These 2012 Orioles are Record Breakers

This team has broken a lot of records on their way to their improbable playoff chase, individual and team, franchise and league. Here's a look at some of the notable, the obscure and downright bizarre.

Jim Johnson breaks the franchise saves record

It seems almost fitting that Jim Johnson broke the Oriole's single season saves record during the only winning season that the team has had since lefty fireballer Randy Myers set the old mark of 45 back in 1997. After years of being the best reliever in the Oriole bullpen and watching men not nearly his equal get big buck to come to town and fill that role, Johnson has shown that becoming a proven closer does not require receiving training from Ra's al Ghul to develop that poise and steely determination that all closers seemingly possess. You just have to pitch well, keep the ball in the park and generate outs. After watching that "proven closer" label being thrown around by Oriole management and having Johnson's ability to close questioned by a few in the local media, it's nice to see the guy succeed and get in line for his own huge payday, first in arbitration and then in free agency. 47 saves...and counting.

Adam Jones hits more doubles than any other Oriole centerfielder

Jones has racked up 31 home runs but he'll not sniff Brady Anderson's famous mark of 50 set in 1996 and no other center fielder is likely to. But what Jones has done during his breakout season is tie Anderson for the team record of doubles from an Oriole center fielder with 37. I like Jones' chances to break that record over the team's last nine games.

Strikeouts of various iterations

The Orioles set their franchise record for batting strikeouts as a team at 1019 in 1964. That total was not exceeded for 46 years when the 2010 Orioles took the crown with 1056. The 2011 Orioles blew right past that (thank you Mark Reynolds) with 1120. But this team is more than 100 strikeouts beyond the 2011 total and still has nine games to go. However many more strikeouts are added to the 1227 these batters have already been rung up, it's hard to imagine this total being approached again.

In addition, this team will also set the franchise record for most players with 100 strikeouts on a team. The 2011 Orioles only had 2. The 2008 team had 4. This team has 6! (Wilson Betemit, Chris Davis, Adam Jones, Mark Reynolds, J.J. Hardy, Matt Wieters) And Robert Andino, with 97 is knocking on the door.

Manny Machado

Manny Machado is officially the most successful 19-year old to ever play for the Baltimore Orioles. Sure, he's actually 20 right now but this is his age 19 season. He has 14 extra base hits. (Brooks Robinson had 5 during his age 19 season). He has played in 41 games. (Wayne Causey played in 51 for the 1956 Orioles). His bWAR is 1.1 and his fWAR is 0.7. Nobody else is even close to half of those totals.

Winning Percentage in One Run Games

Even after yesterday's loss to the Red Sox, the 2012 Orioles are tied for first (with the 1981 Orioles) for the highest winning percentage in one run games since 1901. I'll give the 2012 O's the tie-breaker on the identical .750 winning percentages because they have won 6 more games and '81 was a strike shortened season.

Extra Inning Games

I believe, if the Orioles win their next extra-inning game, they will tie the record for consecutive extra inning wins. But even if they don't, this is still one of the greatest extra-inning performances in baseball history. Taken in terms of winning percentage and the number of extra inning games played, their 16-2 mark is only exceeded by the 1949 Cleveland Indians (18-1) and the 1959 Pittsburgh Pirates (19-2).

Baby Birds Roundup - 4/25/2011

Delmarva Shorebirds

The story in the Oriole farm system so far has been the wonderful debut of 2010 top pick SS Manny Machado. He has posted a .286/.386/.414 line for the Shorebirds with 4 doubles and 2 triples. The only thing he hasn't flashed too much of is his home run power but the gap power is already there.

Not to be outdone, fellow teenage shortstop prosepct Jonathan Schoop (he has slid over to play third base for now) is hitting .338/.419/.538 with 7 extra base hits (including 2 homers). The Shorebirds start a 9-game home stand today. You might want to get out there before Schoop and/or Machado end up in Frederick.

Speaking of promotions, that is just what happened to CF Trent Mummey according to his Twitter account. The 2010 4th Round pick out of Auburn has hit .291/.377/.509 for Delmarva and is getting a shot in Frederick after just 14 games.

Anybody have Kipp Shutz on their radar before this season? Schutz, a 26th round pick in 2006 in hitting an eye-popping .386/.453/.649. It's probably a fluke. Probably. But interesting.


Frederick Keys

1B Tyler Townsend has been very, very good when he's been healthy. And so far, he's been healthy while hitting .286/.340/.510 with 2 homers and 5 doubles.

OF Tyler Kolodny has been a low average, high power guy thus far but somehow, he's hitting .317/.417/.488 and even has a couple stolen bases. His 4-to-1 K/BB ratio does not bode well but he is one of those guys I like...a very deep sleeper.

RHP Bobby Bundy is striking out the Carolina League with a 15-to-1 K/BB ratio and a 2.77 ERA. He's one to watch.

2010 3rd round pick Dan Klein is relieving for the keys and repoertedly being stretched out to start. Klein has a 1.64 ERA and a 15-to-2 K/BB ratio.


Bowie Baysox

There's not much to like in Bowie right now. OF Robbie Widlansky is hitting .315/.351/.481 with 6 doubles and a homer. Outside of him and Jeff Fiorentino (who doesn't count) nobody is hitting.

C Caleb Joseph is off to a decent start as he tries to re-establish his prospect status hitting .270/.391/.378.

27-year old RHP Zach Clark is the only bright spot on the pitching staff right now with a 3.07 ERA and showing crazy control.


Norfolk Tides

1B Brandon Snyder is off to a good start in Norfolk with a .279/.333/.525 line including a team leading 4 home runs. Early signs of Snyder delivering on his 1st round promise? Keep and eye on him.

2B Ryan Adams has struggled a bit in his AAA debut hitting .258/.313/.306 but his approach looks good and I imagine he will hit eventually.

This just in: Josh Bell is not walking. He has 23 Ks versus 2 BB.

LHP Troy Patton has only been in two games but has a 1.80 ERA. The staff beyond him is a complete disaster.

Q&A with Shorebirds Broadcaster Brett Lasky

Delmarva Shorebirds Director of Broadcasting Bret Lasky was kind enough to answer a few questions about some of the Baby Birds. Obviously, nobody saw more of the Shorebirds last season than Lasky so I was curious to hear his perspective on some of the players coming through the Oriole farm system.


Dempsey's Army: Who was the most impressive position player you watched last year?

Brett Lasky: Amongst the guys that we’re in Delmarva for the whole season, I’d have to say Ty Kelly. He’s a switch hitter with deceptive power. His splits weren’t great last year but I think they will improve with experience. He was also the best defensive infielder that the Shorebirds had. I was impressed with Trent Mummey when he came to Delmarva late in the year. His statistics weren’t gaudy but you could tell when you watched him take batting practice that the ball just flies off his bat. Obviously, he also has good speed.

DA: The most impressive Shorebirds pitcher from 2010?

BL: Tough one here, but I’ll say Bobby Bundy. He’s competitive, young and really determined. He was outstanding in the second half of the season. He tossed a nine-inning complete game against the Hickory Crawdads – it was the first nine-inning complete game by a Shorebirds pitcher in a couple years. Bundy has a really good head on his shoulders and he is a tireless worker. One of the hardest working pitchers I’ve seen.

DA: Jonathan Schoop, Manny Machado and Mychal Givens: where are all these middle infielders going to play?

BL: I don’t think anyone but Ryan Minor and the Orioles brass know the answer to this one. What I will say is that Ryan does a great job of making sure everyone gets his repetitions. I was here when they began to convert L.J. Hoes to a second baseman. The roving instructors and the staff really do a nice job of teaching – especially when guys are unfamiliar with certain positions.

DA: Assuming his health is fine, is Matt Hobgood expected to come back to Delmarva to start the year?

BL: I know the off season injury set him back a little, so I’m not sure. Matt showed some good stuff at times last season. I vividly remember a nasty breaking ball he throw against the Lakewood BlueClaws at First Energy Park. It had some serious movement. I’m definitely interested to see how the Orioles decide to progress Matt.

DA: Outside of Manny Machado, who is the player you are looking forward to seeing play in Delmarva this season?

BL: Mychal Givens – I only had the chance to watch Mychal play a handful of games before the injury last season in Greensboro so I’m eager to see him play on a consistent basis. I talked to him a couple times around the cages and he was very mature for his age. Obviously he has a cannon for an arm and I’m looking forward to seeing what his bat will produce.

DA: Inexplicably, I am a big Justin Dalles fan. What's the word on his health this offseason?

BL: I’m a huge Dalles fan as well. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Dalles this off season. Last year was a tough year for Dalles because of all the setbacks. Hopefully, he stays healthy and has an outstanding year. One thing that I will say about Dalles is that he is a really good clubhouse guy – he got along with all of his teammates.

DA: 3B Tyler Kolodny. Great control of the zone, great power. Any word on a possible position change for him? Will he come back to Delmarva after finishing the season in NY-Penn League?

BL: No word yet on Tyler Kolodny. Raw power, hard working kid. Two things that come to my mind when I hear his name. He was always first to the clubhouse and last to leave two years ago here in Delmarva. If he were to be assigned here, I would be very interested to see what Kolodny is like as a 23-year old. Think about this – he led the Shorebirds in home runs last year with 10 and he only played 41 games.

DA: C Michael Ohlman came into the system with a fair amount of hype. At 19, was he just overmatched facing Sally league competition last season?

BL: He had his growing pains, no doubt. However, you could definitely see the potential. I remember a game last year against Lakewood when Ohlman smacked a couple doubles into the gaps and deep up against the wall. Another guy that would be an interesting watch because he has been here before.

DA: Most impressive non-Shorebird player you saw in the Sally last season?

BL: I’ll give you a couple. Everybody ranted and raved about Phillies prospect Jonathan Singleton. He’s got all the god given talents and he’s smooth at the plate and in the field. He’s definitely up there. Two guys that hurt the Shorebirds last year that not as many people talked about were Justin Bloxom and Destin Hood of the Hagerstown Suns. In 16 games against the Shorebirds, Bloxom batted .412 with 12 RBIs. Hood hit .337 with 10 RBIs against the Shorebirds.

DA: Delmarva is going to be hosting the Sally League All-Star Game this year. Are you going to get to call the game?

BL: Yeah, I’ll be on the call on our flagship radio station 960 The Sports Animal. I’m really looking forward to it. I was in Myrtle Beach back in 2008 when they hosted the California v. Carolina All-Star Game and I remember all the excitement that surrounded that game. Pablo Sandoval, now of the San Francisco Giants, won the home run derby. I’m wondering who will be the first to the majors from the 2011 SAL All-Star Game.


The Shorebirds kick off their season on April 7th at Perdue Stadium in Salisbury. Hey, you can meet Chris Hoiles too! Lots of interesting talent at Delmarva this season, get out there and check them out.

Breaking Down the Oriole Prospect Talk

MLB.com and ESPN have released top prospect lists this week so I thought I would sift through them today and filter it through the Oriole prism.

MLB.com put out their Top 50 Prospect list on Tuesday with Norfolk sinkerball pitcher Zach Britton (video) coming in at #19 and 2010 1st Round pick SS Manny Machado (video) ranked #24.

MLB.com's prospect expert Jonathan Mayo did not elaborate much beyond the video scouting reports in his chat, probably due to a lack of Oriole questions submitted, but did say that Manny Machado was one of the players outside of the top 20 that had the biggest upside. I may have to track him down again to remedy that.

ESPN's Keith Law put out a ranking of the Major League farm systems (subscription). The Orioles came in #24:

This group was probably the most surprising ranking to me as I went through the process. The O's have produced a ton of potential impact players who no longer qualify here -- including Brian Matusz, Matt Wieters, Nolan Reimold, and Chris Tillman -- but the system at this moment is two Top 30 prospects and no one else I'd put in my Top 150. The lack of international talent in the system stands out.

Law's Top 100 includes, you guessed it, Manny Machado (#26) and Zach Britton (#11). Some comments from Law, first on Britton:

Britton is a true sinker/slider guy -- meaning his fastball actually sinks -- and at 91-94 it's very hard for hitters to elevate successfully. His low-80s slider is very sharp with great tilt and gives him a swing-and-miss weapon, especially against left-handed hitters...


...His command is fair, and he doesn't have a pitch that moves away from right-handed hitters, so he's had some trouble with walks in those situations for which he compensates by getting groundballs.


There's at least strong No. 2 starter potential here, but better command would give him more ceiling than that.

(I love the analysis on Britton from and emotional standpoint, if not a logical one. I don't think Britton's potential is that good but I love to hear other people do...)

And about Machado:

He has strong, quick wrists, good rotation and excellent extension through his swing, clearing a slight bat wrap quickly once he gets his hands started. It's line-drive power now, but he's going to have more power down the road as he gets stronger.


Machado has a 70 arm and good hands at shortstop, but his frame is so big that he might outgrow the position in a few years, although I think he has the raw ability to stay there if his body cooperates.

Law's top ten for Baltimore:

1. Zach Britton, LHP
2. Manny Machado, SS
3. Xavier Avery, CF
4. L.J. Hoes, 2B
5. Dan Klein, RHP
6. Jonathan Schoop, SS
7. Mychal Givens, SS
8. Joe Mahoney, 1B
9. Ryan Berry, RHP
10. Trent Mummey, CF

Quick comment of this list: The Oriole farm system is weak at this point, I'll grant you. But I don't get Joe Mahoney. His numbers at Frederick were nice but the Bowie numbers just seem fluky. Talent wise, I just don't think there is that much to separate him from the likes of Jacob Julius. Not sure why he's considered a prospect based on season's performance anymore than Matt Hobgood losing his status based on one poor season. I want to see more of him at Bowie before I'm a believer.

On the plus side, nice to see some middle infield talent even if most of it is raw a far away from the majors.

One Oriole question in his chat about Machado:

Wade (VA)


Have you seen Manny Machado play? Are the A-Rod comparisons at all viable or too aggressive?
Klaw (1:52 PM)


I have and I may have inadvertently started the A-Rod thing - but I called him "A-Rod Lite" and pointed out that some reasons were demographic rather than baseball. I do like him but he's not A-Rod.

And Law selected one sleeper for the Orioles too:

Curacao native Jonathan Schoop played the 2010 season at age 18, but the shortstop hit well in the advanced Appalachian League and earned a brief call-up to high-A Frederick. He's getting stronger with projected above-average power, a good arm and the feet and hands to play somewhere in the infield, probably third base.

Making Sense of the Oriole Draft

The Orioles got the second best position player in the draft when they selected high school SS Manny Machado with the third overall pick. That's a move I can get behind.

Beyond that, I don't really understand it. A guy who projects as a a reliever in the 3rd round, lots of fringy college bats, a high school SS in the 5th who looks to be a tough guy to sign...

But I'm not best equipped to handle these questions so I'll turn to the experts.

First up, ESPN's Keith Law:

The O's didn't have a second-round pick due to the signing of Mike Gonzalez but did grab a strong reliever in the third round with UCLA's Dan Klein, a right-hander with the repertoire to start but who has only pitched in relief in college due to a prior shoulder injury. I had sixth-rounder Dixon Anderson in my top 100 because of his ability to sink his fastball and the fact that he was in the mid-90s as a reliever last summer, while seventh-rounder Matt Bywater could be a fifth starter due to his above-average change.

About Klein...the Baltimore Sun has reported that Joe Jordan envisions the fragile UCLA pitcher as a starter, not a reliever. Just because he has the variety of pitches to start doesn't mean he'll be healthy enough to do so. Law like the 6th rounder Anderson and likes the 7th rounder Bywater for starting pitching depth. OK, he didn't hate the draft which makes me feel better.

Baseball America had this to say about 5th round pick Connor Narron:

Narron's hands and arm strength are both good enough that he should be able to step in as a freshman at North Carolina and play right away, probably at shortstop, if he doesn't sign. By the time he's draft-eligible again, he'll likely be a third baseman.

Narron was seen as a guy who may be tough to sign but Joe Jordan said this to The Sun:

"He’s a kid that is going to take maybe a little bit of time to get it done, but we feel good about what it’s going to cost, his desire to play. It’s just a matter of doing it the right way. He’ll be playing. He’ll be playing this summer."

He sounds confident that the O's can sign him...and sign him quick enough to get him playing in Bluefield. OK, that makes me feel a bit better too.

Camden Depot gave me this quick assessment of the Oriole draft this far via Twitter:

Well...I think Machado sucked the draft budget up. I figure they range between 9-10MM this year. Passed on a lot of preps....I think the value in this draft was HS. Are solid HS going to risk a slotted 2012 draft? think it drops cost.

Crawdaddy breaks down the first 10 picks in detail over here.

Over the first 19 picks, the O's selected 4 high school positions players, 6 college position players, 6 college pitchers and 3 high school pitchers. There don't appear to be any impact players beyong Machado although there are some interesting arms in the later rounds.

They got Machado...that may be enough to make this draft a success.

You Say Ranaudo, I Say Machado

OK, so LSU's SP Anthony Ranaudo is no longer considered a top 5 talent due to health concerns but I can't let that ruin my catchy title.

I'm not a scout and I haven't seen ANY of the players that are to be selected in the 2010 amateur draft but the more I hear about him, the more I like high school SS Manny Machado who should be available when the Orioles pick at #3.

Here's what they're saying:

Baseball America:

Machado is skinny at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds but surprisingly strong and has a swing that produces hard contact. He's familiar with wood bats and has shown a knack for centering the ball on the barrel. Scouts project him to hit for average future power, with a chance to be a .300 hitter. Defensively, Machado will remain at shortstop as a pro and has a chance to be an above-average defender. He's smooth, makes all the routine plays and has a plus arm that allows him to make the play in the hole.


ESPN's Keith Law:



MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo:

Machado entered the season as the top high school position player and has done nothing to diminish that evaluation. Big and athletic, he can do just about everything on the baseball field, with the ability to hit for plenty of average and some power as he matures. He's got more than enough arm to play shortstop and is fine there for now, though there is some concern he'll outgrow the position. Even if he does, he'd be just fine at third, both in terms of handling the position defensively and providing the kind of offense teams look for at the hot corner.

Here's the link to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo's video report...


PNR Scouting:

Machado has the tool set to become an offensive-minded shortstop. Even if he adds too much bulk to field his position adequately, he should hit enough to justify a move to third base, where his soft hands and strong throwing arm would make him a well above-average defender. Machado’s bat-to-ball ability and patience at the plate should allow him to hit for the average and power that major-league managers would expect out of their two-hole hitter.

What's not to like? The mock drafts are starting to think that the Pirates may be thinking of picking Machado at #2 but I still believe that his representation by Scott Boras will frighten off Pittsburgh who will instead pick high school pitcher James Tallion.

Machado will not only be arguably the best player available at #3, he also fills an organizational need. Blue chip middle infielders, especially shortstops, are absent from the Oriole farm system. And position players tend to be less risky picks than pitchers. Time to mix it up, pay the kid and make him an Oriole.