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Orioles

So long, Melvin, and hold your head up

Luke Jones

As the Orioles fall toward the 100-loss mark with seemingly little resistance over the final week of the season, their elder statesman winds down his 10-year stay with an organization fixed in what feels like an endless era of losing. Melvin Mora arrived in the Charm City after being traded with three others from the New York Mets for shortstop Mike Bordick in Syd Thrift’s infamous fire sale of 2000.  The 28-year old utility player was coming to a struggling team with a future Hall of Famer (Cal Ripken) winding down his career and its best hitter (Albert Belle) only months away from retirement due to a degenerative hip condition.  The Orioles were completing their third-straight losing season in 2000. Change was needed. Mora’s addition, along with the 13 others acquired in the five summer deals, would pump youthful energy into an aging organization and eventually bring the Orioles back to where they belonged at the top of the standings, right? If only. Of course, we all know the story. Despite the quantity of players coming to the organization for veterans such as Bordick, Charles Johnson, B.J. Surhoff, and Harold Baines, Mora would be the only acquisition to contribute beyond the next couple seasons. Most would never contribute at

The indignity of 100 losses for the Orioles

Nestor Aparicio

Naturally, the Orioles theme of the offseason — after the firing of Dave Trembley at some point this Monday — will be “progress.” Isn’t that what Jim Hunter and Rick Dempsey talk about after all of these losses, night after night? Andy MacPhail (and after 2 1/2 seasons of this perpetually sinking ship that knows no depths, we might revert to Chicago’s theme of referring to him as “MacFail,” but that would be giving him too much credit) will preach youth and patience and the injuries to Brad Bergesen and Adam Jones derailing an otherwise promising campaign in 2009. Brian Matusz is Mike Mussina. Matt Wieters is Joe Mauer. Adam Jones is the next Eddie Murray. Blah, blah, blah. Look at the standings. Look at the scoreboard. Look at the 11-game losing streak that they’re adding to every night with complete disasters coming out of the bullpen on a 24-hour cycle. (Oh, that’s right, you forgot they were even playing back around the time Route 140 opened toward Westminster on July 30th!) I sat the at the bar at Piv’s Pub in Cockeysville last night in a sea of NFL watchers as the Orioles played on one little TV with

“Free The Birds” – It was 3 years ago today…

Nestor Aparicio

I was planning to do a three-year examination of the impact of Free The Birds today. I was going to hash out all of the issues – past, present and future – and reiterate my goals with our dormant movement to make the Orioles come to grips with the reality of their fledgling and all-but-evaporated fan base. Our goal has never wavered: we want the team fixed and we want not only a winning product ON the field, but an ownership group committed to the fans and the community OFF the field. But, quite frankly, in the midst of all of the excitement over the Ravens in San Diego and the sheer volume of work I do on a daily basis, I really don’t want to waste any more time with the Orioles this September. I have other more interesting things to write about with the purple birds starting the season 2-0 and doing what the baseball team can only dream about in 2009 — inspiring the sports fans in the Land of Pleasant Living to dream about a championship and a community galvanized. But, really, isn’t that the biggest problem? No one seems to give a damn about the

In case you were wondering how empty Camden Yards was last night

Nestor Aparicio

I didn’t go to the Orioles game last night and apparently neither did you. I did watch most of the game, including the Orioles rally from being down 5-0 early to win the game against Tampa 10-5. Jason Berken survived the early battering to work into the 7th inning and earn a rare victory. Brian Roberts and Matt Wieters both broke out the big sticks and each had three hits. The boxscore is here… The stadium was dreadfully empty — maybe the worst crowd in the history of Oriole Park at Camden Yards — and of course the Orioles lied about the attendance again, calling the crowd 11,575. There weren’t 11,000 eyeballs in the stadium last night and they advertised throughout the game on MASN for more of the mysterious $1 tickets for tonight and tomorrow night but were very carefully not show any foul balls. Here’s a picture of Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata throwing out the first pitch. Note the nice shade of forest green in the background in center field. This was a stadium that all WNST followers were “uninvited” to attend. Just pathetic… But this is what happens when the ownership of the team can pocket

Our pledge: we’ll continue to try to “help” the Orioles

Nestor Aparicio

So since Greg Bader and the Orioles’ last remaining flunkies and apologists have again begun to spread “anti-WNST” venom in the web community with lies and false allegations about my integrity or intentions, I suppose it’s my turn to “react” and spew venom. Sorry, I’m not going to get caught up in it and, honestly, I have no time for negativity and nastiness. The Steelers are playing tonight and we’ve got two events – Donna’s in Dundalk and the Twestival at Ramshead. The Ravens are playing on Sunday. I’m honestly feeling really good about WNST and Baltimore and the changing weather. I’m in a good mood. I’m not going to allow the Orioles and their shallow souls and mean-spiritedness to wreck Opening Week of the NFL season. The blog that Drew put a lot of effort and words into properly tells the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. As has been our stated mission from inception: we wanted to help the Orioles. We wanted to extend an olive branch. We wanted to take them up on THEIR offer to come to the ballpark for $1. We wanted to show our sincerity by donating to Nick Markakis’ Foundation.

Sadly, Orioles force cancellation of “See The Birds”

Nestor Aparicio

UPDATED 10:43 p.m.: After we had already elected to cancel the “See The Birds” event next week, WNST just received an official “cease and desist” letter from some attorney at MLB telling us that we’re not allowed to help the Orioles fill a few thousand of their 40,000 empty seats next Tuesday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. So much for gratitude or fan friendliness. I guess they don’t want to see real Orioles fans in their upper deck. Well, they are who we thought they were. Their shady business practices are on full display this morning. Sadly, the WNST effort to bring 1,000 people to the Orioles-Rays game for next Tuesday night has been thwarted by the team, who refused to sell our group their heavily advertised $1 tickets (which, as we pointed out last Friday, don’t really exist). We will be refunding more than $1,000 collected today to the many who wanted to come to the game with a fun group and donate to Nick Markakis’ Foundation. I’ll be writing more about this sad turn of events later (or maybe not — I’m a little wrung out with these clowns), but many had been inquiring and trying to

Hope you come and “See The Birds” with us next Tuesday for $2

Nestor Aparicio

The Orioles $1 ticket promotion gave us a great idea over the weekend. You can read or view my lousy experience from Friday here but this isn’t about crushing the Orioles for yet another foray into dubious marketing. This is about doing the “right” thing and if they’re going to offer tickets for a dollar I’m happy to give them a dollar and go to the ballpark. We’ve all been Orioles fans all of our lives. We all want the team to get better and the city to get stronger because of it. That’s been my personal mission ever since “Free The Birds” began three years ago in the midst of their ninth consecutive season of losing. Now, at the end of their 12th consecutive summer of meaningless baseball, this “See The Birds” campaign is our pledge that we ALL want the Orioles to return to relevancy and bring joy to the people of Baltimore with a product that makes us proud. Last week, they offered $1 tickets and blanketed their “bought off” media market with their offer – ostensibly to try to get that LAST remaining naysayer or guy with his kid who wants to “See The Birds” one

Over 400 tickets already sold for “See The Birds” next Tuesday

Nestor Aparicio

In the first two hours of our “See The Birds” promotion for next Tuesday night, we’ve already sold over 400 tickets. Special thanks to Wayne Schoff (Roofing Unlimited), Steve Pavlovsky (Chick Fil A-White Marsh), Gene Myers (Corona), Rob Santoni (Santoni’s Markets) and all of the others who have purchased large blocks of seats. We hope you purchase a few and c’mon down to the ballpark next Tuesday!

Glenn Clark is an Oriole-American Labor Day rock star!

Nestor Aparicio

So, we were out tonight celebrating the birthday of our Ravens “analyst” Glenn Clark and he proved once again that he’s not only a great American — he’s also a true red, white and blue Oriole-American: Happy Birthday Glenn!

Orioles latest scam: the $1 ticket ain’t a buck at all

Nestor Aparicio

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZXHzZvqNUo[/youtube]I was watching the Orioles game against the Rangers tonight. Why? Because I love sports and there’s nothing else on. The Orioles are advertising $1 tickets. All I needed to do was go to their website. They made it sound easy! I thought it over — and I still think a LOT about the Orioles as any of my Facebook friends will attest — and said, “Hey, I’d like to go to the ballpark and as much as I’ve refused to give them ANY money over the past two years, maybe I’d consider giving them two freaking dollars and taking my wife or son to one more game before next April.” My son called me from the beach yesterday and was pestering me about going to a game. We haven’t been to a game together this year because he’s been making dough at Seacrets in O.C. Well, as you can imagine, I was skeptical regarding their honesty and integrity in offering seats for a dollar. Could this be “for real?” And you know what, my skepticism — yet again — is warranted. I followed the prompt through the billing process and lo and behold, my tickets suddenly totaled up to

So, just how irrelevant are the Orioles?

Nestor Aparicio

Let’s start with these simple facts: the last three days have been the best weather days of this or any other century and Oriole Park at Camden Yards has been pretty much devoid of any signs of life from Baltimore fans. There have been roughly 10,000 Orioles fans at the ballpark each night while the team is en route to probably getting swept tonight by the New York Yankees. The evil empire. The doers of bad deeds, like paying the best players on the planet the most money to come and continue a winning tradition. They’re easy to hate but it’s mandatory that you respect the New York Yankees. They play to win. For the most part, they exclude class. And you get your money’s worth. And you know how much tickets have been for these games? Yeah, eight bucks. So for just $8 anyone in a four-state area could come and watch the Orioles play under the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen. So, clearly, people aren’t as turned on by Matt Wieters, Nick Markakis, Brian Roberts, Adam Jones, Brian Matusz, etc. as the ownership hoped we’d all be. To my way of thinking, after 12 consecutive years of

Orioles continue to sink even lower than we thought possible

Nestor Aparicio

As the biggest critic of Orioles ownership over the last decade, I’ve purposely refrained from being particularly hard on the team in 2009. Unfortunately for you, the WNST fans and true Baltimore sports lovers, they have me right where they want me. I’m back on the radio without a press pass to their games and no one is going to tune into my show if all I do is tell the truth, and bury them for their ineptitude, mean-spiritedness and general incompetence over the past dozen years for four hours every day. And at this point, what do I have to lose? Short of them killing me, what do they have left to take away from me? The team is awful (again), there is not an iota of pride remaining in being an Orioles fan and I’ve watched about 90% of the action this season and I’m here to tell you that it has NOT been a fun or memorable summer for baseball here in the land of pleasant living. And really, telling the truth — see the paragraph above — is NOT what Baltimore wants to hear from me about the Orioles. It’s like a broken, freaking record —

Orioles do a reverse, sign 2nd-rounder Givens for $900K

Nestor Aparicio

In the end, Orioles scouting director used the media and the internet as a leverage tool to get Plant (H.S. Fla.) second-round draft pick Mychal Givens to sign near the midnight deadline last night. For a week, Jordan declared Givens and his agent Kenny Felder uncooperative and told stories that they had “jacked up their price.” Once again, it was all posturing. In the end, Givens got $900,000 — about $200,000 more than the “budget” allowed. The team announced that “ownership agreed with the increase,” which is to say that Peter Angelos was called in on this one. Givens, a highly touted pitcher and shortstop, will enter the Orioles organization as a potential infielder and is years away from playing in the big leagues. So, it’s a nice story for today — the Orioles got their man! They wound up signing 9 of their first 10 picks, with only their 8th rounder Davin Harris slipping back to class at East Carolina.

Young Matusz shoved around by the Angels, lose 5-1

Nestor Aparicio

Brian Matusz’s night was long and unproductive. In his home debut, he labored through 5 2/3 innings, giving up a whopping 11 hits,  five runs (four earned) and walked three, while striking out seven. He threw 98 pitches and leaves the game with the Orioles trailing 5-1 and two inherited runners. The game story is here. The box score is here. It’s hot. The stadium is kinda lonely for a Saturday night. And the Orioles big night last night with Felix Pie seems a distant memory. You’ve gotta enjoy the rare wins when you get them.

How can Orioles “build from within” by allowing draft picks to walk?

Nestor Aparicio

It’s not headline news or a WNST Text alert — nor should it be — but the Orioles have once again failed to follow through on an organizational commitment to “build from within” by allowing second-round draft choice Mychal Givens to slip away and go off to college at Oklahoma State. Givens, who helped lead Plant High School in Florida to the Class 5A state semifinals this spring, going 8-4 with a 1.71 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 78 IP on the mound while hitting a team-high .374 with 4 homers and 31 RBIs, is now a lost cause according to Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan. Givens, who is being represented by former Florida State star Kenny Felder, has asked for too much money and the Orioles have given the word that they’ve “walked away” before Monday’s deadline. All of the MASN guys and local media have given Jordan the “hall pass” on this one and shrugged their shoulders and who knows whether Mychal Givens will ever be heard from again? But I do know this: 1. They liked him enough to use a second-round draft pick on him 2. They were ready to make him a shortstop and not

Zaun traded to Tampa on waiver claim

Nestor Aparicio

The Gregg Zaun trade is official: The Orioles today announced that CA GREGG ZAUN was assigned to the Tampa Bay Rays via a waiver claim in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations and selected the contract of CA CHAD MOELLER from Triple-A Norfolk. Zaun, 38, batted .244 (41-168) with four home runs and 13 RBI in 56 games for the Orioles.  He signed a one-year contract with a team option for 2010 with the Orioles as a free agent on January 21, 2009.  It was his second stint with Baltimore (1995 & ‘96). Moeller, 34, batted .200 (10-50) in 15 games with the Orioles earlier this season.  He was designated for assignment on May 29 when the team selected the contract of MATT WIETERS.  Moeller batted .203 (24-118) in 35 games with Triple-A Norfolk. 2:34 p.m. — Even though we’re the “banned” media outlet — mainly because we believe in free speech — we still manage to scoop the rest of the world on Orioles breaking news. We’re hearing that Gregg Zaun will be ending his stay with the Orioles and will be moving on to the Tampa Rays later in the day. No word

Hail Cesar: Matusz impressive in debut win over Tigers

Nestor Aparicio

9:57 p.m. –The Orioles got a huge rookie debut from Brian Matusz tonight. Cesar Izturis flashed leather and even hit a home run as the Birds defeated the Detroit Tigers 8-2 at Comerica Park. Matusz on his comfort and happiness after the win: “I’d like to enjoy it a little longer. I was a little nervous out there. I can go out there for my next start and be a little more comfortable.” On his family: “It’s awesome to have that support, My family and friends have been supportive. It’s awesome. I could hear them all after my first pitch.” On his effort tonight: “It’s important to really attack the zone. I had a couple of walks today. I fell behind in the count. To not nibble so much on the corner and go after the guys. The strike zone is a little smaller. Relax. Have fun. It’s the same game. Enjoy it and hopefully I can carry it over.” On Izturis: “Izzy was awesome. He made some great plays. Got me out of a jam. It was a lot of fun.” 9:07 p.m. — The Orioles are, for once, piling on a first-place team. It’s 8-1 and even Melvin

Were you one of the few Orioles fans amidst sea of red this weekend?

Nestor Aparicio

Well, it’s all over. The Orioles were once again swept in Baltimore by the Red Sox. Once again, thousands of New Englanders and supporters raided the city and brought millions of dollars of civic kindess on the metropolis while they continued to point out the biggest crime of Peter Angelos’ tenure as the owner of our baseball team. I ventured to Camden Yards today. Instead of writing about everything I saw and did, I shot a video for you. If you like my radio show, maybe you’ll like my lengthy set of views, observations and comments while I spent my day watching Jason Berken and Orioles pitchers give up 23 hits and 18 runs. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNQtAwg-nGI[/youtube]

As Trembley rolls under the losing orange bus, I’ll defend him…

Nestor Aparicio

Watching the post-game press conference with Dave Trembley today has been illuminating. The Orioles are really reeling. The pitchers gave up 23 hits today. They used six pitchers who gave up a collective 18 runs. Their No. 1 starter in the on the disabled list. Next up, they’re apparently bringing in their No. 1 prospect in the organization, Brian Matusz, for Tuesday night and the manager is taking massive heat. Today they were beaten 18-10 and swept while nearly 100,000 Red Sox fans rolled into Camden Yards this weekend and booed his young players while they floundered. Before the game, his all-but-washed up veteran and emotional third basemen rolled him under the bus in a pre-game tirade that will go down as legendary. Melvin Mora went on and on about “respect.” It was about as bad of a thing as you could possibly do to a manager in the middle of a bad stretch. But I can’t blame this mess on Dave Trembley at this point. As a matter of fact, since I’ve called for some clarity on his situation a few weeks ago I’ve honestly been tremendously impressed with how he’s conducted himself publicly amidst the losing. I almost

What do Peter Angelos, Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez have in common?

Nestor Aparicio

I was scanning CNN this morning and saw this headline: “At least 34 private radio stations in Venezuela were closed indefinitely Friday, and 206 more were at risk of being shut down, a government official said.” As I have said many times, Peter Angelos and Fidel Castro must’ve been discussing “freedom of speech” while behind the plate in Havana 10 years ago. And Hugo Chavez is perhaps the latest and greatest example of the mindset of the suppression of free speech. Angelos clearly subscribes to this philsophy. How can I think any differently after being banned from attending Orioles games as a media member after 21 years of having a press pass and a passion and love for Orioles’ baseball? Keep in mind, virtually 98% of my family lives in Venezuela. Freedom is something I take pretty seriously, especially considering many of my direct family members aren’t afforded the same kind of life that I am in America. But as long as the Orioles can dictate (or TRY to dictate) what is said about them in the local media I will never be silent about it as a media voice and a supporter of free speech. I have never lied

Bergesen pitches well before taking nasty liner off knee

Nestor Aparicio

UPDATED 3:20 p.m. — X Rays to Brad Bergesen’s left knee are negative. It certainly is going to hurt for a little while, but apparently Bergesen is going to be OK. The Orioles beat the Royals 7-3 in the finale of a four-game series today and Brad Bergesen was masterful in his seven innings of work. On the last pitch of his brilliant effort, he took a nasty liner off the left knee and jetted off the field in a kangaroo hop. Every Oriole in the lineup got at least one hit today and Aubrey Huff drove in three runs. TODAY’S BOX SCORE HERE

Tillman scuffles but Orioles beat Greinke & Royals 7-3

Nestor Aparicio

For those who chose to attend or watch tonight’s game after the rain delay, it was a different kind of game than what we all bargained for more than four hours ago. In the end, it was a happy night. The Orioles beat the Royals 7-3 with a flurry of late offense and a huge night from Adam Jones and Nick Markakis, who each had 3 RBIs. Matt Albers pitched some key middle relief and Jim Johnson was unhittable at the end. But the real reason this meeting of two last-place teams caught everyone’s attention was the pitching matchup: Cy Young current vs. Cy Young future in Zack Greinke vs. Chris Tillman. It was a bit of a long and tedious game and it wasn’t because of great pitching. The Orioles got to Greinke early when Jones hit a moon shot that just kept going over the left-centerfield wall. Tillman battled but threw 93 long pitches in just 4 2/3 innings and left the game in trouble. Greinke threw a whopping 116 pitches in six innings. Tillman gave up three home runs. In the end, neither factored in the decision. Trembley said in the postgame that the most amount of

Do the White Sox covet George Sherrill?

Nestor Aparicio

We’re getting down to the nitty gritty on the MLB trading deadline. The Cliff Lee deal today and a few other minor deals will have folks buzzing over the next 36 hours. Ken Rosenthal floated some information today that was interesting in regard to George Sherrill at Fox Sports. From Rosenthal: “As many as eight teams are pursuing Orioles closer George Sherrill, and two or three are “actively engaged” with Baltimore in discussions, according to a major-league source. The Orioles expect that the number of teams serious about Sherrill actually might grow once the big-name starting pitchers get traded — or not. The Dodgers have maintained interest in Sherrill, and a number of their prospects appeal to the Orioles. The Angels are “mildly” involved, according to one major-league source. The Phillies are unlikely to act on Sherrill now that they are preparing to trade four prospects for Indians left-hander Cliff Lee.”

Rich Hill talks about tendinitis and sorrow after loss to Royals

Nestor Aparicio

As the pending promotion of man-child Chris Tillman for tomorrow’s game gets closer it appears that the Rich Hill era here in Baltimore is about to come to an end. Monday night’s 5-3 loss to the Royals can’t be pinned solely on Hill, who exited in just 2 1/3 innings after surrendering four hits, three walks and three runs, but it’s apparent that he’s not the answer for the Birds. After the game Hill not only apologized to the fans and his teammates, he also said he’s been hurting. “I have been having some [tendinitis] issues with the shoulder and we have been doing a good job of keeping the fire down a little bit and unfortunately it is just something that I haven’t been able to maintain any consistency with,” Hill told The Baltimore Sun. “Other than that, unfortunately I haven’t been able to give any kind of consistent help to this team. I apologize to the front office and the guys in this clubhouse.” The Orioles have now dropped eight out of 10 games since the All-Star break and are looking at unfavorable pitching matchups on Tuesday and Wednesday before Brad Bergesen takes the hill for the afternoon

Andy MacPhail says very little on MASN

Luke Jones

If you’re watching the Orioles take on the Red Sox tonight, you saw general manager Andy MacPhail join the MASN telecast in the top of the third inning.  The problem is he said nothing of real substance. In addition to discussing the Orioles’ plans for a new spring training facility in Sarasota, MacPhail discussed the possibility of Chris Tillman being promoted to Baltimore in the near future. “We haven’t finalized anything,” MacPhail told Gary Thorne and Buck Martinez.  “We do recognize that all of his Bowie pitching mates [from 2008] are already here…I would expect that we’ll see him this year; I can’t tell you exactly when yet.” If the Orioles are planning on promoting Tillman—and WNST’s Drew Forrester has reported that they are—the organization is blowing a golden opportunity to cultivate some excitement—not to mention ticket sales—for next week’s series against the Kansas City Royals.  With Tillman being the first of the “Big Three” to be promoted, it’s unquestionably a debut many fans would want to witness. MacPhail did express pleasant surprise in talking about Brad Bergesen’s development at the big league level.  He praised the 23-year-old’s poise and ability to throw strikes and induce ground balls. The general

REPORT: Orioles to ditch Fort Lauderdale for Sarasota in 2010

Nestor Aparicio

Because the Orioles have had many, many “false alarms” over the past 15 years, I’m personally taking this one with a grain of salt but several media outlets are reporting that they’ll finally be moving their spring training facilities from the dump in Fort Lauderdale to Sarasota beginning February 2010. Here are the initial details according to the Herald Tribune of Sarasota: SARASOTA – Sarasota County and the Baltimore Orioles have reached a tentative agreement for the team to do spring training at Ed Smith Stadium for the next 30 years. An agreement that will go before the Sarasota County Commission on Wednesday would bring the team to Sarasota for spring training starting in 2010. The $31.2 million deal will be funded with local tourism tax revenue and more than $7 million in state money. The agreement calls for the Orioles to pay all operating and maintenance costs at Ed Smith for the term of the lease. The county and Orioles will contribute equally to a capital maintenance and repair fund. The deal also includes: A proposed Orioles and Cal Ripken Baseball youth academy at Twin Lakes Park. And promotion of Sarasota County in the Baltimore Washington metro area. “This

5 W’s and 1 H

Luke Jones

The first half is in the books, and the Orioles are right where most of us thought they would be—last place and out of contention. While it’s certainly been frustrating watching the Orioles’ inconsistent play, the club has also provided some excitement with the greatest comeback in club history—against the Red Sox, no less—and the unveiling of rookies Brad Bergesen, David Hernandez, Nolan Reimold, and the much-hyped Matt Wieters. The 40-48 record and last-place standing does not reflect the positive strides made in the first half of the season.  Yes, there’s still a long way to go before we’re talking about the Orioles contending with the three heavyweights in the AL East, but as more youngsters join the fold, it’s easy to see this organization is in much better shape than it’s been at any point since 1997. Will it be enough to put the Orioles back in the playoffs in the next few years? Only time—and the willingness to acquire missing pieces via trades and free agency—will answer that question. It will be interesting to see how active general manager Andy MacPhail will be as the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline approaches.  Aubrey Huff, Luke Scott, Danys Baez, Jeremy

5 W's and 1 H

Luke Jones

The first half is in the books, and the Orioles are right where most of us thought they would be—last place and out of contention. While it’s certainly been frustrating watching the Orioles’ inconsistent play, the club has also provided some excitement with the greatest comeback in club history—against the Red Sox, no less—and the unveiling of rookies Brad Bergesen, David Hernandez, Nolan Reimold, and the much-hyped Matt Wieters. The 40-48 record and last-place standing does not reflect the positive strides made in the first half of the season.  Yes, there’s still a long way to go before we’re talking about the Orioles contending with the three heavyweights in the AL East, but as more youngsters join the fold, it’s easy to see this organization is in much better shape than it’s been at any point since 1997. Will it be enough to put the Orioles back in the playoffs in the next few years? Only time—and the willingness to acquire missing pieces via trades and free agency—will answer that question. It will be interesting to see how active general manager Andy MacPhail will be as the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline approaches.  Aubrey Huff, Luke Scott, Danys Baez, Jeremy

The beauty of Earl Weaver in midsummer

Nestor Aparicio

I had a long conversation with an old friend about Earl Weaver earlier today. We talked about the you tube classics — the argument with Tom Haller and the “off the record” Coaches Corner with Tom Marr, which I’ve linked below for a Sunday morning coffee laugh. My old pal and I laughed about the memories of watching Earl rip up rulebooks and kick dirt onto umpires. And how he invented the modern game. And how different baseball was when we were kids. Later this evening, I received a link from a friend to read Tom Verducci’s latest missive regarding The Earl Of Baltimore and how he was the “Copernicus” of the modern game of baseball and sabremetrics and MoneyBall. The story is here…and it’s fabulous! Meanwhile, enjoy some Sunday viewing and laughs and memories below… [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl-4FSRYagc[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YKxf3OkpJc&feature=related[/youtube]

Orioles’ future on display Sunday

Luke Jones

The Orioles may be approaching the All-Star Break in a familiar position—out of contention—but their promising future will be on display Sunday afternoon, both in Baltimore and St. Louis. Rookie right-hander Brad Bergesen—the Orioles’ biggest surprise of the first half—will take the hill in the Orioles’ final game before the break, but two other young pitching prospects will highlight their talents before a national television audience in St. Louis. We’ve heard the numerous reports about the Orioles’ “Big Three” of Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz, and Jake Arrieta, but how many fans have actually seen them pitch? Probably not too many. We’ll get the chance to see Tillman and Matusz on Sunday, as the two prospects will take part in the Futures Game at 2 p.m. on ESPN2.  Arrieta participated in last year’s game.  The annual contest features some of the most promising minor leaguers in baseball. The 21-year-old Tillman—one of the key pieces acquired in the Erik Bedard trade—appears to be the next in line for a promotion to Baltimore, pitching to a 7-5 record and a 2.50 ERA with Norfolk.  The Triple-A prospect was recently rated as Baseball America’s eighth-best overall prospect in its midseason report. Tillman, 6-foot-5,  is

Orioles option Hernandez to Bowie, recall Izturis

Nestor Aparicio

Surprise, surprise! The Orioles have optioned rookie righthander David Hernandez to Double-A Bowie in order to reinstate shortstop Cesar Izturis from the disabled list. While it might seem a little “funky” demoting a kid like Hernandez, who is clearly among their better starters, it makes sense with the All Star break coming and getting him some more “work” in during the down time in the bigs. It also gives them time to move a player in a deal. So, at least the Orioles are “active” in mid July and Andy McPhail is a bulldog. More to come…

Trembley suspended for comedy show in Seattle

Nestor Aparicio

While I thought it was funny — Dave Trembley doing his best Piniella-Weaver tantrum in the first inning on Tuesday night in Seattle — apparently Bud Selig and the boys at the MLB office weren’t laughing. Today, Trembley was given a two-game suspension by the poobahs and will miss tonight and tomorrow night’s games at Camden Yards against Toronto. Bench coach Dave Jauss will serve as acting manager for a few days and those who are “done” with Trembley will get their wish for at least a few days. By the way, it’s kinda crazy they could suspend Trembley when he was RIGHT on the call. But who says MLB is fair? Apparently, the reason he was suspended wasn’t necessarily the outburst as much as admitting to the media afterward that he continued to manage the game from the bench. Aren’t we in a silly era when they still “throw out” managers who we all know are managing by proxy somewhere? Trembley apparently declined an invitation to sit in the press box tonight. I suppose he’ll manage by “text” from somewhere in the owner’s box with a shrimp cocktail, a crab cake on crackers and a tie on next to

Trembley tossed, Luke Scott muscles up as the “forgotten man”

Nestor Aparicio

On a day when ESPN.com ran a gigantic story about the great future of the Orioles’ outfield of Adam Jones, Nick Markakis and Nolan Reimold, it was Luke Scott who looked the present tense in Seattle as he devoured Mariners’ pitching for three hits and seven RBIs last night at Safeco Field in a 12-4 win. Dave Trembley got tossed in the first inning after a Scott double and apparently told Scott “hit one out for me” and Cool Hand Luke answered with the biggest game of his career and the biggest individual effort since Ramon Hernandez’s 7-RBI night in Seattle back in 2006. The video of Trembley’s ejection is here. It almost looks like he was trying to “stir it up” and get thrown out early in this one, even though he was clearly right on the call. After Scott’s double, the throw from the outfield toward the plate nicked the pitcher’s mound and took a wild bounce into the stands at Safeco. The lead runner should’ve been awarded home but wasn’t. Trembley went nuts! Meanwhile, starting pitcher Jeremy Guthrie was lifted in the 3rd inning with a bout of dizziness. Here’s the full game story and box score

Orioles had one more hit than you and I last night

Nestor Aparicio

The Orioles lost again last night while you were asleep. Sure, you were probably awake when it started and thought (like I did) that with Brad Bergesen on the hill at least the game stood a chance of getting over before Conan and Letterman. Alas, hasty baseball was played — the game ended in 2:09 — but the game moves a helluva lot quicker when you don’t threaten any offense. Last night in Seattle, Mariners pitcher Jarrod Washburn came about as close as you can get to a perfect game, allowing just one single to Nick Markakis in the fourth inning and cruising to a complete game 5-0 win over the Orioles at Safeco Field. The Orioles got ONE HIT last night. Hard to win like that. “He probably pitched one of the best games in Major League Baseball all season,” Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. “Give the guy credit. He was on his game, and boy, he certainly pitched a gem.” “Let’s give credit where credit is due,” Trembley said. “Washburn pitched a great game. I mean, come on. … He completely dominated the game. That’s as good of a game as I’ve seen pitched against us all year.”

Orioles update: They’re still in last place

Nestor Aparicio

While we were all busy following the tragic death of Steve McNair over the weekend the Orioles were still busy losing and playing bad baseball. It seems like the franchise goes further into the witness protection program when they play on the West Coast but all of the mistakes and lousy pitching hasn’t been lost on me. I actually watched all of the late-night garbage over the Fourth of July weekend. Where to begin? Well, they’re still in last place at 36-46. They managed to cross the official “midseason” point in the cellar. They still manage to regularly find ways to blow big-early game leads. And, thankfully for me, Jim Palmer is still employed by MASN so I can actually have a few chuckles with my unending yield of losses after midnight. Palmer continually called it “bad baseball” and reinforced his opinions with many facts, observations and criticisms that would qualify as comedy after midnight if it weren’t so sad. I think he’s almost bored with it and was more interested in making funny faces with Gary Thorne than watching the Orioles blow one more game after a decent starting effort. I could itemize the entire weekend and point specific

Orioles’ July will be pivotal on different levels

Luke Jones

Any baseball fan will tell you the 162-game schedule is filled with peaks and valleys.  You’re never as good as your highest point—such as a nine-run comeback win—or as terrible as your lowest moment—like a five-run blown lead in the ninth inning. This year’s World Series champion is bound to undergo at least a five- or six-game losing streak, and even the worst team in the majors—I’m talking to you, Washington—will manage to win five or six games in a row at some point this season. The difference between the good teams and the not-so-good teams in Major League Baseball is an ability to heighten the peaks while shortening the dark valleys. The Orioles’ last two games are a perfect example of how exhilarating—and sobering—the game can be in less than 24 hours.  After completing the greatest comeback in franchise history Tuesday night, the club collapsed in the ninth inning on Wednesday, blowing a 5-1 lead in an eventual 6-5 loss in 11 innings. How will the Orioles respond to these two polarizing contests?  If we look at the club’s body of work this season, the west coast trip—and the month of July—will not be pretty. From the pleasant 6-3

It’s about time for Dave Trembley to go…

Nestor Aparicio

Being on the radio every day over the years I’ve had the sad fortune to listen to more than my fair share of “fire the manager/coach” calls from knee-jerk reactionaries on a mission to be a public “coach killer.” In general, it’s just not my style to call for the firing of a skipper. In fact in my 17 years on the radio – from Johnny Oates to Davey Johnson, from Phil Regan to Sam Perlozzo, from Mike Hargrove to Lee Mazzilli – I’ve never gone on the air in any fashion and said, “Fire the manager.” (Not even for Mazzilli, who was such a freaking train wreck that it was reprehensible.) But, today, I’m strongly toying with the idea that it might be getting close to the time for Dave Trembley to exit. I’ve watched the first three months of the 2009 version of the Orioles. They lack consistency in virtually every aspect of the game. They even lack consistent effort, Tuesday night’s miracle notwithstanding. They’re in dead last place and going nowhere anytime soon. They run the bases like Jeff Stone on certain nights. The mental mistakes and ill-placed errors are maddening at times. But, for me, the

Red Sox-Orioles Facebook News Feed

Luke Jones

If you’re not familiar with the phenomenon that is Facebook, this won’t be the blog for you. Anyone keeping an eye on the popular social networking site while watching the Orioles’ miraculous comeback victory over the Red Sox on Tuesday night inevitably saw a variety of angry wall messages and statuses (10-1) that gradually transformed into reserved hope (10-6) and, finally, jubilation (Orioles win, 11-10!). While viewing all of these messages, I imagined what the Facebook news feed would look like describing this wild game and the various people involved.  It might go a little something like this: * 24,000 Boston fans are attending the event “Red Sox vs. Orioles at Fenway Park South.” * 7,969 Baltimore fans are attending the event “Getting Drowned Out by Obnoxious ‘Sahx’ Fans in My Home Ballpark.” * Adam Jones created the group “Outfield Walls Hurt.” * Orioles fans ended their relationship with Rich Hill. * Dave Trembley left the group “Give Your Pitcher the Quick Hook.” * Luke Jones says it’s time to watch old episodes of The Office while keeping an eye on the game. * John Smoltz’s status:  “I really hate rain delays.” * Rich Hill’s status:  “I’m doing a rain

Ohhhhh what a comeback: Oriole Magic percolates at The Yard after the rain…

Nestor Aparicio

It isn’t hype to say that a miracle happened at Camden Yards tonight. It isn’t hyperbole to say that this was truly the greatest comeback in Orioles history. It really was. I’m sure this morning many of you will awake to read this and say what most of the city (or the few who were watching to begin with will say): “They were losing 9-1 when the rain came. How the hell did they win that game?” Well, the box score will tell you all about the comeback — an amazing display of perserverance that saw them get five runs in the 7th inning and five more in the 8th to overcome the Red Sox in an 11-10 win before a stunned contingent of mostly Red Sox fans, who stayed to celebrate what looked to be a rout at 10:45 p.m. after a lengthy and wet rain delay that came in the fifth inning. In the 7th, Aubrey Huff, Nolan Reimold and Luke Scott heroics were all upstaged by Oscar Salazar’s big home run off of Hideki Okajima. In the 8th, it was Nick Markakis’ big two-out shot off the left field wall that highlighted a firestorm offensive display against

5 W’s and 1 H

Luke Jones

31-62. No, it is not the Washington Nationals’ current record (22-51), but it’s the Orioles’ record against the Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards since 1998. And despite what many would have you believe, the fans donning pink and green Boston hats and representing The Bandwagon Red Sox Nation haven’t hurled a single pitch or hit a single home run in those 62 losses. Don’t get me wrong, I’m as frustrated as anyone to see Camden Yards invaded by Red Sox or Yankees fans 18 times every season, but pleas to Orioles fans to buy those tickets are a waste of words.  Nothing will change until this becomes a winning organization again. Because of their strong national following, the Yankees and Red Sox have a strong representation wherever they go, whether it’s in Baltimore, Kansas City, or Los Angeles.  The only way to contain—not eliminate—the number of Red Sox or Yankees fans is to field a winning team that fans want to pay to watch. Just look at the Ravens’ annual war with the Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium.  In the years in which the Ravens are competitive and in the playoff hunt, the number of Steelers fans is considerably

5 W’s and 1 H

Luke Jones

The first half is in the books, and the Orioles are right where most of us thought they would be—last

5 W's and 1 H

Luke Jones

The first half is in the books, and the Orioles are right where most of us thought they would be—last

5 W’s and 1 H

Luke Jones

31-62. No, it is not the Washington Nationals’ current record (22-51), but it’s the Orioles’ record against the Boston Red

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