The wins and losses are meaningless, so are most of the stats. But there is plenty to watch every year in Spring Training. A little late with this but since we are a week into the exhibition season, I wanted to outline the 5 things I am watching for while the O's tune up in Sarasota.
1. Ryan Flaherty and Matt Antonelli
The former was the Orioles' Rule 5 pick, the latter a minor league free agent signed to a major league deal. With Brian Roberts doubtful ever to play for Baltimore again, it is possible that both of these infielders make the team. but they are both something of unknown commodities and I am curious to see what they can do and how they can do it. Both are low cost gambles and it would be nice if they could pay off.
2. The Asian Imports
Speaking of unknown commodities, one never knows exactly how NPB players will fare when faced with MLB competition. Pitchers Wei-Yin Chen and Tsuyoshi Wada are no different. So even though spring training stats have to be taken with a grain of salt, it will be fascinating to see how they fare against MLB hitters and, for Wada anyway, whether he will pitch in the rotation or out of the bullpen.
3. The Young Guns
Unlike previous years, I am not looking to see progress in Baltimore's crop of young starters, I am just looking for signs of life. Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Chris Tillman, Zach Britton and Brad Bergesen are all coming of seasons of inconsistency, injury, general ineffectiveness or some combination of the three. Who will break camp with the big club? Who will be able to contribute beyond 2012? Are any of these guys nuggets still?
4. Dirty Jim...Finally the Closer?
Jim Johnson has watched the team spend big money on "proven closers" before the past two seasons and probably wondered why he wasn't given a shot instead. Since 2008, Johnson has posted an ERA+ of 144, by far the best among any Oriole reliever who pitched in more than 100 games. (Koji Uehara had similar effectiveness but in fewer games.) It will be interesting to see how Johnson is used as Spring Training moves forward. I would imagine Buck will want him to get used to pitching in the 9th.
5. Jai Miller
Since I started writing this blog, every spring there was a question about who would be the backup catcher.Not this year. Barring injury, Taylor Teagarden will be backing up Matt Wieters.
The outfield would seem to be settled but RF Nick Markakis is coming back from injury and LF Nolan Reimold was struck in the face with a pitch this yesterday. That could give some playing time early in the season to 27-year old Jai Miller.
Miller OPS'ed .976 for Sacramento in the (admittedly) offense friendly Pacific Coast League but that developing bat and his ability to play anywhere in the outfield (he has primarily played centerfield during his minor league career, including last season) make him an intriguing option as a fourth outfielder. Endy Chavez is likely to fill that role but I'd have more fun watching Miller patrol Camden Yards this summer.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
5 Things I'm Watching During Spring Training
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Spring Training: Ed Smith Stadium Guide
I have finally come to terms with the fact that I will not be attending Oriole Spring Training 2012 and I have not been since the inaugural training in Sarasota in 2010. (sigh....)
Since I cannot accurately update my Unofficial Guide to Oriole Spring Training, I instead point you to Spring Training Connection's review of Ed Smith Stadium. It is very thorough and a great resource if you are still heading down to Sarasota in March. Check it out!
As a supplement, here's the link to last year's Unofficial Baltimore Orioles Spring Training Visitor's Guide. Some of the information will still be relevant.
Monday, November 14, 2011
O's Unhappy with Ed Smith Stadium Cleanup
Two years ago, the Orioles and the city of Sarasota, FL had a public lovefest as Baltimore moved their Spring Training operations to the Gulf Coast.
According to Tampa Bay Online, the honeymoon is over:
As the costs of an environmental cleanup at Ed Smith Stadium reach $1 million, the Baltimore Orioles are saying the city of Sarasota needs to pitch in more money.
The Orioles last week requested $420,000 to improve poor drainage at its spring training practice fields, a problem the team blames on an old city dump buried beneath the facility.
City Manager Bob Bartolotta says the Orioles are "trying to make a convoluted argument" to get the city to pay for field upgrades that should have come from a $24 million stadium renovation funded by taxpayers...
The Orioles are calling for that field to be rebuilt and fitted with a system of underground pipes at a cost of about $415,000. The team is also calling for a geotechnical analysis to see if the three other practice fields at the 53-acre ballpark on 12th Street and Tuttle Avenue need drainage systems...
Last December, the city and county signed off on a $975,000 cleanup plan — more than $500,000 of it to drain an underground plume of water polluted with vinyl chloride, a compound used to manufacture plastic.
It sounds really messy, physically and legally.
You would think this would have all been worked out beforehand and maybe it was and they just see it different ways. But I do find it entertaining how quickly the relationship soured between Sarasota and Peter Angelos.
Anyway, none of this will affect Spring Training 2012 (any changes the O's are pushing for will be completed before the end of the year or after Spring Training is over) or the long-term prospects of the Orioles keeping their Spring Training home in Sarasota. Neither side is going to terminate this relationship over $500,000.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Orioles Trim 3 More, Put Duchscherer on DL
The Orioles re-assigned RHP Zach Britton, IF Brendan Harris and C Craig Tatum to Norfolk today and placed oft-injured former All-Star Justin Duchscherer on the DL.
So the roster looks something like this.
The Infield:
1B Derrek Lee
2B Brian Roberts
SS JJ Hardy
3B Mark Reynolds
C Matt Wieters
This is as expected. Lee looks healthy now, as does Roberts. Hardy has hit well and looks great with the glove. Mark Reynolds looks like you would expect, at the plate and in the field and we are all just waiting for Matt Wieters to really hit although his defense has been sensational this spring.
The Outfield:
LF Luke Scott
CF Adam Jones
RF Nick Markakis
DH Vlad Guerrero
Again, no surprises here. Everyone has looked pretty good this spring, even with Scott's slow start at the plate.
The Bench:
C Jake Fox
IF Cesar Izturis
IF Robert Andino
OF Felix Pie
Jake Fox had a hot spring and beats out Craig Tatum for the backup. Some seem to think that Tatum is a far superior defensive catcher than Fox. I have seen very little evidence of that. Just because a guy can't hit, it doesn't automatically make him a good defensive catcher (see Paul Bako, 2007).
Robert Andino and Cesar Izturis both make the club. This seems redundant but I suppose there is still real concern about Roberts' health. Andino has all the physical skills to be Izzy's equal in the field and at least his equal at the plate (low bar and all). But he doesn't hustle. Ever. If you've read this blog for any time at all, you know I do not call out guys on this lightly. But I've watched him at the major league level and in AAA for two seasons now. And he doesn't hustle. Ever. He is subject to defensive lapses, baserunning gaffes and just plain doggin' it at really bad times. Andino and Izturis will not both co-exist on this roster long term. One of them is going.
Pie is out of options and is a prototypical fourth outfielder. He sticks and should all season.
Rotation:
SP Jeremy Guthrie
SP Brian Matusz
SP Brad Bergesen
SP Jake Arrieta
SP Chris Tillman
Guthrie is the Opening Day starter yet again. Matusz seem to be ready to go for his Saturday start. We don't know about Bergesen yet. Arrieta and Tillman have backed into the rotation at this point but I'm glad they are there.
The Bullpen
RP Kevin Gregg
RP Koji Uehara
RP Michael Gonzalez
RP Josh Rupe
RP Jason Berken
RP Jim Johnson
RP Jeremy Accardo
Gregg looks like he's the closer with that big contract and all. Uehara is healthy again...for now. That's great...for now. Gonzalez still doesn't look like the guy I watched in Atlanta for two seasons. I thought they overpaid for him but I thought he'd be better than this. Berken looks fine and Johnson looks really, really good. Accardo, who I thought would be a slightly more expensive version of Matt Albers, has looked very good, throwing strikes and getting swinging strikes. Kudos to the Oriole scouting department for rescuing him from the Toronto farm system.
Josh Rupe made the team while Mark Hendrickson was released. Rupe didn't look so great this spring save for the ERA. Hendrickson is no great shakes but a useful middle reliever. I doubt very sincerely that Rupe will be even that. Hendrickson may decide to report to Norfolk and be called up when needed. But he will probably move on. This may be a blessing in disguise as younger arms in AAA get a shot at the Baltimore pen when Rupe inevitably flames out.
Rick Vandenhurk cleared waivers and will be in the starting rotation for Norfolk.
As for Nolan Reimold...we'll discuss that later...
Friday, March 25, 2011
Spring Training Updates: Week 4
Things are wrapping up in Sarasota. With a week to go until Opening Day, decisions will need to be made this week. Let's see where things stand.
Before the season I listed 5 things to watch:
1. Pie versus Reimold - Heading into the final week, Felix Pie is hitting .229/.240/.333 with a homer, two doubles, a walk and two strikeouts. Nolan Reimold is hitting .298/.431/.489 with 2 homers, 3 doubles, 10 walks and 7 strikeouts. It all depends on what the Orioles value at this point...Reimold's superior bat or Pie glove and defensive versatility.
Derrek Lee may not be ready for Opening Day. But he will be soon and the Orioles will have to make a tough choice since Pie has no more options.
2. Chris Tillman versus Jake Arrieta - Arreita has a 5.79 ERA, Tillman has a 3.55 ERA. However, Tillman's peripherals no longer are better (0 HR, 7 K, 5BB) than Arrieta's (3 HR, 14 K, 7 BB). You have to give the nod to Arrieta, ERA's aside. Justin Duchscherer is now slated to return on April 21st at the earliest. Tillman and Arrieta should both start the season in the rotation although Baltimore won't need a 5th starter until April 10th.
3. Brian Roberts Rebound - He's back and he looks good. Keep your fingers crossed that he stays that way.
4. The Battle for the Backup Backstop - Unless Buck Showalter doesn't think Jake Fox can catch well enough, this battle is over. Fox is hitting .328/.339/.836 and leading all of baseball with 8 homers this spring. Predictably, he has cooled a bit lately but should still make the club
There is still talk that the team may keep Fox and Tatum on the roster but I find that unlikely. With Roberts' injury concerns, I would imagine that the Orioles would carry and extra middle infielder rather than a catcher. And if you're going to keep an extraneous player on the roster, I;d rather see Pie and Reimold on the bench than Tatum and Fox.
5. Who's the Backup Middle Infielder? - Cesar Izturis still probably has the job by default at this point giventhe contract the Orioles gave him. I don't think that it will happen but Brendan Harris and Robert Andino have hit well enough lately that they could release Izzy and give one of them the job. Probably not but it is conceivable.
Further developments: Jeremy Guthrie has been named the Opening Day starter...Zach Britton continues to be impressive and he remains in major league camp after the most recent round of cuts...RP Pat Egan has been returned to the Orioles from the Brewers and will be assigned to Norfolk. Egan was selected by the Brewers in the Rule 5 draft. I like Egan and think he will appear out of the Baltimore bullpen sometime this season...Rule 5 pick Adrian Rosario was returned to the Brewers...I like what I'm seeing out of Matt Wieters at the plate. He seems less tentative and has a plan for each at bat. When he's taking, he's taking, when he's swinging he's being aggressive and swinging hard...Looks like the bullpen will consist of Mike Gonzalez, Jim Johnson, Jason Berken, Kevin Gregg, Jeremy Accardo, Mark Hendrickson and Josh Rupe. But that's just my guess...Josh Bell was sent to minor league camp and told the team wants him to play third everyday...RHP Pedro Beato has a 3.72 ERA for the Mets this spring and the word is that he will make the team.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Derrek Lee Returns to Action...or Does He?
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| Not getting off on the right foot... |
Lee said the plan all along called for him to get two at-bats. He'll get three tomorrow in Port Charlotte and take off Monday.
Lee sounds encouraged and figures to get enough at-bats to be ready for the April 1 opener.
"It feels great. I was happy. It wasn't an issue. I didn't feel it swinging. I kind of landed on it going for a ball and didn't feel it. I was happy with it," Lee said.
"It was two at-bats all the way, and three tomorrow...
All right. Lee's out there, swinging the bat, fantastic.
Wait. What?
First baseman Derrek Lee, who made his Orioles' debut yesterday and was supposed to play again today, is no longer in the lineup because of a sore left foot. Lee fouled a ball off his left foot during his first at-bat...
What the hell.
"Derrek goes home last night and [head athletic trainer Richie Bancells] called me and said, ‘We got a problem,’" (Buck) Showalter said, this morning. "He said that [Lee] was fine when he left here but he was sitting in a chair or whatever and he said, ‘Richie, this thing is killing me. [It] is throbbing, I don’t know what’s going on here. I’ve never had anything like this.’ I’m [saying], ‘perfect.’ Anyway, it was a long night. He went to get an X-ray and the X-ray had said everything looked OK with the exception of one spot the guy was concerned with. He had an MRI this morning at 8 o’clock, and we just got the results back and that’s clean. So we dodged a bullet there, it looks like."
Lee is scheduled to come back on Tuesday if the foot feels better. That will give him just about a week of Spring Training before the team heads north.
There is absolutely no reason to rush Lee. Luke Scott can slide in to play first, Nolan Reimold (who has had a great spring by the way) can play left and they can delay a decision on Felix Pie. Get him totally healthy and leave him in extended Spring Training.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
In Defense of Jake Fox
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| Jake Fox stands next to Josh Bell to make his walk rate look better... |
After all, Jake Fox is leading the all of baseball with 7 home runs for spring training. The internet if filled with sportwriters singing his praises and fans are clamoring for him to make the roster as the backup catcher and, now, even a backup second baseman (!?!??).
However, two writers in the Oriole blogOsphere whose opinion I respect have been pretty derisive of The Fabulous Mr. Fox. Stacey and Andrew_G of Camden Chat hate, absolutely hate, the fact that Jake Fox does not walk much. Andrew summed it up thusly:
I think we need to dispell the myth of Jake Fox: decent bench bat.
The guy CANNOT get on base. His career year with the Cubs in ’09, he had a .311 on-base percentage. Two weeks of crushing Pirates Spring Training fastballs does not make him a viable bench bat.
There is no doubt that Fox is a free swinger. He has a mere 4.9% walk rate and chases balls outside the strike zone at a 42.0% rate for his major league career. He will never be a great hitter with those kind of peripherals.
However, his minor league numbers were a bit better than that. His walk rate over the last two years in the minors (covering AA and AAA seasons) was close to 8.5%. He may not approach that in the majors but he has a chance to improve and the projection systems think that he will.
But that's not where his value lies. He's a guy who hits for contact with enormous power. Outside of his unfortunate time in the Oakland Coliseum, he has an ISO well over .200 over the course of his brief major league career.
But there is a way to mask most of Fox's weaknesses as a hitter:
Split G PA AB HR BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
vs RHP as RHB 114 277 252 15 14 60 .246 .296 .488 .784
vs LHP as RHB 85 190 176 3 9 38 .222 .268 .330 .598
Fox should NEVER be allowed to hit against lefthanded pitchers. Ever. Even with his struggles since his graduation to the majors, Fox is a slightly better-than-league-average hitter and one with great power.
So his weakness against lefties can be masked in a part time role. And he would make a good bat of the bench late in a game. Why? Name a lefthanded closer in the American League. Well, there's one. The Athletics' Brian Fuentes and that's only if Andrew Bailey misses significant time with his recent injury. So I would have no problem with bringing up Fox to face any closer in the league.
So Fox has enormous power, can play the corner infield and corner outfield positions in addition to catcher, hits righties well and nearly all the closer in the game are righthanded pitchers.
Sounds like a pretty good backup catcher/bat of the bench to me.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Spring Training Updates: Week 3
The end of the third week of spring training games is upon us, so lets see how these position battles are shaking out.
Before the season I listed 5 things to watch:
1. Pie versus Reimold - Felix Pie is hitting .211/.231/.263 still with just the two doubles over 39 plate appearances with a walk and two strikeouts. Nolan Reimold is, quietly it seems, hitting .333/.458/.564 with 2 homers, 3 doubles, 8 walks and 5 strikeouts over 47 plate appearances. Reimold is lapping Pie at this point.
Until Derrek Lee actually plays a game, this is probably a moot point. But it would be a shame if Pie has to be exposed to waivers to give Reimold his shot this spring. Pie is a nice fourth outfielder at worst and could be pretty useful in that role. But he could get exposed to waivers...because the Orioles decided to pay Valdimir Guerrero $8 million for this season. We shall see...
2. Chris Tillman versus Jake Arrieta - Arreita has a 4.00 ERA, Tillman has a 3.55 ERA. However, Tillman's peripherals no longer are better (0 HR, 7 K, 5BB) than Arrieta's (1 HR, 8 K, 2 BB). But some other supporting numbers are. Tillman has a lower WHIP, has lower OBP against and alower SLG against. I said this battle would be decided by who shows the best control or woh had the better K/BB ratio and that's where Arrieta has the edge. But overall, they are pretty even still. I'm still not sure why Arrieta's spot in rotation seems to be a fait accompli while Tillman is viewed as being on the outside looking in.
3. Brian Roberts Rebound - We have not seen Roberts on the field since this time last week. His MRI showed nothing new but he seems no closer to action than he was last Friday.
4. The Battle for the Backup Backstop - Hey, let's face it. Unless Buck Showalter doesn't think Jake Fox can catch well enough, this battle is over. Fox is hitting .356/.370/.911 and leading all of baseball with 7 homers this spring. Given the potential in his bat and his versatility, he's the man.
Now, some people have derided Fox's lack of walks this spring (he has but one) but I am not very concerned about that. His minor league walk rates were OK and I expect them to be better during the season. He came into Spring Training on the bubble for this team. He probably figured he needed to make an impression and you don't make a big impression watching that fastball that may be a bit high in the zone. You get noticed by depositing that ball over the leftfield fence.
Conversely, Fox will be a decent backup and a nice bat off the bench. He is not a guy you want starting for you. His spring is fooling people that he is more valuable than he actually is. He is not going to hit like that during the season and he would be exposed if he was in the lineup everyday. He's a nice player, the kind that the Orioles should be picking up cheap and finding a spot for him. I like him a lot. But he's a backup. Not a starter. Calm down.
5. Who's the Backup Middle Infielder? - Nobody has hit. Cesar Izturis still probably has the job by default at this point. But if the coaching staff believes Izturis has lost what little offensive skills he had, don't be surprised if he is jettisoned and Brendan Harris or Robert Andino is given the job instead.
Further developments: Justin Duchscherer is a couple of days away from throwing again. Opening Day is a mere two weeks away. It's hard to imagine that he will be ready to go by then...Zach Britton has continued to be impressive. He is still likely to start the season in Norfolk since the Orioles have other options but he likely won't be there long...Kevin Gregg was tinkering with his mechanics and over two appearances, it was to poor results. He and new pitching coach Mark Connor are abandoning the experiment...Rule 5 pick Adrian Rosario has not made an appearance in more than a week and looks very unlikely to make the club. He will soon be returned to the Brewers unless the teams can work out a trade...RHP Pedro Beato has a 2,57 ERA for the Mets and is pitching OK. The Orioles might not get him back. RHP Pat Egan has a 0.00 ERA and hasn't given up a walk in 4 appearances for the Brewers. There's an outside chance the Orioles don't get him back either.
Friday, March 11, 2011
The New 2011 Brian Roberts Injury Timeline
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| Frustrating, isn't it? |
This is just a tracker that I will continue to update...and freak out about, until the end of the season.
February 22nd, 2011 - Jeff Zrebiec reports on Brian Roberts arriving at Spring Training:
This year, (Brian Roberts) said, has a little different feel, and the best part about it is he is healthy again after struggling with a herniated disk in his back all last spring.
The very next day...
February 23rd, 2011 - Roch Kubatko reports that Roberts leaves camp.
I just arrived in the workroom to find out that Brian Roberts isn't working out today. He left camp with a sore neck.
Roberts might need X-rays. That's all we really know at the moment.
Later that day, Roberts returned to camp and Jeff Zreibiec had this:
Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts returned to Ed Smith Stadium after getting X-rays and downplayed his stiff neck.
"We probably all had a stiff neck at some point in our life, right? I'm not overly concerned," he said.
Of course, any ailment involving Roberts will raise panic after he played just 59 games last season because of a herniated disk in his back.
Asked whether he understood that, Roberts was dismissive, saying: "I understand there's about a two feet difference from where my back hurt and where my neck hurt. So I'm pretty sure they are not related."
Roberts returned to the stadium to get some treatment. He isn't sure whether he'll be able to participate in tomorrow's workout.
Feb 24th, 2011 - Roberts doesn't participate in the workout. Peter Schmuck:
Brian Roberts, who missed yesterday's workout and went for X-rays after waking up with neck stiffness, will not work out today, but said his neck feels better.
"I'm not going out today,'' he said, "but it's better. I'm going to get some treatment and just try to get it calmed down. Hopefully, I'll be out there tomorrow."
February 25th, 2011 - Roberts was not "out there tomorrow". From MLB.com:
Brian Roberts was held out of workouts again on Friday, as the Orioles' second baseman continues to deal with neck stiffness, but he said that if it was the regular season he would be able to play.
"You play during the season hurt at times, and this isn't anything that would cause me to miss any games if it was the season right now," said Roberts, who missed his third consecutive day of workouts.
Feb 26th, 2011 - Roberts Practices. USA Today:
Roberts received an ultrasound treatment on his neck Saturday morning after participating in the team's annual photo day. He then suited up and practiced for the first time since Tuesday.
Roberts had to get the approval of the athletic training staff before returning to the field....
Roberts probably won't play when Baltimore opens its exhibition schedule Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton.
March 2nd, 2011 - Brian Roberts Makes His Spring Training Debut...and All Was Quiet
Until...
March 7th, 2011 - Yankees vs. Orioles
Leading off the game, Brian Roberts lays down a bunt between the pitcher and first base. He dives into first, narrowly missing being trampled by the pitcher and Mark Teixera. At the time I tweeted that Roberts was "a big dummy" for doing that in a Spring Training Game. Roberts played until the 5th inning.
March 8th, 2011 - Roch reports
Brian Roberts is dealing with back spasms and is tentative for tomorrow afternoon's game against the Minnesota Twins in Sarasota.
"We'll see if that will take care of itself overnight," Showalter said.
"He said he did it two, three days ago during the stretching. It kind of came back. He felt good last night. He had it from stretching and just tweaked it a little bit. It went way and he played the game. He came in today and it flared up again."
March 9th, 2011 - More from Roch
Brian Roberts said his back feels a little better, but he won't play in today's game against the Twins in Sarasota. And there's no way he's traveling to Fort Myers tonight for the other split-squad game.
"It's not too bad," he said.
Roberts said he woke up with back spasms a few days ago. He said they weren't caused by him diving into first base during Monday night's game against the Yankees.
"I never really said anything because I wanted to keep playing," he said. "When I get them, they usually come on and then they go away on their own after a couple days. I probably didn't help things by sliding when I already had back spasms, but that wasn't the cause of them."
Roberts could play today...but they're already saying he won't travel to Kissimmee tomorrow. So playing today seems unlikely.
March 10, 2011 - Brian Roberts has "trigger-point injections and schedules an MRI. The Sporting News:
Baltimore Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts had "trigger-point injections" in his ailing back Friday and will be sidelined until at least Tuesday, according to The Baltimore Sun...
Roberts told MacPhail that the pain isn’t as bad as it was last spring, and manager Buck Showalter expressed optimism that Roberts will be ready for opening day.
March 15, 2011 - Robert's MRI reveals nothing new. Because...
...he has been experiencing discomfort since January and it hasn't really gone away. Asked how this compared to last year he said it was 100 percent different,and this current issue isn't nearly as bad.
...he will progress toward "possibly" being ready on Opening Day on a day-by-day basis.
Stay tuned...
Friday, March 4, 2011
Spring Training Updates: Week 1
The first week of spring training games is over so it's time to check in on what's happening with the Orioles, warts and all.
Before the season I listed 5 things to watch:
1. Pie versus Reimold - Felix Pie is hitting .200/.200/.400 with two doubles over 10 plate appearances. Nolan Reimold is hitting .333/.538/1.000 with 2 homers, 4 walks and only 3 strikeouts over 13 plate appearances. It's early but Reimold is hitting well enough to give Buck Showalter a tough decision at the begginning of April.
2. Chris Tillman versus Jake Arrieta - They both have a 4.50 ERA after their first spring appearances. Arrieta walked 2 and struck out none. Tillman had one of each. Too close to call. And with Justin Duscherer out right now, they could both make the squad anyway.
3. Brian Roberts Rebound - This did not look good early on as he was sidelined with neck spasms. But he has come back to hit well and look fully healthy in two games this week.
4. The Battle for the Backup Backstop - Craig Tatum is hitting an anemic .222/.222/.222. Jake Fox has posted a line of .455/.455/1.000 with a couple of homers. Fox with the edge so far.
5. Who's the Backup Middle Infielder? - Brendan Harris is the only candidate to hit at all so far (.444/.500/.778) but it was Cesar Izturis' job to lose coming in to camp and it likely still is.
Further developments: Koji Uehara is being shut down for a week with elbow issues. This could open the door for a guy like Ryan Drese who has pitched very well this first week.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Spring Training Moods
Hats off to Karl Menton Ferron and the video team at The Baltimore Sun for the excellent video they are putting up at BaltimoreSun.com as they cover Spring Training for the Orioles. What makes it excellent? First, it looks great. It's video for sure but looks like it's shot on film and the colors are warm and lush...just beautifully shot and edited. Second, they are doing, for lack of a better term, "mood pieces" for Spring Trianing in addition to interviews and more informational video posts. They capture the sounds and feel of Spring Training so well as to make you forget the winter that still lurks outside your window. This is sports photojournalism (vid-journalism?) done right. Bravo.
Check them out here. I've embedded three here to give you a feel.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
5 Things To Watch - Spring Training 2011
1. Felix Pie versus Nolan Reimold - With Vlad Guerrero in the fold, one of these guys is the odd man out. Pie has the inside track as he had a better season in 2010, is more versatile and has no options remaining. But Reimold has the talent to put together a big spring and could force Buck Showalter to make a tough decision. Buck has already said that Pie didn't guarantee himself a spot in this team with his play last season so both players could be under the gun.
2. Chris Tillman versus Jake Arrieta - With Justin Duchscherer in the fold, one of these guys is the odd man out. (Deja vu...) This one is more of a dead heat though. I like Tillman better to start the season but he managed to lose his spot to David Hernandez last spring and wound up back in Norfolk. Whoever has the strongest spring is likely to head to Baltimore when camp breaks. If Tillman trusts his stuff, he wins easily.
3. Brian Roberts Rebound - Baltimore added some sluggers to the lineup this offseason but this offense will go as Brian Roberts health does. With Roberts and Nick Markakis at the top of the order, Derrek Lee, Mark Reynolds, Luke Scott and Guerrero will often have ducks on the pond. If Roberts had an injury plagued year again, they likely won't. There is nobody on the roster with his combination of speed and on base skills. You could be faced with Pie or Cesar Izturis leading off in his absence. And that would be ugly. Roberts needs to stay healthy and hit like he did in 2008 and 2009 if the Orioles hope to surprise.
4. Battle for the Backup Backstop - My favorite thing to watch each spring, this time the outcome could be significant. Incumbent Craig Tatum surprised last season as he proved to have some good on base skills and was not a complete offensive vacuum. He only threw out 2 of 27 base stealers though and I can find no defensive metric that he was not below average in. Jake Fox, on the other had, was not terrible behind the plate, throwing out 33% of potential base stealers in limited action. He can also play the outfield third base and first base with a bat with far more potential than Tatum's.
Of course, if Buck goes with a 12 man pitching staff, they could both make the roster with Fox as a general utility guy. Or one of the other catchers invited to camp could surprise and take Tatum's spot anyway, the same way he did to Chad Moeller a year ago. Quite dramatic being a backup catcher in the major leagues...
5. Who's the Backup Middle Infielder? - Cesar Izturis has the inside track on this. He has a major league deal, is a superior glove and a very good baserunner. Despite his deficiencies with the bat, he could be used quite a bit as a pinch runner and late game defensive replacement. But Brendan Harris, Nick Green and Robert Andino will all be at Spring Training too. Harris is middling defender up the middle and has a slightly better bat than Izzy (which is damning with faint praise). Andino also has a slick glove but tends to lapse in the field at times. He could offer a decent bat but I tend to think that last season was a fluke for him. Green should be a longshot but seems to wriggle his way onto a major league roster every year.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Unofficial 2011 Baltimore Orioles Spring Training Visitor's Guide
But just becasue I'm not going doesn't mean I can't lend a helping hand to those who will. Pitchers and catchers report in a week and Oriole Spring Training is some experience these days.
With that in mind, here is my unofficial Baltimore Orioles Spring Training Guide. This is based on my personal experiences from past visits plus information I have gathered from around the web, from the team and other publications. I'll have a few things to update along the way (and if you have anything to add yourself, please leave it in the comments of email me at dempseysarmy at yahoo dot com) but, in my humble opinion, is a very good start.
Stadium
The stadium is cozy so there's not really a bad seat in the house. There is little to no shade (although renovations are supposed to help that a bit) so if you go to a day game, pack sun screen accordingly. The renovation is supposed to create some more shade but better safe than sorry.
Ed Smith was not a great stadium but Louis Angelos promised that the offseason renovations of the Sarasota baseball facilities would create "a ballpark that is the premier baseball facility, not just in Florida but you can include Arizona too." So there's that. (Pictures of the ongoing renovation can be seen here.) You'll notice that the seats from OPACY that were removed during its renovation are now being installed in Sarasota.
The stadium is located at 2700 12th St. in Sarasota at the corner of 12th and Tuttle. There's a ton of parking available and it's $8 to park there on game day.
From the book Florida Spring Training by Alan Byrd:
"There's little to like about Ed Smith Stadium. While it comes close in size to some of the League's older parks, it's missing the things that would make it quaint...
On the positive side, you'll have no trouble seeing all the action. The box seats are close to the diamond and the other seats aren't too far away."
Schedule
Oriole pitchers and catchers report on February 13th with the first workout taking place on February 14th. The first full-squad workout takes place on February 21st. Workouts are scheduled to begin each day at 9:00 AM and are free to the public until the games begin. Fans will be able to access the main "bowl" and some of the back fields as well.
The full game schedule is available here with the first official game on February 28th against the Pirates in Bradenton. The first game in Sarasota is March 1st versus the Rays. Most games are at 1:05 with a handful of night games. The seating chart is here.
Concessions
Here's a list of concessions and prices from last season:
Hot Dog $4.00
Bratwurst w/ Kraut $6.00
Pizza $6.50
Nachos $4.75
Chicken Nuggets $6.50
Popcorn $3.75
Peanuts $4.00
Soft Pretzel $4.00
Cracker Jacks $3.50
Candy $3.00
Ice Cream $3.50
Cotton Candy $3.50
Soda (32oz) $4.00
Gatorade $4.00
Bottled Water $3.50
Coffee $1.75
Beer (16oz) $6.25
Imported Beer (12oz) $6.75
Grill
Hamburger/Cheeseburger $6.50
Sausage, Peppers & Onions $7.00
Hot Dog $4.00
Hebrew National Kosher Dog $5.00
French Fries $4.00
And a quick snapshot of souvenir prices:
Tickets
Tickets for Oriole Spring Training games are priced as follows: for General Admission
Standing Room $10 Left Field Pavilion $15 Reserved Grandstand $17 Lower Box $21 Infield Box $23 Premium Infield Box $27Prime games are $2 more per ticket, across the board. Box office hours from January 24th-February 11th are M-F 10 AM - 4 PM. After February 11th, the box office is open seven days a week, also 10 AM - 4 PM.
Tickets will be available at the Sarasota box office, via phone orders at 800-745-3000 or Orioles.com.
In my opinion, there's not a bad seat in the house.
Minor League Camp
Minor league pitchers will hold their first workout at the complex on Tuesday, March 2. The first minor league full squad workout will take place on Saturday, March 6. Minor league games begin Wednesday, March 17.
All workouts and games at the minor league complex are free to the public as is the parking.
Here's this year's minor league spring training schedule. When the AAA and AA teams play at home, the A level teams play away and vice versa.
Wednesday, March 16 AAA/AA vs. Boston 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
A @ Boston 12:30 p.m. Ft. Myers
Thursday, March 17 AAA/AA @ Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Port Charlotte
A Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
Friday, March 18 AAA/AA @ Minnesota 12:00 p.m. Ft. Myers
A Minnesota 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
Saturday, March 19 AAA/AA Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
A @ Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Port Charlotte
Monday, March 21 AAA/AA Minnesota 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
A @ Minnesota 12:00 p.m. Ft. Myers
Tuesday, March 22 AAA/AA @ Boston 12:30 p.m. Ft. Myers
A Boston 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
Wednesday, March 23 AAA/AA @ Minnesota 12:00 p.m. Ft. Myers
A Minnesota 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
Thursday, March 24 AAA/AA @ Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Port Charlotte
A Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
Friday, March 25 AAA/AA Boston 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
A @ Boston 12:30 p.m. Ft. Myers
Saturday, March 26 AAA/AA @ Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Port Charlotte
A Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
Monday, March 28 AAA/AA Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
A @ Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Port Charlotte
Tuesday, March 29 AAA/AA Minnesota 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
A @ Minnesota 12:00 p.m. Ft. Myers
Wednesday, March 30 AAA/AA @ Boston 12:30 p.m. Ft. Myers
A Boston 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
Thursday, March 31 AAA/AA @ Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Port Charlotte
A Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
Friday, April 1 AAA/AA Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
A @ Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Port Charlotte
Autographs
If you really want autographs, go to the workouts. There are always a fair amount of players, major and minor leaguers who will come over to sign things for the fans. We were able to get a few autographs before one of the games but there was much less jockeying for position at the workouts. Players are much more likely to sign for kids than for adults or obvious "autograph hounds". I remember Kevin Millar in particular ordering "Autograph hounds to the back, kids up front!"
Ed Smith Stadium afforded better opportunities for autographs before game that Ft. Lauderdale stadium did. If you stand along the rightfield wall near the bleachers, you will place yourself in close proximity to the outfield gate that the players use to get from the clubhouse to the field. Players were very generous with their time (and this was during a crowded Red Sox matchup) and autographs seemed fairly easy to come by.
Outside of the Ballpark
I haven't been to Sarasota enough to be an authority so I will link to Peter Schmuck's column on his favorite Sarasota haunts.
Getting There
Sarasota is a quick two and a half hour flight from Baltimore. If you found this guide useful, check out our partner, Expedia for your tickets, rental car and hotels:
Links and References:
Thanks to Kristen Hudak and Kate Wheeler at MASN, MLB.com's Britt Ghiroli and Orioles Public Relations Director Monica Pence Barlow for helping me fill in some of the blanks.
Florida Spring Training: Your Guide to Touring the Grapefruit League by Alan Byrd
Baltimore Orioles at SpringTrainingOnline.com
2011 Baltimore Orioles Spring Training at MLB.com
Related Posts:
Sarasota FanFest Post (with pics of the stadium and such)
Pirates vs Orioles in Sarasota, 3/5/2010
Orioles Minor League Camp 3/6-3/8, 2010
Red Sox vs Orioles in Sarasota, 3/7/2010
Welcome to Birdland South!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The 1896 Orioles Were in the Best Shape of Their Lives
The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America is rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. - Terrance Mann
Baseball has remained a constant, lo these many years. And evidently, the way it it covered hasn't changed much either. At least not in the last 115 years or so. When Spring Training comes around, a sports writer can always pen a variation on this theme:
"The Best Shape of Their Lives"
Here are three instances from reporters covering the old National League Baltimore Orioles during their annual trip south.
The Sporting News, April 13th, 1895:
"...the Orioles have played much the strongest games and are undoubtedly in the best physical condition of any of (the National League teams) at this writing. Nearly every man on the team is trained to sprinting form already and the dash and vim they inject into the game are absolutely refreshing" - Charles A Lamar
From the April 1st, 1899 edition of The Sporting Life comes this account of Spring Training in Savannah, GA for the old Baltimore Orioles written by "Jay R F":
"(John) McGraw looks thinner than when he was here last spring, while (Wilbert) Robinson presents the same appearance as he always does, with -or without- the spangles. (Ducky) Holmes is considerably stouter than when your correspondent met him last in Louisville. Not fat, you know-good solid flesh and as hard as steel. (Jerry) Nops and (Frank) Kitson, who were here with the team last year, are both, apparently, in splendid condition."
And finally, this account from Oriole manager Ned Hanlon in The Sporting News, April 4th, 1896:
"The pitching department is in better shape than ever before. McMahon is apparently able to pitch as well as ever. (Bill) Hoffer is in good form. (George) Hemming is in much better condition and in better health than last year; (Dad) Clarkson is in his usual condition, while the great south-paw, (Duke) Esper, weighs less, and is in better pitching form than he has ever been since he joined the club...There is not a man on the club who is not taking the best care of himself and whose habits are not correct. It is so much the custom to predict wonderful things for the various clubs on the Southern tours, and to tell of their great strengths, the fine condition of the men and the certainty of each club winning that the base ball public are coming to place little credence in many of these roseate stories. But what has been said of the Orioles is plain, unvarnished truth." - Edward Hanlon
Wow. The National League had been in existence just 20 years when Hanlon made his comments. And even then, the "Player A is in the best shape of his life!" stories were already old hat and met with eye-rolls and dismissal by the fans. And yet, they still are a staple of the months leading up to the start of the season. 115 years later. Why?
I guess it's a tradition...
Friday, March 19, 2010
Orioles Minor League Camp in Sarasota, 3/6-3/8
One of the great benefits of the Orioles moving their Spring Training home to Sarasota is that now their minor league camp is just a few miles away from the Ed Smith complex. It is held at the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex at Twin Lakes park just on the east side of I-75.
This encompasses my impressions over two days...
The first day, I arrived waaaay too early. I got there just after 9 AM but on this particular day, the team meeting wasn't even happening until 9:45. At 9:15, this is all you were going to see. Orioles roving catching instructor Minor League Catching Coordinator Don Werner testing out the JUGS machine with C Wally Crancer as they tested out a new training method.
Granted, this is some real "inside baseball" and I really only recorded a bit because Werner said he had never tried it before and I thought something funny might happen but I got a kick out of seeing little drills like this and how things are run on a professional level.
At 9:45, all the players gathered on one field and were given the schedule for the day. After that, calisthenics began.
Then long toss...
Then they broke up into groups for the drills. The pitchers were working on fielding drills and throwing a short bullpen sessions. The catchers were working on glovework and footwork. Here's catching prospect Michael Ohlman facing the JUGS machine:
A side note about the pitching drills: P Ryohei Tanaka came over from Japan last season but unlike Koji Uehara, Tanaka was not a star in Japan and does not travel with his own interpreter. He seems to know some English but does not appear to be fluent. So when the air horn would sound and everyone would move from field to field, Tanaka would sometimes start toward the wrong station as if he didn't fully understand the instruction given at the morning meeting. RP Brandon Cooney would always make sure he got to where he needed to be. "Tanaka! Over here! This way!" was heard more than a couple times. Cooney instantly became one of my favorite Baby Birds. (Cooney is also on Baseball America's list of Top 30 Oriole prospects.)
After about an hour and a half, the pitchers were done and the batting practice started. It was not time for hitters to report yet but there were a few notable prospects there. Xavier Avery...
LJ Hoes, Brandon Waring and Mike Flacco...
We came back on Monday to watch some more batting practice and more hitters had reported by then. A couple of interesting notes from BP...
CF Xavier Avery and 2B L.J. Hoes were 2nd and 3rd round picks in 2008 and are very similar looking players, same size, same build. Avery took BP and looked how you thought he would; light-hitting, shooting flares and sharp grounders to all fields. Hoes was a different story. The ball jumped off his bat and he was showing good gap power. It was only BP but Hoes is only 20. You might want to look for increased power from him this season.
3B Brandon Waring showed the most consistent power during the sessions I watched. But who showed the most raw power? OF/1B Jacob Julius. 23-year-old Julius only posted a .228/.304/.345 line for Delmarva last year but he was launching ball all over the field and over the fence during BP. Lots of fun to watch.
On Monday, I brought the kids since they wanted to get some autographs. As the guys headed for the clubhouse, many obliged. P Vito Frabizio threw them each a ball from the practice field.
Overall, it was a good atmosphere. I was usually one of maybe 5 or 6 people at most and the complex is wide open. You have to watch out for batted balls because drills are happening everywhere. My only regret is that I'm not here later in camp for live BP, scrimmages or games. That's something I'll have to remedy next year.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Pirates vs. Orioles in Sarasota, 3/5/2010
In my continuing non-linear recap of my Spring Training trip, I present a few items from the first game we attended in Sarasota. The Pirates came down I-75 from nearby Bradenton to play a night game at Ed Smith Stadium.
For this game, I had good seats (I checked Stubhub.com and got a good deal on tickets in the field boxes on the visitor's side) but the weather was not ideal. It was chilly and windy and got more so as the evening wore on. I was not dressed for it but we did manage to hang in there for 5 innings.
Some notes from the game:
- Miguel Tejada got the start at third and did not look very comfortable there. He made the plays but was not smooth. As it stands, he is probably about as good as Melvin Mora was for most of last season and you have to figure that he will get better. Big arm on Tejada still.
- Chris Tillman got the start and was effective (2 perfect innings with 3 Ks) but was a bit wild and ran the count to 3-2 a few times.
- Adam Jones clubbed an opposite field homer in the 3rd providing the most exciting offensive moment of the night.
- On a shallow popup to center, Adam Jones ran under it and seemed to call for the ball but Robert Andino was running at full speed from shortstop and ran into Jones' left arm as he made the catch. Jones didn't drop the ball but had a few words for Andino afterwards.
- Starting 2B Blake Davis hit a rocket to Aki Iwamure at second that bounced off his knee and rolled away into foul territory behind first base. Davis was flying out of the box and was rounding second before anyone got to the ball. It looked like he had a good shot at taking third on a close play but Juan Samuel held him up and Davis put on the brakes and scrambled back to second. Samuel was lustily booed as he denied us all a chance to see an exciting play at third.
- Mike Gonzalez started out well but looked uncofortable pitching out of the stretch once runners were on base.
- Jake Arrieta was wild and had a hard time finding the plate.
Again, it was unseasonably cold once the sun went down, low-50's at best, so we left early. But even a cold baseball game is better than spending the evening at home.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
"Welcome to Birdland South!"
As I handed the elderly usher my ticket to last Saturday's Oriole spring training game against the Red Sox, he exclaimed, "Welcome to Birdland South!".
And he was right. The place was overrun with Red Sox fans, they played "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" during the 7th inning stretch and the O's lost in heartbreaking fashion. I felt just like Birdland to me.
All kidding aside, I knew this game would be a madhouse. I just bought a bleacher ticket and figured I would focus more on the ballpark experience more so than the game itself.
The game was sold out with record attendance of 8,088. Even the bleacher seats were packed. And early on, it looked like the orange and black would outnumber the red jerseys. It was not to be. By gametime, the stadium looked more Port Charlotte than Sarasota. Oh well.
With the bleachers packed, it looked like my best bet was to stand along the rightfield wall and that did turn out to be the way to go. At Ed Smith Stadium, the clubhouse is located past the rightfield fence so all the players have to walk by the rightfield wall and the stands on the first base side to get to the dugout which gives you some good photo and autograph opportunities.
There is an intimacy at a spring training game that you don't get elsewhere. When a fan asked Jeremy Guthrie how it went for him today, he told him. When Luke Scott was heckled repeatedly by an obnoxious Red Sox fan, he gave it back to him a little drawing appreciative laghter from the crowd. And lots of guys cam over to give people autographs and to chat.
MASN was set up nearby and the players giving interviews got walked right through the fans on their way to talk to Amber Theoharis. Miguel Tejada drew the biggest reaction and high-fived with the fans on his way to and back from his interview. Tejada also hung around the field for quite some time and signed autographs for everybody which was surprising to me given his veteran status and his overall reputation.
All in all, a relaxed atmosphere even with the irritation of the home field being overtaken by The Nation. I can't tell you all that much about the actual game. I had lousy seats and the PA system is barely intelligible away from the grandstand area making the game nearly impossible to follow. But I met some nice Marylanders, some nice locals too, saw Nick Markakis hit a solo shot to right and Miguel Abreu go 2-3 with a stolen base and some fine defense at second. All in all, a good day at the park.
By the 9th inning, I had maneuvered my way back out to the grandstand, staked out some standing room and then snagged a seat in the upper reserve section on the visitor's side. That was just in time to see David Hernandez give up a ninth inning go-ahead homer to a AAA catcher who hit .214 with 3 homers for Pawtucket last season. And all those old coots started celebrating like they had won the series again. Oh well. It put a damper on the game but not the overall experience which is unique. You will never see major league players in so intimate a setting than you can at a spring training game.
Ed Smith Stadium, as I've said before, is a far nicer facility that Ft. Lauderdale Stadium and with the proposed renovations, it should be even better in 2011.
More pics to follow...
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
My First Look at Matt Hobgood...
...or "What I Learned On My Spring Vacation".
I went to the Oriole Minor League Camp at the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex in Sarasota this past Saturday and I think I learned something.
I and others have discussed the troubling reports over the weight of top Oriole 2009 draft pick Matt Hobgood, first reported by MASN's Steve Melewski. Naturally, I was curious to see how the kid looked. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.
Here's Hobgood throwing long toss with fellow top pitching prospect Zach Britton. (Pardon the sound...it was windy...):
He's a big guy, no doubt, but watching him go through the various workouts, he moved well and came off as fairly athletic, at least for his size.
For instance, here's some video of a fielding drill. Hobgood is the first guy off the mound.
This was pretty indicative of what I saw. Through fielding, runs and agility drills, Hobgood did not look like a lumbering hulk, he looked like a good athlete. He looked more athletic than about half of the other pitchers and seemingly was well-conditioned. For lack of a better term, he carried his weight well. (On a side note, RP Eddie Gamboa, the Orioles 29th best prospect according to Baseball America, was probably the most athletic pitcher I saw. He was quick, smooth and threw well in fielding drills. He could probably do a yeoman's job as an infielder.)
It will be interesting to see if his conditioning improves but for now, I am reassured.
If any scouting or conditioning experts are reading, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
More on the minor league camp later...
Monday, March 1, 2010
Programming Note
Just a heads up to any readers that I will not be posting a lot this week. I am working on a redesign for the site, a longer historical post and prepping for my Spring Training trip among other things.
You may have noticed that instead of collecting a bunch of links for my "Base Hits" posts that I am posting little reaction blurbs as I see them, hopefully keeping those observations more timely than the other format and you may see some of those this week but little else.
Look for some photos, video and more starting this weekend as I report back from Sarasota. You can follow me on Twitter too (@dempseysarmy) if you like.
Speaking of Spring Training, here's the link to my Unofficial Orioles Spring Training Guide that I have updated and will continue to update. Some find it useful.
