Heath Bintliff: Brian Roberts is still missed

Heath Bintliff: Brian Roberts is still missed
This post was inspired by Neal Shaffer's guest blog from last Wednesday entitled, "Tell the truth: Do you want Brian Roberts back?" I thought about responding to his post in the comments, but had so many opinions on the subject, it seemed like it needed its own post. First, let's discuss Brian Roberts. Earlier this season, I wrote a post arguing that Roberts was the greatest second baseman in Orioles history. I also made the proclamation that I seriously doubted that he would have any...
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Valentine's days in Baltimore are cherished memories for ex-Oriole

Valentine's days in Baltimore are cherished memories for ex-Oriole
As "Oops" moments go, the one committed by Fred Valentine in his rookie season with the Orioles in 1959 was a whopper. But the affable 77-year-old now laughs off his error of aggression as a youthful indiscretion. "Paul Richards was the manager when they brought me up in '59," Valentine said. "Gus Triandos was catching, and they put me in the lineup, hitting behind Triandos. Sure enough, he hit a ball off the right-field wall - and Gus was slow, really slow - and stopped at first base....
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Matthew Taylor: In 1960, winning record was a welcome turn for O's. Baltimore

Matthew Taylor: In 1960, winning record was a welcome turn for O's. Baltimore
Most Orioles fans can name the last time that the team had a winning season: 1997. Fewer can name the first time that the team had a winning season: 1960. Baseball came to Baltimore in 1954; it wasn't until six years later that winning baseball arrived in town. While the 1957 Orioles finished an even 76-76, the Birds totaled more wins, 89, than losses, 65 for the first time in 1960. The 1960 team featured American League Manager of the Year Paul Richards, Rookie of the Year Ron Hansen and...
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For Oriole Advocates, Challenger Baseball is a rewarding endeavor

For Oriole Advocates, Challenger Baseball is a rewarding endeavor
The 16 teams that gathered on baseball diamonds in Thurmont, Md., last weekend for a baseball jamboree didn't focus on wins and losses, batting averages and ERAs. They were more attuned to the game's basic tenets - hitting a pitched ball, fielding and throwing, running the bases. When a physical or developmental disability makes it more difficult to play the game you love, you tend to focus on the little things - and like the saying goes, the little things often mean the most. Since 1991,...
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Anthony Amobi: On Roberts and his attempt to return to O's

Anthony Amobi: On Roberts and his attempt to return to O's
As we all know, veteran Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts returned to competitive baseball last night as he played three innings for the Double-A Bowie Baysox last night. Roberts is playing for the Baysox as part of a rehabilitation assignment. He's missed much of the past two seasons dealing with post-concussion syndrome issues and other injuries. His Wednesday night was pretty mundane, as he walked in both his plate appearances and made some routine plays in the field. No matter what...
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Neal Shaffer: Tell the truth: Do you want Brian Roberts back?

Neal Shaffer: Tell the truth: Do you want Brian Roberts back?
Brian Roberts is a great Oriole. This much is beyond dispute. Great on the field, obviously, but as importantly, he's been a great presence on the team. Excepting the one obvious blemish on his record (and we don't need to go deep into that, right?) he's basically been a model player. Good in the community, by all accounts good in the clubhouse and seemingly just a good guy. Can't ask for much more than that. The great lament of his career is that he spent his prime on some of the worst...
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Heath Bintliff: MacPhail's trades shaped this winner

Heath Bintliff: MacPhail's trades shaped this winner
The Orioles are winning and new executive vice president Dan Duquette and his team are getting their fair share of credit for restoring some hope to a moribund franchise. They surely deserve it, as they were directly responsible for bringing starting pitchers Jason Hammel and Wei-Yin Chen to Baltimore, as well as relievers Matt Lindstrom and Luis Ayala, who have helped to anchor a rejuvenated bullpen. But Duquette did not have to blow up this team to achieve this early-season success. Former...
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Olivia Witherite: The not-so-hot corner

Olivia Witherite: The not-so-hot corner
With great wins and exciting baseball, it may seem easy for many to focus on the positives. However, the other day I received a tweet that asked what was going wrong with the Orioles' defense. The Battle of the Beltways behind them, the Orioles have emerged from the weekend tied with the Dodgers for the most wins in baseball. The Birds also lead the majors in home runs with 64. However, there is one glaring statistic that the Orioles should not be so proud of: leading the league in errors...
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Matthew Taylor: There's something in the air on Eutaw Street

Matthew Taylor: There's something in the air on Eutaw Street
Of course you know that the Orioles are playing well above average so far during the 2012 season. But did you notice that it's been an above-average season for Eutaw Street home runs, as well? Batters have hit an average of three Eutaw Street home runs per season since Camden Yards opened in 1992; four such homers have already been hit this year. Eric Thames of the Blue Jays got things started on April 24. He was followed just four days later by the Orioles' Chris Davis on April 28. Thanks...
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Anthony Amobi: O's are winning, but where are the fans?

Anthony Amobi: O's are winning, but where are the fans?
The Orioles are fast approaching the quarter-pole of the 2012 season, and I'm sure many fans are asking themselves these questions: Are the Orioles for real? Can they keep this up? Or are they pulling the wool over our eyes, and will the team that we've seen for the last 14 years make an appearance? Right now, I'd say they are for real. I am still having a hard time believing it. The Orioles are winning games that would not have won in the past, plus they are getting excellent starting...
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Heath Bintliff: A series of fortunate events

Heath Bintliff: A series of fortunate events
Back during the early days of Dempsey's Army, I used to write a preseason series of posts with the loose theme, "How the Orioles Can Win the East." In that series, I would lay out five things that would have to go right for Baltimore and, conversely, five things that would have to go wrong for each of our division rivals. The series was half tongue-in-cheek and I eventually scrapped it because people were taking it too seriously. But the underlying point remains true, at least I think so....
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Flashback: Trumpet-tooting fans, Camden Yards mojitos and a body-slamming umpire

Flashback: Trumpet-tooting fans, Camden Yards mojitos and a body-slamming umpire
Did you know there were different species of orioles? We all know that there's a Baltimore Oriole - of the winged and baseball-playing varieties. There are also Puerto Rican, Hispaniolan and Bahama birds. And, believe it or not, a Cuban Oriole. They all used to be lumped into the same species, until elevated into individual statuses in 2010. The Cuban Oriole is endemic to the Caribbean island nation, and its habitats are tropical and subtropical forests, particularly those boasting mangrove...
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Olivia Witherite: Stats define rise, but guarantee little

Olivia Witherite: Stats define rise, but guarantee little
It's mid-May, and the Orioles are 22-13 and have a 12-6 record against the American League East. What a beautiful sentence. As a pessimist, the part of the sentence that pops out immediately to me is "mid-May." I will never be the first to say that Team X is "for real" or that Team Y has a great shot for a pennant this season until I can declare so with certainty. Call me superstitious. However, to me, the Orioles carry more weight than any other team, and as a fan, I have to admit...
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Matthew Taylor: Examining a homer-happy week at Camden Yards

Matthew Taylor: Examining a homer-happy week at Camden Yards
What a week for home runs in Baltimore. Josh Hamilton became only the 16th player to hit four home runs in a game Tuesday. Two days later, the Orioles established an American League record by homering in the team's first three at-bats of a doubleheader against the Rangers. Ryan Flaherty, J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis did the early yard work for the Birds. Overall, the O's hit five home runs in a game for the first time since June 30, 2010, against Oakland. That's two short of the club record...
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Anthony Amobi: Are we seeing the real Nick Markakis?

Anthony Amobi: Are we seeing the real Nick Markakis?
As we are seven weeks into the 2012 season, the Orioles are flying high with a 19-11 record, and are a half-game out of first in the American League East. Baltimore's fast start has given players like Matt Wieters, Adam Jones and Chris Davis some national attention. However, one name that I don't see mentioned a lot happens to be right-fielder Nick Markakis. It's almost like he has become an afterthought at this point. Now, Markakis did win a Gold Glove last season, and has always been...
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O's unveil Birdland Passport Program

O's unveil Birdland Passport Program
If you're one of those fans who enjoys seeing the Orioles of the future as much as you do heading to Camden Yards for the O's of the present, you'll be interested in the new Birdland Passport Program. The program, unveiled today, rewards fans who visit Camden Yards and the O's minor league affiliates - Triple-A Norfolk, Double-A Bowie, Single-A Frederick, Single-A Delmarva and short-season Single-A Aberdeen. "The program is designed to encourage our fans to frequent not only Oriole Park...
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Reliever Hall was a constant of early O's World Series squads

Reliever Hall was a constant of early O's World Series squads
Think about the core group of players that helped the Orioles to four World Series between 1966-71, and you'll likely focus on the powerful bats and slick fielders that made the offense/defense combination of winning baseball in Baltimore - names like Andy Etchebarren, Boog Powell, Davey Johnson, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson and Paul Blair. However, there were Orioles pitchers who appeared in the 1966, 1969, 1970 and 1971 Fall Classics, too. Left-hander Dave McNally and right-hander Jim...
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Neal Shaffer: The top five players of the losing era

Neal Shaffer: The top five players of the losing era
If there's one thing the Internet loves, it's a list. So, what the hell, I'm game. I got to thinking, after the recent unveiling of the Frank Robinson statue at Camden Yards, about great Orioles of the past and how cool it is to be able to look back on their legacies and claim them for our city. That, naturally enough, led to thinking about the modern Orioles. History looks more kindly on success than on failure, which tends to obscure the achievements of players who toil on losing teams....
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Kestler chosen as O's Honorary Bat Girl

Kestler chosen as O's Honorary Bat Girl
Sunday will be a big day for Tammy Kestler, a mother of three from Glen Burnie. And not just because it's Mother's Day. The Orioles, Major League Baseball and Susan G. Komen for the Cure have announced Kestler as the O's winner of the Honorary Bat Girl contest, a campaign to recognize incredible MLB fans who are going to bat against breast cancer in their daily lives. Kestler, a one-year survivor of breast cancer, has served as team captain for her Young Survivors Group for Komen's Race...
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Heath Bintliff: For Mark Reynolds, it could be worse

Heath Bintliff: For Mark Reynolds, it could be worse
A week ago, before the awakening of his bat this weekend in Boston, I was despairing about Mark Reynolds, his lack of hitting and his woeful glove. I wondered how bad he really was and hypothesized that he must be the worst player in baseball based on his simultaneous poor performances in the field and at the plate. I went to Fangraphs.com and sorted all batters in terms of WAR (Wins Above Replacement) which puts value on players while incorporating thier offense and defense. I was pleasantly...
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