Like his idol, Nolan Ryan, new O's closer Mike Gonzalez is a strikeout pitcher. Last year, with Atlanta, Gonzalez fanned 90 in 74 1/3 innings. In his career he averages 10.6 strikeouts for every nine innings pitched. The great Ryan averaged 9.5 per nine. With some young starting pitchers on the staff, O's president Andy MacPhail said the O's needed a reliable closer to hold their leads and help their collective confidence. As a free agent this winter, the 31-year Gonzalez researched the...

After struggling for two straight seasons with the Frederick Keys of the Carolina League, O's minor leaguer Billy Rowell is making a change. He made some adjustments with his swing during instructional league workouts in September and October. "I went back to my old swing from high school. You have to stick with what works. There are a lot of ideas but at the end of the day it's what works for you. This swing is the most consistent and most natural. "I had more power at instructional...

There are those who call the Orioles "cheap" because they didn't spend on a big name free agent this year. Others say this wasn't a top free agent class and the time wasn't right for the O's to make a move like that. Some look at the Orioles' payroll and see plenty of room for future spending. I won't argue that point. I expect the O's payroll, which was reported to be about 67 million last year, will probably be in that neighborhood again this year. There are a couple of...

Earlier this week in this space, I presented a story on O's minor leaguer Billy Rowell. Rowell talked about his recent swing change and attempt to get his bat going this season after two poor years at the plate at Frederick. Here are some more quotes from the 21-year-old on other topics. What is Rowell's take on reports he has a poor attitude? "I hear this from other people, the media, but if you ask the coaches I don't have a bad attitude. My attitude may have been bad because I...

As the Orioles continue to upgrade their international scouting, the organization is now trying to become more of a player in a nation that has produced many Major Leaguers through the years - Venezuela. O's Director of Player Development David Stockstill has just returned to Baltimore from a four-nation, 17-day scouting trip that took him to the Dominican, Colombia, Curacao and yes, Venezuela. He scouted many players over four days in that country. And for the first time in about three and...

Earlier this month the Orioles signed Joel Guzman, a former Dodgers number one prospect, to a minor league contract. The 25-year-old Guzman, who was a minor league free agent, did not get an invite to Major League spring training. The 6'5", 245-pound, right-handed hitter batted .281-12-57 in 108 games at Double-A Harrisburg last summer and hit just .121 in 12 games at Triple-A Syracuse with the Nationals organization. "He's got a lot of power and athleticism and plays multiple positions....

The Orioles clearly have their catcher of the present and future now solidly in place in Matt Wieters. But one key question concerning Wieters for the 2010 season is this one - how heavy of a load can he carry in terms of games played? If Wieters gets one day off per week, he would play in about 138 games. Last year, between Norfolk and Baltimore he played in 135 games, getting 495 at bats. He had 81 at bats as a DH. By my count, he made 114 starts at catcher during the 2009 season between...

In recent years whenever someone has suggested to me that the Orioles try to relocate to a division other than the AL East, I have been completely against it. Not that a team can just say 'we want to move' and MLB will grant its wish. But I have liked the fact that the O's bang heads with some of baseball's best teams in what has been baseball's best division in recent years. Do we want to be a "chicken" and now try to leave the Yankees and Red Sox behind and try to win another...

In 2007 he pitched in a Frederick Keys rotation that included Brad Bergesen, David Hernandez, Jason Berken and Brandon Erbe. He went 10-9, 3.26 for that Keys team which won the Carolina League championship. He went 2-0, 1.00 in two playoff starts, pitching a complete game when the Keys beat Salem to clinch the title. But since then Chorye Spoone's fast track to the Majors was derailed by labrum surgery in September of 2008. Now he's healthy again and ready to show he is once again a top...

Each March, it seems, there are one or more players that surprise us all and make the Orioles Opening Day roster or make it down to one of the final cuts. Will there be a surprise out there this year? It seems unlikely with the O's 25-man roster pretty set before the club even reports to Sarasota. But that's why they play the games. There could be injuries and/or a trade or trades that could change things in a hurry. Some players could report and be more improved or advanced than anyone...