With pitchers and catchers reporting next Wednesday, I figured that I’d better check in with an offseason update before the offseason is actually over! Besides, one of my readers has been nudging me to get in gear for a few months, reminding me how “depressing” it is to pull up the site and find Sean Henn’s sad mug looking back at him.
Naturally, there’s been a lot of player movement since last we met here. I’ve updated the all-time roster to reflect the players who are no longer with the organization. Obviously, the most notable is third baseman #6 Melvin Mora, who leaves Baltimore after a decade in orange and black. He’ll be playing multiple positions with the Rockies, who have not yet assigned him a number. #6 appears to be available, though.
I’ve also made some long-overdue edits and additions to the number biography pages (0-9, 10-19, etc.) to reflect the players who have passed through since the beginning of 2009. Those edits include mention of a few number changes that have been announced since the end of the season:
-Miguel Tejada, returning to Birdland as a free agent, is switching to #9. He wore #10 for the O’s between 2004-2007, but says that he had no attachment to it. Maybe he just didn’t want to pay for the Rolex that current #10 Adam Jones named as his price for the digits. This displaces previous #9 Michael Aubrey, who is now listed on the team roster as #24.
-Blue-chip rookie pitcher Brian Matusz will switch from #52 to #17. The latter number, which belonged to then-O’s and now-Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff when Matusz arrived in August 2009, also happens to be the number of Brian’s favorite childhood player, ex-Cubs first baseman Mark Grace.
-Worldwide sensation and second-year catcher Matt Wieters swaps #15 for #32. Wieters wore #32 at Georgia Tech and throughout the minor leagues, but it belonged to not-long-for-Baltimore reliever Jamie Walker at the time of Matt’s Oriole debut last May. If you spent good money on a #15 WIETERS jersey already, don’t fret. You can just tell people that you were in on the ground floor!
I’ve already mentioned Miggy’s return to Camden Yards, but who are some of the other new faces who could be appearing on Eutaw Street this spring? Funny you should ask:
-The O’s acquired veteran starter Kevin Millwood (pictured at top) from Texas for a package headed by struggling reliever #37 Chris Ray. Though the #33 that Kevin wore with the Rangers has been retired here for Eddie Murray, mlb.com lists Millwood as #34, which he previously wore in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Cleveland. The incumbent #34 (Matt Albers) is listed as #37, for what it’s worth.
-The new first baseman will be ex-Rockie Garrett Atkins, who may find his #27 occupied by returning reliever Mark Hendrickson. Again, consulting mlb.com, Atkins is listed in the now-vacant #25.
-Former Pirates and Braves reliever Mike Gonzalez is expected to fill the closer’s role, and the #51 he’s worn throughout his big league career is available for the taking.
-The only other new acquisition that is considered a “favorite” to make the roster is lefty bullpen arm Will Ohman, a seven-year major league veteran who accepted a minor-league deal with a spring training invite as he seeks to prove that he’s rebounded from an injury-plagued 2009 season. If Ohman makes the cut, two numbers that he’s worn in other stops should be free for him – #13 and #50.
Well, I don’t want to bombard you with too much information after a four-month layoff, so I’ll pull up on the reins here and check back in after camp opens in Sarasota next week. Until then, have fun and stay off the roads if you’re in the path of Snowpocalypse 2010!
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.
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:
…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!
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!
Lots more player news to discuss. The first especially significant move of the Orioles offseason came earlier this week, when the club finalized a two-year deal with 34-year-old Japanese righthanded pitcher Koji Uehara (oo-eh-ara). In the short term, he’s a much-needed veteran arm with excellent control. Though he’s struggled with injuries the past few years, he still has a good chance to be a top starter for the Birds. Admittedly, that’s not saying much, but he’s still preferable to having to swallow Tim Redding or Paul Byrd as any kind of improvement over what we had. More importantly in the long-term, the O’s are finally players on the international market. If baseball is not going to subject foreign players to any kind of draft, Baltimore has to get their name out there. According to Uehara, the only thing that the Japanese know about the Orioles is Cal Ripken, Jr. It’s about time we did something about it. As you can see, Koji was given a #19 jersey at the press conference, which was his number for the Yomiuri Giants. It’s not surprising that it was available here, as last year’s #19, Oscar Salazar, is a long shot to make the club. Fingers crossed that Koji has some of the same good fortune in #19 that Dave McNally (and to a lesser extent Scott Erickson) did!
That’s right, it’s finally here! I’m realistic about the Orioles’ chances this year (as in, they have a chance to win 65-70 games), but they’re starting out even with everyone else at 0-0. There’s something refreshing about the feeling, however small, that anything is possible.
One refreshing story out of Orioles camp involves several