*The Orioles will not play back-to-back series vs. teams with 2009 losing records until May 14th when they begin series vs. Cleveland and Kansas City.

*The Orioles will play 12 consecutive games vs. the Red Sox and Yankees from April 23 to May 5. From June 1-10, the O's play nine in a row vs. the duo. That's 21 of the first 60 games vs. NY or Boston.

*As of June 10, Toronto will have played just nine games vs. NY and Boston, with six of those at home. Tampa Bay will have played 12 games vs. NY and Boston as of June 10th.

*The O's used a total of 121 pitchers in the decade that ended in 2009. In the 1970's and 1980's combined the Orioles used a total of 121 pitchers. In the 1960's and 1970's combined they used 117.

*That Luke Scott led the O's in homers vs. lefty pitching last year with 10. Three O's, Adam Jones, Brian Roberts and Scott, led the way with 15 each vs. right handers.

*That Adam Jones led the Orioles hitting .369 in day games in 2009, but he hit just .245 in night contests.

*That Brian Roberts led the O's with 73 extra-base hits last year and only five players in the AL hit more. They were Mark Teixeira (85), Adam Lind (81), Kendry Morales (79), Evan Longoria (77) and Robinson Cano (75).

*The Frederick Keys of the Carolina League have remodeled their website. You can check out the new design at frederickkeys.com.

Concerning the NCAA tourney and the Terps, did you know:

*Coaches Gary Williams and Tom Penders each currently own 648 career wins. That is tied for 5th best among active Division I coaches. They'll break the tie in round one of the tourney Friday night when Williams' Terps meet Penders' Houston Cougars.

*Maryland has won nine straight first-round NCAA games dating to 1997.

*The last time Maryland played Houston was in the second-round of the tourney in 1983. Then top-seed Houston prevailed 60-50.

*The most points ever scored by a Terp in an NCAA game is 33 by Juan Dixon in the Final Four vs. Kansas as the Terps were on their way to the title in 2002.

*That I have Kansas, Kansas St, Kentucky and Villanova in my Final Four with Kentucky beating Kansas for the title.

*I like Murray State, Utah State, Siena and Old Dominion for round one upsets and think the three Atlantic Ten teams will do well.

Let the games begin.

And, finally, did you know that the fine folks at Camden Chat featured me on their website
Wednesday. Thanks for that!

They made such a dramatic improvement and actually scored 31 fewer runs than the season before. But after giving up 811 runs in 2008, the Mariners gave up just 692 last year.

That's 119 fewer runs allowed and 24 more victories.

The Mariners pitching had a hand in that, of course, but many are crediting a big upgrade in defense with the increased win total.

The Mariners had some of the best defensive outfielders in the game in Franklin Guttierez, Ichiro Suzuki and Endy Chavez.

When Tampa Bay went from 66 to 97 wins in 2008, the Rays scored eight fewer runs than the year before but went from allowing 944 runs in 2008 to 671. An amazing difference.

This winter, the Red Sox added outfielder Mike Cameron, third baseman Adrian Beltre and shortstop Marco Scutaro - all designed to help on defense.

It all seems to be part of a developing trend in the game by upper management - improving your run prevention can help as much perhaps as increased run scoring.

The stat "ultimate zone rating" shows a correlation last year in the American League between defense and winning.

Here, in order, are the top eight teams in the AL in 2009 in team UZR and their win totals:

Seattle - 85
Tampa - 84
Detroit - 86
Texas - 87
Los Angeles - 97
Oakland - 75
Boston - 95
New York - 103

Of those eight clubs, seven had winning records and the eight averaged 89 victories.

Seattle, which made the big leap up in wins, not only led the AL, but all of the Majors in UZR last year. That's a pretty good argument for the Ultimate Zone Rating stat.

The Orioles, by the way, ranked 9th in UZR in the league in 2009.

One thing about defense - it is hard to quantify. The UZR most seem to feel is considerably better than say fielding percentage. But others are skeptical.

Adam Jones won a Gold Glove for his defense in 2009. Yet 12 center fielders in the Majors rated ahead of him in UZR.

Some feel UZR is just another tool in the belt when attempting to grade defense. I'm sure there are many in the game that still feel the eye-ball test is best. You know, where you actually just watch a player play and form an opinion of his skills.

So what is best - scouting a player the old fashioned way or just looking up a number on a computer and formulating an opinion on a player perhaps without ever seeing him play?

We digress a bit, but it still seems teams are now putting a premium on run prevention, however they arrive at their conclusions on the talents of their players on defense.

Any boxscore can tell us which players had multiple hits, homered and drove in the most runs in a game. But none can point out how the shortstop started an amazing double play in the 8th with the bases loaded that saved two runs at least.

Isn't that player pretty valuable? Do you see the game shifting toward defense and what are your thoughts on that?

Click here to read an article about Ultimate Zone Rating.

For the third winter in a row, he was a minor league free agent. But after nine years and nearly 800 innings, all in the minors, he is back with the organization for another go around. He re-signed in late January.

"I was ready to listen to any offers I might get," the 31-year-old Mitchell said. "I didn't get as many as I wanted and definitely not one as good as the Orioles offer. It ended up being an easy decision to come back. They like me and know what I can do.

"I've never gotten the big league chance but you never know what can happen. As long as I'm playing and I'm at a high level like Triple-A, they might decide they need me one day."

Mitchell was in O's big league spring camp in 2006 and again last March, but he is not this season.

"I never got a big league invite from anyone, so not having one from the Orioles didn't keep me from signing. I was disappointed that didn't happen. They have so many good young pitchers now, those guys have to be in big league camp."

The right hander, a submarine-style pitcher, went 11-5, 5.24 last year for Triple-A Norfolk. He made 37 appearances, 13 starts, pitching 113 innings.

"All the managers and coaches I've been with and instructors have all been great guys. For some reason, they've liked me and fought for me. I moved up every level until I got to Triple-A. They didn't have any money in me (like with a high draft pick) but kept moving me up levels. They treated me like a high-round pick early in my career. I appreciate the opportunity they've given me and the long career I've had.

"I still think I can get better. The last few years I've gotten better with my changeup and think I can put together as good a season as anyone. Having to start some has impacted my ERA facing lefty hitters as a submarine pitcher."

Mitchell, who has been at Triple-A since 2005, believes he is best suited for the bullpen and could help a big league team as a right-handed specialist.

For now he knows he's a minor league lifer and many top O's pitching prospects have passed him by.

"I'm obviously an organizational guy, versatile and can really save a pitching staff by being able to start and go long or short relief, whatever they need. I believe in the big leagues I would not be a starter. I think I could put up numbers in the Majors as a right-handed specialist or long reliever."

Mitchell, who has never had a losing record, is 57-31, 3.83 since pitching with the Gulf Coast O's in 2001. The O's signed him as a non-drafted free agent out of Georgia Tech. He has pitched 768 career innings.

Does he feel like this could be his last season?

"I don't want to think like that. Sometimes those thoughts come into my head. But if I've decided to play this season, I'm going to try and get better and right now not worry about what comes after that."

One stat that Mitchell has going for him is he's a career .300 minor league hitter. He went 6 for 20 at bat back in that 2001 season.

"I was a two-way player for two years at college, so I had done it. The first year, in Gulf Coast, we took BP once and I swung it pretty good. We had a couple of guys go down, so they put me in left field and I got a couple of hits. I have a .300 average on the stat sheet."

Everyone should have a positive outlook like Mitchell. Even after all those bus rides, never once leading to Baltimore, he is not upset with the organization at all.

In fact, it's the opposite. He appreciates the chance the O's gave him. He even applauds the organization for how it handles the minor league hurlers.

"I think it's perfect. They don't overdue it in spring training. They give you a good throwing program and routine to build arm strength and not to cause any strain early, so you can get through the season healthy."

Brian Roberts returns to Baltimore for further examination of his back. Kevin Millwood's ERA is 29.70. Nolan Reimold is just getting into games. Mike Gonzalez left an outing due to back stiffness. Matt Wieters is 1 for 13 at bat and the O's record is 3 and 8.

Am I wrong or is spring training not going so well?

Suddenly, how Miguel Tejada fields his next ground ball doesn't seem so important.

I hope on opening night, April 6th, I get to write this sentence: And some fans were worried when Kevin Millwood gave up 16 hits in his first two starts.

That's 16 hits in 3 1/3 innings. Were it the regular season, we might be wondering if Millwood were injured.

We could say it's too early to worry, but that won't stop some fans from fretting anyway. We can say spring stats and records don't count, but it would be nice to have more solid things to hang our hats on.

There is no need to push the panic button. Not nearly yet. But if you have it stashed away in a closet somewhere you may want to locate it for the future.

Allowing 16 hits in just 3 1/3 is awful, maybe beyond awful. But we have to acknowledge a few things here. Millwood has often had a poor spring ERA and he's been around long enough to know how to prep himself for the season. We simply should not judge him, especially, after just two outings.

Brian Roberts keeps insisting he'll be ready by opening day. But will he get enough at bats? Will he be 100 percent then or limited somewhat?

For now, there is time to resolve Roberts' injury issue. And, if he misses a few weeks at the start, the O's have enough on the bench to handle that.

If he misses time that is measured in months and not weeks, start looking for that panic button.

I think all any O's fan wants is to start seeing some better signs that some things are going well. Maybe that started Sunday with Brian Matusz's excellent five-inning, 57-pitch outing vs. Philly.

Oh wait, that doesn't count either. Still, it does the O's fans hearts a solid to see Matusz buzz through the NL Champs. Now if more of the starters could follow his lead.

There is a small segment (I believe it's pretty small) of fans, mostly the message board crowd, that is in panic mode already. Some even point to individual game results and worry.

But that group doesn't speak for all fans. My sense is that most O's fans are not too concerned yet. They have some mild trepidation for now as they watch the Roberts' developments.

Two or three weeks from now, it could all be a different story.

Better or worse.

To get more information on the players, we are going to the man that drafted them, O's scouting director Joe Jordan. Earlier, Joe provided his thoughts and analysis on the O's selections in the top ten rounds.

In this article he discusses players taken from Rounds 11 through 16. In a follow up next week, he'll talk about some later round picks.

All the quotes in the article are from Jordan.

Round 11 - Catcher Michael Ohlman, Lakewood Ranch HS, Bradenton, Florida.

The 19-year-old right handed hitter goes 6'4", 205 pounds. The O's signed him to a well-over slot bonus, reported to be $995,000. He got into just a few games very late in the year last summer with the Gulf Coast O's and went 2 for 11 with one RBI.

"We had him evaluated in the top couple rounds. He struggled at the tail end of the spring and his signability was such that he slid in the draft. We liked him enough to take him and watched him all summer.

"He's a big, strong kid that can really throw. His catching has improved, I really like what I see. We had some questions of what kind of catcher he's going to be, but one of our best minor league rovers is (catching instructor) Don Werner. The kids gotten better.

"He's going to be good behind the plate and he can really throw. Physically there are a lot of tools there. He was worth some money and we obviously gave him some money."

Is his best tool the potential for power? "Yeah, there is potential there for real power, but he can really throw too. It's an above average arm. To have a guy that can go behind the plate and catch and has the arm to be effective against a running game and then the fact he has power. He's young with work to do but there is a lot to work with here."

Later is it possible he would need to move to another position? "I think he is athletic enough to go to another position without any problems. But I don't see the need for it. I like what I see behind the plate with him, he's a catcher."

Does he have a chance to make a full-season team? "I don't know if that will happen. It's up to what the guys in player development see the next three weeks. I don't have a great feel for it. In my mind he'll probably be with a short-season club, but if he has a good camp they may decide to go another route, I don't know."

Round 12 - OF Steven Bumbry from Virginia Tech.

The 5'11", 185 pounder is a lefty hitter and thrower. He will turn 22 April 4th and is from Lutherville, Maryland where he played at Dulaney High. Yes, he is the son of former O's leadoff hitter Al Bumbry.

Last year at Aberdeen, he hit .234-2-10 in 45 games, but struck out 55 times in 128 at bats. He missed some time with the IronBirds with a hamstring injury.

"Athletically and with the tools he has, he doesn't belong in the 12th round. He had some struggles with contact last year in college and ended up slipping. But he's got bat speed and strength and can really throw and can play center field.

"There was no reason not to take him, we had the money to sign him. I like what we got in the 12th round. He has to make adjustments like all these guys have to do. But it's a good package to work with and I'm excited. We got a good player in the 12th round, no question."

He had some injuries last year at Aberdeen, did he have any issues in college with injuries? "I don't think so, maybe a little here and there. He's healthy now, I just saw him today and he looks really good."

Round 13 - IF Ty Kelly from UC-Davis.

Kelly goes 6'0", 180 and is a switch hitter. He is from Tracy, California and will turn 22 in July. Last year, in 61 games at Aberdeen, Kelly hit .265-1-18, but batted just .179 after the All-Star break.

"He had a good summer, I didn't see him play in college. But he has the skill to hit. College players that have the skill to hit and can play different positions, that's a good pick. We'll get him going this summer and see what happens."

What is his best defensive position? "I didn't see him in the summer to know for sure, but he can play second and third. He probably profiles better at second."

Round 14 - RHP David Baker from Hemet HS in Hemet, California.

He goes 6'4", 190 and will turn 19 on April 17th. Baker pitched in the Gulf Coast League in 2009, starting in mid July. He went 1-0, 2.30 in 8 games. In 15 2/3 innings, he allowed 13 hits with three walks and 20 strikeouts.

"A good pick and good job by our area scout. He's a good looking kid at 6'4". He didn't come from a big program, but he's got some arm strength with a breaking ball. Ten to twenty (rounds), if you can get a few like this each year, I'm excited about him."

With high school pitchers are you projecting more what they can be down the road? "No question. We do such a good job with these type of guys, they are not finished projects. With Dave Schmidt as our pitching coordinater, we should try to sign five guys like this every year.

"We can develop pitching. We don't get in a hurry and we do a good job with these types of guys. He's got a chance, his stuff will get better, everything is there but it won't happen over night. We are set up to take and develop these types of guys."

Round 16 - RHP Ryan Palsha from Diablo Valley Junior College in California.

The 6'1" hurler goes 195 pounds and will turn 20 on May 17. He's from Danville, California.

Palsha pitched for Bluefield last summer, starting July 19th. He went 2-1, 4.33 with three saves. In 27 innings he gave up 27 hits with just six walks and 40 strikeouts. Over his last three games, covering 8 1/3 innings, he walked none and fanned 15.

"The same area scout that signed Kelly (James Keller) signed this guy. That's too good of an arm to get him where he got him. I saw him up to 94 or 95 last year and he's got a feel for a slider.

"I tell my guys every year there is value down in the draft and we have to find it. This organization is willing to invest in that, we gave him some money. That's a helluva pick in the 16th round.

"What he did last summer, he's got the weapons to go do that with a full-season club this year and we'll see what happens. He's a bullpen guy, but he's got power to his stuff, it's a very good arm."

How does a guy like that fall in the draft? "It's a junior college thing, you know and maybe a situation where guys didn't think they could sign him.

"But I've got a really good area scout up there and he doesn't have to have guys in the first five rounds. He knows talent, we had him evaluated higher than that. We even ran into a doubt we could sign him, but in that draft, JK made a phone call and he was signable."

Who was your scout there? "James Keller. The same guy that signed David Hernandez in the 16th round."

If you missed our earlier series of articles with Joe Jordan -

Click here as he discusses the O's top five picks.

Click here for his take on picks six through ten.

But most days in Hawaii are like that. On March 6, 2005 I was just weeks into my first season as baseball play-by-play broadcaster for one of college baseball's all-time great programs at Florida State.

Lucky for me the Seminoles had planned a ten-day trip to the islands for that March and that day found us in Hilo for a doubleheader vs. Hawaii-Hilo.

As the day went on, my cell phone started to ring off the hook. Soon I found out what all the calls were about. Close friends and family were calling from Baltimore to tell me Chuck Thompson had died that day.

That was five years ago this past Saturday.

Later, after both games when I had time to reflect, I was so sad that I could not be there to pay my final respects to this legendary Baltimore broadcaster.

But then I realized the reason I was thousands of miles and an ocean away. I was broadcasting a baseball game, something I loved to do.

I fell in love with baseball and broadcasting in large part because as a kid I got to hear Chuck Thompson call the Colts and Orioles games. Later, when I began working for WBAL Radio I got to meet Chuck. He could not have been nicer or more easy to talk with.

I never got to know Chuck well, but it seemed like I had. That was because of him.

In 2003 or maybe it was 2004, I interviewed Chuck during an O's pregame radio show. By then his eyesight was badly failing him and he could no longer call a game.

He said no one should feel sorry for him, he had a great life and career. But if a miracle could give him his sight back, he would love to call one more inning and then hang it up for good. Just hearing him say those words that day made my eyes well up.

With all due respect to anyone that has ever worked a Baltimore sports broadcast, Chuck, for me, will always be "the voice" of sports in Baltimore.

At a time before every game was on TV and before ESPN and the internet, Chuck and Bill O'Donnell were our voices of summer. What a voice Chuck had. Even very late in his life he never lost a step there.

To me, he is every bit the Baltimore treasure that Johnny Unitas, Cal Ripken and Brooks Robinson are.

His voice, talent, grace and class graced the Baltimore airwaves for over 40 years. He received the Ford Frick award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993 and in 2009 was named among the top 50 sportscasters of all time by the American Sportscasters Association.

In 1993 in Cooperstown, he gave one of the most eloquent speeches ever heard at the Hall of Fame.

He ended that day saying something to the effect of:

"If you walk through the halls here one day and someone sees my name and asks 'did you know him.' I hope you'll say 'yes, I did, he was a friend.'

Check out Kate Wheeler's Orioles Buzz blog for more on Chuck and some pictures of the legend.

He was drafted in round 22 last June, then signed a nearly one million dollar bonus in August with the Orioles. This, even after he underwent Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery last March.

During a recent phone conversation with the 19-year-old lefty, I could tell he was a real intelligent young man that is taking his career seriously.

He spoke of re-tooling and changing his pitching mechanics in an effort to avoid future injuries. He has made changes to his stride, arm slot and leg swing.

Here are Coffey's comments on those changes:

"I've changed my mechanics quite a bit. People say your mechanics can determine the health of your arm. I looked at a lot of video of healthy pitchers vs. injured pitchers.

"I tried to remold my mechanics to mirror pitchers who have had long and healthy careers. The coaching staff has backed me up on that and feels this is good for my arm.

"We have shortened my stride about four inches which will help me to use my legs a little more and take some stress off my arm. I should come back a healthy pitcher and one that is stronger and more durable. One that one day can pitch 200 innings in the Major Leagues.

"The mechanics I changed were more the way I draw my arm from my glove up to a pitching position. Before, when I pulled the ball from my glove my elbow would be above my shoulder. That put stress on the elbow and shoulder.

"Now I lead more with the ball and take my arm more toward second base and my elbow never gets above my shoulder. That keeps a lot of the stress off the shoulder. Throwing a baseball is such an unnatural motion to begin with.

"I was the one who decided to make these changes. I don't want another Tommy John surgery. I discovered that the success rate for a second surgery is around 10 percent where that rate is around 90 percent after the first surgery.

"I don't want to be a guy whose career is determined by health. If I don't make the Majors I want it to be that I am not good enough. I took the initiative and starting looking at my mechanics. I was doing a lot of things that were bad for the elbow.

"If you saw me throw before and now, you would still know it's me, just now it looks a lot cleaner."

Baseball America recently released its list of the top 100 prospects in baseball. Four Orioles made the list with Brian Matusz rated 5th, Josh Bell 37th, Zach Britton 63rd and Jake Arrieta 99th.

We now know that other O's got votes to make the top 100.

In a story on its website, Baseball America's Jim Callis said the four staff members that selected the top 100 began the process by each submitting their list of the top 150 prospects.

Three O's got votes for those top 150 lists, but in the end, did not make the top 100. Pitcher Matt Hobgood was listed by three of the staff members on their orginal rankings and was rated as high as 63rd.

Brandon Snyder and Brandon Erbe also were among the top 150 on some lists but didn't make the final list of the top 100.

O's president Andy MacPhail serves on MLB's special committee for on-field matters.

At FanFest in January, in response to a fan question about a salary cap in baseball, MacPhail discussed the possibility of division realignment.

Here are his comments from that day:

"I was fortunate enough for the commissioner of baseball to put me on his on-field committee. Mark Shapiro and I with the Indians didn't lose the opportunity to say, maybe some division realignment would not be a bad idea.

"And I'm serious. I broached this at the meeting and I'm going to work on it. I would encourage any of you if you have ideas, to let us know.

"I don't know why divisions have to be static. Why they have to be etched in stone. We have interleague play. I don't know why you couldn't occasionally keep an upbalanced schedule, but move divisions. Stay within your time zone.

"Let's say they rotated us out of the AL East for a year and said we were in the National League East and pick a team, Philly, Washington, whatever, were moved to the AL East, maybe two or three teams were moved.

"Nobody is going to like that, but from a monetary standpoint if you ended interleague play and all the sudden they got the Yankees and Red Sox 18 times at home, there's sort of an economic incentive for them to bite the bullet every once in a while. I think it's an idea worth developing.

"The way the sport is currently composed it's difficult on the three teams (in our division) not blessed with their economic wherewithal.

"We went to Yankee Stadium last year and they are charging $2,400 for a box seat. And they only sell a third of them, but they are still making a ton of money, more than others, just selling one of three. I find that repugnant to be honest with you.

"I think the commissioner is sympathetic to that and as long as he keeps me on the committee we'll try to push that agenda and see what happens. But why not rotate them in and out a little bit."

Coming tomorrow - More with young O's pitching prospect Cameron Coffey, the 22nd-round pick in last June's draft. He explains changes he has made in his pitching mechanics and why he made them.

When Andy MacPhail floated the thought at FanFest, some in the audience didn't seem to grasp the concept, but basically baseball officials may be looking at moving teams to another division on a "floating" and not permanent basis.

Here is more on that thought in Tom Verducci's article in SI.com.

I think the time may have come for baseball to experiment with this concept of "floating realignment." Perhaps put a five-year timetable on the experiment and then take a closer look to decide if it was good for the game.

If the O's were in the AL Central this year, would the level of excitement about this team be even higher than it is. The O's went 17-20 vs. the Central last year.

To me a hidden factor in possible realignment would be for other teams to get to see how the O's, Tampa and Toronto live. Play 36 games each year vs. the big two of Boston and NY and see how it feels to have their fans take over your stadium.

Do that for a couple of years and suddenly the Orioles, Tampa and Toronto would gain allies when they talk about the payroll disparity in the game.

In his article, Verducci says a team like Cleveland would benefit from 18 "lucrative" home dates with the Red Sox and Yankees.

Maybe that would sell a few more tickets, but how would their fans feel if they went 5-13 in those 18 games. How would Tribe players feel facing Boston and NY 36 times a year as opposed to the 17 times they played last year. Cleveland went 5-12 in those games by the way.

Being open to hearing more about some of these concepts is fine. It doesn't make an O's fan a "chicken" or afraid of facing the big boys.

It's just in the preliminary talking stage now. As slow as some things move in this game, it could be years before any of this would ever begin to happen. By then, maybe the Orioles will be a 90-win team.

I am not sold on this idea by any stretch, just open to hearing more about it. And wondering if it somehow could be good for the game.

Later today, I'll publish MacPhail's comments from FanFest on this topic.

On another topic, I was among the many that watched Stephen Strasburg's pitching debut live on MASN on Tuesday.

Going into the day, it was hard to imagine that Strasburg could live up to the hype - but then he did.

In the first inning, he got behind good hitters, who, ahead in the count, could only hit weak grounders off him. He threw 97 that looked effortless and ended his appearance with the nastiest of sliders.

I'm sure Nats management will not make a big deal out of just two innings of work and we all need to see a lot more. But if we see more outings like Tuesday, sending this guy to the Carolina League or Eastern League in April may be totally unnecessary.

Countless national media outlets and big-time writers, broadcasters and columnists are bullish on the O's.

No one is predicting the playoffs but the message from most is some variation of this - they are clearly making strides forward and getting better and could really have some fun this year if they were in another division.

The latest to throw some bouquets Baltimore's way is the MLB network.

The Orioles were the subject of the network's 30 clubs in 30 days hour-long show on Monday. The announcers, anchor Greg Amsinger, analysts Dan Plesac and John Hart and reporter Matt Yallof provided a solid, in-depth look at the club and its hopes for 2010.

Among some highlights -

Plesac said of Nolan Reimold, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis: "As far as young outfielders, the Orioles might have the best young outfield in baseball. They are athletic and can run. They've got the total package in the outfield."

Plesac also had praise for Baltimore as a baseball town: "This is truly one of the best baseball cities in the Major Leagues. They've been on a bad run for a while. If this team gets better, this is like the American League version of St. Louis. There is not a better fan base and a place to play than for the Baltimore Orioles. They are going to get good again and when they do they will get that fan base back."

Hart talked of catcher Matt Wieters: "This kid is special. This guy's bat will be good for a catcher, I think he'll eventually hit .300 and provide some power. The real key is having a young catcher come along with young pitchers. He really knows his way around on defense."

Hart had some reservations about the club's offense: "They are going to be a nice offensive club but they just don't have a typical American League lineup, where you look at three or four big-time power guys. This is not a club that has a tremendous amount of speed other than Roberts. They could be missing that big power you look for."

Plesac had an opinion on new closer Mike Gonzalez: "It won't be quite as easy as it was in the National League. But in the AL East you need a quality lefty at the back end. You have the Yankees with Curtis Granderson and you can turn Posada around. You have Ortiz with Boston, Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena (with Tampa). You need a lefty to negate the left-handed power hitters."

Hart said a key for the O's bullpen this year would be to find some hurlers that can work multiple-innings during a single appearance.

During the show, several players and manager Dave Trembley were interviewed.

Brian Roberts said: "One area of emphasis in spring training has been situational hitting, getting guys over and getting guys in and finding new ways to score runs. We don't have a 40-homer guy in the middle like Boston and New York. But we are capable on offense one through nine."

Roberts said he was excited about the club's young talent: "This is kind of the spark we've been waiting for. The influx of young talent. Andy MacPhail did a good job with a couple of trades. These guys are now penetrating our Major League team. Our fans, our city and front office has been looking for this for a long time."

Adam Jones was asked about his Gold Glove award: "It's going on the mantle. Right on the mantle. My mom wants it at her house, but she can't have this award."

Kevin Millwood was asked yet again about his role of mentor on the pitching staff: "Whatever we are doing, just do things the right way. Show these guys if something goes wrong, let them know. If something goes right, applaud them a little bit."

Plesac said Trembley is very well respected by his players and that he "makes young players feel comfortable." Hart called Trembley "a teacher and player development guy down to his toes."

Near the end of the telecast they pointed out that Baseball Prospectus projects the Orioles for 79 wins. Plesac likes their progress but thinks the O's will still finish in last in the East, not able to make up 11 games on Toronto.

Hart said the O's will finish fourth and "and will be much better than last year."

If you missed the broadcast, according to the network's website it will be re-broadcast today (Tuesday) at 9am, 11am, 4pm and Wednesday at 4am.

Overreaction: "I told you he was overrated."

Sanity: After 13 years and 155 career wins, the man knows how to prep for a season. Wait until at least May to begin to worry.

Fact: The O's lost Thursday, Friday and Sunday when they gave up ninth-inning runs.

OR: "This club can't blow late leads. They need to learn how to win and losing these games in the ninth won't help."

Sanity: Since Will Ohman and Alfredo Simon gave it up in the ninth (then David Hernandez) and not Mike Gonzalez, take a deep breath and relax.

Fact: Ty Wigginton, Blake Davis, Jeff Salazar and Micheal Hernandez were in Saturday's starting lineup.

OR: "What is Trembley thinking?"

Sanity: You're kidding, right?

Fact: The O's have told Nolan Reimold not to run full speed yet.

OR: "The O's should put Reimold on the DL now."

Sanity: If he can't run 100 percent on April 6th they may have to do that. Check the calendar and take another deep breath.

Fact: Rhyne Hughes has hit three homers already in spring training.

OR: "Will he make the opening day roster? It'd be nice to have that pop on the bench."

Sanity: Weren't you the same guy who was questioning why he was on the 40-man roster a few weeks ago? Let's see him with more than at least 10 at bats before we put him in the cleanup spot on opening day.

Fact: Josh Bell homered from both sides of the plate during the O's first spring game.

OR: "Is there any talk of Bell starting the year at third and Tejada moving to short to get more offense in the lineup?"

Sanity: What part of Andy MacPhail saying Tejada will not play short when he was signed did you not get?

Fact: Kevin Millwood has an ERA of 81.00, Mike Gonzalez's ERA is 9.00, and Miguel Tejada has already made an error at third base.

OR: "Great job Andrew. How can the apologists defend those stats?"

Sanity: Today, are you going by Paul, Dorian or O's Hater One? I checked out your website, I-hate-everything-and-everyone.com. Looks good.

This past Thursday, during the Brian Roberts segment on the Scott Garceau show, that airs on MASN and 105.7 FM the fan, Roberts provided an update on his injury.

"The back is getting better every day. I'm doing most regular activities that every one else is doing, just haven't gotten in a game yet. I was a little delayed on batting practice, we are taking our time progressing slowly, we don't want to have a setback at this point.

"April 6th is our main goal and we will keep that as our focus, not necessarily today or tomorrow. Everything feels pretty good. I have a few little barriers I want to work through first, but other than that, everything is great.

"Yes, there are certain things that cause a little soreness there, I still have some soreness there. That may be from the back or increased activity. But for the most part I can go out there and take ground balls and I had some BP. Right handed it feels great, but left handed there is some soreness when I do that. But everything is going as planned.

"I am itching to get in a game at some point. I know we are not in a major hurry at this point. As I veteran, I may not have the itch I had years ago when I was trying to make the team. But you do want to be out there playing. But being ready for all six months is more important than right now."

That's Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis.

Okay, no one confuses their style of leadership with that of Frank Robinson from the 1966 World Champs and they are not vocal in the clubhouse like a Kevin Millar.

But they are well respected by their teammates and are leaders for two primary reasons - performance and seniority.

Roberts is entering his 10th year and Markakis his 5th as an Oriole. And they remain two of the best players on the team, as they've always been.

They are cornerstones of this franchise and that is one reason both got new contracts for big bucks before the 2009 season.

Then they went out and played good baseball, not resting on their greenbacks even a little.

Markakis missed one game and Roberts three. Markakis drove in 101 runs while Roberts hit 56 doubles and set career highs in two baggers, runs and RBI and was named Most Valuable Oriole.

Barring a trade, they will remain Orioles together at least through the 2013 season.

While they may not be considered leaders by some, you can bet their younger teammates and maybe even some of the newer vets on the team look to that pair often.

They watch their work ethic, how they approach the game, how they deal with O's management, fans and media and they also notice their considerable talents.

My guess is, inside that clubhouse they are like that old E.F. Hutton commercial - when they speak, people listen. They don't look to stand out with any comments or interviews, but are likely to have plenty of wisdom to impart to teammates either one on one or as part of a bigger group.

They have become All-Star caliber players for the Orioles who can be counted on for consistent and solid performance every year. Put it in ink, not pencil.

While the 2010 season is about the O's hopefully winning more and the younger players continuing to take steps forward, through it all we should be able to count on B-Rob and Nick, same as always.

They'll play every day, through nagging bumps and bruises and put up solid numbers. They'll remain fan favorites and do some solid things in our community.

Their teammates will look to them to lead and carry a heavy load. And, like they have been doing for years, they will do so while seeking little publicity or fanfare.

The 19-year-old underwent the elbow ligament replacement procedure last March 19th, then in June he was drafted in round 22 by the Orioles.

Most everyone assumed Coffey was headed to Duke to play college baseball, but the O's made him an offer he couldn't refuse. On August 13, Coffey agreed to a reported $990,000 bonus, one of the largest ever given a player taken after the tenth round.

Although it's possible Coffey won't pitch with a team until the short-season clubs start in June, he's been in Sarasota for several weeks and his bullpen sessions are going quite well.

"So far, I've thrown well since I've been here since February first. I've been throwing bullpens three times a week for four or five weeks now. My arm has felt fantastic each time. This week has been the best my arm has ever felt.

"I have not had a single setback since the surgery. That is uncommon, usually there is one or two.

"When I signed, I had just started Dr. Andrews throwing program where you start throwing four months out. Once they saw what I was doing they monitored it and since instructional league they've basically considered me a healthy pitcher like anyone else."

The 6'5" southpaw from Houston Christian High School gained the attention of scouts when his velocity increased in his final high school season.

"It's not as drastic as some make it out to be. My junior year I topped out at 91 and my senior year at 95. I was 86, 87, topping at 91 as a junior then as a senior I topped anywhere from 92 to 95.

"I started working out with a really good personal trainer with knowledge of pitching (before my senior year) and I worked hard with him to get stronger and better velocity."

The Orioles were impressed not only with Coffey's talent but also his character.

"My best secondary pitch is my changeup. It's got some good movement when I locate. That's always been a good pitch for me as a lefty and as a kid my dad didn't want me throwing many curveballs. With the O's some of the coaches have helped me with my slider grip and it's become more of a true slider."

Coffey spent some time this winter working out in the Houston area with Scott Kazmir of the Los Angeles Angels.

He remains confident that his velocity will not only return to its pre-surgery level, but that he may find more heat moving forward.

"I don't think I'll know that until I get into games. They've told me they don't even want velocity to be on my mind. Often times, velocity is the first thing to come back and then the feel of the pitches. I definitely feel I may be one of the lucky few that could gain a few miles per hour after this surgery now that I've changed my mechanics and have a stronger ligament in my elbow."

Coffey says he has made some significant changes to his pitching motion to help avoid future injury. We'll have much more on that in a later post.

Some recent Orioles' 22nd-round draft picks:
2008 - RHP Pat Kantakevich
2007 - RHP Colin Allen
2006 - LHP Chris Salberg
2005 - 1B Paul Chmiel
2004 - IF Rob Marconi
2003 - LHP Zach Dixon

The 21-year-old Townsend was one of college baseball's best hitters last year, hitting .426-24-77 at Florida International. He set several school records and was a Louisville Slugger first-team all American.

Then the Orioles drafted him in round three in June, the 85th pick overall and soon he was playing with the Aberdeen IronBirds.

Then the struggles began. He got off to a 3 for 20 start and in mid July, the first baseman suffered a left wrist injury on a play at the bag.

He tried to play through it before missing a month. In 31 IronBirds' games, Townsend hit just .143-4-16 and fanned 39 times in 119 bats.

"Coming out of school, I was on a roll. But it was a humbling experience and I realized how much tougher it is now. But I want to be one of the best hitters in the league and I'm putting in the work," the lefty hitter said.

Townsend, the 2006 Delaware player of the year at Cape Henlopen High in Lewes, went to instructional league in the fall and reports said he resumed ripping line drives, just like he had in college.

"I felt really good. The summer is what it is, not what I wanted but I came here in the fall and worked hard every day. I took a lot out of it and made improvement on offense and defense. It was nice to go into the off-season off a good instructional league.

"It was a fresh start. They told me not to worry about the summer. I just went back to being me and it worked out well."

Townsend made a few subtle adjustments that helped him get back on track.

"It was a comfort thing and being healthy and confident. I made a few little adjustments from the summer that helped a bit, just trying to stay more closed and do things that helped me see the ball better."

Scouting director Joe Jordan said Townsend impressed the O's staff with his performance at instructional league.

"Well, he had a couple of weeks off to kind of clear his mind more than anything. He's very excited to be a part of this organization, it's close to his home. I think he came in and pressed a bit and it snowballed. He was just a different guy in instructional league. He relaxed and whacked the ball around the park," Jordan said.

"His power is there. He brings us a strong left-handed bat with power, we need more of that in our organization. I like what we got in the third round. This year will be a good solid year for him."

With his bat going better, Townsend then went to work on his body, going through an eight-week program at Athletes Performance Institute in Pensacola, Florida, where his roommate was Caleb Joseph.

"I'm in the best shape of my life right now. It's a long season and I want to last through it. I've added weight and cut body fat, I feel as strong as I've ever been. It was a really good program."

Excited to get the new season started, Townsend worked out at Florida International the last few weeks, then reported to camp this week on Tuesday, four days ahead of the scheduled reporting time for position players at minor league camp.

The 2010 season could find Townsend playing for the Delmarva Shorebirds. As a kid growing up 40 minutes from Salisbury, he went to many Shorebirds' games.

"That's the goal. I want to move as fast as I can but there has been no indication as to where I will play yet. I'll go wherever they put me, it's out of my control."

For even more on Townsend, check out this article I wrote about him the day after he was drafted last June.

Coming soon in this space - An interview and update on lefty pitcher Cameron Coffey, the high school pitcher the O's drafted in round 22 last June. He is coming back from Tommy John surgery last March.

When Guthrie takes the mound in Sarasota, all O's fans hope it's the start of a season for him much like the years he had in 2007 and 2008.

Based on his first two seasons in the Orange and Black, Guthrie's performance was way off in 2009.

Guthrie by year:
2007: 7-5, 3.70 in 175 1/3 innings
2008: 10-12, 3.63 in 190 2/3 innings
2009: 10-17, 5.04 in 200 innings

Guthrie's starts allowing two earned runs or less:
2007: 17 of 26 starts
2008: 17 of 30 starts
2009: 8 of 33 starts

By the math, Guthrie allowed 2 ER or fewer in 61 percent of his starts in 2007 and 2008 but did that just 24 percent of the time last season.

While he was 13th in the American League in ERA in 2007 and 14th in 2008, last season he led the AL in losses and homers allowed.

Did the league figure something out about Guthrie? Did the league just catch up to him? Did he just pitch over his head for two years?

I don't think you can pitch over your head for 56 starts over two seasons, especially not in this division.

This year, Guthrie will need to start games better. He allowed 60 of his 120 runs last year and 20 of his 35 homers in the first three innings of his outings.

Of course he pitched in two games in the WBC last March and there was a theory that it interrupted his normal routine in spring and he never recovered.

Which is the real Guthrie? The hurler who allowed a batting average against of just .249 in 2007 and .242 a year later or the one who allowed hitters to bat .281 versus him last summer?

Save for a four-start stretch beginning in late August, Guthrie struggled throughout the 2009 season and did not have even one month with an ERA under 4.50.

In a FanFest interview in January, Guthrie summed up his 2009 struggles in a few sentences.

"I need to locate better in the zone, I need to make better pitches with two strikes. Breaking balls need to be down in the zone as they do for any pitcher. Those are things you can work on and gain confidence in being able to do so that execution becomes more consistent."

What do you expect from Guthrie this year? Can he return to his previous form and what will it take? Will he have another season like last year?

It's an exciting time with a real game (granted an exhibition) at hand. We start getting answers to these questions on Wednesday afternoon.

How will Miggi do at third base?
I expect he will at least be an average third baseman on defense by Opening Day. He may not be as good as Melvin Mora was on defense last year at any point.

He has said his biggest hurdle could be handling bunt plays. He has plenty of arm for the position, if he can get used to the hot shots that will come his way much quicker than they did at short.

Will Roberts, Bergesen and Reimold be healthy?
Right now all those injuries seem to be every bit as "minor" as the club says they are. These are three of the most important players on the team and the loss of any for any period of time would be damaging. Let's hope they all stay on the field and aren't limited at all.

Will Wieters take charge of the pitchers?
While we anticipate what it will look like when Matt Wieters' bat really gets cranked up, his handling of the pitching staff will be huge. The fact that many of the pitchers are young should be a plus as Wieters looks to take charge behind the plate. But he also must hold his own with the likes of Kevin Millwood and Mike Gonzalez. He should do well here.

Who will win the final bullpen jobs?
It's go time for players like Matt Albers and Dennis Sarfate. The O's seem to love the big right arm of Kam Mickolio, who could be a future late-inning guy on this team.

Will the O's keep a left-handed specialist and who will win that job? We also wait to find out if bullpen roles are in the future for David Hernandez and/or Jason Berken. Also, we begin to find out this spring if Luis Lebron is close to ready for a Major League job.

Will Chris Tillman get any challenge for the fifth starters job?
The consensus is it's his job to lose and he won't lose it. That's how I feel. Tillman doesn't have anything left to learn or prove at Triple-A. The only way he opens the door for anyone else is via an injury or just a terrible, terrible spring.

How much of a look will young guys like Josh Bell, Brandon Snyder or Jake Arrieta get in March?
Probably not much of one. The O's feel all three will be future big leaguers - it's just a matter of when. Even if they do really well in March, they all appear likely to open the year with Norfolk. Everyone will be tracking their progress very closely, starting with Opening Day in the International League.

What is your take on these and what will you be looking for as the games start?

Now some fans are wondering how Pie will get at bats and wondering why Reimold has been anointed the starter in left.

Maybe it's the same philosophy that sometimes makes the backup quarterback the most popular guy on the team. You know, the fans want him in the game anytime the regular struggles.

Last March 22nd, I wrote an article stating I completely understood the O's wanting to see what Pie could do while also giving Reimold more time in the minors. I wrote that perhaps out of this, two good Major Leaguers could emerge and that would benefit the team in the long run. I wondered why some fans were so upset with this decision.

Some of the comments back then read like this:

Joe T. said: It's because Pie is Corey Patterson 2.0. It's because Reimold is already better than Pie and always will be because Pie can't take a pitch. It has nothing to do with homegrown players getting a chance. It's about recognizing Pie's inevitable failure.

Doug said: To place a guy out there because he is out of options and cannot be sent to the minors without risk of being lost to another club is just sad. CPat had good minor league stats as well. The guy is an automatic out, and vastly overrated defensively as well as running the bases.

Jargon said: Felix Pie is another toolsy bust who may have a brief upswing like Patterson, but, I even doubt that. Patterson looked better than Pie does.

Nic said: First off your article sounds more like the MASN touting the corporate line and since both the O's and MASN are owned by PA then I guess if you like your job that makes sense.

Jargon also said: Feel free to eat crow when Pie flames out in a post on MASN.

Many fans also wrote in that day to say they understood as well, but if you remember what the local talk-shows sounded like then and the message boards, there seemed to be an avalanche of sentiment against giving Pie a shot.

Click here to read the full article and check out the comments from March of 2009 about Pie and Reimold.

Last spring, Pie hit .222-1-4 and had just four extra-base hits in 68 at bats. Reimold batted .321-4-8 with four extra-base hits in 28 at bats. Reimold's spring slugging percentage topped Pie's by .750 to .317.

Pie's early-season struggles only made some of the fan base more anxious about him. But, even after he lost his starting job and Reimold came up in May, Pie flourished in the second half. He and Terry Crowley kept working at it and it paid off.

There are no guarantees that both Pie and Reimold will continue to play well, but the potential is clearly there. It's looking like the O's may have gotten two good players there.

Now, less than a year after many called for his release, some fans not only think Pie is the better player for left, but that he is a star in the making. I'm not ready to go that far at all, but he should get a ton of credit for turning his season and career around last summer.

If having four good outfielders for three spots is a problem for the Orioles, it's a good problem to have. About this time last year, some fans would have bet big against that.

Some delight in pointing out negatives surrounding the club and, after 12 straight losing seasons, there are plenty of issues to overcome and problems in the O's past.

But the Orioles are on the move in the minors and now considered by most to have one of the ten best farm systems in the game. A lot of that talent found its way to Baltimore last year and that should continue in 2010.

Fans may have more fun at Camden Yards this year, but also may spend some time tracking progress in places like Norfolk, Bowie, Frederick and Salisbury as well.

Here are six key questions to follow in the Orioles minor leagues this season.

*Who is next among the cavalry?

Brad Bergesen, Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz have made their debuts, along with David Hernandez and Jason Berken. Who will be next to make it to the big league level among the young guns?

Many are nominating Jake Arrieta for that spot. He's got the size and power arm and could make a great impression in March in Sarasota.

Brandon Erbe and Troy Patton could be among the next in line while Zach Britton could take another huge step forward with a big year at Double-A.

*Will Josh Bell and/or Brandon Snyder make the Majors this year?

At the very least both, now on the 40-man roster, should be in line for a September call, if not sooner. Their fates are linked to Garrett Atkins and Miguel Tejada. Should either of that duo falter at the big league level, Bell or Snyder could emerge sooner. On the other hand, Andy MacPhail has indicated that Bell could play the entire season in Triple-A and Snyder has yet to put up good numbers at Norfolk.

*Is Luis Lebron for real?

His manager last year at Bowie, Brad Komminsk, told me Lebron has Major League closer ability right now. He had a dominant 2009, fanning 90 in 60 1/3 innings between Frederick and Bowie. He went 1-0, 1.98 with 9 saves at Double-A.

Is he ready for the Majors? The guess is not quite yet, but he has a big time arm, one that touched 97 and 98 last year.

The quiet Dominican native could start back at Bowie, but more likely will pitch in the late innings at Norfolk this year, where he will be just a phone call away. He should see the Majors at some point this season.

*Will Matt Hobgood take a step forward this year?

The first good sign will be if Hobgood, at just 19, makes Delmarva's starting rotation out of camp. While he is still a long way from the Majors, last year's top pick could quiet some of his critics with a solid first full season.

Some fans are convinced he was a signability pick and taken higher than his talent called for. Some question his weight and conditioning. While it's way too early to make any pronouncements on this young pitcher, a shaky 2010 season will keep the anxious fans questioning the pick.

*What pitchers from the lower levels will emerge as the "next wave" of good young O's pitching?

Several pitchers drafted last June did well in limited innings last summer. That list includes Aaron Wirsch, David Baker, James Brandhorst, Jake Cowan and Ashur Tolliver.

But the pitcher that scouting director Joe Jordan most raved about from the draft class of 2009 is 9th-round pick, righty Ryan Berry out of Rice. He missed some time last year (in college) with a shoulder injury and has yet to pitch for an O's affiliate.

Still, Jordan was quoted in a MASNsports.com article on this very blog in November predicting Berry would be the first player to make the Majors among '09 O's picks. The O's, who gave Berry third-round money, could start him as high as Frederick this year with talk he could even make it to Bowie before the season is out.

Meanwhile guys like Jesse Beal, Robert Bundy and Vito Frabizio did well last year and all could really begin to gain attention with solid seasons this year.

*Is 2010 possibly the beginning of the end for Billy Rowell?

The poor kid, still just 21, has to hear almost daily that he's a first-round bust. Since his first season, though, his play has been in decline. He's struck out too much, struggled in the field and failed to show consistent power. He was taken in round one because of his power potential.

Rather than spend a third year at Frederick, the club appears ready to send him to Double-A despite the fact he hasn't earned his way there.

That somewhat controversial move could get him going on the road back to top prospect status. But it could also lead to more poor stats and criticism and signal that he is nearing the end of his time with the O's.

How many more wins does MacPhail expect from the O's this year?

Good luck getting an answer to that question. He is not ready to put a number on it and why would he? You don't want to aim too high or shoot too low. He said he wants "meaningful improvement."

First, let's go back to last October and here are some of MacPhail's comments from back then about Trembley and the team when he announced the skipper would return for this season.

"As I told Dave today, I think we're out of phase one. That's the most destructive and the toughest phase, where you are essentially tearing down and have dealt off some of your more attractive players to other clubs. You brought in a nucleus of young talent. We're out of phase one now.

"Where we are now in my estimation is we're going to move back to the more traditional criteria of evaluating managers. Wins and losses. It may not always be fair, things happen. But I'd like to think we're out of that first phase of what we hoped to do and did accomplish.

"To give him every chance going forward and show meaningful improvement in the standings in 2010, it's our job in the front office to augment and give him as much help as we possibly can going toward that goal.

"He accomplished what we wanted him to accomplish. Players got better, he's earned the oppurtunity to go forward. It was essential we went through this process as a franchise.

"Now, things shift a little. We've gone through the toughest part. Now it's important we show our fans some meaningful improvement in the standings."

"What that means we'll see in the context of the time. But something comparable to what we've endured for two years is not what I'm thinking. But I'm not going to give you a number."

"We still have a lot of young players, to use Dave's analogy, that are now sophomores. But we need to show meaningful improvement in the standings. How that transmits itself, we are just going to have to see over time."

To me, the skipper will be judged much more than on just wins and losses this season.

He will score points with fans and management if:

*The team routinely plays hard every night and cuts down on physical and mental mistakes, especially in the base running department.

*The pitchers in the starting rotation begin to pitch deeper in games, thereby saving the bullpen from eating so many innings. And his use of the bullpen is such that pitchers stay sharp yet get enough rest throughout the season.

*The O's improve their record vs. NY and Boston. Last year's mark of 7-29 is beyond terrible.

*The team improves in close games (29-43 last year in one and two-run games) and road games (25-56).

*The team avoids yet another late-season swoon.

*Young players continue to make progress and several establish themselves as solid every day players and pitchers.

*He, as promised, brings down the hammer on any player that fails to play hard on every play or makes consistent mental mistakes.

*Uses his bench well and keeps reserve players sharp when called upon.

How do you interpret MacPhail's "judged on wins and losses" comment about this season? What does Trembley need to do to improve the team and impress the fan base?

The 23-year-old lefty went 5-8, 4.89 last year in 25 starts covering 131 innings between Delmarva and Frederick.

He started well, going 4-3, 1.92 through May with Delmarva. And he finished very strong, pitching to an ERA of 2.41 over his last three Frederick starts.

In those three outings he pitched 18 2/3 overpowering innings with 26 strikeouts and no walks.

"I felt strong at the end of the year, not tired at all. My strikeouts were up and I was on my game and felt confident. I didn't want the season to end there. I just felt more like myself at the end of the year and was excited."

Zagone was drafted in round six in 2008 out of Missouri, then went 7-1, 2.89 that year for Aberdeen.

In 2009, the 6'4" southpaw walked 49 and was 5th in the O's minors with 118 strikeouts behind Jake Arrieta, Cole McCurry, Zach Britton and Brian Matusz.

"I feel it was a great first full year for me. I started strong, had a lull in the middle but the last month or so at Frederick I had some of my strongest games."

Zagone's year would have looked a lot better had he not had a miserable four-start stretch with the Shorebirds in June. Over 12 innings he allowed 22 earned runs.

"I had a little bit of a dead arm (period). When I got to Frederick, I asked (catcher) Caleb Joseph what he thought and he said 'you are not getting on top of the baseball and not getting the normal run on it.' My pitches were a little flat for a short time.

"It was tough (mentally) because I wasn't sure what I was doing wrong. I was trying different things and probably over analyzed it a bit."

That stretch left his ERA for the season at 4.89. Take away those outings and he pitched to a 3.72 ERA between two teams, which would have been 11th best among O's farmhands in 2009.

Zagone, who throws a fastball, slider and changeup, usually pitches between 88 and 90 with his velocity and tops out at 92 miles per hour.

He held left-handed batters to a .165 average and no homers last season. He gave up just 15 hits in 91 at bats vs. lefty hitters with 29 strikeouts.

It's been a busy winter for Zagone. He married Stephanie in October, moved to Columbia in Howard County as well and took part in workouts in January at Camden Yards.

Recently he's been throwing at Georgetown Prep with fellow O's Kenny Moreland and Patrick Kantakevich. In early March he'll report to spring training to start the season.

He seems likely to begin in Frederick's rotation, but could advance to Double-A Bowie before the year is out.

O's minor league strikeout leaders, 2009:
148 - Jake Arrieta
145 - Cole McCurry
131 - Zach Britton
121 - Brian Matusz
118 - Rick Zagone

Four Orioles made the list with Brian Matusz at number 5, Josh Bell at 37, Zach Britton at 63 and Jake Arrieta at 99.

Co-Editor Will Lingo was one of four that selected the list. I talked with Lingo about the list, the O's on it and the Orioles farm system overall. All the quotes in the story are from Lingo.

After the O's promoted so many young players into the Majors last year, is getting four on the list this year a good number for Baltimore?

"It's a good representation of how far the system has come in the last few years. I know Oriole fans are still looking for the success in the big leagues and that's the goal and the hardest step to make. But the talent coming through the system now is at a pretty good level so there is reason for hope in the next couple of years."

What factors are used in selecting this list?

"It's the culmination of everything we do in the offseason. Once the minor league season starts winding down we start talking to managers and scouts and do our minor league prospects lists and organization lists.

"We talked to people in every organization. After we do our organization lists we start to see some clubs separate themselves. We have more than 900 scouting reports in our prospect handbook.

"The top 100 list is the collection of the guys with the absolute best tools in the minor leagues. The guys with standout skills and tools tend to be the best Major Leaguers by and large. We like to think our top 100 list is the best gathering of those kinds of players."

Matt Hobgood was rated 5th on Baseball America's list of the top ten O's prospects. Does that mean he was the next closest Oriole to making your top 100?

"I think that is right. I don't have the raw list in front of me. It doesn't exactly correspond to our top ten lists because we have multiple people voting on our lists."

Here is Lingo's take on each O's prospect listed in the top 100.

Brian Matusz: "He is one of the best pitching prospects in the minor leagues. I think we have him ranked only behind Stephen Strasburg on our list among pitchers. He has the total package and should step right into the Major League rotation. He should have success right away and then in the next few years be among one of the better pitchers in baseball."

Josh Bell: "He didn't have great years the previous couple of seasons but started to put it all together this past season. The trade maybe rejuvenated him a little bit. We rated each players' best tool when we did the list and power ranks as his best tool. He's also shown he will be an above average hitter. When you have above average power with a guy who can be at least an average to above average hitter, that's a pretty strong combination."

Zach Britton: "We had two guys on the top 100 whose sinker rated as their best tool. From scouts we talked to, most think Britton's sinker is probably the best in the minor leagues with the late, heavy life it has and the way he uses it. We rated it a 65 on the 20 to 80 scale. That is somewhere between above average and well above average, so that's a strong pitch. He started to emerge last year in the eyes of a lot of people. He could really be a guy this year who becomes one of the more prominent pitching prospects in the game."

Jake Arrieta: "He's always been kind of a personal favorite of mine, I just think he's a bulldog on the mound. His overall polish is not up there with Matusz, but I think his stuff is, his raw stuff is nearly as good. Some people think he could end up as a reliever but I think he'll stay in the rotation."

There is some debate among O's fans as to whether Matt Hobgood was the right pick at number five in last June's draft. What is your take on that?

"It's hard to tell at this point. They said they weren't trying to save money with the pick, but it did seem like they were. Then again, a lot of people underrated Matt Hobgood going into the draft, including us.

"I think it was a legit pick. High school pitching is so tough, though, it's really hit or miss. I really think it's too early to tell. I think he's a legit guy and a lot of people may have underrated him."

How well are the Orioles doing overall on the farm and in producing prospects?

"They've had good drafts in recent years and they have established a more coherent philosophy and good continuity in the front office. It seemed like in some past years scouting and player development were not always on the same page.

"Sometimes there were guys drafted that scouts liked and player development either didn't see the same skills or used them in a way that maybe the scouts hadn't envisioned when they drafted him. Now they are drafting better and developing better. That's a much better combination for the organization, obviously.

"Winning in the Major Leagues is the goal and that's the toughest last step. I think this is a year we'll start to see if that's coming together now."

Click here for more info on Baseball America's top 100 prospects list.

For an encore, he'll try to put up numbers this year at Bowie as he's likely to start the season in the Double-A Eastern League.

The lefty hitter, an O's 11th-round draft pick in 2007 out of Florida Atlantic, struggled in spring training last year. When time came for full-season clubs to head north in April, he was held behind by the O's at extended spring training.

"You work hard all off season and want to make a roster come April. It was frustrating but you just have to keep working and it paid off," Widlansky said.

"Last spring I felt good and thought I played well, but there are a lot of good players in the O's system now. I went to extended spring and played well there and luckily got the chance in Frederick."

Just hoping to make Delmarva's roster last April, he joined the Keys in late May and wound up batting .340-7-59 with 31 doubles and an OPS of .901 in 86 games.

Widlansky got off to an amazing start with Frederick and, after 40 games, was hitting .404. He ended the year a few plate appearances short of qualifying for the batting title, but won the title due to baseball rule 10-22A.

It states that if a player can add at bats at the end of the year to reach the required number and is still the league leader even without any additional hits, he can win the batting title.

The 25-year-old Widlansky became the 4th Frederick Key to ever end the year topping all league hitters.

"I was just seeing the ball well and hitting it hard. I don't know, I don't think it was one specific thing. We had a lot of good hitters at Frederick and it helped being surrounded by good hitters.

"It's exciting. There were some ups and downs last year. There are some really good hitters in that league so if you look at it like that, it's really exciting because you can hit with the best of them."

There were rumblings that when he didn't make a team out of spring training last April, that Widlansky was thinking about quitting the game.

"No, I never thought about quitting. I was frustrated at times and you start questioning some things. You know you can play and you just have to go out and play hard every day and get better. I feel like I can play with all these guys. I didn't get down, I knew I'd get my chance."

Widlansky, who played first base and outfield at Frederick, hit a scorching .396 with runners in scoring position and went 4 for 8 with the bases loaded. But it was his .366 average vs. left-handed pitching that really helped keep his overall average up.

Now the player that struggled in his first pro season, hitting just .181 in 2007 at Aberdeen, is ready for another spring training. It should end better than last year and he's likely to break camp with the Baysox.

Widlansky batting average by season:
.181 - 2007 at Aberdeen
.222 - 2008 at Delmarva
.279 - 2008 at Aberdeen
.340 - 2009 at Frederick

Four Frederick Keys have won the batting title:
1989 - Luis Mercedes hit .309
1994 - Harry Berrios hit .348
1997 - Rick Short hit .319
2009 - Robbie Widlansky hit .340

Meanwhile, Baseball America released its list of baseball's top 100 prospects today and rated Brian Matusz 5th, Josh Bell 37th, Zach Britton 63rd and Jake Arrieta at number 99.

Coming tomorrow - Baseball America Co-Editor Will Lingo talks about the four on this list and the Orioles farm system.

"You win with pitching and defense."

"It's a marathon, not a sprint."

"You can never have enough pitching."

"A walk's as good as a hit."

OK that last one is from little league and not heard too often in the American League.

Here's one that is just not true.

"As a young player, he will only get better."

Oh really. If that were a truism, every young talent on every team would put up better stats every year. You know, he might get worse, or he might get hurt or he might develop a poor work ethic.

Maybe we should say "as a young player, still learning the ropes, he has a chance to get better."

Which brings me to the reason for this post. Which young O's talents will be getting better this year and which ones might even regress? Will the league develop scouting reports on some of the young guys that will make it harder for them to have success this year?

Here are last year's stats for some of the youthful O's:
Adam Jones: .277-19-70
Felix Pie: .266-9-29
Nolan Reimold: .279-15-45
Matt Wieters: .288-9-43
Brad Bergesen: 7-5, 3.43
David Hernandez: 4-10, 5.42
Brian Matusz: 5-2, 4.63
Kam Mickolio: 0-2, 2.63
Chris Tillman: 2-5, 5.40

Which of this group, or any others you have in mind, may take a step back this year? Which do you feel most confident about based on last year's performance?

Cashman, I'm sure knowing what audience he was speaking to, was very enthusiastic in his comments about the Orioles.

Yet his comments sounded quite sincere and he didn't just seem to be saying the politically correct thing about a division opponent.

You be the judge.

Here is an excerpt of Cashman's comments about the O's rebuilding effort headed by team president Andy MacPhail.

"Andy is doing exactly what Andy does best. He is as sharp as they come. Patience is the biggest key. He made such an astute trade with Seattle and now he has a collection of talent. Getting Adam Jones to play with Markakis was remarkable. Now he has one of the bright young outfields.

"Now he's filling in, taking advantage of the free agent market to protect his young talent and wait for them to pop.

"I remember a few years back when Tampa Bay was perennially losing. Everyone in the industry was following them and saw all their young talent brewing and slowly getting refined. You don't know, because prospects are suspects until they declare themselves at the Major League level.

"Andy is doing the same thing. Everybody kind of sees the collection of talent. Players with big tools and high ceiling. When you are athletic and have those kinds of tools, when it all comes together, it comes fast.

"The Orioles are a team that has closed the gap, without a doubt. And Andy is showing the patience. I think their fan base will be very, very pleased. All the sudden, before they know it, they'll have that foundation in place. They just haven't seen it pop yet at the Major League level.

"They are doing the right things because they have a baseball guy running it. Their owner Peter Angelos hired a tremendous baseball talent in Andy MacPhail. He's worth his weight in gold.

"The Oriole way is coming back real quick. I went to high school and college in the DC area, so I know how important the Orioles are to that area. It's a sleeping giant that will emerge again, I promise you."

What is your take on Cashman's comments on the Orioles?

He has done all this before his 27th birthday.

Joe Mauer is baseball's best catcher and an amazing force on offense and defense. He is also said to be a great guy, one that will likely never show up in the headlines to discredit his team or town.

The question is - will he continue to destroy AL pitching as a member of the Minnesota Twins beyond this season? He can be a free agent in the fall.

The Yankees and Red Sox are said to be drooling over this one. Mauer's deal, on the open market, would likely top Mark Teixeira's eight-year, $180 million contract.

The Twins have a few things in their favor. Mauer is the hometown kid, from St. Paul. He is represented by Baltimorean Ron Shapiro, a man who negotiated contracts that kept Cal Ripken Jr. a lifelong Oriole and Kirby Puckett a lifelong Twin.

This isn't Scott Boras, looking to make headlines, use the media and extract every last penny from the deal.

Still, I'm pretty sure there won't be any hometown discount on this contract. The Twins may have to offer a ten-year, $200-million deal to keep Mauer. They may need to put deferred money in the pact.

If Mauer resigns with Minnesota, will the mid market Twins have enough left to sign other players? It takes more than one player to win games.

If the Twins had a $100 million payroll and Mauer was getting $20 million, could they be a winner with $80 million left to sign 24 other players?

Unless you are a NY or Boston fan, how can anyone root for anything but Mauer to stay with his hometown team?

At some point, clubs need to be able to retain their best talent and stop serving as a farm team for the Yankees.

Let's hope Joe Mauer remains a Twin. Everyone in baseball is watching this one.

As I mentioned in a post last week, the Triple-A and Double-A clubs will play their home games at the Ed Smith Complex, while the class A clubs will play their home games at the Buck O'Neil Complex at Twin Lakes Park.

Date Club Opponent Time Location
March 17 AAA/AA Tampa Bay 1:00 Ed Smith Complex
A @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte

March 18 AAA/AA @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte
A Tampa Bay 1:00 Buck O'Neil Complex

March 19 AAA/AA Boston 12:30 Ed Smith Complex
A @Boston 12:30 Fort Myers

March 20 AAA/AA @Minnesota 12:00 Fort Myers
A Minnesota 12:30 Buck O'Neil Complex

March 21 All clubs Workout TBA Ed Smith and O'Neil Complexes

March 22 AAA/AA @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte
A Tampa Bay 1:00 Buck O'Neil Complex

March 23 AAA/AA Tampa Bay 1:00 Ed Smith Complex
A @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte

March 24 AAA/AA @Boston 12:30 Fort Myers
A Boston 12:30 Buck O'Neil Complex

March 25 AAA/AA Minnesota 12:30 Ed Smith Stadium
A @Minnesota 12:00 Fort Myers

March 26 AAA/AA @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte
A Tampa Bay 1:00 Buck O'Neil Complex

March 27 AAA/AA Tampa Bay 1:00 Ed Smith Complex
A @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte

March 28 All clubs Workout TBA Ed Smith and O'Neil Complexes

March 29 AAA/AA Boston 12:30 Ed Smith Complex
A @Boston 12:30 Fort Myers

March 30 AAA/AA @Minnesota 12:00 Fort Myers
A Minnesota 12:30 Buck O'Neil Complex

March 31 AAA/AA @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte
A Tampa Bay 12:00 Buck O'Neill Complex

April 1 AAA/AA Tampa Bay 12:00 Ed Smith Complex
A @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte

April 2 AAA/AA @Minnesota 12:00 Fort Myers
A Minnesota 12:30 Buck O'Neil Complex

All dates, times and locations subject to change

He's also excited to see the O's new spring training digs in Sarasota.

"To me it (the new facility) is re-energizing. We are looking forward to having the major and minor league guys in the same spot so we can get to know some of the minor league players. There are so many benefits to this move for us," Roberts said Wednesday during his segment on the Scott Garceau show, which airs on MASN and O's flagship station, 105.7 FM, the Fan.

Roberts is coming off a season where he hit .283-16-79 with 56 doubles and 110 runs. Does he have a specific focus heading into spring camp?

"Every year it's something different depending on your previous season. Going into two years ago I really wanted to increase my right-handed hitting and my average has dramatically increased.

"My (overall) average was a little lower than I would have liked last year but I hit for more power than I had the past couple years. There's a give and take. For me the biggest role is to get on base and score runs and create havoc at the top or the order."

Roberts, named the Most Valuable Oriole in 2009, was asked if he feels Dave Trembley's job security is an issue after Andy MacPhail's pronouncement that this year will be more about wins and losses.

"You don't want to go into the season looking at it like 'let's keep our manager's job or his job is on the line.' But we are at the point where we need to win (more) games. That's a major priority at this point. Our jobs as players will be graded on that and so will Dave's too. That's how we should be graded."

Roberts said he would fly to Florida on Saturday. When he gets there he'll get to see some of those young talents on the O's roster.

"For me there are a handful of guys I'm really looking forward to watching and seeing where there maturation process is. I'm looking forward to watching Bergesen to see if he can duplicate what he did last year for an entire season.

"I think Matusz is just going to be tremendous and can be one of the best left handers in the game. You can kind of see him get to that point, he was scared to death at first and then he really lit it up.

"I'm not sure what is going on between our outfield and DH but Nolan Reimold and Felix Pie are two tremendous young outfielders. When Nolan went down, Felix was tremendous. When Nolan was healthy, he was as good as it gets for a rookie.

"We have a lot of exciting aspects to our team and organization right now. I'm as excited as fans or anyone else to watch this take place."

The 19-year-old right hander was taken with the 5th pick in round one of last June's draft. He went 1-2, 4.73 in eight starts last summer at Bluefield. After the year he was named as the 4th best prospect in the Appalachian League by Baseball America.

Hobgood has joined other pitchers that have reported early to the O's minor league camp in Sarasota, Florida. Here are some more comments from an interview this week with Hobgood.

How are the early workouts going?

"On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays we throw bullpens, usually at about 85 percent or so just working on fastballs and changeups. Just trying to get the feel of throwing off a mound again.

"Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays we go the gym and workout with trainers. Sundays we are off. There is a lot of down time. I've been bowling already about nine times since I've been here."

You mentioned last summer that your velocity, which reached the mid 90's during your high school season, topped out at 92 during Bluefield's season. Has all the velocity come back or will you know more later in the spring?

"Right now I feel pretty good, trying to ease back into things and get a feel throwing off the mound. I'm trying to condition my arm for a long season. They are not putting any (radar) guns on us at this point. I'll probably know more in March when the games start and go from there."

You put in a lot of work in the last few months on your changeup. Is that an improved pitch?

"I worked on my changeup a lot at instructional league. When I came back this year Dave Schmidt said my mechanics look a lot better, I'm sound and balanced with that pitch. I feel a lot more in control of myself and with my motion."

Are the coaches trying to add any pitches for you or tinkering with your pitches or is it more just refining what you already have?

"They're not trying to teach me to throw a knuckleball or anything like that. Right now I'm just throwing fastball, changeup. Just getting the feel back is all it is."

Is your goal to start at Delmarva this year. Have you been told if you will head north with that club in April?

"That is my goal. I hope to start the year there. They have not said anything to anyone. I think they just want everyone to go into spring training and show what they've got."

The Triple-A Norfolk Tides announced today that they will play the Norfolk State Spartans in an exhibition game on Tuesday, April 6 at 7:15 pm at Harbor Park.

Tickets for the event are $5.00, with all proceeds from the contest going towards the NSU baseball program.

This game supplants the annual exhibition game the Tides had played against the Old Dominion Monarchs. The Tides open their 2010 season on April 8 against Durham Bulls.

The Double-A Bowie Baysox will host live auditions at Prince George's Stadium on Saturday, March 13, to sing the national anthem before a 2010 Baysox home game. Gates open for registration at 9:00 a.m. and auditions begin at 9:30 a.m. The team has a live performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before all 71 home games.

The auditions are held rain or shine. Last year, 103 people auditioned to sing the national anthem.

That list includes last June's first-round pick, right hander Matt Hobgood, who has been in Sarasota since February first.

The 19-year-old that the O's selected with the fifth overall pick last June, has spent most of this winter learning to eat better and reducing his body fat.

He worked out at the Athletes Performance Institute in Carson, California from November 9 through late January, then days later reported to Sarasota.

"That was really good for me. The Orioles recommended it. I worked out with some big league guys and minor league guys. It was a good experience and did a lot for me physically.

"About a week into API, I went with a company that delivers your food and was on an 1800-calorie per day plan. I did that plan for about a month."

Hobgood said he reduced his body fat from 22 to 17 percent, a nice reduction for about three months of work. Hobgood is 6'4", 245 pounds and he'll likely play at a similar weight this year.

"I didn't get to where they wanted me weight wise. I lost about 17 pounds of body fat and gained nine pounds of muscle. That's 26 pounds total if I had taken off that muscle.

"The goals I've set for myself are for the long run and they can be achieved. But as for this off season, I felt I did really well for that time frame. Physically I am ahead of where I was at last year at Bluefield."

Hobgood went 1-2, 4.73 in eight starts last summer at Bluefield and his goal this year is to make Delmarva's starting rotation come Opening Day.

"I am really excited, going into my first (full) year. I want to go into spring training strong. I think this year will be a learning and growing year."

The list of other pitchers already throwing at the O's minor league complex includes Cameron Coffey, Vito Frabizio, Randy Henry, Jarret Martin, Brandon Erbe, Brandon Cooney and Brent Allar.

At the end of last season, Baseball America named Hobgood as the 4th best prospect in 2009 in the Appalachian League.

Here were Baseball America's comments then on Hobgood:

The fifth overall selection in the 2009 draft, he signed for $2.442 million after starring as a two-way player for Norco (Calif.) High. Hobgood debuted in the Appy League, where he reminded one league manager of Curt Schilling with his burly 6-foot-4, 245-pound build. As it did with Schilling, it may take Hobgood a while to harness his quality raw stuff.

With a mature body already, Hobgood probably throws as hard now as he ever will. His clean, repeatable mechanics do lend hope, however, that he'll iron out his command. If he does, he has the potential to be a No. 2 starter.

Coming later today - More comments from Hobgood as he talks about his current bullpen sessions, his fastball velocity and the pitch that he has improved from last year.