Guthrie leads Orioles to series win over Rays - Carroll County Times
"A couple of their guys were like, ‘You know you're out of it, right?'" third baseman Chris Davis said. "But the biggest thing for us is to finish strong. We know those guys are battling and we don't want to make it easy for them. We don't want to just lay down, so I think there's a sense of pride we carry within ourselves to go out there and compete and make it tough on them."

Jones honored for charity work but disappointed to not start fourth straight game - baltimoresun.com
"Giving back my time, I think that's something easy to do," said Jones, who entered Tuesday's game in the eighth inning as a pinch-runner. "I understand that we have a crazy schedule, but on off days, I think a couple of hours of my time, it's pretty easy for someone to do. … Having the awareness and being able to contribute my time and be a role model to a lot of the young kids, that's fulfilling to me."

Re-Introducing the Camden Depot Oriole Book Club - Camden Depot
Looking for a winter reading list?

Adam Jones is (shaving) cream of the Orioles crop | The Daily Times
"...the discussion of favorite Orioles came up and who we considered "an Oriole." Besides the obvious slew of Hall of Famers, we named guys like Chris Hoiles, Paul Blair and Mike Flanagan, players who you can look back at fondly about their time in Baltimore. I think we can officially add Adam Jones to the list."

Amber Theoharis: Orioles playing in significant September games - MASN
"There's meaningful baseball being played at Camden Yards in September. Whether it's meaningful to Orioles fans is up for debate, but surely the games played during the O's current homestand are meaningful to baseball."

Buck Showalter talks with the media after the Orioles' win 6-2 over the Rays - MASN
Post-Game flavor with Buck.

Jones sits for fourth straight game - Carroll County Times
Buck: "I've gotten to know Adam pretty well and he's not one of those guys that lets you see every ounce of discomfort he's feeling. So when he does, that's the cache that he's created through balls off the foot and foul balls off the kneecap and diving all over the place, running into walls."

Wieters one shy of 20 homers after his bomb off Howell - baltimoresun.com
"Before Tuesday’s game at Camden Yards, Orioles manager Buck Showalter spoke at length about Wieters and his success against left-handers this season. In spring training, the Orioles force-fed Wieters at-bats against lefties, whether it was in exhibition games or simulated game situations. And entering Tuesday’s game, Wieters had been batting .320 with eight homers and 20 RBIs as a right-handed hitter against left-handers. He added to those last two totals with his bomb off Howell. It was the second straight night Wieters hit a home run. He has five homers in his past 12 games, and he is one shy of 20 on the season."

Daniel Moroz: Johnson's new role can't save O's from ill-advised signing of Gregg - MASN
"Despite what many people say (including some allusions by the Orioles themselves), Johnson is perfectly capable of being the team's closer, and signing Gregg was not a good move."

Blue Jays and Orioles Compete Far From the Races - NYTimes.com
"A year ago, it seems, the Orioles had more hope than they do now. In four months before Showalter took over, they won 32 games. In his two months they won 34. With a few veteran hitters added to the stable of young pitchers, the thinking went, maybe the Orioles could compete. Showalter knew better, but made a point not to say it and rattle the good vibes. Some of the veterans, like shortstop J. J. Hardy, have produced. But the pitching has been dreadful."

In Defense of Outliers | pitchers & poets
"An examination of Brady Anderson, Jose Bautista, the effect of the steroid era on miracles and our ability to accept them." This from a couple of weeks ago, but I enjoyed reading it. 

Britton on losing to the Rays - baltimoresun.com
"Just when Britton looked like he had recaptured what made him so good in the first two months of his career, he’s had consecutive less-than-steller performances. To Britton’s credit, that really bothers him."

Is a draft pick worth the mean or median value? - Camden Depot
Get yer stats pants on, readers.

Detention Lecture: Your 2011 Baltimore Orioles - Big League Stew
"The punishable offenses: You inserted Vladimir Guerrero as the opening day cleanup hitter and no amount of ineptitude could drive him from that role. His veteran status, his previous track record and his Hall of Fame credentials blinded Showalter to the fact that he just wasn't very good at hitting anymore."

Alex Ovechkin To Throw Out First Pitch At Orioles Game Friday - Half Smokes
"There could be a correlation between Ovechkin's appearance at Camden Yards and the preseason game that the Caps will play in Baltimore September 20 against the Nashville Predators. Developing a fanbase in Baltimore seems to be high on the Caps' priority list in terms of community outreach, so having their biggest superstar throw out a first pitch for the Orioles can only help."

Expanded Roster: Why This Year Hurts More Than Usual - Camden Depot
"So why is this season such a disaster? For me, it points the organization squarely towards another five years of mediocrity."

Flanagan to be remembered in New Hampshire hometown - MASN
"A tribute to Flanagan's life will take place Saturday, Sept. 17 at Manchester Memorial High School, where Flanagan excelled in basketball and baseball for the Crusaders. The following morning, a memorial Mass will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Litchfield, N.H. Flanagan's family in Baltimore has yet to decide on whether a local memorial service will be held."

Andy MacPhail's likely departure a blow to Baltimore Orioles - SI.com
"MacPhail's expected departure is the latest in a string of blows covering more than a decade for the storied franchise gone south."

Adam Loewen: Friend or foe? - baltimoresun.com
Adam is Dropping and Driving for someone else now. Do we care?

The week that was in Birdland (Sept. 11th) - isportsweb
"There’s no question that these Orioles are playing out a string of games to merely get to the end of the season at this point, however we’re also starting to learn a few things about some of the younger players we’re starting to see."

Baltimore Orioles GM Candidates - MLB Daily Dish
"The Baltimore Orioles are beginning to look at general manager candidates and the few whispers making their way up the I-495 are that former Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes is a leading candidate to be the teams next GM. Let's take a quick look at Byrnes and two others who are on the Orioles' radar." Up the "I-495"? I do not think that means what you think it means.

Buck Supposedly Has the Option of Being GM and Manager Concurrently - Camden Depot
"Buck would be the first person to occupy this position since Paul Richards who was the Orioles GM and manager from 1955 to 1958 when Lee MacPhail took over the GM role, leaving Richards as only the manager of the team. Even back in the 50s this was considered a unique situation. There are just too many reasons for this not to be a good idea and it is why few have ever tried to do it."

Steve Melewski: Potomac rallies and beats Frederick to force Game 5 - MASN
"The Frederick Keys took a 1-0 lead to the eighth inning this afternoon at Potomac. Six outs from advancing to the Carolina League championship series, the Keys could not maintain the shutout. Potomac came up with six runs in the last of the eighth to post a 6-1 victory that evens the best-of-five series at two wins and sends the clubs back to Frederick Monday night at 7 p.m in the fifth and deciding game." The winner of that game will play Kinston in the championship series.

Orioles Buzz: James Baker: As fall slowly starts to arrive ... - MASN
"That is why I watch, because Markakis still feels the need to lower his shoulder and drive through Cervelli in a game that means nothing to Baltimore, save for pride. As long as that is the case, I will feel the need to sit and comment, watch and cheer. It's in my blood and even though this season has been an unmitigated disaster as fall begins to show itself in between the raindrops, my heart begins to sink because I know it is coming to an end."

Having technology problems in Birdland this morning, apologies for the brevity.

Orioles' MacPhail could start GM exodus with departure – USATODAY.com
Buck: "I just hope for the best for Andy. This is not one person's fault. You can't be this bad, for this long, without multiple reasons."

MacPhail, speculation and a green-cheese moon - baltimoresun.com
MacPhail: "You can get two sources to say the moon is made of green cheese,"

Minor league updates on Hobgood and Bundy plus AFL note - MASN
"For now, rest has been recommended and Hobgood, the club's first-round draft pick in 2009, is expected to miss the remaining few games of the season."

Adams makes most of shot with Birds - Carroll County Times
Buck: "He's a confident young man and his clock's gotten a little better. It's still going to have to take some adjustments,"

Yankees, Orioles In Kerfuffle Regarding Hurricane Irene Postponements - Baseball Nation
"The New York Yankees are widely considered the jewel franchise in baseball. They make the postseason nearly every year and have won multiple World Series in the last 15 years. So that must be why they think they can push around the Baltimore Orioles, a club that hasn't made the playoffs since 1997 and is on the way to its sixth straight 90+ loss season."

Simon treating the rest of 2011 like an audition - baltimoresun.com
"I’d like to be a starter and they know, too," Simon said. "I try to do the best I can so I can show [Showalter] I can be a starter here. So that’s then up to them [to decide] what they’re going to do with me."

Steve Melewski: Manny Machado's day at Camden Yards - MASN
"Machado, who was with Keys teammate Steve Bumbry today, said he'll spend the winter working out and training in Miami. He spent some time working out last year with the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez. Even as he spoke, the Yankees were stretching just a few feet away, but Machado was not about to approach A-Rod at that point. 'I'm an Oriole,' he said. 'I can't really go over there, they're our rivals.'"

September callups: Don't expect Avery or Hoes - baltimoresun.com
"The group of pitchers to be recalled likely should include Zach Phillips, Jeremy Accardo, Rick VandenHurk and maybe Chris Tillman. The Orioles already have six pitchers in their rotation – and Jim Johnson may also be inserted into it – so the majority of pitching call-ups will go to the bullpen."

Matthew Taylor: Crafty lefty could also whiff opposing hitters - MASN
"By his fourth season, former Orioles lefty Mike Flanagan had established what would be his own career-high strikeout total by having twice fanned 13 batters in nine innings of work."

Adam Dunn Might Edge Mark Reynolds - Camden Depot
"A little known record Mark Reynolds hold is one that is exceptionally difficult to do. He has the greatest number of strike outs over hits in the history of baseball."

Jane Leavy remembers Orioles legend Mike Flanagan - Grantland
"Unlike my colleagues who have written in recent days of having covered him over the past 30 years as a pitcher, pitching coach, general manager, and broadcaster for the Orioles, Flanagan was in and out of my life as quickly as I tried to get in and out of the locker room. But he stayed with me in ways I didn't realize until I heard about his death." - duck

Davey Johnson on Mike Flanagan: ‘I just wish I had known’ - The Washington Post
"I just wish I had known he’d been struggling,"

Peter Gammons: Mike Flanagan brought humor and smarts to the game | MLB.com: News
"Memorial Stadium was part of a Baltimore neighborhood that was an era unto itself, and the joy so many of us had will last forever. The final day of that park was the best ceremony I've ever seen, as player after player from 1955-91 took his position on the field as home plate was driven to the new park known as Camden Yards, the park that changed sports. Palmer, Robin Roberts, Dave McNally and Don (Stan the Man Unusual) Stanhouse all pitched for the Orioles, but it was Mike Flanagan who was the last Orioles pitcher standing on the mound on its final day. Somewhere, I have the video of that final day. I will watch it today, put Eric Von Schmidt and Rolf Cahn's "He Was a Friend of Mine" on the iPod and do what Palmer and Billy Endicott, John Lowenstein and anyone who ever knew Flanny is doing today, glorying in the fact that we knew him."

Friends shocked by Flanagan's suicide - baltimoresun.com
Close friends of Mike Flanagan said he was wounded by losing his job as an Orioles baseball executive. They were nonetheless stunned by his suicide, saying he had seemed to be in good spirits in recent months.

Flanagan Cherished the Joy of New Life - NYTimes.com
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Orioles were a strong and tight-knit club, he said, recalling how they worried for Flanagan after he found his wife passed out during the first of two ectopic pregnancies that ended in miscarriages. In a September 1982 story in People magazine, Flanagan was open enough to share how he had talked doctors out of giving his wife a hysterectomy. By then, he said, the Flanagans were so discouraged that they avoided the team’s family events. Then they heard about an in vitro program at a Virginia hospital, where Kathy Flanagan, not yet 30, was considered a strong candidate. "We all prayed for them because we knew they’d been trying for a long time and how much they suffered," Singleton said.

Markakis on dealing with the loss of Flanagan - baltimoresun.com
"You hear something like that, it’s devastating. It is tough to keep your focus,"

A collection of Mike Flanagan quotes | Roar From 34
"It makes you realize how much time has passed -- a big chunk of your lifetime -- since this team was really a winner. Actually, 1983 is the last time this organization was really happy."

Steve Melewski: Earl Weaver and Scott McGregor remember Mike Flanagan
"Few players and people were ever more proud to represent the Orioles or did so with more pride. Flanny made us proud to be Orioles fans."

***

Steve Melewski: The starters start to pitch well - MASN
"In the first three games of the series - all Orioles wins - the starting pitchers' ERA was 1.35. The staters in the series before today - Zach Britton, Alfredo Simon and Jeremy Guthrie - had combined to give up just three earned runs and 14 hits over 20 innings."

Robert Andino Barehanded Catch: Orioles Player Makes Amazing Grab (VIDEO)
Robert Andino in the Huffington Post. It's a strange world we live in.

Joe Posnanski " Posts The Crafty Lefty Hall of Fame " SI.com
"Mike Flanagan’s main pitch was a slow curveball, which on some days baffled hitters, and on other days looked to them like a balloon floating in the wind. But he kept throwing it and his not-too-fast fastball and a sinker and a changeup, and he would drop sidearm sometimes, and he would try to make every pitch at least one mph slower or faster than anything else he had thrown that day, and sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, but he kept on pitching, year after year."

Obviously, the terrible news that Mike Flanagan has left us for the Big Memorial Stadium in the Sky is the dominant story in Birdland journalism this morning. Flanny was Birdland. He was one of us, and he will be sorely missed.

Stan The Fan: Remember how Flanagan lived - CSN Baltimore
"For my part, I am fighting the urge to want to know exactly what Flanny's last moments were like. I’d rather remember the last time I saw Mike, at the Orioles Hall of Fame Induction luncheon as he introduced O's trainer Richie Bancells. Flanagan was funny, light-hearted and clearly in the moment as one of the lasting consciences of the Orioles' organization."

Eisenberg: Flanagan was soul of Orioles - CSN Baltimore
"When the Orioles closed out their 37-year run at Memorial Stadium in 1991, they staged a farewell weekend of games that built to an emotional crescendo that had all of Baltimore in tears as an era ended. The team carefully selected Mike Flanagan to throw the final pitch. He was the consummate Oriole of the 1970s and 1980s, a bulldog-tough left-handed pitcher who won 23 games and the American League’s Cy Young award in 1979. Although he was near the end of his career at that point, the challenging task of giving a rousing finish to a franchise’s glory days didn’t overwhelm him. He could rise to an occasion like few others. He ambled in from the bullpen in the ninth inning and struck out a pair of Detroit Tigers as a packed house of more than 57,000 fans and virtually every great player in Orioles history looked on. "I was a mess," he said later, after a "Field of Dreams" postgame ceremony that remains one of the best Baltimore sports moments of the past half-century." That afternoon is by far my best memory of Flanagan, who died Wednesday at age 59.

Orioles Insider: Sharing thoughts about Mike Flanagan - baltimoresun.com
A collection of some from around Birdland.

I was once Mike Flanagan's biggest fan | Roar From 34
"I haven't drawn any great conclusions about what is the most appropriate response to sad news about a public figure, even - or especially - when the news hits close to home. In the case of Mike Flanagan, whose talents peaked at the same time as my childhood imagination, my reaction is simply this: Thanks for the memories."

Tim Kurkjian - Cy Young winner Mike Flanagan, 1951-2011 - ESPN
''Flanny,' as everyone called him, had not been his usual personable, hilarious self in recent years. The many losses he took as the Orioles general manager wore on him, and he took them home. Being replaced as GM in 2008 depressed him even more. He returned to broadcasting in 2010, and again became one of the best color commentators in the game, but he still wasn't the guy I remember turning to after so many games for a line, a laugh or an observation. "I'm getting back to my old self," he told me last year. But the last time I saw him, less than a week ago, he didn't look very good. And now he's gone, and all of Baltimore is weeping that one of the greatest Orioles is gone before age 60."

Jones dealing with lingering soreness, may not play Thursday - baltimoresun.com
"I have a sore chest muscle, sore shoulder," Jones said. "The soreness in my shoulder and chest went into my neck, and I’m just sore everywhere."

Daniel Moroz: Simon making strides as an effective rotation option - MASN
"Look at his stuff: a two-seam fastball that averages 94-95 mph even as a starter and has decent movement, a four-seamer he'll occasionally mix in to righties to good effect; a splitter that looks like the fastball before the bottom falls out, a slider that might be more of a slurve at the moment given that it's slower and has more sweeping break; and a cutter he tends to use away to righties (but not really inside to lefties, who he hasn't often thrown it to). That's a four- or five-pitch arsenal with pitches everywhere from around 75 to 97 mph."

Buster Olney: Remembering Mike Flanagan, funniest man in baseball - ESPN
"For Flanny, the stories were as much part of baseball as the sport itself -- the community of baseball, the shared experience."  - edited to add this nice tribute from Buster Olney

Mike Flanagan Career Highlights - The Hardball Times
One more Flanny link. Lots of good memories in here.

Jones hospitalized, released after tests come out fine - baltimoresun.com
"The Orioles said they summoned the Twins’ team doctor as part of stadium operations procedure but no one from the Orioles actually called 911, though a "non-emergency" call was placed. The Orioles initially described the condition as an "illness" when Jones left the field."

O's clear roster spot by designating Pie | orioles.com
Oh, Felix.

Pie speaks about being designated (with Adam Jones quotes) - baltimoresun.com
Felix: "I know I am the kind of player that [if] I play every day, I’ll do better and better. I think it’s much better for me to be put on waivers and see if another team will take me."

Shorebirds closer hopes to secure saves record - delmarvanow.com
"Walters, who signed with the Orioles organization as a free agent in June 2009, has recorded 30 saves for the Shorebirds this year and needs just three more to tie the franchise record set by Derek Brown in 1998."

On The Matt Holliday Moth Incident - Baseball Nation
Terrifying/Hilarious.

Are the Orioles worse off today than they were four years ago? - baltimoresun.com
"Four years ago, on August 22, 2007 -- the same day the team announced that manager Dave Trembley would return for the 2008 season -- the Orioles endured one of the lowest points in franchise history when the Rangers scored 30 runs on them at Camden Yards. That August 22 was rough, for sure, but four years later, are these Orioles better off than that bunch?" In scoring those 30 runs on 29 hits, the Rangers became the first MLB team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game. It was also an American League record. To make things worse, the Orioles, who led the last-place Rangers, 3-0, before giving up 30 unanswered runs, lost the second half of the doubleheader later that day.

2011 The Year of Abject Failure - Oriole Post
Yup.

Is Matt Wieters Tired at the Plate? - Dempsey's Army
"The expectations put on Wieters’s expected offensive performance when coming through the ranks in the Minors were so extremely out-of-this-world that for him to have fallen so short of them must demand an explanation of sorts…right?"

MacPhail's status, roster management, former Orioles, etc. - baltimoresun.com
"I understand this isn’t Little League and hustle alone doesn’t cut it, but let’s not confuse a wide talent gap with overall indifference."

Matthew Taylor: Once intertwined O's careers take divergent paths - MASN
"Two men whose stories began in a fashion so similar that they could both be described by the same paragraph have ridden different narrative arcs ever since. One has become a story of stability featuring great individual success, the other an itinerant tale including the ultimate in team achievement."

Davis not damaged goods in trade, Orioles say - Star-Telegram
"The Baltimore Orioles do not believe the Texas Rangers knowingly traded them damaged goods when they included Chris Davis in a package to acquire right-hander Koji Uehara."

It's time to find out if Ryan Adams can play at the major league level - MASN
"It has become more than clear that Buck Showalter is a real Robert Andino fan and Andino has done a solid job playing second base and serving in his utility role on the club this year. But I think the Orioles by now know about Andino's talents and may want to learn more about what Adams can do."

For the Orioles, the goal is to avoid 100 losses | Baltimore Sports Report
"The Baltimore Orioles are on pace for the third 100 loss season in their franchise’s 56 year history. The Orioles lost 100 games in 1954 when the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore and 107 in 1988 when the Orioles started the season 0-14."

Orioles tragic: Let me count the ways - baltimoresun.com
It's slim pickings on a Monday morning when I'm clipping Peter Schmuck.

Joe Posnanski " Posts Wild Card vs. Wild Card - SI.com
"So, theoretically, I can see the value. And hey, I’m always for more baseball. No, my only problem comes when I actually look at the standings. This year, for instance, the Yankees-Red Sox loser would probably play Tampa Bay or the Angels in a one-game playoff. In the National League, the Braves would probably play the Giants-Diamondbacks loser, or perhaps St. Louis."

Frazier's Good Luck Rubs Off On Orioles - PressBox
OK, this woman is adorable.

Steve Melewski: What makes a good draft? - MASN
Jim Callis: "Even in the first round, the best players taken in the draft, the rule of thumb is roughly a third of those guys will be very good players, a third of those guys will make it to the big leagues and a third of them will not make it or get a cup of coffee."

Heath Bintliff: Orioles not cleaning up - MASN
"Everywhere I turn, it seems the Orioles are setting some new standard for futility. Today, it is on the offensive side and a spot in the order that a couple of offseason signings were supposed to upgrade: cleanup hitter."

Machado in no rush to get called up | orioles.com
Machado: "There's still a lot of things I got to learn in this game, and it's just I'd rather wait it out a little more and learn more things. The main thing about getting to the big leagues is not getting there; that's the easy part. The hard part is staying there. I don't want to be one of those guys that goes up there for two weeks and struggles, and then get called back down, and then go back up, back and forth."

Edward Norton's birthday wish: For Ripken to save the Orioles - baltimoresun.com
Accomplished and attractive actor Edward Norton took to the twitter machine this week to lobby for Cal Ripken's return to the Orioles franchise.

Ripken a year or two away from return to baseball - MLB - Sporting News
Norton may have to wait a bit: "But realistically, I’m firmly planted in what I’m doing right now, at least for the next year or two years. Then I’ll have to reevaluate and say, ‘OK, do I really want to come back to the big league scene and is there going to be an opportunity?’ And that’s the truth of it."

Britton tosses solid rehab start, nearing return | orioles.com
"Britton's only run came in the first inning, and the expectation is he will be ready to come off the DL and make his next start on the Orioles' current road trip."

Orioles Buzz: Daniel Moroz: Predicting Adam Jones' development as a hitter - MASN
"This year, Jones has really broken out, hitting a well above average .293/.332/.489, which had made him the Orioles' top batter. One would think that one of the factors behind such a substantial improvement would be better plate discipline. Is that the case? In a word, nope."

Orioles news, notes and opinions - off day edition - baltimoresun.com
"The Orioles simply haven’t had enough talent to compete on a nightly basis and that doesn’t fall on the manager. Having said all that, I was a little surprised with two of Showalter’s moves in the Orioles’ 6-5 loss yesterday."

Orioles' Chris Davis Strains Shoulder Sleeping | SportsGrid
"We’re not even Orioles fans, and we’re depressed."

The answer, my friends? O's have Bob, add Dylan | The Daily Times
Good news, friends. Bundy's a prospect that won't disappoint because he's a hard-nosed baseball guy who doesn't showboat like those kids these days with their baggy pants and their raps. Also, sibling rivalry creates baseball success 100% of the time. Just look at Billy Ripken!

Steve Melewski: As it turns out, the Orioles did get the "big three" - MASN
"During a season in which the Orioles have had a lot of bad days, Monday was not among them. And I'm not talking about the win at Oakland. I'm talking about scouting director Joe Jordan signing what I had been calling the "big three." He got Dylan Bundy, Jason Esposito and Nicky Delmonico."

Orioles Insider: Dylan Bundy: 'The plan for me is to get up there in 2013'
Why major league deal was important: "Me and my adviser and my dad, we all thought that we were worth it. We truly believe that I’m going to be up there in 2013 and help the Orioles win some games. We thought that was necessary." -duck

Orioles find positives in Matusz's outing - baltimoresun.com
Wieters: "I thought he was probably a few good changeups away from no runs given up in that game instead of what happened. His fastball had good life, and his breaking stuff was back to being sharp. There are still a lot of positives that he could take out of that game."

Chris Davis Injury: Orioles Slugger Has Shoulder Tear - Baseball Nation
"The good news for the Orioles is that, even though there's a tear, it's small, and repairing it shouldn't be a big deal. The bad news is that there's a tear at all, which means they probably won't get to see more of Davis between now and the end of the season."

Napkin Scratch: To Overslot or Spend on International Free Agents - Camden Depot
"What is a more efficient use of funds: spending more than 500k for players after the tenth round or 500k for an international free agent."

Camden Yards: Still A Field Of Dreams 20 Seasons Later? - PressBox
Mike Devereaux: "I remember Brady Anderson and I just had our jaws dropping when we hit the field. A few of the lights were on. It actually did bring a tear to my eye because this was going to be our home, where we were going to play."

Roberts optimistic about future with O's | orioles.com: News
"I still want to be in an Orioles uniform to see this team end up where we desire to go. And I still believe I'll be an integral part of that in the next two years." -duck

Baltimore Orioles Sign Dylan Bundy - MLB Daily Dish
"His bonus will be $4 million and this signing means the Orioles will sign all of their top 10 picks."

A couple of observations from Orioles’ 6-2 win last night - baltimoresun.com
"Orioles Director of Amateur Scouting Joe Jordan said it best in a conference call late last night, when he proclaimed, 'I don't know how the hell it could have been a better day.'"

For the Birds: Orioles Use Breakthrough 7th to Jump Gio, 6-2 - Athletics Nation
"The A's drop to the cellar in a lost season of lossitude." A colorful recap from the mourners of Athletics Nation.

School of Roch: Hardy named AL Player of the Week (and note) - MASN
"Shortstop J.J. Hardy was named the AL's Player of the Week for the period ending on Sunday. It's the first time in his career that he's received the award. Hardy is the first Orioles shortstop to be named Player of the Week since Miguel Tejada in 2006."

J.J. Hardy named AL Player of the Week and the Orioles are still horrible - Birds Watcher
"All of Hardy’s solid numbers went to waste of course, as the Orioles went 2-5 over the past week. Of the 5 losses the Orioles suffered last week 4 came by one run. It is nice to finally have a solid short stop but it is hard to watch this team outside of a few key players."

Baltimore Orioles' Brad Bergesen adjusting to relief role - San Jose Mercury News
"Bergesen was a candidate to start Tuesday against the A's, but the Orioles instead are recalling lefty Brian Matusz for that assignment. There's speculation in the Baltimore media about whether Bergesen, 25, might have found a long-term home in the bullpen."

Has Jim Thome Punched His Hall Of Fame Ticket? - Baseball Nation
"We generally expect our Hall of Famers to have been dominant, MVP-caliber players for at least a few years, and that's just not what Jim Thome's been. On the other hand, we also expect our Hall of Famers to have been worth a great number of wins. According to FanGraphs, Thome's currently sitting at 71 Wins Above Replacement. There's a great cluster of players in the 70-72 range."

Steve Melewski: A quick update on the Orioles draft situation - MASN
"The deadline to sign picks is midnight on Monday and it appears that negotiations with O's top pick Dylan Bundy are likely to go into tomorrow and perhaps down to those final hours."

All Bundy, all the time - baltimoresun.com
"The story of the day for the Orioles will play out far away from Oakland, where the big league team opens a three-game series against the Athletics tonight. Back in Baltimore, Director of Amateur Scouting Joe Jordan will be on the phone, trying to hammer out a deal with top draft pick Dylan Bundy before tonight’s midnight deadline."

Guthrie not worried about 20-loss season - Carroll County Times: Orioles
"Jeremy Guthrie is a loss leader, and he's not happy about it. Guthrie lost his 16th game, most in the majors, on Saturday, and with perhaps eight starts remaining he could become the first 20-game loser since Detroit's Mike Maroth dropped 21 in 2003."

Brian Roberts deserves better from the fans | Roar From 34
Lesson learned? Never read the comments sections on The Sun.

One Lucky Fan - Baltimore magazine
"It’s every baseball fan’s dream, to catch a home-run ball. For Orioles fan Tim Anderson, this dream became a reality not just once, but on three different occasions. It just so happens that these three occasions took place over the course of three days, during this week’s series against the Chicago White Sox."

Matusz tosses shutout for Tides - Carroll County Times
"If Brian Matusz's recent run of starts is any indication, it won't be long before the left-hander is able to return to the Orioles. On Thursday, Matusz had his best performance of 2011, tossing a complete-game, five-hit shutout for Class AAA Norfolk. He fanned eight, walked one and threw 105 pitches. The 24-year-old has pitched to a 1.57 ERA over his last three starts, allowing just four runs in 23 innings."

Does Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. own a white horse? - baltimoresun.com
"There is speculation that manager Buck Showalter would be interested in moving to the front office, but the Orioles are best-served with him in the dugout. They’re not going to get a manager better than him. This is where Cal comes riding in on a white horse -- or at least he does in the daydreams of fed-up fans."

Buck Showalter: Looking back on the first year as Orioles' skipper- MASN
"The O's skipper also touched on whether there was any acclimation process when he first came aboard in Baltimore, and how he plans on balancing the goal of winning games and finishing the season strong with wanting to see what his younger players can do in the major leagues."

Heath Bintliff: Losing is Birdland - MASN
"The Orioles are likely not to reach the 70 win plateau for the fifth straight season. That's really bad and it's pretty hard to do."

Adam Jones: the second best defensive outfielder in the AL or the second worst? - Camden Depot
"Even though Adam Jones was ranked the second best defensive outfielder by skilled professionals, the probably are not the best professionals to ask."

Last in AL East, first in gouging | The Daily Times | delmarvanow.com
What can be done to help attendance? "Lower ticket prices. According to the website SeatGeek.com, which calculates ticket prices of professional teams over a seven-day period, Orioles seats were the fourth-most expressive in the majors as of Aug. 1, with only the Red Sox, the Cubs and the Phillies costing more." And get TicketMaster to be reasonable. I bougth 2 $17 tickets to last nights game. By the time TicketMaster got done, they cost me $46. 2 X $17 doesn't equal $46. Not even close. -duck

Orioles Work As Southwest Employees for a Day - Severn, MD Patch
"In an effort to reach out to the community and show support of their official airline, two Baltimore Orioles veteran pitchers, starter Jeremy Guthrie and reliever Jim Johnson, acted as Southwest Airlines "Sub-Ins" for a day at BWI Thursday afternoon. Guthrie, Johnson and even the Oriole Bird checked in customers at the main terminal, greeted passengers, conducted the boarding procedure and even helped unload baggage from airplanes." Wow. There are just so many jokes to be made here. I'll leave that to you, readers. Have at it.

Cal Ripken Jr. made his Orioles debut 30 years ago today - baltimoresun.com
"Thirty years ago today, Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. made his first major-league appearance and played a key role in an extra-innings win over the Kansas City Royals without stepping into the batter's box." And thirty years later, he reminds folks that yeah, he'd like to run this town again.

Chat baseball, philanthropy and more with legend Cal Ripken, Jr. - The Washington Post
Another RIpken article from the 9th - clearly my google-fu failed me yesterday.

Reimold blasts Orioles to win - baltimoresun.com
"I got more shaving cream in my ear this time," Reimold said laughing. "I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know how to get it out. It feels like it is stuck deep in there."

Britton plays long toss, nearing rehab start | orioles.com
"Right now, [Britton is] tentatively scheduled to pitch Sunday," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "But we've got a wiggle day there. The problem is if he pitches on Monday, [pitching coach] Rick [Adair] actually talked about maybe taking two work days. If he does that, then he'd pitch Monday and that would have to be in Frederick."

Do stolen signs explain the Orioles' struggles in Toronto? - baltimoresun.com
A more likely explanation is that the Orioles are a terrible baseball team.

Daniel Moroz: O's need to keep working on growing the arms - MASN
"The plan was supposed to be to "grow the arms", but that hasn't exactly paid dividends yet. In fact, it hasn't really done so at all in quite a long time. The best pitcher the O's have developed since 1991 - a span of 20 years (a generation, if you will) - is clearly Mike Mussina. For number two on the list, we have a massive drop."

Control, Controllers And Controlees - PressBox
"Don't bring a starting pitcher to the big leagues until he has thrown at least 175 innings during one minor league season. The place to shut down pitchers in September is the minor leagues, which shut down completely on Labor Day weekend."

National Premium is coming back next year, says new owner - baltimoresun.com
"Natty Boh is brewed out of North Carolina. There's nothing local about it but its heritage," Miller said. "[Premium's] going to be a Maryland-owned beer again." - duck

Slow news day in Birdland today...

Showalter tossed after blown call by Cuzzi - baltimoresun.com
"Showalter kicked dirt across the third-base bag on his way to the dugout. He got a nice ovation."

Buck Showalters postgame comments - MASNsports.com
Buck's post-ejection post-game.

Johnson should join Orioles' rotation - CSNBaltimore
"The Orioles should toy with Jim Johnson as a starting pitcher again. It’s an ironic statement considering the reliever blew Monday night’s game against the White Sox. After inheriting a 6-5 lead from Jeremy Guthrie, Johnson allowed two runs to take the loss. In a talk radio world, nothing else matters but what’s in front of you. And, at least for today, some people have foolishly written Johnson off."

School of Roch: Who cleans up mess in fourth slot? - MASN
"If Showalter pulls the trigger and lowers Guerrero in the order, which we've been anticipating since the break, who takes his spot behind Jones? Could it be Jones? Or is it a bad idea to move him from the third slot and tamper with his success? Could it be Reynolds, who leads the team in home runs and second-deck shots?"

Life After Andy MacPhail: Experienced Hands Outside of the Organization - Camden Depot
"I think Hart and Krivsky are the two likely ones from this group to have consideration to replace MacPhail. The one selected would be based on whoever had more power: Buck or MacPhail."

Will the Orioles lose 100 games this season? - baltimoresun.com
"They have lost eight of their last 10 and 28 of their last 37. They haven’t won a series in more than a month (June 24-26). And, that begs the question that was floating around the press box Monday night after the Orioles threw a game away to the Chicago White Sox: Will these Orioles do it? Will they lose 100 games?"

Would you like to see Reynolds play first base permanently? - baltimoresun.com
Reynolds: "I don't know if I like [first] better, but it's good to just do whatever I can to help the team win. If they want me to play first, I'll be at first. If they want me at third, I'll be there, and if they want me to be in the outfield, I'll go to the outfield. Maybe not catcher. I don't like catcher so much."

Amber Theoharis: Showalter, Birds need to being evaluating for next season - MASN
"Who would you like to get a better look at these last two months of the season, and who are you ready to cut ties with?"

Matthew Taylor: Trying to keep things in perspective - MASN
"Rather than focus on the day-to-day frustrations of the Birds' 14th consecutive losing season, I'm attempting to consider the big picture and keep things in perspective. After all, how bad could it be?"

Measuring the Growth of Sabermetrics - Beyond the Box Score
"The proliferation of sabermetrics can be largely attributed to the rise of the internet, which gives an appropriate medium for many types of baseball discussion. Websites, such as the very one you are reading, provide for an excellent forum from which to learn. As such, it seems that it would be appropriate to measure the growth of sabermetrics using the internet, specifically using tools like Google Trends."

Hardy and Davis could play Monday, Reyes likely for Tuesday, Reynolds at first, lineups - baltimoresun.com

"Jo-Jo Reyes threw a bullpen session today and the anticipation is that he'll make Tuesday's start in place of the injured Zach Britton."

Orioles Insider: News, notes and opinions - baltimoresun.com

"Here’s a statistic that I’m guessing you wouldn’t have even believed if it was May never mind August: The team’s current leader in on-base percentage among regulars (or at least semi-regulars) is infielder Robert Andino who is getting on at a .343 clip. This is no disrespect at all to Andino, who is one of only a precious few Orioles this season who has actually exceeded expectations. It is, however, quite alarming that a player who began the season as the team’s utility infielder leads in this category."

IronBirds top Hudson Valley 4-1 as Hobgood puts together first quality start of the season - baltimoresun.com

A recap of the IronBirds game from a man named Dewey.

Life After Andy MacPhail: Newcomers Outside of the Organization - Camden Depot

"Another option that would likely work well with Buck would be to hire a young up-and-coming GM prospect who can take care of the day-to-day front office tasks while Buck gives broad organizational directives from the dugout.  This certainly could be done and some argue it is exactly what is being done in St. Louis for better or worse.  St. Louis has won a World Series, but a great deal of luck and Albert Pujols helped that occur.  Anyway, here is a list of GM prospects outside of the organization." 

Dear Pirates fans: We feel your pain | Roar From 34
"A winning record? The wild card? Winning the division? Surely you've dared to daydream against even your strongest self-protective instincts."

The Worst Team In Baseball Meets The Worst Team In Blue
Clipped by Duck! Just like old times. 

Callis on Bundy/Bauer deals - Camden Depot
"Historically, the largest Major League deal Baltimore has given to a high school pitcher is Adam Loewen's 2002 Major League deal that included about $3.5 million in bonus and another $800 thousand in guaranteed salary. Baltimore's most recent 1st Round high school arm Matt Hobgood received $2.4 million and a Minor League deal as the fifth overall selection in 2009. It's safe to say that any Major League deal signed by Bundy will eclipse $800 thousand in salary given to Loewen and likely that the bonus will improve -- if only nominally -- over the $3.5 million offered to Loewen."

Updating J.J. Hardy's left ankle injury - baltimoresun.com
Hardy: "It felt OK coming into (Thursday) and then it kind of crept back up on me. I don’t think it’s anything serious. I feel like if they had taken me out of the game last night I would have been fine an inning later."

Heath Bintliff: These Orioles could be record-setters - MASN
"With Mark Reynolds playing third base and Davis manning first base in 2012, could the Orioles set a team record for strikeouts?"

School of Roch: Griffin on Tillman - MASN
"Tillman is 3-3 with a 4.17 ERA in 10 starts with Norfolk, with 49 hits allowed, 23 walks and 32 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings. He's had so many starts cut short by the weather, he's earned the nickname "The Rain Man.""

S.E.C. Accuses Former Baseball All-Star of Insider Trading - NYTimes.com
Once, when I was a little baby, Doug DeCinces came over to my parents' seats in Memorial Stadium, picked me up and told them to watch out for foul balls. Now, he has been accused by the S.E.C. of insider trading.

O's woes a mystery - | FOX Sports
Why are we so awful? Don't worry, Ken Rosenthal will tell us.

Connor resumes former post with Rangers | orioles.com
"Former Orioles pitching coach Mark Connor, who resigned on June 14, has agreed to return to his former role as the Rangers' player development special consultant, according to several sources."

A closer look at LJ Hoes' breakout season at Double-A and recent power surge - MASN
"LJ Hoes, the Orioles' 21-year-old, third-round pick out of Washington's St. John's High School in 2008 that was signed by scout Dean Albany, is putting up impressive numbers for the team and suddenly has added some power to his game."

Zach Britton talks about his struggles before tonight's start - baltimoresun.com
"Britton and Gregg spoke for about two hours Sunday, locked up in an intense conversation in one corner of the Yankee Stadium clubhouse." Guidance from Gregg. It's come to this?

'Bad News Birds,' starring Buck Sho-Walter Matthau | The Daily Times
"You can feel the Orioles will be good someday because Showalter always has been successful as a manager. Looking at Showalter's history, his teams usually take their lumps that first full year before figuring things out. And the silver lining is they are better than they were this time last year."

C.J. Nitkowski's experience with stem cell treatment - The Bonus - SI.com
"I wondered if after a long baseball season, stem cell and PRP therapies could be given to seemingly healthy pitchers to strengthen weakened and slightly torn ligaments and tendons. My thought was that they would decrease the chances of a pitcher getting seriously hurt." - Andrew

Arrieta talks about injury, expects to have surgery - baltimoresun.com
Jake: "[I've] done as best job as I can to manage it with treatment, taken some anti-inflammatories, but it’s come to a point where it’s really affecting the way I pitch. And I feel like I’m potentially putting myself at risk for a more serious injury if I don’t have it looked at a little bit more seriously."

Orioles add Blue Jays’ Reyes - Carroll County Times
"Earlier this season, left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes made headlines for the dubious distinction of matching a big-league record with a 28-start winless skid. And he just might prove to be an upgrade for the majors' worst pitching staff."

Prince Fielder would've hit the Warehouse on the fly - Roar From 34
"Fielder drove a 475-foot home run to Miller Park's second deck in right field. Had he hit that shot in Baltimore it would've been the longest home run in Camden Yards history, exceeding Evan Longoria's 2010 homer by two feet. Even better, Fielder would've done what no other batter has accomplished in the nearly 20-year history of Camden Yards: hit the Warehouse on the fly."

Steve Melewski: Updates on Schrader, Hobgood and Bundy - MASN
Meanwhile, down on the farm...

Joe Posnanski " The New Code of Baseball - SI.com
"Throughout the game’s history, there has been an understanding that pitchers can and will make specific points to their opponents by throwing inside."

Orioles at the Deadline: MacPhail Still Magic? Or Was He Ever? - The Loss Column
"Since those two big, early moves he hasn’t really had a great track record. He hasn’t had a terrible one, either, but the results both on the field and in terms of the ultimate return on those two big trades speak to a guy who is, shall we say, struggling. He hasn’t overseen a comprehensive rebuild of the team. He hasn’t fixed the farm system. He hasn’t brought the team to contention."

Derrek Lee dump - Camden Deopt
"First and foremost, this signals that Andy MacPhail and the brain trust coordinating the personnel decisions appear to truly be dedicated to giving Chris Davis every chance to get comfortable and show what he has as a starting first baseman. This was a large concern following the Uehara deal, as noted in Part 1 of our Koji trade analysis, and it is terrific news that the organization is going to make at least a two month commitment to figuring out whether or not Davis looks like a future contributor."

Orioles Insider: One year later: What do you think of Showalter now? - Baltimore Orioles: Schedule, news, analysis and opinion on baseball at Camden Yards - baltimoresun.com
"My take is that he is the best in-game manager I have covered, and probably the best one since Davey Johnson. He’s also the most prepared and observant person I have been around in this game. The things he notices continually amaze me. I do believe, however, that at times he has stayed with veterans longer than he should have this year (Vladimir Guerrero should have been out of the cleanup spot by late May). But, to be fair, it’s not like he’s had a whole lot of tempting options to choose from."

Showalter staying positive after first year at the helm - Carroll County Times
Buck: "We want to put something together to stand the test of time. Just about every great situation, New York, Tampa, Atlanta, Arizona - there were times where it looked pretty tough and some things started clicking. I feel good about understanding what we have and what we don't have,"

Matthew Taylor: Rout by Yankees brings back unpleasant memories - MASN
Not the best thing to read first thing in the morning, really.

Farewell to one of my favorite Orioles, Mr. Koji Uehara - baltimoresun.com
A little Koji nostalgia tour.

Steve Melewski: Jim Duquette: Some scouts amazed at the haul the Orioles brought back in Uehara deal
Duquette: "I have called a couple of scouts in the industry checking on what they are hearing (about deadline deals) and it was three different scouts I spoke with and they too were amazed at the haul that the Orioles brought back."

Orioles Insider: How did Andy MacPhail do at the trade deadline? - Baltimore Orioles: Schedule, news, analysis and opinion on baseball at Camden Yards - baltimoresun.com
"Here’s my take on the moves: I like the Uehara trade. The Lee trade doesn’t really register."

Pirates Trades: Orioles' Adam Jones Talks About Derrek Lee - SB Nation Pittsburgh
"These youthful Bucs don't have a lot of veterans, and certainly not veterans with experience playing in pennant races. He could mentor any number of guys on the team now and have a positive effect not only in 2011, but in the years to come."

Steve Melewski: Bobby Bundy will move to Double-A Bowie for his next start - MASN
"Right-handed pitcher Bobby Bundy, who has been one of the best starters in the Orioles minor leagues this year, will be promoted to Bowie soon and make his next start for the Double-A Baysox."

Uehara, Tateyama have high school reunion with Rangers - Star-Telegram
Aawww, Koji.

Orioles Insider: Bauer's deal with Arizona is solid development for Orioles - baltimoresun.com
"There have been no recent developments in the quest to sign fourth-overall selection, Dylan Bundy, before the Aug.15 deadline to sign 2011 draft picks, but the Arizona Diamondbacks certainly didn’t hurt the Orioles’ cause earlier this week. The Diamondbacks agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer, the third overall selection, on a four-year contract worth a guaranteed $.4.45 million. The Major League deal could be worth as much as $6.95 million if Bauer, the former UCLA Bruin, makes it to the big leagues at the start of next season, and stays with the club. What does this mean for the Orioles and Bundy?"

Heath Bintliff: There's little defense for these Orioles - MASN
"The Orioles are playing at right about the level they usually do in late July, jockeying for position for one of the top three picks in the amateur draft for 2012 and basically filling the role of American League doormats. The fans are pointing fingers at the pitching staff - rightly so since they are dead last in ERA among American League teams, and it's not really close. Some also point fingers at an anemic offense which, while not as abysmal as the pitching, is slightly below league average in run production and has underachieved in 2011. But I'm here to tell you that it's even worse than all this because the defense has been pretty awful as well."

O's rally against anti-gay bullying | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
"The effort is commendable, although the irony will be glaring as long as there remains no openly gay athletes playing major league baseball, football, basketball or hockey."

Daniel Moroz: The bases are loaded, but nobody's coming home - MASN
"When I asked people on Twitter what they thought "pulling an Orioles" meant, every O's fan with an actual response said stranding runners. Does the reality match up with these perceptions though? (Some of the answers: "loading the bases with 0 outs and getting 0 runs at the end of the inning," "stranding runners" and "stranding FOUR guys on base, It's THAT bad." At least the team has made a name for themselves in one area.)"

What the Orioles could get at the deadline for Derrek Lee | Baltimore Sports Report
"Just like Vlad Guerrero, Lee will probably be traded come August once he clears waivers. There is a small chance that he could be dealt by this Sunday still. But it is a small chance. It is almost impossible to tell exactly what the Orioles will get for Lee, because they will only get mid level prospects. They will not get an impact player, they will not get a player with big league experience, and they will not get any names that any of you have ever heard of. "

Colby Rasmus and the Orioles - Camden Depot
Jon thinks we had the trade chips to get Colby Rasmus, based on what the Jays pulled off.

MLB Trade Rumors: Erik Bedard Generating Wide Interest - Baseball Nation
Our old friend, Monsieur Bedard is coming off the DL this Friday and attracting trade deadline interest. If he went to the Red Sox, I would cry until his utter disdain for the media and public attention turned the situation into a hilarious black comedy.

Matusz admits that he wasn't "mentally prepared" for the start of the season - baltimoresun.com
Matusz: "It wasn’t necessarily that I wasn’t physically prepared, but I wasn’t mentally prepared. I was working with two pitching coaches that I didn’t know and they wanted to change things I’ve done for my whole life. Rick Adair and Mark Connor had great intentions of helping us young guys get better. That was the goal, that was the plan. Mentally, I wasn’t prepared to make that happen. Right now, I’m trying to find myself, getting back to what has made me successful through my entire life."

Some of the greatest O's starters began their careers in the pen - Roar From 34
"The reliever-turned-starter model speaks to the patchwork nature of the Birds' rotation this season. To borrow a popular NFL phrase, it's become "next man up" for Baltimore pitchers. This all-hands-on-deck approach in 2011 was once the norm in Baltimore and the sport generally, but for different reasons."

Will the slumping Mariners save the 1988 Orioles from infamy? - baltimoresun.com
The M's snapped their losing streak last night, proving that our 21 games of misery will forever stand alone in infamy.

Orioles no longer pushovers at Rogers Centre after 12-4 rout of Blue Jays - Winnipeg Free Press
"The Blue Jays were 15-3 against the Orioles last year and had won four of the first six games between the teams this year. Now the Orioles have won two in a row at Rogers Centre and aren't looking like pushovers in Toronto anymore."

Britton will start Saturday in New York; Tillman a possibility, also; Worrell optioned; Izturis won't be activated in Toronto - baltimoresun.com
"Despite Zach Britton getting knocked around by Double-A Harrisburg for eight runs (four earned) and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings last night, Orioles manage Buck Showalter said that he got positive reports from the outing and the plan remains for the left-hander to start the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader against the New York Yankees."

The silver lining for Scott's injury naturally involves gunpowder - Baltimore Sun
Luke Scott: "I'll learn to be ambidextrous with firearms, so I look at it as a positive."

What the Orioles could get at the deadline for Koji Uehara | Baltimore Sports Report
"Unless we get Denard Span, Tommy Hunter, Aaron Hicks, Andy Oliver, Charlie Furbush, or Edinson Volquez, I don’t like the possible deals."

Cup of jO's (July 26, 2011): Trading Koji Uehara - Camden Depot
"With the exception of a truly elite talent, I'm strongly in favor of moving relief arms when you think they have hit the apex of their value. We are there with Koji."

Dempsey's Army Presents: Last Week in Chats - Camden Depot
Heath reads chats so you don't have to.

The Progression of Jonathan Schoop’s Swing: Mechanically - Orioles Nation
"This article will break down the improvements in Schoop’s swing & approach at the plate and you will get an understanding of his ability to be a dual threat hitter down the road."

Statue being built to honor Brooks Robinson - ABC2
A statue of Brooks Robinson will be unveiled outside Camden Yards around October 22, the same time of year that Brooks Robinson won the World Series MVP award.

Orioles sinking again in Baltimore - Toronto Sun
"For Toronto, it’s too premature to say those investments have paid off but there are signs throughout the system that pitching help is very much on the way. Tangible proof of that may be two or three years away. For the Orioles, not so much."

Tigers Among Four Persuing Koji Uehara - Motor City Bengals
"While Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski remains publicly committed to finding a starting pitcher on the trade market, acquiring a guy like Uehara would clearly be an upgrade to a suspect middle-relief corps in Detroit. The Tigers are adding rookie Chance Ruffin to the club today, but he’s just another in a growing list of untested right handers that have had their auditions with the Tigers this year. Maybe Ruffin will hold down the fort, maybe not, but Uehara’s addition would certainly still be a clear upgrade."

A-Z Orioles: Mike Boddicker - Birds Watcher
"Hall-of-Famer Rod Carew referred to his pitching repertoire as 'Little League slop' and as 'worse garbage than the stuff I take out at night.' In order to make up for his lack of power, he used his off-speed pitches and deception."