Cleaning out my notebook

Cleaning out my notebook
Chris Davis didn't attempt to lay down a bunt last night. He's not undergoing a complete makeover of his hitting philosophy. Davis is still in the business of driving in runs. His first career bunt single Monday night wasn't a sign that he's going to receive the bunt sign from third base coach Bobby Dickerson each time he steps to the plate. Davis took a few questions yesterday about Manny Machado's suspension before a reporter brought up his bunt. Davis smiled and responded as if it...

Tim Berry on his short stay in the majors and Miguel Gonzalez updates his injury

Tim Berry on his short stay in the majors and Miguel Gonzalez updates his injury
As expected, Tim Berry's stay in the majors leagues was short this time. He was optioned back to Double-A Bowie this afternoon. Kevin Gausman took his roster spot and will start tonight. Berry knew his time could be short in the O's clubhouse, but before he was officially optioned, he told reporters that this was a special experience for him. "It's kind of indescribable," the 23-year-old Berry said. "We were in Portland (Maine) and Gary (Kendall) called me and said I was going to the...

Early notes from Camden Yards

Early notes from Camden Yards
Not much to report at Camden Yards before tonight's game against the Athletics. No news is... no news. The Orioles made their roster move official, recalling pitcher Kevin Gausman from Triple-A Norfolk and optioning left-hander Tim Berry to Double-A Bowie, which is in Portland, Maine, through Sunday. None of the current Athletics have faced Gausman. Chris Davis is 2-for-2 against Oakland right-hander Sonny Gray. Catcher Matt Wieters threw again today on the field. That's his fifth game of...

Update on Santana injury and flurry of roster moves

Update on Santana injury and flurry of roster moves
Veteran left-hander Johan Santana injured his Achilles tendon today while pitching at extended spring training. He was examined and the Orioles are awaiting the results. Santana was hit on the backside by a line drive, and he felt pain in his Achilles while chasing the ball. Santana, on the 15-day disabled list while recovering from shoulder surgery, likely was making his last start in extended spring training before joining an affiliate. Kevin Gausman will be officially recalled on Saturday...

O's bringing Tim Berry to Baltimore

O's bringing Tim Berry to Baltimore
The Orioles are bringing 23-year-old left-hander Tim Berry to Baltimore, but there's no word on whether he will officially be recalled from Double-A Bowie this weekend. The Baysox were in Portland, Maine, when he was asked to make the trip to Baltimore. Berry could be placed on the taxi squad or be added to the 25-man roster if the team has a need. Berry, the Orioles' sixth-best prospect according to Baseball America, would be making his major league debut if he joins the club. I'm...

More banter about the bullpen and tonight's game

More banter about the bullpen and tonight's game
The Orioles will open a three-game series tonight in Minnesota, where they only have to worry about frostbite and a smoldering bullpen. They didn't have enough pitching to make it to Target Field without another roster move. Not a chance. And Evan Meek was the most vulnerable reliever, which is why he's headed to Triple-A Norfolk. Early this morning, I tossed out some possible names to join the Orioles - Preston Guilmet, Suk-min Yoon and Tim Berry. Kevin Gausman was the obvious choice until...

Tim Berry has used a good fastball and attitude for Double-A success

Tim Berry has used a good fastball and attitude for Double-A success
For left-hander Tim Berry, it seems the power of positive thinking is just as important as the power of a well located fastball. After a very solid 2013 season with Single-A Frederick and a very strong Arizona Fall League, Berry is off to a great start in his first year with Double-A Bowie. He got another no decision Thursday night, but went six innings giving up just five hits and one run. Berry has an ERA of 1.00 over three starts to rank sixth in the Eastern League. Over 18 innings he has...

Some fans start to get nervous plus a look at Berry's Bowie debut

Some fans start to get nervous plus a look at Berry's Bowie debut
After five games last season, the Orioles had a 3-2 record. Fans would take that about right now after the team fell to 1-4 with Saturday's loss to Detroit. The one thing to keep in mind is that the O's have played just three percent of their season. Three percent. Yes they need to pitch better and the bats need to get going. Maybe we saw the beginnings of that in the ninth inning on Saturday. As I wrote yesterday, their start so far, while frustrating to the fans, is not too damaging....

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are playing split-squad games today if the weather allows it. Lots of rain is in the forecast. Brian Matusz gets the start against the Phillies in Clearwater, followed by Kevin Gausman. Ubaldo Jimenez was supposed to get the start tonight against the Twins in Sarasota, but manager Buck Showalter told reporters yesterday that the right-hander will pitch in a Triple-A game in Fort Myers. Showalter is anticipating a cancellation due to the weather and he wants to...

More cuts on Tuesday, Orioles could break camp with 13 pitchers

More cuts on Tuesday, Orioles could break camp with 13 pitchers
BRADENTON, Fla. - The Orioles will make two or three more cuts on Tuesday, according to manager Buck Showalter. Showalter said he's toying with the idea of taking 13 pitchers north when the Orioles break camp. The alternative, of course, is going with a four-man bench. "I haven't ruled any of that out," he said. "There's a lot of different matchups here. This time of year, I'm considering anything. "There's a part of you, I'd say 20 or 30 percent, that goes, 'What really impacts...

Orioles make three roster cuts

Orioles make three roster cuts
BRADENTON, Fla. - The Orioles announced three more roster cuts today. The club has optioned left-hander Tim Berry and catcher Michael Ohlman to Double-A Bowie and reassigned catcher Brian Ward to minor league camp. With these assignments, the Orioles now have 53 players at major league spring training, including 15 non-roster invitees. Berry and Ohlman are on the 40-man roster for the first time and couldn't be optioned before today. Ward isn't on the 40-man, which is why he's...

Notes and quotes following intrasquad game (with photos)

Notes and quotes following intrasquad game (with photos)
SARASOTA, Fla. - The visiting Orioles swept the two-game intrasquad series from the home team at Ed Smith Stadium with today's 3-0 victory. If you placed any bets, seek professional help immediately. Tim Berry reached his pitch count in the top of the fourth, walking two batters and giving up an infield hit to Julio Borbon. Kelvin De La Cruz walked Jemile Weeks leading off the bottom of the fourth, and Weeks tagged up and took second base on a fly ball to right-center field. Troy Patton...

More mini-camp morning musings

More mini-camp morning musings
SARASOTA, Fla. - We've entered Day 3 of this mini-camp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex, and we're still waiting for a lull. You want notes? We've got piles of 'em. Delmon Young is expected here today after signing his minor league deal. He wants to do a meet-and-greet of sorts, and Buck Showalter already has a chair waiting for him in the manager's office. Showalter will put aside the press clippings and form his own opinion of Young, who's expected to serve as the right-handed side of...

A look Baseball America's top 10 Orioles prospects list (Surhoff note)

A look Baseball America's top 10 Orioles prospects list (Surhoff note)
Baseball America's top 10 Orioles prospects list has just been released. I was honored to be asked to compile the list for Baseball America this year. Below is the top 10 with a quick comment on each player. 1. Pitcher Dylan Bundy: Even after the Tommy John surgery, he remains No. 1, but it was pretty close. Some forget how good he was in 2012 and the success rate of that surgery is high. Still bullish on Bundy. 2. Pitcher Kevin Gausman: If you ranked Gausman No. 1 over Bundy, you would not...

Gary Kendall on AFL championship: "The Orioles made a statement that day"

Gary Kendall on AFL championship: "The Orioles made a statement that day"
It was a week ago today that the Surprise Saguaros charged the mound to celebrate their Arizona Fall League championship. It was a championship won with a big Oriole flavor. The Surprise team was managed by Double-A Bowie skipper Gary Kendall. Short-season Single-A Aberdeen pitching coach Alan Mills was one of two pitching coaches on the team that also featured eight O's prospects. For the winning players and coaches, it was a wonderful baseball experience and they'll get championship rings...

Berry and Ohlman on the 2013 success that led them to 40-man roster

Berry and  Ohlman on the 2013 success that led them to 40-man roster
To hear Tim Berry tell it, his biggest strides this season were made in the mental part of the game. That led him to perform better physically, and that led him to a spot on the Orioles' 40-man roster. A 22-year-old left-handed pitcher, Berry was added to the O's 40-man last night, joining right-hander Eddie Gamboa and catcher Michael Ohlman on the roster before the midnight deadline. Berry went 11-7 with a 3.85 ERA at Single-A Frederick this season and then pitched to a 1.84 ERA in the...

Berry and Ohlman react to making Orioles' 40-man roster

Berry and Ohlman react to making Orioles' 40-man roster
The Orioles added three players from their minor leagues to their 40-man roster tonight, with the additions of pitchers Tim Berry and Eddie Gamboa, and catcher Michael Ohlman. The 22-year-old Berry went 11-7 with an ERA of 3.85 this past season at Single-A Frederick. Over 152 innings and 27 starts, he gave up 40 walks with 119 strikeouts. Berry went 7-3 with an ERA of 3.27 in 14 starts after the All-Star break. Berry pitched well in the Arizona Fall League, going 2-0 with an ERA of 1.84 over...

Orioles add Berry, Gamboa and Ohlman to 40-man roster

Orioles add Berry, Gamboa and Ohlman to 40-man roster
The Orioles have added left-hander Tim Berry, knuckleballer Eddie Gamboa and catcher Michael Ohlman to their 40-man roster, raising the total to 36. No other players may be added to the roster before the Dec. 12 Rule 5 draft unless they're acquired from outside the organization. Berry, 22, went 11-7 with a 3.85 ERA in 27 starts at Single-A Frederick. He walked 40 and struck out 119 in 152 innings. Berry finished second in the Carolina League in wins, starts and innings. He also went 2-0...

With eight O's prospects on roster, Surprise is headed to AFL championship game

With eight O's prospects on roster, Surprise is headed to AFL championship game
The Surprise Saguaros, a team managed by Double-A Bowie's Gary Kendall and featuring eight O's minor league prospects, are headed to the Arizona Fall League's championship game Saturday. Surprise, which also features short-season Single-A Aberdeen's Alan Mills as one of its two pitching coaches, clinched its division title with awith an 8-2 win Monday over Scottsdale. The Saguaros haven't won the AFL championship since 1995, when the it was a best-of-three series. They will face either...

A look at some O's pitchers in the Arizona Fall League

A look at some O's pitchers in the Arizona Fall League
The Orioles have a few pitchers who have done well pitching for the first-place Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League West division. Among them is 22-year-old left-hander Tim Berry, a 50th-round draft pick in 2009. After pitching well for Single-A Frederick this year, Berry is 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA in six games in the AFL. Over 13 1/3 innings, he has allowed 11 hits with three walks, 10 strikeouts and a .229 average against. O's director of player development Brian Graham recently saw...