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Today we look at a few Tides' position players with comments from Norfolk manager Gary Allenson. Later we'll go over the pitchers.

Norfolk's team batting average finished at .272, that was second best in the league and the Tides highest since 1999. Norfolk was 10th in the 14-team league in runs and last in homers.

(Stats listed are from Norfolk only. We focused mostly on players that saw little or no time in Baltimore.)

Allenson's take on the 2009 season:
"We were 34-15 at one time. Our nose dive probably started about the time we lost Salazar. It was a good club. It we had kept everyone together it would have been interesting.

"Early on we had a combination of speed and power on offense, some good defense and obviously good pitching."

Jeff Fiorentino: .312-12-67 with 26 2B and 70 runs
Fiorentino finished 4th in the league in batting and led the Tides in homers, RBI and doubles. He tied for 3rd in the IL with 12 outfield assists. He got a September call up to the O's but is now a free agent after being removed from the 40-man roster.

"He had a very good year. At times in the past he made an excuse here and there. He was a better player this year. He could fight the ball off or hit the opposite way off a lefty.

"He hit some key homers for us, momentum changers. When I had Gathright, Christian and Fiorentino, no balls fell in that outfield. Fiorentino played right field as well as anyone I've seen in quite a while."

Justin Turner: .300-2-43 with 28 doubles
The 24-year-old Turner was acquired from the Reds in last winter's deal for Ramon Hernandez. He made the Majors for the first time with a September call up. He finished 10th in the league in batting and led the Tides in games and hits.

"He hit .300 for us, his first year at Triple-A. He played mostly second, some at third as we moved him around some. He's probably a utility-type guy. He surprised me hitting so well for average because he has that high leg kick which can cause you to get your front foot down late. He may need to shorten the leg kick in the big leagues.

"He needs to work on his defense some. He doesn't have the range of some, he needs to be a smart defender and position himself right."

Allenson said second base was Turner's best position.

Blake Davis: .211-1-14 in 55 games
Davis was impressing the O's staff in big league camp at spring training when he suffered a broken left foot and underwent surgery. Ticketed to be Norfolk's opening-day shortstop, he didn't play for the Tides until July 7th, then struggled. The 25-year-old Davis was the O's 4th-round pick in 2006.

"He struggled some. To be honest, it was probably a lost year for him after he broke his foot in spring. He got a couple of hundred at bats. He played tentative, wasn't aggressive enough on defense, too many throwing errors.

"He has an above average arm but changes his arm angle when he doesn't need to. At times the ball comes off the bat, he can drive the ball. But he chased too many fastballs, especially high ones. He got himself into a hole in the count chasing pitches."

Brandon Snyder: .248-2-43 in 73 games
Snyder's numbers fell when he got to Triple-A. With Bowie, Snyder hit .343-10-45 in 58 games. He may be a candidate to win the Orioles' first base job in 2010 and right now is a top hitter in the Arizona Fall League.

"Brandon finally struggled some in the minors. When he got to us we had lost the middle of our lineup, Salazar, Wieters, Reimold. He's a gap-to-gap guy and I think he was pressing in our big park in Norfolk.

"He got to about .290, right about the time Aubrey got called to the Majors. I think Brandon was dealing with a hamstring at the time and was thinking 'if I wasn't hurt that would be me.' This was a learning process for him, he got out of his comfort zone.

"He did a nice job at first base. He had a rap of being not a good defender, but he works hard at it and improved leaps and bounds at first base."

Michael Aubrey: .287-3-23 with 13 2B in 44 games
The O's acquired Aubrey from Cleveland June 24th for a player to be named later. He went to Norfolk and made it to Baltimore on August 18th, hitting .288 in 31 O's games.

"Aubrey did a really good job for us. His swing is a little long at times. Michael hadn't hit for a lot of power, he hit three homers for me, all off Wade Davis of the Devil Rays.

"He gets the barrel of the bat to the ball as much as anybody. He's more of a line drive, gap-to-gap, extra-base guy. Played a pretty good first base with good hands and picked balls in the dirt."

Rhyne Hughes: .264-3-7 in 20 games
The O's got him August 15 from Tampa Bay as the player to be named later in the deal that sent Gregg Zaun to Tampa on August 7th. The 25-year-old Hughes began the year with Double-A Montgomery and hit .252-15-46 in 58 games. He led the Arizona Fall League in extra-base hits in 2008.

"He's got some pop, but he does chase too many fastballs. The changeup gave him some problems. He came from Durham and when we played them they threw him first-pitch changeups. We couldn't get him out, he's got a quick bat.

"He needs some work at first, he's a little rusty there. But he is a pretty good worker and runs pretty well for a big kid about 6'2"."