The Orioles are back on the Left Coast tonight in Seattle in which Adam Jones and George Sherrill will make their return to the Emerald City and Safeco Field.
It's been a pretty solid season so far from Sherrill. He's given up a few runs in his last appearances but Sunday's appearance was just to get some work in so it was expected he'd be a little rusty and Derek Jeter is an Oriole killer. Jones is also having the up and down season like we all expected. He's shown that he still needs some seasoning with his 0-4 with 4 Ks showing on the 13th, and he's also shown those flashes of brilliance and what is to come with a 3-3 game on he 14th and then belting his first Orioles HR on the 15th. With Bedard on the DL and rumors swirling about the seriousness of the injury, this trade is a win without even factoring the players such as Chris Tillman that are in the minors. Adam Jones alone is worth the price of admission with his exciting play. It's fun watching him and Markakis growing (albeit Markakis more advanced at the plate) into future stars.
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LUUUUUUUUUKE!
Seriously, has there been an Oriole that was loved more by the fans more than Luke Scott in the past few seasons? I don't remember anybody getting the reaction that he gets for each AB. This guy is a gamer and not since the days of BJ Surhoff, did the Orioles have a complete player like Scott roaming LF. Whether its the notes he keeps for each AB, or the fact that he works the pitcher almost everytime at the plate, there is tons to love about this guy. Thanks for Scott, Houston. The force is strong with this one...
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Brandon Fahey and Luis Hernandez are still on the team somehow. Fahey has proven to be the more consistent of the two with Hernandez being more flashy yet wild in his throws. Neither however resembles a major league shortstop. Alex Cintron is basically playing his way back into baseball shape on the Norfolk Tides roster but I wouldn't be surprised to see Fahey sent down and Cintron called back up at the end of the month to take the SS job. Freddie Bynum could also return mid May to try to take a crack at the job if Cintron can't handle it. Scott Moore is also playing some SS in Norfolk to see if he might be a solution. The Orioles could really use his bat instead of our light hitting SS's.
These guys (minus Moore) are all bargain basement SS's though and the Orioles really do need to find a more permanent solution. Hopefully MacPhail has been working the phones to make something happen...
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It's been a great start for the Orioles, although this is their third straight year of starting 11-7 only to lose the next game, nobody expected them to be this good. With a brutal schedule ahead though, I think we are about to find just how good they really are. I expect to see this team in 5th place by the end of May. It's not going to be boring however, as these guys battle their tails off to the last man. That should be credited to Trembley who has got this group to overachieve and believe in themselves.
We'll see if they can hold on and keep the Oriole Magic alive starting tonight in Seattle...
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Some random thoughts
Well just doing a little Google searching I noticed this little old blog referenced on Baltimore's WNST site. Looks like I've been noticed a little bit so I guess I'll have to keep this a little more up to date. I do most of my posting at OriolesHangout.com as you might know under the screenname I post here, but I'll try to share a few more things here seeing as I am starting to get a little bit of an audience.
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It seems MacPhail and Trembley decided the Hernandez experiment wasn't a complete failure after all as he started at SS on Opening Day, however the Cintron signing shows that MacPhail is keeping Hernandez and Fahey on a short leash. Cintron didn't make my list of available SS's because at the time I posted that he was still with the Cubs and there is question regarding his arm strength, however he should be an upgrade over Brandon Fahey anyway with the bat as a utility player if the Orioles want to go that route.
I'd still like to see the Orioles get a more permanent option and my #1 target next offseason after Mark Teixeira would be Khalil Greene from the Padres. PETCO has killed his offensive numbers and it's been said he wants to move back east to be closer to his home in South Carolina. Greene grew up in PA, so he'd be a perfect fit in a ballpark that wouldn't hurt his #'s at home and he'd be a solid #5 hitter after Markakis and Tex. I would look to trade one of our young SPs and Nolan Reimold, as SD has no OF prospects to speak of.
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The early results on the bullpen look quite promising as Albers, Burres, Bierd, Walker and Bradford have all held the fort after the starters have exited, and tonight George Sherrill got his first save as an Oriole reminding some of the days of Randall K. Myers and most recently B. J. Ryan. This guy is a keeper and will be a key for playoff runs in 2010 and 2011 if we do keep him as we should. Randor Bierd has also proved to be exciting especially with that changeup that was taught to him by none other than Pedro Martinez. He should be really fun to watch and should develop into a fixture in the pen, provided Trembley doesn't burn him out. But Trembley's bullpen management has seemed solid these past two games. Using Albers for three innings and Burres for one on his throw day, was a great bullpen saver. This allowed Walker and Bradford to go tonight and I will assume that Sarfate will get the call tomorrow.
While the bullpen looks good, the starting pitching has some issues. Guthrie just didn't have any movement on his pitches, Cabrera had problems with location as usual and now we've got Steve Trachsel ready to pitch batting practice tomorrow. Not exactly your dream rotation. However with the exception of Adam Loewen, these guys are just in the rotation to eat innings. The next good group of Oriole starters is in the minors with Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta and Chorye Spoone leading a talented bunch of pitchers. The Orioles probably have as talented a group of young SPs as any other club in baseball. And they aren't too far away. So when Trachsel gets lit up tomorrow, just think that Chris Tillman will be mowing down those same hitters possibly as soon as next season. That Bedard trade looks better and better...
And speaking of that trade, the key acquisition, Adam Jones had a great night tonight collecting his first hit, RBI and SB as an Oriole. Congratulations Jonesy, may they be the first of many more this season and in the years to come.
******
It seems MacPhail and Trembley decided the Hernandez experiment wasn't a complete failure after all as he started at SS on Opening Day, however the Cintron signing shows that MacPhail is keeping Hernandez and Fahey on a short leash. Cintron didn't make my list of available SS's because at the time I posted that he was still with the Cubs and there is question regarding his arm strength, however he should be an upgrade over Brandon Fahey anyway with the bat as a utility player if the Orioles want to go that route.
I'd still like to see the Orioles get a more permanent option and my #1 target next offseason after Mark Teixeira would be Khalil Greene from the Padres. PETCO has killed his offensive numbers and it's been said he wants to move back east to be closer to his home in South Carolina. Greene grew up in PA, so he'd be a perfect fit in a ballpark that wouldn't hurt his #'s at home and he'd be a solid #5 hitter after Markakis and Tex. I would look to trade one of our young SPs and Nolan Reimold, as SD has no OF prospects to speak of.
******
The early results on the bullpen look quite promising as Albers, Burres, Bierd, Walker and Bradford have all held the fort after the starters have exited, and tonight George Sherrill got his first save as an Oriole reminding some of the days of Randall K. Myers and most recently B. J. Ryan. This guy is a keeper and will be a key for playoff runs in 2010 and 2011 if we do keep him as we should. Randor Bierd has also proved to be exciting especially with that changeup that was taught to him by none other than Pedro Martinez. He should be really fun to watch and should develop into a fixture in the pen, provided Trembley doesn't burn him out. But Trembley's bullpen management has seemed solid these past two games. Using Albers for three innings and Burres for one on his throw day, was a great bullpen saver. This allowed Walker and Bradford to go tonight and I will assume that Sarfate will get the call tomorrow.
While the bullpen looks good, the starting pitching has some issues. Guthrie just didn't have any movement on his pitches, Cabrera had problems with location as usual and now we've got Steve Trachsel ready to pitch batting practice tomorrow. Not exactly your dream rotation. However with the exception of Adam Loewen, these guys are just in the rotation to eat innings. The next good group of Oriole starters is in the minors with Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta and Chorye Spoone leading a talented bunch of pitchers. The Orioles probably have as talented a group of young SPs as any other club in baseball. And they aren't too far away. So when Trachsel gets lit up tomorrow, just think that Chris Tillman will be mowing down those same hitters possibly as soon as next season. That Bedard trade looks better and better...
And speaking of that trade, the key acquisition, Adam Jones had a great night tonight collecting his first hit, RBI and SB as an Oriole. Congratulations Jonesy, may they be the first of many more this season and in the years to come.
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