years ago they held the event at Nationals Park in DC, with the Washington Capitals of course being the home team. Anyone who watched the game that day saw an impressive television production, great visuals of the park and city, and a great game at that. I almost bought tickets myself, but I’m not a cold weather person!

That aside, I think the NHL should consider perhaps adding a twist to this tradition, and maybe consider using ballparks out of NHL markets – yes folks, specifically Camden Yards! Baltimore is definitely a “shadow market” for the Capitals, as well as the Washington Wizards (who originally were the Baltimore Bullets, and even played a preseason game in Baltimore a few years ago). People in Baltimore seem to really embrace the Capitals, and I often see Capitals’ merchandise around town.

So would it not be a cool idea to have a Winter Classic in “the ballpark that forever changed baseball?” Given that Baltimore doesn’t have an NHL team, you could have a game between the Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers, as Baltimore is in between those cities (obviously closer to Washington). And in fact you could use other markets in the same manner; maybe a Kings vs. Sharks game in Seattle, or a Panthers vs. Lightning game in Atlanta?

Just an idea, folks! One of the cooler aspects of these games is that they try to adapt time honored traditions in these ballparks to hockey. When the game was in DC they held a President’s Race just as the Nationals do at their home games. A few years ago when the game was held at Wrigley Field they sang Take Me Out To The Hockey Game during the second intermission. So…could we not see the singing of Thank God I’m a Country Boy during this game?!

It would give the city of Baltimore some exposure, as well as Camden Yards. Furthermore it would give the fans of Baltimore a chance to see the Capitals live in the city and outdoors. Odds of it happening?…probably none!

Baltimore Orioles trade Gallardo for Seth Smith

If you had the Baltimore Orioles tradining for outfielder Seth Smith, YOU WON!!! The Birds yesterday traded Yovani Gallardo to Seattle for the veteran outfielder. Gallardo and cash considerations, to be exact.

Smith is your run-of-the-mill journeyman utilityman, who’s been with several different teams. He’s a career .261 hitter who averages 16 home runs per year. That’s hardly going to jump off the page and hit anyone. However he’s also getting on base at a .344 clip for his career, which is something that the Orioles have been trying to hock for some time.

Odds are Smith will slide into the role of right fielder, and perhaps a bit in left. Again, Smith isn’t going to set any team records or help the team to pack the yard – per se. But if he can get himself on base and play solid defense, he might help them as much as anyone else.

This also gets Yovani Gallardo off the roster, and trading one salary for the other will save the Birds approximately $4 million. Not a heck of a lot, but there are some savings in there. Many fans of course won’t be sad to see Gallardo leave the team, as he disappointed last year after signing on February 25th. Me I give him a bit of a pass given his injury history; however it’s also worth mentioning that he’s going to a pitcher’s paradise in Seattle. It’s possible he’ll faire better.

And with that, the O’s have traded with the Seattle Mariners again. One would think that they wouldn’t want to trade with the Orioles again after being fleeced so many times. But the price was right, and apparently both teams filled a need. Executive VP Dan Duquette on Smith (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports:

Seth Smith is a veteran leader, good on-base man a proven hitter. We look forward to his contributions to the 2017 Orioles.

This also opens up a rotation spot, perhaps for the likes or Wright, Wilson, Bundy, or someone else not on the roster. The Orioles are still looking to fill holes in that regard. I wouldn’t expect the back half of the hot stove season to be quite as slow as the first part was.