Chattanooga in the 7th: walk walk pop out walk strikeout walk (1 run) error on center fielder (3 runs) hit by pitch hit by pitch (1 run) walk (1 run) wild pitch (1 run) strikeout
Have you seen minor league baseball? If not, I recommend it. The level of play isn’t as good as the majors but you will see players that will play in the majors. The games aren’t crowded and tickets are inexpensive.
Of the current parks, I have been to Wilmington, Lehigh Valley, Reading, Scranton Wilkes-Barre and Aberdeen.
We did it! (A thread)
After nearly two years, involving the work of dozens of people, the Minor League Ballpark Guide project is complete!
An interactive road trip planning tool featuring searchable maps and in-depth write-ups of every MiLB park:
"You could play this game a lot of years and not have a parade, so you won’t ever forget it," Murray says of '83 celebration. "I can still remember somebody handed me a little kid that was on the car for a little bit with me."
The 2022 Orioles won 83 games after winning only 52 in 2022. Will they fall back in 2023? Most predictions I have seen predict they will only win in the 70s. I predict they will win 87.
There is a precedent for the Orioles’ big jump.
1988: 54 wins
1989: 87 wins
1990: 75 wins
This time is different. The farm system is much better than it was in 1990. There are lots of players close to being ready for the majors that they can bring up or trade. They will have full seasons of Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson.
I do think they didn’t do enough in the offseason but their minor moves do make the team slightly better.
It will all come down to pitching. Can the bullpen repeat their excellent performance of last year? That will be tough but it’s possible,. I think there will be improvements in the starting pitching especially if Grayson Rodriguez and D L Hall come up and John Means does well whenever he returns.
I am looking forward to the season. I think the Orioles will be good and enjoyable to watch.
Tigers radio guys on the Orioles cite this historical fact: Over 50 years, teams that improved by 20+ wins from one year to the next, all but two ended up winning fewer games the year after. "That'd be heartbreaking for the Baltimore fans, they're expecting big things." Indeed!
About 50% of the contract Griffey Jr. signed w/ the Reds was deferred from 2009 to 2024. Among other MLB retied players still being paid. Ichiro Suzuki Todd Helton Bronson Arroyo Matt Holliday Brett Saberhagen Jim Edmonds Manny Ramirezhttps://t.co/S2IXZVHHjb
This will be the first year Bruce Sutter won’t be on the Braves payroll, he hasn’t played for them since 1991. He’s been receiving 1.2 million from them until 2022, and on top of that, when the contract ended he got another 9.1 million dollars pic.twitter.com/kJQEgsPjLA
A few weeks ago, John Angelos, who runs the Orioles, held up the Rays as his role model. The Rays do not spend a lot of money. Now, we learn that the Orioles were the fourth most profitable team in baseball. They also have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball.
It was obvious that the Orioles were not going to keep Manny Machado in 2018. The team was bad and they didn’t want to spend the money.
The situation now is different. The team is good and they should find a way to lock up players like Adley Rutschman on long-term deals. Other teams have done it with their young stars. It would be terrible for the Orioles to accumulate all this young talent and let it leave. They can afford to keep the players.
The Orioles were the fourth most profitable MLB franchise in 2022, according to Forbes.
A reminder that John Angelos said he would meet with reporters and give them “a full picture for the business … before spring training is over.” https://t.co/J7HxiDrIF1
The Astrodome was the first domed sports stadium. It is not the home of major teams anymore but it’s still standing. Hurricane Katrina evacuees were housed there. Its future is uncertain.
An iconic image by Neil Leifer of Sports Illustrated. His remote-control camera in the rafters of the Astrodome captured Muhammad Ali, his arms raised in victory, walking away from a supine Cleveland Williams during their fight on Nov. 14, 1966. pic.twitter.com/d8AZDLjsjp
Astrodome, Houston, TX, ca 1963 – Progress is coming along on world's first domed stadium, Astros new ballpark would open on April 9, 1965 pic.twitter.com/yVlV9s8W04
— Old-Time Baseball Photos (@OTBaseballPhoto) March 5, 2023
Here are some images taken of the Astrodome on this day back on 3/3/65. The Dome was just over a month away from opening. Look to the left of the interior view and you can see the glare issue with the skylights, which were clear at the time.@houstoncitybeatpic.twitter.com/z1OsUh7YFw
I saw him play in the last game of the 1971 National League Championship Series.
Follow Baseball History Nut for lots of great photos
Roberto Clemente full AB during the 1971 All Star game. Notice how he hits this ball 450ft but yet he sprints at top speed out of the box in a game that didn't count. pic.twitter.com/Yj54NMHUFD
Roberto Clemente is the only player in MLB history to hit a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam. This will likely never happen again pic.twitter.com/EvJrn9YX1t
They were fine players for other teams and that’s how they are remembered. Most didn’t do much for the Orioles and many people have probably forgotten they played for them. For many of these guys, it was their last year in the majors.
End of career:
Vladimir Guerrero
Fernando Valenzuela
Joe Carter
Dwight Evans
Andy Van Slyke
Matt Nokes
Jim Thome
Kris Benson
Pat Hentgen
Ozzie Guillen
Mike Pagliarulo
Sammy Sosa
Derrick May
Jaret Wright
Heathcliff Slocumb
Sid Fernandez
Chris Sabo
Rick Burleson
Derrek Lee
Kevin Millwood
Tim Raines
Marty Cordova
Eric Davis
Francisco Rodriguez
Kevin Bass
Garrett Atkins
Juan Beniquez (Orioles gave up a first-round pick for one year of Beniquez’s career)
Lew Ford
Matt Harvey
Aurelio Rodriguez
Phil Bradley
Ron Kittle
Dickie Noles
Wayne Gross
Delino DeShields
Todd Zeile
Pete Incavglia
Fernando Tatis
Juan Guzman
Pedro Alvarez
Javy Lopez
Marv Thornberry (bad player for the early Mets)
Pete Smith
Jimmy Key
Will Clark
Lonnie Smith
Roger McDowell
Rick Helling
Wayne Gross
Kevin Millar
Jay Payton
Steve Trachsel
Freddy Garcia
Doug Drabek
Ray Knight
Middle of career:
Eric Byrnes
Lee Smith
Rich Hill
Randy Myers
David Wells
Tom Niedenfuer
LaTroy Hawkins
Doug Jones
Kent Mercker
Reggie Jackson (he went to my high school years before me)
Roberto Alomar
Jesse Orosco
Jeff Stone
Russ Ortiz
Beginning of career:
Justin Turner
Lou Piniella
Jose Bautista
Nestor Cortes
Christian Walker
Evan Phillips
Players who were on lots of teams
Mike Morgan
Edwin Jackson
Jamie Moyer
Some guys who never played for them in the majors:
Dontrelle Willis – played in the minors
Bob Horner (invited but didn’t play)
Kelly Gruber – spring training
Felix Hernandez – spring training, opted out when he didn’t make the major league roster
A shattered Philadelphia Eagles fan “will be spending some time behind bars” after vandalizing a fire station and attacking the firefighters who attempted to stop him, Florida police said. https://t.co/Jdxeqb9ZUT
Sad! 