We all know that the Baltimore bullpen was a mess at times last season and with the off-season looming, one would think changes would be made. However, one member of the bullpen, Mark Hendrickson was a source of strength last season as he often pitched in long relief and was a spot starter. Well, it looks as if he wants to come back to Baltimore and doesn't want the decision to drag on. When the World Series ends, the Orioles' exclusive 15-day negotiating window with would-be free-agent pitch... Read Full Story
It looks like the Orioles are already making personnel decisions when it comes to the roster. Three Orioles refused an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk and instead elected to file for free agency on Tuesday. Left-hander Rich Hill, outfielder Jeff Fiorentino and catcher Guillermo Rodriguez all filed paperwork with Major League Baseball and have informed the O's that they will become free agents, a team spokesman confirmed. Right-hander Alfredo Simon, limited to just two starts this ye... Read Full Story
This weekend, I decided to go to Maine for a wonderful weekend (it is ever cold here), plus work on a potential deal here. However, on the way up there on I-9, I ran into Yankee fans in Tony Soprano Country. A lot of them. I stopped at two rest stops in New Jersey and just saw Yankee paraphernalia everywhere – hats, caps, and all. There were tons of families all decked out in navy blue who wanted to see the happy little parade in Manahattan, and I decided to chat it up with them briefly. Hone... Read Full Story
Jay Trucker of the Baltimore Examiner website has an interesting piece based on what Brian Roberts said in his weekly spot Tuesday afternoons on The Fan pertaining to one free agent. Roberts mentioned Matt Holliday. The veteran mentioned the need for a starting pitcher, though he admitted the market for a strong arm would be tough, but he did have a suggestion for bolstering the Orioles lineup—Matt Holliday. Holliday and Roberts know one another personally and have spoken this offseason. Holl... Read Full Story
Congratulations to Adam Jones for winning his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award. I'm a bit surprised he won, considering he plays for a last place team and only appearing in about 75% of the games as he was injured in the final weeks of the year. Jones was solid in the outfiield, as he made quite a few amazing catches during the season; however, I thought he was far superior in 2008. He did also make quite a few mistakes out there, but overall, he was much better than average out in the field.... Read Full Story
The Rookies of the Year for both leagues were announced yesterday, and Chris Coghlan, who plays for the Florida Marlins won for the National League and Andrew Bailey (Oakland's young closer) won for the American League. Congratulations to both men on winning the award. However, perhaps the two Orioles who might have merited some considersation for the award -- pitcher Brad Bergesen and outfielder Nolan Reimold -- didn't garner any votes. As we know Bergesen missed signficant time after being ... Read Full Story
The free agent period starts today and the Orioles based on their results last season need all the help they can get. After 11 losing seasons and finishing in the second division (again), I'd be curious to see what the team does on the open market. It's safe to assume the Orioles won't get John Lackey (he's going to get paid and go to a contender), nor Jason Bay or Matt Holliday, but they'll have their pick of the second and third tier free agents. It's widely assumed that Baltimore will try ... Read Full Story
The Philadelphia Phillies took the first game of the NLCS over the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-6, thanks to a big fifth inning, and two three-run homers by Carlos Ruiz and Raul Ibanez. The Dodgers were helped out by a huge Manny Ramirez home run in the fifth and rallied in the eighth inning to come within two; however, Brad Lidge – who everyone knows struggled in 2009 in save opportunities – was not perfect in the ninth inning on Thursday, but got the very important save. Philadelphia’s Cole Hame... Read Full Story
Phillies vs. Dodgers: The Dodgers scored twice in a bizarre eighth inning where the Phillies used five relievers to try to hold onto a slim 1-0 lead. Honestly, Philadelphia’s effort on the field in the frame was just ugly as they gave up two lead-off singles (a single by Casey Blake and a bunt by Ronnie Belliard) and moments later, Chase Utley would field a ball from Russell Martin and try to complete a double play. However, Utley’s throw to first would completely sail by Ryan Howard and all... Read Full Story
I've been away for a few days on travel, but right now the 2009 playoffs have been extremely compelling for the most part, with every game coming down to crucial-at-bats, timely hitting, and of course pitching and more pitching. It's amazing to see how far, far different playoff baseball especially with the elite teams than it is (no offense) watching the Baltimore Orioles day in and day out. I've got in my mind now that we're going to see a Yankees-Phillies World Series, which would kind of ... Read Full Story
