Checking on the numbers
Checking on the numbers
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Brian Roberts got his 30th stolen base in the first inning - check. A couple of batters later, Nick Markakis hit a two-run homer to up his RBI total to 101 - check. Jeremy Guthrie has pitched through the 6th and needs to 7 2/3 innings to hit 200 for his career high - no check yet.
O's win 5-4 in 11 innings in season finale
O's win 5-4 in 11 innings in season finale
Steve Melewski
Orioles
What a wacky way to end a season. With runners on first and second and no outs in the last of the 11th, Jeff Fiorentino dropped a sac bunt. Pitcher Brandon League's throw was low and skipped off the first baseman's glove, allowing Michael Aubrey to score from second with the winning run. The O's celebrated an 11-inning, 5-4 walk off win over Toronto.
Season finale post-game notes and quotes
Season finale post-game notes and quotes
Steve Melewski
Orioles
It's over now - The O's ended the season with a three-game sweep and four-game win streak. They finished 64 and 98. They went 39-42 at home and 25-56 on the road. They ended up 24-48 vs. the AL East. They went 6-20 in September and 4-0 in October. The three-game sweep was the O's first since taking three at Philly June 19-21. It was their second three-game sweep vs. Toronto after taking three from the Jays May 25-27. The O's and Toronto each won nine games in the season series,...
MacPhail speak
MacPhail speak
Steve Melewski
Orioles
An added bonus in having Andy MacPhail running the Orioles baseball operations is that we are all getting to learn a new baseball vocabulary. On Andy's watch, the O's don't call up players from the minors, they "introduce" them to the bigs. Major Leagues meet Matt Wieters, Matt meet the Majors. Brian Matusz meet the show, show here's Brian, good luck trying to hit his changeup. The 2009 Orioles made plenty of introductions that all should lead to some improvement in 2010.
A matter of leadership
A matter of leadership
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Dave Trembley was asked about leadership. What makes a leader? Do the Orioles have one? "Leadership is not what you say it's what you do. The way you go about it, the ability to offer suggestions or make corrections with younger players. Leadership is a presence. It's reliability, it's etched in stone like concrete. It's day in and day out, what you stand for." He provided an example from this year where he felt Brian Roberts showed leadership.
O's get little recognition on Baseball America's top 20 lists
O's get little recognition on Baseball America's top 20 lists
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Should O's fans be concerned that Baseball America has released its top 20 prospects for five leagues where O's have affiliates and just three O's players have been mentioned? RHP Matt Hobgood was named the 4th best prospect in the Appalachian League while LHP Brian Matusz was rated number two and LHP Zach Britton as the 15th best prospect in the Carolina League. The O's had none of the top 20 prospects in the Gulf Coast League, the South Atlantic League or the New York-Penn League.
O's sign player from Guatemala
O's sign player from Guatemala
Steve Melewski
Orioles
His name is Manuel Hernandez and the 17-year-old is the first player the Orioles have ever signed from the country of Guatemala. He has played outfield and infield for his national team and was signed last Friday by the O's during a ceremony that made big news in his homeland. No player from Guatemala has ever made the Major Leauges and Hernandez is just the seventh to ever sign with a big league club. He is a 6'1", 170-pound right handed hitter and thrower.
What's next for Billy Rowell?
What's next for Billy Rowell?
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Billy Rowell, the 9th pick in the first-round of the 2006 draft, is becoming a bit of a problem for the O's organization. His stats are declining each season. Worse yet, some Keys' observers this year questioned his effort and work ethic. Others said he was far from the most popular player in the clubhouse. Somewhere amidst all of this there is massive power potential that remains untapped. He has hit just 16 homers in two full seasons in the Carolina League.
Tillman talk (plus Eastern League rankings)
Tillman talk (plus Eastern League rankings)
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Chris Tillman said the 2009 season was quite a special one for him. It began with him as a Triple-A rookie at the age of 20 and ended with the 21-year-old Tillman picking up Major League wins vs. the Angels and Yankees. "I've grown a lot," Tillman said. "Coming into this season, I didn't have much of a changeup, didn't have much of a clue about how to hold runners on. I had only Double-A time. I've come far with my changeup. I've come farther than I expected to this year." After...
David Stockstill comments on his new role
David Stockstill comments on his new role
Steve Melewski
Orioles
The Orioles announced today that David Stockstill will officially begin in his new position as the club's director of international scouting on April 5th. Stockstill, who has headed up the O's minor league operations since November of 2004, is in Florida now and will remain there through early April to help setup the club's minor league rosters. In his new role, David will oversee all the club's international operations, including scouting in the Far East, Latin America and beyond. He...