Orioles New Skipper (source: Yardbarker)

The announcement comes as a bit of a shock to this O’s fan. Given the amount of time that passed since Buck’s initial interview I had assumed that the club was unwillingly to meet his demands. Showalter has a reputation as a control freak so it will be interesting to see how he responds to notorious control freak Peter Angelos. According to various media outlets Showalter’s contract runs through the 2013 season, giving him 3 full seasons to right the ship. If I were Buck I would’ve held out for 4 years.

Today’s announcement probably means the Orioles will be relatively inactive before Saturday’s non-waiver trade deadline perhaps preferring to give Showalter a chance to evaluate the talent already on the team in hopes of formulating a plan for the off-season.

The big question now is: What does this mean for Andy MacPhail? Rumor has it that Showalter wanted more control than any other managerial candidate. Could it be that Buck will run the player development department and be the on field manager leaving MacPhail in a more traditional President’s role?

It was great to see that Matt Wieters hot bat carried through over his 2 week DL stint.  The leg injury that sidelined Wieters seemed to come at the most inopportune time for the young catcher.  His bat was just starting to heat up and deliver on it’s great promise when word came that Matt would be sidelined for 15 days.  Wieters returned to the O’s lineup on Sunday and went 1 for 4 before busting out yesterday with 2 HRs, 3 RBI and 2 BBs in 4 plate appearances.  Matt’s OPS for the 2010 season now stands at .705.  That’s not great and certainly won’t do anything for those Joe Mauer comparisons, but it is a season high.  In fact, since reaching a low of .605 on June 19 Matt has raised his OPS 100 points.  It’s a sign of progress in an otherwise dismal season.  With Buster Posey and Carlos Santana displacing Wieters atop the list of the game’s next great catchers maybe Matt will simply be able to focus and evolve into a productive Big Leaguer.  Wieters now has 691 career Plate appearances, just over one full season in the Majors and his career stats look like this:

BA: .272

OPS: .732

HR: 17

RBI: 75

Those are solid numbers for any catcher this side of Minnesota.  It’s important to keep in mind that Wieters is still just 24 and has ample time to develop into the middle of the lineup hitter the O’s crave, he just may not be the “Switch Hitting Jesus”.

Oriole fans will finally have something to cheer about tomorrow afternoon as Jon Miller, the former Radio Voice of the Orioles, is inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  There is no broadcaster more deserving of induction than Jon.  As a kid growing up in Baltimore I listened to Jon religiously, often turning off the sound on the TV to listen to the always entertaining radio broadcast.  Whether Jon was doing his Vin Scully impression or telling stories of his days working in the minors he managed to make rain delays and blowouts into Emmy worthy performances.  The Sunday games when Jon would team with the legendary Chuck Thompson were a real treat.  There was no better way to spend a typical hazy, hot and humid Baltimore Summer day than with Chuck and Jon on WBAL, some steamed crabs on the picnic table and cold beer in your mug.

We didn’t know it at the time, but Jon’s departure from the Orioles after the 1996 season spelled the beginning of the club’s downward spiral.  Peter Angelos wanted a lead announcer who would “bleed a little orange and black”, rather than one with integrity, talent and the uncanny ability to make the Orioles of the early 90s interesting.  Other class acts like Pat Gillick and Davey Johnson would soon follow Jon out of the Warehouse.  Fourteen years later there are very few people left who bleed orange and black at all.  The best thing a manager can do is hire good people and let them do their jobs.  Peter Angelos has always failed to grasp that concept.  Jon Miller will achieve his ultimate vindication tomorrow on a stage in Cooperstown, NY.

Enjoy the moment O’s fans.  Tell you kids about Jon’s time in Baltimore and the details of his departure.  Be proud that Jon Miller once called Baltimore home.  It may be quite awhile before an O’s fan can be proud of anything, until Robbie Alomar gets his much deserved place in Cooperstown.

The Tampa Bay Rays just finished clobbering young Chris Tillman to the tune of 7 runs in 2.2 innings.  With tonight’s win Tampa is now 6-1 against the perpetually flightless birds of Baltimore.  That means that the Rays have 12 games remaining against the Orioles this season.  By contrast the Yankees have already feasted on the O’s with a 10-2 record in 2010.  Meanwhile the Red Sox have actually struggled with the Birds and are just 6-6 against the Orioles this season.

As always the AL East race is hotly contested as the trade deadline approaches.  Tampa is just 2.5 games behind the Yankees with the Red Sox 6.5 out.  The Orioles once again figure to be sellers at the deadline with Miguel Tejada, Ty Wigginton and Jeremy Guthrie likely to be dealt.  To think that the Orioles could actually be weakened after dealing some veterans, while laughable, is a distinct possibility.  Either way the Rays figure to be the beneficiaries of a second half schedule that is heavy on the hapless O’s.  If the Orioles can patch together an offensive attack with the return of Brian Roberts and the young pitching shows some improvement they could have a profound impact on the AL East pennant race.  If the Orioles continue their season long struggles it could clear a path for Tampa Bay to waltz into the post season.

Maddon's Rays could feast on the O's (source: Yardbarker)

Buck Showalter (source: Yardbarker)

The rumors have been swirling around Baltimore for weeks, and yet Juan Samuel still has his feet up on the manager’s desk in the Orioles clubhouse.  It seems like every media outlet is circulating conflicting stories regarding the Orioles flirtation with would-be savior Buck Showalter.  Buck is wise to keep quiet throughout the process, which has only fueled the speculation.  My guess is that Buck has made some requests of the organization before committing to sign on as Captain of this sunken ship.

If I were Buck Showalter this would be my list of demands:

1.  A four year contract – The Orioles are not as close to competing as we’d all like to think.  They are currently 30 games under .500, so while the cavalry may have arrived they’re still waiting for air cover.  For Showalter’s plan to have any chance of working he is going to need more than 3 years.  A 3 year contract with a rebuilding club doesn’t offer much in the way of job security, certainly not enough to lure Buck from the cozy confines of the Bristol studios.  Taking a 3 year deal could have Buck as a lame duck manager just when the team is about to become competitive.  Seeing as he was pushed out the door after building the Yankees and D-backs into a competitive bunch I can’t imagine he’ll willingly go down that road again.

2. An out-clause – Reports have surfaced across various Internet sites over the past few weeks regarding the Orioles lack of scouting staff in comparison to other Major League teams.  The fact that Andy MacPhail is content tooffer safe harbor to every Cubs castoff only furthers the perception that he O’s scouting staff is undermanned.  Showalter would be the Manager, not the GM, so he has no direct authority over scouting.  If I were Buck I’d request that the team make the necessary adjustments to become more in line with their competition in terms of scouting.  If those adjustments are not made in the agreed upon time frame Buck should be free to walk without taking a financial hit.

3.  A payroll guarantee – One thing that has become increasingly obvious since MacPhail’s arrival in Charm City is the rapid decline in the team’s payroll.  A decline that just so happens to coincide with the launching of MASN, which was supposed to make the team more competitive.  For the Orioles to become contenders Angelos needs to put his money where his MASN is and Buck should get some payroll guarantees from Andy and Peter before signing on.

4. A hefty share of Rolaids stock – With Alfredo Simon and Mike Gonzalez at the back end of the bullpen he’ll need it.

Ultimately if I were Buck I’d politely decline the offer and hope that LaRussa calls it quits in the off-season and the Cardinals or Braves come calling.  If you need that many concessions from an employee to make the job offer legitimate it’s probably not worth the trouble.  I wouldn’t be shocked in the least if Eric Wedge is wearing an O’s cap at the Camden Yards podium in the coming weeks.

Third Baseman Josh Bell was called up the Orioles on Thursday.

The O’s cease to amaze me each-and-every day.

If you haven’t already heard, the Baltimore Orioles have officially called up Josh Bell, a switch-hitting third baseman, from the Norfolk Tides.  So you would assume that he would ride the bench, right?

Wrong.

According to the lineup card, Bell will be starting at third base in tonight’s finale against the Oakland A’s, batting seventh in the order.   Miguel Tejada, the team’s everyday third baseman, will be the DH in tonight’s contest.

My opinion:  This is as weird a move as it gets.

Most of us believed we would not even get a glimpse of Bell until September, so such an early call-up is both alarming and exciting.  Bell was recently beginning to heat it up at Triple-A Norfolk; however, with Felix Pie coming back in the next few days to replace Luke Scott on the roster anyway (Scott was placed on the DL after injuring his hamstring), the move seems out of the ordinary.  Could this mean that Ty Wigginton may be dealt soon?  Is there interest for Miggy?  It should be an interesting final week leading up the All-Star Game.

Orioles reliever Mike Gonzalez is currently rehabbing with the Aberdeen Ironbirds.

One question still looms in the minds of Orioles fans around the country:  Will reliever Mike Gonzalez actually contribute (positively) to the team in 2010?

Ever since Opening Day, the Birds have been plagued with the absence of a true dominant closer, as Gonzalez failed to convert two saves in his first three appearances.  He would later hit the DL, and what followed afterward has left the bullpen a mess.

Out of nowhere, pitchers were randomly being thrown into the ninth inning role.  We saw the likes of David Hernandez, Will Ohman, Jim Johnson, and Alfredo Simon all take the ball in save situations, with Simon being the only one having even moderate success.

With Gonzalez currently rehabbing, though, things may begin to shuffle again in the O’s pen.  Currently with the Aberdeen Ironbirds, Gonzalez is attempting to make a comeback with the O’s.

So how does he look?

I’d rather not ruin a piece of your day.

After giving up a two-run homer in his rehab debut, Gonzalez came back to allow two inherited runs to score.  After coming in with runners on first and second with one out, he gave up a one-run double followed by an RBI groundout.

So what did Gonzalez have to say?

“Come up with some runners on, I gotta get those guys obviously,” Gonzalez said. “You’re getting yourself ready and prepared to do it in the big leagues, but the good thing is that my arm felt better today than it did in the last outing, so it’s definitely progress and I’m definitely upbeat about that.”

“Do what I do. That’s my thing, that’s what they went out and signed me for is to come in and dominate. This is a road I have to go through, it’s not just a light switch that you turn off and on so I gotta keep going through the process and hope that my shoulder comes through.”

(Quotes from DaggerPress.com article by Daniel Gallen)

So what is my opinion about all of this?

To be honest, this is looking like a more dreadful signing than Garrett Atkins (Trust me, that is hard to top.).  Not only did Gonzalez blow two wins straight out of the water, but he is looking to come back and do it again.  All reports are saying that his fastball velocity is still down, and knowing that he is not a “finesse” reliever, that is a bad thing.  Ultimately, I would much rather see him let go completely; however, with the money the front office spent on him, I don’t see him going anywhere.

It seems like out of nowhere, the O’s have come back to life.

One day, we are all filling up the local message boards with talk about right fielder Nick Markakis’ meeting with team owner Peter Angelos.  Over the course of the next three days, we were speaking about a four-game win streak.

Suddenly, the O’s have learned how to play baseball again.  After being down 3-0, 6-0, 5-0, and 3-0 over their past four games respectively, the offense has erupted for four comeback victories en route to a sweep of the struggling cross-town rival Washington Nationals.

To think that only two weeks ago we all had the Nats’ recent moves on our minds.  Now, it’s the O’s turn to get some attention after the Beltway Series has officially concluded.

So what can we take from the O’s recent success?

At this point, it is too early to tell.  What we do know is this:  The young hitters have finally decided to join the party in Camden Yards.  Adam Jones looks like his former All-Star self, Nick Markakis has consistently stayed above the .300 BA mark, Matt Wieters is racking up RBIs faster than the O’s were racking up losses earlier in the year, and infielder Scott Moore has reminded us why a few of us fans out there continued to support him.

In the coming days, we could see changes throughout the organization.  A new manager may be on his way, Garrett Atkins has officially been DFA’d (It’s about time.), and the All-Star Break is coming in the near future.

For now, though, the present is pleasant, so let’s soak it in while it lasts.

I couldn’t believe what I saw when I turned to the game in the 7th inning. Tonight was the NBA draft and I have to be honest that I was more interested in seeing where Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez would land. Of course, the one game I miss all season the offense has their greatest game. It was a much needed win tonight though to avoid a sweep from the Marlins.

Tejada finally had a big game that we’ve been waiting a long time for. He went 4-5 with a home-run. This had to be longest homer drought in Tejada’s career. Adam Jones stayed hot today going 3-5 with 2 RBI. It has been a wonderful thing to watch Jones hit the ball again. Just a few weeks ago many people were calling for Jones to be sent down to the minors. Now we just have to hope he starts staying consistent and not fall back into a slump. A bit of a surprise player for me this season is Tatum. I know the O’s picked him as Wieters back up for his defensive skills, but out of the limited times we saw him at the plate this season I like his approach. He’s no start, although he looks like he can be a reliable backup.

Millwood once again got knocked around early giving up 4 runs in 5 innings. Once he got past the 2nd inning he seemed to settle down some. Berken as usual was a big key out of the bullpen. He went 2 innings, 0 runs, and 3 strikeouts. Hernandez also did well pitching 1 inning without giving up a run. A different story for Albers though as he couldn’t keep the Marlins scoreless in the 9th.

Hopefully this is the offensive breakout we all been waiting for. We needed one of these games to start bringing confidence back to this team. The team has been having trouble all season with scoring tack on runs. Every starter today had at least one hit today. Lets just hope this type of game will start bringing a little confidence back to both hitters and pitchers.

It is getting harder and harder to watch the O’s this season. After tonight’s 7-5 loss to the Marlins I give up on any hope I had left that we’d turn this around. Even when we score a few runs now our pitchers immediately give it right back up. It happened to Guthrie and now it happened to Matusz. We just can’t seem to get everything clicking on all cylinders.

The Orioles gave Matusz a 4-0 lead in the second inning, but he managed to give right back. It’s hard to explain how disheartening it is when you finally believe this may be your game and 5 minutes later it’s tied again. Matusz had a lot of trouble keeping the ball down in the zone tonight, which was probably do to lack of concentration. It seemed as if he kept the ball up in zone all night and it really hurt him. The amount of long balls Matusz has been giving up recently is also becoming a concern. We know he is a pop-up pitcher, however, he needs to keep the ball in the park.

We had a fairly successful 2nd inning offensively against Marlins pitcher Nolasco. For the second time this season the Orioles managed to get back-to-back home runs. This time off the bats of Luke Scott and Adam Jones. Later in the inning Patterson was able to knock in Wieters and Izturis with a 2RBI single. After that point the O’s had a lot of difficulty brining guys in that were in scoring position. Two nights in a row where the O’s offensive started out hot and then faded into the background.

The O’s do lead the league in bloopers this season. Tonight’s blooper was off the leg of Jones where he allowed the ball to roll out into center field. I have to say, it never fails. Hernandez did well in relief tonight with 1 hit, 3 strikeouts, and no walked batters in 1.2 innings of work. I can’t say the same thing about Simon though as he gave up 4 hits and 1 run in the 9th.  Tack on runs this season has been a double whammy. Our offense can’t seem to generate them and our pitchers can’t seem to avoid them. Almost every game seems to be a bad joke.