Matt Wieters progress.

I know I haven't tapped into the farm system much since I started this blog. I found a very interesting/exciting article here. Scroll down to the Frederick Keys section. Remember Matt Wieters? He belted two long balls in his first game as a professional ball player. His first two hits were towering homeruns. Anyone else excited about him?

4/4 So far, so good. Some Shorebirds info.

The rain delay was avoided. I actually got to see some baseball on TV! Maybe one day I will get noticed as the great writer that I am. I will eventually have the news media trying to throw press passes and money at me, just so I can write a blog for them. Lol. That would be nice.

A few things that I noticed in this game was the Orioles defense. Luis Hernandez is looking more and more comfortable every day. He made a nice diving stop but wasn't able to throw the runner out. It was still an A+ effort. Melvin Mora is showing no ominous signs of age. He made a good stop on a ball. Adam Jones ran down a ball in the gap that was a sure double or triple. He made it look routine. Pure speed.

The bats are alive an well. Just like Jamie Walker said the other day, the Orioles have been "MF'ed" by the media this year. They have a better team than they are given credit for.

The bullpen finally gave up 2 runs tonight. Couldn't blank em' forever I guess. Sherrill gets save #2 and we're only 3 games into the season. His brim still hasn't been molded. Has anyone mailed him a brim bender yet?

I got a phone call from a good friend tonight. He happened to be at the Delmarva Shorebirds game tonight. He told me witnessed 2nd Baseman Ryan Adams hit a HR dead center that cleared the SCOREBOARD. That is a monster shot. He esiimated the HR to have traveled 450ft. I find it hard to believe but I won't doubt him, I wasn't there.

I did a little digging on Ryan Adams and he is projected as a C+ prospect at best. A utility/back-up player at best.

If he keeps hitting long balls like that he won't be a C+ prospect for long.

4/3 - The dreaded rain delay.

Ok, this season has really tested my patience so far. We had to suffer through the day off after opening day and now our first rain delay. Looking at the forecast, we just may be in for two in a row. This really rains on my parade, no pun intended.

They aren't skipping the trash man in the rotation right now. They will probably be forced to if the game is postponed tomorrow as well.

I'm looking forward to seeing Sarfate pitch soon.

Can someone go to Hat World in the mall and buy George Sherrill a brim bender? Did you see him pitch last night? He looked gangsta! Roch Kubatko said the reason why he doesn't bend his brim is because he said he can never bend it properly. They have devices that can do that for you, you know?

Cal Ripken could never bend one right either. Cal never wore his hat straight either, it was always turned slightly to one side. Maybe it was Cal Ripken who started the whole sideways-hat epidemic? I say epidemic because it was terrible, and still is! Lol. I'm not saying Cal was really to blame, it just looks a little suspicious that the trend happened in the 80's and he was a superstar in the 80's.


Look at the hat. Notice it turned slightly sideways and the hack-job bent brim. All of his pictures look the same. If you don't believe me you can google it.

You guys know I'm just kidding right? I'm not really that crazy to believe my own insanity. I'm just bored.

4/2 - Can the Trash Man take out the trash?

The Orioles are sending Veteran Steve Trachsel out to the hill today. We're do for a good starting performance sooner than later. I bet the kids that Tampa Bay are fielding get tired of waiting for him to throw the ball they start picking up clumps of dirt and swinging at it. Hey, atleast thats what I did in Little League. For those of you who forgot how he pitches, you will have a full grown beard by the 6th inning. I predict this to be a loooong game.

I still can't wait for Adam Jones and Nick Markakis to hit thier first homeruns of the year. These two guys are very exciting to watch.

To all the naysayers..

Hopefully tonights game should be enough indication to everyone that this team does have a little pop in their bats. This team was down and kept coming back. DCab stunk it up though but the offense pulled together.

How about Randor Bierd and the rest of the bullpen? They have looked VERY good in the first two games of the season. I think our bullpen will be a plus for this team this year. Say goodbye to the worst bullpen ERA in the history of the universe!

Aubrey Huff had his game going with a HR and a triple tonight. As we eastern shore folk would say, "He was on far!" "Far" is Eastern Shore for fire. I think the boo's will turn to cheers pretty soon if he keeps this up.

O's won 9-6 and they didn't give up after the first inning like they did all year last year. Great game. I scared my German Shepherd when I jumped up and started yelling at the TV. Maybe I should not do that anymore because I may be bigger but I bet she bites harder.

4/02 --Almost game time!

Like said earlier, the dreaded day off after opening day is over.

Trembley has posted the same lineup as monday except Ramon and Luke have switched spots in the batting order. I was kind of hoping Fahey would have gotten the start today. Oh well, Cintron won't be down too long.

DCab is going to mow through the Tamba Bay lineup. Haha! I don't know about that. Tampa Bay has some good pop this year and it's going to be tough for ANYONE to beat them.

BTW has anyone noticed the Devil Rays are no longer the Devil Rays? They are only the Rays now. I guess the word "Devil" seemed to be a bit over the top. Check out their new uniforms. They look like really bad high school uniforms. Just my thoughts, I suppose some would like them. I like the retro feel about them though.

DCab gets the start tonight.. My Pre-game...

DCab get's the start tonight.
Finally the dreaded day-after-opening-day is over! Ugh! I can't stand it. As if waiting all off season wasn't long enough for me to wait before I can see some consistent baseball. Down with the system. Just kidding.

Actually Daniel should pitch good tonight. He had a semi-rough outting his last Spring game. This means that he is due for a brilliant game. Great, terrible, great, terrible.. You get the point. He put's it together this year. No doubt in my mind.

Hopefully the Orioles can string together some offense tonight. Adam Jones and Nick Markakis both go 4-4 tonight with 4 home runs a piece.. Even Luke Scott pokes 3 out of the yard tonight. Ok.. One can dream.. I really do wan't to see some good pitching though. I used to be like Earl Weaver and wait for the big 3-run homer. After suffering through so many years of bad pitching I have actually come to love the pitching part of the game. Pitching builds winners. Even the worst offense can string together a run every now and then. If they can't hit you, they can't beat you.

My pre-game.
My pre-game usually doesn't involve watching the actual pre-game on TV. It's not that I wouldn't mind watching it, I just normally don't have the time. That and I also cringe everytime that Rick Dempsey talks into the wrong camera. Gotta love that guy.

Okay I did some digging..

Have you ever wondered why most teams take the day off after opening day? I always have wondered this but never put much thought into it after the dreaded day rears it's ugly head and leaves.

The answer is simple: In case of a rain-out on opening day.

Thanks to a few posters at the Orioles Hangout I was able to get the answer pretty quickly.

It makes sence to me now, but that doesn't mean that I still have to like it. You see, it worked out pretty well for the evil empire Yankees. Their opening day was rained out and they were able to have opening day on the off-day that was scheduled. Is it just me or does everything eventually work out for the Yankees? Sigh..

Orioles sign Cintron to a MiL contract.

This guy should be a pretty decent upgrade to what we currently have at Short-stop. Not alot of HR pop but he has a good enough bat to poke the ball all over the field.

This signing is funny to me though. The Orioles originally tried to sign him in the off season. He instead opted to sign for the Cubs, then gets cut by the start of the season, and THEN signs a minor league contract with the Orioles.

If he had just signed with us in the first place he would have been the opening day starter at SS. I guess that's how bad people just don't wan't to play for the Orioles.

Oh well, he won't be in Norfolk for long. If Luis Hernandez gets any worse he may be here by the end of the month. I honestly don't see why they just don't bring him up now.

Also, has anyone ever wondered why they never play the day after opening day? Seriously thats annoying. I know I good deal about the game, but for some reason I have never taken the time study up on that. I guess I will have too now.

Thanks for the support..

I want to thank everyone for the support my blog has gotten in the past few days. I am sorry for the small lack of updates, I have been pretty busy tending to my sick girlfriend.

As everyone pretty much knows by now, Jay Gibbons has been cut. Who knew that Peter Angelos would have let Jay have 12 million over the next 2 years for free? This also lets Jay sign with another team. I think Jay will wind up signing a Minor League contract with someone. The homerun potential is there.

Did anyone notice the attendance at Oriole Park? According to the announcers it was a sell-out crowd. In my opinion, sell out crowds must be getting smaller and smaller. I really think the weather played a part in that though. I can't wait to see the attendance on Wednesday.

I don't think I will be giving daily scores on the ball games. My reasoning is simple. I can't watch every game and I think there are enough "real time" news sources around here that can have that information readily available for you.

Was I not the only one impressed with Matt Albers? Wow that guy can pitch. Maybe he won't be in the pen for too long?

Lots of information!

Not to inflate my own ego or anything, but I just wan't to rub in that fact that I was right about Brian Burres. Congratulations on winning the 5th starter spot Brian. You pitched a helluva spring. Matt Albers is sticking as the long relief.

Also the pitching staff has been announced and I was able to nail it down. Scroll down and look for my predictions post because it is long winded and I don't want to type it again.

Jay Gibbons suspension has been put on hold for 10 days. That means he will not start the season on suspension. Atleast the first few games anyways. This gives the MLB and the Major League Players Association more time to reach an agreement on revisions to the sport's drug policy. I'm not really sure if I wan't to tackle this issue or not... Okay I will. It happened, let him serve his time, it's over. Done. Odds are that they will reach an agreement and Jay won't serve a day of his suspension. Let's just get this over with.

Baltimore's new scoreboard is done. Take a look at this article with video. Courtesy of The Baltimore Sun.

Spring Training has come to an end folk. The Orioles have left Ft. Lauderdale and are flying home as I type. They play tomorrow against the Nationals in the new Nationals ballpark. You can catch the game on MASN. Home opener on Monday at 3:00!!! Bring it!!

What's that smell? America's smelliest past-time.

This is a little long winded, sorry. I think you may enjoy it if you choose to read the whole thing. If not, just read the first paragraph, it gave me the most trouble. :)

So, I was cutting my lawn for the first time this year just the other day when I realized that a big part of the game of baseball is the smells. I didn't come to understand this by myself, just in case you were wondering. I had a little help from a four legged friend. As I'm riding through my yard on the lawn mower it became apparent to me that I missed a few piles of dog poop when I wen't through the yard with a shovel, specifically for dog poop removing purposes. That's when it hit me. The smell, not the actual poop.

There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh cut grass in the morning. Saturday mornings in the Summer as a kid were my favorite. Waking up early in the morning, for a kid, and riding my bike out to the ball field for Saturday morning baseball practice. The smell of the fresh cut ball field stuck in my nose as I ran down lots of fly-balls. Those really were some good times and smells.

Monday after noons were always the best though, because it was game day. Waiting for dad to come home from work so we could go to the game together was very painful. I thought he would never make it home on time. As we pull up to the ball field it was pretty obvious it was game day. The smell of hotdogs and nachos struck me in the nose almost immediately.

There really is no difference going to a little league, Shorebirds, or Baltimore Orioles game. The smell of the asphalt parking lot, fresh cut grass, and good food. An Orioles game is the exception though, because there is no smell like Boog's BBQ. That is a sweet sweet smell that cannot be replicated. I guess there isn't any dog poop to smell at Camden Yards either.

Enjoy one of America's smelliest past-times.

Spring Updates--Buress pitching good.

Brian Buress threw 5.1 innings of 6 hit, scoreless ball today. He also struck out 4. Apparently one of the hits was a bunt single and one should have been scored an error. His spring ERA is now down to 2.77. He has pitched better than Matt Albers and in my opinion should win the 5th starter spot. However, Baltimore Sun Orioles Blogger Roch Kubatko seems to think that Matt Albers has it won. With that coming from Roch I have the tendancy to believe it because he has been with the Orioles camp all spring long.

The ONLY reason why I see that Baltimore would pick Albers long term over Buress is because Brian has been with the team. They know how he pitches over an extended period of time. Either way he has rightfully earned the 5th spot. If he doesn't get it, he will still be with the team as a long reliever.

Melvin Mora continues his war path, hitting a triple and a double today in his only two at-bats. He is hitting .457 this spring. Big contract or not, he has earned the starting 3B spot.

Rob Neyer, Sports blogger?

When I started The Byrd's Nest I told myself that I would stay away from controversy. I really couldn't help but take notice of a blog on ESPN from Rob Neyer. First, I wan't to give you the link of the article that I read. Now I will show you a clip from the article that I found interesting:

My, how things have changed in the Wonderful World of Shortstops. Remember
five years ago, when Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Nomar Garciaparra and perhaps Miguel Tejada all looked like Hall of Fame shortstops? Today, only Jeter remains a shorstop and only he and Rodriguez remain future Hall of Famers. - Rob Neyer

I found that quote very interesting. For one, Miguel Tejada is still a shortstop. Miguel Tejada's skills may be in decline with age, but he is still a shortstop. Rob is correct about ARod and Nomar, they are no longer shortstops. At first I wondered if he ment that Miggy was no longer a true shortstop because of his declining skills, but then it became obvious that he actually thought that he was no longer a shortstop by assigned position.

Rob Neyer is a respected journalist, as he works for ESPN and has written three books. In my opinion I think he is a good journalist, but maybe he should research a little before he posts.

Even his employer, ESPN, has Miggy listed as a Shortstop. Link.

Redsux Nation..Of course they won.

I woke up to a pleasent suprise this morning. I had forgotten that it was opening day for Boston and Oakland as was greeted by ESPN with the game. The first thing I saw was Daisuke Matsuzaka throw a borderline breaking ball and it was called a ball by the umpire. My initial reaction was to jump up and shout "Oh $#%t!" Thinking nothing of it I sat back down to watch the game. Apparently my girlfriend heard the scream and me jump to my feet. She then came running out of the bedroom expecting there to be a major problem. Yeah.. I'm not allowed to watch baseball at 6:30 in the morning anymore... Ohwell.. What she doesn't know won't hurt her. What she does know, will hurt me though.

Oh, by the way the Sox took that game 6-5 in 10 innings. Oakland led most of the game, but you know how that goes. If it's the Redsux or the Yankees, your chances of winning drop dramatically.. Actually I think Oakland would have won that game if their outfield didn't make so many blunders.. and I mean blunders. It was Little League type of stuff! Errgghh..

Bedard/Santana trades.. Who got the better deal?

This is something that I have not touched on until now. Two ace's, two trades. Who got the better deal on their staff ace? Baltimore or Minnesota? The poll is on the right, find it and vote.

Seattle's haul:

Erik Bedard - 28 years old, will be 29 very soon. Career W/L 40-34, 3.83 ERA, and 639 K's in 114 games. Definite #1 top of the rotation starter. He is a young guy, but in baseball years he is middle aged. Baltimore traded him to Seattle for 5 players.

Baltimore's haul:

Adam Jones (CF) - 22 years old, and he won't even be 23 until August. 6'2, 210lbs, bats and throws right. Supposed to have an above average arm, good speed, and 30+ homerun potential. It may take 2 more years for his full potential and power to get here.

George Sherill (P) - 30 years old, a left-handed reliever who has posted a career 3.65 ERA, W/L record of 10-8, and 138 strike outs. Should be some much needed help for this bullpen. Seattle plucked him from an independent league. Good find Seattle.

Chris Tillman (P) - 19 years old, projected to be a starter. Standing at 6'5 and 195lbs, he has raw talent. Still a few years away from the big leagues but his arm should fully develope in the Orioles pitching-rich farm system. Expect to see him pitch in AA this year, working on his mechanics. With a 10- 14, 4.93 line, he needs to change something. He has time.

Anthony Butler (P) - 20 years old, a south-paw projected to be a starter. Standing at 6'7 205lbs. I think this guy is a sleeper. Minor league 7-9, 3.95ERA, in 34 games. Those look like reliever numbers. Look for him to work on and change his mechanics. Alot of potential here.

Kam Mickolio (P) - 23 years old, a righty that stands at 6'9 256lbs. A monster. He was converted into a reliever last year. Minor league career W/L 7 -4, 2.72 ERA, in 50 or so games. He won't be in Norfolk long. He will be in Baltimore by June.

That's Baltimore's haul for Bedard.. Not too shabby eh?


New York Mets haul -

Johan Santana (P) - Probably the most feared pitcher in the game besised Steve Traschel.. OK Just kidding. Trax isn't scary at all, but Johan Santana is. Very scary.

Career W/L 93-44, 3.22 ERA, 1381 K's in 251 career games. Holy crap thats good.

Minnesota's haul -

Philip Humber (SP)- MINOR league career W/L 18-19, 4.11 ERA, 266 K's in 54 games.. Better than I could do. With better hitting in the big leagues, this guy better learn to pitch better or change something up.

Carlos Gomez (OF) - Minor league career .278 BA in 338 games. Not a lot of power but he has the ability to hit the ball and get on base. K's alot and doesn't appear to be patient at the plate. He will be a solid, serviceable outfielder.

Kevin Mulvey (SP) - Career 12 - 11, 3.02 ERA, in 31 Minor League games.. Wow he blew right through the Minors. He looks really good.

Deolis Guerra (SP) - Career 9 - 14, 3.28 ERA, in 40 Minor League games. I will admit that I do not know much about Deolis. His W/L record is not so hot but looking at his ERA (3.28) it looks like he has bad hitting protecting him. Much like all the no descisions the Jeremy Guthrie suffered at the hands of aging veterans last year.

Well there you have it folks. The two big trades last offseason. I know, call me partial to Baltimore all you wan't but they simply got the better deal. Johan Santana is a better pitcher, actually I believe he is just a more established pitcher then Bedard. Baltimore, in my opinion, got a far better deal than Minnesota did.

WINNER : BALTIMORE

Now this one is pretty simple too. Seattle pretty much wiped out their entire farm system to give to Baltimore. Do you think Bedard is going to sign an extension or resign in 2 years? Good luck! That Canadian will be Toronto bound. Sure Seattle is close to Canada, but it's on the opposite end.

For New York it was simple. Win now. Buy everybody you can. They have no farm system at all. They somehow managed to land the hottest pitcher in the game AND signed him to an extension worth atleast 137.5 MILLON DOLLARS. OUCH!

WINNER : NEW YORK METS

The poll is on the right folks.

Spring updates.. Guthrie opening day starter.

Congrats to Jeremy Guthrie on being selected as the Orioles 2008 opening day starter. Well deserved. Good luck Jeremy.

The 5th starter is still undetermined.. No mention yet from Trembley.. Still down to Burres and Albers.

Dave Trembley made three more cuts. The Orioles have reassigned Mike Costanzo, Omir Santos and Luis Terrero to Norfolk. Don't expect Costanzo to stay down too long.

Jay Gibbons is having a HORRIBLE spring, suprise, he is batting .172 with no home runs. They owe him $11.9 million dollars. What a great contract! I really hope whoever replaces him during his 15 game suspension beats the tar out of the ball and forces Baltimore to eat his contract. I like you Jay, sorry, but your just not good any more.

Thanks WMDT.

Just like to thank WMDT for their support. Thanks Kathleen, maybe this will be the exposure I need!

Juan Uribe?

Here is a link from the Chicago White Sox website practically stating that Juan Uribe is on the waiver wire. Due to MLB rules, they cannot outright say it. But that sums it up pretty good.

For those unfamiliar with Juan Uribe, here is his career stats from MLB's website. For some reason MLB's site has him listed as a second baseman when he is actually a shortstop. I haven't followed that closely with the White Sox offseason so maybe they have promoted or signed someone for the shortstop position.

If the White Sox have placed him on the waiver wire, a team has 72 hours to claim him. If they do, they must pay his salary for the next year. In Uribe's case it would be $4.5 million dollars for 1 year.

Would it be wise for the Orioles to take a shot at him?

Why not? It's not like $4.5 million for a one year stop gap player will break the Orioles bank. They are one of the richest teams in baseball with the lowest payroll right now. Think about it. Luis Hernandez isn't gonna hit much better than about .230. Now I'm not saying that Juan Uribe will either but atleast he's got some power. He put up 20 dingers last year. Luis Hernandez and Brandon Fahey do not have power and will not hit anywhere close to that many homers. He is a decent fielding shortstop with some pop.. Hello?? What are we waiting for. If I am Andy MacPhail and I know he is on waivers, I would be burning up the White Sox GM's phone right now.

Now of course this could be a ploy by the White Sox to see who is interested in him. They can always take him off waivers before the 72 hours is up. That would be the smarter thing to do on their part because then they can try to negotiate a trade.

We will see.. IF he is on waivers, I would think that he will be on our OD roster.. Now I could be wrong, but it's a thought.

Guthrie, apparently is a big Markakis fan..

Either Jeremy is a big Nick fan or he lost a bet and has to be Nick's caddie for a day. Mormons don't bet do they? By the way, isn't that a golf bag? I would love to hear the story behind this photo. Photo is courtesy of the Baltimore Sun.

Time to play the guessing game.

Lets take a look at what we have left now and see if we can guess the pitching staff. I'm assuming we will have a 12-man pitching staff. This is what I think it will be, barring a Brian Roberts trade:

SP - Jeremy Guthrie
SP - Adam Loewen
SP - Daniel Cabrera
SP - Steve Trachsel (I REALLY hope he is out of the rotation by June 1 and I REALLY REALLY hope he doesn't get the opening day nod. Jeremy is having a far better spring and deserves it.)
SP - Brian Burress (Yes, I predict he beats Albers)

Chad Bradford
Jamie Walker
George Sherrill
Dennis Sarfate (Has to. He is out of MiL options)
Greg Aquino (No MiL options either.)
Matt Albers (I don't think he stays long.)
Drum roll please....tdtdtdtdtdtdtdtdtd...
Randor Bierd. Somehow you knew that was coming didn't you?

This looks to be it if we don't trade Brian Roberts before opening day. The good lord only knows what would happen then. It's hard NOT to get excited about the bullpen this year. I just have that gut feeling that I haven't had since 97.

Let's play the guessing game. What do you guys think?

Spring is springing, and the arms are being sprung.

The Orioles had an off day on St. Patricks day and so did I. Well, I had minor surgery, what's their excuse? Lol.

Okay, seems as if the 5th man race is down to two players now. ALbers and Burress. I guess I was wrong about Olson. He was sprung. Looks like the Norfolk rotation may be better than the Orioles! Apparently Olson can't control his fastball. When you pitch in the high 80's and sometimes low 90's you NEED to hit your spots. He must learn to control his fastball and sneak it in on the corners. I think a little more time in AAA will help him. As with Hayden Penn, Olson will be a big league pitcher, just not now. He will earn a call up.

Randor Bierd continues to impress. He came in as a situational guy and faced two batters, sitting them down in order, lowering his spring ERA to 2.35. Ladies and germs, we have a rule 5 winner. Thanks Detroit.

O's send Liz down to Norfolk.

Orioles link.

I have no problems with this. He has a little more to show and should shine in Norfolk. He will make them call him up soon. Actually I kinda hope Hayden and Radhames both force Baltimore for a call-up.

I have not included Olson because he has not been sent down. Yet. I just don't think it's his time yet. It will come.

Norfolk's rotation looks pretty darn good.

The enigma.

Daniel Cabrera threw 5 and a third innings today, striking out 5 and walking 1. He was hitting his spots and his breaking ball seemed to be working. If you watched this game you may have noticed the same thing I did. The guy is HUGE. I don't know if new Pitching Coach Rick Kranitz has been coaching him to stand taller or not. He's huge. I wouldn't want to face a 94 - 97MPH fastball from the lochness monster, let alone a lochness monster who can't hit the strike zone very often. I don't know what I feel worse for, the maple bat or the plastic helmet.

I think I have figured this guy out. He either has a GREAT game or a terrible game. You have got to beat him in the first few innings or you will not beat him at all. If you get to him early, you mess with his head and he starts throwing the ball straight as an arrow with no movement to the right or the left. You just better hope when he gets wild that he hits you with a changeup and not his fastball. I'm with the majority who wishes and prays that he puts it together this year. Speaking of which, this has got to be his last shot. But is it all really his fault? How many pitching coaches has been coached by? Kranitz, Mazzone, Miller, and on and on and on. Do you see where I'm going with this? He may just need some stability. Different coaches have different ways of teaching, but at the same time these are/were very knowledgable instructors. Somewhere along the lines you have to learn something from someone. I just don't think he gets another shot after this. We have plenty of young guns in the system developing.

By the way it seemed that just about everyone had a good day at the plate. Birds WIN 11 - 3. Great game to watch. I'm glad I didn't miss it.

Doing my research.. / MASN anger.

The name of Dennis Oil Can Boyd popped in my head this morning.. Very interesting player. I think we can have a little fun with this guy. Remember him? I will have a nice post up on him later today once I get everything organized.

Don't forget you can catch the O's take on the nats today on MASN 1 at 1:05 PM. HOPEFULLY we get to see a sneak peak at the big bat/defensive outfield today of Markakis, Jones, and Scott. The last time a spring training game was televised this year neither one played. Either way that was a good game and the birds routed Boston.. Maybe that was because Boston was playing with a split-squad and only had like 3 regulars there. Either way we beat the tea party crashers! O' by the way if I were you I would try my hardest to watch this game because there is only one more ST game to be televised and thats on 3/29. MASN is only televising 3 ST games this year. Humph.. I wan't more baseball. They are the Orioles network for crying out loud. I don't want to see ladies basketball, I wan't to see Orioles baseball on the ORIOLES NETWORK.

3/13 Spring training-- O's cut Hayden Penn

The O's routed the twinkies today 3-1. Baltimore's pitching looked good again today. 1 run on seven hits. The twinkies actually threw a better game. Baltimore tagged Minnesota starter Blackburn pretty early, putting up 3 runs on 2 hits.

The only pitcher that gave up a run for the O's was George Sherrill. He has been outstanding this spring which has come as a suprise. Georgie has a career ERA of around 10.00 during the spring. His ERA this spring so far? 3.00. Nothing to laugh at.

Hayden Penn was cut today. I mentioned him as a long shot and my personal favorite to make the 5th man in the rotation this year. I was right about hte long shot. He will be starting for AAA Norfolk this year. Let's hope he can put last year behind him. Appendectomy, sprained ankel, shoulder injury... Yeah sucks to be him. I like him though. He WILL be a big league pitcher.


Garrett Olson's long shot just shorter. Today he threw 3 innings of NO HIT ball, striking out one and walking two. His ERA this spring? 1.29... Yeah.. Won't stay there much longer, but I like him and his future is in his hands. Since Penn has been sent down Garrett is my favorite for the 5th man now.

Spring training update 3/12

Jeremy Guthrie threw 4 innings of 3 hit ball, only giving up 1 run. The most important thing, he didn't walk a soul and threw 44 of 59 pitches for strikes. O' by the way the Orioles still lost 6 - 2. Classic bullpen meltdown. Actually Ryan Bukvich surrendered a two-run homer. Who is this guy? I can't find anything on him, not that I am even trying. Sounds like a non-roster invite. Greg Aquino, had his own problems in the eighth when he allowed a run scoring double and single. So it wasn't actually a classic meltdown. It was a non roster invitee and a long shot to make the team.

The Orioles scored their two runs when Jay Gibbons was batted in by Aubrey Huff and Oscar Salazar drove in one off of a single.

By the way Adam Jones went 1 - 3 with a double. So far this Spring he is batting .450. Erik who?

Luis Hernandez with ANOTHER error today. It was a throwing error which in my opinion is worse than a fielding error. Why? Somebody could get hurt!. That's 4 errors in this short spring. Yes I know it's only spring training but when do you get better? Does someone magically get better in two more weeks? His fieldingf range looks to be pretty good, just gotta duck when he throws. Gives new meaning to nose bleed seats. I think his real problem is the fact that he is nervous, he knows he is it for this team. Last year we had Miggy, and when Miggy was hurt Luis got the nod at SS. He played very good and in my opinion he had nothing to lose except for his job when Miggy got better so it didn't matter to him. He just relaxed and played good ball. I'm not saying I could do any better. Also if I were Branden Fahey I would step my game up because just maybe he will find himself in the SS spot..

Oh I hope the devine powers, ahem Andy MacPhail, make a trade for a shortstop really soon.

Sprrriiiiiinnngggg is here!

THIS IS VERY LONG. BEWARE. Good reading though. I hope. lol.



Sorry! I know it's been a while since I posted. You have to understand that I threw this blog together in about a day. I was just playing around with blogger one day and decided to have some fun. I just moved into a new house and I have been unpacking and fixing waaaaay too much stuff. Just got the internet and everything hooked up. I'm back for the long haul. Hey maybe I can even stir-up some controversy! Either way I'm back. ;)

With Erik Bedard gone and the new guys in lets take a look at spring training.

Just for everyones information the flu bug has hit the Orioles spring training camp pretty hard. I don't know how this is going to effect the opening day line-up, if at all. How can it effect anything? Players sitting out a week, getting behind everyone else... Hmm... I think this is pretty much the only injury/bug Jay Gibbons has been able to avoid. Just a joke, just a joke, I like Jay.

So far this Spring (3/12) Baltimore has posted a 6-5 record... BALTIMORE? A WINNING RECORD? Too bad it's spring training and it's meaningless. :)

First I wan't to break down every player and thier chances to make the team. Let's break it down by position as well. Also please keep in mind that I do not have exact up to date stats on everyone so I won't be giving any numbers out on their stats. I follow this stuff everyday so I will use my terribl... err.. good memory.

OUTFIED:

Adam Jones - (CF) - This guy was meat and potatoes of the Bedard trade. He will be the Orioles everyday Center fielder barring an injury or horrible slump. So far this spring he is mashing the ball. He has misplayed a few balls in the early spring, but keep in mind that he is 22 years old and is nervous. The entire offseason was pretty much focused on him. The only real problem so far is his strike outs. But it's all a part of the learning process. He will be good.. Very good. As far as this year goes, look for him to put up decent numbers but don't look for him to have a Nick Markakis year just yet. Maybe next year, he needs time to develope.

Nick Markakis - (RF) - How can anybody NOT be excited about this guy?! Nick the Stick! Kakes! Nick is a notorious slooow starter so far in his career, even during spring training. Right now Nick is playing like he is in mid-season form. Look for a MONSTER year. Im going out on a limb here and calling for a .300 BA , 25 - 30 hrs, 100 + rbi. The only problem that I forsee is no Miguel Tejada this year. What does that mean? That means pitchers have been more afraid to throw to Miggy who was in the #4 hole so they threw to Nick who was in the #3. Now with Miggy being gone Nick might get the Barry Bonds treatment and get ALOT of walks. Nick avoided the Sophomore curse, let's just hope he can avoid the junior curse as well. I know I made that up.

Luke Scott - (LF) - For those who don't know him, he came over from Houston for Miggy. Look for this guy to produce some power this year. He tagged 18hr's last year, same as Miggy, in LESS games. He only played about 130 or so. He is young and was a good pick up. Not going to make any predition on this guys stats. I wan't to see him play first. He is one of the unfortunant ones to go down with the flu this spring. Before he came down with it, he was mashing folks.

Jay Gibbons - (OF) - Jay's biggest problem, 15 day suspension. The next biggest problem, he is not a good outfielder. The next problem, the position he plays best is being manned by a kid named Nick Markakis.. Good luck Jay. So far,he is hitting the ball really hard. I like Jay, just don't know how much longer the Orioles will deal with him. Only crappy thing is, he has almost 12 million left for two more years on his contract. Highest paid bench warmer in the leaugue!

Jay Payton - (OF) - Barring any kind of trade (ahem Roberts, Payton to Cubs, ahem) Jay will be the platoon guy in the outfield. The 4th outfielder. When eitehr of the outfielders goes down, look for Jay to fill in. He is a decent defender and can hit a little. Not a bad guy to keep on the bench. He is getting older, but is in better shape then just about anybody on the team.

Tike Redman - (OF) - Hmm.. Not sure if he is going to make the cut this year. If Payton is dealt and we don't get an outfielder back for him, Tike makes the team. Look for him to start in Norfolk this year.


CATCHERS :

Ramon Hernandez - (C) - Let's hope he has a better year this year. His first year with the birds he put up career highs and was a good pick-up. Last year he well.. kinda stunk.. But he was hurt most of the year. Look for some solid numbers out of him this year. O' by the way he show up and camp this in in arguably the best shape of his life..

Guillermo Quiroz - (C) - He was pretty much the only good talent Baltimore picked up at the winter meetings this year. Former first rounder I think.. Could be wrong. He has been solid all spring and will be 92348902384902 times better then Paul Bako this year! Hell yeah!

INFIELDERS :

Brian Roberts - (2B) - The man needs no introduction. Brian is going to be an all star for the Orioles again.. If he isn't traded. Is it windy where your at Brian? I hear Chicago can get pretty windy.

Melvin Mora - (3B) - If this guy still an Orioles? Yeah.. Mora has been on the decline for several years now. It will be very interesting to see how he is without his friend Miguel. Another over the hill ball player that makes too much money. What's even worse, he has a NO trade clause! Ever see the movie Babe with John Goodman? Remember in the end, he would hit the ball and when he made it to first base he had a substitute runner take over. Yeah.. That's Melvin in the year 2030 when he is still on the Orioles. I like Melvin, but he is officially making too much money and blocking younger talent from playing. Scott Moore, Costanzo.. No not George Contanza. Mike Costanzo.

Aubrey Huff - (1B, 3B, DH) - Slooooooowwww starter. As we say back home, this guy is slower then molasses running down hill in January. He put up decent numbers last year but they came in the final couple of months! Over the hill. Let the kids play.

Kevin Millar - (1B, DH) - I wanna see the Ray Lewis dance again this year! No, seriously. I wanna see it. Great attitude and undertanding of the situation. He will get his playing time and hits in. He may sit a few games in favor of the youngins..

Luis Hernandez (SS) - People are comparing him to Aparicio. Not a chance. No bat, all glove. So far this spring he has made 3 errors. He is just nervous. He is an upgrade with the glove or Miguel. But not the bat.

Brandon Fahey (UT) - Long shot to make the team. If he does he will have to beat out Luis and Freddie "Boom Boom" Bynum. Very small guy.. Actually judging by spring training pictures I have seen so far this year, he has put on some weight.

Scott Moore (UT) - Find some pictures of him! He looks like Jim Thome. Long shot to make the team. Good power. He has a few people to beat out to make the team.. Mike Contanzo, Freddie Boom Boom.. He will be up this year at some point if he doesn't make the team initially.

Mike Costanzo (UT) - Former first rounder I think? Came here along with Adam Scott for Miggy. If he makes this team it will be because of his bat. Not much to look at on the field.

PITCHERS :

Ok. I'm not going into too much detail over everybody on the staff as it is really early in the morning and there are too many. I will make some interesting points though.. Hopefully.

Jeremy Guthrie (SP) - I think this guy is going to get the opening day nod. Rule 5 pick up last year and turned out good. He only truly projects to be a # 4 or 5 starter at best. Although I hope last year wasn't a fluke for him. He is a good religous kid who prepares hard. He shows a good 2 seamer that Moose had. It starts outside and drifts back in on the hands. Look for him to put up decent numbers. Very level headed.

Daniel Cabrera (SP) - This has got to be it for him this year. Break out or get out. Very tall flame thrower. So far this spring his walks are still up.. So are his strike outs though. He is pitching in the 3's so far. Don't know how long he can hold it down though with all those walks.

Adam Loewen (SP) - Remember him? He actually projects to be an ACE.. Like our departed Erik. Hopefully he can come back from elbow surgery. Look for him to reestablish himself this year. May be wild at times. He will get it though.

Steve Traschel (SP) - Hope I spelled his name right. If I didn't oh well.. Let just call him the Trashman. He was actually solid for us last year before he was traded. Don't look for him to be around past the all star break unless our kids meltdown.. Like last year!

Dennis Sarfate - Young guy. Big. Look for him to be on the opening day roster in the bullpen. Came over from Houston.

Jamie Walker - Over worked by Perlozzo last year. Look for him to go back as a 8th innning set-up guy. Should be good. Having a decent spring.

George Sherrill - Came over from Seattle. He has been almost PERFECT this spring. Will be here opening day. Look for good things from him.

Hayden Penn - Remember him? He had terrible luck last year. Appendicitis and surgery on his arm. He was out most of the year. Look for him to fight for the 5th starter spot. In my own opinion I want to see him get it. He projects as a #2 - 3 starter. Also, he is still very young and has time to develope.

Garrett Olsen- Promoted last year. Was very shaky. Shows good stuff. Fighting for the #5 spot. Look for him to start in Norfolk. Projects as a #3 starter at best.

Bob McCrory - Don't know much about him. Fighting for a bullpen spot. Hardest thrower so far this spring 95 - 97. If he winds up in Norfolk, he won't be there long.

Radhames Liz - Very interesting. He is fight for either a bullpen slot or the 5th started spot. Shows some good heat and he is young. He was a bit wild last year when he got promoted. Although he was almost untouchable in AA ball. May need more time to develope. Had some funky mechanics last year. Apparently he worked on that and his wind up looks better this year. He has a natural problem with his collar bone. Everytime he throws it pops really loud. Doctors say it is nothing to worry about though. So if he pitches this year and you hear funny noises, it's not your tv, and your popcorn is probably burning in the microwave.

Jim Johnson - Not sure on this guy. Don't think he will be around this year.. Maybe.. maybe not.

Jim Hoey - Big kid. Fighting for a bullpen slot. Look for him to pitch in Norfolk. Not for long though.

Rocky Cherry - Came over last year for the trashman. Pitching outstanding this spring. He may be here opening day.

Brian Burres - Look for him to be long relief this year and maybe even a spot starter. I like this guy personally. I saw him throw 9 or 10 KO's last year at the yard.

Chad Bradford - Same as last year. Dependable submariner. Set-up man.

Randor Bierd - Interesting. Probably going to get a shot at the bullpen this year. Rule 5 pickup from Detroit. Apparently he learned a pitch from Pedro Martinez that no one can hit. It's like a change-up / split finger that he hides really well with his delivery and no one can hit it. They are calling it a "Split-Up". I did not make that up, you know who you are.

Greg Aquino - Don't know much about him. Apparently he is throwing good this spring. Looks like he is going to make the bullpen.

Matt Albers - Fighting for the 5th spot. Look for him in Norfolk this year. I tell you what, Norfolk should be pretty good this year. ;)

Okay that about wraps everything up from player to player. I will post again soon on the staff.


The birds have the potential to be a VERY good team this year. Just depends on this kindsa breaking out.. WHY NOT?

Bedard is in Seattle for his physical..

Reports are coming in all over the internet the Erik has left his home in Canada and is now in Seattle..

Why is he in Seattle? It's all apart of the process. Jones and Sherrill both have been to Baltimore and completed their physicals by Orioles doctors. It is reported that the last part of the trade is for Erik to get his physical done.

Erik, we hardly knew ye!

Trade Brian Roberts? O' no.

Just where do I begin on the hot subject of trading Brian Roberts? Brian Roberts is the face of the Baltimore Orioles. No name since Cal Ripken has been a more recognizable name in Baltimore as far as baseball goes. He has pulled his weight in the community of Baltimore and the State of Maryland.

But why trade him? People love him, he is a great ball player, the girls love him.

Well.. This is where I get opinionated.

Brian Roberts is 30 years old. He will be 31 before the end of the year and he will be 32 when his contract ends at the end of the 2009 season. Thats not too old right?

Brian Roberts is a speed demon. He doesn't hit for much power, but he makes up for that with legging infield singles out, turning singles into doubles, and turning doubles into triples. He ranks right up there with the best in the business. His star power also depends on his range at second base.

How much can a body take? He certainly takes his vitamins and eats his wheaties, but he can't keep this pace up. He will for the next few years but he will be in a decline when our team is ready to compete, and that won't be for another 2 - 3 years. Brian is in the prime of his career, and in my personal opinion, the Orioles need to trade him to a contender and do him a favor. Give him a shot at a world series.

Who can we trade him too? The RUMOR right now is to the Cubs.. They are playoff contender material. Well.. They haven't won a world series in a hundred years, but none the less they are contender material. There are so many different rumors on him right now, I don't know where to begin with a list of names. Most rumors say a 3 for 1 trade. Some say 2 for 1. No one knows except for Andy MacPhail(Orioles GM). Also this is depending is ol' Pete will sign off on him.

I'm gonna miss Brian, but he's gotta go. If he can net us 2 or 3 prospects, we can deal with Brandon Fahey while they are at Delmarva mashing the ball.

O' by the way. Nick Markakis is the new face of this team. Bet me. More on him later.

Keeping up with the baseball stuff.

I'm not only a fan of the Orioles, I'm a fan of the game baseball. Every now and then you will see a post pop up on an old player. One that you may remember dearly, or maybe even wanted to forget about. The first one that I have in mind will suprise you, hopefully. Hopefully that post will be up soon. Let us not forget those who's blood, sweat and tears paved the way for this game. You know... Before anabolic steriods and human growth horomone.

Also, if you look to the right you will find local Salisbury weather. That's so you can keep up with the weather at the Shorebirds games. Right underneath of that, you will see the weather for Fort Lauderdale, Florida of all places. That weather is for spring training, so you know if the game will be on TV or not. PITCHERS and CATCHERS report on 2/14/08! I know I'm probably going over board. I'm just a die-hard fan, thats all. lol

Cheers.

Let me give my self a proper introduction.

The hits are creeping up and I swear they are not all me! Maybe just a few of them, lol. I didn't plan on starting a blog, thats for sure. I found blogger and started tinkering with it and then I just kind of got interested in it. When I started I didn't even know what kind of direction I wanted to go in. Then as I started to post I noticed most of it was sports related. Well, it's not all going to be. It's my blog and I will do what I please! Lol. If I find or make a good recipe, I will post it.

Separated at birth?

Yep, thats James Hetfield from Metallica and the Cowardly lion. Separated at birth?

Trading Erik Bedard. Good or bad? O' no.

To the normal wake up in the morning person who follows the Orioles via ESPN and the newspaper, this is probably not a good idea. But to the Orioles fan who divulges themselves into stats and war-like strategy, this is actually a no-brainer of a trade.

Who is Erik Bedard? In 2007 the left hander pitched to a 3.16 ERA, W/L record 13-5, and struck out 221 batters. He did all this even with having a horrible April and missing the last month of the season with an injury. Yea. He's he best thing to hit the O's since the Moose. I would also like to mention he broke the Orioles record for most strike outs in a season AND he tied Mike Mussina for the most strike outs in a game(15).

I've heard it alot, "Why in the world would they trade him? We need pitching! We finally find somebody who can pitch and we get rid of him!"

I will tell you why. Erik will soon be 29 years young and he will be entering into the prime of his game in the next few seasons. Do you really think the Orioles are going to win anything in the next two years with the scrubs we have now? Yep. Didn't think so.

Ok, so if we are tading Erik Bedard who are we getting in return? O' by the way the rumors are with a trade to Seattle. Now take this for what it's worth, Bedard may very well stay an Oriole, but this is the RUMORED trade for him:

Adam Jones, 22 years old, plays above average center field. Last year in Tacoma he batted a .314 average, .382 on base percentage, 132 hits, and 25 homers. All this in only 101 games. This guy is gonna be a star. Not sure if his defense is better then the new departed Corey Patterson, but his bat is sure to be!

George Sherrill, 30 years old, a left-handed reliever who has posted a career 3.65 ERA, W/L record of 10-8, and 138 strike outs. He should be much needed help in the bullpen.

Chris Tillman, 19 years old, projected to be a starter. Standing at 6'5 and 195lbs, he has raw talent. Still a few years away from the big leagues but his arm should fully develope in the Orioles pitching-rich farm system. Look for him to start at Fredrick or AA Bowie.

Anthony Butler, 20 years old,a south-paw projected to be a starter. Standing at 6'7 205lbs. I haven't heard much about him other than he is roomates with Chris Tillman. Look for him to start at Fredrick or AA Bowie.

Kam Mickolio, 23 years old, a righty that stands at 6'9 256lbs. A monster. He was converted into a reliever last year. If he doesn't start the year in the pen for the O's, look for him to be throwing in AAA Norfolk.

There you have the 5 players RUMORED in a trade for Erik the Great. For all the O's fans wondering why we would give up pitching. Those 5 players is why. 1 established arm, 1 center fielder with all star potential, and 3 very promising arms. Now I know that the possibility of all 4 prospects turning out to be stars may be a long shot, but you gotta believe. It's the Oriole way.

Please take this rumored trade for what its worth. The deal may not go down and if it does actually go down, it may involve different players other than the ones mentioned above.

If I am Andy MacPhail, I pull the trigger on this trade. The O's should look pretty good in 09' and 10.

More on Brian Roberts when those discussions heat up.

Orioles and Metallica... Orioles and Metallica...

For those of you who know me, it's Orioles and Metallica. Orioles and Metallica are pretty much guaranteed to come out of my mouth atleast 847648334 times a day. Lol. This is no joke. I think it may be a disease. I've got the Meoriollica! Try saying that 3 times really fast!

Ok, let's divuldge into the Orioles first. They are my first love anyhow. I have been an Orioles fan ever since I was big enough to hold a baseball. I hate to love this team so much. It's torture being an Orioles fan. Being an Orioles fan is getting beat in the face with a sledge hammer 160 or so times a year. I used to alot of O's baseball cards signed and locked away until the below mentioned house fire decided that was a bad idea. Im over it though, most of them were scrubs anyways. I am however still mad about the Chris Hoiles card, he was always my favorite.

With all this being said I would like to direct you to the Orioles Hangout. If your reading this blog, and not many of you are, yours into this kind of stuff. So if your an Orioles fan check this place out. It's full of everything you want or have ever needed to know about the O's. I spend most of my time in the forums. They also have some other good stuff like future prospect trackers.

Now onto my second love of Metallica. It all started on December 28th 1997. Sadly I even remember the day. My brother and I were headed to D.C. to watch Starcade 1997! For those of you not familiar with this, it was a Pay Per View special for the now defunct WCW wrestling. It was Hogan vs. Sting and it was Stings return to the ring. On the way there this song kept playing over and over and over and over again on basically every radio station we tuned into. I had a very fond liking to this song. "This" song turned out to be the Unforgiven II by Metallica. I was instantly hooked and a decade of annoying my friends with constant Metallica babble began. I think most of my friends hate them because of me. Lol.


Ok now to tie the Orioles and Metallica together..

The Orioles can't win a championship. Even worse they can't even win a game!
Looking back on it, Metallica has only put out one album of original material in 12 years! And for those of you with Metallica knowledge, Garage Inc. and S&M were not original material.. :(

I can't win and apparently the Orioles can't either.

It all starts at home.

It all starts at home folks. Take a look at this article. This article is of importance to me because I work in and around the fire service. This was definitely a tragedy avoided because this child knew what to do. I have compiled for you a list of links with some very helpful information for you and your families.

You should always have a fire escape plan. Nothing is more important than knowing what to do in the event of a fire. This is a good basic fire escape plan to practice with your children. This article also has a fire safety checklist, explains the three elements of fire, and lists a few sources for each element.

You should always have at least one fire extinguisher in your house. Preferably one in every room. Here is a good article that explains the different types of fire extinguishers and how to properly use them.

You should have a working smoke detector in every room of your house. Remember, batteries die! You should change the batteries in your smoke detector every 6 months even if they aren't dead. Some fire departments even offer free smoke detectors and batteries. Here is a link that explains how smoke detectors work.

Last but not least, you should have a working carbon monoxide detector. Over 200 people a year die from carbon monoxide poisoning with an additional 5000 injured. That is way too many lives. Just a few dollars can save lives. Click this.

I hope everyone understands the purpose of my little blurb. Please do not think this will never happen to you. I see this stuff on a daily basis and it is very real. My house burned down when I was a child. It happened to me.