Press Release: Orioles announce 2013 Spring Training schedule

Orioles announce 2013 Spring Training schedule


The Orioles today announced their 2013 Grapefruit League schedule, which opens February 23 with a 1:05 p.m. game against the Minnesota Twins at Ed Smith Stadium. 2013 marks the fourth consecutive spring training for the Orioles in Sarasota, and the third in the renovated Ed Smith Stadium.

Baltimore will face eight different opponents during the 2013 Grapefruit League campaign. The O’s will host the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates three times each and the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays two times each, with the New York Mets also making one visit to Sarasota. In preparation for this year’s World Baseball Classic, Team Brazil will come to Sarasota to play the Orioles, rounding out the 18-game home schedule.

The Orioles will play 16 games on the road during the 2012 Grapefruit League schedule. They will make four trips to play the Pirates, three trips to play the Blue Jays and Twins, two trips to play the Rays and Red Sox and one trip to play the Yankees and Phillies.

Fans interested in season plans, five-game flex packs or group tickets, or those wishing to receive additional spring training ticket information may call the Orioles spring training office in Sarasota at 941-893-6300.

The Orioles are also offering the official Spring Training Travel Package that includes hotel accommodations, rental car, game tickets, optional airfare through Southwest Airlines and other amenities. For more information or to order travel packages, fans should visit www.orioles.com/springtravel or call 1-800-892-7687.

Single game tickets for all 18 of the Orioles’ Grapefruit League Games at Ed Smith Stadium will go on-sale January 26, 2013. Pitchers and catchers will report to Sarasota February 12 and position players will report on February 15.

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Black Friday musings

-Buck Showalter has been voted Manager of the Year by the Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Good for Buck, he deserves the love and the hardware. It is unfortunate that he came up short in the nationwide vote but Bob Melvin’s team did end up winning the AL West, even if they did get a ton of help from a Rangers team that folded in the last month.


-The Red Sox signed Jonny Gomes to a two-year $10 million deal. The Orioles were linked to Gomes briefly but the Red Sox have picked up the journeyman outfielder as they try to patch together a team from the ruins of 2012. Gomes offers them some power that should play well in Fenway, even though in 31 career games at the Fens he only has three homers. Gomes’ deal does have an impact on the Orioles and their decision surrounding Nate McLouth.

McLouth came to the Orioles midway through last season and quickly became a favorite. He plays a great leftfield and has the ability to play all outfield positions in a pinch. With Nick Markakis returning to the lineup in the Spring, and hopefully for the entire year, McLouth could bat second allowing the Orioles to have a very solid one-two punch of OBP at the top of the order. Allowing JJ Hardy’s bat to be moved down in the order where it will play a lot better. Gomes’ two-year deal will probably be a solid starting point for the Orioles, but it will also depend on how much faith Dan Duquette will put in the, latest, return of Nolan Reimold.

Reimold has recovered from neck surgery and looks primed to, once again, reclaim his spot on the Orioles’ roster. Reimold has always been a fan favorite but, to me, there is simply no way you can rely on him to stay healthy. He is just getting older and has yet to put together a full season of solid play. McLouth also plays a much better outfield and his bat is much better than an occasional back-up player.

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Andino Traded

Evening everyone. I’ve not been hearing much on the market concerning the Orioles and free agency as of yet, despite murmurs of them being interested in a number of players.


However, today, the Orioles made a trade. It saddened me as a fan to read the details a while ago, but the deal they made was prudent and hard to argue with.

From the Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles today announced that they have acquired OF TRAYVON ROBINSON from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for INF ROBERT ANDINO.

Robinson, 25, batted .215/.272/.330 (62-288) in 90 major league games over the past two seasons with Seattle. The switch-hitter appeared in 46 games (39 starts) in left field for Seattle in 2012. Robinson hit 73 home runs and stole 169 bases in 754 games over eight minor league seasons after being drafted in the 10th round of the 2005 First Year Player Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Robinson was traded to the Mariners on July 31, 2011 as part of a three-team deal that sent ERIK BEDARD to the Boston Red Sox.

Andino, 28, appeared in 360 games for the Orioles over the past four seasons, batting .239/.302/.326 (263-1100) with 16 homers and 80 RBI. In 2012 for the Orioles, Andino batted .211 (81-384) with a career-high seven home runs and 28 RBI. Andino was acquired from the Florida Marlins prior to the start of the 2009 season.”

Robert Andino did whatever the team asked him to do and filled in valiantly with Brian Roberts being out. The man proved he is a major leaguer; however, when given extended playing time, Andino did get overexposed and at times showed why he is a valuable super sub.

No one will ever forget what Andino did against the Boston Red Sox in the final game of 2011, plus he was one of the few Orioles who contributed at the plate in the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees.

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