Overcoming adversity: Lamar Sparks gets it going with Aberdeen

Overcoming adversity: Lamar Sparks gets it going with Aberdeen
ABERDEEN - When they drafted him from a high school in Katy, Texas, in the fifth round in 2017, the Orioles could look into the future and foresee a day where young outfielder Lamar Sparks would fill out his 6-foot-2 frame and turn into an athletic player with a lot of pop in that bat. That day could still be coming, but it's at least been delayed for Sparks, the No. 158 overall pick that year. A pitcher in high school, Sparks first felt shoulder pain on the high school showcase circuit. As an...

Alan Mills eager to manage again

Alan Mills eager to manage again
Alan Mills is ready to manage again. The former Orioles reliever didn't leave baseball. It sort of left him. Hurricane Dorian washed away the end of the Gulf Coast League's regular season and playoffs in 2019, making the Orioles owners of the best record at 38-15 and Mills the choice as Manager of the Year. The minors were canceled last summer due to COVID-19. Mills stayed home in Lakeland, Fla., with no offer to serve as an instructor at the alternate camp site in Bowie or in the fall...

Tyler Nevin on joining Orioles and relationship with father

Tyler Nevin on joining Orioles and relationship with father
Tyler Nevin finished a round of batting practice last month in Orioles camp and caught the eye of executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, who offered a hint at how the organization viewed him in the field. "I got here and I was hitting and Elias was behind the cage watching," Nevin recounted this morning in his Zoom conference call. "I got out and rolled around the cage and he goes, 'Hey, did you bring all your gloves?' I said, 'Yep,' and he goes, 'OK, you're going to need...

More on Mansolino and some minors mumblings

More on Mansolino and some minors mumblings
When the Orioles made the decision to remove José Flores as third base coach and infield instructor, they didn't rush through the process of finding his replacement. They didn't react as though they were on the clock. There was a slow build to the composition of the final list of candidates, with the Orioles more interested in making an outside hire rather than shifting one of their coaches into a new role and further reducing the staff. They replaced pitching coach Doug Brocail with Chris...

Searching for reasons to be thankful

Searching for reasons to be thankful
The Thanksgiving holiday is upon us and traditions are being shut down like a spring training camp. Large family gatherings and out-of-state travel are discouraged due to health concerns rather than the bickering and your weird uncle's inappropriate comments. The two football games today interest me about as much as month-old sweet potato casserole, but I'll still watch them. They were supposed to be pigskin appetizers before Ravens-Steelers, which is going to be as satisfying as month-old...

More on instructional league, bullpen and a Hall of Famer's birthday

More on instructional league, bullpen and a Hall of Famer's birthday
The Orioles are going to take the competitive side of their fall instructional league to the next level. Games will be played with teams from other camps beginning on Monday. Thus far, the Orioles have been arranging intrasquad matchups, which started this week, similar to the activity this summer at the alternate site in Bowie. The Pirates and Rays will provide the opposition as two of the three closest teams to the Ed Smith Stadium complex. The Pirates are based in Bradenton and the Rays in...

Five things we learned about Orioles fall instructional league

Five things we learned about Orioles fall instructional league
A five-item list is like air to a sportswriter. Not four, not six, not more. "Five things we learned" can't be altered or you'll be reassigned to the mailroom. And you don't get five warnings. We must have learned five things yesterday about the fall instructional league. I'll take a stab at it. * The plan to have all of the draft selections in Sarasota, Fla. was ruined. Outfielder Heston Kjerstad, the second overall pick from the University of Arkansas, can't make it to the Ed Smith...

Rutschman already fitting in with IronBirds (updated with quotes)

Rutschman already fitting in with IronBirds (updated with quotes)
Adley Rutschman just wanted to blend. The first overall pick in the 2019 First-Year Player Draft just wanted to be one of the guys inside the Aberdeen IronBirds clubhouse and while on the field for batting practice prior to his first game with the Orioles' short-season Single-A affiliate. He's going to keep trying. No matter how hard. Rutschman walked past a team store at Ripken Stadium with his IronBirds jersey hanging in front of the window. Couldn't miss it. He was assigned No. 35, which...

Orioles hire Matt Trate as minor league hitting coach

Orioles hire Matt Trate as minor league hitting coach
One of the offseason trends for the Orioles involves the hiring of college coaches to minor league positions, and the announcements coming via their Twitter accounts. Social media working its magic again. The latest confirmation arrived Tuesday night, with Matt Trate tweeting that "my family and I are looking forward to the next chapter with @Orioles as I have accepted a position as a MiLB hitting coach." Trate had been working as associate head baseball coach/recruiting coordinator at...

More on minor league staffs and an international note

More on minor league staffs and an international note
With exactly one week remaining before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, the Orioles are applying the finishing touches to the construction of their minor league staffs and an announcement is coming within the next few days. Certainly before I board my Monday flight to Sarasota. What do we know? Well, let's start with Gary Kendall, who's replacing Ron Johnson as manager at Triple-A Norfolk. Mike Griffin returns as Tides pitching coach. Buck Britton moves up from low Single-A...

Showalter on Wynns and a rookie catching tandem (O's up 2-1)

Showalter on Wynns and a rookie catching tandem (O's up 2-1)
FLUSHING, N.Y. - Catcher Austin Wynns' cheering section is getting in position behind the visiting dugout at Citi Field, the group including parents Jeff and Laura, close friends Chris and India Rowe and agent Michael Bonanno. Other seats will be filled later. Wynns' family made the trip from San Diego and he's also got a group of friends who boarded flights to Flushing. He said Jimmy Yacabonis' parents, who are like a "second family" to him, also are here. This is only the second time...

A few pregame hits from Citi Field

A few pregame hits from Citi Field
FLUSHING, N.Y. - Orioles reliever Darren O'Day and outfielder Colby Rasmus have joined Single-A Frederick tonight for a rehab game in Potomac. O'Day will work one inning in his first game since hyperextending his right elbow. He's been on the disabled list retroactive to May 6. The Orioles are hoping that O'Day is ready to come off the disabled list Thursday in Toronto. Meanwhile, O'Day has officially reached 10 years of service time in the majors. He's a 10-5 guy who can veto any...

Aberdeen manager Kevin Bradshaw on the 2017 IronBirds

Aberdeen manager Kevin Bradshaw on the 2017 IronBirds
ABERDEEN, Md. - While Orioles All-Star closer Zach Britton is expected to throw the first pitch and inning of their season tonight, after that the short-season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds will try to win without major league help. A veteran of many seasons as a manger in the Detroit Tigers organization, Kevin Bradshaw is back for his second season as manager at Aberdeen. After a rainout last night, the IronBirds open their New York-Penn League season tonight at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium...

More on Kim and Harvey

More on Kim and Harvey
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles will take outfielder Hyun Soo Kim to New York following today's game. At this point, he's still managed to avoid a trip to the disabled list. Kim did an assortment of running drills this morning, including sprints, short bursts and moving backward, to further test his right hamstring. He felt slight discomfort only toward the end with one of the bursts from first to second base. Kim probably would go on the DL if he's unable to play by Wednesday. "He's...

Aberdeen IronBirds change managers, Kevin Bradshaw to take over

Aberdeen IronBirds change managers, Kevin Bradshaw to take over
SEATTLE - The Orioles' short-season Single-A Aberdeen affiliate will have a new manager when they play at Vermont tonight. Luis Pujols managed the IronBirds in last night's doubleheader at Vermont, where Aberdeen lost both games. Kevin Bradshaw is taking over as skipper as of tonight, and will mange the club for the remainder of the season. An Orioles official said the team would not have a comment on the reason for the change. Bradshaw was the field coach for the Orioles' Rookie-level Gulf...

Orioles return Dave Anderson to organization (and other notes)

Orioles return Dave Anderson to organization (and other notes)
NASHVILLE - The Orioles officially brought back Dave Anderson to the organization, hiring him for his old job as minor league infield coordinator. Anderson, the former Dodgers infielder, managed the Angels' Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake over the summer. He expressed interest in returning to the Orioles after a one-year absence and they were happy to oblige. Kevin Bradshaw, hired by the Orioles as Anderson's replacement, will run extended spring training and coach in Florida, his duties...

Graham on new minor league hires, Davis on spring plan and last year's injury

Graham on new minor league hires, Davis on spring plan and last year's injury
The Orioles crossed another item off their to-do list yesterday by announcing their camp roster, which included 15 non-roster invitees. Manager Buck Showalter counts 59 available lockers at the Sarasota complex and he uses that number as his cutoff while constructing the roster. There's room for three more players if the Orioles want to occupy the entire space. The group of instructors includes Kevin Bradshaw, who replaces Dave Anderson as minor league infield coordinator. Anderson was...