Another September has arrived with the Orioles buried deep in the cellar of the American League East. But this month also brings the potential for expanded rosters, which makes it a time of interest as it pertains to this site. The O’s have already called up four players from AAA Norfolk, three of whom have been here before in ‘09: relievers #24 Alberto Castillo, #34 Matt Albers, and #45 Dennis Sarfate. The fourth player has not been seen in Baltimore since 2006. Outfielder Jeff Fiorentino, affectionately known as “Screech” for his resemblance to the nerdy character from “Saved by the Bell”, had worn #16 in previous cups of coffee in 2005 and 2006. However, he has now made history as the first Oriole player to ever wear #70 in the regular season, which he did in replacing Adam Jones during Tuesday night’s loss to the Yankees. Wild stuff.
A little bit of news on the coaching staff, as John Shelby left the team over the weekend due to a death in the family. Minor league instructor Don Werner filled in for him (wearing #58) and will stay with the club until next Tuesday, when minor league pitching coach Mike Griffin will take his place. (All teams are allowed to carry an extra coach this month as well.) The O’s are also expected to add a few more players that day, including an infielder (likely Justin Turner), a catcher, and probably twenty or thirty pitchers. So I’ll be back next week with more updates, and I bet you can’t wait.
Tags: 16, 24, 34, 45, 58, 70, orioles news, site updates