SB Nation - Chris Waters

Orioles 3, Rays 2: Finally

Stacey — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:38:07 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

Good job, Chris. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Our long national nightmare is over! The Orioles won their first game since September 16th. I couldn't even remember that game, so I looked back at the recap. Wow. I was happy back then. Sadly, even then Jim Johnson pitched poorly as he blew the save that night and was saved by Matt Wieters' walk off home run.

Matt Garza made the start for the Rays and pitched 6 innings, giving up three runs. He didn't pitch poorly by any means. The only extra base hit he allowed was a first inning double to Cesar Izturis, who would score on a single by Nick Markakis that deflected off of Jason Bartlett's glove. The O's other two runs were scored on singles by Melvin Mora and Jeff Fiorentino. Most days 3 runs wouldn't be enough for this team and its pitching staff, but tonight it held up.

Chris Waters made his first start of the year and came through in a big way. He pitched 5 innings, allowing 1 run on just two hits. He was rolling after 5 innings, but since he hadn't started a game since September 5th in Norfolk, he probably didn't have much left. The effective and decidedly un-Oriole like pitching continued as Cla Meredith, Alberto Castillo, and Danys Baez pitched the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings without allowing a hit.

The O's entered the 9th with a 3-1 lead when poor, sad, awful Jim Johnson came into the game. The perfect way for this losing streak to end would be if JJ had been strong and looked good. If he'd thrown that sinker we all know he's capable of, struck a few guys out, and restored our faith in him.

Yeah, that didn't happen. Johnson allowed a lead off double to Ben Zobrist, who is pretty much my least favorite Ray ever. He retired Upton on a popout, and Willy Aybar hit a fly ball to center field. It wasn't hit deep and Jeff Fiorentino, who was playing on the warning track, couldn't get to it. Zobrist moved to third and then scored on Pat Burrell's sac fly. Gregg Zaun hit a pinch hit ground ball single that just eluded Brian Roberts and the tying run was on third with two outs. Jim Johnson looked miserable. He and Matt Wieters couldn't agree on any pitches so Wieters had to go to the mound. Kranitz also went out for good measure. I've never seen anyone sweat more in a temperature controlled dome than Jim Johnson. But he ultimately got the job done, getting Iwamura to ground out right back to him.

O's win! It wasn't pretty, but it worked. They now head home for the final three games of the season where Jason Berken, Mark Hendrickson, and Jeremy Guthrie will do their best to go out on a good note.

Poll

Hey it's been forever since we've done this, but who was tonight's Most Birdland Player of the game?

Chris Waters (5 IP, 2 H, 1 R)

87 votes

Cesar Izturis (2-3, 2B, BB, R)

6 votes

Melvin Mora (RBI single, several sweet plays at 3B, plus there are only three more days to ever vote for him again)

48 votes

141 votes | Poll has closed

Monday Bird Droppings

duck — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:00:53 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

See what you started, Jeremy Guthrie? Now you've got Sean Henn blowing his nose on his jersey, too! Some leader you are! (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Browse more photos »

Tillman may have made last start Sunday - MASNsports.com

Roch says: "Tillman may be shut down after today's start. Manager Dave Trembley dropped a few hints during the last homestand. The right-hander has one start remaining, but Trembley could opt to go the bullpen-by-committee route. I'm not sure who's next in line to enter the rotation, but Lambert or Chris Waters would make sense." Oh, goody. I'm sure that will work out well. -duck

Good news on Pie - MASNsports.com

"Orioles manager Dave Trembley told reporters in Cleveland that outfielder Felix Pie's injury isn't as serious as they first believed. Pie will rest for a few more days and could return to the lineup next week. "We thought it was going to be a whole lot more severe than what it was," Trembley said." Stacey, you can take the candles out of your windows now. -duck

Source: Tampa Bay Rays interested in Chicago Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley - ESPN Chicago

"It appears that there's more than a little interest in Chicago Cubs right fielder Milton Bradley. A source with knowledge of the situation said that the Tampa Bay Rays are very interested in bringing the beleaguered outfielder to Florida." Tampa Bay, you might want to re-think this one. -duck

Rays shut down J.P. Howell - Newsday.com

"J.P. Howell has struggled recently and the Rays have decided to shut down the lefthanded reliever. Howell has pitched 156 innings the past two seasons. That is the third highest among relievers in that span." So we got that going for us in this upcoming series, which is nice. -duck

Dimaond Dave looks on the sunny side - MASNsports.com

"The way I'm looking at it is, we're getting out of this series, we go to Tampa, there will be some sunshine and warm weather, it's another environment, it's an opportunity for us to turn this thing around in our favor. And the only thing you can look at is, tomorrow starts a winning streak for us and let's see how many game we can win coming down the final week of the season." Uh, Dave? Going on the road to play a team that had lost 11 in a row before they swept you last week probably isn't the best way to break out of a slump. -duck

O's relievers failing to show they belong in majors -- baltimoresun.com

"The hope was that the additions would bolster a tired bullpen and give several pitchers an opportunity to show that they belong at the major league level. What it has done instead is reveal a lack of organizational depth in that area and likely made several necessary offseason roster decisions much easier to make." Don't even bother making the "small sample size" argument. The current crew is bad, and probably won't get better. So we will try AGAIN next year to find 6 or so decent relievers... -duck

Swept by Indians, O's hit a new low -baltimoresun.com

"Perhaps it's impossible for a team that is more than 30 games under .500 and has been playing mostly meaningless contests for months now to hit rock bottom in the final days of a 162-game season. But leave it to the Orioles to find a way." Wait, the O's are still playing? Hadn't noticed. -duck

Orioles-Rays Preview - CBSSports.com
"This season won't be as memorable as last year's run to the AL East title and their first pennant, but if the Rays win four of their final seven, they'll become the eighth major league team to win 180 games over two seasons after losing 180 in the previous two years." Let's just say I'm hoping they don't get it. -duck

I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved Open Thread with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough.

Down on the Farm: Norfolk Tides

Stacey — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:14:47 -0000

The rotation: Brad Bergesen, David Pauley, David Hernandez, Chris Waters, and Chris Tillman.

Bergesen has started two games this year, pitching a total of 11 innings while giving up 6 hits, 3 walks, and striking out 9. Brad is on the short list to be called up and will probably see action for the Orioles sooner or later. Sooner of course being this week due to Alfredo Simon's injury, later being whenever Trembley and MacPhail can't stand to see Adam Eaton any longer.

David Pauley has one start under his belt, taking the hard luck loss against the Charlotte Knights 3-1. He allowed 2 ER, 1 BB, and struck out 3 in 5.2 innings. Pauley couldn't impress enough in Spring Training to make the cut but my gut tells me he'll be one of the sacrificial lambs called upon while we continue to wait for the big guns.

David Hernandez allowed one run and struck out 9 in 4.2 innings in his only start so far this season. I've heard tell that Hernandez is more suited to the bullpen, which if true is fine. God knows the Orioles need the help in that department.

Chris Waters is who he is. The only Norfolk starter to have a rough outing so far, he's allowed 4 ER in 3 innings in his start, walking 3 and striking out 1.

The youngest member of our holy trinity is Chris Tillman, and he's also pitching at the highest level. Tillman is the youngest player on the Tides, with the next youngest, Matt Wieters, coming in at almost two years older. In his only start of the year, Chris Tillman threw 4 no hit innings, walking 3 and striking out 5.

WIETERS WATCH!!

Matt hasn't done much with the bat this year, going just 4 for 18. But who cares? We're coming up on the magical day when Wieters can be called up to save us from Chad Moeller. I just don't think it'll be right away, although I can't for the life of me figure out why. I'm hoping it will be soon, though, because I'm going to the game Tuesday and would love to see his debut. Although, who am I kidding, I'll be there no matter when it is.

The other batters:

Nolan Reimold has been lighting up AAA. He's 10 for 25 with 2 HR and one 2B, posting a cool 1.124 OPS. This is Nolan's first go at AAA so let's hope he can keep it up.

Lou Montanez, the most controversial player in the Orioles' organization, has gone 12 for 26 and is doing everything he can to prove he belongs in the majors. He has spent part of two seasons at AAA before without much success. I know some might not believe me, but I really do want Montanez to be successful.

Other players of note on the Tides include Scott Moore (6 for 25, 1 HR, 1 2B), Justin Turner (3 for 16), and Oscar Salazar (7 for 25, 1 2B, 1 3B).

Rotation Shakedown: O's decide Liz's future is in the bullpen

SC — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:16:33 -0000

Source: The Sun

Radhames Liz has been dropped from consideration for the 2009 Opening Day rotation, as the Orioles have decided it's 99.99999% likely that Liz's future is in the bullpen:

"I don't think it's ever for good. You never say never," Kranitz said. "But I think at this particular time with our needs, his quality of pitches, he'll be able to handle that middle part of the game in the sixth and seventh innings. It's not rocket science. He's got to come in and throw the ball over the dish. It will be a lot easier for him in one-inning spurts, where he can kind of let it go."

Dave Trembley said that if Liz doesn't make the 25-man roster (also a possibility), he'll be pitching in relief at Norfolk.

In this year's edition of The Hardball Times season preview, I wrote the following for Liz:

Yet another Orioles arm from the last decade who appears to either be a lot of empty promise or better suited for a bullpen role, Radhames Liz got to take his lumps for 84 innings in Baltimore, and the results weren't pretty. At 25, he still has time, but not a ton of it with the influx of young pitching talent in the system.

Now this hardly makes me a scholar. I've said for three years that Liz was a reliever or bust, and I've been about 96% certain of that. My thoughts were the same ones Kranitz expressed, that if able to really let it fly for an inning or two, he could dominate if he can throw strikes. Stretched out and seeing lineups a few times, he didn't seem to have either the raw stuff or the, um, pitching acumen (?) to really go too far.

That means that with Jeremy Guthrie and Koji Uehara solidified as the 1-2 in the rotation, the three open spots are now down to eight guy: Baez, Bass, Bergesen, Eaton, Hendrickson, Hill, Pauley and Penn. It will be better for everyone on earth if Baez, Hendrickson and Eaton do not play into our rotation this season. That means they weren't good enough to beat out younger guys with far higher ceilings, even if they aren't the greatest young pitchers on the planet.

Chris Waters, says the Sun article, is also destined for relief. I think he's destined for waiver wires and AAA ballparks.

I guess I'll go ahead and throw out my hopeful picks for the final three spots: Hill, Pauley and Penn. I thought Pauley was a shrewd pickup this offseason, I'm still rooting for Penn even though I've been "down" on him, and Rich Hill you gotta root for because of all the guys we're talking about here (including Guts and Koji) he has the best stuff. I'm intrigued by Brad Bergesen but those K-rates will get him annihilated in the majors, I fear.

That would leave us with Guthrie, Koji, Hill, Pauley and Penn, which means we'd only have one lefty starter, but I'm not crazy about all that stuff. I remember the last time the Orioles thought they JUST HAD TO HAVE a left-handed starter and we got freaking Omar Daal because the last one we'd had was Jimmy Key. Just had to have Omar Daal! Omar Daal, Omar Daal!

Those five guys could give us a competent rotation. Chances are we finish last no matter who's in the rotation, but it'd be a lot more damned fun to figure out if some of these guys can play than it would be to fart around with Baez and Hendrickson and Eaton, all of whom I am quite certain cannot. Baez was a bad signing when we made it, and if Hendrickson came off the scrap heap then I don't want to know where in the hell it was they dug up Adam Eaton.

As for Liz himself, do his chances of making it in the majors go up with the role switch? Probably not. He either can pitch or he can't is one way to look at it, but deeper than that is I just don't think he's all that good. He doesn't miss that many bats for a guy whose control kind of stinks. And relievers are volatile by nature anyway. That said, I think this is his best chance to make it long-term. He's not going to become the next Eckersley or anything. He might be the next David Riske or something.

Know Thy Enemy: Baltimore Orioles, 2009 Preview

hugo — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:23:48 -0000

This is the first in a 4-part series examining the Jays' competition in the AL East.

The Baltimore Orioles had another tough season in 2008, losing 90 or more games for the 3rd consecutive season and failing to finish above .500 for the 11th year in a row. There were some bright spots, however, and the O's hope to improve in 2009 in an increasingly tough AL East. The O's weren't playing all that badly until the end of the season, when they went an almost unthinkably awful 5-20 in September to close out the season.

Projected Possible Lineup : (I'm not giving a lot of thought to batting order)

Vs. LHP
2B - Brian Roberts
CF - Adam Jones
RF - Nick Markakis
DH - Ty Wigginton
3B - Melvin Mora
1B - Aubrey Huff
LF - Luke Scott/Felix Pie
C - Gregg Zaun
SS - Cesar Izturis

Vs. RHP
2B - Brian Roberts
LF - Felix Pie
RF - Nick Markakis
1B - Aubrey Huff
DH - Luke Scott
3B - Melvin Mora
CF - Adam Jones
C - Gregg Zaun
SS- Cesar Izturis

4th OF - Ty Wigginton (also 1B/3B/DH)
Bench - Ryan Freel, IF/OF
Lou Montanez, OF
Guillermo Quiroz, C

Although Zaun is penciled in here as catcher, in truth it is likely that the young Matt Wieters will soon work his way into the everyday lineup and become an offensive force - the only question is when. Wieters is one of the best prospects in baseball and is expected to both hit a ton and do a great job behind the dish, so his development is one of the biggest stories of the season for Baltimore.

Baltimore's offense in 2008 was almost exactly league average (team OPS+ of 99), due to a few holes, most glaringly at SS. They patched that hole by bringing in former Jay Ceasar Izturis, who isn't much with the bat but will bring some stability to the position and plays fine defense. The O's also signed Gregg Zaun to play catcher - Z-Man will bring his Z-game and his love of "heavy metal" (which to him apparently means Guns N' Roses) to start the season as the everyday catcher and then move into a mentor role as Wieters hopefully comes into his own. Not satisfied, Baltimore brought in Ty Wigginton, who has a nice bat and is versatile and makes a nice match for lefthanded hitters Huff, Scott, and Pie.

Melvin Mora is interesting, he looked to be in steep decline over the past few seasons and then for the first half last year, but then went nuts in the second half, hitting .376/.417/.656 after the all-star break. He wasn't great on defense (-4.8 UZR), but finished with a quality 114 OPS+ to make him a 2.5 win player, his best season since 2005. Aubrey Huff also had a big rebound year -- his .387 wOBA was the best of his career and he hit 32 dingers. Luke Scott continued to hit righties fairly well (.838 OPS) but again showed why he is a platoon player (.702 OPS against lefties). Adam Jones struggled at the plate (.711 OPS), really struggling with his pitch recognition and plate discipline, but was absolutely fantastic in the field (10.3 UZR in center), making him a 2.2 win player. And Brian Roberts had another excellent year as one of the league's premier second basemen and leadoff men, getting on base at a .378 clip, hitting 51 doubles, and swiping 40 bags at a nice 80% success rate. The O's will be countin on all five of those gentlemen, as well as their new acquisitions and of course, Markakis (.306/.406/.491 last season) who has developed from a promising young player to a well-rounded star with no holes in his game at all.

The O's offense should be better, since they have added some nice depth and some young players are continuing to develop. Mora is old, but Huff and Wigginton can both play third, as can Freel, so there's some cover there.

Projected Rotation I'm including 6 starters, because history shows that most teams have a 6th starter who makes about as many starts as the 5th starter, due to injuries/ineffectiveness in the 5-man rotation. However, in the O's case, there are a number of potential 6th starters.

RHP - Jeremy Guthrie
RHP - Koji Uehara
LHP - Rich Hill
LHP - Mark Hendrickson
RHP - Radhames Liz
RHP/RHP/LHP - Hayden Penn/Matt Albers/Chris Waters

Baltimore got a quality season from Jeremy Guthrie last year (3.63 ERA) although, while he perhaps had more than the 10 wins he got coming to him based on how many runs were scored against him, his defense-independent numbers (4.53 FIP, 5.66 K/9, .267 BABIP against, 101 tRA+) suggest that he may have actually been quite fortunate in 2008. He is likely to give the Orioles another solid year.

After Guthrie, Baltimore's rotation was an absolute mess last season. They were the worst rotation in the AL (with a 5.51 team ERA), and also finished last in the league both in strikeouts and walks (actually pretty crazy since low strikeout pitchers typically at least limit walks), with a staggeringly bad team 1.30 K/BB ratio. Daniel Cabrera (30 starts, 86 ERA+,1.05 K/BB ratio), Garrett Olson (26 starts, 6.65 ERA), Radhames Liz (17 starts, 6.72 ERA), and current Jay spring training invitee Brian Burres (22 starts, 6.04 ERA, 1.13 K/BB ratio) were the most significant contributors to the damage, although the O's also got 10 very bad starts from Steve Trachsel (8.28 ERA). The good news for the O's is that none of these gentlemen, other than perhaps Liz, is likely to factor heavily in the Orioles 2009 rotation plans.

The Orioles signed 2-time Sawamura award (the award in the NPB going to the best starting pitcher in the Japanese league) winner Koji Uehara in what is looking like a pretty shrewd move. Uehara seems like a good bet even in the AL East and is set to begin 2009 as Baltimore's number 2 starter. Baltimore also made a nice move to acquire former Cubs lefty Rich Hill, who is an interesting case. Hill had a good half season as a 26-year old and an excellent (119 ERA+) season as a 27-year old for the Cubbies before completely falling apart in 2008, spending most of the season in the minor leagues and showing absolutely no control at all, walking almost a batter per inning. Hill also floundered in Winter ball this year, but if he can get his control back, he's a quality lefthanded starter with good K numbers. His flyball tendencies are going haunt him a bit, especially in the cozy confines of Camden Yards and the AL East, but a nice low-risk pickup for Baltimore, since it's not like he's blocking anyone.

Baltimore also picked up former Jay Mark Hendrickson who, while he has no means been an above-average pitcher over his career (89 ERA+ career), is better than what 4/5 of what the O's had out there last season and is at least capable of being a #5 starter (though not sure how well he will fare in the AL East).

The O's rotation should be better in 2009 than it was in 2008. That's not saying much, I know, but Uehara looks like a solid addition, while Guthrie isn't anything special but should continue to enjoy modest success, giving them at least 2 average or better starters. Hill has plenty of potential and Hendrickson will usually manage not to embarass himself on the mound. And Baltimore does have some young starters with potential.

Significant Bullpen Members

LHP George Sherrill (closer)
RHP Chris Ray (setup)
RHP Jim Johnson
RHP Dennis Sarfate
LHP Jamie Walker

The Orioles bullpen tried valiantly to pick up the slack left by an awful starting rotation (it was 3rd in the AL in innings), and helped to limit the damage, although a 4.59 team bullpen ERA is nothing to shout about. Closer George Sherrill isn't really what you want from a closer or bullpen ace, and he could lose his job to Chris Ray, who previously performed those duties before going down to arm surgery back in 2007. However, Ray is coming off a major surgery and is a question mark himself. On the other hand, Jim Johnson had a great season last year out of the pen, pitching in 54 games with a 2.23 ERA, and he will be hard-pressed to repeat that performance given his unimpressive strikeout and walk numbers (38/28 K/BB ratio over 68 2/3 innings, and shutting the league out from hitting a homer, like he did in 2008, is always tough to repeat). LOOGY Jamie Walker had an awful season out of the pen (1.68 WHIP, 6.87 ERA, almost 3 home runs per 9 innings) but will look to rebound. hard-thrower Danys Baez will also return from surgery, but I was never a big fan of his, and that was before he got hurt.

In Summary

Having attended Law School in Baltimore, a city with some hilarious nicknames: "Charm City," "the Land of Pleasant Living," and "the City that Reads" (though more often referred to by locals as "the City that Bleeds"), I have a soft spot for the Orioles, having enjoyed many home games at Camden Yards following a pint or two at Pickles Pub, including a bunch when I should've been in class. I like the Uehara pickup, and it looks like the O's are finally on the right track with an excellent farm system and some quality young players. I don't think 2009 will be the year, though. The problem will be pitching - Uehara will help, and Hill and Hendrickson really can't hurt, but B-more's young arms in the majors haven't proven anything despite several shots. What Baltimore is likely to do on the mound just isn't good enough in the AL, let alone the AL East. The Orioles have solid pitching prospects in Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz, and Jake Arrieta, but none are real close to pitching in the majors. Baltimore may hit more and pitch a little better, but I don't see them making up the gap between themselves and the rest of the AL East.

37 comments on 37 pitchers in camp for the Orioles

SC — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:02:30 -0000

The Sun and Jeff Zrebiec had this idea, and they did it with a photo gallery and tiny, barely-viewable short comments about all the pitchers. I liked the idea so much that I'm stealing it and hoping to add a little more in terms of commentary. What can I say? I like to talk.

Matt Albers, RH

Albers put up a 3.49 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 49 innings for the O's last season before coming up injured (like fellow former Astro Troy Patton) and deciding to forgo surgery in favor of rehabbing, which often leads to...surgery. But he wasn't a blue chip guy to begin with. His three starts were tolerable last season but he looked better out of the bullpen, which is where he probably projects long-term. Likely not a real factor in 2009, but here's hoping we see Fat Albers back on the field at some point.

Jake Arrieta, RH

If you want to be a super sleuth and dig around the site, you'll be able to find out I was jacked, geeked, psyched and pumped when the O's opened up their wallets to sign Arrieta as a fifth round draft pick out of TCU. Arrieta and Wieters in the same class? Zwaaa!

In fact, I might be one of Arrieta's biggest fans. His W-L record means nothing and isn't impressive (6-5 at Frederick), but he was outstanding in his first pro season, posting a 2.87 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 9.56 K/9 rate for the Keys. I currently rate Arrieta as our third-best prospect behind Wieters and Tillman, but readily admit Matusz should probably be No. 2 or at least No. 3.

Still, we're talking about three guys that could be long-term parts of the rotation relatively soon. Arrieta has college polish, as does Matusz, and Tillman is rocketing through the minors. Dude still can't drink legally.

I don't want to get all Four Aces or Generation K about it (since those didn't turn out so hot), but man...MAN!

(And because you have to have it.)

More important than all the good numbers and promise re: Arrieta is the fact that Stacey thinks he's hot.

Danys Baez, RH

Let's cut the crap: Danys Baez was a rotten signing when the Orioles got him and he's turned out even worse than you could have imagined. 2007 was a disaster, and in 2008 he did the fans a favor and didn't pitch. That might sound mean, and it's not like I want him to be injured, but in the long run I probably lost less hair for it, so thanks, Danys. Talks of him starting have gone by the wayside. I really don't think we're going to see much at all of Baez this season. If he stinks, they're just going to get rid of him.

Brian Bass, RH

One of a million dudes who might win a rotation spot. Bass, now 27, has been in pro ball since 2000. He made it to The Show in 2008 with the Twins, appearing as a reliever on 44 occasions, and then was traded to the O's where he started four games because that was the state of the '08 Orioles. "Got an arm?" "Like, a good one?" "No, just an arm! We need it!" Bass' career minor league ERA is 4.32 and he doesn't strike anyone out. He does have good control, so that's something. At least he'll throw strikes.

Brad Bergesen, RH

Bergesen's '08 cracked a lot of O's prospect lists, including ours at No. 14. He went 15-6 with a 3.22/1.15 line at Bowie. He lives on a ridiculously fine line, though, with his 4.38 K/9. He has to kind of be perfect. In a perfect world he could be our Justin Duchscherer.

Alberto Castillo, LH

Strengths: Throws with left hand. Once a third round draft choice of the Giants.

Weaknesses: That draft was in 1994. Castillo's career:

June 2, 1994: Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 3rd round of the 1994 amateur draft.

November 11, 1997: Traded by the San Francisco Giants with Chris Singleton to the New York Yankees for Charlie Hayes and cash.

January 26, 1999: Released by the New York Yankees.

February 16, 1999: Signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago White Sox.

March 28, 1999: Released by the Chicago White Sox.

February 29, 2000: Signed as a Free Agent with the San Diego Padres.

March 31, 2000: Released by the San Diego Padres.

December 17, 2000: Signed as a Free Agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

January 7, 2002: Released by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

January 15, 2003: Signed as a Free Agent with the St. Louis Cardinals.

March 30, 2003: Released by the St. Louis Cardinals.

January 28, 2008: Signed as a Free Agent with the Baltimore Orioles.

So, y'know. He's "32," which in Cuban years could mean he's 41, and it took him almost 15 years to reach the majors. His ERA (3.81) is a mirage. If they're relying on him, bad things gon' happen. They likely are not.

Scott Chiasson, RH

Chiasson is 31 now, a Connecticut native that played college ball at Eastern Connecticut State, whatever in the hell that is. Being from a large state, I can't imagine really considering the road trip that takes one from "eastern" Connecticut to "western" Connecticut. Eastern to western Michigan is a three and a half hour trip by interstate.

Chiasson is one of a million former Cubs from the MacPhail era that has managed a way into the O's system. He was originally drafted by the Royals in 1998, then traded to the A's as a PTBNL for Jay Witasick (former Oriole, sort of). The Cubs nabbed him in the Rule 5 draft in December 2000 and he got cups of coffee in '01 and '02. He's just a body.

Fredy Deza, RH

6'2" and stick-thin. The Sun lists his 2.25 ERA at Norfolk, which came over a grand eight innings of work. He turned 26 in December and has been pitching Orioles A-ball forever. They seem to have officially given up on him as a starter the last few years.

DEEEEEZ...

Jeremy Guthrie, RH

He's the ace. He's not the world's best ace, but he's our ace, damn it. Truthfully, the world will be awesome if Guthrie is the fourth starter in 2010 or 2011. I say that with all love for Guts. When I did the Hardball Times preview, I noted that Guthrie is a guy who's always going to be projected to tail off from numbers like he's put up the last two years, and I really believe he's got more of the last two years in him, and that it's not really a fluke. He's just a good, solid pitcher.

During the NBA All-Star Weekend, I watched the three-point contest, which was horrendous because Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller are like having Tim McCarver and Thom Brennaman in the same booth. When Danny Granger was up, Kenny must have said "he's a scorer not a shooter" 17 times. Guthrie's a pitcher not a thrower. A pitcher not a thrower. A pitcher not a thrower. A pitcher not a thrower. A pitcher not a thrower. A pitcher not a thrower. A pitcher not a thrower. A pitcher not a thrower. A pitcher not a thrower. A pitcher not a thrower.

Kenny later predicted that none of the three remaining guys in the tournament could win.

Mark Hendrickson, LH

Hendo hasn't even thrown a pitch as a Baltimore Oriole and he's been ripped here plenty. Not by me -- I'm all for letting him stink first. And he will stink. Speaking of basketball, this dude's a failed basketball player. He's 6'9" and can't strike anyone out. The good news is he also doesn't walk many guys and does have minor value as a swingman. The bad news is he's 35 and was horrible last season in Florida.

Brad Hennessey, RH

Once, long ago, Hennessey was a Giants prospect. He's now a failed Giants prospect on board with the Orioles, and he'll be starting the first game of the spring against the Mets. That happens TODAY! WOO!

Hennessey is a Toledo native that attended Youngstown State (the penguin school where that damned Jim Tressel coached before he took over at Vomit State).

He was pretty effective in 2007 as a fill-in closer for the Giants, saving 19 games and putting up a 3.42 ERA. But the fact is the Giants lost all faith in him a while ago. At 29, time's a-wastin' and it's either on the train or off. The Orioles are going to give him a shot, and they have no reason to not. It's a noble move. Former prospect, has shown he can pitch in the majors (if briefly), and still young enough to wring some good years. If he doesn't make it, big whoop. If he does, he could be Guthrie Part II, a super cheap pickup that flamed out elsewhere and latched on here. No harm no foul either way.

David Hernandez, RH

Now univerally considered one of our ten best prospects, and yet still sort of a sleeper guy thanks to his surroundings in the arms department. Common sense says that eventually bats catch up to his fastball-slider combo since he's not Randy Johnson or anything, and that a relief role may best suit him. I mean, that's said basically all the time, but it bears repeating just because it's true. It's logic. It's hard to get by on two pitches as a major league starter. Still, he was excellent at Bowie last season and surpassed expectations.

Rich Hill, LH

MacPhail Salvation Project No. 39. If Rich Hill needed a change of scenery, he's got it. If his physical problems are corrected, there's a LOT of upside. If it's mental, that's a tough game to win. He's wilder than all hell, but now there's almost no pressure on him. I think we as O's fans do deserve credit for patience. It took a long time for most of y'all to start railing on Daniel Cabrera as hard as I did from 2006 on, and he'd damn sure earned it.

I don't think any of us expect the moon of Hill, and I assure him should he happen to ever somehow stumble upon it, we're all rootin' for ya, dude. Welcome to Baltimore. Feel free to get comfortable and relax.

Jim Hoey, RH

Have never been a fan. Knew dudes that looked like Jim Hoey in high school. They were all goobers. Straight-up goobers. That's not really his fault. I shouldn't be mean. Maybe he's not a goober.

He missed all of 2008 with a shoulder surgery, and that hardly helps his case. Even before that there were a lot of issues.

Jim Johnson, RH

I used to be a massive pro wrestling fan, which we've been over a bunch. I still like the old stuff. I don't remember ever NOT being a pro wrestling fan. I do remember being five years old and begging my grandparents to order WrestleMania III. I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that pay-per-view just was not available in our area at the time. On I went with life.

Anyway, signs in the crowd became a big deal in the late 1990s, and one of my favorite signs ever was very simple: "STING YOUR COOL." If I ever went to see Jim Johnson, I'd take a sign that said, "JIM YOUR COOL."

My favorite sign ever, by the way, was "RAY TRAYLOR IS MY FAVORITE PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER." Either that or "I LIKE CURT HENNIG."

Jim is cool. Projections have a hard time taking into account sinkerballers sometimes, plus Jim's track record is short. But he was excellent setting up Sherrill last year and there's really no reason he shouldn't be competing for a rotation spot or the closer's role. I've got nothing against George Sherrill or Chris Ray, but I think I can say that at this moment, I'd be more comfortable with Big Jim in the ninth.

Ryan Keefer, RH

Instead of assessing Keefer's chances, I'll just post the Sun's stock photo of him, because he looks so gosh darn happy:

via www.baltimoresun.com

Radhames Liz, RH

Liz, like the departed Garrett Olson, crashed and burned in a trial by fire last season in the Orioles rotation. Chances are strong he'll be in the Opening Day starting five because the Orioles have put a lot of stock into him over the last few years, and because he went out and took his lumps like a man last year. I've been saying for about three years he looks like a reliever (and not a particularly great one) to me, but there's more value if he starts, and until he proves he absolutely cannot start in the majors, it's better to start him if he's going to pitch at all at this age. Liz has very mild breakout potential in 2009.

Brian Matusz, LH

The Wieters of pitchers. That's grossly overstating Matusz's prospectdom, but I don't care. I'm rolling with it. You got a problem, dude, meet me after class and we'll hash this s**t out. I don't even care. Let's go!

Bob McCrory, RH

Bob McCrory is the goober that hung around with goobers like Jim Hoey in high school. Jim might've started a couple fights, but Bob usually got in there and took it for him and socked someone in the nose. Bob McCrory looks like he enjoys a good PBR on a warm summer's eve. I like Bob McCrory more than I do Jim Hoey, but I still don't want to hang out with them too often, if you know what I'm sayin'.

Kam Mickolio, RH

Mickolio's biggest obstacle is experience. Real experience. Experience in playing baseball. Not a ton of organized baseball in Montana, where he grew up. He's still a baby in this game. I don't think he'll be amazing, but I do think he'll cut out a regular role for himself in the bullpen by July. He has the best heat in the system, and he also looks like the subject of Honey, I Blew Up Nomar Garciaparra:

via www.baltimoresun.com

Jim Miller, RH

Came over in the Roddy Lopez trade with the Rockies. Anything positive he can do is gravy on top of not having Rodrigo Lopez on the team.

Andy Mitchell, RH

Mitchell's been in the O's system since turning pro in 2001, and he's 30 years old now. He started strictly as a relief pitcher, but the last two seasons has gone swingman in Norfolk, where he'll stay as long as he's employed by the Orioles. In an organization with as many horrible staffs as this one has had since he's been around, Andy's never even gotten an inning for the O's despite a career ERA of 3.59 in 650+ minor league innings. That kind of says it all.

John Parrish, LH

I know I'm half-halfassed analyst and half-doofy fan in this thing, but if you believe one thing I'm saying is genuine, believe this: Pass.

Troy Patton, LH

From the guy I'm furious is back to the guy I'm still stoked to see suit up for our Birds. Patton missed all of 2008 with the dreaded fabrum bear, but he's ready to sling this spring, and I like this dude's attitude. He's like the 13-3 football team that just won the conference championship. "No one said we could do dis! They all said we couldn't do dis!" Nah, dude, I think you can do dis. Go do dat.

David Pauley, RH

Pauley's been workmanlike in the systems of both San Diego and Boston since '01, and last year went 14-4 with Pawtucket. He also pitched 12 1/3 innings for the Red Sox and was lit the hell up for 23 hits and 16 earned runs (11.68 ERA). Oops! Pauley has an outside shot at the rotation, but it's more outside than it might seem given his AAA record last year. He's really nothing special at all, but I quite like the Orioles giving him a shot.

Hayden Penn, RH

True story: I always wanted to name a son Hayden, mostly because of my love for Coach, and also because I didn't think I could convince any woman to let me name a son Luther. My fiancee may allow me to someday name a son Magic Johnson Christ, which I think is kind of awesome. (And before anyone starts, I know she's just humoring me. Let me have my dreams.)

Penn's had one of the damnedest careers you'll ever see, including being impaled, and while it's worth noting that he's not all that old still (he turned 24 last October), I think this is sort of a case of a guy being older than his age, like in boxing when Erik Morales got really old at 28. Too many things happened. Too many wars. I think maybe Penn doesn't just "seem" older, he might figuratively be older than 24.

Wilfrido Perez, RH

A 24-year old relief prospect, Perez put up some nice K-rates in the low levels before tapering off to just under 9 K/9 at Bowie in 23 innings. He absolutely dominated in 81 innings at Delmarva in 2007, posting a 1.67 ERA and striking out 101 batters. He's generally had so-so (at best) WHIP numbers because he doesn't have the best control (it's also not awful) and he's hittable (7 H/9 career).

Chris Ray, RH

Sugar Ray is back in action and will have a shot at taking the closer's job he left behind when he missed all of 2008. He deserves it if he can handle it, because even though he was not dominant, he's going to be better in the role than Sherrill. Again, Johnson might be a much better option than either of them, but he's "never closed before." Not like super veteran Ray or All-Star George.

Dennis Sarfate, RH

He's a thrower not a pitcher. He's a thrower not a pitcher. He's a thrower not a pitcher. He's a thrower not a pitcher. He's a thrower not a pitcher. He's a thrower not a pitcher. He's a thrower not a pitcher. He's a thrower not a pitcher. He's a thrower not a pitcher.

George Sherrill, LH

My favorite part of the 2008 Orioles Magic DVD "making of" is when Millar and Sherrill obviously set up an "impromptu" "quick-witted" joke where Millar goes, "George, you look like Vin Diesel," and then Sherrill goes, "Let'sgetsomethinstraight. VinDiesellookslikeme." And it's like, OHHH!

Alfredo Simon, RH

Another guy inching toward 30 with bad minor league numbers that got ripped up in a short stint last year. He's horrible. He has no business on the team. Zrebiec's comment is, "That he managed to stay on the 40-man roster all offseason says something." What? The Orioles forgot about him?

Chorye Spoone, RH

Still rehabbing and won't be healthy to start the year, but in camp anyway. I forget which one of you likes Spoone way more than I do. Show yourself! If he was Tim Spooneybarger's brother, I'd like him more. He was down-and-up even before the injury.

Chris Tillman, RH

Dear Old Seattle Mariners Front Office,

In times of trouble where you've been fired and all that, sometimes it helps to hear from the people whose lives you've touched in a very positive manner. When you traded Chris Tillman, Adam Jones, Kam Mickolio and Tony Butler for Erik Bedard, you did something great for us, and we're going to be thankful for many years to come.

We know that Mr. Bedard didn't work out so great for you in 2008 and at least partially led to you all getting thrown out on your behinds, but we Orioles fans wanted you to know that we still have a soft spot for you.

And if you see Eric O'Flaherty, tell him we said hello.

Kindest Regards,

Orioles Fans

Koji Uehara, RH

He is not going to be Daisuke Matsuzaka. The best we can really hope for is he isn't Kei Igawa either. The latter is far, far, far more likely than the former.

Chris Waters, LH

Zrebiec actually pulled the "no one thinks he can do dis!" card in his Waters comment. That's because he probably can't. He had two exceptional starts for the Orioles and treaded on thin ice otherwise.

Jamie Walker, LH

Jamie Waker, Boy, could star as Will Ferrell's impersonation of George W. Bush in a movie:

via www.baltimoresun.com

Walker is so close to the end of his line that it might be really painful to watch him unless he's pulled some rabbit out of the hat after last year. When guys whose fastballs are offspeed pitches start to fail, it's usually pretty gruesome. He was lobbing BP last year.

Ross Wolf, RH

Former Marlin. Probably here because Kranitz knows him.

Prop Projections for the 2009 Baltimore Orioles

SC — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:59:56 -0000

I don't want to do a whole community projections project this year for a few reasons. One, it's a chore to put together after your average long and exhausting Orioles season, and I couldn't even be bothered last fall. What's the point? Hey did we get Jeremy Guthrie's win total right, yaaay we went 68-93...

So instead of full projections, how about some prop bets? We'll play with Camden Chat Monopoly money here.

You get $20,000. You have to bet on everything and you have to bet at least $100, so your biggest single bet can be $18,100 and $100 on the other 19 things. Don't be a wise acre and bet like $73.14. Leave cents out of it, Dennis the Menace.

It's basically just over/under and this guy or that guy stuff, pretty simple really.

We'll come back to this in October and see how everyone did.

IMPORTANT: Write down your bets in a word processor or notepad or whatever BEFORE you go into the comments. No influencing. No debating. Just make the bets. You can say, like, "Damn, that's a gutsy bet..." to someone else or make comments on your own bets. I'll put mine down once some of you get yours in. Scouts' honor, I already have mine written down.

1. Over/under, Nick Markakis home run total: 23.5

2. Over/under, Koji Uehara's starts: 17.5

3. Who will hit more home runs in April: Melvin Mora or Aubrey Huff?

4. Who will win more games in June: Jeremy Guthrie or Koji Uehara?

5. Over/under, Felix Pie's on-base percentage: .315.5

6. Who will start more games at catcher: Gregg Zaun or Matt Wieters?

7. Who will hit more doubles: Luke Scott or Melvin Mora?

8. Who will make more starts: Rich Hill or Mark Hendrickson?

9. Over/under, Cesar Izturis' stolen bases: 21.5

10. Over/under, Aubrey Huff's OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage): .840.5

11. Who will have more strikeouts: Chris Ray or George Sherrill?

12. Over/under, Ryan Freel's games played, any role: 110.5

13. Who will have less appearances: Danys Baez or Kam Mickolio?

14. Who will hit more home runs, total: Ty Wigginton or Melvin Mora?

15. True/False: Nolan Reimold will start at least 12 games for the Orioles.

16. Over/under, Adam Jones' strikeouts: 122.5

17. Who will hit more triples: Brian Roberts or Adam Jones?

18. Over/under, Chris Waters' starts: 11.5

19. True/False: Hayden Penn will start at least seven games for the Orioles.

20. Over/under, number of pitchers who start games for the Birds: 12.5

Your 2009 Baltimore Orioles starting rotation hopefuls

SC — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:40:48 -0000

The starting rotation isn't starting to take shape at all, but potential suitors for rotation spots are starting to turn up. Let's take a look at the gentlemen who will vie for positions taking the ball every five days.

As odd as it may seem to an outsider that hears "one guy in the rotation from last year," we haven't really LOST anyone besides Daniel Cabrera, which I now skeptically look at as a mistake (we'll get more into that), and sort of Adam Loewen, who was finished as a pitcher in May of 2008 anyway.

The Master Lock: Jeremy Guthrie, RH

"Take a hike, Rick. I got this."

Jeremy Guthrie (10-12, 3.63/1.23) is the only guy we've got heading into spring training that has a rotation spot locked up, at least as it stands right now. No one else is even close to having a spot locked up, in fact.

This is dangerous. It's dangerous because even when accepting another losing season with the idea of rebuilding surrounding it all, you're basically telling the fanbase that you're hucking up prayers from half-court four days out of five. I'm not trying to say we can't find some consistency and reliability and real spark from some of our younger arms -- there's a decent chance of that happening. There's also a good chance that nobody gets much better, and it's a complete disaster out there.

Jeremy Guthrie's won-loss record reflected the team he played for in 2008, and it will do so again in 2009. And just like last year, there's a distinct possibility he's the only guy in the rotation that won't make you pull your f---ing hair out all the time.

Kind of a crap position for Guthrie to be in, really. He's not only going to have to lead by example, he's going to be feeling like Tom Hanks in Cast Away if he doesn't get any pitching support. Maybe someone can buy him a volleyball.

There also does remain the feeling that this Guthrie balloon could pop or at least start deflating any time now. I know this will probably seem like I'm a typical fan that expects everything to go wrong, but statistical trends aren't calling for Guthrie to keep having these seasons. There's no definite either way, but if Guts regresses some, don't be surprised. It's not like you can argue that he has the stuff to be doing what he does. But then that's part of why I like him so much. He defies expectation at this point in his career.

Newbie: Koji Uehara, RH

Some of y'all are super intent on considering Uehara a set part of the rotation. I'm super intent on trying to curb your enthusiasm, so to speak, because it's a simple matter of connecting the dots to me.

1. Uehara turns 34 on April 3 and has never pitched in the Major Leagues.

2. Uehara hasn't been a full-time starter the last two seasons. It's been said it was punishment, making him the closer in '07, or whatever, but the fact remains he has thrown 151 2/3 innings in the past two seasons combined.

3. Uehara was signed for two years and $10 million. Do the math -- we're not getting a front-line starter for $5 million per season. The max it can be is $16 million, if he meets innings, starts, and other performances marks. Andy Pettitte -- a middle rotation guy at this point -- just turned down a $10 million offer from the Yankees for '09.

In other words, we're not talking about Daisuke Matsuzaka here. Uehara could be the Akinori Iwamura of pitchers, or he could just be another Kei Igawa or Masato Yoshii, a pretty low-risk guy that just isn't going to cut the mustard.

I love his lack of walks (1.2 BB/9 in Japanese ball) and I truly like the signing. The O's didn't exactly break down the door for the Japanese market, but they knocked on it and it sort of creaked open just that little bit.

Newbie: Mark Hendrickson, LH

Here's where I start to question the idea to just let Daniel Cabrera walk (ha!) instead of paying him a relatively small amount of money to eat up innings in 2009. Hendrickson is just as bad as Cabrera for what would've been pretty comparable money to keep Cabrera, and he throws way less innings. It'll be nice for me and the like-minded Cabrera Haters to not see Big Bad Dan out there throwing fits and missing the plate by six feet, but it's not like I look at Hendrickson and see much of a different result for my game-watching experience.

Radhames Liz, RH and Garrett Olson, LH

Both guys got extended trial by fire runs last year due to injuries and the like, and neither acquitted himself very nicely at all. If I'm taking all the analytical B.S. out of this and just saying what I feel, I'll tell you that Liz looks like a bullpen guy at best to me, and Olson is a back-end starter at best, and probably not a guy that sticks around for very long. Neither of them have exceptional stuff and neither of them really impressed me. Of course, I could be totally wrong, which is part of why I like to keep the analytical B.S. in there. If I just start telling you all the players in which I see little value at all, it'd get pretty old, pretty fast.

The Blue Chipper: Brian Matusz, LH

It's unlikely the O's want to rush Matusz, but I think it may wind up unavoidable. If they can't find guys that can get through five or six innings routinely without putting us in a massive hole, Matusz has to become an option if he's throwing well in the minors.

As a college pitcher, he's polished and fairly close to ready to go. It'd probably be an upset if we didn't see him at some point in '08 -- that could be good (the rotation stabilizes somehow) or indifferent (the organization sees no point in moving him up to a team with no hope).

Matusz and Chris Tillman, who's almost ready to buy a legal drink in this country (April 15, woo!), are the two genuine stud arms in the system. Both will hopefully be part of the Oriole rotation for years to come. Matusz is probably closer to ready for prime time simply in terms of maturity.

...And the Rest!

Righty Brian Bass and lefty Brian Burres could be a totally awesome new version of The Killer Bees. They even have the neat number thing going on. Burres is 56, Bass is 59.

All that talk of Danys Baez (RH) moving to the rotation was just talk, it appears, which I figured it would be. Baez stating a desire to start can easily be met with, "...sure, let's try that," because the obvious fact is that there's nothing really for him to do in 2009. He's a sunk cost and it probably hurts less to do nothing with him than force him into a role he can't handle, like pitching.

Would you give Jim Johnson a shot at the rotation? He came up as a starter. I say go for it, dude. Why not?

Oh Chris Waters, keep on rollin', Norfolk moon won't you keep on shinin' on me...

Don't count out Hayden Penn. On second thought, probably count him out. Don't count out seeing Hayden Penn at some point in '09. There, that's better.

Conclusion

In the immortal words of Steve Zissou as he and his maybe-son, Ned Plimpton/Zissou, are about to hit the ocean in their sputtering helicopter, "This is gonna hurt."

Chris Waters throws a shutout

SC — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:45:23 -0000

I said after his major league debut that Chris Waters would probably never pitch another game so good. He was doing a great job proving me right until tonight, when he threw a four-hit shutout of the Blue Jays.

It was the first (and likely only) complete game shutout for an O's pitcher in 2008.

Now he's talking and I can barely understand a word he's saying. He's sort of Boomhauer-ish.

Way to go, Chris.