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.

From Orioles Card “O” the Day

I think we can safely say that the Orioles have just become the first team in baseball history to replace Aubrey with Aubrey. Monday, the Birds traded #17 Aubrey Huff to the Tigers for minor-league pitcher Brett Jacobson. To fill Huff’s roster spot, they recalled first baseman #9 Michael Aubrey from AAA Norfolk. Michael becomes the 26th Oriole to wear the number, and the 19th player to make his O’s debut in 2009 (per Roch Kubatko).

Of course, #9 was available because Baltimore traded Gregg Zaun to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday 8/7 for minor-league first baseman John “Rhyne” Hughes. That paved the way for #16 Chad Moeller to return from Norfolk and reclaim his place as backup catcher. Easy come, easy go.

One more move from yesterday, as the two most frequently up-and-down members of the roster passed one another in the night. #34 Matt Albers is back to Norfolk for the third time in ‘09, and #31 Kam Mickolio takes his place in the bullpen and on the roster. Kam is in his third stint on the Birds’ roster this season and fifth overall. Both ends of this transaction were well-deserved.

What can you say about the team’s play since the All Star Break? Nothing that doesn’t give me a headache. They’re spoilers – in the sense that they’re doing their best to spoil my summer. C’mon, 2010.

This is the way things usually go with the upkeep of this site. I get busy and the team makes a minor roster move, like sending one guy to the disabled list and bringing another player off of it. So maybe I let it slide, and before I know it, I go out of town for a couple of days and all hell breaks loose. Of course, I was bright enough to book a vacation right in the middle of the MLB trade deadline, so that’s on me. Here’s a month’s worth of Orioles transactions for you, with all of the corresponding uni number news.

7/10: #3 Cesar Izturis was activated from the DL, and #63 David Hernandez was sent to AA Bowie to get some work during the All-Star Break.

7/19: #26 Oscar Salazar was traded to San Diego for reliever Cla (pronounced “clay”) Meredith. Meredith had worn #43 with the Padres, which belongs to Jim Johnson in Birdland. So Cla became the 19th Oriole to wear #26, making this trade a uni swap as well. It’s been duly noted on the Odds and Ends page.

7/20: #63 David Hernandez actually took Salazar’s roster spot, since Meredith didn’t arrive right away.

7/21: Meredith joined the team, and #31 Kam Mickolio was sent back to AAA Norfolk. This will become a theme.

7/29: The steadily worsening #51 Rich Hill finally took a trip to the DL with a shoulder injury. In a move that had been rumored for some time, prized pitching prospect Chris Tillman made his major league debut in his stead. He became just the third player in team history to wear #54, following pitchers John Habyan and Lance Cormier.

7/30: No sooner had I boarded my flight to Atlanta (the first leg of a trip to San Diego) than the Orioles announced that they were selling high, trading flat-billed closer #52 George Sherrill to the Dodgers for AA pitcher Steven Johnson (son of former #27 Dave Johnson) and AA slugger Josh Bell. The rebuilding isn’t complete just yet, after all.

7/31: After deflecting a line drive off of his shin the previous day, #35 Brad Bergesen was placed on the DL. Coupled with the Sherrill trade, the Birds had two spots to fill. They recalled #31 Kam Mickolio and reinstated #37 Chris Ray from the DL.

8/4: Say it with me: #31 Kam Mickolio sent back to Norfolk to make room for debuting starter (and 2008 first-round draft pick)  Brian Matusz. Brian helped the O’s set a modern major league record, as he was the fifth starter to win his major league debut this season. He did it in #52, which probably still has the outline of the “SHERRILL” lettering on the back. Matusz is the sweet sixteenth Baltimore player in this number. If you’re keeping track, he’s also the 41st different player to suit up in orange and black in ‘09.

Boy, the future arrived in a hurry, didn’t it?

Okay, back from my much-needed week at the beach, where I watched as little Orioles baseball as I could. Tuesday’s ridiculous nine-run comeback over the hated Red Sox notwithstanding (I caught a replay of the last two innings), the bits that I did watch were too much. Sure, it’s a rebuilding year, and there are rookies learning on the job and highly touted prospects yet to arrive, but some of the veterans are trying to drive me to an early grave. I’d name names, but the head-slapping moments are being spread around without prejudice. Anyway.

#19 Koji Uehara has made his second trip to the disabled list, and he could be out until September. I suppose that’s the risk you run when you sign a 34-year-old starting pitcher who hasn’t actually started since 2006. In his stead, the O’s recalled #63 David Hernandez for his second stint in Baltimore in this, his rookie season. Koji didn’t have to wait long for a little company on the D.L.; yesterday the Birds shelved #37 Chris Ray with shoulder troubles. #31 Kam Mickolio takes his place. This is his third go-round on the big league roster since last summer, and all three times he’s worn that number.

As I type this, Jeremy Guthrie has been knocked out in the third inning in Seattle, and Erik Bedard has seven strikeouts in three innings against his former team. Seriously, can we extend the All-Star Break by a week or so this year?

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.

As of Monday, the roster limit has expanded from 25 to 40. The Birds’ roster currently stands at 31 *ahem* strong. So how did we get there?

• #19 Oscar Salazar recalled from AAA Norfolk. (Since he was needed on 8/30 after Melvin Mora’s hamstring injury, #62 Radhames Liz was “demoted”, but traveled with the team until rosters expanded anyway.
• #10 Adam Jones activated from the 15-day disabled list. Welcome back, Dr. Jones.
• #18 Garrett Olson recalled from Norfolk, because somebody has to start these games.
• #25 Jim Miller recalled from Norfolk. The reliever is the forty-third Oriole player in 2008, and the eighth to make his major league debut this season. He’s also number twenty-four in the #25 jersey, the most recent being pitcher Kurt Birkins (2006-2007).
• #31 Kam Mickolio recalled from Norfolk. I told you he’d be back!
• #41 Bob McCrory recalled from Norfolk. He’d worn #31 during his cup of coffee in April and May. But with both he and Mickolio getting the call at the same time, something had to give. He’s the twenty-second Oriole to don #41, which was previously the property of the dearly departed Steve Trachsel.
• As previously mentioned, #62 Radhames Liz was recalled, but not really.

Now I’m going to wrap this up before one of the gopher balls that the weary O’s pitching staff keeps tossing lands on my keyboard. It’s gonna be a looooong month, folks.

…At least when it comes to the Orioles’ starting rotation. Over the weekend, the Birds farmed out #18 Garrett Olson in favor of #62 Radhames Liz, who had regained his form in AAA Norfolk. Of course, he seemed to lose it again in Friday’s start vs. the Yankees, which I had the misfortune of seeing in person. Tonight’s starter is also a familiar face who’s back from a brief exile to Norfolk: #56 Brian Burres will try to keep his momentum going against the White Sox. He replaces #31 Kam Mickolio on the roster, but don’t cry for Kam. He’s all but assured of a return to Baltimore after the rosters expand on September 1. Hopefully he’ll be less prone to overthrowing by then.

I’m back from another week’s vacation with a few roster changes to discuss. I would have loved to have been the 50 Millionth Fan last night, but I had a dental checkup instead. That’s almost as fun, isn’t it? Ugh.

Anyway, two weeks ago the O’s bid goodbye to submarining reliever #53 Chad Bradford, who was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for the ever-popular PTBNL (player to be named later). Tampa had claimed Bradford on waivers, and the Birds decided to work out a deal. To replace ChadBrad, the team summoned the delightfully-named Rocky Cherry from Norfolk. Cherry originally wore #38 when Baltimore acquired him from the Cubs in the Steve Trachsel deal last year, but he re-emerged in #57 for this go-round. He is the twelfth Oriole to sport that number, and the forty-first different player to spend time on the 2008 roster.

Just yesterday, Flat Breezy himself (a.k.a. #52 George Sherrill) hit the 15-day disabled list with shoulder inflammation. He has been replaced by another member of the Erik Bedard Five, the very tall righty reliever Kam Mickolio. Kam will be wearing #31 tonight, previously worn this year by fellow reliever Bob McCrory. Let’s hope he has better luck in Birdland than McCrory had. Kam’s just the tenth Oriole in #31, as it’s been a coach-heavy number for much of the club’s history. His addition to the 2008 roster brings the running total to forty-two players. Whew!

One other tidbit that I picked up while reading a very worthwhile book: Tales from the Orioles Dugout by Louis Berney. The book features interviews with about three dozen former Orioles, running the gamut from Jim Palmer and Earl Weaver to Jeff Ballard and Jack Voigt. Each chapter includes a photo of the featured player, and I did a double-take when I saw Tippy Martinez wearing #36. Sure enough, a few of my best sources list him in both #23 and #36 in 1976, when he joined the O’s in the huge mid-June trade with the Yankees. My best guess is that he was given #36 when he first suited up, and later requested #23, which had been worn by Grant Jackson, one of the outgoing players in that trade. As always, if anyone has more information, let me know. Until next time, enjoy the Orioles’ continued push for .500!

A quick update to start the week, as the O’s celebrated Mother’s Day by bolstering their paltry three-man bench. Middle infielder Alex Cintron got the call-up, and was given #19. He’s the thirty-second player to suit up for the Birds so far in 2008, and the fifteenth to wear the nineteen jersey in team history. Cintron had previously worn #10 and #12 in Arizona, and #8 with the White Sox. The only one of those numbers that was open in Baltimore was #12, but I assume it’s still being held for Brandon Fahey, should he return from Norfolk later this year.

To make room for Alex, #31 Bob McCrory was sent back to Norfolk. After a rocky debut and another tough outing the next night, he hadn’t pitched in a week and a half. Well, you gotta start somewhere, anyway.

I’ve updated the usual suspects: the 10-19 bio page, the Odds and Ends page (the Least Issued Numbers), and of course the All-Time Roster. Believe it or not, I’d somehow overlooked #52 George Sherrill on the roster page, so I’ve set that right as well. Nobody’s perfect, I guess!