O's farmhands help Perth advance to Australian League championship series

O's farmhands help Perth advance to Australian League championship series
In November, eight Orioles prospects were on the championship team in the Arizona Fall League. In fact, several O's players came up big in the championship game as Surprise beat Mesa 2-0 for the title. Eduardo Rodriguez got the win with three shutout innings and the two runs were scored by Jonathan Schoop and Henry Urrutia, who doubled twice in the finale. Now some O's young players could be part of another league championship. They've helped Perth to the Australian Baseball League...
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From The Bronx to Baltimore through San Francisco: Monell looks for backup catcher's job

From The Bronx to Baltimore through San Francisco: Monell looks for backup catcher's job
If Johnny Monell ever comes with up a big hit to lead the Orioles over the Yankees, he'll be beating his hometown team. The Orioles acquired the Bronx, N.Y., native in late November, sending cash to the San Francisco Giants for Monell, a player San Francisco had designated for assignment a few days earlier. Now, after seven minor league seasons in the Giants organization, Monell is going to try and make a big league opening day roster for the first time. He's out to win the backup catching...
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After long road to the majors, is David Lough ready to take flight as an Oriole?

After long road to the majors, is David Lough ready to take flight as an Oriole?
Have the Orioles found a late bloomer in outfielder David Lough? Manager Buck Showalter talks often about players sometimes finding themselves in their late 20s and Lough, who was acquired in a trade with Kansas City in December, turned 28 on Jan. 20. Lough has paid his dues and maybe this is his time. He's played 677 games with 2,593 at-bats in the minors. He's played 401 games at the Triple-A level since 2010. By contrast, Manny Machado played 219 minor league games - none at Triple-A -...
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List of players reporting early to O's minor league camp

List of players reporting early to O's minor league camp
A few days after the Orioles report to spring training on Feb. 13, several minor league players will report to an early minor league camp at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota, Fla. Here is the list of players reporting on Feb. 21: Pitchers: Steven Brault Parker Bridwell Zach Davies Oliver Drake Jason Gurka Hunter Harvey Branden Kline Aaron Laffey Marcel Prado Stephen Tarpley Luis Vizcaino Brady Wager Tyler Wilson Catchers: David Freitas Steel Russell Wynston Sawyer Chance Sisco Brian...
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Remembering when Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson was an O's draft pick

Remembering when Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson was an O's draft pick
When Russell Wilson walked off the field as a Super Bowl champion quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks Sunday night, it led one Orioles scout to recall the 2007 baseball season. That was the year the Orioles drafted Wilson in the 41st round out of the Collegiate School in Richmond, Va. He was an excellent high school baseball player with potentially top 10 round talent. The only reason he was drafted so low was because he had a pretty firm commitment to go to North Carolina State to play...
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Hunter on closing, Lough on defense, Patton on suspension and more

Hunter on closing, Lough on defense, Patton on suspension and more
There was a great crowd Saturday at FanFest. We could hear you often from behind the main stage where the media spent most of the day interviewing O's players and coaches, past and present. Here are a few quotes and notes worth passing along: * Pitcher Troy Patton will miss the season's first 25 games after testing positive for an amphetamine in violation of Major League Baseball's joint drug prevention and treatment program. He said he took an Adderall pill, not to enhance his...
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Jim Palmer on A.J. Burnett and the O's rotation

Jim Palmer on A.J. Burnett and the O's rotation
He hasn't thrown a pitch in a game for the Orioles in nearly 30 years, but Hall of Famer Jim Palmer remains one of the most popular people in the organization with O's fans. As you may have heard, he knows pitching pretty well, so it was worth hearing his opinion about the O's current pitching rotation and particularly their pursuit of free agent pitcher A.J. Burnett, the current hottest O's topic. What does the three-time Cy Young winner, eight-time 20-game winner, MASN broadcaster and...
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Bundy expects to throw from mound at end of March

Bundy expects to throw from mound at end of March
Orioles pitching prospect Dylan Bundy continues to progress well from his ligament-reconstructive elbow surgery on June 27. He provided the latest update to reporters this afternoon here at FanFest. "I'm seven months out now," Bundy said. "I was supposed to throw (from) 90 feet yesterday in Florida but it got rained out. Was pretty bummed about that. I just threw 60 feet flat ground. So far, so good. On schedule and it feels great. On schedule for Monday, (throwing from) 90 feet. One set...
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Wieters on trade rumors, arbitration and more

Wieters on trade rumors, arbitration and more
Matt Wieters' name came up in trade rumors this winter, but in a Fanfest media interview he deflected those rumors and indicated he doesn't think much about it. "Until I'm told I'm going somewhere else, I'm going to be happy to be here in Baltimore," he said. "I love the guys in the clubhouse and love the guys here and we're looking forward to this year." Wieters said he hopes to avoid an arbitration hearing with the Orioles. He is seeking an $8.75 million contract for 2014 while...
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Hitting coach Jim Presley on Lough, Davis and the leadoff spot

Hitting coach Jim Presley on Lough, Davis and the leadoff spot
Orioles hitting coach Jim Presley is already a David Lough fan. Presley became one even before Lough became an Oriole. He said he admired the way Lough had played last season with Kansas City and he and manager Buck Showalter talked about him in the dugout one night. Presley told Showalter he's a player he'd like to have on his team one day and in December, the O's acquired Lough for Danny Valencia in a deal with Kansas City. "I really like the way he plays," Presley said. "He plays...
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Ryan Flaherty on his winter work and shot to win the second base job

Ryan Flaherty on his winter work and shot to win the second base job
A slightly heavier Ryan Flaherty showed up at FanFest today. He has added a few pounds during a winter where he spent a lot of time here in Baltimore working out with two former Orioles. He knows he has a chance to be the club's everyday second baseman come opening day, but he is not calling himself the leading candidate for that job. "You know, I am not looking at it that way," Flaherty said. "I'm ready to get going. They got a lot of guys they brought in and there will be a lot of...
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J.J. Hardy says he hasn't yet discussed extension with O's

J.J. Hardy says he hasn't yet discussed extension with O's
Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy is about to enter the final year of his contract and could be a free agent at the end of the 2014 season. He says he is very open to remaining an Oriole, but so far there have been no contract talks about an extension. "Obviously, I love it here in Baltimore," Hardy said this afternoon at FanFest. "The last three seasons here have been awesome and I like the direction that this organization is going. I said that three years ago when I signed that...
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Troy Patton talks about his 25-game suspension

Troy Patton talks about his 25-game suspension
Orioles pitcher Troy Patton said he let the team down and he has some repair work to do with the team and the O's fans. Patton was suspended for 25 games without pay in December after testing positive for an amphetamine in violation of Major League Baseball's joint drug prevention and treatment program. Patton says he has an issue with attention deficit disorder and took something late last year to try to boost his energy. "I took an Adderall and I don't have a prescription for it, at the...
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Signings this week are latest example of O's working to improve international efforts

Signings this week are latest example of O's working to improve international efforts
For the Orioles, the effort to get better on the international front continued this week with the additions of two players the club is high on. The Orioles purchased a 17-year-old first baseman, Carlos Diaz, from the Mexico City Red Devils. Diaz is from Baja California, Ensenada, Mexico. The Orioles signed 16-year old international free agent third baseman Jomar Reyes. Reyes is from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Orioles vice president Dan Duquette praised Fred Ferreira, the club's...
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ESPN's Keith Law on Gausman's slider, Bundy's rehab and more O's prospects

ESPN's Keith Law on Gausman's slider, Bundy's rehab and more O's prospects
This week, ESPN's Keith Law ranked the Orioles farm system No. 10 in baseball and had five Orioles rated among his listing of the best 100 prospects in the sport. In an interview yesterday, he talked at length about some O's prospects and here are more quotes from that interview. First, here is his listing of the current top 10 O's prospects and where he put five of them on his top 100 list (subscriber-only content). 1) Kevin Gausman (No. 23 on top 100) 2) Dylan Bundy (No. 31) 3) Hunter...
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Orioles add B. J. Surhoff as a special assignment coach in minors (with Surhoff quotes)

Orioles add B. J. Surhoff as a special assignment coach in minors (with Surhoff quotes)
After working at times in the Orioles' minor leagues the past three seasons on an unofficial basis, former Oriole B.J. Surhoff will now have an official role on the O's farm this year. Surhoff has agreed to join the club as a special assignment coach. He played for the Orioles for parts of eight seasons, beginning in 1996. He was traded to Atlanta in 2000, but ended his career with the Orioles in 2005. Orioles director of player development Brian Graham is excited about today's news....
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ESPN's Keith Law on A.J. Burnett and O's prospects

ESPN's Keith Law on A.J. Burnett and O's prospects
If the Orioles make a major run at signing free agent pitcher A.J. Burnett, ESPN's Keith Law thinks it would be a great move for the team and that he's likely the best fit for the club among the free agent pitchers. I spoke with Law on several topics today, including a long interview about his prospect reports this week, which were quite positive on the O's farm system. I'll include some of his thoughts here on that and will have some more of his more specific comments on the O's farm...
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After re-signing with O's, Zach Clark's work with the knuckler will continue in 2014

After re-signing with O's, Zach Clark's work with the knuckler will continue in 2014
He became a minor league free agent a few days after the World Series, but right-hander Zach Clark re-signed with the Orioles early this month to continue pitching for the organization he has been with since the 2006 season. After his wild ride last year - which saw him make the majors briefly, get designated for assignment and then begin throwing a knuckleball at three different levels of the minors - maybe this year will be less eventful for the 30-year-old from Wilmington, Del. "I'm glad...
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ESPN's Keith Law ranks four O's young pitchers among top 43 prospects in baseball

ESPN's Keith Law ranks four O's young pitchers among top 43 prospects in baseball
Another top 100 prospects list is out and it is another one that shows five Orioles prospects among the game's best young talent. Here is the ranking today from ESPN's Keith Law, posted on ESPN.com: No. 23 - Kevin Gausman No. 31 - Dylan Bundy No. 38 - Hunter Harvey No. 43 - Eduardo Rodriguez No. 86 - Jonathan Schoop That is four O's young hurlers among the top 43 prospects in baseball, pretty strong stuff. Here is a surprising stat. The Orioles have more prospects in this top 43 than the...
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A look at pitcher groundball rates and how it impacts the Orioles

A look at pitcher groundball rates and how it impacts the Orioles
The Orioles led the American League in one pitching category last year that they would have preferred not to. The club gave up more homers than any other AL staff. The Orioles allowed 202 gopherballs while Toronto was second with 195. Both were way above the AL average of 167 homers allowed. We often hear about the appeal of a groundball pitcher - that is, a pitcher that gets the majority of his outs, or close to 50 percent of balls put in play, on the ground. The obvious theories are that a...
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