The 2012 Orioles Winter Thread

By the way Reimold left the game friday with a sore shoulder. They claim that it only hurts him when he throws.....

He apparently did it after hitting a home run, but my question is why are they putting him in the field so much? They know he's prone to injury and he's yet to get hurt swinging a bat or running the bases. It's only in the field that he gets hurt, so stop putting him in the field every game.

Logic? Silly boy. LOL

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles left fielder Nolan Reimold was removed from Friday’s Grapefruit League game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after just two innings with soreness in his right, throwing shoulder.

Reimold’s early exit was odd, especially considering Reimold had just hit his first homer of the spring, a towering two-run shot to left off James McDonald that gave the Orioles a three-run lead in the bottom of the second inning.

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“He said it feels fine,” manager Buck Showalter said after the Orioles’ 6-5 win over Pittsburgh at Ed Smith Stadium. “Just throwing between innings, it was kind of barking. No reason to stay out there. With all he’s had, you take precaution with it. I don’t think it’s related [to his neck injury from last year], but we’ll see. You’re dealing with a lot of different nerves and stuff. We’ll see what the next couple days bring.”

Reimold played in just 16 games last season. He had season-ending neck surgery in June to repair a herniated disk and have two vertebrae fused. This spring, a major goal has been regaining strength in his left arm, which was atrophied from the injury.

Because of that, the Orioles have been careful with Reimold’s playing time, even though Showalter called Reimold a “full go.”

Showalter said Reimold complained of the soreness before his home-run at-bat. Reimold’s homer was his first his in eight spring at bats.

“It’s real encouraging to him,” Showalter said of the home run. “Nolan’s been having good [batting practice] and everything, so it doesn’t come as a surprise, but you could tell he was [pleased]. You could probably tell it made coming out of the game a little bit better.”

Around the horn

The Orioles' win Thursday inproved their Grapefruit League record to 6-1. ... Cuban defector Henry Urrutia, who arrived in Florida earlier this week from Haiti, made his first appearance at the Ed Smith Stadium complex early Friday to undergo some of the medical testing that is necessary before he can be cleared to begin workouts. The 6-foot-4 outfielder was signed to a $788,500 signing bonus in July, but he was displaced in Haiti while trying to obtain a work visa. … Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen will start Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte. He will be followed by Brian Matusz, Tommy Hunter, Troy Patton and Daniel McCutchen. … Right-hander Chris Tillman will start Sunday’s home game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Miguel Gonzalez, Todd Redmond, Steve Johnson, Dylan Bundy and Adam Russell are also scheduled to pitch in that game.

From the baltimoresun.com website. So, it was already sore before the home run, but he says it feels fine. Reimold really should be the DH and an occasional fill in at LF so long as it's not turf.

 I think he should sell his glove for this year.


Ok Reimold your in, get out there in RF

Sorry Skip, sold my glove!

Yeah, what was I thinking anyway

LOL        

Oh and I dont beleive a word out of anyones mouth on thsi team when it comes to injuries. This is the same bunch that told us ho healthy Brian Roberts was last year right up until we got to see him with our own eyes. Chen looked solid, and Matusz looked like hot garbage today but its still early.....

Just listening to the game, Reimold will start as DH against Toronto, Jair Jurrjens will be coming out of the bullpen in ST and still a falling star at this point, Steve Johnson (my dark horse) looks to be taking the lead for that fifth rotation spot, Conor Jackson is impressing which is great to see, Brian Roberts is looking very good in the spring, Jake Arrieta is looking absolutely terrible this spring and Zach Clark and Dylan Bundy are looking very good.

Also, Trayvon Robinson, Steve Pearce, Chris Davis, Nate McLouth, Matt Weiters and Ryan Flaherty are all looking good to great this spring and our starting rotation is looking good so far as well.

Adam Jones and Nick Markakis aren't putting up very good numbers thus far, but AJ is at the WBC right now I believe.

Also, a bit of a surprise, Yamaico Navarro is also looking good including three walks and no K's.

Jason Pridie, Chris Dickerson, and Jason Exposito are also all looking good and Manny Machado is hitting .500 with 3 BB and 2 K's. Also, McCutchen and Russell aren't looking half bad on the pitching side.

The highest spring ERA's with two or more innings are McFarlane (11.57, 3 BB/1K, .500 BAA, 3 WHIP), Arrieta (10.12, 3BB/0K, .222 BAA, 1.88 WHIP), Jurrjens (9.00, 4BB/0K, .308 BAA, 2.67 WHIP) and Patton (8.10, 1BB/5K, .375 BAA, 2.10 WHIP).

The lowest BA's with at least 4G played are Xavier Avery (hitless in 6AB, 2BB/5K), Ishikawa (.111, one hit in 9AB, 1BB/4K), Niuman Romero (.167, one hit in 6AB, 2K) and Casilla (.182, 2 for 11, 1BB/4K).

The highest spring ERA's with two or more innings are McFarlane (11.57, 3 BB/1K, .500 BAA, 3 WHIP), Arrieta (10.12, 3BB/0K, .222 BAA, 1.88 WHIP), Jurrjens (9.00, 4BB/0K, .308 BAA, 2.67 WHIP) and Patton (8.10, 1BB/5K, .375 BAA, 2.10 WHIP).

Patton I'm not concerned about.  McFarlane might be showing that he is not ready for the ML's at this time.  The problem with him is if doesn't make the 25 man roster, the O's will either have to offer him back to Cleveland for $25,000 or they might have to make a trade to keep him in the minors.  Arrieta need to be converted to either a setupup pitcher or closer.  He's usually good for 1 inning then he blows up.  Jurrjens needs to start in the minors. 

The one I am really happy to see do well is Connor Jackson.  If he can regain his form he could really be a great asset to the team offensively as well as defensively (he plays 1B, 3B, and both corner OF).  I also saw Canzler get i some work at 3B and I think I saw him at C for an inning (not sure about that one).  .     

The lowest BA's with at least 4G played are Xavier Avery (hitless in 6AB, 2BB/5K), Ishikawa (.111, one hit in 9AB, 1BB/4K), Niuman Romero (.167, one hit in 6AB, 2K) and Casilla (.182, 2 for 11, 1BB/4K).

The only one here I'd be worried about is Casilla considering he is fighting for a bench position.  It might not be his bat that wins him the job though.  I could be his glove and speed (as a pinchrunner).  Ishikawa has never been a good hitter and Avery is Avery.   

Indeed, Jackson has two home runs today. A solo back-to-back with Wieters in the first and a three run homer just after Wieters hit a bases loaded double. Looks like a back-to-back combination may be developing.

I think one of BUck's bigest shortcomings is his unwaivering loyalty to certain players.

100% correct. Burnout or not being given enough time was not the problem, and the managers that followed him did not do it with the same team. Thye replaced or demoted the player that were weaknesses. In a couple of them it was only two starters, but those were the weakest links. As I have said before. you find your three weakest areas or players and those are the things you work on. They are the biggest bang for the buck when getting better. As you fix those three things, then there will be a new three things but maybe they will not be as weak as the previous three. In this way even very good teams get better.  

A good article from not too long ago about Brian Roberts and his experiences over the last three years.

The low point? [Brian Roberts] thought for a moment, scrolling back through the depths of his personal anguish.

It was not in October, when the [Baltimore Orioles] reached the postseason without him. That was fun, even from the dugout. Roberts was proud of his teammates, energized by the fans. It was no time to dwell on the lousy timing of an injury barrage that forced him to miss the playoffs after he endured 11 losing seasons as an Oriole.

The summer of 2011, Roberts decided, was the worst. [He had sustained his second concussion that May], after a headfirst slide in Boston, and his life had deteriorated. For months, he had migraines. Many days, he said, he simply turned off the lights and lay on his couch, covered in blankets, in such a deep fog that his wife was scared to leave him alone. He believes he was clinically depressed.

“I never got on medication and stuff like that because I didn’t want anything else messing with my brain,” Roberts said. “But when you can’t sleep and you wake up and you’re dizzy half the day and you have headaches all day long, there’s times when it just feels like there’s not a whole lot to live for, and you just can’t see the end coming. That was the scariest part: is this ever going to end?”

It finally ended in November, Roberts said, when he started to feel like himself again. On Saturday morning, before the Orioles’ first exhibition game, he said he had not been this healthy at the start of spring training since 2010, when he was just beginning his four-year, $40 million contract.

The last three seasons have been sobering. Roberts has [played only 115 games], missing time not only to the concussions but to back, abdominal and hip injuries. Manager Buck Showalter offered to excuse Roberts on Saturday because Roberts had plans to be in a friend’s wedding later that day. But Roberts insisted on playing.

Showalter said Roberts told him: “I’d really like to get a couple of at-bats and be there with the guys the first day. This guy’s a great friend, but he ain’t that great a friend.”

Roberts bounced out twice, but that was not the point. He was leading off, as he did in his prime, when he made two All-Star teams and once led the American League in stolen bases. He was playing second base, where he hopes to be the starter again. He was one of the guys.

The Orioles made few moves this winter, but a healthy Roberts could be a significant change. They acquired a second baseman, Alexi Casilla, off waivers from Minnesota in November. They retained Ryan Flaherty, a second-year player who started three playoff games at second base. But the job is there for Roberts to claim.

“People know what he can do when he’s healthy,” outfielder Nate McLouth said. “He can hurt you in a lot of ways. Unfortunately, he’s had some injuries, but he looks great so far, he’s moving around great. You talk about off-season additions, there’s an addition right there.”

Roberts turned 35 during the division series, which the Orioles lost, 3-2, to the Yankees. He is the oldest player on the 40-man roster and ranks among Baltimore’s top 10 for career hits, runs and steals. He has a corner locker in the clubhouse, first in a row of 18 stalls with another mainstay, outfielder Nick Markakis, at the other end.

Markakis also missed the playoffs last season, after a fastball from C. C. Sabathia broke his thumb in early September. He called the team trainer and Showalter during the World Series, just to remind them that he could have played had the Orioles made it. But, like Roberts, his only view of the postseason was as a spectator.

“We were talking in Texas when we were playing the wild-card game: I said, ‘Man, we’ve got 17 years between us, and we’re both sitting on the bench,’ ” Markakis said. “But you can’t look back and be bitter about it. Hopefully, we’ll get there again and go further.”

Roberts said he wanted no sympathy but appreciated the fans’ support. They had weathered the losing, too, and felt bad that Roberts, who has played 1,250 regular-season games — all for the Orioles — could not play in his first postseason.

But the concussions, Roberts said, have given him a sharper perspective on life, a deeper understanding of those who have it worse.

“I thought a lot about young people that had concussions, trying to go through school and be teenagers at a very crucial time in their life,” Roberts said. “My doctor told me he’s seen thousands of them. For some of these kids, I know, Athletics is still a dream. They’re trying to get to college, set themselves up to be successful in some way.”

Roberts, of course, has been successful and lived the dream. He said he understood the risks of still playing, that his past head injuries made him more susceptible to future problems. But other athletes have come back without incident, he said, and he cannot control everything that may happen on the field.

For now, it seems, Roberts is treasuring the good life again. His wife, Diana, is pregnant with their first child. The team is strong, and he is a part of it. He has gone from hopeless to hopeful, on the field and off.

“I finally feel like a normal person again,” Roberts said. “That brings a lot of confidence and a lot of comfort.”

If he makes it 40 games they should throw him a parade. I am rooting for him, but a concussion that wasn't truly healed until just last November is pretty serious. it wil lbe interesting to see if he can keep himself from head first slides and dives in the field. If he is playign and hitting up to a high standard, and making plays on what he can get to while staying on his feet, that would be good enough. You could live witha few balls getting through or him not stealing any bases if he can contrubute for a significant portion of the yeay and stay healthy. Somehow though, I just dont see him as the not diving and stealing kind. 40 games +/-

Good article Sess. Roberts is a good guy and he is somebody that you root for. I remember when he returned last year of all people Charlie Sheen tweeted glad to see Number 1 back for the O's. Roberts and his birthday bashes for the sick children and hearing and reading his story of being a sick kid himself and having to battle through it. Thats the one thing with Roberts is he is a fighter.

And thats the kind of thing a team can rally around. But I mentioned it many times when Eric Bedard was still here and even when he hit free agency a number of times. You know what its like when he is good and healthy. Trying to squeeze 35 starts out of him to me was ridiculous when it ends up him only getting you 10 and missing most of the season. Give him an extra day off, skip him in the rotation for a week. What ever the case is and try to get however many starts he could give you throughout the year and make them quality starts.

I feel the same way about Roberts. Its not just the injuries the past couple of seasons its the age as well. Dont play him at 2b every day. I dont care how good he says he is or how good he is even looking. One year he was collided with at 1b in New York or against New York cant remember where it was, but there is all sorts of freak things that happen and durability means nothing when something freak does happen. B.J. Surhoff in 96 was hit in the head on a deflection off the first basemans glove and he was out for some time and he never missed games or batting practices or anything throughout his career up to that point.

Anything Roberts can give this team I look as extra. Expecting him to return to form from 05 is non sensical for me. But that doesnt mean he couldn't be valuable for this team throughout the season. They just have to sprinkle him in sparignly. And if they make a push and get to the playoffs again, maybe take the shrink wrap off.

The limited air time the O's have had in spring training,  I have seen a conscious effort from him to slide feet first, I have yet to see him go head first. So thats a good sign, but its not gonna totally keep you out of the woods. You see every year without a fail someone sliding feet first into 2nd and getting kneed in the head by the shortstop or 2b when they go up to make the throw on a double play. And if he gets on 1st base and pitcher throws over, instinct is to dive head first back into the bag. You dont see too many feet first slides back to first.

Reimold, Roberts. Wada to name a few could be big contributors for the team this year, but they have to be careful with them and take their time with them. 162 games is a lot of games and is a long season. They really need to cut the season into 4 for those 3. Maybe get Reimold and Roberts into 15 or 20 of the first 40 games. Than bump it up by two or three games the next 40. Maybe go as high as 25 for the next 41 and than maybe 30 of the last 41.

But it really wouldn't be that bad of a thing to to get other players like Casilla, McLouth and whomever else at bats throughout the year so in the event that somebody does go down, they aren't starting from scratch and trying to find their swing with the pressure of trying to win or having to win every game down the stretch.

Its hard not to play them when they say they are healthy and feel good, and you need them. I agree you should be careful and not overworking muscles that can't possibly be professional athlete ready yet, but it is hard to do. I woudl agree that anything you get from some guys, based on their injury history and age shoudl be a bonus, but they have put themselves in position that to be successful those guys have to be major contributors. on the field being a major contributor 70% of the time all year is much better than 100% the first 40 games and then on the DL.

The Neitherlands go on to Round 2 after winning the tiebreaker over Korea (but losing it to Chinese Taipei). Schoop has had a rough go of it so far, as he's gone 1 for 9 with 1 home run, 1 walk, 1 HBP, 1 sacrifice, 3 Ks and at least 9 balls in play that didn't make it out of the infield.

The Neitherlands go on to Round 2 after winning the tiebreaker over Korea (but losing it to Chinese Taipei). Schoop has had a rough go of it so far, as he's gone 1 for 9 with 1 home run, 1 walk, 1 HBP, 1 sacrifice, 3 Ks and at least 9 balls in play that didn't make it out of the infield.

Anyone see Brazii play?  Their games were all shown overnight, my wife was interested (she's from Rio).  She didn't even know they had a national baseball team.  To be honest I'd never seen them play either.  Its all about soccer there.

The WBC has started and we've got a few guys playing.

Schoop is on the Neitherlands team and so far he's been at second base. He's gone for 0 for 6 with 3 strikeouts, 3 groundouts, a walk and a hit by pitch. A slow start but it's interesting to see him at second. Then again that could be because the team has Xander Boegarts and Andrelton Simmons on the roster.

I believe that Strop is on Mexico's team but their pool hasn't started playing games yet.

I believe that Strop is on Mexico's team but their pool hasn't started playing games yet.

Last I saw Strop decided not to play.   

Last I saw Strop decided not to play.   

Honestly, I don't remember if he did or didn't. I even forgot that Adam Jones was part. I am only curious about Schoop and where they'd play him.

As for Buck burning out, he apparently has learned to channel his energy differently as apparently he almost burned the team plane down after we clinched last season and caused an emergency landing. So, instead of burning out, he's decided to set fire to things. lol