All Entries in the "Reflections on the Orioles" Category
Baltimore Orioles December Reflections: The Dan Duquette Era
The Dan Duquette era in Baltimore has started with a collective yawn among the orange and black clad faithful. Duquette said all the right things in his introductory press conference about building the farm system, increasing the team’s International scouting presence, and generally upgrading the talent level across the organization. Perhaps it’s unfair to judge [...]
Reflecting on the Orioles: November Brings Duquette Into Fold
November was an eventful month for the Baltimore Orioles. The team’s clumsy, haphazard search for a new General Manager concluded with Baltimore taking former Red Sox front man Dan Duquette out of mothballs. Duquette built half a championship team in Boston before he was kicked to the curb to make way for whiz kid Theo [...]
Baltimore Oriole Reflections – October 2011
The Baltimore Orioles wrapped up another disappointing season a few weeks ago. The team did end the season on a high note as they posted a winning record (15-13) in September. The most memorable moment of the year occurred on the season’s last play as Robert Andino‘s sinking liner to left evaded Carl Crawford‘s glove and knocked the Red Sox [...]
Baltimore Orioles: First Half in Review
Coming into the season, the Baltimore Orioles had high expectations on getting the team back to a competing level. With all the key moves the Orioles were hoping this would become reality. Let’s take a look back at the Orioles first half of the season. First off the Orioles started the season fast and [...]
Can Baltimore Win Without Roberts?
After suffering through an injury-riddled season in 2010, it looks like Brian Roberts will be spending a significant stretch on the sidelines again in 2011 following a serious concussion suffered in mid-May. Though the Orioles’ table-setter isn’t the All-Star he used to be, he is still a crucial part of the Baltimore offense and replacing [...]
Is the Future Finally Here For The Baltimore Orioles?
After more than a decade of mediocrity and a continual “building for the future” mentality, it appears that the future has finally arrived for the Baltimore Orioles. Buoyed by the 34-23 (.596) record posted once Buck Showalter became manager in August of last season, the Orioles’ front office decided in the off-season to make moves [...]
Is the American League East Caught in a Time Warp?
With the recent signings by the New York Yankees of Bartolo Colon and Andruw Jones, the Tampa Bay Rays of Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez and the Baltimore Orioles of Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero you have to wonder if these teams realize that it is 2011 and not 2005. If it were 2005, the [...]
Looking Long-term: 5 Keys for the Baltimore Orioles
Buck Showalter has made a great early impression on the Baltimore Orioles during his first weeks on the job already guiding the O’s to more wins in August than they have registered in any previous month this season. As we look toward the long-term future for the Orioles, there are five keys that Showalter will [...]
Baltimore Orioles Finally Hire Buck Showalter as Manager
After two months under the guidance of interim manager Juan Samuel, the Baltimore Orioles finally have a permanent captain for their floundering ship with the hiring of Buck Showalter to take over the team beginning on August 3rd. After hiring the interim manager to eventually be the permanent manager after each of the last two [...]
Hey Andy MacPhail, Is The Barn Burning Yet?
Less than two weeks ago, Baltimore Orioles president Andy MacPhail said that the team was in no hurry to hire a new manager because “it’s not like the barn is on fire right now. The players are doing a nice job for Juan [Samuel].” Over the last two weeks, the Orioles have won just two [...]
Baltimore Orioles Sweep The First Place Rangers: Not a Misprint
After enduring one of the most disappointing first halves to a season in franchise history, the Baltimore Orioles headed into the All-Star break with a surprising four-game sweep over the West Division leading Texas Rangers. What makes the sweep particularly shocking is that Texas entered the series with a 31-15 home record while the Orioles [...]
Does Anyone Want To Manage The Orioles?
In the three weeks since Dave Trembley was dismissed as manager of the Baltimore Orioles there has been no shortage of familiar names battered around as potential managerial candidates. However, with the withdrawal of former Mets and Rangers manager Bobby Valentine from the list and the seeming reluctance to pull the trigger on former Diamondbacks [...]
Can Brad Bergesen Be The Next Jim Palmer?
Considering that he has just been demoted to the minors, it might seem strange to now be comparing struggling Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brad Bergesen with Hall of Famer Jim Palmer. However, it is often forgotten that like Bergesen, after early success Palmer also struggled before eventually becoming the best pitcher in Orioles history. In 1966, [...]
With Trembley Gone, What’s Next For The Orioles?
The Baltimore Orioles did the right thing to relieve Dave Trembley of his duties as manager, but being outscored 19-2 by the Boston Red Sox in their first two games after his departure is a reminder that the troubles for this once proud franchise run much deeper than just one person. It is difficult to [...]
Now Should Be The Time For the Orioles To Remove Trembley
Given our tough economic situation, I am not generally in favor of seeing anyone lose their job. However, given the outrageous salaries in professional sports, I don’t have the same sympathy for anyone in that field. So, I have a clear conscious when I say that it is time for the Baltimore Orioles to finally [...]
My Recent Appearance on Pro Rumors TV
As some of you already know, I was asked over the weekend to be a guest on the up & coming webcast, Pro Rumors TV with hosts Allan and Ted (a Yankees fan). This was my second time on the show with them. The first time I just called in not knowing this was a [...]
Have the Baltimore Orioles Hit The Bottom?
I want to start this piece by making it clear that I have been a loyal fan of the Baltimore Orioles for 40 years and hope to be a fan for another 40 years. While Tommy Lasorda may bleed Dodger blue, I bleed Orioles Orange. For that reason, the start to the 2010 season has [...]
Baltimore Orioles 2010: What Will Define Success?
With the start of the 2010 baseball season now upon us, those around the Baltimore Orioles are cautiously optimistic that after more than a decade of decay, the team is ready to turn things around. The big question, given their current streak of 12 consecutive losing seasons, is what would be considered a successful season [...]
Baltimore Orioles: Keys for a Successful 2010
With Spring Training starting and the 2010 baseball season only weeks away, it is the time of the year when fans of the Baltimore Orioles can start dreaming that maybe this is the year that our decade long nightmare ends. The Orioles were not among the most aggressive or highest spending teams in the offseason, [...]
Same Old Off-Season: The Rich Get Richer and the Orioles Watch
Image via Wikipedia After enduring another long and disappointing season on the field in 2009, the 2009-2010 off-season was supposed to be the start of a new day for the Baltimore Orioles. With enough quality young pitchers to fill two rotations and a nucleus of talented young position players, this was to be the off-season [...]
Baltimore Orioles Announce Return of Dave Trembley For 2010
At first reaction, the announcement on Friday that the Baltimore Orioles have retained the services of manager Dave Trembley for the 2010 season seems like a head-scratcher. After all, typically in professional sports the fate of a manger is judged by wins and losses and in that area Trembley has failed miserably. Since Trembley became [...]
Matt Wieters Gets On The Job Training
By any measure, Baltimore Orioles rookie catcher Matt Wieters has been outstanding since making his Major League debut for the Orioles on May 29. While it is easy to notice his 13 RBI in the month of August and .277 batting average since July 1st, what is especially impressive is the strides Wieters is making [...]
Forgotten No More: The Story of Baseball in Baltimore
The history of baseball in Baltimore since the St. Louis Browns moved to the city in 1954 has been well chronicled. However, until now, the great history of baseball in Baltimore prior to the arrival of Major League Baseball has gone largely unrecognized. That is about to change with the release this fall of the [...]
Four Burning Questions Facing The Baltimore Orioles
As the Baltimore Orioles complete another disappointing season and prepare for 2010, there are 4 key questions that team president Andy MacPhail must answer. Can The O’s Contend in 2010? Before any other decisions about the team’s future can be addressed, MacPhail and the Baltimore front office must assess the team and realistically determine if [...]
Baltimore Orioles Need To Provide Young Pitchers With Offensive Support
The Baltimore Orioles couldn’t ask for much more from rookie hurler Brad Bergesen than what he has given them in his first 18 major league starts, but the right-hander sure should expect more from his teammates than what they have given back to him. Image by Getty Images via Daylife It is inevitable that every [...]
Baltimore Orioles Midseason Report: Seeing Past the Ugliness
From the very beginning, the goal of the 2009 season for the Baltimore Orioles has been to be respectable on the field while continuing behind the scenes to develop the pieces needed to eventually lead the Orioles back to contention in the American League East. With the season now three months old and nearing the [...]
Will The Baltimore Orioles Have To Trade Aubrey Huff?
Baltimore Orioles team president Andy MacPhail made the right call in his decisions to trade Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada and to keep Brian Roberts. He could soon get another test as he must decide whether to keep or trade free agent-to be Aubrey Huff. There is no question that Huff is a valuable member [...]
Matt Wieters Scheduled to Join the Baltimore Orioles on Friday
Image by Getty Images via Daylife The wait is over. In an interview with Gary Thorne and Buck Martinez during Tuesday night’s game between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, Orioles President Andy MacPhail announced that top prospect Matt Wieters will be making his major league debut on Friday, May 29, when the Detroit [...]
O’s CF Jones Living Up to Potential
We all know that one month of success does not make a season, but early returns indicate that Baltimore Orioles centerfielder Adam Jones is indeed the real deal. When the Orioles traded ace starting pitcher Erik Bedard to the Seattle Mariners for a cast of players highlighted by Jones, there were many skeptics questioning whether [...]
Orioles Sewing the Seeds for Future Success
After more than a decade of consistent losing, fans of the Baltimore Orioles are ready for the team to stop looking toward the future and instead start winning some baseball games. It is doubtful that the Orioles will be a contender in the tough American League East in 2009, but followers of the Birds can [...]
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