Our countdown to the unofficial start of spring is ticking in the BSR sidebar, as recommended by ‘The Bruz’, and I’m itching for Orioles baseball.
I feel like the hot stove is still cooking, but lots of news has come and gone so I decided to look at the questions the Orioles face heading into Spring Training next week.
The Birds rotation is much more settled than it was going into last season, although anything is better than bringing 37 pitchers into Spring Training. Kevin Millwood is the ace, then the birds have Jeremy Guthrie, Brad Bergesen, Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, David Hernandez, Jason Berken, and I suppose even Koji Uehara as potential starters. That’s a question mark right there. It appears to be six pitchers fighting for the final three sports in the rotation.
The Orioles brought back Matt Albers, Mark Herndrickson, Jim Johnson, and Kam Mickolio to pitch out of the bullpen. I’m assuming Johnson will pitch out of the set up position as he did before the Orioles traded George Sherrill. Michael Gonzalez was brought in from Atlanta and will be the Orioles new left handed closer according to the skipper Dave Trembley.
Last week the Orioles picked up Will Ohman to a minor league deal. They are still looking for a left handed specialist and Ohman has held left handed hitters to a .204 batting average over 324 appearances with three different NL clubs.
As far as pitchers go I think Matusz and Bergesen should be in the starting rotation. Tillman pitched well and probably has the best chance of locking up that final spot in the rotation. I could definitely see David Hernandez having success out of the bullpen in long relief work, he throws hard but seemed to dwindle in late innings in his 2009 season.
Besides the pitchers, the positions seem to be all set with Garrett Atkins playing first base and Miguel Tejeda moving to third. The only real question is whether Chad Moeller will get the reserve catcher spot, but my guess would be yes.
Who knows though, a lot can happen when the Orioles report to Spring Training. The pitchers and catchers will be there in just over two days. I’m ready for baseball, and especially spring weather.
Zach,
The key to your article is that I truly believe that this year it should be a "fight" for the last 3 spots in the rotation. While for the most part I am behind McPahil's efforts to rebuild this franchise, I gotta tell you, the 35-37 pitchers in camp last year, whatever the number, was ridiculous and embarrassing. At least this year, there appears to be a ray of hope that a solid rotation will emerge and that spring training will have some meaning. The other good thing is that you go with your best five and still have a couple two, three guys who either go to the pen or to Norfolk and battle their way into the rotation. Let me tell you, a little competition could make all of these guys better, including a veteran like Guthrie who looked like crap last year.
I know Mark will poo-poo a lot of this as "ifs" but I am at least excited about what could be. There certainly are no guarantees as we felt the same way about a rotation of Bedard, Cabrera, Ponson, Parish, Penn, et al. The difference is, I had absolutely zero confidence in the clown duo of Flannagan- Beattie or Flannagan – Duquette whichever knuckleheads were running the team at that time. I trust in McPhail…maybe it's misguided, but I trust him to this point.
Let's go O's!!!
Real competition is always a good thing and that's what your gonna get from these guys. Five guys going for three spots. I'm ready for baseball!
Forty degrees this coming weekend, break out the wieners and shade glasses. Baseball in Baltimore- been a tough 12 years stretch, could this be the year that the O's turn the corner and approach a .500 record? Time will tell, but in mid February I am drinking the orange and black kool ade. Besides the comments already made- lots to do in spring training. Will C Justice finally make it as a utility guy, will T Wiggington be traded? Who will bat clean up? I am guessing that the BSR sidebar will over time become a gathering at the Yard when we can expand the relationship beyond technology. Anxious to get started- anxious to see the ground again…hey I'm old, I'm just anxious.
I'm anxious too Will-o, but I'm not old. There are still tons of questions surrounding the Birds, but I feel that as this team continues to build the questions continue to diminish.
I'd encourage some of you guys to take a look at McPhail's overall winning % with the Cubs. Also he and Baker's handling of both Prior and Wood and their injuries.
Look, I'm just done with pretending this team will compete when I know the won't.
People call it pessimism. I call it realism.
I'll still watch pretty much every game and probably go to about 25.
I'd sure love to be wrong.
Some guy on the radio today was pushing for a return to the balanced schedule format in the American League…So that the O's wouldn't be penalized for playing in the East. What the Hell, over? O's play BOS and NYY 38 times, leaving 124 games vs "the rest of the league" and a smattering of NL opponents. When's the last time the O's went 62 – 62 in those other 124 games? I'd be willing to bet it was 13 years ago. The other big point here is that the Red Sox and Yankees have drafted way, way, way way after the O's for most, if not all, of the last 12 years…And THEY have drafted Kevin Youklis, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jonathan Papelbon, Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Clay Buckholz, Robinson Cano, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, etc. Shoot, the Red Sox even drafted Hanley Ramirez before trading him away for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell. Unbalanced Schedules and Large Market / Small Market debates don't explain their success in the Amateur Draft as compared to that of the O's over the past decade-plus!
The excuses are just red herrings.
For years the Orioles ignored their farm system and scouting department.
New York and Boston have produced a ton of home grown or acquired very young good talent via trades over the years. Bruz, you can find alot more guys that are home grown for both New York and Boston that contributed to championship teams.
And the funny part is the Orioles do have the money to at least compete with the big boys on the free agent market. They certainly have more money than most other teams.
Absolutley no excuses this year for the Birds. For the first time in a long time they have a solid pitching staff, which I cant stress enough is the key to beating the yanks and sox. Another year under the belts of Wieters, Bergesen, Tillman and Matusz, not to mention they still have Josh Bell in the minors still. I also think a big thing will be the spring training move to Sarrasota. I have listened to Brian Roberts say that this team was desperate to get some new scenery finally putting the minor league players within walking distance of the big club. Looking foward to a great season!
HAWK! Thank for stopping by. I agree with you about the pitching staff. Less questions is always a good thing for the O's. I'm ready for baseball!