News Archives: March 2000

Orioles beat the Twins split squad, 9-7. Four of their runs came from beating up on a major league pitcher, Brad Radke, which is good.

Moose finally has a really good outing, and becomes the first Os pitcher to go four innings this spring. Buddy Groom continues to pitch like... Buddy Groom. And Reyes and Trombley both get touched up, too.

                                  IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR
 MUSSINA                           4   2   0   0   0   3   0
 GROOM                             1   3   3   1   1   1   0
 REYES (W)                         2   1   1   1   1   3   0
 TROMBLEY (S)                      1   3   1   1   0   2   1

With roster cuts happening today, fewer ABs are going towards players with no shot.

• At second, Hairston played the whole game, and went 3-4 with a walk, a double, an RBI and 2 runs scored. DeShields sat out, and Garcia played the whole game (at SS) going 3-4 with 2 runs scored and a SB.
• At first, Pickering played the whole game and went 1-4 with a sac fly, 2 runs scored and 5 RBI. He hit his team-leading second homer of the spring (well, tied with Baines). YES! Clark didn't play, and Conine's still out. Conine hasn't played in almost a week, now.
• In the OF/on the bench, Amaral goes 2-4 with 2 runs scored, Kirby went 0-1, May went 0-4, Ashley went 0-1. And Minor went 1-1 with a double, run, and RBI, but also made an error.

You've got to assume, I think, that on the real roster, if Conine is out for any length of time that Minor gets his job, since Pickering bats with the wrong hand and can't backup at 3B the way Conine's supposed to and Minor can. Of course, they could go with an extra OF like Kingsale and call Amaral the backup 3Bman.

The Os lost to Davey's Dodgers, 5-4; they only managed 5 hits (but also 5 walks); one was a Harold Baines homer.

Pat Rapp started and wasn't sharp. According to the Sun,

Matt Riley made his spring debut, after missing a week with "strained left biceps," and pitched 2 scoreless innings. Worrell and McElroy each pitched a scoreless inning, but BJ Ryan gave up a run in the 9th to lose the game.

                                   IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR
 RAPP                              3   2   2   2   2   0   0
 RILEY                             2   0   0   0   1   1   0
 BJ RYAN (L)                       1   1   1   1   1   1   0

• At second base, DeShields went 1-2 with a double and a run scored, Hairston was back and pinch ran but didn't bat, and Garcia went 0-1.
• At first base, Clark went 0-3, Pickering went 0-1, and Conine still sat out.
• In the outfield, Amaral went 1-2 and stole a base, Kingsale went 0-2, Derrick May went 1-1 with a solo homer, and Wayne Kirby went 0-4.

Os win 9-8 over a Mets Split Squad. Ex-O Jesse Orosco takes the loss. Ex-O David Lamb is in camp with the Mets, too; he went 2-5 with 2 doubles.

Jason Johnson again gets hit very hard; he has now allowed 15 hits and 10 runs in 9 IP. He has walked 7 and struck out just 3. Gabe Molina also pitches badly; while Mike Timlin gets a 2 inning save but allows a homer.

The big story is probably that Mercedes pitches 3 scoreless innings; for the spring he has pitched 8 innings in 4 outings without allowing a run. He has allowed 5 hits and no walks, while striking out 2.

It's still early in the grapefruit league, but Maduro, Mercedes, Rapp and Worrell are all doing well, while Johnson, Molina, Groom and Dykhoff are doing poorly. (I look at those players as the bubble pitchers.)

                                   IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR
 J JOHNSON                         3   7   4   4   2   3   0
 G MOLINA (W)                      1   4   3   3   1   1   1
 TIMLIN (S)                        2   2   1   1   0   1   1

• At second base, Delino DeShields went 1-3 with a 3 run homer, while Jesse Garcia went 1-2 with an RBI. Hairston once again sat out. I don't know if DeShields playing well is a good thing (making him more tradeable) or a bad thing, making him seem more important to the Orioles.
• At first base, in Pickering's first start he went 1-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored; he played the whole game, so he probably got a walk, too. Clark didn't play, and neither did Conine.
• In the OF/bench -- Kingsale went 2-5. Kirby went 1-2 with a solo homer off Orosco. Amaral went 2-4 with an RBI, 2 runs scored, and a stolen base. And Derrick May went 2-3 with a run scored, FWIW. Oh, and Minor went 1-2 with a double, R, and RBI.

Os lose, 9-7 to the Tigers. Juan Gonzalez homers twice. Ex-O Jim Poole got the win.

It wasn't an Aruban day. Kingsale went 0-2, and Ponson and Dykhoff got hit very hard. Reyes and Trombley weren't exactly untouchable (3 hits + 3 walks, combined), but they did pitch 3.2 innings without allowing a run.

                   IP      H  R ER BB SO
Ponson              3      7  4  3  1  3
Dykhoff L,0-1         2/3  4  4  4  2  1

• Ponson gave up one of Gonzalez's homers; Dykhoff gave up the other, plus another one.
• Bordick hit his first homer; it's early, but the Orioles haven't exactly been knocking the ball out of the park this spring. Charles Johnson made two errors.
• At second base, DeShields sat out, while Garcia went 2-2 with a double and RBI.
• At first base, Clark went 1-2 with a run scored, Big Cal went 0-2 with a RBI and walk, and Conine sat out again. There's some irony in the fact that Conine's injury is an inflamed shoulder caused by too much infield practice at third.
• In the OF, Kingsale went 0-2, as noted. In Brady's absence, Kirby _started_, went 0-3 with an RBI. Amaral didn't play. Derrick May went 2-4 with a triple, run scored, and RBI. And Minor went 1-4 with a double and a run.
• Baines hasn't been playing much this spring; I'm not sure whether there's any reason.

Orioles beat the Marlins, 2-1. The Os managed just 6 hits, all singles.

Maduro, BJ Ryan, and Tim Worrell each had a good outing, pitching 2 scoreless innings. This was Maduro's third outing, though, and he still hasn't been given 3 innings; I'm not sure what that signifies. BJ the pitcher struck out 3 in his 2 IP.

• Timlin pitched a scoreless inning, striking out 2 batters.
• McElroy came in and gave up 3 hits and a run in his 2 innings of work.
• (Ex-O Ricky Bones pitched 2 scoreless innings AGAINST the Orioles.)

• At second base, DeShields went 0-4. Hairston's still out, and Garcia also got the day off.
• At first, Clark went 1-3 and scored a run. Conine sat out again, and Pickering went 0-1. Conine has "tendinitis in his right rotator cuff," and is going to sit out a couple of games.
• On the bench, Kingsale didn't get an AB, Amaral went 1-1, Ashley went 0-1, and Kirby went 0-1. Minor sat out.

Os beat St. Louis, 5-4.

All four runs given up by people who won't make the team -- Matt Ryan and Juan Guzman. Mussina, Mercedes, and Reyes pitched 6 scoreless innings.

• At second base, DeShields goes 0-3, Garcia goes 1-1 with an RBI, and Hairston doesn't play for the second straight game. Bordick's back in the lineup, so that cuts into Garcia's time.
• At first, Clark goes 1-1 with a run, Pickering goes 1-2, and Conine doesn't play.
  In fact, since Conine threw away his only chance at third in Game 2, he has played 1B once, DH twice, and sat out twice. I'm not exactly sure how he learns to play third without playing third, but I'm sure the Orioles know exactly what they're doing.
• In the OF, Kingsale pinch ran (and scored a run). Amaral went 2-2 with a SB and RBI. Kirby didn't play. (Minor went 0-4, btw.)

Os lose, 6-2 to the Expos. They only manage 4 hits.

Ponson pitches 2 scoreless innings. Timlin and Trombley each contribute a scoreless inning. Jason Johnson got hit hard, and McElroy didn't have a good day, either:

                                  IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR
 PONSON                            2   2   0   0   1   2   0
 J JOHNSON (L)                     3   4   4   4   3   1   0
 C MCELROY                         1   1   2   2   2   1   0

• At second, DeShields went 0-3. Garcia went 0-2 with an RBI, again playing SS. (Bordick has the flu.) Hairston didn't play.
• At first, Conine went 2-3 with a solo homer and 2 runs scored. Pickering didn't get an at-bat. And Clark didn't play.
• And I guess I should start reporting that outfield issue: Kirby went 0-3. Kingsale went 0-2. Amaral didn't play. And Minor went 0-3, on the off chance that he could get a job. (The Sun proudly reported that Minor had gone 5-8 the first week.)

Os lose, 5-4 to the Mets.

Not a good showing for our young pitchers; starter Maduro and reliever BJ Ryan give up 4 of the 5 Mets runs in 3 IP, though 2 were unearned. And Reyes, if you consider him one of our younger pitchers, gave up the other. Gabe Molina pitched 2 scoreless innings, though.

                   IP      H  R ER BB SO
Maduro              2      3  2  2  0  1
Reyes               1      2  1  1  1  1
Ryan L              1      2  2  0  1  0

• At second, Hairston went 2-3 with a run scored, DeShields goes 0-1, and Garcia goes 1-3 with an RBI, but also makes the error that leads to those 2 losing runs for the Mets. Garcia, it should be noted, has been playing SS a bunch; they're clearly grooming him for the utility role.
• At first, Pickering went 0-1, Clark went 0-3. And Conine went 0-4 at DH.

Orioles crush the Dodgers, 17-3. Without homering.

• Only pitcher to give up a run or walk: Dykhoff. Scoreless innings from Rapp (2), Mercedes (2), and one each from Groom, McElroy, and Timlin.
• Second base battle: DeShields 1-2 with a double. Garcia 1-3 with a double, 2 RBI, and R runs. Hairston sat out.
• Pickering went 2-3 with a run scored, while Clark went 1-3 with a run scored and Conine didn't play.
• Our pitchers went 2-3 with 2 runs scored and an RBI.

Os win, 7-5. Moose was bad, while Tim Worrell was shaky:

                   IP      H  R ER BB SO
Mussina             3      6  5  4  0  3
Worrell W,0-1       2      4  0  0  0  1

• Reyes and Trombley and BJ Ryan and non-roster invitee Matt Ryan threw a shutout inning each.
• In the second base contest, DeShields went 2-3 with a run, Hairston went 0-1, and Garcia didn't play.
• At first, Conine went 0-1, Clark went 0-1 with a run and RBI, and Pickering went 0-1.
• The Os picked up homers from Johnson and Minor.
• Meanwhile, erstwhile Oriole Ricky Bones got pounded by the Orioles.

Os lose, 10-8. Nobody really cares about that, so I'll just bring up a few tidbits.

                   IP      H  R ER BB SO
Johnson             3      4  2  2  2  0
Ponson              3      5  5  3  1  3
Molina  L, 0-1        2/3  2  3  3  1  0