This year’s Orioles FanFest has a slightly less optimistic feel to it, and by slightly, I mean not even close.

FanFest 2012 is Saturday, Jan. 21 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Baltimore Convention Center. Last year there were good vibes throughout the event. The Orioles made some moves last offseason, bringing in shortstop J.J. Hardy and hard-hitting Mark Reynolds. They also signed first baseman Derrek Lee.

As if that wasn’t enough, last season was Buck Showalter’s first full season as manager of the O’s, and after they finished the 2010 season 34-23 once Showalter came aboard, things looked bright for a change…and then 2011 happened.

This year, after the O’s finished the 2011 season in last place—for the fourth year in a row—with a 69-93 record, things aren’t as optimistic.

General Manager Andy MacPhail is gone, and the Orioles and have replaced him with Dan Duquette as VP of Baseball Operations. So far, his biggest acquisition has been Endy Chavez.

The Orioles need a DH but didn’t go out of their way to talk to Luke Scott, who is now with the Tampa Bay Rays.

If that isn’t enough, Nick Markakis had abdominal surgery recently, and probably won’t be at 100 percent until June, and Brian Roberts’ recovery from a concussion he suffered last season seems to have been derailed.

Roberts’ agent announced that BRob would skip FanFest, an event he has attended every year he has been with the club, because the “stress” of the event—noise, flashing lights, etc—might be too much. That does not sound good.

As per last year’s model, this year’s FanFest will feature autograph sessions. Autograph vouchers cost $15 and the proceeds go to support OriolesREACH, the Orioles’ community [Read more...]

The Baltimore Orioles deserve their own episode of M.A.S.H. As if things couldn’t get any worse for the Orioles, news came out that Nick Markakis underwent “significant” abdominal surgery late last week in Philadelphia. Maybe new VP of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette should skip free agency and spend the few dollars Peter Angelos drops out of his pocket on the best trainer Parsimonious Pete’s pennies can buy. Alliteration aside, welcome to rock bottom, O’s fans.

Markakis had an average season in 2011. He hit .284 with 15 home runs and 73 runs batted in. Not bad, but not great, and also not what you would expect from a guy you paid over $10 million in 2011 and is due $12 million in 2012. Markakis says he is “hopeful he will be ready by Opening Day.”

Maybe instead of changing their logo to the cartoon oriole, maybe they should have taken it one step further and changed their name to the Injury Bugs, because they were beat up bad last year, on and off the field. Brian Roberts is still iffy after sustaining a concussion last year, and players such as Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Derrek Lee (no longer an Oriole), and even J.J. Hardy all spent a decent amount of time on the DL last year.

This injury is certainly a setback for Markakis, who is looking to get back to his 2007 form when he hit 23 home runs with 112 RBI while hitting .300. His power numbers dropped three straight years—he reversed that trend in 2011, hitting 15 home runs, a slight improvement over the 12 he hit in 2010. Baltimore’s lineup is average at best, and if Markakis, a great situational hitter, is not in right field they seem almost hopeless.

As if that wasn’t enough, there was also a report that the [Read more...]

The Orioles finished last (again!) in the AL East with a 69-93 record. But there were some good things to say about the season, and some hopeful signs along with the pratfalls, injuries and dropped games. So let’s take a last look at 2011 before we head toward spring training and the 2012 season.

January 29, 2011… FanFest… You could feel a different vibe at FanFest. After a strong finish to the 2010 season, the Orioles made some moves to bring in players like Mark Reynolds, J.J. Hardy, and Kevin Gregg to help keep them moving in the right direction. The atmosphere was very optimistic at FanFest 2011, and everyone was excited to get the season started.

February 18, 2011… O’s sign Vlad – After denying reports of talking with big time hitter Vladimir Guerrero, Orioles’ VP of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail signed the free agent slugger, giving Baltimore another big bat in the lineup.

April 3, 2011… Starting the year with brooms – Starting their season out on the road against the eventual wild-card winning Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore earned the sweep and allowed only one run in each game as they outscored the Rays 12-3 over the three-game series.

April 4, 2011? Home Opener… Baltimore came home in first place with their 3-0 record and faced off against the Detroit Tigers in front of a sellout crowd. Jake Arrieta pitched well and Brian Roberts hit a three-run homer as Baltimore won 5-1.

April 9, 2011: The start of things to come… Baltimore won the first game of their doubleheader against the Texas Rangers before dropping the nightcap 13-0. That loss was the beginning of an eight-game losing streak.

May 16, 2011: B-Rob’s Finale- After the Orioles lost to the Boston Red Sox 8-7, Brian Roberts went on the disabled list, where he would spend the rest of the season.

June 4, 2011: Reynolds Grand Slam – Mired in a miserable slump, Mark Reynolds fixed all of that with one swing. With the Toronto Blue Jays up 3-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth, Reynolds came up with the bases loaded, and took care of business with one swing as he hit a grand slam to put the O’s up for good, 5-3.

June 28, 2011: Not again! Baltimore lost three [Read more...]

Dear Santa,

I know you’re a busy guy, so I went ahead and helped work on your naughty or nice list for the Baltimore Orioles. (You’re welcome!)

NICE –
Matt Wieters – Wieters had a great season behind the plate for the O’s, hitting .262 with 22 home runs and 68 runs batted in. He also won his first Gold Glove which could be the first of many for him.

J.J. Hardy – By the way, thank you so much for bringing us a shortstop last year. J.J. worked out just fine! During the 2011 season, Hardy hit a career-high 30 home runs with 80 runs batted in, and his .269 average wasn’t too shabby either.

Adam Jones – Besides his great play in center field, Jones hit .280 with 25 home runs and 83 runs batted in. I really hope the rumors about him going to Atlanta aren’t true. Santa, work on this please.

Robert Andino – Andino did a great job filling for Brian Roberts last year by hitting .263 and hurting the Boston Red Sox every chance he got, and spoiling their postseason chances in the last game of the season. Christmas in October! Thanks, Santa!

Jeremy Guthrie – I know he lost 17 games last year, but you can’t blame him for many of those losses. He constantly went out there and gave his all and didn’t miss a start while throwing 208 innings which led all starters in Baltimore by far.

Jim Johnson – One of the only reliable arms in the bullpen, Johnson had an ERA of 2.67 and did a great job night in and night out. As you can see on my list this year is for another pitcher like him. Thanks Santa!

NAUGHTY –
Peter Angelos – Yes, the owner is going on here, but I have but one simple request: Please let Dan Duquette do his job. If I get nothing else for Christmas this year, that is the only thing I would want. And let him do his job for the next few years. I know we haven’t had a winning season in 14 years, but people have no choice but to be patient at this point.

Michael Gonzalez – Thank you so much for getting him traded to the Texas Rangers. You really do exist!

Vladimir Guerrero – Hmm, I don’t remember his name being on my wish list last year… why did you send him to Baltimore? I know you deliver presents all over the world, maybe he was supposed to go to another address? Fenway maybe?

Kevin Gregg – I think he will turn it around this year, but last year wasn’t exactly one of his best. Gregg posted a miserable 4.37 ERA for the O’s in 2011 out of the bullpen. He did save 22 games, but he did blow seven of them. Perhaps you can give Gregg some consistency this year for Christmas.

As for this year, Santa, I just wanted to thank you in advance for not letting CJ Wilson come to Baltimore. As for Endy Chavez, I don’t recall seeing his name on my Christmas list….

by Andy Mindzak
birds@baltimoreguide.com

A wise man once said, “All we need is just a little patience.” OK, so maybe that man was Axl Rose and he isn’t necessarily wise, but he does have a point. Besides, have we not learned anything from Tim Tebow? Let’s start thinking positively people!

With the Winter Meetings come and gone, I can imagine the Orioles meetings went something like the beginning of the movie Major League, “I haven’t heard of half these guys and the ones I do know are way past their prime. Most of these guys never had a prime.”

It’s true, the big name the Orioles acquired at the Winter Meetings was left handed pitcher Dana Eveland. Eveland is a 28-year-old pitcher with a career 5.52 ERA (stop me if you’ve heard this before) to go along with his career record of 19-24. His one full year as a starter came in 2008 while with the Oakland Athletics where he finished up 9-9 with a 4.34 ERA. Last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Eveland made only five starts and went 3-2 with a 3.03 ERA. Maybe there’s something there, but…

For the Orioles, signing a big name like Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder isn’t going to help any. If anything it’ll give the O’s fans a false sense of hope, kind of like bringing in Vladimir Guerrero. Sure, right now the Los Angeles Angels have one of the best first [Read more...]

With the winter meetings underway, new Orioles VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette is saying that the pool for starting pitching being very thin, and he will look to improve via trades. That could make these winter meetings very interesting.

One of Duquette’s top priorities is pitching, which is a no brainer, considering how the Orioles finished dead last in all of Major League Baseball with a team ERA of 4.89 and a WHIP of 1.45. Not good. Let’s take a look at what they have.

Jeremy Guthrie is the ace on this staff. A great presence on the mound and in the clubhouse, Guthrie pitched a whole lot better than his 9-17 record shows. Guthrie finished with a 4.33 ERA during 2011 and finished his season strong, going 3-1 in September with a 3.77 ERA. I would be surprised if he was moved this offseason and he should be back next year.

Jake Arrieta was pitching well before getting injured. Arrieta finished 2011 with a 10-8 record and a 5.05 ERA. Arrieta was 9-4 heading into July before getting hurt, but so far, he looks to be right on track to return for Spring Training.

Zach Britton had a great rookie season. Britton led the O’s in wins with 11 to go along with his 4.61 ERA. Britton had a rough midseason after a hot start, but then got it back on track in August before having a rough September. All in all, not a bad rookie season for Britton, and he looks to grow from his first year in the bigs.

Brian Matusz is one player I can’t wait to watch in 2012. You might think I’m crazy, and you might be right, but I’m not so quick to dismiss Matusz, even though he didn’t have the best 2011 season which saw him go 1-9 with a 10.69 ERA while dealing with injuries and a drop in velocity. Matusz had a good 2010 season which saw him go 10-12 with a 4.30 ERA, and after his strong finish to the 2010 season, many thought he would develop into the ace of the rotation. Thanks to some injuries, that never happened, but I think Matusz will bounce back in a big way this year.

Tommy Hunter came over from the Texas Rangers in the Koji Uehara trade which also brought over Chris Davis. Hunter is versatile in that he can start or pitch in relief, although personally I think he would provide more [Read more...]

The Baltimore Orioles aren’t known for their bullpen lately—at least not in a good way. Their Mike Gonzalez experiment failed miserably and Kevin Gregg has shown flashes of dominance, but his inconsistencies have made fans question his role as the closer.

With the Orioles needing to bulk up their bullpen, here is a quick look at what they have, and what they could go for.

I think one issue in Baltimore was the fact that a lot of relievers didn’t know what their role was, which can partially be attributed to the struggles of the starting rotation. Think of it this way: You know that hot but moderately crazy girl in customer service? You wouldn’t necessarily kick her out of bed, but you know you wouldn’t marry her either. Same thing applies to pitching. Relievers should not go in and out of the rotation. Let them get into their routine whether it be starting or pitching in relief.

Jim Johnson is the most reliable relief option for Buck Showalter. He had himself a great 2011 as he posted a record of 6-5 in relief with an impressive 2.67 ERA. Johnson also chipped in with 18 holds and nine saves, all for $975,000 salary which is downright cheap these days.

Gregg was average over all. He led the team with 22 saves but his 4.37 ERA left much to be desired. His control was a big issue, as he walked 40 batters in 59.2 innings. He did strike out 53, but he needs to stop giving away free passes. Gregg is due to make $5.8 million this season and Baltimore has an option to bring him back for 2013.

Tommy Hunter was brought over from Texas in the trade for Koji Uehara. I see Hunter doing well for Baltimore. Hunter had an OK season, going 4-4 with a 4.68 ERA. He split time as a starter and reliever, but I do like him coming out of the pen.

Brad Bergesen is another pitcher I have had high hopes for, although 2011 wasn’t [Read more...]

The Baltimore Orioles seem to be set in the outfield, but their infield could use a little tweaking. OK, a lot of tweaking.

Unfortunately for them, there aren’t too many options available in free agency, so maybe a trade would be in order.

Besides catcher, the one infield spot where Baltimore is set is at shortstop with J.J. Hardy. The Orioles traded minor league relievers Brett Jacobson and Jim Hoey for Hardy and utilityman Brendan Harris last December, and then signed him at midseason to a three year deal paying him 21 million. Hardy earned that deal this season, as he hit .269 with a career high 30 home runs and 80 runs batted in. Not only can he hit, Hardy plays a solid shortstop which is a huge help to their young pitchers. So far it looks like the Orioles for once got the better end of a trade.

The outlook at second base is a bit foggy—it depends on what happens with Brian Roberts’ head. Roberts has missed most of the last two seasons with concussions, and even though he has two more seasons left on his contract, he might be done, since he will need to put his health first. If he does come back, second base is his. If he doesn’t, Robert Andino filled in this year nicely and is a pretty good bet for the starting spot.

Andino hit .263 for the O’s last season and scored 63 runs in the 139 games he played. If Roberts is done, I say let’s give Andino the gig at second base for 2012, as 2011 was the first time he played over 80 games. I think he earned it. Just ask Jonathan Papelbon, who was on the mound when Andino twice beat the Red Sox with clutch hits late in the season. Andino’s second decider came in the last game of the season, a ninth-inning, tie-game, dying-quail liner that sent the Sawx home to watch the playoffs on TV.

The next question is a big one. Depending on where they put Mark Reynolds, they will need either a third or first baseman. Reynolds had a productive year offensively, hitting .221 with 37 home runs and 86 RBI. He also scored 84 runs and for the first time in the last four seasons he did not strike out at least 200 times (he finished the season with 196 K’s).

But defensively, he was a mess. He made 26 errors at third base which gave him a fielding percentage of .897. While playing first, he made only five errors for a fielding percentage of .987. So—I say he ‘s better at first, which raises the next question:

Who’s on third? Josh Bell spent some time at third, but he only hit .164 in 65 at bats this year. They could use Chris Davis at first and put Reynolds at third, but I do believe I mentioned Reynolds made 26 errors at the hot corner, and Davis strikes out about the same as Reynolds. The market for available third basemen via free agency is very shallow, so perhaps a trade might be in order. The best player available in free agency is Aramis Ramirez, but he is 33 years old and would not be worth it. Kevin Kouzmanoff is available, but he’s the anti-Reynolds, as he has a great glove, but is a mediocre-at-best hitter.

Whichever route Dan Duquette takes, hopefully he will fill that void without having to spend too much so they can save that loot for the starting rotation. But that’s another story for another day.

by Andy Mindzak
birds@baltimoreguide.com

On Tuesday, the Baltimore Orioles released their new uniforms which have them bringing back the cartoon Oriole. While that’s all fine and good, I’m more concerned about the product on the field. They can wear the 1980’s Houston Astros’ jerseys for all I care if they start winning, but with Dan Duquette in charge (I hope) things might get better. With free agency in full swing, let’s take a look at Baltimore’s outfield to see what needs to be done there.

Right field is locked down with Nick Markakis, who won his first Gold Glove in 2011. Markakis finished the 2011 season hitting .284 with 15 home runs and 73 runs batted in. He also chipped in with 72 runs and 12 stolen bases. He is signed through the 2014 season with an option for 2015, so we are good there. Barring any crazy trade, Markakis will be hanging out in right field in Camden Yards for the next few years.

Center field is also good to go with Adam Jones. Jones was arguably the Orioles’ most valuable player in 2011 as he hit .280 with 25 home runs and 83 RBI. Jonesy plays an amazing center field, and always works hard. As it stands right now, Jones won’t become a free agent until 2014, and I’m hopeful Baltimore will do what they can to keep him around.

Left field is a slight mystery. Currently, Nolan Reimold is their starting left fielder, but that’s mainly because Luke Scott missed the majority of the season due to injury.

Reimold hit .247 on the year with 13 home runs and 45 RBI, but he had a great September, hitting .281 with five home runs and 17 RBI. Luke Scott is a free agent, so it remains to be seen if he will be signed again. As much of a fan favorite as he is, I think he’s an unlikely Oriole in 2012.

Rumors are swirling around about possibly bringing in Josh Willingham (A’s) or Jason Kubel (Twins) to play left. I hope they don’t go for that. Willingham and Kubel are decent outfielders, but it’s not like they will really help the team improve that much. I hope the Orioles will actually let Reimold have his shot in left this year and see what he [Read more...]

Even though the Baltimore Orioles were nowhere near the World Series this year, there is still much to be learned from the 2011 champion St. Louis Cardinals.

For starters, it all begins up top in the front office. Walt Jocketty was the GM in St. Louis from October 1994 until October 2007, and he put together quite a team. Under his watch, the Cardinals won six National League Central titles and won two National League pennants and won the 2006 World Series. Some of those players are on the team still.

The Cardinals replaced Jocketty with John Mozeliak in October 2007, and he has continued their winning ways. Some of his draft picks have yet to flourish, but he made some great moves for key role-players that paid off in the Cardinals’ amazing run in 2011.

Take a look at the lineup. Players like Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, Allen Craig, and Jon Jay were home grown players who came up through the Cardinals’ organization. If you look at their pitching staff, one of their starters, Jaime Garcia, was a home grown player. In his two World Series starts, Garcia pitched ten innings with an ERA of 1.80.

St. Louis closer Jason Motte was another player who came up through the Cards’ farm system. Other pitchers like Edwin Jackson, Marc Rzepczynski, and Octavio Dotel came over in smart trades.

Free agency was the other source of the Cardinals’ success. Mozeliak signed Lance Berkman, who had a huge World Series as he hit .423 and led the team with 11 hits. Mozeliak also signed Rafael Furcal, Nick Punto and Kyle Lohse. Jocketty signed their ace Chris Carpenter back in 2002.

If you’re wondering about the NLCS and World Series MVP David Freese, he was one of Mozeliak’s first moves back in December 2007 as the Cards traded fan favorite Jim Edmonds to the San Diego Padres for Freese. Oh, and one other thing…the Cardinals 2011 payroll was just over $109 million.

What can the Baltimore Orioles learn from this? First off, they need better scouting and development. Garcia, Jay, and Freese were second-year players, yet they all jumped right in and got the job done.

Baltimore’s second year players like Brian Matusz, who was supposed to be the ace of the staff, regressed in his second year (I still blame Mark Connor for that). Jake Arrieta pitched well before getting hurt, so I’m hopeful he will come back strong in 2012.

Another area of improvement can be smarter spending. $8 million for Vladimir Guerrero? Really? A 36-year-old designated hitter for $8 million? They need to improve on that. The Orioles’ payroll in 2011 was just over $86 million, so with the departure of a few free agents, they will have some money to spend, and they can get some value if they look for it and not just a famous name to go on the back of a jersey.

Trading for J.J. Hardy was a great move, as was trading for Mark Reynolds. Trades seem to be an area of expertise for Baltimore, so if they can keep up with that and work on their free agent signings, they can put together a decent squad.

We all know competing in the AL East is brutal. Baltimore doesn’t spend like the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox, so they have to make sure their scouting and front office are top- notch and develop the talent from within, something they have not done in quite some time.

On the other hand, look where the Red Sox’ $160,257,476 payroll put them this season: in their mansions watching the playoffs on plasma, same as the bargain-basement Orioles. Money isn’t everything.

by Andy Mindzak
birds@baltimoreguide.com

It’s about time!! The Baltimore Orioles finally did something right! Over the weekend, the Orioles unveiled a statue of Oriole great Brooks Robinson near Camden Yards, at Washington Blvd. and Russell St.

Robinson had quite an illustrious 23 year career, all of it spent in Baltimore.

Brooksie’s statue is in bronze, but his glove is gilded, and that’s as it should be.

Robinson hit .267 with 268 home runs and 1,357 runs batted in, but what he was most known for was his defense. Lee May, when he played for the Cincinnati Reds, called Brooksie “the Human Hoover” for his habit of scooping up everything that came his way in the 1970 World Series.

Robinson won 16 gold gloves at third base, which is most all time at that position. It might even be a “Ripken record”— one that will take a very long time to break.

Second on that list is Mike Schmidt who won 10 gold gloves, so that just goes to show how dominant Robinson was defensively. As much as I love having Mark Reynolds’ bat in the lineup, I’d love to have Brooks give him a [Read more...]