More memories of Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz

A memorial service will be held later this morning for former Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Glendale, Ariz. Teammates and the friends made through his years in baseball are gathering to celebrate his life.

That’s how they want to treat the day. To smile through the tears and to remember and share the many stories. To comfort and console.

Matusz, the fourth-overall pick in the 2008 draft out of the University of San Diego who appeared in 280 games in eight seasons, passed away on Jan. 6 at his home in Phoenix. He was only 37.

The Orioles turned Matusz into a lefty specialist out of the bullpen and he posted ERAs of 3.53, 3.48 and 2.94 in a combined 186 games from 2013-15. He made one start for the Cubs in 2016 and received a World Series ring. Attempts to extend his career took him to Triple-A Reno, Mexico and the independent Atlantic League, his last innings pitched in 2019.

Matusz was the bullpen coach for Baseball New Zealand in the 2022 World Baseball Classic, a final chance to remain close to the sport that he loved.

Springing ahead with more Orioles camp memories

Springing ahead with more Orioles camp memories
Until the lockout ends and major league spring training camps finally open, I'm left to reminisce about past stays in Florida. The many stories that unfolded, some of which never made it into print. The many mornings spent inside the clubhouse and on the back fields. The road trips, more grueling when the home site was down in Fort Lauderdale. The unexpected arrivals and departures. I'll share a few more today: Betemit's knee injury Media wanting to interview the starting pitcher or a...

More memories from past Orioles spring trainings

More memories from past Orioles spring trainings
Orioles pitchers and catchers would be stretching later this morning and undergoing the next round of workouts at the Ed Smith Stadium complex, perhaps joined by some position players who reported early and passed their physicals, except the lockout remains in place and threatens an on-time opening day. Representatives for Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association met again yesterday and the session lasted about 15 minutes, according to reports. Lead negotiators Dan Halem and Bruce...

Former Orioles knew where Mateo belonged

Former Orioles knew where Mateo belonged
The comments were made in jest and thousands of miles away from Baltimore. By former members of the Orioles organization who saw a perfect marriage between one of their players and the rebuilding team they left behind. Never did they imagine that it would actually come true. The Orioles claimed Jorge Mateo on waivers a month ago and he's reached base in 24 of his 25 starts, with a walk and his 10th stolen base last night. His name keeps appearing in the lineup, which the Padres couldn't do...

Mullins extends hit streak, but O's extend losing streak

Mullins extends hit streak, but O's extend losing streak
The Orioles' losing streak reached nine last night as right-hander Spenser Watkins allowed six runs and seven hits over four innings in an 8-1 loss at Boston. The Orioles have allowed 82 runs during the losing streak as they fell to 38-76. Watkins struggled badly to throw strikes Friday night, and when his pitches did find the zone, they found the middle of it too much. Boston scored four runs in the third and led 5-1 after three innings. So five runs in three innings last night and Boston had...

A son's appreciation of the sports talk that has been silenced

A son's appreciation of the sports talk that has been silenced
My father would have turned 80 today, but Stage 4 esophageal cancer took him away from his family and friends in January 2019, leaving us heartbroken that he's gone but also relieved that he didn't suffer. The sentence is harder to type than I imagined. I had to pause in the middle of it. We wouldn't have been able to talk baseball this year, at least in the traditional sense. Every conversation over the phone included a mention of the Orioles. Same with every visit, which on a few occasions...

Remembering the no-fans game five years later

Remembering the no-fans game five years later
The Orioles enter another day with no baseball on the agenda. No clue if or when there's going to be a second spring training and season with an assortment of changes applied to it. Five years ago today, they played a game with no fans at Camden Yards. An oddity that was disturbing on another level. There were a couple of humorous moments, which we sought out in an attempt to provide some balance to the tension. Caleb Joseph tipped his cap to the imaginary crowd and pretended to sign...

Orioles replacing more holdovers from previous front office

Orioles replacing more holdovers from previous front office
The Orioles have made more changes in their scouting department today, including the removal of Dean Albany and Nathan Showalter, according to industry sources. They also are replacing director of baseball operations Tripp Norton, per sources. Norton was hired from the Tigers organization in March 1998 as assistant director of minor league operations. He moved into his present role in January 2012. Norton and Brian Graham, who was fired as director of player development, represented the Orioles...

Cashner on his health, Hyde and more

Cashner on his health, Hyde and more
The top three starters in the Orioles rotation will report to spring training without the physical ailments that interrupted or ended their 2018 seasons. Dylan Bundy's sprained left ankle has healed. Alex Cobb isn't bothered by the blisters that surfaced on his right index and middle fingers. Andrew Cashner no longer has bursitis in his left knee. A cortisone injection administered in September didn't provide the necessary relief for Cashner and he was done after his start on Sept. 12. He...

Searching for the good in a bad season

Searching for the good in a bad season
Former Orioles manager Buck Showalter always said it's a mistake to take over a losing team and assume that everything is wrong and needs to be fixed or replaced. It wasn't his approach in the summer of 2010, as the Orioles were continuing a streak of losing seasons that reached 14, and Brandon Hyde won't make those assumptions after 115 losses fueled a teardown. "No doubt," he said last week on 105.7 The Fan. "I have a ton of respect for Buck and he's got a ton of experience in that, so...

Elias digs deeper into managerial hiring process

Elias digs deeper into managerial hiring process
We may never know with pinpoint accuracy when Brandon Hyde received his offer from the Orioles to become the 20th manager in club history, when he accepted it, when it was safe to stitch his name across the back of a jersey. It really doesn't matter as we move forward, but someone in the organization insisted yesterday that, as reports surfaced at the Winter Meetings that Hyde would become the next manager, the Orioles hadn't started the process of negotiating a deal with him. We can argue...

Hyde on staying "patient and positive" as Orioles manager

Hyde on staying "patient and positive" as Orioles manager
Brandon Hyde was announced today as the Orioles' 20th manager following an "intensive, thorough" search, as described by executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias. They met a few weeks ago, had dinner together and Elias was convinced that Hyde would be "a good fit." The bonding process continued today while Hyde's wife and three children watched his 35-minute press conference from the front row inside the auxiliary clubhouse. Elias said Hyde's name was the first one that he...

Hyde hiring will be discussed today at press conference

Hyde hiring will be discussed today at press conference
The Orioles will introduce Brandon Hyde today as the 20th manager in club history during a noon press conference at Camden Yards. Executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias, hired a month earlier, will join Hyde in the auxiliary clubhouse. Hyde brings 16 years of professional coaching experience, though only one game as a major league manager. He was the Cubs bench coach in 2014 and 2018 and the first base coach from 2015-17 after serving as Marlins bench coach from June 2010...

Orioles hire Brandon Hyde as manager

Orioles hire Brandon Hyde as manager
Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde will be introduced at noon on Monday as the 20th manager in Orioles history. Left behind at the Winter Meetings are the confusion, controversy and criticisms over the reported confirmations coming out of Las Vegas. The club has made it official. Hyde is the replacement for Buck Showalter, who guided the Orioles to three playoff appearances and one division title in 8 1/2 seasons at the helm. Showalter learned on Oct. 3 that his contract would run out and the...

Notes on Cobb interest and Villar's position

Notes on Cobb interest and Villar's position
LAS VEGAS - The Orioles aren't expected to shop Dylan Bundy at the Winter Meetings, with executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias referencing the right-hander in a letter sent out to season ticket holders. However, some of the executives who have gathered at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino are curious about the availability of Alex Cobb, who has three years and $43 million remaining on the deal he signed in spring training. I spoke with one executive yesterday who thought the...

Bundy crunches some numbers

Bundy crunches some numbers
Dylan Bundy already knows the numbers. He's seen them or had them recited to him. I wasn't breaking news. Bundy, a call-in guest last night on the "Orioles Hot Stove" show on 105.7 The Fan, managed a chuckle as I cited his issues with the longball. The career-high 41 home runs allowed that led the majors. Let's start there and slowly work our way toward the positive. When I said that Bundy is likely to reflect on the home runs while examining areas that need improving, he replied,...

Graham won't remain with Orioles in 2019 (with statement)

Graham won't remain with Orioles in 2019 (with statement)
The Orioles are continuing to make dramatic changes throughout the organization, removing director of player development Brian Graham this morning, according to a source. Graham returned to the organization in October 2007 after serving as the Pirates' interim general manager and was named director of player development six years later. He had been handling the GM duties for the Orioles on an interim basis after they decided to part ways with executive vice president Dan Duquette. During his...

Elias addresses managerial search and other topics

Elias addresses managerial search and other topics
The search for a new Orioles manager remains the top priority for executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias. No other task at the moment supersedes it. And while Elias is hesitant to offer too many specifics, he spoke tonight of progress made through the narrowing of his list. Elias, a call-in guest to the "Orioles Hot Stove" radio show on 105.7 The Fan, said the staff has sifted through an impressive number of possibilities. He noted the input from assistant Sig Mejdal and...

Considering challenges of constructing a coaching staff

Considering challenges of constructing a coaching staff
The Orioles haven't laid out a time frame for hiring a new manager, with Mike Elias offering confirmation last week during his introduction as executive vice president and general manager. A process too important to be rushed. A list too long to be chopped in hasty fashion. To quote Elias: "It's not something to rush for the sake of meeting artificial dates in the wintertime." Meanwhile, contracts for the entire coaching staff expired on Oct. 31. No one has landed a new job, from what I can...

Some leftovers from the Adam Jones tailgate

Some leftovers from the Adam Jones tailgate
Orioles reliever Donnie Hart arrived at yesterday morning's #StayHungry Purple Tailgate with a box of donuts in his hands. He was definitely in the right place. Adam Jones walked up to Hart, reached inside the box and pulled out one of his favorite treats. Glazed are his preference. Nothing too fancy. Jones and his sweet tooth were back in Baltimore because there's always more charitable work to be done. On this day, he managed to raise more than $125,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of...