By Jeff Pilson, on July 1st, 2011 Up next for the low flying Baltimore Orioles is a weekend series with the 2nd place Atlanta Braves. The Orioles have not played a game in Atlanta since 2006. The Orioles lost 2 out of 3 games on their last visit, but clearly much has changed for both teams in 5 years. What has not changed is the Orioles need to play better baseball. The club showed some signs of life winning the weekend series over the Reds, but they got very little pitching and little meaningful hitting while losing three straight to the Cardinals.
In Atlanta, the Orioles face an opponent with a dominant pitching staff. The Braves rank 2nd in baseball with a 3.07 ERA. They lead the majors holding opposing teams to a .230 batting average and they are 2nd in all of baseball with 51 quality starts. Simply put, the Orioles are likely to struggle to score runs this weekend. Atlanta’s pitching staff excels at limiting base runners, they throw strikes and can get strikeouts when they need them. As good as the Braves pitching staffs of the nineties were, the current staff seems to be more talented. READ MORE >>>
By Jeff Pilson, on June 24th, 2011 It is hard to believe that the last time the Orioles played the Reds in Baltimore was during the 1970 World Series. I was not even born then and the fortunes of the two franchises have changed quite dramatically. The Reds were the dominant National League Team in the seventies and the Orioles were in the middle of a twenty-five year run of excellent baseball.
The passed two decades have seen both franchises struggle to regain their former glory. The Reds, to their credit, have made it back to the post-season on a few occasions (2010 and 1995). And they won the World Series in 1990. If nothing else this series should carry a great deal of nostalgia with it, and hopefully the play will be as crisp as well. READ MORE >>>
By Jeff Pilson, on June 17th, 2011 Inter-league play is back in full swing as the Baltimore Orioles square off against their beltway rival Washington Nationals. The Orioles took 2 of 3 from the Nats a little less than a month ago in Baltimore. In late May, both cubs were sputtering along a few games under .500. Both clubs are in similar positions record-wise, but the Nats have won 6 straight games, coming off an impressive sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, and 3B Ryan Zimmerman has been activated. The Nats look like they are ready to do some damage in this series.
The Orioles, on the other hand, continue their inconsistent play. They seem to be unable to put together any long stretches of excellent baseball. Fortunately, aside from their 8-game losing streak in April, they have not had many prolonged periods of bad play. The Orioles are thankful to have a break from AL East play. They are 10-18 against divisional opponents. The Orioles 21-17 record against opponents outside of their division is a good sign heading into this weekend, but they are also only 11-17 on the road. READ MORE >>>
By Jeff Pilson, on June 15th, 2011  I am trying hard not to dwell on another frustrating loss marred by poor play and lacking in clutch hitting. Really, there have been 3 losses in a row like this. I can understand having a few games in a row when the Orioles do not hit well with runners in scoring position. It happens to every team for stretches. Nor am I going to put the blame at the feet of the Orioles bullpen, which seems to be unravelling after having look so good in recent weeks. I will say that the poor defense is getting to me. The Orioles are not a talented enough team to win if they play this poorly defensively. But like I said, I do not want to dwell on these things.
The Orioles will be a maddening team this year. Perhaps more so than when they were just plain bad. Then we expected losing. Now we see potential for them to reach the .500 mark, and when that potential is done in by sloppy play it is hard to watch. So I will focus on some positive things I saw while reading up on the Orioles. The first is a piece by Rob Neyer on his Baseball Nation blog. Neyer offers some hope and sensibility to O’s fans frustrated by recent play: READ MORE >>>
By Jeff Pilson, on June 10th, 2011 The Baltimore Orioles completed a three game sweep of the Oakland A’s on Wednesday and in the process sent former A’s manager Bob Geren on an early vacation. Now the O’s take on AL East rival Tampa Bay as they look to gain some ground in the division and see if they can have a say in the vacation plans of Joe Maddon. This will be the 4th series between the Orioles and Rays. So far the road team has done the bulk of the damage with the Rays registering the only home win in the series back on May 13th.
The Orioles will face a stiff challenge this weekend in the Rays, who are coming off a three game sweep in Anaheim. Plus the O’s will faces 2 of Tampa’s 3 best starters in David Price and Jeremy Hellickson. Hellickson has held the Orioles scoreless in 2 previous starts this year spanning 14 innings. I would say that the best plan of action for beating the Rays is to get their starters out of the game and try and feast on their bullpen. The problem is that Tampa’s ‘pen has been surprisingly strong this year. READ MORE >>>
By Jeff Pilson, on June 8th, 2011 
In a post on the Baltimore Sun’s Ravens Insider blog, Edward Lee speculated about the possibility of Carolina Panther WR Steve Smith becoming a Raven. It is an odd time to consider the possibility of Smith becoming a Raven, but an NFL writer has to write about something during the lock-out.
It is also hard to know whether or not Smith would make financial sense for the Ravens. He is owed $15 million over the final 2 years of his deal, which is a hefty price tag for an aging receiver on a team with other aging receivers. There is the possibility that the NFL will have another uncapped year in 2011, which could make the finances of acquiring Smith more workable. The question remains as to whether or not Smith would add much to the Ravens. READ MORE >>>
By Jeff Pilson, on June 7th, 2011  A day after selecting the top high school pitcher with their first pick, the Baltimore Orioles have selected a college infielder and a college pitcher with their picks in the 2nd and 3rd round. The Orioles selected Vanderbilt 3B/SS Jason Esposito with their 2nd round pick (64th overall) and then used their 3rd round pick (#94 overall) to select East Carolina right- hander Mike Wright.
Esposito is know more for his glove than his bat, as he primarily played shortstop in college. He is projected to move to third and will need his bat to become more consistent. I college, Esposito showed good power potential, but was an up and down performer. He reportedly needs to work on his swing mechanics to improve as a hitter. His glove, however, should play well at third and he is plenty mobile for the position. READ MORE >>>
By Jeff Pilson, on June 3rd, 2011 The last place Baltimore Orioles return home for an extended home-stand which begins with three games against the Toronto Blue Jays. Any way you shake it the 1-5 road trip has to be considered a disappointment, especially the way the club swung the bats. The Orioles managed only 15 runs in six games in Oakland and Seattle. Granted both the Athletics and Mariners have strong pitching staffs, the Orioles need to get the bats going. The club also needs to find ways for players not named Jones, Wieters and Guerrero to produce consistently with runners on base.
Wieters and Jones have clearly emerged as the Orioles best all around players, which is a good thing, but the problem is that the team is getting little from some of their veteran cornerstones, namely Luke Scott and Nick Markakis. With Brian Roberts and Derrek Lee on the shelf, the Orioles have much less of an offensive cushion when guys they are counting on don’t produce. In order for the Orioles to make some noise in the series against the Jays and on this home-stand, the bats need to heat up. Perhaps as the weather warms up in Baltimore, the balls will start flying further at the Yard. READ MORE >>>
By Jeff Pilson, on April 8th, 2011  Baltimore Orioles top prospect SS Manny Machado debuted last night in the Delmarva Shorebird’s 2-1 victory. Machado, who was named the top shortstop prospect in all of the minor leagues, did not disappoint going 2-3 with a 2-run triple that proved to be the game winner. Let the hype train begin. Not that Machado does not deserve a good amount of buzz, as he is an exciting prospect. The comparisons to Alex Rodriguez are a bit much, but with his skill set and apparent feel for the game of baseball there is not reason not to predict a successful major league career. The question for Orioles fans is how soon can we expect Machado’s major league career to begin?
Baltimore Sun Orioles beat reporter Jeff Zriebec probably added some fuel to the Machado hype fire in a profile piece he wrote earlier in the week:
The minor league season gets underway for most of the Orioles’ affiliates on Thursday, and the clear headliner will be Machado, the third overall pick in 2010 out of Brito High School in Miami. Machado will start the season for Single-A Delmarva, but those who saw him play this spring are already imagining how quickly he could move through the system.
READ MORE >>>
By Jeff Pilson, on April 3rd, 2011 Before we cue up the “Why Not” anthem, or drag out the “worst to first” mantra, or start talking about the Orioles going “wire to wire” let’s remember that the Orioles did make an error this weekend (looking at you Mark Reynolds) and until Zach Britton can get on the same page as the rest of the starting pitchers, O’s fans need to temper there expectations. Face it, the staff ERA is likely to gradually rise to at least 2 runs per game. And we cannot expect the club to win much more than 70% of their divisional games. What is clear is that the Orioles are prepared for “Payback Tour 2011.” Watch out American League East the O’s Train is rolling and the Buck Truck brakes for nobody. Ahh… that was fun. Here is the best and best from the Orioles impressive sweep of the defending AL East Champion Tampa Bay Rays.
Stingy Starter’s: Jeremy Guthrie set the tone. Chris Tillman and Zach Britton followed in suit. The Orioles starters shut down the Rays and were the biggest reason for the three game sweep. No one is going to confuse Tampa with the ’27 Yankees and honestly they may have trouble keeping up with the ’10 Padres, but the Orioles shut down a club that is usually resourceful at scoring runs in their own park. READ MORE >>>
By Jeff Pilson, on March 28th, 2011  There are strong rumors floating around College Park and the surrounding interweb that C Jordan Williams has a strong desire to leave Maryland after two years and pursue his pro career. These are just rumors at this point but, there is a strong sentiment that Williams is more than likely gone. The situation can obviously chance and nothing is set in stone until he signs with an agent, or with a professional team. Williams had a very strong sophomore season, but many feel that he would be making a mistake by leaving this early. Williams’ departure would also be a major blow to a Maryland program that has little in the way of returning front-court talent.
I would argue that Williams does not have an NBA ready game at this point. Yes he played well enough to make the ACC’s 1st team, but there are some real holes in his game. Williams struggled against defenders that were bigger than he. He also lacks athleticism, his shooting range is limited to about 7-8 feet, and he is an average defensive player. Williams does have a nice touch around the basket, good footwork, great hands and an understanding of how to use his body to get his shot off. The other major problem that Williams faces is regards to playing in the league is that he is going to need to be a 4 and it is obvious his game does not match up well with the Stoudamire’s, Bosh’s, Griffin’s and Aldridge’s in the NBA. READ MORE >>>
By Jeff Pilson, on March 23rd, 2011  After his latest strong spring outing LHP Zach Britton continues to force the Baltimore Orioles hand. It was assumed heading into the spring that Britton would get a look, but ultimately be sent off to the minors to start the season. While that is still likely to be Britton’s fate, the young lefty is serving notice that he is indeed one of the best 5 starters on the club and that his time has come. The Orioles would be foolish to break camp with Britton on their opening day roster. If they wait to call up Britton until the end of April, they will gain an extra year of control over Britton before he is eligible for free agency. An argument can be made that the O’s need to break camp with the best team possible, but exchanging a year for what would amount for 2-3 starts is not a smart move.
The question is what do the Orioles do with their rotation at the end of April. Justin Duchscherer is a wild card. He is not going to be ready for the start of the season, but he is hopeful to be ready by April 10th, the first time the Orioles will need a 5th starter. With his status still in doubt it is a near certainty that Jeremy Guthrie, Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, and Chris Tillman or Brad Bergesen will be the four man group to start the season. If Duchscherer is able to join the rotation on the 10th, the Orioles will have to decide if Duchsherer has earned a spot in the rotation, or stick with the starters listed above. What are the Orioles option should Duke not be ready to go, or someone like Bergy or Tillman is struggling? READ MORE >>>
By Jeff Pilson, on March 21st, 2011  Ask most fans of the Maryland Terrapins men’s basketball team and they will point to lack of talent as the main reason for a disappointing 2010-’11 season. Certainly Jordan Williams performed at an all-ACC level and Terrell Stoglin showed why many were excited when he committed to play for Maryland, but there were few other bright spots. Clearly the Terps and specifically head coach Gary Williams needs to make it happen on the recruiting trail if the Terps are going to be a force in NCAA Tournament play again. It seems like Coach Williams is doing just that.
The Terps are bringing in a strong 3 player class, headlined by Baltimore shooting guard Nick Faust, for 2011 and just last week picked up a verbal commitment from athletic forward Justin Anderson for the class of 2012. Anderson attends nearby Montrose Christian Academy, which also produced recent Terps Greivis Vasquez and Adrian Bowie. Anderson is a powerfully built 6’7″ lefty, who at one point was the #1 player in his class. At this point his is ranked in the top 50 of the class and would need to improve his handle and mid range shot in order to climb into the top 25. Anderson is known for his hard work and his ability to be a leader. It is huge for Maryland to pick-up a commitment from another big-time local talent. Not only that, but Anderson is well known and liked on the AAU circuit by other players. Anderson’s pledge to the Terps could help build momentum and cause other talents to look more closely at Maryland. READ MORE >>>
By Jeff Pilson, on March 19th, 2011  Much like 2009 the Baltimore Orioles will call upon Jeremy Guthrie to anchor an unproven pitching staff. The problem is that Guthrie was not ready for that role 2 years ago. A huge question for the Orioles in 2011 is whether or not he will be ready to be a leader for a collection of young and talented starters. Can Guthrie be the guy the guy that takes on opposing aces? Can he be the guy who comes up with big performances when the Orioles badly need a win? In large part the answer to those questions has more to do with what is between Guthrie’s ears than it has to do with his right arm.
Few can argue that 2010 was a bounce back year for Guthrie. He posted career bests in wins, innings pitched and WHIP. Guthrie also cut his home run rate and improved his walk to strike-out ratio over the previous season. Guthrie had a better approach in 2010 and, more importantly, he had mere life in his arm, more movement in his fastball and better control with his slider and change. So what was the difference form ’09 to ’10? READ MORE >>>
By Jeff Pilson, on March 16th, 2011  Entering the 2011 season Orioles pitcher Brad Bergesen has a great deal to prove. Bergesen made quite a splash in 2009 posting a 7-5 record and a 3.43 ERA. His season was cut short by a line drive to the shin, but Bergesen had seemingly transformed himself from a fringe prospect to a fixture in the Orioles rotation. Expectations and pressure seem to have interesting effects on athletes. Feeling the pressure to pick up where he left off in 2009, Bergesen tried to do too much, too soon in his attempt to bounce back from a shoulder injury which occurred while filming a promotional commercial for MASN. Bergy tried to rush his arm into shape after missing a portion of the spring. He struggled to find his rhythm and found himself with a record of 3-9 and a 6.95 ERA after a start on July 26th.
Fortunately for Bergesen and the Orioles the story does not end there. Like Brian Matusz, Bergesen was able to right the ship. Whether or not his turn around can be attributed to the hiring of new manager Buck Showalter, is up for debate. What is clear is that Bergy found his groove and pitched more like the pitcher we watched in ’09. Over his final 12 starts in ’10 Bergesen pitched to a record of 5-3 and an ERA of 2.85. The question remains: What part of Bergesen’s performance in ’10 should we put more faith in as we try and figure out what we can expect from Bergy in 2011? READ MORE >>>
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