MLB: Baltimore Orioles Baseball...A Fan Speaks Out

2008-11-26T11:14:00.001-05:00

Dennis Sarfate has a lot to be thankful for this holiday season! He's making a great comeback from his clavicle surgery. Here's the full story.

2008-10-30T14:20:00.001-04:00

Get out there and vote next Tuesday, November 4th, Oriole fans!

2008-10-20T11:07:00.001-04:00

Get in on the election fever! Vote here for the 2008 This Year in Baseball Awards. Every voice counts!

Nastia...the name doesn't help

2008-08-15T14:03:00.003-04:00

Did anyone watch the women's gymnastics last night? Could Nastia Liukin look any more unhappy? OMG. I guess her dad is her coach. Has he not noticed that his daughter seems to hate everything about gymnastics, especially her teammate? Seriously, if looks could kill, Shawn Johnson would have died a few times over last night.

I actually got uncomfortable every time Nastia was on the TV screen, as if I was watching someone suffer. I just feel bad for the kid. I'm glad she ended up with the gold. She deserved it, and I actually got to see what she looks like smiling.

I went to high school with a girl like that, and she scared the crap out of me. So much anger...heehee.

You Never Know...

2008-04-21T13:19:00.004-04:00

How nice would it be if I got to buy World Series tickets this fall? At this point, anything can happen! I love springtime...

You've been PUNKED!

2008-02-22T13:13:00.002-05:00

So there are some times that you don't want to be messed with, and then there are times you're just so relieved to have been messed with... this cracked me up. Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick didn't seem to mind being told that his trade to Japan was just a joke after all.

Really Cold Beer

2007-11-10T13:16:00.002-05:00

It can't always be baseball season, I suppose, so I bought some Baltimore Ravens tickets today. Drinking a cold beer in a football stadium in November just doesn't seem the same, though.

A Look Back at the 2006 Baltimore Orioles

2007-07-04T03:53:00.001-04:00

Okay, so I'm not usually a sucker for the musical montages, but this was an awesome watch.

Check out this not-so-sappy clip of the 2006 Baltimore Orioles season. (Why do I like it? Probably because it's one of the few musical montages that manages to NOT use Celine Dion. I like her and all, but adding Celine Dion to anything raises the sappiness quotient by a power of at least 10.)

Airing dirty laundry

2007-05-10T12:00:00.000-04:00

Seems like the Baltimore Orioles are hitting the extremes as far as drama goes. Jay Gibbons starts complaining about lack of playing time, and manager Sam Perlozzo gives only this statement (from baltimoresun.com):

"Perlozzo said he's spoken with Gibbons and that his office door is open for players to come in and talk. 'I don't have anything negative to say other than, we're trying to do the absolute best to get him right and we've been working on that," Perlozzo said. "The newspaper's not the place to talk about it.'"

Wish the press could have that same attitude about the whole steroid investigation story...

National Nemesis

2007-03-09T09:47:00.000-05:00

Okay tonight's the real deal. Think Washington fans will see a win over the Orioles tonight? Well, as much as the Nationals would like to win this one, they just don't have the lineup. Look on the Orioles bench ... Jay Gibbons. Brian Roberts. Miguel Tejada. Melvin Mora. Ramon Hernandez. Aubrey Huff. Corey Patterson. Nick Markakis, Jay Payton. Kevin Millar. I think we will see a repeat defeat.

Will MLB see Sammy Sosa again?

2007-01-17T14:47:00.000-05:00

Remember when you last caught a glimpse of Sammy Sosa? It was in 2005, in his one season with the Baltimore Orioles. He’s been wanting to get back into MLB baseball and has been working out at home in the Dominican Republic. Just the other day he was spotted working out at Ameriquest Field with the Texas Rangers, the first big league team to give him a break, way back when he was 16. Sammy stayed with the Rangers for 17 years before moving to Chicago, first with the White Sox, then with the Cubs. Anyway, nobody’s reporting offers, and Sammy is 38, not 16, but personally I’d like to see him back in the game if he’s got a few more swings of the bat in him.

Millar Back for One More Season

2006-12-10T19:40:00.000-05:00

The Baltimore Orioles signed their first baseman Kevin Millar to a one year extension of his contract for $2.75 million. Millar has averaged 17 home runs and 67 RBI's over the course of his seven season career. Last season Millar reached base in 103 of the 132 games that he did play by hit, walk, or hit by pitch. Millar has an option for 2008.

Orioles Have Their Work Cut Out for Them

2006-11-17T16:21:00.000-05:00

Looking over the Baltimore Orioles' calendar for the 2007, Ryan Sharrow of the Baltimore Business Journal found some tough spots on the schedule. Mainly the first half of it. First off, our birds will be up north to open against the Minnesota Twins. Then it's over to the Big Apple and three games with the New York Yankees. We finally get back to Camden Yards, only to stage our home opener against the reigning AL Champs, the Detroit Tigers.

Y'know what, though? Those are the kinds of games I'd most like tickets for!

One tiny break Sharrow discovered in the 2007 itinerary: 39 of our 73 post-All-Star games will be home games.

Googling around

2006-11-02T14:51:00.001-05:00

Major League Baseball is hibernating, of course, so I’m taking the opportunity to catch up on world events, etc. etc. So I’ve been on the internet doing some googling. Only to find out that it makes Google mad if I refer to surfing any other search engine as “googling.” I read that they actually have lawyers stewing over this.

If this is true, and I must caution you that not everything you read on the internet is—sheesh!, they are just being stupid. How is this harming Google? If you were running Yahoo or AOL, wouldn’t you kill to have your name turned into the generic term for websearching?

Hey, Google, quit crying! Here’s a kleenex. I mean, a facial tissue.

Five years of relative stability for Major League Baseball

2006-10-25T12:58:00.000-04:00

I didn't know the exact figures until I read it online, but MLB has had nine work stoppages since 1972. No wonder it seemed like baseball strikes were hanging over our heads all the time!

So it's great to hear that, in a spirit of cooperation, the clubs and the players have agreed on a contract that will kick in two months from now when the old one expires. No scary gap, and no potential walkouts or lockouts before 2011!

Starting to Look Like Tigers Will Represent AL

2006-10-13T21:44:00.000-04:00

Now we all know that it is still mathematically possible for the Oakland A's to come back from an 0 and 3 deficit -- ask the Boston Red Sox -- but my gut feeling is that this American League Championship Series is going to the Tigers...very likely in a sweep, the way the Athletics have been looking. Saturday afternoon will tell.

At least we’re not Tampa Bay.

2006-10-03T12:26:00.000-04:00

It’s easy to have a lot of pride in and awe from our “hometown hero” Cal Ripken, Jr. but the future of Baltimore really should be our focus. And for that we’ll need consistent pitching to have a chance if we want to celebrate in the post-season.

Swollen Pouty Lip Service

2006-07-10T13:50:00.000-04:00

Baltimore is not the most exciting city on the planet. The only plan my girlfriend can come up with for next weekend is for us to get Pink tickets and go see her perform at the 9:30 club. I would rather swallow a pint of rusty nails so I am going to suggest we forgo the teeny bopper event of the season and get Orioles tickets again. She will probably pout a little and make me promise I will take her to some other girlie rock event in the future, but I can fake that easily enough. We are playing the Texas Rangers so the game might be as depressing as watching Pink run around the stage in platform combat boots while pummeling herself in the face with a cordless microphone. There is just not enough beer in the world to make me sit through that kind of weak spectacle willingly.

On a positive note: Nickelback tickets are on sale for their Baltimore show on July 26^th.

Orioles split series against the Mariners and on to the Angels.

2006-05-28T15:22:00.000-04:00

Bruce Chen missed the chance for his first win Friday in the first game of our series against the Los Angeles Angels. The Baltimore Orioles haven’t done well this weekend but I am hopeful for today’s game. We haven’t had a stellar season thus far but things are looking up after our 14-4 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Orioles impress in April.

2006-04-30T15:14:00.000-04:00

The Baltimore Orioles are doing pretty well this season and I have high hopes that they will soon distinguish themselves as a winner in the American League East. What do you think of Bruce Chen’s contribution so far this season?

Benson takes down Devil Rays.

2006-04-13T13:10:00.000-04:00

Kris Benson got his first win of the season against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Tuesday night and he looked like he was in top form. He gave up only five hits in eight innings and led the Baltimore Orioles to an 8-4 victory. Benson got some help from third baseman Melvin Mora who hit his third home run of the season. If things keep looking up we should win this three game series against Tampa Bay and gain momentum for some serious wins this season.

What a way to start the season!

2006-04-05T00:46:00.000-04:00

The Baltimore Orioles won their regular season home opener against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The spectacular final score was 14-7. Miguel Tejada and Luis Matos were two of the four Orioles who hit home runs that night. We tied a franchise record for RBIs in this sixth straight opening day victory. Baltimore may not have had a lot of wins in the spring but they looked fresh and practiced on the field Monday. Go Orioles!

Music to my ears.

2006-03-10T18:35:00.000-05:00

There are some great concerts coming to the Baltimore area. Death Cab for Cutie will be here on the 11^th of April and The Roots will be at the Warner Theatre on April 1^st. The most exciting band visiting Baltimore is the Arctic Monkeys. They are as good as the White Stripes and Coldplay and are from the UK. I really like their music and can’t wait to go see them live. I got Arctic Monkeys tickets from Coast to Coast – you’ll see their links on the right side of this blog. Go there if you’re like me and want the best seats.

Bopping my head to some good reggae…

2006-02-03T23:29:00.000-05:00

I’ve been listening to some new music by Matisyahu lately. His reggae is classic sounding with heartfelt lyrics that say a lot about what kind of man he is. I like to listen to him while searching the net for Baltimore Orioles news and spring training gossip.

All-Star

2005-06-09T16:14:00.000-04:00

The Orioles are making a name for them selves and our having a good turn around from last season. One of the players stepping up from the ashes is second baseman Brian Roberts. Roberts right now is leading the American league in voting for the All- Star ballot. Roberts is doing a great job in the lead off spot. In fact, in the past 50 games the O’s have played, Roberts was holding on to a .468 batting average in every first inning that he had played.

All-Star

2005-06-08T18:01:00.000-04:00

Oriolin’

2005-05-31T17:33:00.000-04:00

The Orioles have been doing pretty well all things considered. As of now, we are still heading up the AL East, with our next matchup being against the Red Sox. The same Red Sox that led to the DL of Erik Bedard.

Bedard has been on the disabled list for a strained left medial collateral ligament. The Orioles signed on RHP Hayden Penn from AA Bowie to fill in for him.

After coming off of a sweep from the hands of Detroit, Baltimore made up for it with a crushing blow to the Red Sox (8-1). Daniel Cabrera will be leading the Orioles in the next game.

Team Report:

2005-05-24T19:29:00.000-04:00

- excerpt taken from FOXSports.com

Manager Lee Mazzilli needs to solve a few bullpen issues soon: He is overworking closer LHP B.J. Ryan, LHP Steve Kline and RHP Todd Williams, and LHP John Parrish and RHP Jorge Julio are unsure of their roles. Mazzilli doesn't trust Parrish and Julio in tight situations, and Kline has gotten off to a slow start. . . .

C Sal Fasano is a solid defensive backup and a productive bat off the bench. Fasano is starting to take playing time away from Geronimo Gil, who still is making mistakes defensively and entered the week batting .182.

FIRST QUARTER GRADES: Offense: A-. Contributions have come from nearly every player in the lineup; SS Miguel Tejada and 2B Brian Roberts are having sparkling seasons. Pitching: B. Emergence of RHP Daniel Cabrera and LHP Erik Bedard has made the rotation a tremendous surprise. Defense: C+. Outfield and catcher positions are of greatest concern; RF Jay Gibbons and C Javy Lopez have struggled.

Only in the Fourth

2005-05-19T17:27:00.000-04:00

The Kansas City Royals allowed one inning of scores for the Orioles and this was not enough. The Orioles put in four runs in the fourth and then were held to five innings of nothing. The Royals, on the other hand, had their fun.

Rodrigo Lopez (2-2) allowed six runs throughout the first three innings. He still stayed on up to the seventh inning, but the Orioles could not make up the six-run deficit. The Royals were able to put one more in during the eighth to make the final score 7-4.

Orioles Win: 6-2

2005-05-15T18:15:00.000-04:00

After a three-run booming for the Orioles, the White Sox could not come back up. The Sox only made two runs in the seventh to lose this game with a score of 6-2. Erik Bedard had a great pitching game, making his current record 4-1.

Sosa has still been out treating the staph infection on his foot. Apparently, he visited a staff doctor recently and the infection is dissipating.

Sosa out with Foot Infection

2005-05-12T19:24:00.000-04:00

- from FOXSports.com

Orioles placed outfielder Sammy Sosa on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 5, with an abscess and staph infection in his left foot. The Orioles have yet to comment on how much time they think Sosa will miss. Keith Reed will be recalled tomorrow.

Win Battle / Lose War

2005-05-06T18:54:00.000-04:00

In their most recent series against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Baltimore Orioles lost two games only to complete the series with a win. The Blue Jays almost made it a complete sweep until a late 8th inning stretch of scoring.

After the Blue Jays fired in one run, the Orioles needed something to boost them back up. Sammy stepped up to the plate and fired a two-run double to turn the tides. Javy Lopez finished off the inning with a three-run drive.

Orioles Streak Snapped

2005-05-03T18:35:00.000-04:00

The Baltimore Orioles’ streak of winning and goodness has finally come to a close with the opening of a series against the Toronto Blue Jays. This ends their streak at eight games. The final score of the game was 6-2.

The game went into extra innings, with it being stuck at 2-2 up until the 12th. Lee Mazzilli decided to bring in Todd Williams. Typically the go-to guy, Williams allowed for 4 runs in the 12th to seal the game for the Jays.

Team Report:

2005-04-28T13:55:00.000-04:00

- from FOXSports.com

There are concerns LF Larry Bigbie is back to his bad habit of trying to pull every pitch. Bigbie has not been a run producer so far this year and has been platooning with B.J. Surhoff, who also is not producing. That might leave playing time available for OF David Newhan, who had a sparkling first season with the Orioles in 2004. . . .

RHP Steve Reed is off to a slow start, conjuring memories of last year's Mike DeJean debacle. DeJean was signed to be a righthanded specialist and was putrid at Camden Yards. Reed, signed over the winter from the Rockies, is fooling no one with his sidearm style, and his pitches are up in the zone.

7th Inning Runs

2005-04-17T16:29:00.000-04:00

Club officials are concerned about the season debut of RHP Daniel Cabrera, who reverted to old ways after an impressive showing in spring training. Cabrera lost his release point, began firing the ball and threw at A's 1B Scott Hatteberg in frustration. Pitching coach Ray Miller said he still expects Cabrera to have a fine season, but the question is whether he can be depended on to deliver in adverse situations. . . .

Manager Lee Mazzilli said Jay Gibbons would primarily play first base this season, but Rafael Palmeiro started there the first two games and should get a chunk of starts there as Gibbons gets more comfortable after moving from right field this year.

Wins and Other

2005-04-12T19:07:00.000-04:00

Right now, the Baltimore Orioles are stacking a record of 3-3, which gives them a decent beginning. The Orioles lost in their initial opening series against the Oakland A’s, but then made up for it with a 2-1 series over New York. The final game against New York was won 7-2, which gave an extreme push for Baltimore.

As of now, everyone’s wondering what is going on with Sosa. Out of 25 at-bats, we’ve seen a few pops up to the fence, but none have gone over. Power hitter or not, he needs to start showing he was worth the trade.

Palmiero keeps advancing taking the 32nd spot with 2,928 total hits after knocking in 3 more at this past game.

Cabrera will be pitching in the upcoming game against the Devil Rays. The Orioles are giving him another chance to show that he does have the guts to lead in the game and not have a repeat of the game against the A’s.

Cabrera's Screwing Up

2005-04-07T21:03:00.000-04:00

Taking over for Rodrigo Lopez, Daniel Cabrera took place on the mound with the hopes to debut the skill that he had been showing off during Spring Training. Instead, Cabrera completely disappointed the Baltimore Orioles by letting 5 runs in during the second inning. This was an upset that could not be recovered.

Not only was Cabrera letting in runs, he also ended up allowing two walks and pegging two players. Scott Hatteberg was pegged in what appeared to be an act of aggression. Cabrera, keep that off the field!

"I don't want to talk about that. That's part of the game. I don't even think about that right now."
- Daniel Cabrera

SCOUTING REPORT:

2005-04-05T19:15:00.000-04:00

- from FOXSports.com

LHP Erik Bedard has wowed scouts with his stuff at times but needs to be more aggressive and throw more strikes early in the count. As his rookie year wore on, Bedard was hurt by hitters who fouled off his curveball or took it outside the strike zone and waited to jump on his fastball. If he can throw his curve for strikes, he'll get ahead in the count and get quicker outs. He needs to pitch deeper into games.

Shaping Up

2005-03-29T20:50:00.000-05:00

With Spring Training well in force, the Orioles are trying to put together their team. On one side of the spectrum, the Orioles are trying to resolve an open spot on the rotation. In the batting order, they are also disputing over one spot.

The pitching slot is the fifth spot in rotation. As of now, the spot looks like it will go to Mike Riley. But, this is not set in stone. Bruce Chen has been doing really well during training and is turning heads in his direction.

The batting order is still up in the air but because of different aspects. Lee Mazzilli, Orioles manager, is trying to establish whether to add more people at the front of the order and push Javy Lopez down to seventh. It wouldn’t be too great of a plan on account of giving away the use of Lopez’s power in an earlier slot.

Nothing has been decided so as of now we are waiting for further developments.

BREAKOUT PLAYER:

2005-03-24T16:26:00.000-05:00

- from FOXSports.com

LF Larry Bigbie was an everyday player for the first time last season, and he produced 15 home runs and 68 RBIs while usually batting near the bottom of the order. Bigbie has the power and talent to emerge as a 20-plus home run hitter and could also hit for average. Bigbie should get plenty of fastballs while hitting behind the quintet of Mora, Tejada, Sosa, Lopez and Palmeiro, and Bigbie appears primed to capitalize on those opportunities.

Palmeiro’s Back

2005-03-20T14:18:00.000-05:00

After a grueling session on Thursday before the House Government Reform Committee, Rafael Palmeiro returns to the Orioles for practice. If you watched the hearing, some of the best were brought in front of the committee to testify their knowledge of steroid use.

Over the past few years, steroid use has become a hot topic in baseball; everyone wants to know what players have been using. A lot of times, it’s quite obvious who has been using steroids.

Personally, I believe Palmeiro when he says he’s not using steroids. But, for a period of time with the Rangers, I wouldn’t say that was for sure. He blew up for a little while. But on account of Sosa and McGuire, I really do think they were using. Sosa wasn’t able to comment on practically every question that was put forward to him. I wouldn’t implicate Curt Schilling either.

Nevertheless, Palmeiro is glad to be back on the field and over what he calls the “longest day of my life.”

"I don't know how I would have reacted [to Canseco]. I wasn't very happy to be in the same room with him. But maybe this whole thing is for the good of the game and for the good of our kids in this country. If it turns out to be a positive thing that he wrote this stupid book, and he turns himself around and he can be a positive role model, I'll forgive him."
- Rafael Palmeiro

Who will Open?

2005-03-13T15:06:00.000-05:00

In Sidney Ponson’s view, he will not be playing until the Orioles’ second game. Ponson believes that Rodrigo Lopez deserves this honor. Lopez lead the team in wins for the Orioles. Manager Lee Mazzilli has yet to name the Opening Day starter.

In his spring debut game against the Dodgers, Ponson proved his worth. He threw a scoreless 10 inning stretch only allowing two hits.

"They didn't tell me nothing. I am not going to speculate. If you ask me what I think about that, I think Rodrigo. The bottom line is that he was the best pitcher last year. He deserves it. If they gave it to him, I would be happy. I will go the second game, the third game, who gives a damn? Like I told you guys, I want to be pitching in October this year, and I don't give a damn if I am the fourth or fifth starter."
- Sidney Ponson

Oriolin

2005-03-03T15:08:00.000-05:00

- from FOXSports.com

RHP Jorge Julio's strained forearm likely means LHP B.J. Ryan will be the closer on opening day. Julio's injury also will determine how the Orioles' bullpen will be put together in the early going. RHP Steve Reed likely will fill the setup role Julio would have held. Some believe Ryan, who emerged as a standout setup man last season, shouldn't be moved from that role. . . . Manager Lee Mazzilli says C Javy Lopez will not be a spot starter at first base, which means Lopez will catch about the same number of games as he did last season. Lopez often complained about his workload last season, when he caught 132 games.

Random Updates

2005-02-17T15:02:00.000-05:00

With the addition of Sammy Sosa, the Baltimore Orioles have a little bit more power. Being third in their division, a little more power can go a long way. This has potential of bringing about a stronger season, which at the same time brings about more prospective clientele to join the team.

As of now, the Orioles seem to be in a very building stage. Since the early 80’s, they haven’t really had too powerful of a team, but this can really be turning around.

Another perspective to look from is the pitching aspect. Hayden Penn, who has been asked to join in on Spring Training, is building into a giant prospect. Penn, who is most likely slated to be starter for Class AAA Ottawa, has been allowing less than one hit per inning.

Other additions include pitcher Bruce Chen, who will be taking the fifth slot in rotation. Also, Jay Gibbons, who is typically in right field but will be playing first base. And finally, Chris Gomez, who will be reliever for short stop.

Sammy SOSA!

2005-02-05T19:28:00.000-05:00

So, Sammy Sosa starts with the Orioles next season. Too many S’s, anyways. Sosa has been traded for a rather extreme deal. After Sammy walked on the Cubs at the end of the season, the team knew that he would not be able to play for them any longer.

Sosa had been having problems with the management and different disputes kept arising about his position in the batting lineup. Sosa continued to not ‘play ball’ with Chicago, so it was time to move him or lose him.

The trade entailed the Cubs paying $12 million of Sosa’s new contract with Baltimore, leaving $9 million to be paid by the Orioles. Along with this, Cubs achieved one new player (Jerry Hairston) and two minor leaguers. So, who came out on top? It’s really hard to say at this point, but I’m pretty sure you guys in Baltimore are pretty happy.

Sosa is coming to town.

2005-01-31T17:23:00.000-05:00

Unless Sosa is truely losing his flame, only good can come of this trade. He is what I believe this team needs to get our great city back into baseball. With Carlos Delgado recently denying our offers, this comes as much better news to us. Keep up the good tradining Orioles!

Delgado in Sight

2005-01-24T17:51:00.000-05:00

It has come down between three teams, who will be the best suitor? Well here in Baltimore we hope it is the Orioles. It is said the Orioles rose their offer to a $48 million dollars for four years.

O's sign veteran infielder Gomez

2004-12-20T13:08:00.000-05:00

By Gary Washburn / MLB.com

The Orioles attempted to fill their need for a utility infielder by signing former Toronto Blue Jay Chris Gomez to a minor league contract on Wednesday.

Gomez made the Blue Jays out of Spring Training and hit .282 with three homers and 37 RBIs in 109 games. He played every position in the infield, including 77 games at shortstop. He is unlikely to log nearly that many games because Miguel Tejada has a consecutive-games streak of 756.

Gomez, however, could serve as a backup to Melvin Mora at third base and Brian Roberts at second. The Orioles could use a productive backup infielder. Because of a lack of depth, Luis Lopez stayed on the roster for the entire 2004 season and hit just .182 in 56 games.

The 33-year-old Gomez was last a full-time player in 2002, when he hit .265 with 10 homers and 46 RBIs in 130 games for Tampa Bay. The Orioles are Gomez's sixth team, following Detroit, San Diego, Minnesota, Tampa Bay and Toronto.

He is a career .256 hitter with 55 home runs. He was not offered arbitration by the Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

O's Hire Scouting Director

2004-11-19T18:23:00.000-05:00

By Gary Washburn / MLB.com

The Orioles hired former Florida Marlins cross checker Joe Jordan to be their director of scouting on Tuesday.

Jordan, 42, replaces Tony DeMacio, who was removed in September. He joined newly hired farm director Dave Stockstill to complete the retooling of the farm system.

Jordan knows Orioles executive vice president, baseball operations Jim Beattie from his days in the Montreal organization. He became an area scout for the Expos in 1997 -- while Beattie was the team's general manager -- before being named Midwest supervisor in 2001. He joined the Marlins in 2002 and became the club's national cross checker a year later.

"I have known Joe for quite a few years from my time in Montreal," Beattie said. "People I have spoken with have spoken very highly of him. He's a very talented guy, a good evaluator. There are qualities about him that he could motivate a staff. His hiring will continue the improvement in our baseball operations department."

Jordan was a 19th-round draft pick of the San Francisco Giants in 1985. The catcher hit .213 for Class A Everett, but was injured the following spring and was released at the end of Spring Training. After his playing career, he returned to the University of Oklahoma to earn his degree and served as assistant baseball coach for the Sooners from 1988 to 1990.

Jordan was in the financial investment business for seven years before returning to baseball with the Expos.

Jordan will be expected to rebuild the farm system through the draft. Fairly or unfairly, DeMacio was heavily criticized for the Orioles' recent history of poor drafts. Several prospects have been felled by injuries while others never reached their potential.

"I'm evaluated on the draft, we all are," Beattie said. "If the draft gets screwed up too much on my watch, that's not good. That's what are they being evaluated on."

Emotional end for Orioles

2004-10-10T14:20:00.000-04:00

By Gary Washburn / MLB.com

BALTIMORE -- For the 162 games, Lee Mazzilli was seemingly built of granite. He was a stoic manager who did not get ejected once this season. In the heat of a game, he usually discussed controversial calls with umpires in a whisper-quiet voice. For the entire season, Mazzilli's players usually saw nothing more than a wry smile.

Yet, after the Orioles finished beating the Boston Red Sox, 3-2, and reality set in that this tumultuous season was finally over, Mazzilli was overwhelmed with emotion. When he faced his players, most likely prepared for the normal "let's get 'em next year" speech they have heard since Little League, he broke down in tears in expressing his gratitude for their hard work.

Mazzilli's postgame speech to his players lasted all of 30 seconds. He walked into the clubhouse, shades covering his welled eyes, and attempted to thank them for an inspiring season. But he stopped. Mazzilli had no more words, just more tears. And he walked back into his office to gather himself.

"I probably shouldn't be telling you this because he is going to get on me," center fielder Larry Bigbie said. "But he had his sunglasses on and he just wanted to thank the team. I am sure he was feeling some pressure there at certain points in the season and just thanked us for not rolling over and for finishing as strong as we did."

The club announced before the game that Mazzilli would return for a second season, ending speculation that the organization would consider a managerial change in the next few weeks. Also, Mazzilli's coaches all will be invited to return....

Orioles stopped short vs. Jays

2004-09-28T13:46:00.000-04:00

By Gary Washburn / MLB.com

BALTIMORE -- With stormy weather approaching Monday night, Camden Yards was virtually lifeless. And that atmosphere appeared to resonate on the Orioles players, who did not mount much of a struggle against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Orioles scored in the bottom of the first inning on a Melvin Mora home run and produced nothing else in a 4-1 loss to Toronto in front of a season-low 17,809 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles were sky high after a three-game sweep of Detroit on Sunday, and the commemoration of the 50 all-time greatest Orioles. But for the first time this month, the club appeared tired and ready to end the season.

Go O's!

Orioles' momentum halted in finale

2004-09-20T15:15:00.000-04:00

By Mark Schneider / MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- In the first two games of the series, the Orioles stayed close with the Twins early before bursting out with late-inning offensive explosions. The eruption never came in the finale -- Johan Santana simply wouldn't allow it.

Just as he has done against every opponent he's faced since the All-Star break, Santana stifled Orioles hitters, delivering eight shutout innings as the Twins defeated Baltimore, 5-1, on Sunday. Had the Orioles been able to get much of anything against him, however, Bruce Chen might have added a second straight win as he tries to resurrect his career.

Chen made only a few mistakes, but was burned each time by the bottom of the Twins' order. His first mistake came with one out in the third inning when he fell behind Luis Rivas, 2-0. He tried to throw a fastball for a strike, and Rivas sent it deep into the left-field stands for a 1-0 Minnesota lead.

In the sixth, the Twins extended their advantage to 2-0 when Henry Blanco belted the second pitch he saw from Chen into the stands in left-center field. In the seventh, with Michael Cuddyer on base, Chen hung a curveball to Michael Restovich, who blasted it to left-center for a 4-0 Minnesota lead...

On some days, three mistake pitches won't translate into four runs allowed. And on nearly every other day, the margin for error isn't zero, which it was against Santana...

Santana (19-6) struck out 14 batters, bringing his American League-leading strikeout total to 254 on the season. He allowed seven hits, but never gave up more than two in the same inning. In his last 13 starts, Santana has gone 12-0 with a 1.16 ERA.

Baltimore's best chance to draw blood against Santana came in the second at-bat of the game. Tim Raines crushed a fastball into the gap in left-center field for a double and saw a chance to stretch it into a triple. The Twins had to make a perfect play to deny him and they did, as Lew Ford made a strong throw to cutoff man Cristian Guzman, who in turn delivered a perfect strike to third base ahead of Raines' headfirst slide...

That would be the last time Santana allowed a runner to reach second base. The Orioles scored their lone run against Joe Nathan in the ninth, when pinch-hitter Rafael Palmeiro drilled a single off the wall in right field to plate B.J. Surhoff.

Despite the outing, Chen's ERA is still a quite respectable 2.54 in five starts. Just as in his previous outings, he displayed solid control and an ability to change speeds...

On Sunday, Chen looked nothing like a journeyman who is still searching for a home on his ninth team. But he was far from Cy Young-caliber, and against Santana he had to be.

Go O's

What Happened?

2004-09-12T14:58:00.000-04:00

From MlB.com, by Gary Washbern

The Orioles-Yankees rivalry has simmered since the days of Jeffery Maier and Tony Tarasco. While the Bombers have perennially competed for the World Series and become baseball's version of a superpower, the Orioles have struggled to remain competitive and are slowly climbing their way back to respectability and into the Yankees' consciousness...
...The Yankees scored three times in the eighth inning to secure the win for Hernandez. Kenny Lofton led off with a triple and Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli stuck with Ponson, who then allowed an RBI single by Derek Jeter. Alex Rodriguez followed with a grounder to the hole at short and Miguel Tejada's throw to second was wide and Jeter was safe. It was Tejada's career-high 22nd error of the season.

Gary Sheffield then chased Ponson with a double down the left-field line to score Jeter. Bernie Williams later pitched in an RBI groundout for for another insurance run off B.J. Ryan.

Still Hope?

2004-09-06T15:42:00.000-04:00

With 23 games left in the season. Baltimore sits in hope with 64 - 72 record. With a winning percentage of .471, the Orioles find themselves in transition. With a first year manager,Lee Mazzilli, and a new pitching coach, Ray Miller, it seems that a team with such high expectations during spring training is finally living up to there expectations by winning 7 or their 8 last games. Although the effort might be a little to late. Ending the year on a high note would be great for the first year coach to keep his job.

Go O!!!!!

4 nights in Oakland

2004-08-23T17:53:00.000-04:00

From MLB.com:

What began as a must-win situation for the Orioles turned into another disappointing and disheartening defeat as they dropped an 8-5 decision to the Toronto Blue Jays, concluding an 0-6 homestand and adding more pressure to the upcoming 13-game road trip beginning in Oakland.
Miguel Tejada returns to Oakland for the first time since signing a six-year, $72 million contract in December. He knocked in five runs on Sunday and leads the Major Leagues with 113, seven more than he collected all of last season.

The A's had their five-game winning streak snapped by Tampa Bay on Sunday but did sweep the three-game series with the O's last week at Camden Yards. The Orioles scored five runs in that series and were stymied by the trio of Mark Redman, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder. Now, they get to face the Big Three -- Hudson, Mulder and Barry Zito -- along with streaking right-hander Rich Harden.

It could be a long road trip.

Hudson tossed a shutout last Monday at Camden Yards, allowing just five hits. He is 8-1 with a 2.09 ERA against the O's lifetime. Rodrigo Lopez allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings in the game but was charged with the loss. Lopez leads the Orioles in wins as has an outside chance of matching his career high of 15 wins in 2002.

The Orioles offense has not had much of a chance to show its might because the starting rotation has pitched so poorly. They complied an 18.62 ERA during the three-game series with Toronto.

Orioles riding eight-game streak

2004-08-11T15:42:00.000-04:00

Tuesday's 11-3 victory over the Angels pushed the ORioles winning streak to eight with Miguel Tejada posting five RBIs and Daniel Cabrera throwing six consistent innings. Currently we're at 3rd place in the AL East and we're seven games behind Boston in the wild card standings.

Tonight the O's try to make it nine with Erik Bedard on the mound, making his first career appearance against Anaheim. Friday Bedard allowed one earned run in 6 1/3 innings against Texas on the way to a win. Anaheim will bring out Kelvim Escobar tonight, who has 11 wins over the Orioles and nine saves.

Should be an excelent game tonight, hope you can catch it!

GO O's!!!

Orioles meet the Rangers

2004-08-06T14:46:00.000-04:00

For the first time this season, the ORioles will play a four-game series against the Rangers in Baltimore. Last year we went 7-2 against the Rangers, but they're a significantly stronger team now. Erik Bedard will be trading mound time with Nick Regilio of the Rangers - neither pitcher has faced the opposing team, ever. Should be an interesting matchup, it sounds like.

Right now we're on a 3 game winning streak after sweeping the Mariners, so Bedard will try to better that number. I'll be watching, will you?

Presently...

2004-08-03T14:08:00.000-04:00

The Orioles are taking on the Mariners. We hold a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the 3rd, just have to keep up the good work.

On the Yankees series in New York from MLB.com:

What would have been a confidence-boosting win, a benchmark game for Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli as evidence of his team's improved play quickly transformed into another dreadful loss at Yankee Stadium.
This weekend, the stadium video board has been playing some of the Bombers' most exciting wins over the years -- such as the Jeffrey Maier game or the first win after the death of Thurman Munson -- and many of those wins were over the Orioles.

The current Bombers crew continued that tradition, but in less-dramatic fashion on Sunday. An impressive outing by right-hander Rodrigo Lopez suddenly turned into batting practice as the Yankees scored nine times in the span of two innings and held on for a 9-7 win in front of 51,632.

In other news, there's some question as to whether Raffy will be returning next season. It was rumored he might be traded before the deadline, but nothing came of that i guess. Write your congressman and tell him Palmeiro must stay!

a little tidbit

2004-07-29T13:29:00.000-04:00

After drawing months of criticism about his playing weight, Sidney Ponson finally decided to do something about it, the Baltimore Sun reported. Ponson has dropped 16 pounds since the start of spring training, including 10 in the past month, and stands at a much trimmer 250 pounds. "I just watched what I ate," Ponson told the newspaper. "I don't eat late at night like I used to. And I just keep working harder and harder." According to a team official, owner Peter Angelos provided Ponson with the impetus to get in shape -- lose the extra poundage or risk having his three-year, $22.5 million contract revoked.

yeah!

Bedard to look for repeat

2004-07-26T17:59:00.000-04:00

Erik Bedard started in his first game last week, and he'll start again tonight against the Red Sox at Camden. After the Orioles suffered a 1-2 series against the Twins this weekend, they'll be looking hard for a win. Let's hope Bedard can hang in there a little better than Carrera did last night!

And also, from MLB.com:

Jorge Julio converted his 15th save in 17 chances on Saturday night with a smooth ninth inning to beat Minnesota. Yet, there is speculation that Julio either will be traded or replaced by dominant left-hander B.J. Ryan.
Julio has not been a dominant closer in Baltimore primarily because he has not had many opportunities over his 2 1/2 seasons at closer. Julio has 76 saves in that span in 92 chances. Because of the team's inconsistency -- either winning or losing by large margins -- Julio has not had steady work over the years.
Since the All-Star break, Julio has three saves and looks sharp because of the increased workload.

Let's watch this one unfold! What else can you do, really?

Go O's!!!

Since the break...

2004-07-20T16:00:00.000-04:00

After a split series in Tampa Bay, we're in Kansas City and dominating. Anyone else catch the 4 homers in the first 3 innings last night? Spectacular. With a 7-4 win last night, we're obviously confident because today's game is currently in the top of the 5th and we've got an 8-3 lead with 12 hits to 6.

I guess I can't complain...

Tejada drives home a victory!

2004-07-13T14:54:00.000-04:00

Don't know how many of you caught the Home Run Derby last night, but Miguel Tejada delivered a dazzling display of hitting ability, winning the Derby with 27 homers. Thanks for the incredible performance Miguel!!!

Rafael Palmeiro also deserves recognition, as he was only two spots behind with 14 homers. Palmeiro has 541 career home runs under his belt, making him one of only 14 living members in the 500 club.

In other news, we ended up splitting the series last week with the Devil Rays, and then played a 1-2 series against KC...

After some rest, we'll be heading to Tampa Bay on Thursday for a four-gamer over the weekend. Good luck against the Devil Rays, Baltimore!!!!

Roster changes

2004-07-07T16:48:00.000-04:00

From http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/:

With Javy Lopez desiring more off days and time at designated hitter, the Orioles claimed catcher Ken Huckaby off waivers Tuesday from Texas. The club will add him to the roster before Wednesday's game with Tampa Bay.

Mazzilli will be bumping lefty Eric DuBose to the 60-day injured list in order to make room for Huckaby on the roster. While I don't think this is all a bad idea, I'm not expecting immediate results from the changes. True, players need rest in order to deliver their best, but I don't really expect that this alone can turn around our season. If we see results, it will be more long-term. By next season, Huckaby will be a part of the team, but the "new guy" can never be expected to give spectacular performances. He simply won't have had time this season to vibe with his new team - that's more important than impressive stats or a big name.

In the long run though, maybe we'll see some good come of it. I've got my fingers crossed.

In other news, that 3-1 loss to the Devil Rays was disappointing. How could we let a basketball player beat us at our own game? The lefties are eating us alive - get your act together, O's!

Hmm....wonder if Huckaby can hit off a lefty....

Welcome to my Orioles blog!

2004-07-07T16:20:00.000-04:00

So I'm kinda new to this whole "blogging" thing, but it seems like a good way to kill some time and put a few of my own thoughts out, so I decided to give it a shot. As a diehard Orioles fan (fair-weather or foul) it seemed natural that I would blog about the orange boys. Maybe as I learn more about this thing, I will branch out more.

For now this will probably be more of a rant post than anything else, as my Orioles are not too impressive this season (36-45, bottom of the AL East), but as always I have high hopes.

Anyways, hope everyone digs my blog! Go Orioles!