Orioles sign P Will Ohman to minor league deal

Oh man, Ohman becomes an “O” man.

The Orioles have signed two left-handed relievers, veteran Will Ohman and journeyman minor leaguer Will Startup, sources told FOXSports.com.

Ohman appeared in only 21 games with the Dodgers last year and posted a 5.84 ERA. Because of an injury, he didn’t pitch in the majors after the end of May.

Orioles minor league pitcher suspended 50 games

Orioles minor league pitcher Brian Parker has been suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for the second time, a violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Major League Baseball and its teams do not announce what specific drug was found in violators’ systems.

Parker, 24, a right-handed reliever, was 4-3 with a 4.31 ERA in 35 games at Single-A Frederick last year before pitching two games (0-0, 3.60 ERA) at Double-A Bowie. He is listed on the Bowie roster, and therefore his suspension will begin April 8 and be lifted in June. He likely will go to the organization’s minor league facility in Sarasota, Fla., when the suspension ends and then will be re-evaluated by the minor league staff at that time.

Parker’s stats. As noted in the article, this is his second positive test.

Koji Uehara working out in Japan

Uehara tells his interviewer - a former player with the Yomiuri Giants - that he’s planning to throw more cutters and changeups this season.

And Kranitz says young guys who don’t make the rotation, may land in the bullpen.  It would be good to see some organization bring back the true long reliever, and reduce their bullpen size.

MASN: Melewski: To bop or not to bop, that is the question

The Bop That Never Stopped...for a real rockin’ Oriole.

The bigger point remains, with dozens of examples during the history of this great game - teams can win games and championships without a huge home run hitter.

Jim Hunter pointed out recently in an excellent article that balance is also key for any lineup. It can be huge to have several 20-homer types to offset one player hitting 40.

He cited the 1998 Yankees, a team that won 114 games and the World Series. Tino Martinez led that club with 28 homers. That team scored 965 runs, that is 50 more than last year’s Bronx Mashers. (Last year’s Yankees had four players hit 28 or more homers.)

The 2007 Red Sox won 96 games and the World Series with one player hitting more than 21 homers. But their team scored 867 runs. The eight regulars in that lineup hit a combined 142 homers and I’d take a lunch bet that the 2010 O’s eight projected regulars hit more than that.

It’s about scoring runs, no matter how that happens.

...Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against adding a 40-homer type, it is certainly not a bad thing. But there are many ways for a team to score over 800 runs.

The O’s could lead the league in 20-homer players this year.

Attorney General Gansler and Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation Team Up to Launch Badges for Baseball

Hey...if ol’ Seymour Siwoff can get a rinky dink Perkinsonian tin star. Why not!

Badges for Baseball is a crime prevention program designed to pair law enforcement professionals as mentors and coaches with youth. The program serves as a positive outlet for youth during out-of-school hours when they are most likely to commit or become victims of crime. Participating youth will learn the basics of baseball/softball while taking part in the Foundation’s character development program, Healthy Choices, Healthy Children.

Through the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention, the Office of Attorney General was awarded a Byrne Justice Recovery Assistance (BJRA) Act grant totaling $222,785. The grant funds must be used to replicate or expand programs aimed at preventing or reducing violent crime. The grant to the Office of Attorney General will be used to support the Maryland Badges for Baseball program. CRSF will provide all technical and programmatic support, bringing the total investment in Maryland’s young people most in need to more than $275,000.

“Badges for Baseball not only teaches kids the basic skills of the game, but they also learn critical life lessons in leadership, good sportsmanship, and integrity while developing positive relationships with law enforcement officers in their own communities,” said Attorney General Gansler.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Attorney General Gansler and the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention to expand Badges for Baseball across our home state,” said Steve Salem, Executive Director of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation. “The support of Attorney General Gansler and the GOCCP has been tremendous; we’re looking forward to working with all of the Maryland Badges for Baseball sites to bring these important messages of respect, work ethic, leadership and perseverance to kids across the state.”

On Adam Jones’ Glove

Just to follow this up, I looked at 56 years of Baltimore Orioles centerfielders, 1954-2009.

Here are the top range factors per 9 innings based on playing at least half the club’s innings at the position:

3.22 – Al Bumbry (1982)
3.21 - Adam Jones (2009)
3.18 – Paul Blair (1974)
3.17 – Paul Blair (1976)
3.16 – Al Bumbry (1980)
3.13 – Paul Blair (1970)
3.06 – Chuck Diering (1954)
3.04 – Jim Busby (1957)
3.04 – John Shelby (1984)
3.01 – Mike Devereaux (1990)
3.00 – Paul Blair (1973)

Say what you will,but that’s pretty good company. Jonesy had a helluva year.

UZR had him at a solid +2.  He is a joy to watch in CF.

Even MORE Oriole FanFest Fashion Fabulosity

Somebody forgot to tell Matt Wieters that FanFest is fun. The catcher wore some kind of button-down oxford-type shirt over a white undershirt. (Hey! It’s Fred McMurray from My Three Sons!) He did leave it untucked and open, giving him that “just-left-the-office” look.

and

Brad Bergeson, on the other hand, is new enough that he wore a navy blazer. Taking to heart the words your mom uttered before your family left for mass, ("Would it kill you to put on a jacket?") Bergeson proved he understood the most versatile garment in his closet.

Of course, Matt Wieters invented the blue blazer.

Orioles Offer Mediterranean Stadium Plan

NEW FEATURES OF ED SMITH STADIUM
A DAY AT THE OPERA: The stadium’s facade gets a more operatic feel, with beige stucco and a clay tile roof.

All that and Boog’s barbeque, too.  Who’s up for a road trip?

Keith Law: Top 100 prospects

NO.  PLAYER
1 Jason Heyward, OF, ATL
2 Stephen Strasburg, RHP, WAS
3 Carlos Santana, C, CLE
4 Buster Posey, C, SFO
5 Mike Stanton, OF, FLA
6 Desmond Jennings, OF, TAM
7 Martin Perez, LHP, TEX
8 Dustin Ackley, CF, SEA
9 Justin Smoak, 1B, TEX
10 Jesus Montero, C, NYY
11 Brian Matusz, LHP, BAL
12 Starlin Castro, SS, CHC
13 Neftali Feliz, RHP, TEX
14 Domonic Brown, RF, PHI
15 Wade Davis, RHP, TAM
16 Aroldis Chapman, LHP, CIN
17 Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, TAM
18 Casey Kelly, RHP, BOS
19 Aaron Hicks, RHP, MIN
20 Brett Wallace, 1B, TOR
21 Logan Morrison, 1B, FLA
22 Tyler Matzek, LHP, COL
23 Jenrry Mejia, RHP, NYM
24 Michael Taylor, OF, OAK
25 Zach Britton, LHP, BAL

Scouting reports for the top 25 should be free, I think.

O’s Looking at Super-Duper Braden Looper

Still seeking an innings-eater for the middle of their rotation, the Orioles continue to have talks with the representative of free-agent pitcher Braden Looper, according to industry sources.

April, 2020:  Orioles sources reported that the team was looking into signing 44 year old innings-eater Livan Hernandez for the middle of its rotation, believing that 32 year old prospect Brian Matusz needed further seasoning in AAA.  “While some see Brian’s 24 consecutive no-hitters as a sign he is ready for the big leagues,” said Manager Dave Trembley, “100 percent of the 3 runners who reached base in his starts did successfully steal second base.  We want him to spend time working on his pickoff move this year.”

Two Orioles Selected for Hall of Fame

The International League Hall of Fame, that is.

Don Baylor and Bobby Grich where back to back MVP’s while playing for the Rochester Red Wings. Baylor took his honors for the 1970 season while Grich won the award in 1971.

Anyone know what Murray Chass thinks about this?

Fangraphs Summarizes O’s Winter

Flush with cash and some obvious holes, it seemed like an off-season of good spending could setup the Orioles to be an interesting team in 2010, even pushing into fringe contender status if their young talent all matured quicker than expected. Especially as another strong buyer’s market emerged, this appeared to be a perfect opportunity for the Orioles to add some key pieces that could grow with the core already in place.

Instead, they ended up spending $25 million in 2010 (and $6M in 2011) to acquire Kevin Millwood, Garrett Atkins, Miguel Tejada, and Mike Gonzalez. They filled four holes, but the return on investment seems… underwhelming.

Unfortunately, I have to agree.  While they didn’t make any BIG mistakes with long term contracts, they also did not make any progress in developing the future success.

Kerry’s Pinata is Back!!

What better way to warm up on a cold winter day than to join the annual Oriole fiesta of bad (and we mean REALLLY BAD!) pitching.

Kerry’s Piñata Award, presented annually on the World Wide Web since 1996 and for the ninth time this year on Birds in the Belfry, is given to the Orioles pitcher who best resembled the aforementioned fiesta implement during the preceding baseball season.  To qualify for consideration, a pitcher must have appeared in at least 25 games and/or worked at least 40 innings.  If it isn’t already obvious, the worse a pitcher performs, the better candidate he makes.

Who is this year’s winner??

Baltimore Sun: Ex-Oriole Curt Motton dies at 69

Curt Motton’s timing when it came to hitting some of the American League’s top pitchers was under his control. When he played, and how much, was not.

Motton, who died Thursday at age 69 after a year-long battle with stomach cancer, had the good fortune of playing with the Orioles when they were the league’s most dominant team.

It was also his misfortune, considering that Motton could never break into an outfield that featured Paul Blair, Frank Robinson and Don Buford.

“[Orioles manager] Earl Weaver loved guys like Curt Motton because he knew what he was going to get,” Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer recalled Friday. “Guys like Curt made us more of a complete team.”

Like many who knew Motton, Palmer said what he remembered most was Motton’s engaging personality.

“He would light up a room,” said Palmer, who first met Motton while rehabbing a shoulder injury with the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings in 1967. “He had a great sense of humor. When we had our charity basketball games in the offseason, he and Elrod [Hendricks] would come. They couldn’t play basketball, but everyone would have a great time because they were there.”

Thanks to Bruce M.

WNST: Snider: Orioles Bring Back Tejada, Which Means Andy MacPhail Finally Deviates From “The Plan”

I guess it’s just coincidental that Tejada was beginning to regress from a power perspective. His 18 homers, in 2007, was the lowest mark of his career, since his first full Major League season - more than a decade ago.

Ahh, but don’t despair …..

Miguel Tejada’s power suffered further outage, at Minute Maid Park, in Houston. That’s right, he hit 13 and 14 homeruns, successively, in his two seasons playing for the Astros - in one of baseball’s featured HOMERUN DERBY HAVENS.

...The Baltimore Orioles have enough attachment to the recent history of Major League Baseball’s drug problems. Some would say the Orioles are prominently represented among the seedier franchises.

What’s the penalty for betraying a town and its fans’ beloved colors of orange and black ??? Miguel Tejada did things the wrong way when he was here. And, evidence exists to suggest he influenced other teammates.

That’s fantastic to hear, huh? On top of the eroding skills at the plate and the substantially diminished fielding range - which I haven’t even addressed - indeed, the potential for a far more substantial risk of bringing Miguel Tejada back to Baltimore is staring squarely at every Orioles loyalist.

He’s gonna be in the same clubhouse with this guy …..

Delightful pictures of Matt Wieters and Adam Jones sticking flowers in syringes follow…

Orioles, Miguel Tejada agree to one-year deal

The Royals missed one.

A Baltimore Orioles official familiar with the decision says the team has agreed on a 1-year deal to bring back Miguel Tejada, who played with the club from 2004 through 2007.

The person spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract hinges on Tejada passing a physical, which has not yet been given.

Tejada played shortstop with the Orioles before being traded to Houston in 2007 for five players. He is now tabbed for third base with the release of Melvin Mora. Cesar Izturis is expected to stay at shortstop.

Sean Kates or Dave Trembley . . . one of them is foolish

Apparently, Sean Kates won a contest and was able to sit down and have a talk with Dave Trembley.  It appears he never told Trembley he was going to print things.  Why?

Stuff like this:

We had a lengthy chat about Daniel Cabrera, the enigmatic starting pitcher that was so bad, the Nationals let him midway through 2009. Constantly teasing Baltimore with his overpowering fastball and sheer size, he also soured the organization with some of his more annoying traits. Like not being able to throw that fastball for a strike. Or not having a second pitch. Or, according to Trembley, throwing at people out of turn and juicing like crazy.

or

Felix Pie? No real future with the team outside of defensive replacement, despite his constant improvement throughout the year, according to the manager. Trembley is much more in love with Nolan Reimold, and believes he will be the answer that makes Pie and Luke Scott redundant.

Smell a dust up.

Baseball Picture of the day: Cal’s Big Uni

33 days....

Today’s image is captionable:

What is Cal Ripken thinking as they pass that big-ass jersey?

Creative commons:

Tomorrow: Fair or Foul?

MASN: Melewski: A matter of leadership

Leadership...the Melewski way. BAH! For true leadership...trust the PLONSKY way!

In a game so filled with statistics, we can’t put a number on leadership. And we can debate whether it’s important or not.

We can debate methods of leadership. Should a player simply lead by example or does that player need to be vocal and not afraid to voice his opinion to his teammates?

*Player needs to stay healthy. It’s hard to lead while you are on the disabled list.

*Player should have an excellent relationship with the manager and coaches and be able to advise them of any issues in the clubhouse and keep them aware of the clubhouse mood.

*This player should be often available to the media, after wins and losses, in good times and bad. Someone that is available to speak about the team at times when other players might want to avoid interviews. (A team spokesman of sorts).

*It doesn’t hurt if this player is a clutch performer, one that seems to get the big hit to win a game or pull the club out of a losing streak. A player not afraid to carry some burden on his shoulders, so to speak.

Top Catching Talent Under 26yo in AL East

Short Read.

They place both Montero and Romine in the top three for under 26yo catchers in the East.  Is Montero really considered a catcher by anyone these days?

Jesus Montero / New York Yankees (AAA/Scranton)
Height/Weight - 6-4/225 / Born - 11/28/1989 / Bats/Throws - R/R
Stats - Fangraphs / Baseball-Reference / MinorLeagueSplits

As with Wieters, Montero is considered a very advanced offensive prospect, garnering comparisons to some of the game’s best sluggers and drawing raves for his natural power and ability to square up on the baseball. Some scouts have even graded him as an 80 on the 20-80 scale for hitting and power. After destroying advanced A-level ball to the tune of .356/.406/.583, Montero was well on his way to similarly dominating AA pitching (.317/.370/.539) before breaking his middle finger and being shelved for the remainder of the season.

Looking At Home Runs By Ballpark | Camden Crazies

Something I stumbled on.

Peter – from the very good Atlanta Braves blog Capital Avenue Club – put together a neat tool that allows you to look at a player’s home run landing spots relative to different ballparks, so I thought I’d give it a whirl.

First up, here’s new Oriole Garrett Atkins, from 2006 (29 HR), 2007 (25 HR), 2008 (21 HR), and 2009 (9 HR). The orange is Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and the purple is Coors Field.

Here’s link to the Ballpark Overlay Tool (Beta)

MASN: Terry Crowley: Crowing about the next challenge

In a world without justice, one man was chosen to protect Garrett Atkins.

“I know what I’m looking for and how I want to do it,” Crowley said.

“The thing is to get to know (Atkins) a little bit in spring training, get him to trust me. I’m going to be on his side the whole time, whether he’s hitting .220 or tearing up the league. We need each other more when he’s struggling than when he’s rolling. I’ll give him a chance to greet and visit with teammates, and they’ll tell him about me, and then we’ll go from there.

“There will be a lot of physical things that I’ll do, and a lot of film watching that I’ll do. I read a little bit about the press conference and it seemed like, he didn’t come right out and say it, but there might have been a little problem with the coaches. And the manager (Clint Hurdle before he was fired) was a pretty good hitter, and maybe he got involved and there was a little bit of tinkering over there. Well, it’s not going to be like that over here.

“What I’ll try to do is get him back to what he did when he was successful. It sounds like it’s quite easy, but honestly, it’s not. The whole season is a grind, but it’s easier if you can make it more fun. And getting hits is more fun.

“Good hitters do drift away a little bit. If you know what you’re looking for, you can put them back on track.”

BA: Baltimore Orioles Top 10 Prospects

1.  Brian Matusz, lhp
2.  Josh Bell, 3b
3.  Zach Britton, lhp
4.  Jake Arrieta, rhp
5.  Matt Hobgood, rhp
6.  Brandon Snyder, 1b
7.  Brandon Erbe, rhp
8.  Kam Mickolio, rhp
9.  Mychal Givens, ss
10.  Caleb Joseph, c

FOX Sports: Sources: Orioles jump into Holliday sweepstakes

Robomoro reports…

The Cardinals are not the only team pursuing free-agent left fielder Matt Holliday.

The Orioles have jumped into the bidding, though both the seriousness of their efforts and Holliday’s desire to play in Baltimore are in question, major-league sources say.

Holliday, 29, is unlikely to go to the Orioles — a team coming off 12 straight losing seasons — unless they make him a much stronger offer than the Cardinals.

The Orioles, meanwhile, might only participate in the Holliday sweepstakes as a token gesture, an effort to demonstrate to their fans that they are trying to improve.

Statue to honor Brooks

Brooks Robinson gained iconic status during the years he played third base for the Orioles at Memorial Stadium.

Now a local group plans to honor Robinson with a larger-than-life statue that will remind baseball fans of his heroics every time they drive past the Orioles’ current home at Camden Yards.

Baltimore’s Public Art Commission unanimously approved plans Wednesday for a 9-foot-high, $500,000 bronze statue of Robinson that is scheduled for installation by spring 2011 on a city-owned plaza just west of Oriole Park.

Baltimore businessman Henry A. Rosenberg told the commission that he heads a group that has been working for several years to erect a statue to honor Robinson, who played for the Orioles from 1955 to 1977 and won 16 Gold Gloves during his Hall of Fame career.

“It’s something that has to be done,” said Rosenberg, chairman of Rosemore Inc. and former chairman of Crown Central Petroleum, for which Robinson was a longtime spokesman. “Brooks Robinson is ‘Mr. Baseball,’ ‘Mr. Baltimore,’ ‘Mr. Orioles,’ just like Johnny Unitas represents the Colts. We’ve been working on this for three to five years, and we’ve finally come up with a location. It’s absolutely the right thing to do.”

It’ll be the most polite, class-act statue in Baltimore. When people make statues of Babies, they will name those statues after this statue.

Balt Sun/Zrebiec: O’s nearing deal with reliever Gonzalez

The signing of Gonzalez, who is a Type A free agent, will cost the Orioles their second-round pick in the 2010 draft.

It’s also unclear if the Orioles view Gonzalez as their full-time closer or whether he’ll be part of a closer-by-committee approach that includes right-handed relievers Jim Johnson and Koji Uehara.

If he isn’t going to be the closer, why would you give up the draft pick?

MASN: Melewski: In MacPhail fans can trust

Why, why...even Jackie Brandt is choked up.

There is probably a reason you don’t hear much criticism of Andy MacPhail in the Baltimore media.

He hasn’t done much to criticize.

No, I’m not drinking any cool aid or giving any homer comments, just an honest opinion.

MacPhail’s pickup of Kevin Millwood this week could turn out to be big during the 2010 season and if Millwood is the positive influence on the young pitchers some say he will be, the O’s could reap benefits long after Millwood is gone from the team.

...Some fans only see the club’s record of 132-191 in MacPhail’s two full seasons leading the club. Others won’t be happy unless the club gives out a 100 million dollar contract.

I’ve got news for those fans. The O’s may one day be on par with NY and Boston on the field, but they may never be equals in revenue and payroll.

Fanhouse: Alper: Orioles Land Kevin Millwood

The Orioles picked up a veteran piece for their starting rotation at the Winter Meetings on Wednesday when they agreed to pick up Kevin Millwood from the Rangers in exchange for reliever Chris Ray. There’s also some cash heading Baltimore’s way once both teams sign off on medical reviews of the players, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Adding an experienced starter makes a lot of sense for the Orioles. They’ve got three talented youngsters in Brad Bergesen, Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman, but young pitchers come with innings limits and assorted other potential land mines that keep them from throwing oodles of innings. Millwood threw just under 200 innings for the Rangers last season and should do a fine job of soaking up innings. Asking for much more than that would be greedy, however.

A quick look at Millwood’s stats for 2009 will lead you to his 3.67 ERA and, perhaps, a feeling that he could help the O’s make a surprising run at contention. Look deeper, though, and you’ll find a pitcher who posted a 123/71 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a career-low strikeout rate and a home run rate higher than any he’s posted since 2001. Millwood’s got his uses, but there probably aren’t a lot of hitters in Boston, New York or Tampa feeling too bad about Millwood coming to their backyard.

That said, they didn’t give up too much. Ray has some experience as a closer and a power arm, but he wasn’t going to make or break anything for the Orioles in 2010. He could be a useful addition to the Rangers pen, but given the money problems and looming ownership change in Arlington it’s easy to see the real motivation for this deal on Texas’s side.

Thanks to The Baron of Etch.

Orioles draw interest despite subpar record

Nobody cares about baseball anymore. That’s why ESPN spent the entire day Tuesday doing incremental updates on the slow-developing three-team deal that will put - if you want to just hit the high notes - Curtis Granderson in the New York Yankees’ outfield and Edwin Jackson in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ rotation.

I know, Granderson and Jackson are real good players, and the five other guys involved make it a very big deal, but it’s not like any of them are dating Kate Hudson.

Nobody cares about the Orioles anymore. That’s why there were 45,000 page views to my Orioles blog ("The Schmuck Stops Here"… read it, live it) during the first day of the baseball winter meetings Monday, even though Andy MacPhail and his staff didn’t do anything more than dance around a medium trade rumor all day.

That’s pretty amazing when you consider that just about everybody in Baltimore claims to have stopped caring about baseball when you could still count the consecutive losing seasons on the fingers of two hands.

Obviously, there is some kind of logical disconnect here.

Orioles fans have every reason to be frustrated after what has happened to their once-proud franchise, and baseball fans everywhere have a right to be disenchanted by the economic inequity that divides the sport. Yet an afternoon of trade speculation about 34-year-old right-hander Kevin Millwood, who won 13 games for the Texas Rangers last year, brings everybody and his or her brother out of the woodwork to start talking ball again.

Baltimore Sun: O’s eye pitchers at start of meetings

Team officials met with the Texas Rangers on Monday to discuss a potential deal for veteran pitcher Kevin Millwood, and Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail also confirmed that the team is in possession of the medical records of free-agent starter Erik Bedard.

MacPhail will meet with Bedard’s agent, Mark Pieper, in the next couple of days to discuss bringing back the team’s former ace…
...
According to sources, [in a Millwood trade] the Orioles would want the cash-strapped Rangers to absorb some of that money, and the amount Texas is willing to eat would determine the player they would get in return for the pitcher… While one team source said a deal between the clubs isn’t imminent, he described the trade talks as “ongoing.”
...
In various trade talks with clubs Monday, MacPhail said that teams have inquired about “no shortage of names” on the Orioles. Several team sources identified outfielder Felix Pie as having drawn a lot of inquiries.

However, MacPhail didn’t sound like he was motivated to move Pie, who is expected to enter the season as the club’s fourth outfielder.

“Pie, [Nolan] Reimold and [Adam] Jones haven’t played full seasons healthy yet,” MacPhail said.