Orioles enter exhibition opener in competitive mode

SARASOTA, Fla. - Just as it's unwise to read too much into the choice of a starting pitcher for the first exhibition game, the same applies to the order of the hitters and where certain players are positioned in the field.

The leadoff hitter today against the Twins may be lowered or excluded Sunday versus the Blue Jays. The catcher isn't assured of breaking camp with the team, let alone being behind the plate on opening day.

Take it all with a grain of salt, though it made more sense to do so yesterday on National Margarita Day.

The Orioles are sending Yefry Ramirez to the mound this afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium. He could occupy the last spot in the rotation, be used in long relief or fail to stick on the 25-man roster.

The Twins are starting right-hander Chase De Jong, who had a 3.57 ERA and 1.358 WHIP last season in 17 2/3 innings. They're sending a split squad to Sarasota and former Orioles Jonathan Schoop and Nelson Cruz aren't on the travel roster.

Yesterday's workout in Sarasota was an abbreviated version, allowing players to bond a little more with a golf outing and to get away from baseball and recharge. Another example of how the atmosphere created by manager Brandon Hyde and his coaches is winning over the team.

"We've been successful with how we've gone about things in the places we've been and I think that there's a great feel here right now and that was our goal coming in," Hyde said.

"I don't think you ever know entirely until you get to meet the players. I knew at FanFest that we had a bunch of guys who were really ready to go and wanted to turn the page on some things from the standpoint of not having a great year last year from a team standpoint. I know the guys really wanted to get out here and the energy level that I felt on the phone, the energy level that I saw at FanFest, that kind of cemented the fact that we're going to be able to implement what we want to implement here and I think we're off to a great start."

"It's been incredible," said left fielder Trey Mancini. "It's a lot of hard work, but it's very efficient. It was like that before, too. I feel like the camp's always been run well here, but like I've been saying, it's just kind of a little bit of a different energy, I think.

"Everybody's really bought into everything that Hyde and (Mike) Elias have been preaching so far and it's been really fun to be a part of."

"I think it's been awesome," said rookie left-hander Josh Rogers, who's going to be used in relief today, perhaps following Ramirez to the mound. "I think the coaching staff's doing a great job just communicating with us all and making sure everybody's on the same page. It's been running really smooth.

"This is my first big league camp, but the Yankees minor league camp was always pretty structured. It's been great. I think they're doing an outstanding job from the top down. The guys are enjoying it, having a good time. I know I am. It's been a lot of fun."

Results don't always matter in spring training, especially the exhibition opener, but there's so much competition in camp spread out among pitchers and position players that the slightest stumble can hurt.

"I think so," Rogers said. "I don't think it's different than any other type of outing. You're in a game, you're facing another team with other jerseys, so you're going to want to compete regardless if it's spring training or if it's the season. But there's a little added pressure I feel like maybe just because there are spots open and guys are competing all over camp for those jobs.

"I don't think it's going to be like a result-based thing. If I give up four runs tomorrow or if I strike out the side, I'm not making it or getting cut tomorrow. It is what it is. I'm going to try to compete and throw strikes and do what I've done my whole career, and that's log innings and try to get guys out."

The clubhouse was in agreement yesterday that the time had come to shed the routine of the last few weeks and get down to exhibition business.

"Yeah, absolutely," Mancini said. "We started live BP from Day One, so I love that. Kind of threw us right into the fire, us position guys, because it's a long time off from really seeing live pitching. At the end of last season. But yeah, definitely ready and looking forward to it."

"Everybody's itching," said reliever Mychal Givens. "You always have that edge. When you get to the offseason, yeah, you want that rest, and then you start working out, throwing, hitting, running bases and stuff like that.

"Everybody's happy to experience this year. There are going to be a lot of opportunities this year, especially the two Rule 5 guys, Richie Martin and Drew Jackson. I'd like to see how they can help us compete in the American League East. And we've got a lot of good guys who have had a cup of coffee or a good month or two who have that experience playing in the American League East, so we're going to just have fun with it.

"We're not sitting here thinking that he won't win every game. You've got to be a competitor. Even though the Red Sox are the defending champs, we're still going to try to compete against them."

This is one of the more interesting dynamics in camp. Ownership and the front office have made it clear that the Orioles are entering a rebuild period, with no shortcuts or quick fixes, but Hyde won't use the word.

"I'm not going to say that," he said. "I don't feel that way. I feel like we're going to go out and compete and get the best 25 guys and try to win every single night, so I'm not worried about that.

"I just want to get the culture right, I want to get a great feel from our guys in the clubhouse. Obviously, we talked a lot about being great teammates, about competing on a nightly basis, about creating a winning environment, creating a great environment as a work place. All those types of things, I think we've done that and now we're ready to see another jersey and continue that in the next month."

"As a player, you go out and play your (butt) off every day," Mancini said. "That's all you can do. No matter what state the organization's in, you've got to have it in your mind that you're going out to win a ballgame on that day. There's no other way to go about playing or you're going to get eaten alive at this level.

"If you're saying, 'Oh well, it's OK, we're rebuilding technically,' from a player's standpoint you can't think that. You've got to go out there and try to win and play 100 percent and not take any plays off."

"I'm not going to sit here and say we're not going to try to win a World Series," Givens said. "You're not a competitor if you're not trying to win."

Said Rogers: "We're a young team. You can say the word 'rebuild,' but at the end of the day nobody wants to go out there and lose games and be complacent about losing. That's just not how it's going to be. I don't think anybody in this locker room is going to stand for that.

"When you lose a game, nobody's going to be happy. But at the end of the day you've got to do your job and just compete and do the best you can and hopefully come out on top."

Richard Bleier, who faced live hitters yesterday for the first time since June, punctuated the point in his new role as a bullpen leader.

"Regardless of what they're saying, I think the 25 guys who are going to be in Baltimore are going to be playing to win every single day," he said. "The long-term plans honestly aren't our concern. We're trying to win this year and if there are guys who aren't, I don't think they belong there. We need guys who want to win every single game we can and do as well as we can and compete."