By Avi Miller, on January 2nd, 2012  Coming into the 2012 MLB season, the Baltimore Orioles have uncertainties in many areas around the diamond, including who will play 2nd base if Brian Roberts is incapable of doing so on a regular basis. Yes, there are those who have jumped onto the Robert Andino bandwagon, but Dan Duquette went to the six year minor league free agent list a little over a month ago and signed middle infielder Matt Antonelli to a big league deal. This not only secures him an invite to Spring Training, but also a 40 man roster spot, which is highly valuable to any organization to give to a player.
I had a chance to catch up with Matt and find out a little bit about him and his background:
Matt Antonelli is a new name to the people of Baltimore. Tell us a little about yourself as a person and also about your baseball style and past.
I am from a city about fifteen minutes north of Boston, Massachusetts and have lived here my entire life. In high school I played baseball, hockey, and football. My biggest hobby is sports. I love every sport there is and in some ways have an unhealthy addiction to the NFL. I played baseball at Wake Forest University from 2004-2006. I was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2006 and made my Major League debut in 2008. In 2010 I signed a one year deal with the Washington Nationals and then signed with the Baltimore Orioles this past November.
By Avi Miller, on December 8th, 2011  With the announcement of DeMarlo Hale as the new Orioles 3rd base coach and Bill Castro as the new Orioles bullpen coach, Buck Showalter’s staff seemed to be complete after yesterday’s announcement of these hirings.
Looking at the published coaching staff (pictured on right), one would think that every position is filled. Even the bullpen catcher spot, seeing as Rudy Arias will return in 2012. But one name is still missing from this list on Orioles.com:
Ronnie Deck. READ MORE >>>
By Avi Miller, on November 15th, 2011 Along with changes to the Oriole Bird logo and the script for the “Baltimore” writing on the Orioles jerseys for the 2012 season, the organization unveiled today a new orange alternate jersey to be used at select home games this season.
A third change to the uniform set includes a patch for the 20th anniversary since the opening of Camden Yards.
What do you think of the pure orange look for the Orioles? READ MORE >>>
By Avi Miller, on May 8th, 2011 Mike Axisa of MLBTradeRumors.com posted a piece yesterday titled “Free Agents Who Are Costing Their Team Money.” The list basically shows which free agents that signed this past off season are performing to a lower level than their contract dollars would expect. Using advanced statistics to figure out how much a player is worth in terms of salary figures, here are the Orioles that made the list:
 Position Players:
- Vladimir Guerrero – $8MM salary, -$400K value ($8.4MM deficit)
- Derrek Lee – $7.25MM salary, $200K value ($7.05MM deficit)
Pitchers
- Koji Uehara – $3MM salary, -$400K value ($3.4MM deficit)
- Jeremy Accardo - $1.08MM salary, -$900K value ($1.98MM deficit)
- Kevin Gregg – $5MM salary, $0 value ($5MM deficit)
That is a $25.83MM total deficit. READ MORE >>>
By Avi Miller, on May 3rd, 2011  The Orioles travel to Kansas City to end their seven game road trip after taking three of four against the White Sox in Chicago. While starting pitching has been stable the last few weeks and the offense has had its positive nights, the Orioles bullpen has a 4.45 ERA now, a stat that can kill any team late in games.
Royals hitting has always been their strong point. The brightest star this year so far has been Alex Gordon who had an 18 game hitting streak. Jeff Francoeur comes in a very close 2nd with 6 Home Runs to put him in the top 10 for the AL HR stat. Finally, Billy Butler is always a hitting threat especially for gap doubles that can really drive in base runners at Kauffman Stadium.
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By Avi Miller, on April 29th, 2011 It took the Orioles until June 27th of last season to finally designate Garrett Atkins for assignment after he was hitting .214 with one home run, nine RBIs, and a .562 OPS in 152 plate appearances. The reason for waiting so long to remove him from the 40 man roster was his $4.5 million contract that was hanging over the heads of Orioles officials. If a young player during his arbitration years put up these Atkins-esque numbers, he would be easily pushed back to the minor leagues or released. The decision to cut Atkins was a simple one in the eyes of O’s fans, and probably became easier for the execs after they saw him consistently perform at a poor level for such an extended period of time.
 Mike Gonzalez, one of the other high end contracts given out prior to the 2010 season, has definitely had his ups and downs in the Orioles system. After saving ten games (in seventeen chances, none the less) with a 2.42 ERA in 2009, Gonzalez came into Baltimore last year to be the team’s primary closer for two years. At least that’s what the organization had planned on.
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By Avi Miller, on April 26th, 2011  The O’s and their eight game losing streak was no match to the six losses in a row that Boston began their season with. While the Orioles started off 6-1 and the Sox had a brutal 1-6 record at the beginning of April, things are evening out now, as the Birds have lost ten of their last twelve while Boston has captured wins in eight of their last nine matchups.
Catching a lineup and rotation like Boston brings during a hot streak can’t be good news for the Buck Showalter and the O’s. After losing by twelve to the Yankees on Saturday and then in an extra innings battle on Sunday, the Birds look to get back in the win column by taking advantage of any holes they can find in the Red Sox’ lineup. READ MORE >>>
By Avi Miller, on April 18th, 2011  The Orioles enter this week after being swept in Cleveland and New York, totaling a seven game losing steak (dating back to the loss in the second game of last Saturday’s doubleheader) that is certainly taking a toll on the team and its fans alike. The club, after starting the year on a 6-1 run, now is left at a 6-8 record, one that at first may not look too terrible, but is much worse when thinking about how that mark was reached.
The Minnesota Twins, currently sitting in last place in the extremely competitive AL Central at 5-10, have has issues all around the diamond, whether it be starting pitching, no spark in their offense, and trouble closing out games. Along with recently placing Joe Mauer on the DL with a viral infection retroactive to April 13th, it was just announced today that closer Joe Nathan would be removed from his role and replaced by Matt Capps for save situations after Nathan went 3-5 in save situations and has allowed five runs in five and a third innings pitched. READ MORE >>>
By Avi Miller, on April 18th, 2011 Manny Machado, the Orioles first round pick in last year’s MLB Draft, has had a hot start down in Delmarva playing for the A level Shorebirds. Through three full series now, a total of ten games, Machado is putting up impressive numbers throughout. Here’s a glimpse at his stats:
That bottom row, the totals for the season so far, is what sticks out to me as his solid bat skills right from the beginning in pro ball. Hosting a .361/.467/.500 line to begin the year is a very nice way for Machado to show the organization what he is truly capable of doing. Yes, these numbers are only through 36 at bats, but you have to start somewhere.
Four multi-hit games and a four walk game are the types of things we look for when it comes to consistency in a prospect position player, and despite not hitting a home run yet, Machado has added three doubles and a triple to his name.
His defense is supposedly also up to par to this point, a spot that many questioned as he came out of the draft as to if his bigger build could stick at shortstop.
Again, this is very early, but after Billy Rowell, the last infielder drafted by the Orioles, has struggled to make it past high A ball in the farm system, it is nice to see a hot start for the 18 year old Machado.
By Avi Miller, on April 15th, 2011  Jerry Crasnick of ESPN posted this article yesterday titled “Pointing out the up-the-middle strength” in which he ranked the Orioles as the number three team in all of baseball for this skill set. Crasnick “surveyed 15 scouts and front office people and asked them to rate the top up-the-middle contingents in baseball today.”
The thought process behind the piece was that “defense is vital…but four slick fielders wielding Nerf bats won’t take a team to the promised land, so we asked our respondents to consider offense as well as glove work.” As to which positions meant the most in the rankings, “most baseball people rank catcher and/or shortstop at the top of the list.”
So who placed above the Orioles? Well, the Phillies grabbed the number one spot with catcher Carlos Ruiz, second baseman Chase Utley (I guess they were ignoring injuries), shortstop Jimmy Rollins, and center fielder Shane Victorino. The Yankees questionably grabbed the second tier with Russell Martin behind the dish, Robinson Cano at second base, Derek Jeter at shortstop, and Curtis Granderson in center field. I only question this due to Jeter being extremely overrated at this stage in his career.
Then came the Orioles. With Wieters, Roberts, Hardy, and Jones, Buck’s Birds finally placed high in the rankings of some sort. When you include a healthy Brian Roberts and a huge improvement at SS with J.J. Hardy, one must realize how strong the team’s up-the-middle contributions can be. READ MORE >>>
By Avi Miller, on April 11th, 2011 It was first reported today by Jeff Zrebiec of The Sun that Orioles SS J.J. Hardy will be out for multiple weeks with an oblique strain:
Hardy, acquired from the Minnesota Twins via trade this past off season, has hit .200 (3/15) through six games (all three hits were doubles) and has played a stellar defensive game at short.
This news, just another bit to add to the Orioles injury troubles that went on throughout Spring Training, means increased playing time for Cesar Izturis and Robert Andino, who will share the starting role at shortstop. READ MORE >>>
By Avi Miller, on March 25th, 2011  Yankee Stadium drew an average of 46,491 fans per game last season (highest in the majors). Fenway Park drew an average of 37,610 (8th in the majors). How about Camden Yards? 21,662. 24th in the majors. And I would wager a bet that out of the 1,733,018 total over the year that showed up to watch the Orioles play, roughly 450,000 (~25,000 per game) of those were Yankees and Red Sox fans who traveled down for the nine games played against their respective teams. Throw in the Mets series that seemingly loaded up the yard with an extra 75,000 broken down over three days, as well as the loyal groups of Twins and Nationals followers, and it wouldn’t surprise me if somewhere around one third of ticket holders (575,000) at Oriole Park last year were present to see the team facing the Orioles. Keeping in mind the big executives that fill up suites of workers discussing business transactions, the wives and girlfriends dragged out on date night to a baseball game, and baseball scouts, we have to remember that there are many variables that diminish the number of actual fans showing up to games with the clear objective of cheering for the O’s. I easily may have low-balled some of those numbers, but I wanted to keep it reasonable while still pushing the point.
Can I push fans to go to games? Maybe a few readers and friends here and there. Can the Orioles PR department bring the fan base back? A promotion here or there may draw kids or collectors in that want a freebie, but that’s not a consistent factor. So who will fans listen to?
Let’s hope people will hear Orioles CF Adam Jones out and decide to come down to Camden Yards to root on the home team this coming season. READ MORE >>>
By Avi Miller, on March 23rd, 2011 The Orioles officially announced today via press release a majority of their plans for the new concession items in 2011. After partnering with Delaware North Sports Sportservice, the group has set off on their $11 million project to enhance the concession items sold at Oriole Park, as well as signage and menus, too.
New items at the Yard include crab cakes, Berger cookies, a new Big Boog sandwich, steak & egg sandwiches, and more!
Below, find some photos I recently took of some of the new concession stands as well as information about new menu items available at Oriole Park this coming season! READ MORE >>>
By Avi Miller, on March 21st, 2011 Earlier today, Jen Royle announced via her Twitter account (@JenRoyleMASN, which is sure to change as well) that she will be leaving her position with MASN Sports officially on March 31st and accepting a role with 105.7 The Fan. When it was announced a few months ago that the Orioles would be partnering with WBAL 1090 for game broadcasts, it became news that Jen Royle, who held jobs with both MASN and 105.7, would need to basically pick one side to stick with now that 105.7 would no longer be the flagship station for Orioles baseball. Royle tweeted to give the announcement to her followers:
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By Avi Miller, on March 21st, 2011 While players generally do not start in more than two or three games in a row during Spring Training, therefore generally having multiple off days during the month, the Orioles as a whole have no game(s) today, meaning that the entire team has the chance to relax for the first time since arriving in mid-February. Whether they choose to work out, play catch, hit BP, sleep in, or spend time with family, here are the notes I have compiled from the Orioles first and only off day of the spring:
- Jeremy Guthrie stayed on his pitching schedule today, pitching against the Minnesota Twins’ AAA squad. Guthrie pitched six innings, though getting twenty outs (extended innings to reach pitch count), throwing 82 pitches, 56 for strikes. He allowed one run on four hits, walked none, and struck out four.
- Derrek Lee, who played his first game of the spring just two days ago, is still recovering from hitting a foul ball off of his left foot in that first game against the Phillies (in which he went 0-1 with a walk). Thankfully just a minor bruise of sorts, and not his wrist or thumb (which he said felt great after his first game), Lee could play tomorrow against the Yankees, Buck said. The option to DH him in t
 he game seems to be the preferred choice as of now. He is day-to-day.
- Koji Uehara is slated to pitch tomorrow after three plus weeks out of game action due to soreness in his elbow. After receiving a shot of cortisone back when the pain came up and then weeks of rest, Koji has thrown multiple bullpens and is feeling fine. He, too, is day-to-day.
- Last we heard, Justin Duchscherer was throwing from as far as 130 feet and is supposed to throw a bullpen soon (if he hasn’t already). With him, we will never know exactly what’s going on. He is day-to-day as well, with a cautious tag before it. READ MORE >>>
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