Donnie Hart, 2016 Orioles Postcards #58

With this blog entry, I have now been as active in the first month of 2018 as I was in all of 2017! Sure, eight posts is pretty low-hanging fruit, but I've gotta start somewhere. So, let's talk about last Saturday's Orioles FanFest. I believe this is the ninth straight year I've attended the team's winter convention, and of course the second year I've done so with the rest of my nuclear family of three. As ever, I appreciated the 10:00 AM early entry for season ticket holders (compared to the 11:00 AM entry time for the unwashed masses). We arrived right at ten, took our place in the back of the line, and moved right on into the Baltimore Convention Center.

The first thing we did was head up to the third floor, where the team gives away the previous season's excess promotional items in a couple of conference rooms. I've never bothered waiting in that absurdly long line, particularly since we make it a point to get to the majority of the games with the most desirable freebies. But this year, they added a separate room for kids 14 and under, and we have one of those. With the 'Fest just having started, we figured we'd split up and have a good shot at collecting our prizes from both rooms. So Janet and Finn went their way, and zoomed right through the kids' line. I got to the adults' room two doors down and...the line was already snaking out the door and across the width of the hallway. That's a nope for me. So we contented ourselves with a Manny Machado Starting Lineup figure, a Manny garden gnome, a Camden Yards 25th Anniversary poster, and an Orioles Magazine game program featuring Dylan Bundy on the cover. Not bad.

As long as we were on the third floor, we also decided to bargain hunt in the "team store" room. All told, we came out with a pair of seatbelt covers, two pairs of socks, a stainless steel water bottle, a glass train Christmas ornament (Finn loves choo-choos!), and a brick of 50 assorted Orioles cards, and the total came to $33. We also browsed the sponsors and merchandise booths in the main hall, and bought a pair of 2018 Orioles Pet Calendars from BARCS for our offices. I restrained myself and spent a mere $10 more on 18 packs of assorted junk wax cards, just to scratch the pack-ripping itch. Most of the sponsor booths were also giving away cellophane-wrapped five-card packs of 2017 Topps Series One that were provided by the team, and they were suitably generous with them. In all, Janet and I came away with 14 packs.

I didn't spend much time listening to the player and coach and executive and media Q and A sessions, as we were busy chasing down a tiny moving target while trying to pilot a stroller laden with merchandise and personal effects. Those sessions don't tend to be very revelatory, anyway. We did manage to keep Finn sedentary for lunch, during which time we were able to hear and see a game of Family Feud in which four of the younger O's players (pitchers Mike Wright and Donnie Hart and outfielders Austin Hays and Joey Rickard) bested a foursome of fans. Rickard was jeered for answering "Sweet Caroline" to the category of "songs you'd hear at Camden Yards". It ain't Fenway, Joey Jo-Jo.

I'm sure you've been waiting patiently for pictures of our photogenic kid, so here's a few.

 Finn hammed it up for a MASN photographer.

We spotted Donnie Hart setting up at the Shannon's Fund photo booth and got in before there was a line. Finn was fussing for Mama as we made our way up to the O's lefty, but turned on the charm as soon as he was in front of a camera.

A beautiful day for baseball! Well, close enough.

A family selfie in the home dugout at the end of the Camden Yards clubhouse tour. Finn is telling Chris Davis to swing away.

We finished up our day with a press conference by the locker rooms. Finn was very quotable.

I had a few more pictures to share, but Blogger is being obnoxious tonight. Stay tuned in February, then!

Caleb Joseph, 2016 Topps Orioles Team Set #BO-2

I swear that I wasn't going to do the baby thing again tonight, but then Caleb Joseph tied a career high with four hits in as many at-bats, helping spoil Matt Wieters' return to Baltimore as the O's beat the Nationals, 6-4. That's five straight wins, folks.

So what does this have to do with my first-born? Well, two weeks ago, Caleb made a Saturday afternoon appearance at Point Breeze Credit Union in Westminster. Janet, Finn, and I jumped at the chance to say hello to our favorite person on the team. (Well, maybe Finn was mostly just along for the ride.) As it turned out, we arrived at 12:15, just as the shuttle showed up to deliver Joseph. It was pretty cool to see a good-sized crowd already lined up inside the bank, cheering for the team's backup catcher as he made his slightly belated entrance. He apologized for being late, and jokingly blamed the team rep that had accompanied him.

When we got to the front of the line, we introduced Caleb Joseph to our Finn Caleb, and told him that we'd even debated naming him Caleb Joseph...but Janet "thought it would be weird". Caleb's well-reasoned response was that "everyone has to be named for somebody".

At the time of our meeting, #36 was 0-for-12 on the young season and famously had not driven in a run since September 11, 2015. My sister and I had tickets to the game later that night (April 22, 2017), and wouldn't you know it? Caleb Joseph started that night and went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored in the Birds' 4-2 win over Boston; he hasn't looked back since. I'm not saying that my kid is a lucky charm or anything, but Caleb is now batting .316 (12-for-38) with a home run and four RBI since their meeting. Yep, the long dry spell is over. You're welcome.

Dylan Bundy, 2016 Orioles Postcards #NNO

One of the best developments of last season was Dylan Bundy's long-awaited emergence as a starter for the Orioles. After injuries limited the fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft to a total of 65.1 minor league innings from 2013 through 2015, he appeared in 36 games for the O's in 2016. He started out the year in the bullpen and was gradually stretched out before being slotted into the starting rotation in midseason. Considering that it was his first prolonged big league exposure and his first full-length pro season, Bundy held his own. He went 8-5 with a 4.52 ERA in 14 starts, allowing 63 hits and 30 walks in 71.2 innings while striking out 72. When you factor in his relief work, his overall stats were 10-6 with a 4.02 ERA; he actually allowed fewer base runners per inning as a starter (1.30) than he did as a reliever (1.53). It didn't happen the way we expected, but Dylan Bundy finally contributed to a contending Baltimore team.

As we kick off the 2017 season, the O's fortunes are expected to hinge on the performance of their two talented young starters, Bundy and Kevin Gausman. Two games in, and we're trending upward. Gausman, starting the opener in place of the injured Chris Tillman, allowed two runs in five and a third innings against a Toronto team that has hit him hard in the past. Tonight, Bundy was masterful in a 3-1 victory to sew up a two-game series sweep of the Jays. Pounding the strike zone with a fastball-curveball-slider mix, the Oklahoma native held the opposition to one run on four hits and no walks in seven innings. He struck out eight batters, and had five 1-2-3 innings out of seven. No sweat.

Friday night, the Yankees roll into town, and Dylan Bundy passes the baton to...Ubaldo Jimenez. Gulp.

Chris Tillman, 2016 Topps #477

I can't sit still. A do-or-die playoff game against the loathsome, obnoxious, cantankerous, preening Blue Jays is the perfect time to write my first blog post in two and a half months, right?

Hopefully I'll be back a lot sooner with my next post, but let me say that we're all doing well here at the home base. Baby Finn is splendid, Janet is healthy, and I'm not any more sleep-deprived than I was before fatherhood. Now, then...

Come on, Tilly. You've got this.

Bobby Grich, 2015 Orioles Postcards

Tonight's Orioles game was yet another pile of uninspired garbage, as the team lost for the 11th time in 12 tries, thanks to more shaky starting pitching and unopportunistic hitting. But hey, at least I met Bobby Grich before the game!

Taylor Teagarden, 2013 Orioles Postcards

I still think that Taylor Teagarden's 13th-inning two-run homer off of Joaquin Benoit on July 14, 2012 was the most unlikely walkoff home run I've witnessed in person at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. But tonight's 10th-inning, one-out, full-count, solo home run by David Lough against Koji Uehara sure gives Taylor a run for his money. Lough was only in the game because he'd pinch-run for Travis Snider in the eighth inning and stayed on as the left fielder. The O's seemed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the ninth inning, as the Red Sox scored the tying run off of Zach Britton without hitting a ball out of the infield. Brad Brach added to the misery in the top of the 10th by allowing a go-ahead solo homer to Xander Bogaerts on his first pitch. But Adam Jones greeted Koji with a leadoff triple in the home half of the inning. When Chris Davis followed with a sac fly to re-tie the score, Buck Showalter pulled back would-be pinch hitter Steve Pearce and allowed Lough to bat for himself. Good call, as he battled Boston's closer to a 3-2 count before depositing a 76-mph splitter onto the flag court for the win. Something magic happens.

Vintage Fridays: Jim Palmer, 1975 SSPC #380

I guess a full week is long enough to leave you hanging. Here's the card that I had signed by Jim Palmer last Saturday at FanFest. It's a classic 'Cakes card, in that he's posing without a cap, the better to air out his luxuriant chestnut locks. I made a remark to Palmer in that vein, and he told me that once he posed for a photo while wearing former pitching coach Ray Miller's cap. He assured me that "the Rabbit" had a huge noggin, hat size eight-something, so it was a funny visual. (To be fair to Miller, a quick check online for game-used memorabilia suggests that he wore a seven and a half, barely bigger than Palmer's seven and a quarter cap size.) I likened it to the time that Adam Jones swiped the Oriole Bird's oversized headgear and tried it on for himself. So that's the context for these photos, helpfully snapped by my sister. From left to right, Brian Matusz, Caleb Joseph, and Palmer are seated at the autograph table.

As for the signature, I'm glad that Jim appended the "HOF 90" inscription without being asked. I'm sure he takes a lot of pride in his first-ballot selection to the Hall of Fame, but it makes the autograph that much more special to me.

Darren O'Day, 2014 Orioles Postcards

You know it's been a rough weekend at the office when Darren O'Day is the losing pitcher on back-to-back days. But maybe the flight back to Kansas City will dislodge the lucky horseshoe that has been jammed up the rear ends of the Royals. Even down 2-0, I'm not counting out the O's, especially after Jarrod Dyson went and stuck his foot in his mouth. As a wise man once said:

"What? Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough... the tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go!"

Forget it, he's rolling. I'll see you back in Baltimore on Friday night, Birds.

Bud Norris, 2014 Topps Heritage #417

Bud Norris gave the Orioles 6.1 innings of two-hit baseball, striking out six en route to a 2-1 ALDS-clinching victory today. The O's, who were treated as something of an underdog, swept the Tigers despite facing the last three Cy Young Award winners in succession. Thursday was Max Scherzer. Friday they outlasted Justin Verlander. And this afternoon, they bested old Tampa Bay nemesis David Price. Price flinched before postseason novice Norris, as Nelson Cruz hooked a fly ball just inside the right field foul pole with Adam Jones aboard to give Baltimore a 2-0 lead. Zach Britton made things tense by yielding back-to-back doubles to the Martinezes to begin the ninth, but closed out the one-run win with a double play grounder off the bat of questionable pinch hitter Hernan Perez.

Kansas City is five outs away from wrapping up an even more surprising ALDS sweep of the 98-win Angels. If that result holds, the Orioles will have home field advantage in the American League Championship Series and will host the Royals in the opener on Friday. The Birds are four wins away from a return to the World Series.

Frank Robinson, 1990 Orioles Postcards

I just got home from an incredibly tense playoff opener that turned into a laugher right at the end. The Orioles got home runs from Nelson Cruz and J. J. Hardy to carry a tenuous 4-3 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning, and then broke out for eight runs on six hits, two walks, and a pair of Tigers errors in a 34-minute at-bat. Detroit used four pitchers, to no avail. The sellout crowd was lively all night long, but they/we truly started having fun in that big inning, chanting "Nick Mar-ka-kis" for the longtime O's outfielder who was finally participating in his first postseason game, and eventually taking a page from pro wrestling fans by chanting "this is awesome" before moving on to "we won't stop", the three-word slogan that the Birds have adopted for October 2014. 12-3 final, a new playoff record for runs scored by a Baltimore team. They'll do it again at noon tomorrow, and I'll try to keep tabs on things from my cubicle.

What does this superb autographed Frank Robinson postcard have to do with anything? Nothing, really, except that it's another wonderful Oriole-related item. Frank did push the Birds to their first World Series triumph back in 1966, of course. This was the big-ticket item in yesterday's mailing from Randy. I'm very glad to have it, just as I'm glad to have seen a Division Series victory by the O's.

Fred Valentine, 2014 Orioles Alumni Postcards

Here's another of the signed postcards that I picked up at Camden Yards on Monday night. I had noticed that Fred Valentine was wearing an MLB Players' Alumni Association polo shirt, but I didn't realize until I read his bio on the card back that the ex-outfielder was one of the founding members of that group back in 1982.

Here's a few more interesting tidbits about Fred Valentine, courtesy of the SABR Biography Project:

-His aunt nicknamed him "Squeaky" as a toddler, and the moniker stuck throughout his life.

-Fred is ambidextrous, which was an asset when he played quarterback in high school football.

-He graduated from Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial College (a historically black college, known today as Tennessee State University) in three and a half years.

I'm glad I got a chance to meet a former player who had a greater impact off the field than on it.

Larry Sheets, 2014 Orioles Alumni Postcards

I guess the only thing the Orioles needed to awaken their bats from a Wrigley slumber was the calming presence of Larry Sheets.

Allow me to clarify. Remembering that the Orioles make a few ex-players available for autographs along the Eutaw Street concourse prior to Monday and Thursday games, I wandered over that way with my sister once we got through the gates yesterday evening. Sure enough, there he was: Larry "31 homers in 1987" Sheets, alongside mid-'70s infielder and Baltimore native Tim Nordbrook and outfielder Fred Valentine, who had three separate stints with the O's in 1959, 1963, and 1968. Since there was still over an hour before first pitch, I waited in line to collect signatures from the trio. Larry looks pretty good for 54, much better than Cal Ripken, if we're being brutally honest. I was a little sorry to see that he'd lost the trademark mustache, but you can't fault a guy for keeping his look fresh. A group of older guys passing by called out to Nordbrook to invite him out for drinks after the game, and he playfully asked if they wanted his autograph. When they responded in the affirmative, Tim yelled, "Get in line!". Valentine was moving more slowly than the two younger ex-players, but his signature was meticulous and clear, so it was a fair trade.

On yet another in a series of the moderate nights that have made this an atypical summer in Baltimore, the Birds seemed glad to be home, even if the crowd was on the small side (15,516 paid, though several of them must have stayed home). Chris Tillman looked sharp right from the start, generating weak grounders all over the infield. Steve Pearce and Jonathan Schoop each dropped a throw from J. J. Hardy on consecutive plays in the third inning, giving Tampa Bay a very short-lived 1-0 lead. But you can't keep a power-hitting team like the Orioles dormant forever, and the breakout came in the bottom of the third. Nick Markakis ended an 0-for-21 skid with a two-run homer to put the O's on top, and Steve Pearce immediately followed with a moon shot to left field. 3-1 Birds on back-to-back home runs against Jake Odorizzi.

The real fun came two innings later, as things got really out of hand in a good way for the hosts. The inning opened with three straight singles by the law firm of Pearce, Jones, and Cruz. After an initial hesitation, Pearce rumbled around third base and scored on Cruz's knock to left, as Rays left fielder Matt Joyce bobbled the ball. I had noticed Steve and Joyce conversing in the outfield during pregame warmups, and my idle theory was that the Oriole slugger was subtly intimidating his contemporary. It sure looked like it on that play. Anyhow, back-to-back-to-back singles are all well and good, but how about back-to-back-to-back home runs? I can tell you first-hand that they're pretty great. Delmon Young continued his baffling rejuvenation with an Earl Weaver Special over the left-center field fence, making it 7-1, and J. J. Hardy chased Odorizzi with a solo shot in the next at-bat. Chris Davis, who probably would've liked to take some hacks against the unraveled starter, rallied to welcome reliever Kirby Yates with a solo four-bagger of his own. It was 9-1, and there were still no outs. Nick Hundley made it seven hits in a row with an infield single and a one-base error by first baseman James Loney, but Yates stopped the bleeding there. Still, the Orioles had made team history by stacking back-to-back homers AND a separate occurrence of back-to-back-to-back home runs for the first time in their 60-plus seasons in Baltimore.

The rest of the game was less eventful. Tillman earned his 11th win with seven innings of three-hit ball, Darren O'Day and Zach Britton were untouchable as usual, and the Birds maintained their six-game division lead. Oh wait - there was a pretty decent double play turned by Adam Jones and Jonathan Schoop. You might see this one on highlight reels for a little while yet.

Steve Pearce, 2013 Orioles Postcards

Steve Pearce broke out of his second-half doldrums today, helping the Orioles avoid a sweep at the hands of the Indians. The journeyman led off the sixth inning with a double and scored the tying run, sparking a two-run rally to give the Birds a lead they would not relinquish. He also provided some welcome insurance with his 12th home run, a solo shot in the seventh inning that was positively crushed.  According to the MASN broadcast, the MLB average speed for a ball struck off the bat is 77 mph; Pearce's blast against Chen-Chang Lee was over 100 mph. Chris Davis also had two extra-base hits, a pair of doubles. The second of those put the O's up 2-1. Jonathan Schoop's 12th homer made it 4-1, which was the final score. Kevin Gausman struggled with his control but permitted only two hits in six innings, and Darren O'Day, Andrew Miller, and Zach Britton each tossed a scoreless inning in relief. That's 70 wins for Baltimore, a number they didn't reach once between 2007 and 2011. This isn't your slightly older cousin's Orioles team.

Steve Pearce, 2014 Orioles Postcards

The Orioles are a game out of first place, and it's thanks in large part to Steve Pearce. The former Pirates prospect has been acquired by the O's three times in the past three years, which of course means that they've also parted ways with him twice. Coming into 2014, he'd batted .238/.318/.377 in parts of seven big league seasons, never exceeding 61 games in a year and peaking with 13 doubles, four homers, and 26 RBI. With a pair of two-run home runs in tonight's 7-1 win over Texas, Pearce now has 12 doubles, nine homers, and 25 RBI in 44 games thus far. His batting line is .327/.385/.592, and he's had eight multi-hit games in his last 12. Steve Pearce may be a warlock.

Evan Meek, 2014 Orioles Postcards

This has been a bowling-shoe ugly weekend of Orioles baseball, but I did have a good time yesterday afternoon at the pre-game autograph session for season ticket holders. Janet and I left Ocean City at 8:30 AM to ensure that we'd be at Oriole Park when the gates opened for the signings at 12:30 PM. We made a beeline for Steve Pearce's group, which also included Darren O'Day and Evan Meek, the latter of whom was filling in for Ubaldo Jimenez. You can imagine our disappointment when we learned that we'd be missing out on Ubaldo...ahem. All three were as friendly as could be. Meek, one of a handful of relievers who has been on the shuttle back and forth to Norfolk all season, even noticed that I was wearing a FitBit and asked me if I liked it. He'd just purchased one himself. The highlight was when Janet handed Steve Pearce an All-Star ballot and explained that we'd written him in on dozens of ballots. He grinned, said "awesome", and signed above the write-in slot where we'd scrawled his name. There was such a short line for that session that I was also able to get autographs from Bud Norris, Brian Matusz, and J. J. Hardy. Bud was by far the most animated, offering fist bumps to many fans (particularly the younger ones), and even asking me where I got my angry Oriole bird cap. In his expert opinion, it was "sick". So that was the highlight of my day. I also learned that Hardy has his wife's initials tattooed on his finger. Makes sense, since he probably doesn't want to wear his wedding band on the field. There was also a "State of the Orioles" Q-and-A session with Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette, but that wasn't particularly enlightening. I did enjoy listening to Buck be his usual folksy, charming self. He says that his favorite baseball movie is "The Sandlot", by the way, which makes me wonder if he ever came out to the mound to yank an ineffective pitcher and greeted him with, "You're killin' me, Smalls".

Adam Jones, 2012 Bowman #45

Here's the card that I had Adam Jones sign this afternoon at Orioles FanFest. I'll show off the signed postcards from Ryan Flaherty and Steve Pearce in due time as well. While Adam was scribbling his name and number on my card, I noticed that he had a small card in front of him with an unfamiliar male name printed on it in a child's handwriting. I asked him if he were also collecting autographs, and he confirmed that a young fan had given it to him earlier. That was the best thing that I heard today.

Bob Milacki, 1990 Donruss #333

Because I know how to drive a posting theme into the ground, here's yet another autograph from the five-pack that Alan sent my way. Bob Milacki had the good sense to sign his name across the bright white of his home jersey for optimal visibility. He's got one of the more legible signatures that I've seen by a baseball player, and yet it still allows for a bit of stylistic flourish. The blue marker contrasts nicely with the blood-red borders of 1990 Donruss, too.

Speaking of Bob Milacki, this blog post from 2012 features some quotes from the former O's pitcher about players he'd coached that season with the Reading Phillies, as well as a modern-day photo of Milacki. He still looks much the same as he did in his playing days, plus a few pounds and a goatee that I think suits him quite well.

Scott McGregor, 1988 Topps #419

This may be my favorite of the five autographed cards I received from Alan this week. Scott McGregor's 1988 Topps card rekindles a lot of memories; I've owned a copy since childhood, long before I even followed baseball. It's such a unique photo. How often do you see a shot of the pitcher just standing atop the mound to receive the return throw from his catcher? That Scotty's eyes look to be closed makes it stand out all the more. The orange-and-brown color scheme that Topps used for the Orioles in this set complements the picture very well. I think the autograph just adds to the aesthetic: it's very distinct in its own unintelligible way.

In housekeeping news, I will likely be incommunicado blogwise until Monday. My wife and I are spending the weekend visiting her family. See you next week!

Storm Davis, 1986 Fleer #271

I didn't expect to still be receiving wedding gifts six weeks after saying "I do". But today, a plain white envelope arrived from reader Alan, who is much more proactive about collecting Oriole autographs than I am. As he'd promised some days ago, he sent me five autographed O's cards: Tim Stoddard, Scott McGregor, Tom Niedenfuer, Bob Milacki, and ol' George Earl Davis, pictured above. Storm was a better pitcher for the Birds than I'd realized; he only had one subpar season in his initial five-year tenure in Baltimore. Even though he was only 20 years old when he debuted in 1982, Davis posted a 54-40 record and a 3.65 ERA (110 ERA+) in the first half-decade of his career. He completed 27 of his 121 starts. At that juncture, the Orioles traded their young middle-rotation starter for 31-year-old catcher Terry Kennedy and middle reliever Mark Williamson. Kennedy was gone in two years, and Williamson stuck around for eight mostly-competent seasons out of the bullpen. Storm soon landed in Oakland, won 35 games in a two-season span on the strength of the great team behind him, and wound up as a free-agent flop in Kansas City. He had good seasons as a reliever for the Orioles in 1992 and the Tigers in 1994, but never pitched in the majors again after the strike that ended the latter season. That's certainly not the career path that many would have predicted when ex-teammate Mike Flanagan was referring to him as "Cy Clone" due to his similarity to Jim Palmer. But baseball history is rarely tidy.

Brian Matusz, 2011 Bowman #28

Earlier today, I enjoyed one of the perks of being a partial season ticket holder with the Orioles. At 12:45 this afternoon, the team held autograph sessions throughout the ballpark before a 1:30 Q & A with Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette. I chose the autograph station outside of Section 85: Taylor Teagarden, Brian Matusz, and Chris Davis. I'll hold off on showing the Davis card for now, since he's hopefully got a lot of headlines left to make in 2013. Here's the card that Matusz signed for me; I'm sure he'd rather be starting than working out of the bullpen, but he's made the most of his role. He's allowed only 3 of 32 inherited runners to score this year, and has given up 29 hits in 36 innings. As for that signature, we can cut him a little slack; I was near the end of the line, and they were hurrying to ensure that everyone got through.