NumerOlogy

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?

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.

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!

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.

The final roster spot was claimed by Scott Moore, who will see time as a backup at the corners of the infield, and maybe even some second base. This meant that the O’s took another mildly surprising step in the rebuilding process by releasing #31 Jay Gibbons and treating the two years and $11.9 million they owed him as a sunk cost. The move isn’t surprising based on merit: as I stated last week, Gibbons has been chronically injured, has declined as a player in recent years, and is limited defensively. But it is surprising that Peter Angelos gave Andy MacPhail the green light to dump him and to eat all of that money. Although I (and most Baltimore fans) have been rough on Jay recently, this is still a bittersweet moment. He had been the second-longest tenured Oriole behind Melvin Mora, having spent his entire seven-year MLB career in orange and black. He seemed like a nice guy and a good teammate, and he was once a productive power hitter. But there’s just no room for him on this team any more, especially not at his current level of play. Best of luck to Jay wherever he goes from here.

I’ve been eager to update the site for the 2008 season ever since new players and new numbers started trickling into Fort Lauderdale nearly two months ago, and now that the roster is official, that’s just what I’ve done! There are updates to all of the number countdown pages where applicable, and of course the All-Time Roster. Let’s summarize the new guys, as well as a few number switches:

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