NumerOlogy

There hasn’t really been any exciting player movement news in the past few weeks. #19 Koji Uehara (activated from the DL) replaced #63 David Hernandez (optioned to Norfolk), and #37 Chris Ray (recalled from Norfolk) replaced #24 Alberto Castillo (optioned to Norfolk). Of course, there are whispers that Koji is still (or again) less than healthy, so stay tuned. A few links of interest:

-Since I don’t always have a chance to update this site as news breaks, I gave in to temptation and joined Twitter. You can follow me if you’re so inclined, and receive links to my various blog posts, any fresh O’s uni-number news, and other assorted brain leaks that I’ll try to make entertaining. No promises.

-A few weeks ago, I was interviewed for a second time by Ben Penserga of the Daily Times. We talked about the direction of this site as well as the critical response in the sixteen months since the launch, and I shared my thoughts about the present and future of the Orioles. Check it out.

-Last week, I had the opportunity to meet Paul Lukas, the impresario of the excellent and thorough Uni Watch blog. He was in Baltimore to see his beloved Mets at Camden Yards, and hosted a get-together at Racers in Parkville. I also had the opportunity to share a beer with Joe Hilseberg, who provided the graphics for this site and used to stitch the names and numbers on the Orioles and Ravens jerseys before he had to, in his own words, “get a real job”. Also in attendance was Kerry Flanagan, the daughter of the great O’s lefthander #46 Mike Flanagan. I spoke to her briefly, but we weren’t properly introduced. That’s probably my fault. You can read Paul’s summary of the evening and check out some great photos here. The photo above, featuring my pasty cheek, bearded chin, and Angry Bird cap, was lovingly borrowed from Paul’s Flickr account.

I don’t think I left anything out. I’ll be leaving this Sunday for a week “down the Ocean, hon”, so hopefully the Birds will be so kind as to hold off on any major moves until I return. If not, I’ll provide quickie updates on Twitter. Until we meet again…

If anyone’s still visiting this site and/or following the Orioles after that nightmare of a road trip, you’re one of the diehards. There were a few player moves, and they were none too pleasant. On Friday, the team finally bid a lasting farewell to lefty specialist #32 Jamie Walker, who will have plenty of time to hunt now. He was lights-out in 2007, but Sammy Perlozzo and Dave Trembley wore his old arm out and he’s never been the same. You hate to see a personable, plain-spoken guy like Jamie go, but it was time. It remains to be seen if Matt Wieters will take #32 after a brief grace period, or if he’ll stay in #15. What we do know is that Alberto Castillo is back from Norfolk to take Walker’s spot in the bullpen. The southpaw, who wore #23 last summer, has switched to the #24 that was vacated by the abominable Adam Eaton a few weeks ago.

Friday night also saw the hasty departure of #3 Cesar Izturis, who underwent an appendectomy and was placed on the 15-day DL. Today minor league veteran slugger Oscar Salazar showed up to take his spot, and was handed a #26 jersey. He’d worn #19 during a few cups of coffee in Baltimore last year, and donned #16 in Spring Training.

May the next update be under better circumstances…

Yes, it’s true. He’s finally here. It was a long two years, wasn’t it?

But first, let’s jump back for a second. Thursday night, David Hernandez became the fourth Orioles starter to earn a win in his major league debut in 2009 (following Koji Uehara, Brad Bergesen, and Jason Berken). Word is that no other team has accomplished this feat since 1900. The really good news? There’s plenty more where that came from. It might have to wait until next year, but Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, and Brian Matusz are the real gems in the organization. Hernandez became the sixth Oriole to ever wear #63, and the first pitcher since Nerio Rodriguez (oof). If he sticks around for a while, will he upgrade like Bergesen did? Time will tell.

The outgoing players this week were #37 Chris Ray, who heads down to AAA Norfolk to try to straighten out his mechanics, and #16 Chad Moeller, who will provide catching insurance for the Tides if he clears waivers.

Of course, the most breathlessly anticipated debut took place on Friday, as Matt Wieters crouched behind the plate at Oriole Park at Camden Yards for the first time.  He did so in #15, which he wore in Spring Training. (Either Jamie Walker wasn’t keen to give up #32 or he wasn’t asked.) He’s the 21st player to wear those digits in Baltimore. There are some good ones mixed in there (Hoyt Wilhelm and Davey Johnson, most notably), but you have to go back a ways. If you want to keep the hype train rolling, you should probably know that Thurman Munson is the only Major League Baseball player to have #15 retired in his honor (by the Yankees, of course). With all due respect to the late New York catcher, I hope Matt has a longer career and a less tragic ending.

I was at Friday night’s game, and it was overwhelming to hear the thunderous cheers for Wieters when he was introduced pre-game, when he threw out Josh Anderson on a bunt attempt at the beginning of the game, and for each of the four times he came up to bat. He might not have gotten a hit, but he collaborated with Brad Bergesen on an excellent game and, most importantly, an Orioles win. May it be the first of many in the Matt Wieters era.

All of a sudden, Birdland is a much more interesting place to be. Recapping the latest load of roster moves and uni news, and those yet to come:

-Brad Bergesen took the mound last Tuesday in #35. More power to the kid for switching from the Spring Training-esque #64, but he’s got some bad mojo to break. Since Mike Mussina left in 2000, five other pitchers have taken on his old digits and…ugh. Peep it.

-#24 Adam Eaton out, #34 Matt Albers back for a third stint in 2009. Glory be.

-Jason Berken has made the jump from AA Bowie to AAA Norfolk to Baltimore in just two months, and won his first major league start last night in #49. I was there to see it, and I’ll elaborate further down the page. Believe it or not, no Oriole has worn this number since Hayden Penn in 2006. I get the sense that the Birds were always keeping it warm for Hayden, but with his various injuries and freak occurrences he never made it back. In one of those eerie coincidences, Penn made his debut in #49 four years to the day that Berken got his start.

-Injury news: #2 Lou Montanez out until maybe September with wrist surgery, and #19 Koji Uehara gone for at least 15 days with that pesky hamstring. But hey, #30 Luke Scott’s shoulder is all better!

-David Hernandez will become the third O’s starting pitcher (and fourth player overall, including #14 Nolan Reimold) to play his first big league game when he gets the nod tomorrow against the Tigers. I’ll be back to tell you what he’s wearing (he was #26 at Norfolk, and it’s available with the O’s) and who he’s replacing on the roster. Did I forget anyone? Oh yeah…

-FRIDAY IS MATT WIETERS DAY. DROP EVERYTHING AND MAKE THE PILGRIMAGE TO ORIOLE PARK AT CAMDEN YARDS TO WELCOME THE FUTURE.

-Okay, I’ve sedated myself. It’s likely that #16 Chad Moeller will have to step aside to let The Man come through. As previously reported, Wieters has worn #32 at Georgia Tech and throughout the minors, but Jamie Walker has dibs. Will he make a gracious gesture for a much-heralded rookie, or will Matt settle for the #15 he sported in major league camp this spring? I’ll be at the Yard Friday to see it with my own eyes. I cannot wait.

-As has been widely reported across the Oriole Blogosphere, MASN hosted several O’s bloggers at last night’s game, including yours truly. You can read my own first-hand account here, but I also recommend Stacey’s take at Camden Chat and Neal Shaffer’s two cents over at The Loss Column. It was a great night, and I got to make a little small talk with Al Bumbry and Rick Dempsey. Can’t beat that! Oh, by the way…

WIETERS. DEAL WITH IT.

Three posts in one week may be a new record for me at NumerOlogy. The Birds aren’t taking it easy on me in one sense. But as a fan, they’ve spared me from further torturous starting assignments by #27 Mark Hendrickson. On Saturday, #51 Rich Hill made his Oriole debut, replacing Hendo in the rotation and earning his first American League win by scattering five hits in five and two-thirds innings and striking out five. Rich wore #51 in the Grapefruit League, but spent the first month and a half of the regular season rehabbing an elbow injury. Now that he’s here, he becomes the 32nd member of the active roster so far in 2009. He’s also the 17th player in Baltimore history to try for success in that uni number. Jamie Moyer is the only player to have any luck in that task, as you can see here. It’s not a pretty list. With nagging injuries peppering the Oriole lineup, #30 Luke Scott took one for the team. His shoulder strain landed him on the 15-day disabled list, clearing the way for Hill to be added to the roster. So it goes.

The bruiser pictured at left is rookie outfielder Nolan Reimold, who is making his major league debut tonight in #14. He is the second player this year to wear the number, and the 25th all-time. Let’s hope he’s more Lee May than Chito Martinez. If his early-season performance at Norfolk is any indicator (.1.228 OPS, 9 HR, 27 RBI), Nolan might turn some heads.

There was a vacancy in #14 because Lou Montanez switched to #2 as soon as Ryan Freel was booked on a flight to Chicago. This is Lou’s third uniform number since his debut last August (he wore #3 at that time). He’s the 26th Oriole to wear three different numbers. Two others have worn four each, and you can check out the list on the Odds and Ends page.

Oh, and #41 Bob McCrory was put on the swift boat to Norfolk after last night’s game-wrecking performance (FOUR walks?). I can feel my jaw clenching, so we’ll leave it at that.

More to the point: here in April, gone in May. I hope no one got attached to utility player #2 Ryan Freel, who had two hits in fifteen at-bats over nine games before being concussed by an errant pickoff throw in Boston. While he recuperated, Freel let off some steam about his lack of playing time in Baltimore, and when he was ready to return, the Birds dealt him to the Cubs for all-speed, no-anything else outfielder Joey Gathright, who will fill a roster spot at AAA Norfolk. Que sera, sera.

Speaking of injuries, third baseman #6 Melvin Mora returned from a tweaked hamstring at the end of the April. To clear a roster spot, reliever #34 Matt Albers was sent to Norfolk for the second time this year to work out the kinks. Then last week, righthander #45 Dennis Sarfate discovered that a kink in his shoulder was causing numbness in the middle finger of his pitching hand. He’s been shut down for the foreseeable future, so he’s been replaced by #41 Bob McCrory. McCrory debuted last year in #31, but struggled with his command and was quickly shipped out again. When he resurfaced in September, it was in #41. So at least they’re trying to give the kid a sense of stability.

Of course, there could be more changes on the way. #30 Luke Scott appeared to injure his shoulder pretty badly yesterday afternoon, and if he’s out for an extended period of time, either Oscar Salazar or Nolan Reimold should get the call from Norfolk. I might be back sooner rather than later.

Two weeks into the season, the Birds have already made five roster changes. The latest pair of moves came yesterday and paid immediate dividends. First, the outgoing O’s. Gone back to Norfolk is unstable pitcher #62 Radhames Liz, who thus far seems like an even worse reliever than he was a starter. He retired 4 out of 16 batters in two disastrous appearances on the recent road trip. Outfielder #2 Ryan Freel seems to be wearing out his welcome mighty quick. Given his early grumbling about playing time, and his sub-par performance in his rare starts, the club seemed almost eager to dump him onto the disabled list when he got pegged in the head with a pickoff throw on Monday.

As I said, the newest members of the 2009 Orioles made a good impression. Outfielder Lou Montanez, the AA Eastern League’s 2008 Triple Crown winner and the champion cause of numerous passionate Baltimore fans, had an RBI single last night while wearing #14. He had worn #3 during a two-month audition with the O’s last year, but Cesar Izturis trumped him this year. Lou wore #12 this spring, but backup infielder Robert Andino took it when he made the Opening Day roster via a last-minute trade.

The big story, however, is Brad Bergesen.  The organization’s Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year winner in 2008, he had an impressive spring and threw just two games at AAA Norfolk before being called upon to fill a hole in the big league rotation. Brad was a winner in his MLB debut, allowing just one earned run (three total) in five and two-thirds innings while striking out four White Sox. One of the less-heralded of the young arms in the farm system had a strong debut, which is certainly encouraging, particularly since manager Dave Trembley pointed out that the kids are going to keep coming over the next two seasons. Bergesen became the third-ever Oriole to wear #64, and all three have been B’s: Bruce (Chen), Bernie (Castro), and of course Brad. If he can last longer than six weeks, he’ll be the longest-tenured Oriole to ever wear this oddball number. I like his odds.

…That’s what Matt Albers spent the last week riding. The Birds’ first transaction of the new season came last Saturday, when they sent #34 down to AAA to make room for fifth starter/uniform filler #24 Adam Eaton. Eaton traded down from #56, which he wore in Spring Training. Much as Brian Bass was the 25th Oriole player to wear #25 on Opening Day, Adam is now the 24th to wear #24. Go figure!

Just as soon as Albers arrived in Norfolk, he was brought back to Baltimore. Yesterday, Albers and #62 Radhames Liz joined the O’s in Texas to replace #6 Melvin Mora and #58 Alfredo Simon, both of whom are now on the 15-day disabled list. Let’s hope they’re not starting a trend.

Yesterday was, of course, a very significant day for uni numbers. For the third straight year, MLB honored Jackie Robinson by allowing players to wear his #42 on the anniversary of the Hall of Famer’s first game for the Dodgers. In the past, players had the option of wearing the number or not, and many teams chose a single player for the honor. In 2007, Corey Patterson was the only Oriole to do so, and last year Adam Jones was the guy. But this year, Bud Selig decreed that all players and coaches on all teams would wear #42 on April 15. Personally, I think that it had a more special feel when one player did it, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with going to great lengths to pay tribute to such a courageous man.

A couple of links before I slip away. Last week, I was a guest on Dave Gilmore’s podcast, which is a relatively new feature on the Baltimore Sports Report blog. For nearly 50 minutes, we talked about Opening Day, retired numbers, “cursed” numbers, the Orioles Hall of Fame, baseball cards, and much more. I had a great time doing it, and I hope you’ll give it a listen!

Last and certainly not least, Joe Hilseberg, who supplied me with some of the great graphics on this site, has sent me an excellent logo that I’ll be incorporating into the layout soon. For now you can see it here. Joe has a site of his own, JerseyNameFrame.com. It’s a really unique gift idea, and Father’s Day will be here before you know it, so go check it out!

Whew, Opening Day is finally here, and it was a good one! It was a thrill to be part of the largest first-game crowd ever assembled at Camden Yards, especially since the Birds made mincemeat of CC Sabathia, Mark “Boo” Teixeira and the rest of the overpaid mercenary All-Stars. Savor first place, O’s fans, however long it may last!

If you missed Spring Training, you didn’t miss much, numbers-wise. Felix Pie forgot his #18 jersey on a road trip and ended up shagging flies in #97. Brian Roberts wore an unfamiliar #6 for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. And of course, there was a late trade, as Hayden Penn will not be wearing #49 in Baltimore for the foreseeable future following his trade to the Marlins for shortstop Robert Andino. Andino is wearing #12, which brings us mercifully to the regular season. I’ve updated the All-Time Roster with the following brand-new Orioles, as well as a few returnees in new numbers:

#2 Ryan Freel

#3 Cesar Izturis

#9 Gregg Zaun (last seen in #24 in 1996)

#12 Robert Andino

#16 Chad Moeller (the first O’s catcher ever to wear this number!)

#18 Felix Pie (who was traded for Garrett Olson, the last player to wear #18. See Odds and Ends)

#19 Koji Uehara

#23 Ty Wigginton (the 30th player in this number, tying #39 as the most-used)

#25 Brian Bass (who wore #59 in 2008)

#27 Mark Hendrickson

Keep your eyes peeled for Adam Eaton, who will join the team as the fifth starter in a week, whether you like it or not. He’ll possibly be wearing #56, which he donned in camp.

In more upbeat news, I will be guesting on the Baltimore Sports Report podcast in the near future, and I’ll toss up a link when it’s available. See you soon!