Baltimore Orioles 2013 Ongoing Thread

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

Depending on what whether the Cubs and Twins help us out today, it'd be nice to finish the day with a share of the best record in baseball.

And we dropped 3 slots in the ESPN Power rankings, I see. Not that that really matters to me, but.. still.

 

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

21 - 13. Tied with Boston atop the East, and with Texas for best record in the AL.

I think we can say it's official for all the naysayers out there... 2012 was no fluke. We're solid. We'll find a way to get that W.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

Another homerun from Chris Davis, who's leading the league (according to ESPN's stats) in slugging at .664. Machado is still on a hitting tear, and Markakis was his capable self with the bat against Minnesota pitching. Another good outing from Chen, and the bullpen (even Strop) took it from there. 6-0 win, third series win in a row and 7th series win out of 8.

 

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

Next up, a short stint with the Friars.. including Jason Marquis, with his 1.93 ERA for the month of May thus far. First we get Andrew Cashner (converted reliever? Anyone got the scoop on him) who pitched 7 shutout innings vs the Marlins. Sure, it was the Mackerals, but can't knock him for beating a team like that either.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[jeffro151]

Bryce Harper who?

 

[HammerDown]

 

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

Back up to #4.. http://espn.go.com/mlb/powerrankings

And yeah, Belfiore to Norfolk.. who knows who we'll be bringing up to replace Chen. Jurrjens or Britton is my guess.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[jeffro151]

Damn Machado is unbelievably good

 

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

Damn Machado is unbelievably good

Yeah he is. It's great to see our farm produce such an impact player.

 

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

From Elias: The Rays' Jeremy Hellickson was the winning pitcher in a 12-10 slugfest against the Orioles despite allowing eight runs (all earned) in seven and two-thirds innings in Baltimore. The last major-league starting pitcher to go seven innings, allow eight-or-more earned runs, and still pick up credit for a win was Britt Burns, back on July 13, 1985. Burns, pitching for Tony LaRussa's White Sox, went all the way in a 10-8 triumph in Baltimore against Earl Weaver's Orioles. Friday's Orioles-Rays game was the first in the majors this season in which each team scored 10-or-more runs. It's the latest calendar date since 1990 on which the first big-league game was played that featured double-digit runs for each team. On May 19, 1990, the Phillies defeated the Dodgers, 15-12, at Dodger Stadium, the first game of that season that saw each team score in double-digits.

 

[HammerDown]

A few moves for the Orioles today.

 

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

lol.. I didn't see the game. That must've been something special.

 

[BigDDude]

What say you O's fans of this list that I found on Yahoo. Good? Accurate? Needs to be changed?



Here's a look back at the the biggest free-agent busts in the Baltimore Orioles' history, including the biggest blunder from this year:

5. Jair Jurrjens

After a magical postseason run, the Orioles were scrutinized for not bringing in big-name talent to capitalize on the club's first winning season in over a decade. Instead, the O's scoped out potential bargains, inking Atlanta starter Jair Jurrjens to a $1.5 million deal. However, after a physical, the contract became a minor-league pact, and the Birds pulled a lot of money off the table. Jurrjens failed to make the team out of spring training and lasted just 5 innings in his Orioles debut, surrendering 4 runs in the process. He was recently optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.

4. Steve Kline

Steve Kline was a bullpen stalwart for the 2004 St. Louis Cardinals, helping the club reach the World Series with a stellar 1.71 ERA. The Orioles gave him $5.5 million over two years to change feathers. Kline struggled in Baltimore, blowing two games before telling a St. Louis newspaper that he was miserable in Charm City, and wished he had a genie to send him back to his old club. Fans quickly turned on him, and Kline did little to help his own cause on the mound. He balked home a winning run -- twice -- on his way to a career-worst 4.28 ERA. The O's jettisoned the lefty to San Francisco after one season.

3. Rafael Palmeiro

Signing Rafael Palmeiro in 1993 was one of the greatest moves in franchise history, but bringing him back in 2004, however, ended in disaster. In his first tour of duty, Raffy crushed 182 homers over five glorious years, powering the Birds to two playoff appearances, which included a division championship.

His homecoming was supposed to provide a storybook ending to what appeared to be a Hall of Fame career, but as Palmeiro struck his 3,000 major-league hit, storm clouds brewed above the confetti at Camden Yards. In 2005, he became the most prolific pro busted by the league's new performance-enhancing drug tests, infamously declaring his innocence to a Congressional panel with poignant finger jabs five months before news of his flunked test broke. Palmeiro's fall from grace proved to be one of several factors that contributed to the club's historic collapse in 2005. Following a lengthy stay atop the division, Baltimore imploded, posting a 27-48 record after the All-Star break.

2. Sidney Ponson

In July of 2003, the Orioles traded starting pitcher Sidney Ponson to the San Francisco Giants in in the midst of the homegrown starter's first winning season in the majors. The following winter, Ponson was welcomed back to Baltimore with a handsome free-agent contract worth $22.5 million over three years. Ponson quickly started making headlines -- but for all the wrong reasons.

In 2004, the O's new ace was jailed in his native Aruba for punching a judge, with two DUI arrests following shortly after. On the diamond, the Aruban Knight pitched like a court jester, going 18-26 with a 5.64 ERA in two seasons. The club released him in 2005, but Ponson remained a thorn in Baltimore's wing until his contract grievance was finally settled four years later.

1. Albert Belle

Once upon a time, Albert Belle was one of the most feared hitters in MLB. In 1999, the Orioles made Belle the wealthiest player in the game with a five-year, $65 million deal. The cantankerous right fielder hit 60 home runs with 220 RBIs over two seasons while clashing with management. A degenerative hip condition forced Belle in to early retirement, and the money left on the contract crippled the Orioles for years to come. ESPN ranked Belle No. 4 on its list of the worst free-agent signings of all time.

 

[BigDDude]

While pitching at LSU and in the Orioles’ farm system 2012 fourth overall pick Kevin Gausman’s game-day routine involved eating one powdered mini donut before taking the mound and four powdered mini donuts between each inning.
Apparently he gave that up recently on the advice of nutritionists, but here’s what was waiting in Gausman’s locker when he arrived at the Orioles’ clubhouse ahead of his MLB debut tonight:

 

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

I'd have to check the contract, but I think Glenn Davis needs to be on that list of busts. Come to think of it though, I'm not sure if he was a FA acquisition or a trade...

But visions of years of 40 homers were soon washed away..

 

[BigDDude]

And so the Kevin Gausman era begins -

- M. Cabrera singled to center - J. Bautista flied out to center - E. Encarnacion struck out looking - A. Lind struck out swinging

 

[HammerDown]

Tuning into the Jays game as we speak.