NumerOlogy

I started a new job in September, and the Orioles’ customary late-season snooze didn’t do much to spur me to update the site, but I guess that’s the occupational hazard of the O’s fan/blogger. Still, there are roster moves to belatedly report.

September 8: #10 Adam Jones was placed on the disabled list with a sprained ankle. The second wave of expanded-roster callups included pitchers #55 Chris Lambert, #41 Bob McCrory, and #29 Chris Waters. McCrory and Waters had been in Baltimore before, but Lambert was a first-time Oriole and the tenth player to wear double-fives.

Two other new Birds made team history by becoming the first to wear their respective numbers in a regular season game: catcher #78 Guillermo Rodriguez and infielder #83 Justin Turner. These are exciting times, huh?

The O’s used their extra coaching slot in September to call up Norfolk pitching coach Mike Griffin, who had worn #42 as a pitcher for the club in 1987. This time around, he broke in the #91 jersey.

September 9: Deciding that they were just one marginal reliever away from perfection, the Birds added #53 Sean Henn (pictured) in a trade with the Twins. Henn had been with Minnesota’s AAA club in Rochester, whose season had already concluded. He was shocked to get the call at his Dallas home ordering him to fly to Boston to meet his new teammates! Sean became the tenth Oriole to wear Arthur Rhodes‘ old number.

September 19: Having lost another outfielder (#14 Nolan Reimold) to the disabled list, the club did an about-face and reinstated #2 Lou Montanez from the DL. #31 Kam Mickolio was also shut down in mid-September, but the team mercifully did not replace him with yet another relief arm.

This finally brings the 2009 season and its manifold roster moves to a close. According to the relentless Roch Kubatko, Baltimore used 48 players in these 162 games (27 pitchers, four catchers, nine infielders, eight outfielders). There were 23 first-time Birds, nine of whom made their MLB debuts. The all-time tally of O’s players stands at 871 (counting only those who have played in games). Pity the clubhouse attendant!

So what does 2010 hold? There’s already been word that rookie phenom #52 Brian Matusz wishes to switch to #17, the number worn by his favorite player, former Cubs first baseman Mark Grace.

Until the Hot Stove Season starts, let’s all take some time to decompress…and root against the Yankees, if you’re so inclined. I know that I am.

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.

Now that I have some time off for the holidays, I’ve got a lot of catching up to do here. This Hot Stove season hasn’t been an exciting one for the Orioles, but there has still been plenty of movement. Let’s review:

Going

#2 Luis Hernandez (Royals), #3 Freddie Bynum (Nationals), #13 Alex Cintron (free agent), #14 Eider Torres (White Sox), #15 Kevin Millar (free agent), #16 Jay Payton (free agent), #29 Adam Loewen (Blue Jays), #35 Greg Aquino (Indians), #40 Daniel Cabrera (Nationals), #54 Lance Cormier (free agent), #55 Ramon Hernandez (Reds), #57 Rocky Cherry (Mets), #63 Omir Santos (free agent)

Coming

Utility player/reckless nut Ryan Freel is the major league return from Cincinnati in the Ramon Hernandez salary dump. He wore #6 with the Reds, but Melvin Mora has occupied that number since 2000 and isn’t likely to budge. Freel wore #11 in Toronto, but would have to pry it from third base coach Juan Samuel. We’ll wait and see.

Defensively-gifted shortstop Cesar Izturis should be an upgrade from the five-headed monster that the O’s tried at the position in 2008. The free agent acquisition has worn #3 for most of his career; he’ll probably keep it in Baltimore, since Lou Montanez doesn’t exactly have seniority and isn’t a lock to make the team in the Spring.

Yesterday, the Birds reached an agreement with tall, mediocre-at-best lefthanded pitcher Mark Hendrickson, most recently of the Marlins. I understand that we’re desperate for veteran arms, but he seems likely to be the second coming of Steve Trachsel (the 2008 vintage). I’ll reserve total judgment until the rest of Andy MacPhail’s offseason moves shake out, I suppose. Anyway, Mark has worn #30 since 2004 and was in #43 prior to that. Those numbers are currently the property of Luke Scott and Jim Johnson, respectively. It sounds like Hendrickson will also be in the market for a new number.

I’ve updated the site to close the book on all of the outgoing players listed above, and made one correction to a past Oriole. I recently came across a 1996 Upper Deck card of Rick Krivda, which has a photo of him pitching in Camden Yards while wearing #62. Based on my other sources and photographic evidence, it seems that he debuted in #62 before switching to #37 for the remainder of the season.

I’ll be back soon (honestly!) to talk about the other Oriole-centric news items this offseason: the new uniforms and Mike Mussina’s retirement. Happy New Year!

The young man pictured on the left made Orioles history tonight. Recalled from AAA Norfolk to make the start against the Twins, Radhames Liz became the first O’s player to ever suit up in #62. The number was previously worn by ex-bullpen catcher and batting practice pitcher Rudy Arias. Liz wore #58 in his first exposure to big league hitters in 2007. The photo on this card shows him in the #74 that he wore last Spring. He becomes lucky player number 33 on the O’s MLB roster this season.

The corresponding roster move brought an end to the illustrious Luis Hernandez era in Baltimore. The former #2 was designated for assignment. Barring any desperate moves by another team, he should pass through waivers and take his rightful place on the Tides roster.

I’ve updated the usual (All-Time Roster, #60-#99 biographies) and as soon as I get this posted, I’ll go back to crossing my fingers so that the Birds might nail down Radhames’ first major league victory!