Baltimore Sun/Schmuck: Orioles running Trembley out of a job?

Throughout his minor and major league coaching career, Dave Trembley has been known as a stickler for the little things. He wants the game played right, and he knows his future as Orioles manager depends on this year’s team taking a significant developmental step forward over the next three months.

So it has to be frustrating for him to watch his club reduced to one of the worst base-running teams in baseball at this critical juncture in the organization’s rebuilding process.

He took the job intent on putting the “fun” back in fundamentals, and now a long series of fundamental lapses is threatening to be his undoing.

“The decisions that have been made have not been good decisions,” Trembley said Tuesday. “When you make bad decisions, they stand out a whole lot more than when you do well.”

...

The strange irony of this particular situation is that this is a developing team that is assimilating a number of young players, but many of the most glaring mental mistakes have come out of the veteran nucleus of the club. Wigginton and Huff are just the most recent examples, but you can throw Brian Roberts and Melvin Mora into the mix, too. In a weird sort of way, the veteran blunders are a positive, because they indicate that the problem doesn’t stem from some flaw in the player-development pipeline.

Lead gets away from Boston bullpen | redsox.com: News

This is one game I’m glad I stopped watching early.

“Thirteen hits in two innings,” Francona said. “We just had no answer. We went through just about everybody. There were balls everywhere. We gave up 13 hits [in two innings]. That was as bad as we’ve seen. Nothing we did worked.”

By the time it was over, the bullpen had given up a total of 10 runs on 13 hits in four innings.

Indians deal ‘03 first-rounder Aubrey to O’s for player to be named

For Huff would be just too much…

The Cleveland Indians traded minor league first baseman Michael Aubrey to the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named.

Aubrey was a first-round pick (No. 11 overall) in 2003 but was slowed by injuries during his time with Cleveland. He was batting .292 with five homers and 29 RBI in 57 games with Triple-A Columbus. The 27-year-old played in 15 games last season for the Indians, batting .200 with two homers.

The Indians also outrighted right-hander Greg Aquino to the Clippers. He was designated for assignment June 19 after going 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 10 relief appearances.

Baltimore Sun/Schmuck: Orioles facing decisions as trade deadline looms

•Keep Aubrey Huff.

This probably would have seemed like a ridiculous concept 15 months ago, but Huff has done a great job of rehabilitating his image both on and off the field. He’s a fit if he stays productive the rest of the season and MacPhail can talk him into a reasonable two-year extension.

Obviously, if some contender needs him badly enough to give up a couple of strong prospects, MacPhail would have to consider that, but Huff probably will not command that kind of value for a second-half rental.

...

•Listen to offers for closer George Sherrill.

The guy is on a tremendous roll and might just end up on the All-Star team for the second straight year. If a contending club in need of bullpen help is willing to give up something of value, MacPhail will be in a position to improve the take from the Erik Bedard deal and should not pass it up.

Sherrill’s a good guy and he’s great to have around, but his value might never be higher.

WFAN: Rose: Interleague Play Is For The Birds

A couple of days old, but...Take it off the books!

Trust me, there was absolutely no juice last night at Camden Yards, unless some players are doing something they shouldn’t be doing. There was no buzz (there, is that better?), no energy, and seemingly no reason for being there. I’m telling you, these games are downright intrusive; an unnecessary interruption to the National League season. The Mets don’t care about the Orioles, the Orioles don’t care about the Mets, they’re not competing for the same thing, and yes, I would rather have more games against the Nationals, Diamondbacks and Pirates than I would against any team in the American League except, I suppose, the Yankees.

Six games against a team’s natural rival, if it even has one, is fine. Otherwise these games seem like an irrelevant waste of time.

When the St.Louis Cardinals come to Citi Field on Monday night it’s going to feel like Opening Day all over again.

Baltimore Sun/Schmuck: Too fast, too soon for Guthrie

It wasn’t that long ago that Orioles fans—and the media—viewed right-hander Jeremy Guthrie as the steal of the century, which wasn’t hard to do since the century was only a few years old anyway.

The Orioles claimed him off waivers in 2007 from the Cleveland Indians, who drafted him in the first round 4 1/2 years earlier, signed him to a major league contract and simply ran out of room for him on their roster.

Guthrie quickly established himself in the starting rotation and made the Orioles front office look good for a change and—faster than you could say “Let’s not get carried away”—he was anointed the club’s No. 1 starter by default.

Too fast.

Too soon.

Two Opening Day starts later, Guthrie is wearing the mantle of staff ace uncomfortably. He has struggled with both his command and his confidence on the way to a 4-7 record and a 5.42 ERA through 14 starts. Maybe he’ll turn his season around against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, but it seems fairly obvious that he would be better off without the added responsibility of leading the Orioles young pitching staff.

MASN: Melewski: Strange Stats

Prof. Melewski solves a CMI Millennium Problem! The Richardson/Mantle Conjecture busted!

So if the Orioles aren’t hitting much lately, just 17 runs scored over the last ten games, their batting averages with runners in scoring position must be pretty bad. That’s what I thought. Here they are:

Jones: .425, leads the American League
Markakis: .348
Scott: .333
Huff: .308
Mora: .286

You could even throw in Nolan Reimold, who is an amazing 7 for 14 when batting with RISP.

So with those numbers, how come Huff and Jones have just 1 RBI their last 12 games, Markakis none in 10 games and Mora none in 22 games?

I guess they aren’t getting many chances lately with RISP. Before getting three hits Wednesday, Brian Roberts was 3 for 30 and Markakis is hitting .206 since mid May.

One could say the top of the order is just not getting on enough recently to give the middle of the order chances to do damage.

Move over Natinals, The Oriloes can’t spell either

The Washington Nationals have gotten a lot of flack for their misspelling snafus lately (Natinals, anyone?) … but they aren’t the only Beltway team that can’t spell their own team’s name.

Oriloes?

Prospects Crash the Show

Caleb Joseph, an Oriole minor leaguer, has an interesting blog and this recent entry tells about an off day visit to Camden Yards with Brian Matusz.

The Orioles BP finishes and I see Rich Hill coming off. Rich threw his first rehab start in Frederick and I got to catch him, we got to be buddies during the game. He recognized me from the first second and waved me down to the area that Brian was just at. He asked me about the season and we talked for a few minutes before he asked me if I wanted to go into the clubhouse. I denied his first request because I didn’t feel ‘worthy’ to go down there but he insisted. Before I knew it, I was climbing over the wall and I disappeared. That’s when it all began…

After a short walk back into the dugout we appear in the clubhouse. I was absolutely amazed at the size of this room. Everyone’s locker was neat and clearly full with equipment. Most of the guys were hanging out, just as we do before a game, playing cards or working the crossword puzzles. Chris Ray and Matt Albers recognized me from Aberdeen as they threw to me on rehab starts last summer. It felt good getting recognized. I then saw Brian and stuck close to him as everyone knew who he was. I was amazed at how inviting and cool everyone was. I followed Brian around as he knew his way around there and we soon bumped into the coaching staff. Head coach of the Orioles Dave Trembley shook hands with Brian then asked my name. He knew who I was, which was crazy, then we had a short conversation. We then toured the training room and weight facility and the other little aspects of the locker room such as the video room that players can get on and recall any at-bat or such through the computer system. Pretty cool stuff. Before I knew it we were being ushered back to the stands. It all happened so fast, and after it was all said and done I felt like I had had a mini-heart attack. I was so nervous, excited, exhausted, and anxious in the same feeling. I cannot express to you all the emotions I felt, but I hopefully can’t wait to call that place home one day. It was definitely the best day of my life so far. Then reality set in the next day as we left for Delaware. One day… one day.

NY Times (Schwarz): Pitching’s Bright Stars Sometimes Flame Out

Scouts have generally called Strasburg the best amateur pitching prospect they have seen. This is the rough equivalent of being rated the world’s No. 1 hydrogen dirigible. For all the promise Strasburg has shown, having names like McDonald, Prior and Taylor in one’s family tree would leave any pitcher digging for adoption papers.

Twenty years ago, Louisiana State’s Ben McDonald was roundly hailed as the best college pitching prospect ever; he won 78 major league games before retiring at 30 with a bum shoulder. No one took McDonald’s consensus best-ever tag until 2001, when Mark Prior of the University of Southern California was such a steely-eyed, bazooka-armed, strike-throwing machine that he was nicknamed Robopitcher. Prior won 18 games for the Chicago Cubs two years later before an avalanche of injuries left him pitching’s Venus de Milo.

Three high school pitchers during this period also were electric enough to prompt best-ever hyperbole: Todd Van Poppel in 1990, Brien Taylor in 1991 and Matt White in 1996. Van Poppel won just 40 games in a meandering career, and Taylor and White descended into the moat of the minor leagues, never to be heard from again.

Strasburg, who turns 21 next month, is in fact the sixth once-in-a-lifetime pitcher of his own short lifetime. But this has barely distracted the raving scouts, whose job is to look forward, not back. This time, they mean it. Really.

baltimoresun.com - Farm system has O’s prospects looking up

While pitchers Jason Berken, Brad Bergesen and David Hernandez, outfielder Nolan Reimold and catcher Matt Wieters have gotten the most attention during their big league debuts, MacPhail also is pleased with 2008 draftees Xavier Avery and L.J. Hoes, both 19, who are holding their own at Single-A Delmarva in the South Atlantic League.

The Orioles’ big three pitching prospects - Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta and Brian Matusz - have been dominant at times this season. And MacPhail said he is encouraged by the play of Brandon Snyder, a 2005 first-round pick and Double-A first baseman, who is among the Eastern League leaders in most offensive categories despite being sidelined by back soreness.

NBC Sports: Sosa will retire, ‘calmly wait for my induction’

Former outfielder Sammy Sosa will soon announce his retirement, and says he’ll be waiting for the call to the Hall of Fame despite rumors of steroid use, ESPN reported on Wednesday.

“Everything I achieved, I did it thanks to my perseverance, which is why I never had any long, difficult moments [as a baseball player]. If you have a bad day in baseball, and start thinking about it, you will have ten more.

“I will calmly wait for my induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Don’t I have the numbers to be inducted?,” Sosa told ESPN.

baltimoresun.com - Catching Up With … ex-Oriole Jim Gentile

The Oriole hitter with the hurricane swing turns 75 on Wednesday.

Happy birthday, Diamond Jim. What’s the best gift for someone your age?

“To live to be 76,” Jim Gentile said.

In the early 1960s, he was Baltimore’s tempestuous slugger, a fiery first baseman with a whip-like cut that battered the air and roused the crowds, contact or no. Watching Gentile flail was as entertaining as seeing his home runs soar out of Memorial Stadium. Strikeouts begat tantrums, broken bats, smashed water coolers and ejections. But if Gentile’s ire prepared the city for the coming of Earl Weaver, his muscle lay the groundwork for Frank Robinson’s arrival.

USA Today: Nightengale: ‘There’s nothing guaranteed in this game’, only the money

Stressburg to Strasburg...a look at the Ben McDonald - Stephen Strasburg connection.

“I don’t know what it’s going to be like for (Strasburg’s) family, but for us, tough, really, really tough,” says Larry McDonald, Ben’s father. “We took Scott Boras’ advice, and he got Ben more money than we dreamed, but it was so tough on everyone here. Every time Scott Boras would call, my wife would just say, ‘Oh, here’s that fancy slick-back-haired California lawyer calling again.’ “

McDonald, who lives across the road from where he grew up and his parents still reside, became the first single-sport athlete since the draft started in 1965 to receive a major league contract. He was selected by the Orioles in June and signed on Aug. 19, getting a $350,000 bonus — breaking the record of $230,000 — and a guaranteed salary of $950,000, which included incentives to push the package to $1.1 million.

“I really thought Boras was off-the-wall when he told me what he wanted to do,” McDonald says.

Says Rebecca McDonald, Ben’s mother: “I sat by myself many nights on the porch just wanting to cry. People were getting caught up in town. Some of our friends agreed with us, some didn’t. And all Ben wanted to do was play ball.”

Brady Anderson: Viewpoint: Angelos doesn’t deserve the bad rap

Carlsbad, yes. Petersbad, no.

I know Peter Angeles, and I have always considered the attacks on him unfair and malicious. I have met him in his office and had dinner with him on several occasions. During our conversations, I recall thinking that this is a compassionate, loyal man who truly cares about the Orioles, the fans, and the people of Baltimore.

He is the son of Greek immigrants who came to America with little more than their aspirations for a better life. Although his great successes allow him to travel anywhere in the world, he rarely strays for long from Baltimore, the city that he loves. He is an American success story, a man who purchased the team in the city where he grew up, where he continues to donate millions of dollars to local causes.

My former teammate, Eric Davis, recently told me that when he was being treated for colon cancer, Mr. Angelos would visit him in the hospital and they would watch the Orioles’ road games together. “He was an owner who cared about the players and the fans,” Eric said.

Perhaps one day another article will be written attempting to name the best owners in baseball and a little more research will be put forth and Peter Angelos will be on that list, where he rightfully belongs.

Divish: It’s time for Seattle fans to let Adam Jones go – the budding star doesn’t love you anymore

If he had any special feelings of nostalgia in his first trip back last season, they were minimal.

And now? They are nonexistent.

“Nothing,” he said flatly when asked if he had any special feelings coming back.

No sentimentality? Nothing?

“Nothing,” he said. “It’s just a regular city. We’re on the road. We just got to come here and do what our team tries to accomplish on the road.”

It sounds like cold words for a group of fans who feel like they’ve been robbed of something special by a bald-headed assailant named Bill Bavasi.

Didn’t the Bald-Headed Assailant take on Dr. Luther & Incubus one time?

Pos and James on Wieters

Bill James: I think Matt Wieters is extremely good. I’ve seen him play several times, in spring training. His upside is obviously enormous, and I don’t think there is a hole in his game that you can see by analysis or that you can see by watching him play, at least at my level of sophistication. There could still be a hole in his game that is exposed by major-league competition, but my guess is that, if there is, he can cover it pretty well.

Joe Posnanski: When I was working on The Machine—my upcoming book about the 1975 Reds, and yes, I’m already pathetically hyping it—I learned Johnny Bench was so hyped in the minor leagues that the Class A Peninsula Grays actually retired his number after he played 98 games there in 1966. He did hit 22 homers there, 10 over a “Hit it here, win a free suit” sign, so Bench was a sharp-dressed man when he moved up to Triple A. Hyping brilliantly talented young catchers is hardly something new.

Bill: There is a certain poignancy in the fact that Clint Hurdle was fired by the Rockies the same day that Wieters made his major league debut for the Orioles. Hurdle was the most-hyped rookie in Royals history, and probably the most-hyped rookie of the 1970s. He got drafted high and shot to the majors young, and hit a long, long home run in a late-season call-up in 1977; he was just a couple of months past his 20th birthday.

Always learn something when these two chat....

MASN: Wood: Eavesdropping

Is there anything better than listening to cigar-chomping scouts yammer away? (outside of Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens that is)

Listening in - with permission - to a couple of AL scouts this weekend in Baltimore talking about the Nationals.

(By AL scouts I mean they work for American League teams, not that they only scout other AL teams - they see everybody.)

“They need a real centerfielder. It wasn’t Milledge, it’s not Dukes or Kearns. Maxwell is terrific with the glove, but he can’ t hit - not with that swing.”

“Maxwell is too far from the plate. He’s not covering the outside corrner. His swing is too long. I saw him in winter ball and he didn’t hit there either.”

“I like their pitching. Lannan is solid. Detwiler is a major leaguer. I think Zimmermann will be another Oswalt or Halladay. Stammen may be a 4A guy, back-of-the-rotation type, but I really haven’t seen that much of him.”

“They need to move Johnson, Willingham, Harris, Beimel and Tavarez and bring in some younger relief arms, guys from A or AA, and prepare for the next couple of years.”

“This club looks like the Tigers from what, 2003? 2004? Bonderman got hammered when he first came up. Nate Robertson, too. Verlander wasn’t an instant success. Some of the Washington kids already have shown more early.”

“I still like Milledge. He needs a major attitude adjustment and some kind of mentor, but I still think he can be a decent big league player.”

MASN: Martinez: Matt Wieters has It

Buck Martinez, on Matt Wieters making his ML clara bow.

I have been in the game since 1967 and have never seen a rookie call-up that has created so much interest and hype as this by the Orioles.

I was in Kansas City when George Brett was called up and when Clint Hurdle was on the cover of SI. I was in Milwaukee when Paul Moiltor was recalled from the minor league camp in spring training once we found out that Robin Yount was “retiring” to play golf. I was in Toronto when John Olerud was signed and came directly to the big leagues, straight from Washington State to the show without a stop in the minors.

No one I have been around has had the attention Matt Wieters has been given and I think he deserves it.

...He has “it”. That quality that few posess, but the one that seperates them from the rest of the pack.

Thurman Munson had “it”. Carlton Fisk had “it”. Derek Jeter has “it”. Adam Jones and Nick Markakis have “it”.

And when you have a catcher with “it” you really have something.

Wieters rips triple to notch first MLB hit

Matt Wieters made his own little bit of history on Saturday night, getting his first Major League hit in a game against the Tigers in the Orioles’ 6-3 defeat.

Wieters, the Orioles’ first pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, went 0-for-4 in his debut Friday night and struck out in his first at-bat Saturday, when Justin Verlander got him with a 98-mph fastball. But Wieters turned the tide when leading off the fifth, as he blasted a 2-1 pitch just over center fielder Curtis Granderson’s glove and off the fence.

The ball rolled away momentarily, and Wieters legged out a triple. Most of the fans at Oriole Park at Camden Yards stood and applauded while the rookie catcher stood on third base, and the Orioles got the ball for him in the dugout.

Who was the last Catcher to have a triple for their first MLB hit?

Beyond the Boxscore: Rancel: Nolan Reimold, The Other Baltimore Orioles’ Rookie

Or as Kung FU Panderer, Chris Carlin said the other night...”...and a home run from Nolan Reimold ~~~~~WHO?!!!!?“

This brings me to my original thought about the rookie who has been roaming left field for the past few games. Nolan Reimold has showed some serious power in his brief time in the big leagues. A former second round pick in the 2005 draft, Reimold finally reached Triple-A to start 2009. After hitting 25 home runs for Double-A in 2008, he continued to hit at the next level hitting .394/.485/.743 with nine home runs and 11 doubles in 130 plate appearances for Norfolk. In his first 56 PAs as a big leaguer, Reimold has slugged five more home runs proving his power is indeed real, not that there was much question. Since 2006, he has posted an ISO of over .200 at each level of the Orioles organization, and at age 25 he is showing the most power with an ISO of .349 at Triple-A and .302 in the big leagues.

While he probably will not hit for a high average since he has the tendency to swing and miss like most sluggers, Reimold has shown a good eye at the minor league level walking 14.2% of the time in Triple-A and 11.1% in 2008. Along with a good eye comes average speed and average defense. In a very limited sample size, he has a +0.3 UZR in left field and was average to slightly below average defensively in the minors. In other words, he won’t kill you out there, but you won’t be confusing him for Carl Crawford anytime soon.

Reimold may not have the fanfare as Wieters and that’s just fine. But if he continues to hit like he we have seen then, like Wieters, he may be a part of the Orioles lineup for quite some time. At age 25, Riemold isn’t getting younger and with Pie’s struggles and Montanez’s injury this is just the opportunity that he needs to prove he can make it in the big leagues. We’ll see if he can make the most of that opportunity or not.

Grand Scott: Orioles slam Tigers (Wieters goes 0-4)

Were you expecting someone else? Designated hitter Luke Scott stole the show Friday in Matt Wieters’ Major League debut, upstaging the rookie by swatting two home runs for the second straight day. Scott, who now has five home runs in the past three days, led the Orioles to a 7-2 win over Detroit.

Scott returned from the disabled list on Wednesday, and he celebrated by blasting a homer in his first at-bat. The left-handed hitter drove another two long balls Thursday before making a difference Friday. Scott hit a grand slam in his second at-bat and came back in his third to drive a solo shot off Dontrelle Willis.

Wieters, meanwhile, had a modest big league debut. The catcher went 0-for-4, but he did help usher Brad Bergesen through a successful start. Bergesen (2-2) allowed just two hits in the first six innings, and he weathered a seventh-inning storm to record the longest start of his brief career.

Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk and Gary Carter all went hitless in their debuts too.

Oh, and the Force is strong with Luke Scott.

Wieters Round-up!

Yeah, you can laugh at me when he goes 0-4 tonight or rides the bench. Until that happens though, he’s going 4-4 with 4 Home Runs and a intentional walk with the bases loaded.

So, in the tradition of the great WBC round-ups, here is a one-day-only (I promise!) Matt Wieters round-up.

MLB.com has an article on Wieters.

Peter Schmuck talks about Wieters, and has quotes from one C. Ripken, a pre-Wieters Oriole.

Comments from coaches, Andy MacPhail, pitchers, etc. on Wieters

The Baltimore Sun’s “O’s on Deck” blog has a look at some of the media coverage.

The Above has a link to the infamous Matt Wieters Facts website.... the website that makes me want to kick myself and also makes me wonder if they stole the meme from here (and compiled a few from here too… it even says so) or (more likely) if it is just a case of parallel development.

Finally, the AP gives us the final word, from David Trembley:

It’s hard to overstate the anticipation for Wieters’ debut, although Trembley did a pretty good job of it.

“Should we open the clubhouse at 11? Have brunch here tomorrow for everybody? Is it going to be like Duke madness out there, where people are going to be out with tents?” Trembley said. “I’m going to go out and buy pizzas for everybody, and we’re going to have a pajama party out there waiting for Wieters to come.”

Reimold’s HR rallies Orioles past Jays 12-10 in 11

Nolan Reimold hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning to cap a second surprising comeback by the Baltimore Orioles, who beat Toronto 12-10 Wednesday to extend the Blue Jays’ losing streak to nine games.

No comment.

From The Negro Leagues To The Majors

Today, we spotlight a family whose Negro League and Major League roots are still shining on the today’s baseball diamond. It started with grandfather Sam Hairston, who began his career as a catcher for the Birmingham Black Barons in 1944.

After winning the Negro League American League’s Triple Crown in 1950, Hairston would be come the first African-American player signed by the Chicago White Sox.

His two sons, Johnny and Jerry, would go on to become Major Leaguers. Both would also put time in the Windy City; Johnny briefly with the Cubbies and Jerry with the White Sox.

And now the third generation of Hairstons, both second baseman, continue one of the longest traditions of African American ballplayers. Jerry Jr., began his career with the Baltimore Orioles in 1998.

Camden Chat: MASN Orioles Blogger Night at Camden Yards

What kind of sick world are we living in where Gary Thorne and Buck Martinez don’t know who Duck, Jonny Pops and Brotz13 are?!

She was on her way down to the field so couldn’t talk for long. Jonny Pops suggested she stop by later and do a story on us, but she politely declined (hee).

Gary Thorne and Buck Martinez spent a few minutes detailing their day and how they prepare for the game, including talking to players on the field, going over the game notes, the usual. Gary also joked that when there’s a good hockey game on they always keep it on during the game. As you all know, Gary has that great voice, and it was even more booming in person. Those of you who pay attention to Buck when he’s on camera know that he’s always giving that twinkly winky eye to the camera, and as I was in his line of vision I felt like he was giving it directly to me the entire time. The question was asked if Buck and Gary read any sports blogs, and they said that they didn’t, since between all of their various jobs they just don’t have the time. So feel free to continue saying whatever you like about Buck and Gary here, they won’t ever know :-)

Wieters to be called up by Orioles (on Friday)

The Baltimore Orioles are readying the welcome mat for their much-talked-about prized prospect.

Catcher Matt Wieters will be recalled by Baltimore on Friday and make his major league debut at home that night against the Detroit Tigers.

“It’s time. He’s ready,” Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said during a MASN radio interview Tuesday night.

He is coming.

Major League Baseball to Rebrand as “Wietersball”

Here we go....

SMITH: Jim’s Jems: Palmer Invades Washington

Heard this pearl from Dibble to Jim Palmer yesterday..."Jim, were you ever injured during your career?”

During the first interleague weekend of 2009, the Orioles visited Washington and the MidAtlantic Sports Network celebrated by combining its O’s and Nats broadcasts.

Baltimore owner Peter G. Angelos, of course, owns MASN - a condition of his blessing that allowed the Expos to move to Washington. Nats analyst Rob Dibble and Orioles bloviator Jim Palmer tag-teamed on the broadcasts this weekend. What happened when the famously verbose Palmer had to share the booth?

Stampede!

...More fun from Palmer this weekend:

“He lives in Miami and can hit lefthanded pitching.”

“Huff missed a home run by a quarter of an inch. If that.”

“It’s pretty simple. It’s not like it’s rocket scientist.”

Liberation Day: Orioles release ineffective Eaton; recall Albers

Struggling pitcher Adam Eaton(notes) was released Friday by the Baltimore Orioles, who lost patience with the right-hander after he won only two of eight starts.

WE ARE FREE FROM ADAM EATON!!!!!! IT IS A GLORIOUS DAY! FREEEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!