Is Chris Davis for Real?

At this point, in my life as a sports fan, I’m often not surprised by much.

So far this season, Chris Davis has me wondering if what I am seeing from him is for real based on his track record.

I was not sure if he could replicate what he did last season at the plate, especially towards the end coming into 2013; however, is exceeding that and a whole lot more.

His nickname among fans and the media is “Crush”, based on his power at the plate, size and physique, and since Opening Day, he has been doing just that.

Last night, he willed the Orioles to their 29th win of the season as he went 4-for-4 at the plate and hit two home runs against the Washington Nationals.

The Orioles won a thriller by a score of 9-6.

Davis put on a show on his t-shirt night and made sure that the 39,000 fans who attended last night’s game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards got their money’s worth.

He completely upstaged Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who had three home runs on the night off Baltimore starting pitcher Chris Tillman.

I attended the game last night with family and friends. We just sat back and enjoyed a show in Charm City that got more exciting as it developed.

Right now, he is hitting everything in sight and has greatly improved his batting eye. He clearly does not strike out the same level as last season and reminds me of Barry Bonds - at the turn of this century - during the first two months of the 2013 season.

>>> Read More

Garcia delivers big time; Orioles take three of four from the Nats

The Baltimore Orioles for the past year and half have been a team full of surprises and revelations.

When the organization signed Freddy Garcia, I knew we had a veteran who has been around the league, had some success and was at the twilight of their career.

Freddy Garcia was once a fireballer, but now he is a guy who relies on finesse and command to succeed.

There’s a reason why guys like him seem to stick around forever, and a prime example of that notion was shown on Thursday during a sweltering May night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Last night, he delivered a performance that the Orioles sorely needed. He threw shutout innings, gave up only three hits and struck out six as the Orioles defeated the Washington Nationals, 2-0.

The Orioles took three of four from the Nationals, and their record stands at 30-24.

Back to Garcia: the burly veteran kept the National bats quiet by mixing up his pitches and using his splitter to get guys out. Even more impressive, he retired 14 straight at one point and ended the night with seven consecutive outs.

Unlike the slugfests we’ve all seen this week, Thursday’s game resembled a pitching duel from back in the day.

The Washington squad seemingly had no chance against Garcia. Dan Haren pitched well for them, but their offense could not produce anything at all. They were expected to be contenders for a World Series spot during the winter; however, they are only 27-27 and have had offensive struggles all season.

>>> Read More
 http://www.oriolepost.com/baltimore-orioles/articles/garcia-delivers-big-time-orioles-take-three-of-four-from-the-nats.html

Chris Davis and the Orioles put on a show against the Nationals last night; They win despite 3 homers from Ryan Zimmerman...

Last night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards was simply an amazing experience from a usual game there. I had family over from out of town and decided at the spur of the moment to catch a game in Charm City.

We would not regret the decision. It is hard to believe only two years ago, the Orioles were a perennial doormat. Now, in 2013, the Orioles are a contender, and do they ever win in an exciting fashion.

As we all know, the Orioles won, 9-6, last night at Oriole Park against the Washington Nationals. There were a little over 39,000 fans in downtown Baltimore to partake a ballgame on a humid night and it felt like a playoff game in late May. It felt like a big party, as I decided to sit in the upper deck for change, rather than down in the lower sections.

It looked like the Nationals were running away with the game as Jordan Zimmermann was masterful on the mound – for about half the game; meanwhile, Ryan Zimmerman cranked three home runs off a shaky Chris Tillman and Roger Bernandina also went deep.

The game looked to be just about over; however, as opposing teams have figured out – no lead is safe against the Orioles.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, down 6-3, the Orioles struck back. They scored six runs in the frame thanks to a long ball by Steve Pearce,  Chris Davis’ second homer of the night (he hit one in the 4th), and RBIs from Manny Machado and Nick Markakis.

Once again, the Orioles used the long ball to secure a victory and pounded out 13 hits. It is safe to say that the offense has been carrying this team for much of the year. On that note, Ryan Flaherty – maligned by the fans due to his slow start – returned to the Orioles from his minor league stint and pounded out two hits.

And the fans cheered…

>>> Read More

Garcia delivers big time; Orioles take three of four from the Nats

The Baltimore Orioles for the past year and half have been a team full of surprises and revelations.

When the organization signed Freddy Garcia, I knew we had a veteran who has been around the league, had some success and was at the twilight of their career.

Freddy Garcia was once a fireballer, but now he is a guy who relies on finesse and command to succeed.

There’s a reason why guys like him seem to stick around forever, and a prime example of that notion was shown on Thursday during a sweltering May night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Last night, he delivered a performance that the Orioles sorely needed. He threw shutout innings, gave up only three hits and struck out six as the Orioles defeated the Washington Nationals, 2-0.

The Orioles took three of four from the Nationals, and their record stands at 30-24.


>>> Read More

Orioles to raise awareness "4 ALS"

May is national ALS Awareness month. To continue baseball's long-standing commitment to raising awareness of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), Major League Baseball and all 30 Clubs are once again teaming up for "4 ALS." On Thursday, May 30, the Orioles will host The Brigance Brigade Foundation. The Brigance Brigade Foundation, founded by former Baltimore Ravens player O.J. BRIGANCE and his wife Chanda, was created to equip, encourage and empower people living with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, an illness from which Brigance himself suffers. The Foundation strives to improve the quality of life of ALS patients and their families by providing much-needed equipment, resource guidance and support services, as well as funding for various ALS research initiatives. Chanda, accompanied by O.J., will throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the Orioles' game against the Washington Nationals. The Orioles have donated 100 tickets for Thursday's game to the Brigance Brigade Foundation for ALS patients and their families, as well as Foundation volunteers.
O.J. Brigance is a championship football player who is one of the few players to have won both a CFL and NFL championship and the only player to accomplish this feat in the same city, Baltimore. In 2000, Brigance played for the Baltimore Ravens and made the first tackle of their win in Super Bowl XXXV. After his retirement as a player, Brigance returned to Baltimore to serve as the Director of Player Development for the Ravens, and since 2010, Brigance has been the Ravens' Senior Advisor to Player Development.
For additional information on ALS awareness and ways to help those suffering from ALS, fans can visit the Community Booth at Oriole Park on Thursday.

IN THE COMMUNITY

CHRIS DAVIS "IT CAN WAIT" VISIT

On Thursday, May 30, Orioles first baseman CHRIS DAVIS will appear at Catonsville High School from 12-1 p.m. on behalf of AT&T to educate students and faculty on the dangers of texting while driving and generate awareness for AT&T's "It Can Wait" campaign. AT&T will present to students a 10-minute documentary, "The Last Text," which recounts stories of families and students who have lost loved ones or been involved in accidents as a result of texting while driving. This event is open to the media. Catonsville High School is located at 421 Bloomsbury Ave, Baltimore, MD 21228.

JASON HAMMEL VISITS CURTIS BAY ELEMENTARY

As part of the ongoing OriolesREACH partnership with Baltimore City Schools, Orioles pitcher JASON HAMMEL will meet with over 500 students from Curtis Bay Elementary School on Thursday, May 30 from 11 a.m. to noon to talk about the importance of regular attendance. This appearance is one of a number that Orioles players and the Oriole Bird will participate in to support the City Schools' initiative to promote three core pillars of success among students - attendance, diversity and teamwork -- over the final month of the school year. These pillars were identified as core character traits for students by Baltimore City Schools. Hammel will speak as a reward for those students who have reduced their absences by 50% through the "FAN"tastic Attendance Program. Students in grades K-8 will participate. Curtis Bay Elementary is located 4301 Tenth Street Baltimore, MD 21225.

AT THE BALLPARK

NEW MLB.COM AT THE BALLPARK OFFER FROM SOUTHWEST

Beginning this homestand, the Orioles have partnered with Southwest Airlines to offer the Southwest Airlines Check-in Offer Sweepstakes, to award one fan each homestand two Southwest Airlines round-trip tickets. Beginning today when the Orioles take on the Washington Nationals, fans may enter the sweepstakes by checking in at Oriole Park at Camden Yards via the MLB.com At the Ballpark mobile application. One winner will be selected for each of the Orioles' next six homestands through Sunday, August 25, and each will receive two Southwest Airlines round-trip tickets.

>>> Read More

Welcome to the Big Leagues, Kid; Davis and Machado

We all know by now that the Baltimore Orioles got killed by the Washington Nationals last night, 9-3.

After a lengthy rain delay, the game featured two starters that were in Double-A only about two weeks ago. One guy – Kevin Gausman – was making his second start in the majors for Baltimore; meanwhile, Nathan Karn for Washington was making his major league debut.

The game itself was not pretty to watch, as you got the feeling, “ok, at any point, no lead is safe”, based on what both teams were doing at the plate in the first half; however, for Gausman, the results were not good at all.

The 22-year-old only lasted four innings and gave up seven runs – all earned. He allowed three long balls and is now 0-2 with an 11.00 ERA in two starts.

The youngster left his pitches up in the zone. They were fastballs and were crushed by major league hitters. Gausman may get away with those pitches in the minors, but not in the majors, nor against a team that was christened as World Series bound in the spring.

At this point, most front offices would send a pitcher like Gausman back to the minors. However, that will not be the case as manager Buck Showalter announced he would make his next start on Sunday.
Um, against the out-of-this-word Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers.

>>> Read More

Hammel and Johnson

We all know that Jason Hammel has struggled this season on the mound despite a 6-2 record.
For much of the first two months of the season, the tall righty has been unable to go deep into games. More often than not, the bullpen, along with the offense has to bail him out.
On Monday, the Hammel that we as fans saw for much of the first half in 2012 re-emerged in Washington, D.C..

He went eight strong innings, only allowed two runs and struck out in Baltimore’s 6-2 win over Washington.

Monday's game is the first in a two-game set in the Nation's Capital. The two teams play in Baltimore on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Washington Nationals have been injury riddled and were without young phenom Bryce Harper in the starting lineup. The Orioles took advantage of it.

The tall righty was aggressive against the Nationals and just seemed to be a very complete pitcher yesterday. He mixed up his pitches and kept the opposing team at bay all afternoon. Of course, the offense came through for him with a three-run fourth inning and they kept going from there.

Manny Machado had three hits; Nick Markakis and Yamaico Navarro drove in two runs and had two hits. Adam Jones and Steve Pearce also drove in runs. Baltimore was able to pound 15 hits, and got Washington starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez out the game after 5 2/3 innings.

Again, the story of the game was pretty much Hammel. The Orioles, considering how much their bullpen has been relied upon on all season, need a start like this from one of their pitchers. It could be the beginning of something, or just a very good start during a very long season.

Baltimore’s main problem despite their 28-23 record as of this morning has been their starting rotation. In order to still stay in the hunt for the division – or a playoff spot – they’ll need more outings like this from Hammel and the rest of the staff.

If you want to look up the odds of the Orioles winning tonight, learn about the Bookmaker bonus here.

Finally, I was listening to the radio driving into work and there was a debate on whether Jim Johnson should be the closer for Baltimore.

>>> Read More

Those Damn Yankees

How do the Yankees do it? Seriously, year after year the seemingly ageless New York Yankees continue to be at the top of the division. This year has been the worst of it. The lineup is essentially spare parts and Robinson Cano. Lyle Overbay routinely bats clean-up. The rusted behemoth Travis Hafner sits behind him and then it is a collection of backups and stopgaps as the normal travelling all-stars nurse various and sundry injuries. This was supposed to be the year that the Yankees’ age and dollars catch up to them. It was not a n uncommon belief to think that the Yankees might even finish at the bottom of the AL East. And, yet again, here we all are looking at the Yankees with 30 wins before June.

As a Baltimore fan watching the Yankees do this year after year causes me a special kind of pain. My first game of the year was the contest against the Yankees this past Monday. I was given a remarkable ticket by a colleague of mine. Sitting in section 42, which is a grandly significant number for those of us who always know where our towel is at, I noticed immediately that I was, of course, surrounded by fans of the hated pinstripes.

Maybe it is something about the uniform that makes the Yankees just be. I know that there are only a few things that I see that cause me such a visceral reaction of disgust: seeing those symbols elicits a physical reaction of dread and revulsion. The point of that little meander is this: the Yankee uniform carries with it the game’s greatest histories and the souls of its greatest players. The interlocking NY, as much as it makes me want to wretch every time I see it, carries with it a certain power. And the players know that. How else do you explain a guy like Vernon Wells?

Wells was left for dead in Los Angeles. He comes to New York and suddenly he is playing like he did five years ago. Same can be said for Hafner. Or how about players like Francisco Cervelli, who should never be as good as he is, or Lance Nyx, or Melky Cabrera for that matter? Players that on any other team you know would be also-rans and benchwarmers come to New York, are thrust into the spotlight while wearing that uniform and they suddenly succeed.  I know for a fact that I am not the only non-Yankee fan in the world that is repulsed by the sight of the team when they come to town. And the team knows it to, I am sure the hatred fuels this team on some level. Why else would they be called the Evil Empire?

>>> Read More

Chen and the Starting Pitching

The Baltimore Orioles had another successful weekend, taking yet another series against the Minnesota Twins.

They won two out of three games, thanks to the offense and work by the bullpen. The starting pitching has not been great; however, on Sunday, Wei-Yin Chen was rolling and perhaps headed another brilliant performance until the fifth inning.

Towards the end of the frame, Chen looked to be in pain. From media accounts, he exited the game with an oblique strain and it is unknown the severity of the injury at this time. It was a moment that made me wince and say to myself, “oh s**t, please tell me he’s not gone for a long time…”

So far, Chen is the one starter who can be counted on to go deep into games. The other arms in the rotation – while they have not been horrendous – have not been nearly as consistent as Chen.\

>>> Read More

Resiliency and the DH Spot...

Last night’s game looked lost for the Orioles. I was listening to the game on my way to western Pennsylvania and it seemed liked they were headed to a loss against the Minnesota Twins. Jason Hammel – who started the game – was off; the Orioles were mired in a six-run deficit and shutout in the first six innings, plus the offense seemed to be non-existent.

However, business started to pick up for Baltimore in the final two-thirds of the game. The offense woke in the latter third of the contest and they scored three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to tie things at six; then, in the tenth inning, the Orioles plated in three runs and decided the game once and for all.

The bullpen – T.J. McFarland, Tommy Hunter and Jim Johnson – pitched six innings of relief and helped Baltimore earn their 22^nd win of the season. They have won seven out of their last eight series and are doing their best to keep up pace with the New York Yankees and Red Sox.

The offense pounded out eighteen hits last night and every batter – except Matt Wieters – had a hit. Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Chris Davis each had three hits; meanwhile, Mick Markakis, Nate McLouth, Alexi Casilla and Chris Dickerson each had two.hits.

The league knows now that the Orioles will play every out in the game and not give up.

That is what winning franchises do and the Orioles are for real. They are maturing and becoming a force in the American League. The Birds have moved far away from the losing culture of the past and are now expected to compete.

>>> Read More

On Dealing with Success

The Baltimore Orioles are successful. They are a successful baseball team. They are winning consistently, honestly, and they are doing it with ease. I sit here on a beautiful overcast Baltimore morning and the Orioles are currently tied with the Boston Red Sox with the best record in the American League.

How do I process this?

How does a long suffering Orioles fan deal with success?

I am used to failure, I am used to struggle. I am used to talking about what moves need to be made for the immediate and long-term future.

Last year the Orioles exorcised the demons of a decade and a half of misery. Broken promises, busted players, bad decisions, and downright bad luck were the hallmarks of this team. Still, many did not believe this team was ACTUALLY good. They were simply the luckiest team in baseball history because that fit the narrative. The narrative being the Orioles stink and are perpetually playing for five years down the road. There was no way in the world that the Orioles could have actually turned the corner, that can’t happen. They would most certainly come back down to Earth with a cretaceous-like explosion.

>>> Read More

Miguel Gonzalez Heads to the DL

Too bad to see about this about Miguel Gonzalez; however, it is probably for the best at this point. It is early in the season and better to rest him now with the blister issue than later.

Gonzalez being lost could be a minor blow to the team considering how well he pitched last season. I would not be too alarmed as the Orioles have depth right now in their system and are playing very well at the moment.

>>> Read More

Fans invited to attend exclusive fundraising event for Shannon's Fund on May 18

Pre-game event to include visits from BRADY ANDERSON, MIKE BORDICK, DAVE JOHNSON, a current O's player and other former Orioles

Prior to their game against the Tampa Bay Rays next Saturday, May 18, the Orioles will host an exclusive fundraising event for Shannon's Fund, an endowment at the University of Maryland Medical Center that provides financial assistance to hospital patients in need. For $50, fans will receive a left field lower box game ticket and enjoy a pre-game party on the Roof Deck that will include visits from BRADY ANDERSON, MIKE BORDICK, DAVE JOHNSON, a current Orioles player and other former Orioles. The deadline to purchase tickets for this event has been extended to Tuesday, May 14.
The Oriole Bird will also pose for photos with fans attending the event, which will take place from 1:45-3:30 p.m. Light refreshments, including two complimentary drink tickets, will be included, along with an Orioles gift bag for each guest. Tickets for the Shannon's Fund event are available at www.orioles.com/shannonsfund. The Orioles' game against the Rays will begin at 4:05 p.m.

>>> Read More

O's took a chance and gamble with Machado has paid off

In August of 2012, the Baltimore Orioles were in the wild card hunt and desperate to solve a problem – third base.

As we all know from last season, former Oriole Mark Reynolds despite his power was struggling at the hot corner, and executive vice president Dan Duquette, the front office, along with manager Buck Showalter were looking for a solution.

In the middle of that month, the Baltimore Orioles did something bold and head-scratching at the same time. They promoted Manny Machado from Double-A Bowie to the majors.

At first, I was bewildered at the news. I wondered why they would promote a 20-year-old who was only hitting .266 at the time with eleven home runs in 400 or so at-bats at Bowie?

Furthermore, the organization announced Machado would play third base – a position he manned only twice in the minors. When I heard that, I too shook my head; however, if Machado could play much better than Reynolds at third, then why not?

>>> Read More

Wei-Yin Chen signs with Scott Boras

I would not necessarily call this major news; however, this week, Oriole left Wei-Yin switched agents.
He has hired Scott Boras. You all know who he is.

From the Baltimore Sports Report: Wei-Yin Chen has hired super agent Scott Boras to represent him according to a tweet from Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The O’s lefty signed a three year, $11.388 million deal with Baltimore prior to the 2012 season and has impressed in his first 38 big league starts.

MLB Trade Rumors and Orioles Hangout have more of the news.

A co-worker with the company I work for stopped me in the hallway and mentioned this to me.
Then he went into a diatribe on how Scott Boras is the worst things that happened to baseball, and on and on.

I say ‘whatever’.

Right now, Chen going to Scott Boras isn’t a big deal. He’s with the team until 2014, and has an option for 2015. It’s not like his deal is up after the season.

As for Boras, I have nothing against him as a fan – or blogger. He’s good at his job, seems to have a lot of players under his stable and does well for his clients.

Hell, professional – and even collegiate sports – is a big business.

>>> Read More