Orioles Victory Card Number 42: A card, just a card today

Baltimore Orioles Victory Number 42: 7-1 over the Tampa Bay Rays

2013 Topps Cut To The Chase Adam Jones

It's shiny and die-cut. Fantastic card.  Big win last night for the Birds as they slowed down the Rays quest for a Wild Card spot. Strong pitching from John Means and some key home runs. Sounds like a modern day win.

Six wins to go to beat last year's total and eighteen to cash the bet. It's still possible!

Orioles Victory Card Number 42

Orioles Victory Number 42: 5-3 over the Oakland Athletics

2018 Topps Living Set Joey Rickard



You're welcome Tampa Bay. The O's victory on Thursday night helped the Rays pick up a half game in the wild card standings. They now stand 8 games back with about two weeks to go in the season. Do they have enough time to catch them? Possibly. The two teams go head-to-head this weekend and if the Rays emerge on Sunday only down 5, it could get interesting.

That's enough about winning teams. Lets focus on the Orioles who win once every week or so these days. They did get a nice start from Dylan Bundy, as the "ace" went six innings for the first time since August 4th.  He still gave up a home run, because that's what Dylan Bundy does, but did strike out eight Athletics which is a good sign that maybe he's starting to get the feel back for his pitches.

The win could be a template for a host of 2019 wins for Baltimore. Bundy pitches well, Cedric Mullins and Jonathan Villar score runs while Mychal Givens locks down the game. Chris Davis had a day off as did Adam Jones (again).

The Jones saga is ending sadly.  Unless he is physically unable to play, he should be in this line-up. Using the "take a look at the young guys" is a poor excuse when the guys you are looking at are Joey Rickard and John Andreoli.

Rickard is 27-years-old and has 265 games of major league experience. The Orioles know who he is - a 4th outfielder with a little bit of speed who only hits home runs against the Tampa Bay Rays (4 of his 8 HRs are against the Rays this season). He doesn't hit for average, doesn't get onbase and plays average defense. He's not going to change.

While Andreoli is new to the Orioles, he isn't new to baseball. At 28-years-old, the right-handed outfielder has been in the minors for 8 years and 773 games. While it's nice that he's finally getting a shot at regular major league playing time, it's highly unlikely that he's going to show he's an everyday player.

These aren't the players you rebuild around. They are spare parts. Benching an organizational legend in order to showcase role players isn't fair to Jones or to the fans. The Orioles have 10 home games left and there are going to be some fans coming to see Jones play as an Oriole for the last time. Do you think they want to see Joey Rickard flailing at a slider off the outside corner?

Jones has already ceded his position in centerfield to Cedric Mullins. That makes sense as Mullins could possibly be manning that position the next time the Orioles are relevant. Giving up actual playing time (in his free agent walk year nonetheless) for two players that might not be on the team next year is unforgivable.

He's staying the company man until the end. No good can come out of him speaking out against being benched. All it would do it sour the ending even more. He's better off keeping quiet and filing this away when it comes time to make his decision this winter. The team is almost doing everything they can to drive him to another organization in the off-season. They already tried to trade him, they've moved him from centerfield and now they've benched him. The only way it would be more obvious that they don't want him around is if they leave him off of the charter flight to New York next week.

It's obvious that GM Dan Duquette was irked when Jones invoked his 10-5 rights to refuse the trade to the Phillies. He might "respect" the rights Jones earned by staying with the Orioles for his entire career but that doesn't mean he has to like it. Is the reduced playing time retaliation for screwing up Duquette's grand plan of acquiring another utility infielder or AAA starter for his All Star centerfielder? No one will ever admit it out loud, but the way it's played out, it seems like that might be the case.

While Buck Showalter hemmed and hawed about "responsibilities" and "factors" when it comes to putting a line-up together the organization realized that there defense of watching the young prospects develop was a little thin. So they finally called up a legitimate prospect.

The O's finally selected DJ Stewart's contract. He's gotten one start in left field (a 10-0 loss) and pinch-hit in yesterday's victory. Even if he starts all the games down the stretch, the O's wouldn't lose anything by starting Jones in right field. He won't be taking at bats away from prospects.  Trey Mancini can play first or DH and the Rickard/Andreoli combination can spit sunflower seeds on the bench.

Give Jones a chance to finish out his Orioles career on his own terms. Let him play down the stretch (especially at home).

Orioles Victory Card Number 40

Orioles Victory Number 40: 10-5 over the Toronto Blue Jays

2017 Topps Allen & Ginter What a Day! Adam Jones



All you need is this:

Orioles Victory Card Number 30

Orioles Victory Number 30: 15-5 over the Tampa Bay Rays

2077 Upper Deck Masterpieces Cal Ripken, Jr./ Tony Gwynn

Well now.  That was an emphatic victory. Fifteen runs, a solid start from Andrew Cashner and big games from three of their remaining trading chips. Jonathan Schoop homered (his 6th game in a row with a big fly) among his three hits, Adam Jones hit a 3-run shot and Danny Valencia added three hits. Not a bad day's work against a feisty Tampa team.

Whenever Schoop or Jones has homered over the past few days there is that lingering feeling that it might be the last time they do it in an Orioles uniform. If the brass is serious about this rebuild then Schoop is dealt in the next couple of days or at the winter meetings. With a year of control left he could fetch a fairly decent return. Jones would be solid addition to any team looking for outfield help and then who knows what happens in the off-season.

At the ballgame on Thursday I had the discussion with my brother in law (who was wearing a Jones jersey) about the centerfielder's legacy in Baltimore. While it's unlikely that his number is retired (a honor reserved only for those who are in the baseball hall of fame) there is no doubt he would be inducted to the Orioles Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible. Seventy-eight players, coaches, broadcasters, staff members and fans (Wild Bill Hagy!) hold that honor and Jones would hold his own against any of them.

As for the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown...well it could be awhile until another player synonymous with the orange and black will be inducted. Mike Mussina has the best chance, but there is a chance he goes in as a Yankee. If he did it would be one more blow to the collective conscious of Orioles fans in their never-ending battle with New York. After Mussina, there is a whole lot of nothing.

There could be a few players with tertiary ties to the ball club much like Vlad Guerrero (one season, 145 games) and Jim Thome (one season, 28 games). I could see a faded Mike Trout, fifteen years from now, playing out one more season with the Os as veteran leadership for yet another rebuilding team.

Of course, with baseball you never really know. The Orioles might catch lightning in a bottle with one of the hordes of prospects they've brought in or that they've draft over the next few seasons. It's unlikely, but you never know. After all, in 1978 teams thought there were 47 players worth drafting before Ripken and in 1981 57 players went before Gwynn. So, maybe the next great Oriole is lurking in Bowie or Frederick or Delmarva. Time will tell. Until then, fans will have to be content with the bronze statues that are already in Legends Park.

Orioles Victory Card Number 7

Orioles Victory Number 7: 6-0 over the Detroit Tigers

1995 Topps Stadium Club Chris Hoiles

The Orioles snap their latest losing streak due to a brilliant performance by.....Chris Tillman?  That's right the former ace of the staff that was re-signed to a try-me one-year contract for $3 million shut down the Tigers over seven innings allowing only one hit and striking out five. In picking up his first win of the season, Tillman lowered his ERA to 7.03 and it's the first time since 2016 that he's worked 7 innings in a ballgame.

Those stats are interesting, but the stat that I enjoyed the most belonged to Adam Jones. The longtime Oriole is hitting .257 and his on-base percentage.... .265.  That is fantastic. Want an even better stat? Over the last 15 days he's hitting .288 and his OBP is... .278!  That's just...I don't know what that is. It's proof that Adam Jones is not here to take a walk. So how can a player have a lower OBP than batting average?

Apparently a sacrifice fly counts against a player's on-base percentage but not his batting average. So over a small sample size (like 15 games) a player who doesn't walk a lot can see his OBP dip below his batting average.  Jones, who had zero walks during that time frame, did have a couple of sacrifice flies.

On the season, Jones has two walks. One came during the second game of the season and the second April 4th. So he's gone almost a month without a free pass. And I have absolutely no problem with that. I love that Adam Jones is up there hacking. He's been hacking for 1500 games in the MLB and I don't think he's going to stop.

Jones is swinging no matter what the count is. More times than not he puts it into play and 255 times he's put it over the fence. So while he might not be a player that excites the advanced stats crew, he is entertaining to watch. Sometimes that's all we need out of a ballplayer.  Play hard and have a little fun.

That's who he is and he shouldn't have to change. No more than Chris Davis should change. This is the way the Orioles were built - home run happy power hitters that occasionally do something other than hit the ball out of the park. It's Buck Showalter's job to figure out how to win with the pieces he has. Until September of last year he managed to do it.


Regardless of what happens this off-season, Adam Jones is going to go down as one of the all-time best Orioles. He'll be in their Hall of Fame, hopefully his number is retired. I think he ends up re-signing with them - something along the lines of the a 3-year deal around $40 million. It'll be more than he should get based on his performance, but it'll be worth it to keep him around (after all they'll have some money left over once Manny Machado signs with the Yankees) so they Orioles should get it done.

By the time it's all time he should have 2,000 hits, 300 home runs and 1,000 runs batted in. All with less than 400 walks in his career. Not too shabby.

(For the record Chris Hoiles 435 times in his 10 year career with the Orioles)

Another New Card and Some Thoughts on The Orioles

Look at this.  Two posts in two days.  It's almost like I'm unemployed again! (Don't worry, Mom, I'm still gainfully employed. I just had a day off and managed to wake up before noon).

As you can see by the image above I stepped outside of my 2012 collecting goals once again and picked up a card that was neither a part of a set I'm building or a part of a personal collection.  At least it's a card from one of the teams I support (and it had free shipping!)

I guess for some collectors this is one of those cards that drive them nuts when the break high-end product like Bowman Sterling.  A plain white and gray piece of jersey from a team that has a valued history but isn't exactly a "hot" collector's item. Which is awesome for an O's fan like myself.

Adam Jones is having himself a fine year and will most likely lock up his second consecutive "Most Valuable Oriole" award by the the time the season is through. He's cooled off a bit recently, but is still likely to post career highs in home runs, on-base,slugging and steals.  The promise he showed as a young prospect is starting to blossom, and while the debate rages on if he's actually a defensive liability or asset he's showing that the money the O's invested in him might just be worth it.

Mr. Britton on the other hand has not had a great 2012 so far.  An injury in Spring Training to his throwing shoulder lingered on slightly longer than the team anticipated despite some radical new therapy from noted surgeon to the stars Dr. James Andrews. What was once thought to be a six-week rehab process has now moved into month four, but the good news is that he's pitching again (with mixed results) and might be in line to make his first start for the O's next week.

That can't come soon enough for Baltimore fans.  To be honest, the season didn't start with high hopes, but a strong April and May had the Birds in contention for the first half of the season.  Dismal play by the Red Sox and a hellacious run of injuries for the Rays and the Blue Jays have allowed the O's to stay in the playoff hunt despite having a fundamentally flawed team.

I want them to succeed, I really do, but by the same token I have to be realistic.  This team is not built to win in the playoffs.  They make too many errors (75 in 85 games), their hitting is streaky at best and their starting pitching is a mess (Hamel and Chen Then Give Up Ten should be their motto). Injuries have played a minor role as well as Britton, Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts have all missed significant time.

Yet despite all that, if the season ended today they would be battling for the playoffs as part of the extended Wild Card scheme.  How is that possible?  Well they might not have pitching and defense, but they do have the three-run homerun.  That and a decent bullpen. They have been getting a phenomenal performance from their relievers, especially when games are close and in the late innings. Heck MLB has them as the best team in that situation. So they got that going for them.

So with the success so far it makes sense that they go all in and make a big trade before the deadline because who knows when this will happen again, right? Well.......no.

The Orioles don't have the type of farm system where they can risk trading a few prospects for Zach Greinke or whatever other pitcher is out there on the market.  That's what they did in the past and it killed them as an organization.  Dan Duquette is better off letting this season play out and letting the kids develop so that the team is good for the future as well as the present.

Diamond Dan has already come out on record saying he won't trade Dylan Bundy or Manny Machado for a rental player like Greinke.  He did stop short of saying that Bundy and Machado are untouchable, but one would have to imagine that it would take a Godfather deal to move either one of those kids.

However, lower-tier prospects like Jonathan Schoop and Parker Bridwell should be valued by the organization just as much.  Schoop especially since it looks like Brian Roberts can't put on a shirt without straining something these days. (For the record I love Roberts as a player and think he's a future O's hall-of-famer, but as I e-mailed Strums earlier this week - if he was a race horse they would have shot him by now).

Unless the Duquette finds a way to improve the defense, finds two starting pitchers who can go six innings without giving up seven runs and finds a leadoff hitter who can take a walk it's not worth blowing up the farm system.

Sometimes being competitive is good enough.  That's the stage the O's are in right now.  Get to the end of the season with a .500 record, play some meaningful games in August and then spend the next off-season building a team that can truly compete in the AL East.

If they make a decent run this year then maybe some of Peter Angelos' money will start to become attractive to free agents.  That way the O's can keep their prospects and sign a real-life starting pitcher.  The best of both worlds!

Dan Duquette Does Milwaukee

The fun part is over for Dan Duquette.  He’s had his press conference, picked out his office and probably picked up his first paycheck already.  Now the real work begins – building the Baltimore Orioles into a legitimate contender while dealing with a fan base that hasn’t seen a winning season since the days of dial-up internet.  The first step is under way, getting chummy with his fellow GM’s at the winter meetings in Milwaukee.

The winter meetings are really the kick-off point for baseball’s offseason.  While few deals are actually consummated during the meetings, a lot of groundwork is laid out.  After all, isn’t it more fun to wheel and deal in person rather than over the phone?  Don’t expect too much in the way of actual news this week, but don’t be surprised should a later deal happen that the participants use the phrase, “we started discussing this in Milwaukee.”

So what will Mr. Duquette be doing with his time in the “City of Festivals”?  According to the Baltimore Sun, he’ll be looking to strengthen the bench by making some offers to free agents that he hopes will be finalized within a week or so.  Exciting stuff, eh?

Let’s face it, the new man in control doesn’t have a lot of options this off-season.  Signing a big name slugger won’t fix the fortunes of this team.  Overpaying for C.J. Wilson won’t bring a title to Baltimore either.  Nor is the organization really loaded with pieces that other clubs will want so big trades are probably out of the question.

The biggest asset that the O’s have on their roster is Adam Jones.  A solid centerfielder who hits .280 and chips in 20 homeruns and is under control for two more seasons is a valuable commodity. On the other hand, the26 year-old is also a good player to build a club around.  One thing Mr. Duquette has mentioned that he likes about the Orioles is the strength up the middle with Jones, catcher Matt Wieters, and shortstop JJ Hardy.  Those three players are the ones who are probably the closest to being non-tradable.

However, should the right deal come along it wouldn’t hurt to at least listen.  Remember, he has no allegiance to any player on this roster.  His only goal is to make the team better.  Should Atlanta come along and dangle Jair Jurjens in front of his face, they might have some serious discussions.

The biggest needs on the team are definitely in the rotation.  Going into the season I would imagine the only pitchers to lock down a spot are Jeremy Guthrie and Zach Britton.  The other three spots are still to be determined and I’m sure Mr. Duquette would like to bring a veteran innings-eater into the fold.

Would Jason Marquis be a good fit?  Depending on his price tag I think he would be.  When healthy he could be a 12-14 game winner and give a team close to 200 innings. If they could sign him for around what he made last season ($7.5 million) or lower, he might be worth a two year deal.

This is not a strong year for free agent pitchers.  After Wilson, there is a big drop-off in talent and prospective buyers will be wagering on a lot of older pitchers where health can be a concern.  While the Yankees might have the payroll to be able to take such a risk, it looks like the O’s aren’t willing to risk it. In my opinion, that’s the right move.

The competition is going to be fierce for the second-tier starters such as Edwin Jackson and Mark Buehrle, so the O’s might be better off concentrating their efforts on the Paul Maholm’s of the world and signing them quickly before prices escalate.

The trade front could be daunting as well, as the teams that do have pitchers worth trading for seem to be holding out for a king’s ransom in return.  The Braves have let it be known that Jurjenns will require a major league, impact bat in return.  Whichever pitcher the Rays decide to move, be it Wade Davis, James Shields or even David Price, they would demand a similar return along with some prospects.

Frankly, if Jones is off the table then the O’s don’t have the firepower to make a deal.  If he does deal Jones, it opens a huge gap in their outfield.  From what I saw of Matt Angle last season, he’s not ready to be an ever day outfielder.  The top outfield prospect for the O’s, Xavier Avery, is at least one more season away from the big leagues. 

Tuesdays’ mention of Mr. Duquette meeting with David Ortiz’s agent sparked some chatter of their possible interest in the free agent DH.  At the right cost he might be a fit.  If they would sign the Red Sox slugger I think that they walk away from Luke Scott and his probable $7 million-ish arbitration awarded salary. 

Of course, there is the chance that Ortiz’s name never came up.  His agent, Fern Cuza also represents Vladimir Guerrero, so the conversation could have been about whether or not the O’s will be retaining his services for next season.  While his power production dipped, he was one of the few Orioles hitters that hit consistently throughout the year.  Even at an ancient 36 years old, he might be worth bringing back for another year.

The third possibility is that Mr. Duquette was talking to Cuza about players we don’t even know about. Cuza has a strong presence in Latin America and the Orioles VPBO might have been opening a dialogue about some of the up-and-coming players in the agent’s stable.  If you’re going to focus on developing players from the south, Cuza is a man that you want to be in contact with.

I don’t expect much to come out of the winter meetings for the Baltimore Orioles.  After all, it is only the first step on a long road to relevance.  Hopefully, it’s a step in the right direction.

Baseball? I Thought This Was a Hockey Blog!

Look O’s fans, you need to settle down a bit. Mark Reynolds is exactly who he is meant to be. A man with the ability to product majestic, towering home runs and also a man who swings through a shockingly large number of pitches. That’s who the O’s traded for, and that’s who the Orioles got. No sense getting upset because he’s hitting .190. After all, he is leading Baltimore in home runs.

The struggles of Reynolds, the blonde hair bomber, is a microcosm of the 2011 Baltimore Orioles. Before the first pitch was thrown this season, the club was shaping up as a team that would struggle it’s way to mediocrity. They would be an improvement over last year, but still one or two players away from serious competing with the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays.

The Orioles of 2011 were not created to win the World Series, they were not created to win the American League East, they were created to find out where the organization stood in terms of its pitching development. Look at who has made up the starting rotation this year - Zach Britton, Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, Brad Bergesen, embattled Jeremy Guthrie, and now finally Brian Matusz. This year the higher ups find out if they’ve been groomed to contend in the majors or if it’s time to jettison them.

Over at third base, Reynolds wasn’t brought in to win a batting title or a Gold Glove. He was brought in to be a power presence in the middle of the lineup. Because he hits in the middle of the lineup, he’s going to come to the plate with runners in scoring position. And because he strikes out a lot he’s going to leave a lot of those runners stranded. That’s the bad you take along with his ability to hit the three-run homer.

Where this team ends up come October still remains to be seen. Some weeks their young pitchers have looked unhittable. Conversely, there have been weeks they’ve been eminently hittable. That’s part of the reason the team has been so streaky. Win four games then lose eight in a row. Win another 4 games and then lose five more contests. Unfortunately, that is the bane of running a young pitching staff out there.

On a player level, Reynolds has weeks where he is the fearsome slugger that fans hoped would be launching blasts into the bleachers all summer long. Other days he appears professionally inept at the plate. Personally, I’ve seen few hitters swing through pitches with the shocking regularity that Reynolds does. It’s not like he chases lots of bad pitches, say as Adam Jones does from time to time. Reynolds swings though fastballs as if they were puffs of smoke that dissipate into a fine mist whenever his bat comes close.

There are reasons other than having a young core of pitchers that is hurting this year’s squad. The overall absence of power is one thing. From Nick Markakis to Luke Scott to Vlad Guerrero the inability to put the ball over the fence is clearly hurting the team. This is not a team built to manufacture runs like the Rays. This is a team that moves station to station, and waits for a slugger to put one on Eutaw Street.

The bullpen hasn’t been able to pick up for struggling starters either. Whatever talent Michael Gonzalez once possessed seems to have evaporated into thin air. Kevin Gregg seemingly can’t go more than three hitters without walking at least two of them. The rest of the bullpen has been maddingly inconsistent as well.

However, instead of dwelling on what isn’t going well, why not look at the good? Jones, despite his occasional obsession with swinging at sliders in the dirt, is blossoming into one of the young stars in the league. A bona fide yearly Gold Glove candidate he already has several highlight reel plays on the year. At the plate he is showing a blend of power, speed and hitting that hasn’t been seen in the O’s outfield for years.

Zach Britton, the rookie southpaw who should have started the season in the minors is proving the doubters (such as this writer) wrong. A quality start machine he has baffled major league hitters by using his above average fastball to set up a devastating slider. His recent run of tough starts might indicate that he’s hitting a bit of a rookie wall, but he appears to have the pitching smarts to make the necessary adjustments.



How about the blossoming of the Catching Jesus? Matt Wieters is showing how patience and belief in a prospect can pay off. The “Mauer with Power” might not be delivering light tower home runs just yet, but he is excelling at every other aspect of his game. He personally controls other team’s running games by cutting down 40% of would be base stealers. The pitchers and coaching staff rave about his ability to handle the pitching staff and his production at the plate is increasing at a rate that makes him a viable All Star candidate.



So O’s fans don’t despair so much. The season is but a third of the way done. At this time last season they were a unfathomable 20 games out of first base, this year just six. The team is light years ahead of last year talent wise, and should only improve now that some key pieces are returning to the line up and rotation. This is not a team that is under achieving, it is a talented, but flawed product that at least one year away from serious contention.

So go the Yard, drink a Natty Boh and munch on some of Boog’s BBQ while watching a team develop. Enjoy the sun and the face that you can watch a game at one of the best parks in the league for a cheaply scalped ticket. Look for the good things on the field and don’t dwell on the negative. Much like a towering Reynolds home run the losing seasons will soon be going, going, going, gone…..