Baltimore Orioles: Gunnar Henderson wins AL Rookie of the Year

The Baltimore Orioles have an American League Rookie of the Year for the first time since 1989. That being Gunnar Henderson. The last one being RHP Gregg Olson.

The Orioles’ infielder received all thirty first-place votes cast by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Henderson is also the first unanimous winner since 2020, when Seattles Kyle Lewis won the honor.

Make no mistake, Henderson’s selection was merely a formality. It was a foregone conclusion that he would take home this honor. Nobody else in the AL even came close to being in the same hemisphere as Henderson.

He was also named the Most Valuable Oriole for 2023, ranking first in home runs amongst AL rookies (28), triples (9), and runs scored (100). He also took home the AL’s Silver Slugger Award.

Baltimore Orioles: Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman win Silver Sluggers

The Baltimore Orioles have taken home at least one award this year. Well, maybe more like two. This evening it was announced that Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman had won 2023 AL Silver Slugger awards.

Anthony Santander was also a finalist, but fell short. Rutschman had the highest BA and OPS amongst all finalists at catcher. Henderson won it as a utility player, narrowly beating out Tampams Issac Paredes.

These are expected to be the first of many awards for Oriole players this year. They may have fallen short of the ultimate goal, but it illustrates once again that the future is bright.

Baltimore Orioles: “Timing” sends Texas to the Fall Classic

Baltimore Orioles fans are probably asking themselves what Texas had that the Birds didn’t in the wake of Texas winning the ALCS. I know I am. And I’m coming up with one thing: timing.

The Orioles were the best team in the American League down the stretch. So much was made of Tampa starting the season 13-0 – which no matter how you spin it was impressive. But from start to finish of the regular season, there can be no argument about that. So needless to say, the Orioles were a good team, and they were always going to be part of the conversation.

However from October 1st onward, Texas was the best team. Remember, the regular season ended on October 1st. The O’s fell to Boston that day in a game that was treated as the final spring training game. Was that a mistake on the Orioles’ part – not going full throttle? I don’t think so; Texas also lost that day, for the record.

However that aside, the best way to describe what we’ve seen from Texas is simply “timing.” Tampa hit their peak early in the season. Heck, people were crowning them in April. They were still a good team down the stretch, but they hit their peak very early. The Orioles? I think you could argue that their peak was from late June through August.

And there are false flags in a sense all over the place. One could argue that Texas themselves are a false flag in that they let Houston overtake them in their division late in the season. But they’re hitting their peak now. And the team that hits their peak last is often going to be a champion.

Which brings it back to timing. Keep in mind, sports in general are like this. Look at basketball; as many good teams there are out there and as close as competition is, a lot of games are going to be close. (That’s true in every sport.) Basketball is a game of “runs,” and thus a game of managing runs – both good and bad. When the opponent goes on a run, a coach has to know when to burn a timeout (and when not to) to stem the tide. But the team who goes on a run last is generally who’s going to win.

So do you chalk it up to…luck? I’m not sure that’s the best way to put it. I’m not sure that’s fair to Texas. Just as the Orioles didn’t “get lucky” in winning 100 games for the first time since 1980, Texas didn’t get to the World Series by getting lucky. You don’t get into the playoffs with smoke in mirrors.

However people do grasp for answers to questions like this. So here’s as good of one as any; make no mistake, Brandon Hyde was outstanding for the Orioles down the stretch. If he’s not the Manager of the Year…let’s just call that a would-be travesty. But he managed in his first ever postseason games this year (against Texas). This as opposed to Bruce Bochy, who’s now going to his fifth World Series.

I still say timing matters. But so does experience. Make no mistake, the current core of Orioles will get to the point to where they’re the experienced ones. It will happen. We’ll just have to wait a little bit longer. And with that said, doesn’t that make the final prize just a little sweeter to taste?!

Baltimore Orioles: 2023 season recap

Brandoh Hyde’s Baltimore Orioles found themselves in frigid Boston for Opening Day, and they began the season dropping two-of-three to the BoSox. But they quickly rebounded and took two-of-three from Texas. And that was a harbinger for the season; never count this team out when they’re down.

The only other series they lost in April was the first home series of the year against New York. But other than that they were off to the races. They would have been leading the AL East the whole time, if not for Tampa starting out by winning their first 13 games. But needless to say, the O’s were in the hunt.

One of the knocks on the 2023 Orioles was the fact that they never really seemed to blow people out. However in turn, they weren’t blown out themselves very often. They won a lot of close games, which is a valuable skill to have. Much of that was due to closer Felix Bautista, who was shut down in the ninth inning of games.

However the likes Ryan Mountcastle, Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins, Adley Rutschman, and of course Gunnar Henderson played a role as well. Gunnar Henderson stands to be the rookie of the year this season, after perhaps one of the finest rookie seasons in history.

The Birds were dealt a blow on Memorial Day when Ryan Mountcastle injured himself and was forced to miss significant time. However good teams have a next man up philosophy, and the Orioles were no exception. The Front Office almost immediately signed OFer Aaron Hicks, who had just been DFA’d by New York. He was a veteran who knew how to play on winning teams. And he brought that presence to the Orioles and the clubhouse.

The Orioles had great veteran leadership this year. Another guy who made a huge difference was backup catcher James McCann, who was acquired via trade from the New York Mets before the season. On the pitching side Kyle Gibson was a steadying force in the rotation and on the pitching staff. While the likes of Rutschman and Henderson were the big time team leaders, you still have to have solid veteran leadership – and the Birds had that in 2023.

As time went on however, Tampa started to fade back a bit. This while the Orioles remained strong. The Birds took over first place in the AL East in late July. And while it was still neck-and-neck for the rest of the season, the Orioles never relinquished it back to Tampa. Down the stretch in July and August they played some of their best baseball. And in doing so they quickly captured the hearts and minds of Baltimore. Attendance blossomed at Camden Yards, and excitement was palpable around the city.

There were various points where things could have come unraveled. A mid-September series with Tampa at Camden Yards was one of them. Tampa took the first two games, and in doing so actually tied the Orioles for first place in the division. However the Birds took the final two games, the last of which was an 11-inning instant classic that went back-and-forth. Just prior to the O’s walking it off, Cleveland finished off Texas, clinching a playoff birth for the Birds.

What ensued after the Orioles game ended was a celebration that might never be forgotten. It was a moment in time that saw the players celebrating on the field, and the fans in the stands. After that, the team went out on the road. They eventually clinched the division in late September, and earned the top spot in the American League playoffs.

However the celebration after clinching a playoff birth and the subsequent celebration after clinching the division were the high points of the season. The Birds were stunningly swept in the ALDS by Texas. I’m not sure that series is something that’s understandable at this point. The O’s had momentum going into the playoffs, but in an instant that momentum went to Texas. Who now goes onto the ALCS.

It’s a strange twist of fate that across baseball, only one non-Wild Card team (Houston) is in the LCS round. The Orioles and the Atlanta Braves were the two best teams in baseball in the regular season, but they’re both home watching with the rest of us. Sometimes the “baseball God’s” surprise us.

Did the almost week-long layoff hurt the Birds? I say no. Because first off they needed that rest. However I think they just ran into a hot team, that being Texas. As I said above, the O’s played some of their best baseball in July and August. Texas started playing their best literally in October.

In a sense, the O’s peaked too early. And that can happen. But it takes nothing away from perhaps the most magical season in many of our lifetime’s. You don’t win 101 games and have people say that was a fluke. The lasting image of 2023 should be the celebrations on the field after clinching the postseason and division title. The legacy of this 2023 team will be it’s tenacity and the will to win. The 2023 Orioles will forever be a success story. And time won’t ever dim the glory of their deeds.

Baltimore Orioles: The Afterglow

A week ago I’m not sure anyone would have believed that the Baltimore Orioles would have gone “three-and-out” in the playoffs. A lot of people, myself included, were expecting a much deeper run. Was it a lack of experience at this level? Maybe. Consider that Brandon Hyde was managing in his first postseason games, just as many players were playing in their first postseason games. Texas’ Bruce Bochy is seasoned in the playoffs.

Having said that, the 2023 Orioles were supposed to win 76 games. Fans would have jumped at that after 100 losses in 2021. But after last year where they won 83, that wouldn’t have sounded so hot.

Instead, this team surged to 101 wins, and won the AL East. And it was a magical run at that. I would hope that fans would remember what it took to get to this point, this as opposed to how quickly it ended.

Think back to the second game of the season when Ryan McKenna dropped a pop fly in left field that cost the Orioles a game at Fenway. At the moment that game ended, would you have believed it had I told you the O’s were going to win 100 games? Probably not.

And that’s just one moment in time during the season. People will find irony in the fact that this team got swept in the playoffs, but the whole “haven’t been swept since May of 2022” is incredibly meaningful. (And for the record, that streak doesn’t include the postseason, so it’s still in tact.) It shows the grit in this team. And it shows the closeness of the clubhouse.

I’ll do a formal season recap in the near future. But for today I hope that the fans consider what it took to get to this point, and the memories made along the way. This as opposed to how quickly it ended.

No, the 2023 Orioles weren’t a fluke. Just ask the rest of the division. Ask every team (including Texas) in the league who had to play them this year. Consider all of this when Rawlings hands out it’s litany of awards next month, and how many Orioles are named.

I get it, this stings for fans. And for the guys on the team. But it takes nothing away from what this team did this season. 101 wins and a division title is no fluke. Granted we know that there’s no guarantee that this team returns to this level next year. I suspect that they will, but nothing’s guaranteed except death and taxes. But remember, this is a team who had to win 100 games just to win their division. They were light years ahead of every other team in every other division – including Texas. That’s experience that’ll serve them well in the future.

Baltimore Orioles fall to Texas, season ends

It wasn’t meant to be for the 2023 Baltimore Orioles. And it wasn’t meant to be for Dean Kremer tonight. Make no mistake that the 2023 season was magical and it will always mean a lot to the fans who experienced it. But it ended with nary a whimper, and it left many people unfulfilled this evening in Arlington, TX. Kremer’s line: 1.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 0 K.

Kremer gave up a solo homer to Seager in the first inning. However with two outs and two runners in scoring position in the second, Brandon Hyde did something curious – he intentionally walked Corey Seager. He was matching up and trying to play the odds, but it was curious that early in the game.

Whether the move backfired is a matter of opinion. With the bases newly loaded Garver smacked a two-RBI double. Now to be clear, the only two runs that scored were runners who were already in scoring position. So had Seager smacked that base hit, the result would have been the same.

However Garcia followed with a three-run homer. And that was a huge problem, because it put the Birds in a 6-0 hole. This in a game they had to win to continue playing. It effectively ended the game.

Gunnar Henderson would attempt to spark the O’s, with an RBI-single in the fifth. However Texas would return their lead to six with Lowe’s solo homer in the sixth, and Texas went home 7-1 winners. And they swept the series, three games to none.

There’s nothing Texas did in this series and in this game that didn’t work. Bruce Bochy didn’t make a move in the Texas dugout that didn’t work. And nothing Brandon Hyde did worked. Every Texas hitter found a blade of grass that led to daylight. And for the Orioles, it was the opposite.

Remind yourself folks, two years ago most fans would have killed for this end to the season. The Orioles lost 100 games in 2021! And they won 100 this year. Make no mistake, you don’t get lucky 101 times in the regular season, only to have your true colors show in the postseason.

Furthermore, look down the road in DC at the NHL’s Washington Capitals. They finally broke through and won the Stanley Cups Finals in 2018. But only after several years of running into a hot goalie or a hot team in the playoffs. Sometimes these things take time, and you have to go through failures to get there. And that’s what happened in this series – the Orioles ran into a hot team.

But again, make no mistake that this season was no fluke. This team will be back in 2024, and will probably be better. So will other teams; but the Orioles will be there. That isn’t up for debate. Pitchers and catchers report in mid-February.

Baltimore Orioles: No tomorrow

Regardless of what happens tonight for the Baltimore Orioles, there is a tomorrow. That meaning the sun will come up over the Inner Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay. But whether or not the 2023 season comes to a screeching halt is another story.

To be clear, a loss tonight would take nothing away from this magical season, save for making it unfulfilled. However that can’t be in the Orioles’ minds right now. They need to concentrate on winning the game. And winning the game tonight.

Meaning, they need to assume that there’s no tomorrow. Because if they start worrying about who’s starting tomorrow or the matchups thereof, they won’t make it there. If they take things one step at a time and play sound baseball, there’s a chance they could find themselves back at Camden Yards on Friday. If they look forward past today, they won’t make it there.

There’s no margin for error anymore. It’s win or go home. And the fact that they’re now playing on the road and against a Texas team that feels invincible makes it even tougher. Not to mention that Texas plays their games indoors, meaning the noise in the ballpark will be even more intense.

We know the stakes. And the team knows what they have to do. And make no mistake, if there’s anyone who can do it, it’s the 2023 Orioles. Needless to say it won’t be easy. But nothing worth fighting for is.

The ALDS continues this evening at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Is too much rest an issue?

I want to be clear; the issue of whether the Baltimore Orioles had too long a layoff in the postseason is actually a non-issue. At least in my mind. With how the teams such as Texas who advanced out of the Wild Card round are playing in the division series’ we’re seeing a lot of questions. My point would be that you always have to be ready to play.

Furthermore, I like the current playoff format. The original Wild Card setup offered no real difference between winning the division or getting the Wild Card. There should be an incentive for winning the division. When they went to a Wild Card game, that incentive was restored – but that was tough in that it was one game. So I like the current way they’re doing it.

Obviously the issue is whether or not teams such as the Orioles suffer from too much rest. Do they get rusty? Again, I scoff at that point. Because look at the O’s; they were a tired team at the end of the regular season. They needed that time off. But we’re to believe that they had “too much” rest? I don’t buy that.

However what I will say is that Wild Card winners are already in emotionally-charged situations, that being the regular season. Then they play in emotionally-charged Wild Card series’, and continue onto the LDS. They remain in that mindset. The division winners do not.

Texas has seemingly been ready for anything thus far this series. They’ve put the ball in play, and most of those balls found daylight. They’ve played loose, while the O’s seemingly had the weight of the world on their shoulders. Maybe that would have happened anyways. Maybe it wouldn’t have – we’ll never know.

But perhaps that additional experience in playing in emotionally-charged situations allowed them to play with that looseness. End of the day, I don’t think the layoff has anything to do with anything. At this level, every team you’re playing is going to be good. You’re ultimately taxed with beating them.

And ultimately if you’re in the camp of the long lay-off is detrimental to teams, ask yourself what sort of system would be better? Again, you have to give some sort of separation between winning the division and being a Wild Card team. And the Wild Card games (automatic game sevens) did seem a little tilted in the sense that they were one-and-done.

That’s why I think the current format is the best option out there. You might be able to condense it slightly by having the Wild Card series’ run Monday-Wednesday, and the LDS’ begin on Thursday. But there would be issues no matter how you spin it. You just have to be ready to play no matter what.

Baltimore Orioles out-slugged and picked to death by Texas

Baltimore Orioles’ starter Grayson Rodriguez loaded the bases in the first inning of today’s game, but he pitched out of it. However that was a harbinger for the rest of the game. Rodriguez’s line: 1.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 2 K.

The O’s did get the lead in the wake of that tightrope walk in the first inning. They would subsequently load the bases, and Aaron Hicks’ two-RBI-double would put the Birds up 2-0. However Texas had one of those second innings that we’ve seemingly seen against the Orioles for generations. The 2014 ALCS against Kansas City comes to mind. Every ball found daylight that came off of a Texas bat. Taveras’ two-RBI double tied the score at two – for starters.

Garver hit the ball back to Rodriguez on the mound with a runner on third, but his throw to first was too late – giving Texas a 3-2 lead. Two RBI-singles later, and Texas led, 5-2. And the hardest part was that as softly hit balls and comebackers were being hit against the Orioles, Texas starter Montgomery was seemingly getting stronger.

Oriole pitching would get Texas hitters on the ropes – with two strikes. And the would-be third strike would be a base hit. That’s frustrating as heck for anyone. It reached an urgent level in the third inning when Jacob Webb walked three straight hitters with two outs, loading the bases. That brought Garver to the plate, who smacked a grand slam well over the left field wall at Camden Yards, and giving Texas a 9-2 lead.

Now to their credit, the Birds didn’t go down looking today. Jorge Mateo’s RBI-single in the fourth cut the lead to 9-3. Ryan Mountcastle also tacked on a sac fly-RBI, this before Garver grounded into a double-play with the bases loaded in the fifth, extending the lead back to 10-4. Gunnar Henderson would smack a solo homer in the fifth, and Texas would tack one back on in the ninth.

But while still in a losing effort, the Birds weren’t quite done yet. They put two runners on in the ninth, forcing Texas to go to their closer. And Aaron Hicks smacked a three-run homer, putting the final score at 11-8. It was too little too late, but a late rally like that does help with confidence.

Ironically, the Oriole bullpen was suspect. And Texas’ was strong. It was supposed to be the other way around. Jorge Mateo in the lineup was criticized by some fans. He was a major force in the Orioles’ offense today. Every bounce and roll went Texas’ way in the first two games. And for the Orioles, that’s tough to accept.

The strike zone was wonky today, to say the least. With one out in the second Texas’ Lowe drew a walk, on a ball four (from Grayson Rodriguez) that appeared to be in the strike zone. Well into the strike zone. But it was called ball four, and in effect that sparked the Texas rally.

With that said, Texas adapted to the wonkiness of the zone. The Orioles did not. And that’s been something we’ve seen out of the Orioles for some time. And as they started going through relievers in the early innings, we saw Oriole pitchers trying too hard to win for the black. And the pitches would end up outside in key moments. And when they’d back themselves into situations of high leverage, Texas hitters could sit on a fastball. The Garver grand slam comes to mind.

The Birds now head to Texas for an elimination game on Tuesday. Lose, and their season is over. Win, and they go onto another elimination game on Wednesday.

These series’ are all about who gets hot at the right time. Texas has caught lightning in a bottle thus far in the postseason. If the O’s can’t win the next three games, Texas will have taken out the two best teams in the American League – in the regular season. That’s tough to compete with. Especially when the opponent rides a wave of emotion and gets stronger as the games go on.

In short, the O’s have to win three games. But if Texas wins one, it’s over. But you still have to take them one at a time. Starting with Tuesday.

Baltimore Orioles: “I didn’t hear no bell!”

The Baltimore Orioles fell this afternoon against Texas in game one of the American League Championship Series to Texas. It came in a Kyle Bradish start, in which he probably did as much as one could do as a starter to get the O’s over the top. What killed them was going 0-for4 with RISP, and leaving five men on base. Bradish’s line: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 9 K.

The two teams traded base hits here and there throughout the first few innings, after an hour and fifteen minute rain delay before the game even started. However Texas opened up the fourth inning with back-to-back doubles, the second of which was an RBI-double by Carter. Brim would follow with an RBI-single, and the Birds trailed 2-0.

However Ryan Mountcastle would cut that lead in half in the last of the fourth with an RBI-double of his own. That at least told you that the Birds came to play. But two innings later the teams would trade homers, with Jung extending the lead to 3-1. Then in the last of the sixth Anthony Santander would smack a solo homer of his own, cutting it back to one at 3-2.

As much as we talked about the Oriole bullpen leading up to this game, it was Texas’ that closed things out. The O’s put runners on base a few times down the stretch late, however Texas relievers were always able to come up with a ground ball double-play.

The O’s thus trail the best-of-five series one game to zero. However they need to take the attitude that the end is far from near. Go back and watch Rocky; Mickey (his coach) gives him the line I didn’t hear no bell! This meaning that the bell signaling the end of the round hasn’t sounded yet. That absolutely has to the the Orioles’ attitude going into game two. There’s a lot of baseball left to be played. They have to get back on track tomorrow.l in game two.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Jordan Montgomery. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.