Steve Melewski
Steve Melewski

Will American League hitters adjust to Zach Britton's sinker this year?

Will American League hitters adjust to Zach Britton's sinker this year?
One concern that some fans seem to have about Orioles closer Zach Britton is the sense that American League hitters will make an adjustment against him to make his job tougher in 2015. The adjustment would be laying off more of his sinkerball pitches that dip low and out of the strike zone. The thinking is, lay off the pitch, make him bring it up in the zone and then they can hit it with more authority. Sounds reasonable, but Britton doesn't exactly buy that theory. "Hitters will make...
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Steve Melewski

With clubhouse and other improvements complete, Delmarva preps for its 20th season

With clubhouse and other improvements complete, Delmarva preps for its 20th season
As they get ready to begin their 20th season, the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds have made some upgrades to Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, Md. The changes won't actually be seen by the fans, but they will be very appreciated by the players. "This offseason, the Shorebirds - along with our partners from Wicomico County, Md., that own the stadium - took on an improvement project," Shorebirds general manager Chris Bitters said. "We had a major renovation and update of the locker room...
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Steve Melewski

Travis Snider looks ahead to his O's future, reflects on his past as a top prospect

Travis Snider looks ahead to his O's future, reflects on his past as a top prospect
Since Baseball America released its first list of the top 100 prospects in baseball in 1990, just six Orioles minor leaguers have made the top six on that list. Here is the rundown: No. 1 - Matt Wieters in 2009 No. 2 - Dylan Bundy in 2013, Ben McDonald in 1990 No. 3 - Jeffrey Hammonds in 1994 No. 5 - Brian Matusz in 2010, Arthur Rhodes in 1992 No. 6 - Arthur Rhodes in 1991 New Oriole Travis Snider can relate to the players on this list. Coming up as a young player with the Toronto Blue Jays, he...
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Steve Melewski

An update on the Pat Connaughton situation

An update on the Pat Connaughton situation
Orioles director of player development Brian Graham talked to minor league pitcher Pat Connaughton on Tuesday. Tonight, he told me about that conversation and sounded very much like someone who expects to see Connaughton return to the Orioles. He just doesn't know exactly when that might be. In an interview on Boston radio station WEEI Monday, Connaughton said there was a chance he would not report to the Orioles this year. He just completed his senior season on the Notre Dame basketball team...
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Steve Melewski

Reliable Tillman to start opener, AL East notes and more (Tuiasosopo released)

Reliable Tillman to start opener, AL East notes and more (Tuiasosopo released)
Chris Tillman is dependable. He thinks that is important, and said that among all the things he can do to help the Orioles, he is most proud of the ability to take the ball every fifth day for his team. They can depend on him to do that. "For me, that is big," Tillman said. "Numbers are numbers, but when you can go out for your teammates and fans and do your job every fifth day, that is important to me. First, you have to stay healthy and manage your body. I take a lot of pride in doing...
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Steve Melewski

Will the O's miss Cruz's 40 homers? (plus a take on Connaughton)

Will the O's miss Cruz's 40 homers? (plus a take on Connaughton)
One concern that has come up repeatedly about the Orioles for this year is how will they make up the 40 homers lost when Nelson Cruz signed with Seattle. My answer is this: Don't worry about the Orioles hitting homers. They do that as well as any team in the majors. Over the last three years, there are seven instances of a team having a 200-homer year. The Orioles have hit 200 or more three times in three years, while the rest of Major League Baseball has combined for four such instances, with...
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Steve Melewski

Pat Connaughton tells Boston radio station he may not report to O's this summer

Pat Connaughton tells Boston radio station he may not report to O's this summer
Coming off a college basketball season where he helped lead Notre Dame to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight, it looks like Orioles minor league pitcher Pat Connaughton may not yet be ready to put basketball in his rear-view mirror for good. Connaughton was drafted by the Orioles in the fourth round last June and signed for a slot bonus of $428,100. He reported to short-season Single-A Aberdeen and went 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA. In 14 2/3 innings, the right-hander allowed 13 hits with three walks...
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Steve Melewski

MLB Network analysts size up the Orioles

MLB Network analysts size up the Orioles
MLB Network made its annual stop at Orioles spring camp in Sarasota, Fla., and its "30 in 30" broadcast on the Birds aired last night. The O's coverage began with former Oriole Harold Reynolds live at Ed Smith Stadium talking about shortstop J.J. Hardy's injured left shoulder. He is expected to have an MRA on the shoulder today. Reynolds speculated whether Manny Machado would move over to short or whether Everth Cabrera might play there if Hardy missed time. He interviewed Hardy on the...
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Steve Melewski

The Orioles cut four players from minor league camp

The Orioles cut four players from minor league camp
The Orioles have released four players from their minor league camp: Right-handed pitchers Tim Gustafson and Brad Duffy, infielder Tanner Rust and first baseman Casey Haerther. Gustafson, Duffy and Haerther were all in their first seasons in the organization after playing independent ball in 2014. Rust was with the Orioles the past two years. Gustafson was originally drafted in round nine out of Georgia Tech by Atlanta in 2006. Last season with Bridgeport of the Atlantic League the 30-year-old...
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Steve Melewski

Tyler Wilson shows you don't need prospect hype to pitch well (plus AL East notes)

Tyler Wilson shows you don't need prospect hype to pitch well (plus AL East notes)
"That's what they look like," Orioles manager Buck Showalter will say from time to time. He's usually referring to a young prospect when using that phrase. While Tyler Wilson is 25, not 21, Showalter certainly could have used the phrase after Saturday's game when Wilson buzzed through a mostly first-string Yankees lineup over four scoreless innings, needing just 43 pitches. Optioned to Triple-A after Saturday's game so he can build up innings and get ready for his season, Wilson made a...
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Steve Melewski

What if Kevin Gausman starts the season in the bullpen?

What if Kevin Gausman starts the season in the bullpen?
It is the most interesting and perhaps among the most important questions surrounding the Orioles - how will they reduce six starters to five to begin the 2015 season? It appeared we may have gotten a clue on Thursday when Kevin Gausman pitched in relief and manager Buck Showalter said he may be shortened up in upcoming spring training outings. Does that mean Gausman will start the year in the bullpen? Well, less than 24 hours after talking about Gausman pitching in shorter stints, Showalter...
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Steve Melewski

O's release pitcher Matt Price, two others from minor league camp

O's release pitcher Matt Price, two others from minor league camp
The Orioles have released three players from their minor league camp: right-handed pitcher Matt Price, outfielder Jake Luce and catcher Zane Chavez. Price was drafted by the Orioles in round seven in 2012 out of the University of South Carolina, where he played on two national championship teams. He was taken three rounds after the O's drafted his college teammate, first baseman Christian Walker. Over two seasons on the O's farm, Price went 6-7 with a 5.06 ERA in 62 games. He allowed 92 hits...
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Steve Melewski

Adam Jones on new outfielders, chemistry and more (plus over-unders)

Adam Jones on new outfielders, chemistry and more (plus over-unders)
During my time in Sarasota, I asked Orioles center fielder Adam Jones what he would need to get done for this to be a successful spring training for him. "Injury-free. It's a successful spring training no matter who you are if you get through it without injuries," he said. Point made. While spring training results may be important for players fighting for roster spots or young players looking to leave the coaching staff with a good impression, the veterans just need to, as they say, "get...
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Steve Melewski

After solid debut, an even bigger Jomar Reyes readies for second season on O's farm

After solid debut, an even bigger Jomar Reyes readies for second season on O's farm
At just 17, the Orioles felt Dominican-born prospect Jomar Reyes had progressed enough this time last year to bypass playing in the Dominican Summer League and move right to the minor leagues in the United States. That decision proved to be the right one. Reyes played third base for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Orioles and performed well in 2014. Over 53 games, he batted .285 with 10 doubles, two triples, four homers and 29 RBIs. He had a .333 OBP, a .425 slugging percentage and a .758...
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Steve Melewski

Follow-up act: After breakout season, Steve Pearce will try to do it again

Follow-up act: After breakout season, Steve Pearce will try to do it again
So what will Steve Pearce do for an encore? Coming off the best year of his life, what can he do to try to repeat the amazing success he had during the 2014 season? Consider that going into last year, Pearce had hit 17 career homers in 743 at-bats over parts of seven seasons with four different teams. Last season, he hit 21 in 338 at-bats with the Orioles and was a real key to the club winning 96 games and an American League East title. Pearce had never homered more than four times in any year...
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Steve Melewski

A look at pace of play rules coming to the minors (plus O's minor league notes)

A look at pace of play rules coming to the minors (plus O's minor league notes)
Minor League Baseball issued a press release today detailing pace of play rules coming to Double-A and Triple-A games this season. One big difference I see between earlier rules announced in MLB is that offenders in the majors are subject to fines while offenders in the minors can have a ball or strike issued against them. Here is the release: Minor League Baseball today announced rules and procedures aimed at improving the pace of play in games at the Triple-A and Double-A levels. The...
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Ripken brothers talk Orioles, IronBirds and more at Aberdeen event

Ripken brothers talk Orioles, IronBirds and more at Aberdeen event
ABERDEEN, Md. - Former Orioles Cal Ripken Jr. and Bill Ripken see the 2015 Orioles making another run at the playoffs. In fact, they predict it will happen. Before an Aberdeen IronBirds Hot Stove dinner event last night at Ripken Stadium, where they were scheduled to take fans questions, the brothers sized up the Orioles with less than two weeks to go before their opener. "I would say a week ago you might have had some concerns because spring training didn't look so good. And I know we don't...
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Injury bug hits Orioles, plus a few more Florida quotes

Injury bug hits Orioles, plus a few more Florida quotes
Just when it looked like the Orioles were having a strong spring training in terms of few injury concerns, on came the news that catcher Matt Wieters will most likely start the year on the disabled list. So will minor league right-handed pitching prospect Hunter Harvey. The Wieters news is not surprising, as April 17 will be when he is 10 months removed from surgery. Whatever date Wieters starts his 2015 season, the Orioles will want to feel certain he can play a full season from that point...
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Steve Melewski

O's minor league Pitcher of the Year impressing in spring training

O's minor league Pitcher of the Year impressing in spring training
SARASOTA, Fla. - Several young pitchers from the Orioles minor leagues have done well in major league camp this spring. But only Tyler Wilson has posted eight scoreless innings in O's exhibition games. A 10th-round draft pick in 2011 out of the University of Virginia, Wilson has pitched in four games working two scoreless innings each against the Rays, Phillies, Blue Jays and Twins. "I feel good and healthy which is the most important thing," Wilson said. "Right now just trying to work on...
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Duquette on Wieters, Graham on Harvey, Bundy on his outing today

Duquette on Wieters, Graham on Harvey, Bundy on his outing today
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles got a bit of a scare earlier today when 2013 first-round pick Hunter Harvey had to leave his minor league start early in Fort Myers against the Twins. Pitching for Single-A Frederick, Harvey was hit by a combacker and was taken out of the game. Orioles director of player development Brian Graham got the news in Sarasota at the club's Twin Lakes complex where he was watching the Double-A and Triple-A teams play. "I just heard he took a hard ground ball off the...
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