Oriole Post - A Baltimore Orioles Blog
Readers, sorry for the lack of updates. With Christmas time and other outside events, we had to take some time away from the blog.
However, we recently did a Q&A with the Communications Director of the Baltimore Orioles, Greg Bader and we touched upon on myriad of topics - the 20th Anniversary of Camden Yards, the uniform and cap changes, general Camden Yards questions and concerns, plus what has been going on with Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida.
The Q&A was quite lengthy, so we have split it up into two parts. The first part is being posted this evening; meanwhile, we will post the second part on Thursday or Friday.
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With the 20th anniversary of Camden Yards approaching, what does the organization have in store to celebrate the occasion?
We recently announced a series of sculptures that will be erected during the season to honor the 6 greatest Orioles of all time.
While not specific to the 20th anniversary of the ballpark, we believe this honor is appropriate in the ballpark's 20th anniversary season, and we look forward to holding six dates to honor these legends.
We will be announcing a promotions schedule in the coming weeks which should include several items with a 20th anniversary element. There will be other surprises to come as well, but I certainly don't want to tip our hand at this time.
As we all know, the cartoon bird has returned as part of the branding of the Baltimore Orioles. What prompted the change? Was it for nostalgia purposes, like the team's winning tradition from years gone by?
Also, what has the general response been - I assume positive?
The organization is always looking for ways in which to connect with fans and enhance our brand. The cartoon bird has a strong appeal to a variety of age groups.
Our veteran fans remember the cartoon bird as being indicative of the decades of on-field success, which included all 6 of the organization's World Series appearances. Our younger fans look at the logo more aesthetically as being trendy and a bit retro.
Our fans who are in college or younger have never seen an Orioles squad take the field in cartoon bird style caps (except for throwback days), so we look forward to unveiling them in Spring Training and of course on Opening Day in Baltimore.
It was Mr. Angelos' direction to bring back the cartoon bird to give the fans something they were making known was their preference, through not only emails and calls, but also in the style of caps they elected to wear to the ballpark.
We believe the 2012 version of the cartoon bird is the best yet, and feedback from fans has been overwhelmingly positive.
I know there will be a few more additions to Camden Yards, specifically with the addition of statues for members of the Orioles - Earl Weaver, Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken, Jim Palmer and Eddie Murray - that are enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Can you explain how that came about, and also anything else we as fans should be in store for?
It has been an organizational goal and one of Mr. Angelos in particular, to honor these six great Orioles in a way which treated them respectfully and equally. The project has been underway for a couple of years and instead of rushing to get it complete in 2011, the club elected to unveil them in the 20th anniversary of Camden Yards.
We all wanted to give each of these legends a day of his own to be honored with a sculpture that will last for generations to come, as well as to give the fans an opportunity to share just how much these six men meant to them.
In January, we will be announcing the six dates as well as some of the exciting elements our fans can expect on those six celebration dates.
On that same topic, Camden Yards went through sort of a makeover last year. What has the feedback been? Did fans like the new additions to the park, like the various stands across the concourses?
Fan feedback has been extremely positive about the changes. The new flooring on the lower level for example has improved the aesthetics of the park and the safety of our fans, as it is not nearly as slippery when wet.
We are excited to be extending that new flooring throughout the entire lower concourse in time for the 2012 season. Feedback on the addition of the "Orioles Magic Memories" lower-level concourse billboards has also been overwhelmingly positive.
no commentsHappy Christmas week to you all out there; as well, for all those celebrating Chanukah or any other holiday, the best to you also.
As a fan of the Orioles, it’s been rather frustrating seeing some of the acquisitions and moves made so far. For the most part, they’ve been underwhelming. I’m not sure how much the organization has in their coffers, or the revenue that MASN produces for the Orioles, but you’ve got to wonder if the checkbook will be opened at some point.
Dan Duquette thinks that the Orioles can reach the .500 level – or inch above it. Um, I don’t think that is going to happen unless there is a serious overhaul with this team and the front office opens up the wallet big-time. Plus, the young talent – especially, the pitchers – would need to take a serious step forward and avoid the up-downs during a long season.
So far, I have not thought much of Duquette’s moves. It seems like he genuinely wants to see the organization succeed – for his sake and theirs. I do like that he’s going into the Far East and trying to find players of value who won’t break the bank. Plus, he’s retooling the front office and scouting departments; however, I do wish he would be more aggressive.
I would like him to take more risks and bring a tenured veteran (pitcher or slugger) onto the squad; however, I do think he’s very much taking his time with his moves and is definitely evaluating the organization than making a move to just make a move.
I’m sure a lot of fans were expecting the Orioles to do something of note at the Winter Meetings, despite the advance warnings of Dan Duquette and notes from the media.
Right now, I do think that the organization must really focus on rebuilding the minor league before anything else. Like I’ve said though, they need a lot of holes plugged in on the major league and also need some impact players – another power bat and maybe arm or two – on the roster.
They don’t have any real premium minor leaguers to fill-in key positions in case of injury at the higher levels right now, or bait in need of a trade. In addition, they don’t have any impact minor leaguers to fill-in key positions in case of injury, or bait in need of a trade.
The Orioles have less than two months until pitchers and catchers report down in Florida. I'm sure the Orioles will make most of their moves via trades and maybe sign a mid-to-low level veteran; however, time is running out.
Right now, there have been rumors of Jeremy Guthrie and Adam Jones (not likely), Mark Reynolds being dangled in trades, but more has to be done.
I want the Orioles to be American League contenders; however, I am a realist – I just want them to not finish up with a sub-70 win record. Everyone wants improvement with the Baltimore Orioles, especially since they have had 14 straight losing seasons.
I just want something to happen with the Orioles – anything – to show us fans that they are indeed committed to winning and putting a viable product on the field for 2012.
no commentsYesterday, the Baltimore Orioles announced that there would be additional upgrades and renovations to Oriole Park at Camden Yards for the 2012 season and beyond.
There’s more news about the changes here, here and here.
Some changes are subtle, others are not.
From the Orioles.com site:
BALTIMORE -- With 2012 being the 20th anniversary season of the famed Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the team announced on Monday a series of upgrades to improve the functionality of the stadium and pay tribute to the proud history of the franchise, most notably with a newly renovated area to honor the greatest Orioles of all time.
Larger-than-life sculptures of the Orioles' six retired numbers and National Baseball Hall of Famers (Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Earl Weaver, Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken Jr.) will be unveiled during the course of the season. The sculptures will be located in an improved bullpen picnic grove. The area, which will receive significant upgrades and additional landscaping, will be renovated to allow fans access during non-gameday hours, similar to the Orioles Hall of Fame plaques on Eutaw Street.
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In addition to the sculptures, the Orioles have also planned upgrades to the main concourse, Eutaw Street, flag court and upper deck at Camden Yards. There will be a new outfield overlook on top of the batter's eye wall in center field featuring casual seating, a bar and deck seating. Any fan with a game ticket will be able to enjoy this vantage point, which was previously inaccessible to fans, to watch all or a portion of the game.
The out-of-town scoreboard on the right-field wall will be modified to reduce the height of the wall and improve views of the game from the Flag Court and Eutaw Street, and there will also be upgraded concessions in the upper deck.
The Orioles and the Maryland Stadium Authority are further improving the main concourse with new flooring for next season, a move that not only is an aesthetic upgrade, but also makes for easier cleaning and is a less slippery surface when wet. Select Orioles elements will be added to lower concourse walls, and murals will be added to stairwells.
As a part of MSA's restoration of the B&O Warehouse brick work, a replica of the original canopy will be added to the Warehouse to shelter portable concessions, additional seating, and allow fans on Eutaw Street some shade or a place to escape inclement weather.
If you want to read the entire press release, it’s here…
The addition that has myself and perhaps most fans excited will be the statues honoring six Orioles Hall of Famers – Earl Weaver, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken.
However, the one change I’m not that thrilled about is the lowering of the right field wall. Time will tell if the park will play differently, but Camden Yards is a relatively small ballpark to begin with and hopefully it doesn’t become a ridiculous bandbox like the new Yankee Stadium – though unlikely.
Also, I’ll curious to see how the new center field area looks. I don’t think Camden Yards needed it, but having a bar like/eatery seating area in ballpark – specifically in center field – seems to be the trend now.
no commentsOn Sunday, the Baltimore Orioles signed veteran outfielder Endy Chavez to a one year deal. Right now, I would think he would fill in as a fourth outfielder – mainly playing left and center field – and perhaps a quick pinch runner off the bench.
It looks like Dan Duquette found the fourth outfielder he wanted; however, Chavez is a nice fielder, solid player and certainly has wheels, but he won’t be anything at special at the plate. He’s a guy who can provide depth, and has played on a few winners in his career.
Here’s more on Chavez from the Baltimore Sun:
Chavez, 33, has played 10 seasons in the majors, including 83 games last season with the Texas Rangers. In 2011, Chavez hit .301 with a .323 on-base percentage, five homers and 10 steals in 256 at-bats. Known for his good speed and defensive prowess, Chavez also played in 30 games with Triple-A Round Rock last year.
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A native of Venezuela, Chavez has played with seven big league teams in his career: the Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos, Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners and Rangers. He spent parts of four seasons with the Expos/Nationals and three with the Mets. His best year was 2006, when he drove in 42 runs, stole 12 bases and set career highs in batting average (.306) and on-base percentage (.348) for the Mets. He also made one of the greatest defensive plays in postseason history, leaping at the outfield wall in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series to rob St. Louis’ Scott Rolen of a home run. Chavez quickly threw the ball into the infield to complete an inning-ending double play.
I know Duquette has been working on building up the Oriole bench; however, for the most part, moves like this and what we have seen so far during this winter have been somewhat underwhelming. I don’t know if the Orioles are being ‘cheap’ as Sun columnist Kevin Cowherd thinks, but yes, the additions made so far have not excited me – or most fans – in the least.
I’d still like to see the Baltimore Orioles go after a veteran who eats innings and has experience, plus a big bat, and maybe another reliever.
Oh well.
Finally, the poor Baltimore Ravens.
Their record may be great, but after what I saw on Sunday against the San Diego Chargers, you’ll have a hard time convincing me that they are an Elite team capable of winning the Super Bowl.
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On Friday, Barry Bonds - who has been pretty quiet in retirment - was sentenced (finally) in his role in the BALCO saga. However, he was on trial in federal court in San Francisco for allegedly lying about his steroid use.
Frankly, I even forgot his case was still on-going.
After all the federal money used on his case, years of investigation and probably paperwork numbering thousands of pages -- this is what Bonds got for his punishment: 30 days of home confinement (aka, house arrest), two years of probation, 250 hours of community service and a $4,000 fine.
So, Bonds doesn't go to jail and I'm sure he'll serve his house arrest in a mansion somewhere. That's all fine and well; however, some people are upset that he's not serving time in a penitentiary.
Personally, who cares if Bonds goes to jail? Honestly, he's already serving a harsh sentence as-is. No one really cares about him.
Wherever he goes in the United States - or even on God's green earth - he'll be as a freaking cheater rather than an all-time great ballplayer.
The man could not find a job in the sport after the Giants decided to cut ties with him not too long after the 2007 season. It's not like he was washed up at time. Bonds did have relatively strong numbers in light of dealing with injuries.
Furthermore, Bonds is probably paying a heavy price for being a reported jerk to the media and fans over the years. He more than likely would never get a job as a coach, broadcaster, executive or ambassador in sport of baseball right now.
I'm sure if Bonds had been a nicer fellow, he might have gotten a little more sympathy from everyone and perhaps been open about his use. Look at what happened Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi and Mark McGwire - who is the hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals.
It's not to say that Bonds would not been derided by the public for his alleged drug use; however, but he would not be exiled from the sport that his father played and brought him immeasurable wealth.
In the end, the court of public opinion has given him a sentence. Much like former Oriole Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, and Jose Canseco, he's been seemingly frozen from the game.
no commentsThe MLB free agent market is starting to thin out slowly as we approach the holidays. As we all know, pitching is always in great demand; however, there are very few premium arms out there on the market and the one that was available – C.J. Wilson – has joined Albert Pujols in Anaheim.
So far, aside from signing Wada,and a few other moves, the Orioles have not signed an impact player; nor, have they spent a ton of money out on the open market. It remains to be seen if the Orioles do sign another free agent arm, but they have been looking at the available trade market.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports last week the Orioles and the Atlanta Braves were perhaps laying the ground work for a potential trade:
Teams with two marketable assets generally prefer to trade them separately to maximize the return.
The Athletics likely will do that with left-hander Gio Gonzalez and closer Andrew Bailey. Ditto for the Braves with right-hander Jair Jurrjens and infielder/outfielder Martin Prado.
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The Red Sox, Rangers and Reds are among the teams that have shown interest in both Gonzalez and Bailey, and the Orioles and Braves have discussed a deal that included both Jurrjens and Prado, sources say.
The main problem with pulling off such trades is that teams offering veterans with rising salaries want back packages of high-value, low-cost players — the very players that most clubs are reluctant to move.
I don’t see the Orioles trading any of their young players – Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, etc. – in a potential deal, no matter the potential upside; furthermore, the organization’s minor league is fairly bare and I’m sure the Braves would want quite a haul in return. The other thing is that would Prado and Jurrjens stick around for the long haul? Would they tolerate a team mired in a long rebuilding process and play in the meat-grinding American League East?
I don’t think there’s a compatible move here at all.
Obviously, Baltimore would definitely need a pitcher like Jurrjens in the fold, plus a solid all-around player like Prado. If the Orioles could swing a deal for these two guys – by all means, do it.
Then again, what would have to be given up in return by the Orioles? They would be making quite a bold move if they went after Jurrjens and Prado to improve their roster.
At this time of year, it's always great to hear some rumors.
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On Friday night, the MLB Network had an awards show called the GIBBY's - Greatness in Baseball Yearly Awards. I saw the promos for the GIBBYS, but didn't even remember it until now. Honestly, I was not even home when the program aired.
The votes for the awards were done by fans at MLB.com, and included input from media, front-office personnel and MLB alumni.
Well, the good news is that a few players from the Orioles were nominated for various awards; however, they came up empty handed.
Adam Jones was nominated in the 'Defensive Player' category, J.J. Hardy for 'Comeback Player of the Year', and the departed Vladimir Guerrero for 'Moment of the Year' as he became the all-time hits leader from the Dominican Republic.
The winners are here...
This afternoon, Dan Duquette – in perhaps yet with another move to re-organize things in Birdland – has re-assigned the entire scouting department, plus a flurry of other moves.
The news was first reported by Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. In addition, the Orioles have hired an ‘economic advisor’, according to the Baltimore Sun as well as a new cross-checker.
Here’s the run-down of what’s going on with the scouting department from Rosenthal’s report about the shuffling of the scouting department (FoxSports):
Dan Duquette is taking the Orioles
Duquette, the team’s new general manager, essentially dissolved the Orioles’ professional scouting department Thursday, reassigning six pro scouts to the amateur side.
Dave Engle and Bruce Kison will remain major league scouts, and the Orioles will make greater use of video and statistical analysis in scouting the majors, Duquette said.
“As you get more video and statistical analysis on a player, the longer they’re in professional baseball, it’s not as vital to have them seen by eyes, professional eyes,” Duquette said. “Players establish a record of their work.
“Some of the trends that the statistics track, they’re not trends that professional scouts would normally see in a short look.”
The six scouts who were reassigned are Todd Frohwirth, Jim Howard, James Keller, Ted Lekas, Lee MacPhail IV and Jim Thrift.
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“It’s a more efficient way to structure the Orioles, better for identifying talent and utilizing people’s strengths to help the team,” Duquette said.
Plus, here’s some information about the new economic advisor the Orioles have hired – Stephen Walters, who is an economics professor at Loyola University:
The Orioles have not officially announced Walters' hiring, but he has been working for Duquette since mid-November. He has already provided financial valuations — based on an undisclosed formula — which have aided the Orioles in their pursuit of several minor league free agents they have signed this offseason.
To explain Walters' complicated role in simple terms, he analyzes how many additional wins a player can create and how much a specific team should pay for those wins.
"If you incorporate 'Player X' into the mix, how many wins does that add and how much are those wins worth in that market?" Walters said. "It can vary from case to case, and there is a time dimension question with any player transaction — what are the future ramifications? … So the puzzle pieces come together, and ultimately, Dan is the guy who masterminds that information. But a lot of people supply him with the information."
Well, it looks as if the Orioles are trying to re-shape the way they do business. Teams are now relying more on statistical analysis and sabermetrics, rather than just strictly traditional forms of scouting.
It’s just the way things are done now in the business of baseball – ala Moneyball, Bill James, and whole sabermetric/SABR community. The Orioles are figuring out other ways they can keep up with the Joneses’ – that is, the rest of the American League East.
As a fan, I used to strictly watch baseball based on what I see on the field with my eyes.
However, in the past year or so as my Blackberry, IPad and laptop have become staples of my life, I’ve also started looking more and more at the various baseball analysis websites – whether I’m at home, work or at a game.
The information now provided by various analysts and sabermetrics online has helped me to gain a much further perspective of the game of baseball. Although, I would never consider myself as a stats geek, the information available to fans cannot be understated.
Obviously, I would think pretty much all the 30 teams in baseball now use advanced statistics to build up their roster and scout their opponents.
I don’t think this is all as a bad thing.
If this all helps the Orioles become competitive and helps the scouting department become more efficient – especially with the advent of more-detailed statistics, and available technology – so be it.
no commentsTsuyoshi Wada & Dan Duquette - photo from the Associated Press
This afternoon, the Baltimore Orioles introduced new pitcher, Japanese southpaw, Tsuyoshi Wada to Birdland in a press conference at Camden Yards.
Being that I left work early, I got to watch some of Wada's press conference on MASN at the gym and he already endeared himself to me by taking the step of introducing himself in English. I’m sure that earned him points with the press that was assembled, along with a fanbase eager for any good news.
Here’s from about Wada from Orioles.com beat writer, Brittany Ghiroli:
The Orioles, who signed Wada to a two-year deal with an option for 2014
Wada spoke about why he chose the Orioles, and in turn, Duquette chimed on why he felt the Japanese southpaw was a good fit for Baltimore:
Asked why he chose Baltimore, Wada said: "I really felt that the Orioles were the first team to actually step up to make an offer and show the desire to have me in the organization. I really felt very appreciated."
The feeling was mutual on Thursday, as Duquette indicated the offseason upgrades are just getting started.
"In the words of the great Oriole manager Earl Weaver, we want to have deep depth," Duquette said, of the organization's quest to foster completion in the rotation next spring. "How many [starting-pitching candidates] would I like to have? I'd like to have as many good ones as we can get. But I think that Tsuyoshi is a very good addition to our ballclub because of his experience and capability to win games."
For the most part, Wada’s press conference was sort of the run-of-the-mill meet-and-great you’d expect.
However, I’m far more interested to see what Wada’s role will be on the Orioles’ roaster.
He’s a small, soft-tosser and based on what we’ve seen from pitchers based out of Japan, it remains to be seen if he’ll be successful or not.
Time will tell how Wada does against a tough American League East and at Camden Yards – that’s if he is a starting pitcher. He's not all that expensive, and could provide some upside and stability to a pitching corps that had issues last year during a sad 69 win season.
Considering his pedigree, he can be successful in the majors – if he can get guys out, be deceptive on the mound and throw strikes?
So far, Wada has left a very good impression.
