SB Nation User Blog: duck

Sunday Open Thread

duck — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 02:02:50 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

Your Off-Season O of the Day: Matt Albers (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Consider this your Open Thread for Sunday.

Zrebiec: A Ray of class
"[Chris] Ray’s fastball velocity started to come back as the 2009 season progressed and he said that he has put on eight pounds of muscle this offseason to get some strength back that he felt he lacked last year. He said his 2009 struggles have provided great motivation. The bet here is that he’ll return to form and be a pretty effective reliever for Texas." -duck

Big names added to free-agent pool | MLB.com: News
Oakland slugger Jack Cust, Yankees right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, Colorado third baseman Garret Atkins and Pittsburgh closer Matt Capps were among the prominent players not tendered contracts prior to Saturday's 11:59 p.m. ET deadline, swelling the free-agent ranks. Other veterans granted free agency by virtue of not receiving contract offers are Nationals closer Mike MacDougal, Reds outfielder Johnny Gomes and the Giants' Ryan Garko. -zk

Zrebiec: Winter Meetings leftovers
"(T)he Royals and Orioles never engaged in formal trade talks (for Felix Pie) in Indianapolis, unless you count a couple of quick lobby conversations among scouts and other team officials. So no, the Orioles didn’t ask for Royals first baseman Billy Butler or third baseman Alex Gordon. " -duck

O's agree to terms with Albers, Meredith -- baltimoresun.com
The Orioles have agreed to terms with relievers Matt Albers and Cla Meredith on 2010 contracts, according to team sources today. -duck

Garret Atkins non-tendered by Rockies
"The Orioles have some interest and didn't engage in serious trade talks with the Rockies because they anticipated that he would hit the open market." Just Andy being Andy, people. -duck

IN OTHER BASEBALL NEWS...

Jason Bay rejects Red Sox offer
"Boston Red Sox free agent left fielder Jason Bay has rejected the team’s latest offer, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports via Twitter Saturday. Bay’s agent Joe Urbon said ”We have other offers on table that are of greater interest to Jason.” Ha. See how YOU like it, Boston. -duck

Feliz Navidad / Feliz Navidad / Feliz Navidad / Prospero Ano y Open Thread.

Wednesday Bird Droppings

duck — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:22:34 -0000

More photos » by Richard Drew - AP

Your Off-Season O of the Day: Koji Uehara (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Browse more photos »

More nuggets from Winter Meetings...

O's like landscape at third; Millwood talks continue -- baltimoresun.com
Jeff Zrebiec's late Tuesday night update contains lots of info. To wit: • Dan Uggla: not likely as long as the Marlins want two pitching prosects • San Diego's Kevin Kouzmanoff: The O's are interested in him, especially since he could move to first when Bell comes up • "mild interest" in Garrett Atkins of the Rockies • Phillie Pedro Feliz is still "top of the list" • The Rangers wanted David Hernandez + a lower-level prospect for Kevin Millwood and $3M. The teams have discussed other deals, and the O's are still frontrunners. • No real interest in Derek Lowe or Joe Blanton • .... and a bunch of other stuff. As a footnote, the Rockies apparently have shown an interest in Melvin Mora. -zk

MacPhail's 6pm presser, via Roch - Discussing 3B
Andy MacPhail: "There are some options available to us, and not just free agents. Potential trades that we've identified," he said. "It's a reasonably sized list. And we're somewhat guided by the fact that we're very pleased with how Josh Bell has responded since he put on an Orioles uniform. We don't want to do anything that's going to hamper his development, but we also have to be realistic that prospects are just that - they're prospects." -zk

More names floated as signing possibilities for O's - MASN
"The Orioles maintain interest in first baseman Carlos Delgado, who is expected to begin playing in Puerto Rico later this week. And they also are keeping an open dialogue with Sam Levinson, who represents third baseman Pedro Feliz. Also, if the Orioles lose a player in the Rule 5 draft, it could be Double-A Bowie second baseman Miguel Abreu, who is drawing strong interest from the San Diego Padres. At least two other teams, the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, have scouted him in Puerto Rico." -duck

The Schmuck Stops Here: The third man
"The Orioles also have expressed interest in San Diego Padres third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, who had 18 homers and 88 RBI in 141 games last year." I know absolutely nothing about this player. Enlighten me. Also, if you have nothing better to do with your life (and I sincerely hope you do), you can participate in a chat with Peter Schmuck at 1:30 p.m. today -duck

O's to meet again with Chapman team
"The Orioles will meet with the representatives for Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman before leaving Indianapolis. They've had discussions with Alan Hendricks over the past few weeks in sort of a start-over process after Chapman switched agents." -duck [UPDATE: They met with his reps yesterday -zk]

The Schmuck Stops Here: Orioles: Arms sale
The O's have their pick of Kevin Millwood, Joe Blanton or Derek Lowe, who averaged 15 wins a year for the last 8 years - who knew? All can be had at reasonable prices. But do we actually want any of that group? -duck

Obstacles block Royals' interest in Orioles outfielder Pie
"The Royals remain interested in a trade to acquire outfielder Felix Pie but appear unable — and unwilling — to meet Baltimore’s asking price of a run-production corner infielder." They won't budge on Billy Butler, and they have no one else we're interested in. -duck

Peter Gammons: Baseball analyst to leave ESPN after winter meetings
Peter Gammons is leaving ESPN after the winter meetings. He may be a Red Sox homer, but he is a pretty good source of information on the larger media market clubs. -duck [UPDATE: He's going to MLB Network. -zk]

Organizational Rankings: Practical makes perfect for Red Sox - MLB - CBSSports.com Baseball
Larry Dobrow (who?) breaks down all 30 franchises in his annual Organizational Rankings. The O's ranked 15th, up from 29th last year.

Woodland critters: [singing] What special time, what special place! It's Woodland Critter Christmas!
Squirrely the Squirrel: Hail, Open Thread!

Monday Bird Droppings

duck — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:40:58 -0000

Your (Minor League) Off-Season O of the Day: Sherman the Shorebird at the Salisbury Christmas Parade.

View full size photo »

Trembley's begging for a bat

"We still have one piece missing, we need a bat. We need that in the middle of the lineup, a proven bat that can hit behind Markakis and ahead of whoever is fifth and sixth," said Dave Trembley to MASN's Steve Melewski. And if I was Diamond Dave, I'd be asking for the same thing. -duck

What will the Orioles do? -- baltimoresun.com
Armed with an extensive list of needs and ample payroll flexibility, the Orioles ' top decision-makers will descend on Indianapolis this week for baseball's annual winter meetings. Jeff Zrebiec's article is the umpteenth one yo've seen about the Os' needs this offsseason. -zk

This week’s meetings teem with possibilities - The Boston Globe

The Globe also thinks we need 1B and 3B help and a starter and possibly a closer. They also think the O's have the talent to trade for a stud. So, in other words, their reporters can use Google News as well as I can. -duck

Team-by-team AL winter meetings outlook

Team-by-team AL winter meetings outlook by Fox News. Learn such new revelations like the O's want a front-line starter and a corner infield help! But I swear, I feel like I've read this before...Oh,. wait. Only in every Hot Stove roundup done for the past month. That's where! -duck

Uehara willing to pitch in any role

"(Koji) Uehara told one of the Japanese reporters here that he'll do whatever the Orioles want - start, close, set-up." Roch says Uehara has been cleared to begin light tossing back in Japan. -duck

Pioneering leadership may net Hall spots

Andy MacPhail is a member of the 12-member electorate for the Executives/Pioneers ballot. He's got some interesting decisions to make besides who should play 1B and 3B until June for the Orioles in the upcoming week. -duck

MacPhail can wait; fans can't

Peter Schmuck is worried that Andy MacPhail won't throw red meat to the fans by making a trade during the Winter Meetings. He's worried that a trade later in the winter from a then-depleted talent pool won't be enough. I think Andy MacPhail knows a hell of a lot more about what the O's should do than Schmuck does. -duck (Or to put it another way, Schmuck once again reminds us why he's lucky someone pays him to write a column. Thank your lucky stars he doesn't work in the Orioles' front office. -zk)

A little outside advice

Roch says: "A scout from another organization was pushing for the Orioles to dip into their surplus of pitching prospects and acquire the big bat that they need. He reminded me that it wasn't so long ago that we were hyping the likes of Matt Riley, Hayden Penn, Daniel Cabrera and Adam Loewen." Take a moment to compare the minor league accomplishments of the two sets of pitchers, and I think you'll see the value of this advice. -duck

Tides' Young named minors' top executive

"Norfolk Tides president Ken Young has been named Minor League Executive of the Year by Baseball America." Another accolade for the Orioles resurgent minor league system. -duck

Maryland Politics - Angelos confirms possible interest in Laurel, slots
A group led by Baltimore Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos is considering making a bid to buy Laurel Park racetrack with the hope of securing a slot-machine license if plans fall through to build a casino at Arundel Mills mall. -zk

I'm glad he took our presents. You can't hurt Christmas, Mr. Mayor, because it isn't about the... the gifts or the contest or the fancy lights. That's what Cindy's been trying to tell everyone... and me. I don't need anything more for Christmas than this right here: my Open Thread.

UMd Wrestling stays at #10 in WrestlingReport.com poll

duck — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:05:27 -0000

UMd Wrestling stays at #10 in WrestlingReport.com poll

Despite beating #3 Cornell at Cornell this weekend, Maryland's wrestling team made no headway in the team rankings this week. Eight of the 10 starting lineup are ranked in the Top 30 of their respective weight classes.

Pujols received all 32 first-place votes, good for 448 ballot points. Marlins shortstop Hanley...

duck — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:32:02 -0000

Pujols received all 32 first-place votes, good for 448 ballot points. Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez garnered 15 second-place votes and 233 points. First baseman Ryan Howard of the Phillies was a close third with 217 points. He was followed by Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder and Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

Third time is charming for MVP Pujols | MLB.com: News

Joe Mauer almost unanimous as AL MVP

duck — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:42:28 -0000

Joe Mauer almost unanimous as AL MVP

Joe Mauer became only the second catcher in 33 years to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award, finishing first in a near-unanimous vote Monday. The Minnesota Twins star received 27 of 28 first-place votes and 387 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

#6 UMd Wrestling defeats #3 Cornell in dual

duck — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:56:14 -0000

#6 UMd Wrestling defeats #3 Cornell in dual

Forum thread from mdwrestling.net that gives weight class results of Maryland's biggest collegiate wrestling win. Ever.

Thursday Bird Droppings - Orioles News and Links

duck — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:56:55 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Your Off-Season O of the Day: Jason Berken (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Browse more photos »

In Baseball, Money Loads the Bases - WSJ.com

One reader offers his reasons for frustration with baseball's economic model. -duck

Report: Jauss to be Mets' bench coach | MLB.com: News

Dave Jauss, a former bench coach for the Orioles and Dodgers, will be hired to fill the same position by the Mets, FoxSports.com, citing Major League sources, reported on Tuesday. -duck

The Schmuck Stops Here: Orioles: Making sense of today's roster moves

That leaves a few recognizable players exposed to the Rule 5 Draft -- including shortstop Blake Davis and recently acquired pitcher Steve Johnson -- and leaves room to question why certain journeyman-type players are still on the 40-man. The Orioles kept pitcher Chris Waters, for instance, even though he didn't seem to be on the radar when the Orioles needed help at several points last season. -duck

Nationals name ex-Orioles manager D. Johnson advisor

Davey Johnson, the Orioles' former All-Star second baseman who was the last manager to lead the club to a winning season, has taken a job with the Washington Nationals. Johnson, 66, will be a senior advisor to general manager Mike Rizzo. -duck

Arizona Fall League recap -- Nov. 18

Pretty good night for the O's in the AFL. -Stacey

Remembering Corey Patterson’s Bright Spot

Corey Patterson used to be looked on fondly, doncha know. -Stacey

Mike Scioscia and Jim Tracy Are Managers of the Year - NYTimes.com

This year’s managers of the year were runaway winners: Jim Tracy of the Colorado Rockies and Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels. -Stacey

Frankly, my dear, I don't give an Open Thread.

The Orioles have added six players to their 40-man roster: pitchers Brandon Erbe and Luis Lebron,...

duck — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:57:38 -0000

The Orioles have added six players to their 40-man roster: pitchers Brandon Erbe and Luis Lebron, and infielders Josh Bell, Pedro Florimon, Rhyne Hughes and Brandon Snyder. The roster is at its capacity. Teams must submit their rosters to the MLB office by Friday afternoon.

Roch Kubatko - MASNsports.com
That means Steve Johnson is unprotected. Roch has confirmed he is subject to the Rule V Draft in December.

Sunday Bird Droppings: Orioles Links and News

duck — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:11:52 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

Your Off-Season O of the Day: Chad Moeller (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Browse more photos »

Sarasota welcomes the Orioles
About 2,500 Sarasota residents welcomed the Orioles to town during the team's FanFest activities yesterday. -duck

Premilinary and incomplete Spring Training dates available
One of Roch's readers sent him the link 4sarasota.com and it appears many, but not all, of the home Spring Training dates are starting to be filled. -duck

Update on injured O's minor league pitchers
Steve Melewski talks with David Stockstill about Orioles' minor leaguers rehabbing and recovering from injuries during 2009. -duck

2009 Tides pitchers in review
Steve Melewski talks with Gary Allenson, manager of the Norfolk Tides, about the starters he had this year that weren't among those called up to Baltimore. -duck

The Schmuck Stops Here: Orioles: Is Uggla the answer?
Peter Schmuck attempts to solve the age-old debate "Is it OK if a piece of plywood would play better defense that your third baseman?" -duck

AFL Orioles - Week 5
Jay LeBlanc of The Washington Times reviews the week in Arizona. -duck

Umpire John Hirschbeck forgives Robbie Alomar, but will Hall of Fame voters forget?
"Longtime umpire John Hirschbeck would like to put to rest any lingering controversy about Robbie Alomar on the Baseball Writers Hall of Fame ballot. Despite the infamous 1996 spitting incident the ump says Alomar is absolutely a Hall of Fame player." -duck

Nick Markakis deserved a Gold Glove: Carroll County Times
"Congratulations, Adam Jones. You just accomplished something rare by being named one of the three best defensive outfielders in the American League even though you’re not even the best on your own team." Gee, Josh Land of the CC Times, tell us what you really think. -duck

You're a French aristocrat, she's a simple girl of the people, and she won't even give you a Open Thread. Hah!