Baltimore Orioles: So many years later, and the beer’s still cold

The Baltimore Orioles find themselves on the first of two off days during Grapefruit League play. So I’m going to take this opportunity to write the 2021 version of an annual column that I pen during Spring Training every year. The Orioles have statues honoring all of their Hall of Famers at Camden Yards. Save for one…

…and that would be the great Chuck Thompson. By virtue of winning the Ford C. Frick award in 1993, he is in fact a Hall of Famer. And I know that for the most part, he needs no introduction.

Thompson worked Orioles’ games primarily on the radio (but at times on television) from 1962-1982, and remained on the television side until 1987 when he retired. He came out of retirement to work part-time on Orioles’ radio in 1991 until 2000, when his eyesight became too poor for him to continue. Everyone of course knows Thompson’s two big catchphrases, ain’t the beer cold, and Go to war, Ms. Agnes!

He was Baltimore’s version of Vin Scully. Every town had one in a sense, and he was Baltimore’s (despite working Washington Senators’ games for awhile prior to joining the O’s, and despite the national work that he did as well). Philadelphia had Harry Kalas, New York (Yankees) had Mel Allen, Los Angeles (Dodgers) had Vin Scully, and Baltimore had Chuck Thompson.

Speaking for myself, I became acclimated with Thompson towards the end of his career. He called the games on television when I was a young child, but I also spent a lot of years listening to him do games on the radio when he came out of retirement. I used to play pepper in my grandmother’s back yard while listening to the games on the radio by way of Chuck Thompson on WBAL.

So like most people, his voice is a reminder of good times for me. That smooth delivery which always indicated good times and Orioles’ baseball. I can also remember being down at the Delmarva Shore and during a day game hearing Thompson’s voice echoing softly around the beach, as people would follow the games while on vacation.

And everyone reading this has their own memories of Chuck Thompson, and what he means to them. Some people may not care, for all I know. But to throngs of Orioles fans of a certain age he was the voice of summertime, and everything that represents. As I said, good times, easy times, the beach, or perhaps sitting on the porch drinking lemonade while listening to the game in the afternoon.

As I said, I write about Chuck Thompson every year during spring training. Usually on a day off, such as today. He’s an important part of the franchise’s history, and I wish that more fans perhaps too young to have experienced his work knew that. Before there was MASN, before there was listening to and watching games online, there was Chuck Thompson.

I’ve said this in previous years, but I’d love to see the Orioles put Thompson in his rightful spot with the other Hall of Famers. Perhaps not in statue form, but perhaps by dedicating the Camden Yards Press Box in his honor – the Chuck Thompson Memorial Press Box. That would give him the due he deserves, and would thus allow us to say more clearly and for all time…AIN’T THE BEER COLD?!

Baltimore Orioles fall big in Bradenton

It didn’t matter who was pitching or what they were throwing for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon. Pittsburgh hitters were putting wood on the ball. John Means had a scoreless first inning before the donnybrook began. Means’ line: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Means allowed the first run in the second after loading the bases – the run came on a wild pitch. Oliva’s RBI-single and Frazier’s RBI-double later in the inning would run the score to 3-0. And the rout was on.

Pittsburgh opened the last of the third with a two-RBI double by Newman. Evans and Bae would add RBI-singles in the fourth, and Fowler would clear the bases with a double. Before you could blink, the Birds trailed 10-0.

The O’s would get on the board in the top of the fifth. Cedric Mullins‘ RBI-single would cut the Pittsburgh lead to 10-1. Before all was said and done, the Birds had surrendered three more runs. They fell 13-1 on this day.

Games like this happen in baseball, as we know. It was just one of those games where literally everything went the other way. It happens. Eventually the Birds will be on the other end of a game like this.

The Orioles are off tomorrow, one of their two off days this spring. With the exception of a few pitchers who are coming in to throw, the players are expected to to away from Ed Smith Stadium. And I think that’s a good thing.

Baltimore Orioles: A mixed bag of results for Felix Hernandez

Felix Hernandez made his maiden start for the Baltimore Orioles this evening against Detroit in Sarasota. Of course I probably shouldn’t phrase it that way given that it was a spring training start, but I digress. Hernandez had a mixed bag of results, but not awful given he sat out last season and this was his first outing since. Hernandez’s line: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

As I said, it was a mixed bag of results. He sent Detroit down 1-2-3 in the first inning. However he issued two walks and a base hit in the second, allowing Stewart to smack an RBI-single, and Garneau to hit into a Fielder’s Choice-RBI. This gave Detroit a 2-0 lead.

The one noticeable thing regarding Hernandez was his velocity. He seemed to remain in the 84-85 MPH range. This isn’t inconsistent with many aging pitchers. But it’s plain to see that Hernandez has lost the bite for which he was so famous over the years. Nobody’s faulting him for this, but based on just two innings of work it appears to be the case.

But it’s important to note that it’s only one outing, and only two innings at that. Pitchers will often go into spring outings with a plan to work on this pitch or that pitch. So it’s entirely possible that he was working out his off speed stuff. But the pitches did appear to be fastballs.

We’ll just have to see how things progress through the rest of the spring. Keep in mind that Hernandez is on a minor league deal, so there’s no guarantee that he breaks camp with the team. This in theory.

The O’s brought prospect Zach Muckenhirn in to pitch the eighth, and he promptly walked the first three batters before being pulled. Enter Mickey Janis, who gave up a two-RBI single, with the runner taking second on an errant throw.

When the smoke cleared on the eighth inning, Detroit led 6-0. But the Birds would at least get on the board in the bottom of that eighth inning. Jahmai Jones grounded into a Fielder’s Choice-RBI. He was followed by Yusniel Diaz, who’s two-RBI double cut the lead to 6-3.

But the Birds weren’t done yet. They put two runners on base in the last of the ninth, and they scored on Rylan Bannon‘s bloop two-RBI single. But 6-5 would be as close as the Orioles would get, as they fell to Detroit. For the record, this was the first nine-inning game the Orioles have played this spring.

Tomorrow the O’s hit the road again and head to Lecom Park in Bradenton to take on Pittsburgh. John Means gets the call for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s JT Brubaker. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles lifted by Ramon Urias’ three-run bomb

Dean Kremer had a few struggles in his maiden outing of the spring for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in Sarasota. But it wasn’t unlike other starters thus far. Similar to what we saw two days ago, Kremer left the game with two outs in the first inning, only to return to pitch the second. Remember, everything goes this spring; we even saw a half-inning with only two outs today! Kremer’s line: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K.

Boston put two runs up in the first against Kremer, one on an infield RBI-single, and one on a walk with the bases loaded. Duran would also add a solo homer off Kremer in the second, giving Boston a 3-0 lead. While Kremer didn’t have the greatest outing, we did see Baltimore native Bruce Zimmerman have perhaps the best outing of the spring for any Orioles’ pitcher, giving up a hit and striking out four over two innings.

The Birds got on the board in the last of the third when Cedric Mullins smacked an RBI-double to cut the Boston lead to 3-1. The O’s would later load the bases, bringing Anthony Santander to the plate. He would draw a walk, cutting the lead to 3-2.

And the great thing about scoring on a walk like that is that the bases remain loaded. And that allowed Pedro Severino to plate a run with a sac fly-RBI. And before we knew it, the game was knotted at three.

This was another one of those games where the teams agreed before the game to shorten it – in this case to six innings. I’ve written this before, but I’m not a fan of this practice. I get that these are exhibition games and all, however I would submit that the integrity of the game should still be preserved. And part of that is nine innings. Furthermore 1700+ people did pay to see the game today. I’d hate to buy a ticket only to find out that a truncated version of the game is going to occur.

Luckily however, the shortened game only meant that the Birds had to hurry up if they wanted to win. They promptly put two runners on in the last of the fifth, and brought Ramon Urias to the plate. Urias would smack a three-run homer, giving the Birds a 6-3 lead. And a 6-3 victory.

Urias had some good moments towards the end of last season, and he’s definitely in the mix to make the roster this year. And that home run was no cheapie. It was a shot, that would have been good in most big league parks.  

The Orioles head to Dunedin tomorrow to take on the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Matt Harvey gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Hyun-Jim Ryu. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall to New York

Baltimore Orioles’ starter John Means was hoping to at least make it out of the first inning. However in fairness to him, he dealt with an elongated at-bat on the first hitter, and Frazier smacked a very soft RBI-single to get a runner home later in the inning. While Means left with only two outs (after reaching his pitch count), nothing was squared up against him and nothing was hit hard. Means’ line: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K.

You might notice that the pitching line has Means pitching 1.2 innings. Keep in mind folks, this is spring training; everything goes. Means was lifted with two outs in the first inning, but was able to come back and pitch in the second and retired the side after giving up only one hit. Again, everything goes. Including someone coming back into the lineup if need be.

The Birds would even the score in the last of the first on a sac fly-RBI by Trey Mancini. However New York would strike again in the third. Voit’s RBI-single would give them the lead back at 2-1. Later in the inning Ford’s two-RBI double would give them a 4-1 lead. All of this off of reliever Paul Fry.

The O’s would net another run in the fourth, on an RBI-single by Cedric Mullins. Pitching would take over from there on both sides, and come the end of the seventh inning..the game was over. As was the case yesterday, both teams opted to end the game after seven innings as is their right in the spring. So when all was said and done, the Birds remained winless on the spring with a 4-2 loss to New York.

The takeaways from this game is that the Birds were able to get some traffic on the base paths against a very good team (and one who brought many of their regulars with them at that). Now that may have only netted them two runs, however that’ll come. If you get ducks on the pond, eventually you’ll find a way to get them home.

Chris Davis was to have started at first base this afternoon, however according to manager Brandon Hyde he sustained a lower back strain on Sunday against Pittsburgh:

He felt it tug on him a little bit on the fly ball to right.

Quote Courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

Davis is listed as day-to-day. He of course was on the injured list twice last season.

Tomorrow the Orioles head to the northern part of Sarasota County to take on the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park. Former and now current Oriole Wade LeBlanc gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Atlanta’s Drew Smyly. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: DJ Stewart homers in Birds’ tie against Philadelphia

The Baltimore Orioles of course acquired pitcher Jorge Lopez in the middle of last year on waivers. Today he started the Birds’ “road opener” in spring training. Lopez struggled at times, but finished strong. Lopez’s line: 2.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 0 K.

Lopez had the lead from the get-go, as DJ Stewart smacked a two-run homer in the first inning. However Lopez have it right back. Knapp’s ground rule two-RBI double in the last of the first tied the score at two.

That was the bad news for Lopez. The good news is that he was able to pitch out of a jam later in the inning. With runners at second and third and nobody out, Lopez induced a 5-1-3 double-play, nailing the runner at home plate. Remember folks, pitchers will get into jams. It’s the nature of the position. But decent ones will also pitch out of those jams.

Philadelphia would take a 4-2 lead in the last of the first on a two-run homer off the bat of Joyce. While wind-aided, it makes sense that Joyce would do that to the Orioles. He did it all the time when he played for Tampa.

But two innings later the Birds would even the score. DJ Stewart would reach on a fielder’s choice, scoring a run. And Ryan Mountcastle‘s sac fly-RBI knotted the game at four. And at four the game would remain. Both teams decided to play only seven innings today, so we end in a tie.

The O’s return home to Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow to take on the N.Y. Yankees. John Means gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Jordan Montgomery. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall in Grapefruit opener

The Baltimore Orioles didn’t have the exhibition opener they would have liked this afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium. Neither did starter Thomas Eshelman. While Eshelman only gave up one earned run, he set the table for a big inning. Eshelman’s line: 1 IP, 1 H 2 R (one earned), 2 BB, 1 K.

Eshelman loaded the bases in the first inning. And if I’ve said it once I’ve said it several times over the years – when guys get on base things can happen. Sure enough with one out, Polanco smacked a ground ball to Trey Mancini at first base. That could have ended the inning, however Mancini’s errant throw allowed two runs to score.

Polanco would come up again in the third, and would promptly smack a two-run homer out of Ed Smith stadium, giving Pittsburgh a 4-0 lead. However in the bottom of that third inning Chris Davis would reach on an error, getting the O’s on the board and cutting the Pittsburgh lead to 4-1. Ironically, it was Polanco who committed the error.

Pittsburgh would net two more runs, including one on a solo homer. However the Orioles tried to make a day of it. Yusniel Diaz smacked a two-run homer in the last of the sixth. Austin Wynns would also reach on an error, but the Birds fell 6-4 in their Grapefruit League opener.

Remember folks, these games aren’t necessarily about wins and losses. You want to win, but most importantly you want to get yourself ready for the season. And that’s what the O’s are doing.

The best moment of the day was perhaps Mancini’s first at-bat of the day, of course coming off of cancer treatment. Both dugouts emptied and the O’s and Pittsburgh gave him a standing ovation. Mancini on his reception (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

It meant the world to me. It was a really, really cool moment and one of my favorite moments of my baseball career. I think it was a huge day for me personally, getting back in a game. Another kind of milestone I can check off here.

Tomorrow the O’s will head to Clearwater, FL to take on the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark. Jorge Lopez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Trey Mancini returns for the Birds

Very shortly the Baltimore Orioles will commence their first spring game of 2021, and with a familiar face that we didn’t see in 2020: Trey Mancini. We’ll see Mancini at first base this afternoon in the Grapefruit League opener at Ed Smith Stadium against the Pittsburgh Pirates. And what a great sight that will be.

Mancini of course sat out all of last season after being diagnosed with colon cancer. He’s completed his treatments, and is ready to play. Again, he’s starting at first base this afternoon. However it appears that he’ll platoon this season between first base, the outfield, and perhaps DH. Manager Brandon Hyde on Mancini:

I’m going to play him at first, DH him some, especially the first couple weeks. I talk to him every single day, see how he’s doing every day. We’re just going to continue to communicate and I’ll have him in there every other day for a while, whether it be at first base or DH, and we’ll see how he feels. We’ll crank up the playing time if he feels well the last couple weeks

Quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

But the bigger story is that he’s ready to play and/or in the lineup at all. It was a tough road back for Mancini. Colon cancer is nothing to sneeze at. This moment was never guaranteed for Mancini, and I can tell you that first hand as the son of a cancer survivor. It’s a moment I’m sure that will be celebrated by his family and friends across the board.

As stated above, today is the Grapefruit League Opener for the Orioles, against the Pittsburgh Pirates, at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. Thomas Eshelman gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Chad Kuhl. Gametime is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Spring Training coverage on Birdland Crush

The Baltimore Orioles and the rest of major league baseball are attempting something that worked out really well just now for the NFL: a normal season. However I would submit that the coming baseball season, while not truly normal, will be more normal than even the NFL season was. The majority of NFL games were played without fans, whereas baseball will be admitting fans this year. It’ll be different than usual in that the numbers will be limited and social distancing will be necessary in ballparks, but we’ll see fans.

The NFL also had no preseason back in August, while baseball is going full steam ahead with it’s Grapefruit and Cactus League seasons. The Orioles open their exhibition slate of games on Sunday at Ed Smith Stadium against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Not that it means anything, but Thomas Eshelman will get the start.

However the league has slightly scaled back the number of games that each team will play, and in the case of Florida, they’ve “quarantined” teams. The Orioles will only play teams that train on the Gulf Coast of Florida. This while teams who train on the east coast will also be playing one another exclusively. I suppose this cuts down on the amount of travel, although with a few exceptions the O’s normally seem to stick with Gulf Coast teams. The Grapefruit League schedule is also ever-so-slightly shorter than in the past, and there’ll be no split squad games.

Coverage of games is also scaled back this year, although that’s more on an individual team basis. As of now, Orioles’ radio will cover twelve games. That could change, but that’s where we stand now. We won’t be covering every game as normal here at Birdland Crush. However you can expect normal game recaps and analysis for a decent number of them. You can also follow me on Twitter, @DomenicVadala, for game highlights and reaction as well. However come April 1st in Boston, we’ll be full-throttle!

Baltimore Orioles: Twelve spring games on Orioles’ radio

Opening Day for Baltimore Orioles’ spring training is this coming Sunday, February 28th. However 105.7 “the fan” (WJZ-FM), the Orioles’ flagship radio station, will be carrying 12 games during the spring. This starting with Tuesday, March 2nd vs. NYY at 1 PM.

The majority of the games will be home games at Ed Smith Stadium. However there will be a few road games sprinkled into that slate. And keep in mind, the games could always change. There have been years that games have been added to the spring slate of games for the sake of fan exposure to the team.

At this time, there does not appear to be any games being carried on television by MASN this spring. Again however, that could change.