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Friday, March 31, 2017

Game Stories:  hit hard as Orioles end Grapefruit League play with 7-3 loss to Tigers The Sun 3/30  Davis, Dickerson homer; Bundy allows 3 HRs MLB.com 3/30 Columns:  Schmuck: looks back at being chosen to pitch Camden Yards opener The Sun 3/31  Orioles sign Ryan Ripken, son of Cal Ripken Jr., to minor league contract The Sun 3/31  Camden Yards: Still a jewel at 25 The Sun 3/31  Previewing the Orioles' AL East foes The Sun 3/31  On Opening Day, rain chances highest after sundown The Sun 3/31  Minor league assignment for Pedro Alvarez an unusual scenario for a veteran slugger The Sun 3/31  makes Orioles’ Opening Day roster; final decisions loom The Sun 3/30  Orioles left-hander Wade Miley to begin season on disabled list, but not miss first start The Sun 3/30  Orioles announce Opening Day plans with first pitches for Catherine Pugh, Fred Manfra, Bobby Zirkin The Sun 3/30  Mancini, Rickard make O's roster; Miley to DL MLB.com 3/30  Orioles sign Ryan Ripken MASNsports.com 3/31  Getting closer to opening day roster MASNsports.com 3/31  Roster moves and wrapping up the final day of camp MASNsports.com 3/30  Miley headed to DL, Mancini and Rickard make team MASNsports.com 3/30  Projecting the minor league rotations and a look at today’s game MASNsports.com 3/31  Orioles sign Ryan Ripken to minor league deal ESPN.com 3/31  Orioles prospect Xu Guiyuan resumes MLB quest after WBC ESPN.com 3/31  Jonathan Mayo Talks Top Orioles Prospects Chris Lee, Chance Sisco And Trey Mancini PressBoxOnline.com 3/31  Trey Mancini Makes Orioles' Opening Day Roster As Right Fielder PressBoxOnline.com 3/30  Jim Henneman: 2017 Orioles Have More Depth Than Past Teams PressBoxOnline.com 3/30  Orioles Have Tough Roster Decisions To Make PressBoxOnline.com 3/30  2017 Orioles Predictions: Local Media Personalities Weigh In PressBoxOnline.com 3/30  The Camden Effect: At 25, Ballpark’s Legacy Is Large In MLB CBS Baltimore 3/31  Orioles Announce New Food Coming To Oriole Park This Season CBS Baltimore 3/31  Orioles Sign Ryan Ripken To IronBirds Contract CBS Baltimore 3/31  What You Need to Know For Orioles Opening Day BaltimoreMagazine.com 3/31  Spring Training Spring Training Primer: The evolving roster; Mancini, Rickard make club; what’s left? BaltimoreBaseball.com 3/31  Spring Training Primer: About to head north; Gausman’s tune-up; McDowell on Britton BaltimoreBaseball.com 3/30 http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-dylan-bundy-hit-hard-as-orioles-end-grapefruit- league-play-with-7-1-loss-to-tigers-20170330-story.html Dylan Bundy hit hard as Orioles end Grapefruit League play with 7-3 loss to Tigers

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun March 30, 2017

Right-hander Dylan Bundy ended a spring that hasn’t been kind to him with another rough start in the Orioles’ 7-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers, allowing three home runs in six innings and ending the Grapefruit League schedule for the club on a sour note.

A combination of home runs — three Wednesday and six in the spring — and an uncharacteristically low rate contributed to a lackluster statistical spring for Bundy. He ends the Grapefruit League season with a 7.41 ERA.

His two gave him nine total in 17 innings, averaging 4.9 per nine innings. He struck out 8.53 per nine innings last year as a rookie.

Bundy grew more efficient as the outing progressed, retiring the final nine batters he faced after a fourth-inning home by catcher James McCann to lead off the fourth inning.

All told, however, he was happy with the outing, especially in his ability to go six innings. agreed.

“One of them is a during the season,” Showalter said. “The rest of them are fly-ball outs. I thought he pitched well. I love where he got pitch count-wise. He actually kind of got a little ticked off, I think, and ramped it up a little bit. He was casting a little bit on his curveball, not finishing some. He got a chance to throw his cutter some later on in the outing. That’s about as good a return, if you look at the things that are really important in his outing today, he got them done. I would have signed up for that before the day started.”

In-game platoons: With the Tigers starting left-hander Matt Boyd and piggybacking him with right-hander Anibal Sanchez, Showalter got to use both halves of his corner outfield platoon. Joey Rickard and Trey Mancini started in the outfield — with Mancini rotating with between first base and right field — before the pair gave way to Seth Smith and Hyun Soo Kim once Sanchez arrived.

Davis homers again: The Orioles’ first run came on a towering opposite-field home run by , who was the team’s . Davis ends the spring batting .195. All three of his home runs went the opposite way.

His three home runs are tied for the most on the team this spring.

Chris Dickerson hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to cut the deficit to 7-3, but Caleb Joseph struck out with the bases loaded to end the game.

Jones gets a game: Center fielder Adam Jones returned to camp almost a week ago after helping Team USA win the World Baseball Classic but merely worked out until Thursday, when he finally got into a game.

Jones batted second and played center field, staying in longer than nearly all of the other regulars. After a groundout in his first at-bat and a strikeout swinging in his second, Jones hit a single up the middle in his third trip.

Asher debuts: The final game of the Grapefruit League season was the first in an Orioles uniform for right-hander Alec Asher, who was acquired from the for future considerations Tuesday. Asher faced four batters, coaxing two quick ground-ball outs before allowing a single and closing the inning with a strikeout. http://m.mlb.com/news/article/221561050/tigers-hit-3-home-runs-off-orioles-dylan-bundy/

Davis, Dickerson homer; Bundy allows 3 HRs

By Brittany Ghiroli and Jason Beck / MLB.com March 30, 2017

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Led by a trio of homers, the Tigers ended the Orioles' spring season with a 7-3 win on Thursday afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium.

Omar Infante, Tyler Collins and James McCann all went deep off Orioles starter Dylan Bundy, with Collins' two-run homer part of a three-run third. Infante's homer in the first inning was his first of the spring.

"He's had a good spring. We just don't have a spot for him," manager Brad Ausmus said of Infante. "He's hit the ball well, he's played good defense, he's run better than I expected. And he hit that ball well."

Bundy, in his final spring tuneup before Wednesday's start, went six innings and allowed five earned runs on six hits, including the three homers. The right-hander threw 82 pitches, 59 strikes, striking out two without issuing a walk.

"Got through six innings, and I was just hoping to get through five," Bundy said. "Getting through that extra inning was a bonus. I wanted to get through at least five one outing this spring, and I was able to accomplish that this spring. Me and [catcher Welington] Castillo figured some stuff out, we think, after that fourth inning. So, we are happy about it."

Detroit, employing a split start between lefty Matthew Boyd and righty Anibal Sanchez, got some solid pitching. Boyd, who will be in the Tigers' rotation, went four scoreless innings and held the O's to two hits. Sanchez, ticketed for the 'pen, went the next four frames, allowing only a Chris Davis homer in the bottom of the fifth. It was Davis' third homer this spring.

"Spring Training's the time to get better," Boyd said. "Games are going to start counting here on Monday, so that's what I look forward to."

Chris Dickerson hit a two-run homer for the Orioles in the ninth off Arcenio Leon.

The O's completed their Grapefruit League season at 16-14.

Tigers Up Next: The Tigers close out their Spring Training schedule with a two-game series against the Marlins in Jupiter, beginning with a 7:05 p.m. ET contest Friday, live on Gameday Audio. will make his final start of the spring, with most of the Tigers projected lineup behind him, including Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler, Nicholas Castellanos and Justin Upton.

Orioles Up Next: The O's will go to Norfolk for an exhibition game against their Triple-A affiliate on Friday at 3:05 p.m. ET before heading up to Baltimore in advance of Monday's Opening Day. will get the ball for that one, against Toronto righty Marco Estrada.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/season-preview-2017/bs-sp-orioles-special-section- schmuck-column-20170317-story.html Schmuck: Rick Sutcliffe looks back at being chosen to pitch Camden Yards opener

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun March 31, 2017

Rick Sutcliffe had never given a thought to being the first guy to start a regular-season game at the brand-new, old-school ballpark that had just sprung up near Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

No way he was jumping to the bruising American League East at such a late stage in his career. No way he was going to sign up for a steady diet of fence-busting designated hitters at a throwback bandbox that was — in some ways — cozier than Wrigley Field, where he had spent the previous eight seasons.

Sutcliffe only entertained the notion of signing with the Orioles in December 1991, at age 35, because of his long friendship with former teammate Johnny Oates, who was preparing for his first full year as O's manager. Oates had a secret plan to make the debut season of Oriole Park at Camden Yards more successful than anyone could imagine.

"Johnny called and told me, 'I told the Orioles that all I want for Christmas this year is you,'" Sutcliffe said recently. "And I, literally, at that time was trying to work out a way of getting back with the Cubs. To be honest, it wasn't going real well."

Still, the whole DH thing didn't make a lot of sense to a guy who was trying to come back from a couple of years of arm problems and didn't figure to have too many years left no matter where he ended up.

"The only reason I flew to Baltimore and I had my agent [Barry Axelrod] go with me was just out of respect and the friendship I had with Johnny," Sutcliffe said. "I had no intention of signing with the Orioles."

This is where the story gets a little bit magical. Oates, Orioles president Larry Lucchino and some other club officials took Sutcliffe and Axelrod on a tour of the new ballpark, during which the charisma of Camden Yards and the covert plan hatched by Oates changed everything.

"So, we're back there and Johnny separated me from Lucchino and everybody else and walked me out to the mound," Sutcliffe remembers, "and he says, 'You can't tell anybody, but you're going to throw the very first pitch ever in this ballpark.'

"I don't know what it was, but all of the sudden my hair stood up, the goose bumps hit and I just all of the sudden went, 'Wow, this place is beautiful.' It was state-of-the-art. It was something I had never really seen before. As we walked off, I went over to Barry and said, 'This is where I want to play.' He kind of looked at me like, 'What did Johnny just say to you?' But I couldn't say anything. That was the determining factor for me signing with the Orioles."

Everyone knows what happened next. Sutcliffe pitched the opener and threw a five-hit shutout, beating Cleveland, 2-0, in a classic pitching duel with Indians ace . That game is now remembered — for obvious reasons — as one of the greatest games in Orioles history, but there's a lot more to the story.

Sutcliffe went to spring training and got a good look at budding Orioles ace and started to have second thoughts about how much he deserved to be the Opening Day starter on such a historic day. After all, he was three years removed from his last healthy season and the Orioles rotation featured two of the most promising young in the game.

"We get to spring training and there's about 10 days to go or something," Sutcliffe said. "I had one start left before the opener and Johnny hadn't announced [the Opening Day starter] yet. I went in to Johnny and I said, 'Hey Johnny, you're making a mistake. Mussina's better than me. You need to start him on Opening Day.' And Johnny said, 'Well, Ben McDonald's better than you, too.'

"We started laughing and he goes, 'That's not my point. I'm pitching you on Opening Day because I know that against every other No. 1 starter you can hold your own. For us to get to over .500, it's going to come down to those two guys, so that's why I'm going to line them up against everyone else's three and four and we'll dominate.'"

The plan would work pretty well. Sutcliffe won 16 games that year, Mussina broke out with an 18-5 season that launched him on a career that should someday put him in the Hall of Fame, and McDonald also had a decent year. The Orioles, who had finished in sixth place and 28 games under .500 in 1991, were just a half-game behind the eventual world champion on Sept. 5 and finished with 89 victories in 1992.

That Opening Day, however, wasn't all sunshine and confetti. Sutcliffe had one more obstacle to overcome before his historic performance.

"It was kind of iffy," he said. "We played that exhibition game two days before the opener down at RFK Stadium and after batting practice there was this huge submarine sandwich that was there and there were like eight or 10 of us who came down with food poisoning from eating that. Cal Ripken Sr. almost wasn't able to third base that day. He had something like a 104 fever."

Rick and Robin Sutcliffe spent the night before the opener nearby at the home of former Cubs teammate , a Baltimore native, and there was a point when Rick looked so green that Axelrod advised Robin to call Oates to tell him her husband would not be able to pitch.

"Robin looked at him and said, 'If he's breathing, he's going to pitch,'" Sutcliffe said.

Sutcliffe was still queasy the next morning, but he took the mound and delivered an efficient 110-pitch performance in which he faced just five batters over the minimum and finished with a flourish, striking out Indians first baseman Paul Sorrento to complete the shutout.

"I got to the ballpark and I actually threw up right before I went out," Sutcliffe said. "I think some people thought it was because of nerves or something, but it had nothing to do with nerves. I just wasn't feeling well.

"I got lucky. If you remember, it was cool. It was overcast. I knew I wasn't going to be able to last very long. I put a huge emphasis on pitching to contact. I didn't want to strike anybody out until the last hitter. You know how that goes. You know what the crowd wants and you try to give them exactly what they're looking for."

Which is exactly what he did.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-sign-ryan-ripken-son-of-cal-ripken- jr-to-minor-league-contract-20170331-story.html

Orioles sign Ryan Ripken, son of Cal Ripken Jr., to minor league contract

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun March 31, 2017

As the full-season minor leaguers head north to their assignments this weekend, the Orioles will have a high-profile player arriving in extended spring training.

Infielder Ryan Ripken, the son of Hall of Fame infielder and club legend Cal Ripken Jr., has been signed to a minor league contract for Short-Season Class-A Aberdeen and will report to extended spring training.

Ripken, a Gilman product, first attended South Carolina before finishing his career with one year at Indian River State College, which produced former Orioles utility man Steve Pearce. During the summer, he played for Youse’s Orioles in the Cal Ripken League in Baltimore.

The selected him in the 15th round of the 2014 MLB draft, and after two seasons in the Gulf Coast League, he split time in 2016 between Class-A Hagerstown and Short Season Class-A Auburn.

Ripken has hit .205/.248/.277 with three home runs and 48 RBIs in 145 minor league games, and was let go by the organization this spring.

The Orioles drafted him in the 20th round out of Gilman in 2012, but Ripken did not sign with the organization where his father, uncle Billy, and grandfather Cal Sr. all made their marks.

In their post-playing careers, the family’s company, Ripken Baseball, runs several youth baseball programs and tournaments, along with owning the Ironbirds.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/season-preview-2017/bs-sp-orioles-special-section- camden-yards-25th-cover-20170317-story.html

Camden Yards: Still a jewel at 25

Childs Walker and Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun March 31, 2017

Cal Ripken Jr. was skeptical.

If the homey ballpark on 33rd Street was good enough for and Co., he figured, why couldn't it be renovated into a suitable space for the next generation?

So as the chief torchbearer for the Oriole Way prepared to lace his spikes for the 1992 season, he was not exactly eager to move to the new downtown ballpark with a warehouse looming in right field. Until the team actually arrived from spring training, that is.

"You immediately forgot about Memorial Stadium," Ripken said, remembering the first day he walked into his new baseball home. "Camden Yards already felt like sacred ground, and nothing had been played there. It had a presence and a feel. It almost felt like there was some sort of baseball history, even though none had been made. I guess that's the beauty of the design."

The iron was hardly alone that spring. The baseball world showered the Orioles and Baltimore with praise for finding the ideal blend of old and new in ballpark design. A town that had spent eight years lamenting the loss of its NFL team suddenly stood at the vanguard of a trend that would sweep American sports.

Twenty-five years later, Camden Yards is still widely celebrated as one of the nation's indelible sporting grounds.

"It's a special place that was so far ahead of its time," said Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who's about to begin his eighth season there. "By embracing the past, it became the ballpark of the future."

There's a strong argument that Camden Yards — more than or or Showalter or even Ripken — has been the most important character in the recent history of the Orioles.

It reshaped downtown Baltimore, made the Orioles one of the hottest tickets in professional sports for a time, served as a marketing anchor when the franchise was devoid of stars and shaped the way the team was built during its eventual resurgence.

Talk to a casual fan from somewhere else about Baltimore baseball and praise for Camden Yards usually flows within a few sentences. The Orioles haven't made a World Series in the last quarter-century and for 14 straight seasons, they couldn't even muster a winning record. So when it came to taking pride in anything baseball-related, the ballpark was what the city had. It was both an import and export phenomenon — attracting fans from all over the world and serving as inspiration when others cities contemplated what their ballparks could be.

"It is iconic in the sports industry," said Baltimore-based investment banker John Moag, who has helped engineer team sales and venue deals all over the world. "That building truly did change the way we think about the fan experience and the role of architecture in sports."

The old and the new

For Orioles fans who grew up at Memorial Stadium, Camden Yards will always carry a whiff of the new — resplendent and attention-grabbing in a way the old joint never aspired to be. Which is perhaps why it feels so strange to recognize that the downtown jewel has entered middle age.

It's not Wrigley Field or Fenway Park, but Camden Yards is the 10th-oldest stadium in the league now, parent to a whole generation of parks conceived in its image. Some of those children — Turner Field in Atlanta and Globe Life Park in Arlington — have been or are about to be recycled.

On its best nights — Sept. 6, 1995 ,when Ripken passed Lou Gehrig to become baseball's Iron Man, or Oct. 7, 2012, when a sellout crowd waited in the rain for the Orioles' first home playoff game in 15 years — the ballpark has taken on the spirit of a giant revival tent.

But Camden Yards has been around long enough to serve as an avatar of Baltimore's pain as well as its joy. In 2015, the Orioles played the before an empty seating bowl because of safety concerns related to the civil unrest around Freddie Gray's death from injuries suffered in police custody.

An entire generation of Baltimoreans has now grown up with the Orioles and Ravens locked into downtown stadiums.

It's easy to forget that Camden Yards was born of a far more tumultuous period in the city's sporting history.

When the Colts fled Baltimore for Indianapolis on March 29, 1984, they left the town in a deep crisis of confidence.

Fans clung to the Orioles as their last connection to big-time sports, but the team was in decline on the field. And since owner was a Washingtonian, they lived with perpetual dread that the Orioles could one day follow the Colts out of Baltimore.

Gov. William Donald Schaefer capitalized on that unease to push for the new downtown ballpark Williams had long coveted.

The achievement

The design process was a fascinating drama unto itself — a rolling three-pronged debate among the Orioles, the Maryland Stadium Authority and a team of architects led by the firm HOK.

The Orioles — represented by owner Eli Jacobs, team president Larry Lucchino and vice president of stadium affairs Janet Marie Smith — pushed relentlessly for an old-style park. The stadium authority — represented by chairman Herb Belgrad and director Bruce Hoffman — tried to execute that vision while maintaining fiscal sanity. The architects, led by Joe Spear of HOK, did their best to satisfy both.

But consensus did not come easily, even on major issues such as the fate of the B&O Warehouse, which the Orioles actually wanted to demolish for a time.

As hard as he pushed for the Orioles' vision, Lucchino recalled having little notion that he was establishing a new paradigm for ballparks around the sport.

"Our goal was to build a nice little ballpark," he said. "We weren't trying to build the eighth wonder of the world, as they had done in SkyDome [now Toronto's Rogers Centre]. We weren't trying to build just another stadium, as they did with the White Sox. We wanted to build something that was distinctive and fit both with the city and with our sense of what the essence of baseball was — these traditional, old-fashioned, irregular, intimate ballparks."

After the tumult of its creation, Camden Yards was the rare achievement recognized as a classic from day one.

The downtown setting, the asymmetrical dimensions, the incorporation of existing buildings, the emphasis on exposed steel over concrete, the grass field — all are now expected features of the parks that have overtaken baseball since 1992.

So it's easy to forget how radical a departure Camden Yards represented from the prevailing trends in ballpark design. "This is a building capable of wiping out in a single gesture 50 years of wretched stadium design, and of restoring the joyous possibility that a ballpark might actually enhance the experience of watching the game of baseball," wrote New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger.

And he had only seen the plans for Camden Yards at the time.

When the actual building opened in April 1992, fans, journalists and players responded with genuine euphoria.

"I remember it vividly," said Fox Sports baseball analyst Ken Rosenthal, then a columnist for The Evening Sun. "We were all blown away."

He had frequently driven by the ballpark when it was under construction, pointing out features to his wife.

"But then, when it opened, it was like, 'Wow — Technicolor,'" Rosenthal recalled. "I've never had that feeling again. And it wasn't just the first year. The feeling lasted for a while. It was the place to be."

"Awe," Moag recalled, when asked what he felt the first time he walked into the ballpark. "Losing the Colts had been such a kick in the gut to the community, and so many of us had carried that with us. But when this building opened, it was a brand new era. Downtown Baltimore felt cool."

The Orioles gave their new home a proper christening on Opening Day, April 6, 1992. Newly signed ace Rick Sutcliffe pitched a 2-0 shutout against the before a crowd of 44,568.

The Orioles had flushed the toilets, fired the kitchen stoves and held an exhibition game on the field in the days leading to April 6. But the success of the ballpark did not feel completely real until they actually played a game before a packed house on Opening Day.

"I'm not prone to hugging my boss," Smith said. "But I remember a spontaneous moment of joy with Larry Lucchino where we both said, 'It plays! It plays!' We had been under so much pressure with the clock, the budget, the politics. The eye of the world was on us, and we had really asked for that."

Packed houses became the norm for the better part of the next decade, peaking at 3.71 million in 1997, when the Orioles led the American League East wire to wire.

The 'game-changer'

The effects carried well beyond the team.

Moag became chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority, and as he worked to lure the NFL back to town, the ballpark became a key recruiting tool.

"Every owner I courted came and sat in our suite at Camden Yards," he recalled. "And everyone who did that came away incredibly impressed."

So in a sense, the success of Camden Yards begat the Ravens as well.

Meanwhile, a whole generation of baseball-specific parks sprouted in its wake, from Cleveland to Seattle to Pittsburgh to San Francisco.

"It was a game-changer," said Andy MacPhail, a executive at the time who would become the Orioles' president of baseball operations in 2007. "It changed the way stadiums were built. Imitation is the sincerest forms of flattery and there are a lot of Camden Yards — to some degree — replicas and it has really withstood the test of time."

As a pure baseball space, Camden Yards is somewhat misunderstood. Though it has certainly favored home-run hitters over time, its narrow power alleys make doubles and triples harder to come by. It's no Coors Field East as measured by overall run scoring.

But the Orioles have embraced the nature of the ballpark in recent seasons, building teams dominated by bruising power hitters such as Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo.

"I don't know if that was the plan going in or kind of the way it shaped up, but ever since I've been here we've had a lot of power in the lineup," Davis said. "It's definitely a hitter's park most of the time. I will say that over the years, when it's cooler, earlier in the season and sometimes late in the season, the ball doesn't travel quite as well, but I still think it's a hitter-friendly park. When it's warm outside and it's in the middle of summertime, I don't think there's a better place to hit."

Nor many better places to watch a game, according to the surveys of ballparks released every summer.

In 2016, for example, the magazine Stadium Journey ranked the fan experience at Camden Yards best in baseball. The website Thrillist ranked Camden Yards the third-best ballpark in the sport.

Rosenthal has traveled to every ballpark in the country in his Fox role, and said Camden Yards still ranks among the elite, right behind the historic troika of Wrigley, Fenway and Dodger Stadium.

"You talk to people and they'll often say, 'I really want to see Camden Yards one day.' It still has that cachet," he said. "I still feel it when I go back there. It's one of the special ballparks."

The future

The Orioles and the stadium authority have generally received high marks for keeping the ballpark among the best in the sport, modernizing it with new video screens and a popular open- air bar behind the center-field wall, among other touches.

"It's not really showing its age," Showalter said. "It seems to be getting better. You don't realize they've replaced the seats. They've done something with the concessions stands. The suites have been kept up to date. We replaced the whole field this year. Nobody really notices, but if you don't do those things it deteriorates. Not many of them can stand the test of time."

With the team's lease set to expire in 2021, the future of Camden Yards is likely to become a popular subject in a few years. The Orioles have given every indication they expect to play there for the next quarter-century and beyond, but they will likely use their impending lease renewal as an opportunity to push the state for substantial updates.

Those could include everything from creating a larger footprint to accommodate a fan village outside the ballpark to carving out space for social gathering spots along the concourses. Such changes could mean slightly reduced seating capacity, but they would jibe with current trends in stadium design.

Regardless, the mission will likely remain the same as it was in 1992: Combine the old and the new to create a space unbound by time.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/season-preview-2017/bs-sp-orioles-special-section- al-east-capsules-20170317-story.html

Previewing the Orioles' AL East foes

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun March 31, 2017

Boston Red Sox

2016 record: 93-69 (first place; lost in ALDS)

Key additions: Another year, another premier left-hander joins the Red Sox rotation. Last year, it was as their marquee free agent. This year, it's Chris Sale, who came over in a massive winter meetings trade that sent top prospects Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech to the Chicago White Sox. Sale was Boston's major acquisition this offseason, though they also added setup reliever Tyler Thornburg from the . Some of their most important additions will come from within, with hard-throwing reliever Carson Smith nearing a return from elbow reconstruction and third baseman Pablo Sandoval in line for an everyday job after shoulder surgery.

Key losses: Boston's entire 2016 season was about saying goodbye to slugging designated hitter , who retired at the end of the year, but that's about the only one of their major pieces gone. Right-hander Clay Buchholz was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in what amounted to a salary dump, too. Two other significant departures are those of relievers Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa. They weren't major factors in 2016, but have been fixtures in their bullpen for years and could be missed.

X-Factor: Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval

These two were listed in this space last year, and they're still there. Ramirez had a bounce-back year at first base, batting .286 with 30 home runs, but more will be expected of him as he becomes Ortiz's heir apparent. Sandoval, however, was a complete nonfactor last season. He played in three games and didn't get a hit before shoulder surgery shut him down.

Outlook: The young stars at the top of the Red Sox lineup — Mookie Betts, and Andrew Benintendi — are enough to buoy any team's hopes. They have one of the most complete lineups in the league, and a rotation featuring Sale, Price and Award winner Rick Porcello will be among the game's most formidable. The bullpen seems to still be a question, but anything short of another division title will probably be considered a disappointment in Boston.

Tampa Bay Rays

2016 record: 68-94 (fifth place)

Key additions: Two of the biggest names to join the Rays this offseason — catcher Wilson Ramos and Nathan Eovaldi — are beginning the year on the disabled lst. Ramos should be back after a few months following his September ACL tear, while Eovaldi had Tommy John surgery late last season and is basically a lottery ticket. Of the more useful additions they made are outfielders Mallex Smith and Colby Rasmus. Smith came in a trade with the and is a major speed threat, while Rasmus signed a one-year deal. Former Orioles reliever Tommy Hunter signed a minor league contract and is fighting for a roster spot. Their most significant addition in the offseason might have been right-hander Jose De Leon, a touted prospect who came from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Key losses: The additions of Smith and De Leon came at a cost for the Rays, as left-hander Drew Smyly went to the Mariners and second baseman Logan Forsythe went to the Dodgers. The Forsythe deal in particular was puzzling, as he was probably their second-best position player behind Evan Longoria.

X-Factor: Mallex Smith

The Rays' pitching is their strong suit, with Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi headlining the rotation, but Smith gives them an exciting young position prospect that can shoot some life into the club. Tampa Bay, at times, was a drag to watch in 2016, with a rotating cast of players that didn't inspire much enthusiasm and had a record worthy of the talent on the field. If Smith can hit for enough average to play every day, he can be a special player to watch there for years to come.

Outlook: There has been more talent leaving the Rays in recent years than staying there — they also traded Steve Pearce and at last year's nonwaiver trade deadline — and it doesn't seem that there's much there to replace it. Especially with the rest of the division improving or staying contenders, it's not a good time to be the Rays.

Toronto Blue Jays

2016 record: 89-73 (second place; lost in ALCS)

Key additions: The biggest move the Blue Jays made this offseason was to keep their own star, Jose Bautista, on a one-year deal. Bautista wasn't the typical monster at the plate that he was in years past, but he's still a major part of the team's identity on and off the field. Replacing his former running buddy, Edwin Encarnacion, will be a combination of Kendrys Morales and Steve Pearce. Morales was signed to a way-above-market three-year deal early in the winter, compared with what the rest of the sluggers signed for. Pearce got a two-year deal, and if he's anywhere near as productive as he was when healthy in 2016, it's a good signing.

Key losses: Encarnacion's defection to the Cleveland Indians probably had one of the biggest impacts of any move in the American League, since it dings the Blue Jays' pennant hopes and buoys the Indians' chances for another trip to the World Series. Outfielder , who was an All-Star last year and was a shoo-in to get at least a qualifying offer before a bad second half, is now with the Philadelphia Phillies, while former Maryland star Brett Cecil took his left-handed relief skills to the St. Louis Cardinals on a massive deal.

X-Factor: Devon Travis

Travis missed two months with a knee injury, but came back to play 101 games and bat .300 with a .785 OPS and 40 extra-base hits. He doesn't get the headlines that some of his teammates or other rising-star infielders get around the game, but he's going to be a big part of keeping the Blue Jays lineup humming and providing a little balance in a group of big-swinging sluggers.

Outlook: The Blue Jays lineup never seemed to get it together last year, but big years from Marcus Stroman, J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada meant they had one of the sneakiest rotations in the game — and that's saying nothing about , who went 15-2 with a 3.00 ERA. If the Blue Jays get back to the playoffs and extend their current window, it will be owed to the arms as much as their heralded bats.

2016 record: 84-78 (fourth place)

Key additions: After dealing him to the in July, the Yankees signed closer Aroldis Chapman back to a massive five-year contract to resume his closer role in 2017. That was the only big-ticket splash in another restrained offseason for the Yankees, though not the only big- impact signing. signed a one-year deal to join the club from the St. Louis Cardinals at a cost of $13 million. Chris Carter, whose 41 home runs led the National League last year, signed for just $3.5 million. They'll be veteran presences in a clubhouse as full of youth as it is of talent.

Key losses: First baseman Mark Teixiera (Mount Saint Joseph) retired at the end of last season, and designated hitter retired during the season, but those were the only notable exits from the Bronx last year.

X-Factor: The Baby Bombers

When the Yankees went on a run in the second half of 2016, it was owing to the bevy of young stars they brought up from the minors, headlined by catcher Gary Sanchez and outfielder . Sanchez hit 20 home runs in 53 games and could be the best of the bunch, and the current crop could be joined soon by outfielder , who was acquired in a trade for reliever Andrew Miller last year. And their top prospect, shortstop Gleyber Torres, could start the year in Double-A and thus be on the cusp of joining them. Whenever that group coalesces, look out.

Outlook: It's hard to say just what the Yankees' young core will give them over a full season, and a rotation featuring Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda isn't the worst group to get behind. But it's safe to say no one will much want to face these Yankees this year, whether they're a playoff club or not.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/weather/weather-blog/bs-md-opening-day-rain-20170331- story.html

On Opening Day, rain chances highest after sundown

By Scott Dance / The Baltimore Sun March 31, 2017

Drizzly conditions are likely for Opening Day at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, but the heaviest rain could hold off until late in the game or after its conclusion.

The National Weather Service forecasts a chance of rain, about 40 percent, starting as early as 8 a.m. Monday. The Orioles play the Toronto Blue Jays at 3:05 p.m. in their first game of the season.

But the heaviest, most steady rain is not likely until after 7 p.m., continuing until sunrise Tuesday, according to the weather service. The precipitation is coming from a low-pressure system moving up from the Tennessee Valley.

“Plenty of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico will get drawn into this system … so a soaking rain is likely later Monday into Tuesday as this system moves through,” meteorologists wrote in a forecast discussion. “There may be enough warm and humid air for a few thunderstorms as well.”

The good news is that before those downpours arrive, only a tenth of an inch or so of rain is expected.

That could help prevent a situation like the one that occurred on Opening Day last season, when officials delayed the game even while no rain was yet falling. Then, the precipitation finally arrived once play started.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-minor-league-assignment-for-pedro- alvarez-a-unique-scenario-for-veteran-slugger-20170330-story.html

Minor league assignment for Pedro Alvarez an unusual scenario for a veteran slugger

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun March 31, 2017

To anyone who knows the contribution Pedro Alvarez made at the plate last season for the Orioles, let alone saw his scalding bat in spring training, the idea of him starting the season in the minors is one that takes some getting used to.

After all, he’s a former first-round pick (second overall) who hit 22 home runs and was worth 1.1 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs, as a platoon designated hitter a season ago. He is as valuable a weapon as a team could have against right-handed pitching.

But just as he couldn’t control when he’d be in the lineup last season, he has to swallow an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk this season. And to get back, Alvarez will have to continue his improvement as an outfielder, a position he says he’s embracing.

“I feel good out there,” Alvarez said. “I just try to worry about what I can control, and that’s just the work I put in. Anything that’s out of my control, I don’t concern myself in terms of decision- making.”

While one of the Orioles’ two converted outfielders this spring — Trey Mancini — will make the club out of spring training, Alvarez was signed to a minor league deal that included a financial incentive in the event the club doesn’t add him to the Opening Day roster, and no opt- out until mid-May.

That means that going into the agreement, he had to accept at least the possibility of going to the minors, one that’s looking likely, considering the bench situation. All three of Trey Mancini, Joey Rickard, and Craig Gentry have made good cases to make the club; Alvarez is a strong insurance policy who gets to learn the outfield for six or seven weeks before the Orioles get to decide whether he fits into their plans.

Until then, Alvarez knows his outfield development is paramount, but his bat will be his biggest asset wherever he goes. He finished Grapefruit League games batting .310 (9-for-29) with two home runs and five RBIs, and also homered twice in a ‘B’ game against the .

“I’ve been feeling pretty good so far,” Alvarez said. “I feel like I’ve been, you know, able to put on some good swings on some hittable balls, and putting some good at-bats together. At this point, that’s all you can ask for. I feel pretty good about just the opportunities that I’ve been given and I feel like I’ve had some good at-bats.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-roster-clarity-emerges-as-trey- mancini-joey-rickard-make-team-s-opening-day-roster-20170330-story.html

Trey Mancini makes Orioles’ Opening Day roster; final decisions loom

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun March 30, 2017

The final days of spring training bring anxious moments for players on the Opening Day roster bubble, and Trey Mancini went into the Orioles' final day in Florida not knowing whether his strong spring training would reward him with his first jog down the orange carpet Monday afternoon at Camden Yards or a ticket back to Triple-A Norfolk.

As the Orioles packed their belongings into a tractor trailer for the team's move north to Baltimore, Mancini finally learned that he made his first Opening Day roster.

"It's tough not knowing exactly where you're going, and a lot's at stake," said Mancini, who received several congratulatory handshakes from teammates inside the Orioles clubhouse following the team's 7-3 loss to Detroit. "It was really relieving to hear. … I knew coming in it that it was going to be a tough, tough, uphill battle to get a roster spot on the team."

Despite a spring in which he led the Orioles in extra-base hits and made a quick transition to right field, Mancini's addition to the Opening Day roster answered one of the biggest roster questions remaining. There was no doubt he earned a spot with his play, but there was question whether he was best suited playing every day in the minors instead of going into the season in a part-time role with the big league team.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said outfielder Joey Rickard — who was in a similar situation — also made the club. The team is still attempting to carry non-roster outfielder Craig Gentry, another spring training darling, but the Orioles must first open a 40-man roster spot for him, and that might not come available until Rule 5 pick Aneury Tavarez clears outright waivers in the next two days.

The team will also place left-hander Wade Miley on the disabled list to start the season, citing an upper respiratory infection that forced him to miss two starts. His stint on the new 10-day DL should be brief. He is scheduled to return April 9 and possibly will start that day.

The move — combined with a schedule that includes two off days in the first four days of the season — allows the Orioles to carry just three starting pitchers on Opening Day.

The Orioles ended their spring in Florida having trimmed their roster to 31 players. Three of those players will open the season on the DL (Miley, right-hander and Rule 5 outfielder Anthony Santander). And Tavarez's removal from the 40-man roster is pending.

That leaves the Orioles with three pitchers (Oliver Drake, Gabriel Ynoa and Jayson Aquino) for one available roster spot.

"Considering all the challenges we had with the WBC and people moving around, it was a logistical challenge but we got through it," Showalter said about spring training. "For the most part, we're healthy and we've identified some solid depth pieces, and a lot of things that we thought would kind of happen materialized, so to speak. A lot of things we thought could present themselves for us have. We're able to at the most part go forward with those pieces."

Among Thursday's seven post-game roster cuts, Pedro Alvarez — who was signed to a minor- league deal in mid-March — was reassigned to minor league camp and will open the season in Triple-A Norfolk, where he will continue his transition to the outfield.

Showalter said the roster will likely consist of 11 pitchers —including eight relievers — and 14 position players to start the season.

Right-hander Tyler Wilson and left-hander Vidal Nuno are likely to earn long-relief roles, barring the Orioles acquiring additional arms off the waiver wire and through trades as other clubs shore up their Opening Day rosters.

"That's the plan now," Showalter said about Wilson and Nuno. "It could change between now and Sunday. The waiver wire is hopping, different stuff going on. I really feel for the guys this time of year, because I'd love to tell them something that I know. But I'm very careful about this time of year, not telling them something that's not going to come to pass. But they've got families and cars and lives and moms and dads, and you really want to try to get it out there.

"We look at this so much with a sense of finality, and it really isn't," he added.

As for Mancini, he made just his fifth spring start in right field in Thursday's Grapefruit League finale and flipped innings with first baseman Mark Trumbo throughout the game. He did enough this spring to show he could potentially play the new position regularly.

"Especially once games started, if you told me that, I probably wouldn't have believed that," Mancini said of making the team as an outfielder. "... But I feel like I did a good job of learning it. ... Playing a capable right field, at least, and them having the confidence in me to do it at the major league levels is really, really big."

Showalter said Mancini's work on the back fields in Sarasota with outfield coach Wayne Kirby, vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson and Gulf Coast League manager Carlos Tosca has paid off, adding that he could see Mancini contributing at either corner outfield spot regularly.

"I think he has that [potential]," Showalter said. "I wasn't sure about it coming into spring — I really hadn't seen much of it, but after the things he's gone through out of people's eyesight, he's been working about every other day since he got here … with the exception of the first week. It's been something he's been working on for a while."

The Orioles will travel to Triple-A Norfolk on Friday morning still needing to make a few roster decisions. Inclement weather could threaten an exhibition game with the Tides.

It still makes for some uneasy final days for players such as Gentry, who know they've done what they can to earn a roster spot and now can do nothing more than wait to be told their fate.

"It's definitely been a long spring training, and it can be a little anxious when you're waiting to see and you don't know what's going to happen," Gentry said. "But I don't know, I guess right now I'm at peace with it because I've come in here and put together a pretty solid spring training and I feel pretty good about it. It's whatever happens happens. A lot of it's out of my control, but yeah, it's definitely a little nerve-racking toward the end when you don't know what the future holds."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-left-hander-wade-miley-to-begin- season-on-disabled-list-but-not-miss-first-start-20170330-story.html

Orioles left-hander Wade Miley to begin season on disabled list, but not miss first start

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun March 30, 2017

Orioles left-hander Wade Miley, whose spring has been a stop-and-start affair because of a dangerous line drive and a week-long illness, will open the season on the disabled list, manager Buck Showalter said Thursday.

Showalter said Miley, Chris Tillman (shoulder), and outfielder Anthony Santander (elbow/shoulder) will all start the year on the DL. Miley, however, will benefit from the new 10-day DL.

“That doesn’t keep Miley from making his start [on April 9],” Showalter said. “I believe that’s the plan.”

Miley, who went four innings Tuesday in his longest outing of the spring, has only pitched 13 innings over five starts. His second outing March 3 was cut short after one inning when a line drive came back and hit him on the arm and chest. He was fine, but ended up missing his March 20 start because of illness and didn’t get back into a game until Tuesday.

The plan is for Miley to get one more game, likely a simulated game since the minor league camp will be finished and the minor league regular season begins Thursday, before being activated to be the Orioles’ fourth starter April 9.

Because of the timing of Opening Day roster deadlines, if the Orioles wanted to cover themselves in case Miley isn’t ready to start that day, the pitcher they choose to serve as his deputy would need to be optioned to the minors Thursday to spend the requisite ten days on assignment.

In a similar situation, starter pitched on Wednesday, but is also going to the DL with an elbow issue in anticipation of throwing a simulated game Tuesday and pitching for the major league club Sunday.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-announce-opening-day-plans-with- first-pitches-for-catherine-pugh-fred-manfra-bobby-zirkin-20170330-story.html

Orioles announce Opening Day plans with first pitches for Catherine Pugh, Fred Manfra, Bobby Zirkin

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun March 30, 2017

A series of familiar traditions will continue, and familiar faces will throw out ceremonial first pitches Monday at Camden Yards for Opening Day.

Mayor Catherine Pugh, state senator Bobby Zirkin, and longtime Orioles radio voice Fred Manfra will take part in a simultaneous first pitch, the team announced Thursday.

Manfra, who retired from full-time radio duties this offseason after 24 years, will still call select home games this year but will be on the field, and not in the booth, for the beginning of Monday’s ceremonies.

Pugh, who was sworn in last December after a 15-year career in service, and Zirkin, who chairs the Judicial Proceedings Committee in Annapolis, will join him. Zirkin also threw out a ceremonial first pitch last season.

Many other pregame traditions will remain the same. The players will run down the orange carpet from center field, flanked by 100 children from the Baltimore City Recreation and Parks “Play Baseball” program, and for the 24th straight season, one child will get to run the carpet as the “10th man.”

Tenor Richard Troxell will handle the anthems — both for Canada and the — for his 11th Opening Day, with a massive replica flag hanging on the center field batter’s eye.

Additionally, outfielder Mark Trumbo will be given his American League Silver Slugger Award for his league-leading 47-homer season in 2016

Parking lots open to fans at 10 a.m., with gates opening at noon. All fans will receive schedule magnets upon entering the stadium.

Ceremonies will begin at 2:30 p.m. on the field, with first pitch at 3:05 p.m.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/221544800/orioles-trey-mancini-joey-rickard-make-team/

Mancini, Rickard make O's roster; Miley to DL

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com March 30, 2017

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Orioles' roster is starting to take shape, as manager Buck Showalter announced following Thursday's spring-ending 7-3 loss to the Tigers that left-hander Wade Miley will go on the disabled list and both outfielders Trey Mancini and Joey Rickard have made the team.

Starter Chris Tillman will also open the season on the DL. Miley missed two starts with illness, and the club would prefer to get him one more exhibition outing before he starts the fifth game of the regular season on April 9. Given the O's extra off-days, they can bring back Opening Day starter Kevin Gausman for the fourth game of the season, and Ubaldo Jimenez for the third.

Tyler Wilson and Vidal Nuno will get the final two bullpen spots, as the O's are set up to begin the season with eight relievers and three starters.

Outfielder Craig Gentry is also likely to make the team, though Baltimore will need a 40-man roster spot for him and will have to wait and see if pick Aneury Tavarez clears waivers. The O's other Rule 5 pick, Anthony Santander, will start the season on the DL. Gentry's RBI triple to right

Learning the outfield, Pedro Alvarez has been told he'll be at Triple-A to start the season, as will utilityman Paul Janish. Robert Andino and Chris Dickerson will also be with Norfolk on Opening Day, along with reliever Logan Verrett and infielder Johnny Giavotella.

At this point, the club would prefer to have Jayson Aquino and Gabriel Ynoa as part of the rotation at Triple-A, as well as options for Baltimore's fifth-starter spot, rather than in the O's bullpen.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/03/orioles-sign-ryan-ripken.html

Orioles sign Ryan Ripken

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com March 31, 2017

TAMPA - The Orioles are breaking camp later today, but they’re not done making roster moves.

The club announced that it signed infielder Ryan Ripken, son of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., to a contract with short-season Single-A Aberdeen - which is owned by his father. He’ll report to extended spring training in Sarasota to prepare for his new assignment.

This is a reunion in a couple of ways. Not only is Ryan Ripken, 23, back in the organization for which his father played for 21 seasons - he often visited Camden Yards as a kid - he’s under contract five years after the Orioles drafted him in the 20th round out of Gilman in Baltimore.

His uncle Billy played second base for the Orioles and his grandfather Cal Sr. managed and coached the team.

Ripken accepted a scholarship from the University of South Carolina rather than sign with the Orioles, and he later transferred to Indian River State in Florida after failing to make the Gamecocks roster as a freshman.

The Nationals chose Ripken in the 15th round in 2014.

Listed at 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, Ripken played for short-season Single-A Auburn and Single- A Hagerstown last summer and batted .201/.241/.254 with 13 doubles, two triples, one home run and 34 RBIs in 58 games. He spent 2014 and 2015 in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League and is a career .205/.248/.277 hitter in three minor league seasons.

Ripken, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his last game for Auburn on Sept. 5, plays first base and bats from the left side of the plate. Slightly different than his father. The IronBirds open their season at home on June 19 versus Hudson Valley.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/03/getting-closer-to-opening-day-roster.html

Getting closer to opening day roster

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com March 31, 2017

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles must set their opening day roster shortly before Sunday’s workout at Camden Yards. And then hit the reset button on April 9. And hit it again on April 15.

If the lineup hits like this, they’re going to lead the league in runs scored.

The Orioles will need to activate Wade Miley from the disabled list on the 9th and decide on a fifth starter on the 15th. An extra reliever and bench player figure to get hacked.

There are 31 players remaining on the camp roster, but it’s easy to determine how it’s reduced to 27 with Miley, Chris Tillman and Anthony Santander bound for the disabled list and Aneury Tavárez placed on waivers.

Pitchers Gabriel Ynoa, Jayson Aquino and Oliver Drake would appear to be vying for one spot in the bullpen.

Ynoa and Aquino seem to be the favorites for the fifth starter’s job and it would make sense to get them into a rotation down below and continue to stretch them out. But it’s all a guessing game.

The threat of a waiver claim adds to the confusion. We’re assuming that Tyler Wilson and Vidal Nuño are the long relievers - Logan Verrett pitched his way out of the competition with an 8.10 ERA in nine outings - but at last check they hadn’t been told that they made the team. It’s also possible that a pitcher currently on waivers ends up as the eighth reliever.

Would anything come as a surprise?

The Orioles can carry Trey Mancini, Joey Rickard and Craig Gentry until the 15th, as long as the extra reliever comes off the roster to make room for Miley. Mancini and

Rickard can be optioned, but Gentry must be exposed to waivers and another team almost certainly would claim him.

It’s a headache for the Orioles, but consider the alternative. They didn’t have this complication through 14 straight losing seasons. It was last man standing. It was discouraging.

Mancini increased his chances of staying by gaining Showalter’s trust in the outfield. He isn’t the plus defender that they sought, but he’s made a favorable impression and could work into the occasional platoon with Seth Smith if he sticks around. Otherwise, he can be the designated hitter against left-handers while Mark Trumbo plays right field.

Not exactly how they drew it up over the winter, but everything is subject to change.

The Orioles are taking 14 position players to Baltimore:

Catchers: Welington Castillo, Caleb Joseph

Infielders: Manny Machado, J.J. Hardy, Jonathan Schoop, Chris Davis, Ryan Flaherty

Outfielders: Adam Jones, Hyun Soo Kim, Seth Smith, Mark Trumbo, Joey Rickard, Trey Mancini, Craig Gentry

The Orioles will take 11 pitchers and currently plan on the following:

Starters: Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy, Ubaldo Jiménez

Relievers: Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Brad Brach, Mychal Givens, Donnie Hart, Tyler Wilson, Vidal Nuño, TBD

I’m boarding my flight home later this morning and colleague Steve Melewski will track the weather at Norfolk.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/03/roster-moves-and-wrapping-up-the-final- day-of-camp.html

Roster moves and wrapping up the final day of camp

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com March 30, 2017

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles closed the Grapefruit League portion of their exhibition schedule with a 7-3 loss to the Tigers at Ed Smith Stadium, leaving them with a 16-14-2 record that holds little significance.

What counts are the current and pending roster moves.

Wade Miley goes on the disabled list, but he still can make the April 9 start on the day that he’s eligible to return. Kevin Gausman will get two starts in that period because of the off-days.

The Orioles could send Miley to Double-A Bowie for an outing to build up his innings before coming off the disabled list.

The club announced that it optioned pitchers Alec Asher and Logan Verrett to Triple-A Norfolk and reassigned infielders Robert Andino, Johnny Giavotella and Paul Janish, and outfielders Pedro Álvarez and Chris Dickerson - who homered today in the ninth inning - to minor league camp.

There are 31 players remaining in major league camp. Putting Miley, pitcher Chris Tillman and Rule 5 outfielder Anthony Santander on the disabled list will bring down the total to 28. Rule 5 outfielder Aneury Tavárez is on waivers and his removal takes it down to 27.

Trey Mancini and Joey Rickard were told today that they’re heading north, and Craig Gentry will do the same after the Orioles create a spot on the 40-man roster by removing Tavárez.

“I think we’ll have an idea on that by Saturday morning,” said manager Buck Showalter.

Mancini hit three home runs in his five major league games last season, and he’s headed north this spring after batting .333/.379/.600 with seven doubles, three home runs and 14 RBIs.

“It’s really, really exciting,” he said. “The last few days have been a little ... it’s tough not knowing exactly where you’re going and a lot’s at stake. It was really relieving to hear.

“It’s really rewarding. I knew coming in it that it was going to be a tough, tough, uphill battle to get a roster spot on the team. I knew if I took it day by day and mentally stayed strong when I didn’t have a good game, not freak out or anything, that it would all be OK and I could come back the next day and do well. So I feel like I did a really good job throughout the month, bouncing back after tough games and that’s something I really want to take into the season, too.” Mancini started in right field today, but kept swapping positions with first baseman Mark Trumbo until the fifth inning. The outfield experiment has met with the club’s approval.

“I feel really comfortable out there, actually,” Mancini said. “Every time you play out there, you get more and more comfortable. I want the ball to come out there and I want to make plays. I’m ready to attack the ball out there. I’ve been feeling really good out there.

“It was pretty funny rotating between first and right out there. I’ve never done that before. That was interesting, but it was fun. It was cool just bouncing around today.”

Mancini, 25, never imagined that he’d make the club primarily as an outfielder. He’s blocked by Chris Davis at first base and by Trumbo at designated hitter.

“I didn’t really start playing in games until probably the second week of March maybe,” Mancini said. “Especially once games started, if you told me that, I probably wouldn’t have believed that. I would have had to start immediately, but I feel like I did a good job of learning it.

“You never know what the game of baseball brings and can take you every day. Playing a capable right field at least and them having the confidence in me to do it at the major league level is really, really big.”

The process will continue under much brighter lights - and a third deck that can befuddle the newcomers.

“I’m still working at it at first base, too which I’ve been playing my whole life. You never stop working and trying to get better. Everybody can. Nobody’s perfect, and it’s something that I will surely be continuing to do in Baltimore,” Mancini said.

“I’ve heard from multiple people it’s different at the major league parks, having a third deck with the depth perception, so that’s going to be an adjustment. Our first workout at the field, I’ll definitely be working a lot out there for that. I’m prepared for that and I know that’s going to be another adjustment. It’s not like, ‘Oh, I’m out there, I’m a good right fielder.’ It’s something that you’ve got to keep working at.”

Showalter is convinced that Mancini can evolve into a full-time left or right fielder.

“I think there’s that possibility,” he said. “I wasn’t sure about it coming into spring, hadn’t really seen that much of it, but after the things he’s gone through out of people’s eyesight ... He’s been working with Kirb (Wayne Kirby) and Brady (Anderson) and Carlos Tosca about every other day since he got here, with the exception of the first week. So it’s something he’s been working on for a while.”

Rickard is preparing for his second opening day after the Orioles kept him last spring as a Rule 5 pick.

“There were definitely a lot of things you learn in this camp and proved that I’m ready and back healthy and ready to go, and I think I did enough to make the team,” he said.

“You can’t really expect too much in this game, especially on a team like that. It’s very competitive. We have very high expectations of ourselves. I was never complacent or content anywhere. I was never sure, so I just went out there and played hard every day.

“It’s still a blessing and I’m very proud and very thankful for the opportunity.”

As for today’s game, Dylan Bundy served up three home runs in six innings, but Showalter estimated that only one would have left a major league ballpark.

“The rest of them are fly ball outs,” Showalter said. “I thought he pitched well. Loved where he got pitch count-wise. Actually, kind of got a little ticked off, I think, and ramped it up a little bit. He was casting a little bit on his curveball, really started finishing some. He got a chance to throw the cutter some later on in the outing. That’s about as good a return for ...

“Look at the things that were really important in his outing today and he got them done. It was good. I would have signed up for that before the day started. Got through six innings. It was actually a little under his pitch count.”

Bundy was satisfied with clearing six innings on 82 pitches.

“The results weren’t there obviously and giving up the home run ball here in Florida, but I got through six innings and I was just hoping to get through five,” he said. “Getting through that extra inning was a bonus, and I wanted to get through five innings in at least one outing this spring. And I was able to do that today. Me and (Welington) Castillo figured some stuff out after that fourth inning, so we’re happy about that.

“I went over to minor league camp and threw I think 4 2/3 or five or something, but I really wanted to get in a big league game before I headed up and luckily I was able to do that today. They got me on a couple of pitches, but it happens.”

Bundy has been named the No. 2 starter and will take the mound on April 5 against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards.

“It means a lot for me. I know that,” he said. “I’m happy about it. Like I said, it doesn’t matter what number game it is. As long as I’m pitching in the big leagues, I’m happy.

“It’s a lot easier knowing what I’m going to be doing instead of guessing and hoping. I know I’m going to start this year and I can work on my routine every week and figure out my pitches in my bullpen sessions in between starts. Now that we’ve figured something out during the game, we can work on it going forward.”

Here’s more from Showalter:

On being pleased with camp: “Considering all the challenges we had with the WBC and people moving around, logistical challenge, but got through it. For the most part we’re healthy and we’ve identified some solid depth pieces. A lot of things we hoped would happen kind of happened, materialized, so to speak. A lot of things we thought could present themselves for us have and we’re able to for the most part go forward with those pieces. Even made some additions while we were down here that can help us. Really three or four.

“Pedro came in. Asher came in. Two or three more that showed up a little later. Janish got here a little later. A lot of people forget where we were when we started compared to where we are now, so patience was a virtue once more.”

On what he learned about Asher during a scoreless inning: “What his arm action looks like, stuff a little bit. Talking to Caleb (Joseph), some heavy run sink, a four-pitch mix that we knew coming in. A nice optionable option for us as a starter and a reliever. He’s done well. He’s a good addition for us, especially with the give up.”

On whether club will be top-heavy early with outfielders: “Not if you look at the fact that we’re carrying 11 pitchers, eight of which will be in the bullpen right now, it looks like. It could change between now and the time we have to turn in the roster. I’m telling you the way we look now compared to until we have to completely show our hand on Sunday.”

On Tyler Wilson and Vidal Nuño being in the bullpen: “That’s the plan now. It could change between now and Sunday. The waiver wire is hopping, different things going on.

“I really feel for guys this time of the year because I’d love to tell them something that I know. I’m very careful about this time of the year not telling them something that’s not going to come to pass. They’ve got families and cars and lives and moms and dads and you really want to try to get it out there. We look at this so much with a sense of finality and it really isn’t. But I’ve got a good feel for the way we’re going to break as we sit here, but that could change in the next 48 hours.”

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/03/miley-headed-to-dl-mancini-and-rickard- make-team.html

Miley headed to DL, Mancini and Rickard make team

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com March 30, 2017

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles will put left-hander Wade Miley on the 10-day disabled list and break camp with three starting pitchers.

The plan calls for the Orioles to carry eight relievers. Tyler Wilson and Vidal Nuño are part of the group for the moment, though manager Buck Showalter warned again about the possibility of a waiver claim.

Miley, limited to 13 innings this spring because of an upper respiratory infection, will be joined on the DL by pitcher Chris Tillman and Rule 5 outfielder Anthony Santander.

First baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini and outfielder Joey Rickard have made the team. The Orioles informed infielder/outfielder Pedro Álvarez and second baseman Johnny Giavotella that they’re reassigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Outfielder Craig Gentry is expected to make the team. The Orioles can create a spot for him on the 40-man roster after putting Rule 5 outfielder Aneury Tavárez on waivers. Richard Bleier is starting for the Orioles in Friday’s exhibition game at Triple-A Norfolk. Again, weather permitting.

Joe Gunkel or Zach Stewart will start for the Tides.

Gabriel Ynoa threw 70 pitches in five innings today at Twin Lakes Park. Jayson Aquino threw two innings.

Longtime Orioles radio broadcaster Fred Manfra, Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh and Maryland Sen. Bobby Zirkin will throw out the ceremonial first pitches on opening day.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/03/projecting-the-minor-league-rotations-and- a-look-at-todays-game.html

Projecting the minor league rotations and a look at today’s game

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com March 31, 2017

NORFOLK, Va. - The minor league seasons for the Orioles’ four full-seaon affiliates at Triple-A Norfolk, Double-A Bowie, Single-A Frederick and Single-A Delmarva begin next Thursday, April 6. It should not be too long before the break-camp rosters are announced.

For now, we can speculate on what the rotations could look like starting next Thursday, so let’s take some (hopefully) educated guesses:

Norfolk: With right-hander Tyler Wilson expected to start the year in the Orioles bullpen, news we learned here yesterday, I still count seven potential starting rotation candidates for Norfolk. In no particular order, they are Jayson Aquino, Gabriel Ynoa, Chris Lee, Mike Wright, Logan Verrett, Joe Gunkel and Alec Asher. It sounds like one or two could wind up, perhaps temporarily, in the Tides bullpen and that is more likely than one or two getting bumped down to the Bowie rotation. The Orioles will not go with a six-man rotation here as they want to keep the Triple-A starters on the same every fifth day routine they use in the majors. It is also possible that one of those potential Norfolk starters begins the year on the big league roster. The Orioles are expected to have an eight-man bullpen on opening day.

Logan Schafer will probably patrol center field for the Tides. Other position players here should include Chris Johnson, Sean Coyle, Paul Janish, Robert Andino, Johnny Giavotella, Pedro Álvarez and Chris Dickerson. The catchers look to be Chance Sisco and Francisco Peña.

Bowie: The Baysox right now look to have six starters, but that counts left-hander , whose outings will be limited to three innings. He is pitching as a starter but is not being converted to a starter for the long-term. The Orioles still see his future in the bullpen. Click here for an earlier story I wrote with more about Scott the starter.

The other starter candidates at Double-A are David Hess, Matthew Grimes, , Jason García and Brandon Barker. One of those five could piggy-back on Scott’s outings to get his innings in.

It looks like Jay Gonzalez and DJ Stewart will move up to play in the Bowie outfield. Orioles vice president Dan Duquette said on MASN yesterday that is going to start the year at Bowie, thereby skipping Frederick. That is an interesting decision, despite Mullins’ strong play in O’s camp. He will get a real challenge in the Eastern League. Drew Dosch, Adrian Marin, Erick Salcedo and Aderlin Rodriguez could be other position players in Bowie, where the catchers could be Audry Perez and .

Frederick: The Keys rotation is expected to be headed up by the Orioles’ top two 2016 draft picks - right-hander Cody Sedlock and lefty . They should be joined by Brian Gonzalez, Ofelky Peralta and Cristian Alvarado moving up from Single-A Delmarva. is expected to play center field for the Keys where Randolph Gassaway will join him in a corner outfield spot. We will see Jomar Reyes at third and at short for Frederick, with possibly Steve Wilkerson at second and Alex Murphy at first. Stuart Levy and Yermin Mercedes should be the catchers for Frederick.

Delmarva: Five starter candidates for Delmarva include Alexander Wells, Matthias Dietz, Travis Seabrooke, Lucas Humpal and Jhon Peluffo. Preston Palmeiro from the 2016 draft will move up to the Shorebirds along with outfielder Cole Billingsley. Irving Ortega, a 20-year shortstop from the Dominican Republic, is the likely shortstop starter for the Shorebirds and should be joined in the middle infield by 2016 draftee Chris Clare, with Palmeiro at first base and maybe playing some at second also.

The Orioles against the Tides: This afternoon at 3:05 p.m. the Orioles will end a very long spring training schedule with their last exhibition game. After wrapping up Grapefruit League play Thursday, today they will take on the at Harbor Park, the home of the Tides.

The questionable weather outlook of earlier this week may not turn as bad as feared. In fact, according to Weather.com as of late last night, the rain chance goes down to 40 percent with partly sunny skies forecast around the time of the first pitch.

The Orioles have played here four times previously: 2007: Orioles beat the Nationals 6-5 in front of 12,408 2009: Orioles beat the Nationals 6-3 in front of 11,833 2012: Tides beat the Orioles 6-4 in front of 8,749 2014: Orioles beat the Tides 4-3 in front of 10,156

The last two games here, where the Orioles played Norfolk, were impacted by poor weather. The 2012 game was played at times during a light rain. The 2014 game, which looked very much like it might be rained out ahead of time, was shortened to six innings by rain.

Just for fun, here is a look back at some lineups. First for the game here on April 4, 2012:

Orioles LF - Endy Chavez SS - J.J. Hardy RF - CF - Adam Jones DH - Nick Johnson C - 3B - Mark Reynolds 1B - Chris Davis 2B - Robert Andino P -

Tides CF - Xavier Avery SS - Steve Tolleson 2B - Ryan Adams DH - Josh Bell LF - Jamie Hoffman 1B - Joe Mahoney RF - Scott Beerer 3B - Zelous Wheeler C - John Hester P - Zach Clark

Matusz pitched four scoreless for the Orioles. He found out after that game he would be in the season-opening rotation along with , Tommy Hunter, and Wei-Yin Chen. Norfolk rallied with three runs in the fifth, one in the seventh and two in the eighth. The Tides’ Steve Tolleson went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Josh Barfield added two RBIs. Manny Machado had a two-run double for the Orioles.

Mark Reynolds enjoyed a homecoming. He played high school ball at nearby First Colonial, just 17 miles from Harbor Park. Before this game, he purchased 150 barbeque sandwiches for his teammates from Doumar’s in Norfolk.

The lineups for the game on March 29, 2014:

Orioles LF - David Lough SS - J.J. Hardy 1B - Chris Davis CF - Adam Jones RF - Nelson Cruz C - Matt Wieters DH - Delmon Young 3B - Ryan Flaherty 2B - Steve Lombardozzi RHP - Suk-min Yoon

Norfolk CF - Julio Borbon 2B - Cord Phelps RF - Henry Urrutia DH - Chris Marrero 1B - Brett Wallace C - Caleb Joseph 3B - David Adams SS - Alexi Casilla LF - Quintin Berry RHP - Zach Davies

The youngster Davies, headed at that time for the Double-A Bowie rotation, had a nice first inning against the Birds. He got David Lough to line out and then he struck out both J.J. Hardy and Chris Davis. But in the second inning, he allowed a three-run homer to Matt Wieters, following singles by Adam Jones and Nelson Cruz. Ryan Flaherty’s RBI single scored the fourth Orioles run. The game was halted by rain after 5 1/2 innings. Yoon allowed two runs over 3 2/3 innings for the Orioles. Several half-innings were ended before three outs were recorded due to pitch counts.

MASN booth returns with Orioles promos for opening day: MASN is giving fans opportunities to win new, exclusive prizes at its booth on opening day, April 3.

Fans will be able to participate free in “Social Snapshots” photos ops, presented by Pixilated Photo Booth. Photos will be printed on-site for free, with a digital copy also sent via text for sharing on social media.

Those who stop by the MASN booth will also be able to participate in various games and giveaway opportunities. Fans can enter to win exclusive “Ain’t Baseball Great!” T-shirts, autographed gear, Orioles souvenirs and more.

All fans will receive an exclusive, free Mark Trumbo poster with the Orioles TV schedule for the 2017 season, while supplies last.

Fans attending the opener should follow @masnOrioles on Twitter and RSVP to the MASN Orioles Facebook event for more prize previews and the Social Snapshots schedule release. The booth will be open when all gates open through the end of the second inning.

The Orioles have released 14 players from minors camp. They are: SS Guillermo Salas, RHP Cody Satterwhite, RHP Trey Haley, RHP Tomo Ohka, RHP Garrett Cortright, INF Anthony Caronia, INF Derek Peterson, INF Austin Anderson, RHP Andrew Elliott, LHP Daniel Ayers, LHP Xavier Borde, OF Conor Bierfeldt, 1B Michael Katz, LHP Robert Strader.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19044645/baltimore-orioles-sign-son-cal-ripken-jr-minor- league-deal

Orioles sign Ryan Ripken to minor league deal

ESPN.com March 31, 2017

The have signed Ryan Ripken, son of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., to a minor league deal, the team announced Friday.

Ryan will report to extended spring training and will play for the Class A Aberdeen IronBirds. He was originally drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 15th round of the 2014 draft.

In 145 games spanning three minor league seasons in rookie ball and Class A, Ryan has a .205 batting average with three home runs, 48 RBIs and 90 strikeouts.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19026455/after-playing-china-wbc-stage-baltimore-orioles- prospect-xu-guiyuan-resumes-mlb-quest

Orioles prospect Xu Guiyuan resumes MLB quest after WBC

By Thomas Neumann / ESPN.com March 31, 2017

SARASOTA, Fla. -- In the span of a few days, Xu Guiyuan went from competing in front of 40,000 rabid baseball fans to playing in exhibition games in which players easily outnumbered the spectators.

After representing his native China at the World Baseball Classic in Japan, Xu headed straight to Florida to join the Baltimore Orioles at spring training. It represented a contrast of epic proportions. Although he was facing minor leaguers on the back fields of the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex, the glow of representing his country at the raucous Tokyo Dome was fresh in his mind.

"I was just so proud to play for Team China," said Xu, whose name is pronounced "shoo GEE- win." "Before, I played for the province or city. Now, I play for China, for the country. It's very different."

Indeed, it was a new level of attention and competition for someone whose previous highest levels of experience were at Chinese national tournaments and the bottom rung of the U.S. minor leagues.

Team China, with a relatively inexperienced roster, went winless in the WBC against Japan, Cuba and Australia. But those three games could prove invaluable for Xu, the 21-year-old Orioles prospect who is trying to become the first Chinese player by birth and ancestry to reach the major leagues. He faced elite pitching and played in a dome for the first time. Perhaps most important, he experienced the challenge of trying to remain focused in a huge stadium brimming with noise.

Xu, nicknamed "Itchy" in a nod to his hero, Japanese superstar Ichiro Suzuki, got off to a slow start in the WBC, going hitless in three at-bats off the bench against Cuba and Australia. He played the entire game against Japan in front of a partisan crowd, singling and drawing a walk but also getting picked off first base and striking out.

"He had only played a few games in rookie league, and to jump up on the world stage like that is a little overwhelming for anybody," China manager John McLaren said.

"Being there in Japan in front of [40,000] people, that's pretty overwhelming. But he did fine. He didn't get excited. He was well grounded."

Xu spent most of last year at the Orioles' training base, beginning with spring training and running through the fall instructional league. In between, he hit .247 in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, striking out 20 times in 33 games. This season, Xu faces an important phase in his development. He will return to the outfield exclusively, three years after a shoulder injury necessitated a move to first base, and be expected to show advancement as a hitter.

"He has a much better chance to be a good defender in the outfield than he did at first base, and I think he's more comfortable there," Orioles director of player development Brian Graham said. "As an all-around player, he's getting better -- his baserunning, his understanding of the game, his offensive approach. Plus, he's getting stronger."

Xu, a 6-foot, 188-pound left-handed hitter, is working to improve his awareness of what exactly he should be doing in the myriad situations a batter will face. For example, he worked with McLaren and Team China hitting coach to choke up on the bat and shorten his swing more effectively with two strikes.

"I feel like I'm getting better with that," Xu said. "The first time I used that, I felt like I couldn't swing the bat. But I got used to it, and now I can do it."

McLaren, who serves as bullpen coach for the Philadelphia Phillies and previously managed the Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals, acknowledges that Xu faces a longer learning curve than most American prospects. That is no surprise, considering Xu had fewer opportunities to play against top competition as a youth. But McLaren sees legitimate talent and potential from the young outfielder.

"He's got a really nice swing," McLaren said. "He just needs to play. He needs game experience. I think he's up to the challenge. He's a very nice kid, a very smart kid. Once he starts playing on a regular basis, I can see him really improving."

Graham said Xu has made tremendous strides since the Orioles signed him out of the MLB developmental academy in Wuxi, China. The improvement is most noticeable at the plate, where he is becoming acclimated to fastballs that routinely top 90 mph in the professional ranks. There is more work to be done on defense, especially in terms of footwork and properly reacting to the ball off the bat. Xu undoubtedly faces a long road to reach the major leagues, but a solid work ethic and contagious enthusiasm will give him the opportunity to do so.

"He loves to practice, and he loves to play," Graham said. "He's extremely competitive, and he wants to succeed. He's one of those guys that when you show up at the ballpark and you see him, it puts a smile on your face. You're just happy to see him."

Prior to the WBC, Xu spent a month in his home city of Shenzhen, where his relatives wear their baseball allegiance on their sleeves. Xu said his father is often asked about the cartoon bird logo on his clothing and proudly explains his son's connection to the team.

"My dad wears Orioles shirts every day," Xu said. "He's so proud of me and very happy."

In addition to visiting family in China over the winter, Xu worked out at the Wuxi academy. He also continued to study English, and his increased comfort with the language is readily apparent.

"I don't even need a translator," Xu said. "My friends told me, 'You sound like an American now.'"

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/03/31/jonathan-mayo-talks-top-orioles-prospects-chris- lee-chance-sisco-and-trey-mancini

Jonathan Mayo Talks Top Orioles Prospects Chris Lee, Chance Sisco And Trey Mancini

By Connor Glowacki / PressBoxOnline.com March 31, 2017

MLB.com draft and prospect expert Jonathan Mayo says the Orioles have a handful of prospects nearly ready to contribute in the majors.

Despite the Orioles' resurgence under manager Buck Showalter, the organization's farm system has continued to lag, according to major league scouts.

Entering the 2017 season, the Orioles' farm system ranks 25th, according to ESPN senior writer and Bleacher Report columnist Joel Reuter.

But during an appearance on Glenn Clark Radio March 22, MLB.com draft and prospect expert Jonathan Mayo said the Orioles do have several players throughout their farm system who could provide a sizeable major league impact. That impact, he said, starts with catcher Chance Sisco, who is the consensus No. 1 prospect in the Orioles' pipeline.

Sisco has been a force at the plate during his minor league career, including a 112-game stint at Double-A Bowie in 2016, where he had a .320 average, 28 doubles, four homers and 44 RBIs. Even though questions remain about Sisco's defense behind the plate, Mayo said he's made significant improvements in that regard.

"I think he has a chance to be a major-league-average defender. He's worked really hard at it, and the blocking has gotten a lot better," Mayo said. "I think Chance Sisco will be fine. He's not going to win any Gold Gloves, but he's not going to embarrass anybody behind the plate, either."

Mayo said he wouldn't be surprised if Sisco was brought up to Baltimore at some point in 2017 because of his offensive ability, even though the Orioles already have a catcher in Welington Castillo. However, he said Sisco would benefit from spending at least half of 2017 at Triple-A Norfolk. Especially since the Orioles should have enough offensive firepower to get by.

"I think there's no real issue with him spending half the year in Triple-A, or however long it is, so he could continue to catch every day and get more reps defensively," Mayo said.

Another top Orioles prospect who could make his way to Camden Yards soon is first baseman Trey Mancini, who had a strong 125-game stint at Norfolk with a .280 average, 22 doubles, 13 homers and 54 RBIs in 2016. Mayo described Mancini as a "production-over-tools guy" and said he could end up having a solid career in Baltimore because of the power he can provide with his bat.

"He's a guy, you're suddenly going to look up, and he's spent six or seven years in the big leagues and put up solid numbers across the board," Mayo said.

In terms of pitching prospects, Mayo thinks 21-year-old right-hander Cody Sedlock won't take long to move through the farm system due to his "fairly advanced college arm."

Sedlock was drafted in the first round by the Orioles out of the University of Illinois last year. Mayo said he wouldn't be surprised to see Sedlock pitch at both Single-A Frederick and Bowie in 2017 and compete for a spot in Baltimore's rotation in 2018.

"I think he's a solid No. 3 [starter], at least," Mayo said. "Big, strong kid with a four-pitch mix. Throws a lot of groundballs and misses bats. I think he has a chance to be a real workhorse in a big league rotation in the not-too-distant future."

Mayo also discussed 24-year-old left-hander Chris Lee, who in 13 spring training innings went 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA. Despite being optioned to Norfolk March 26, Mayo said Lee is close to impacting the big leagues and could make an appearance as the team's fifth starter early in 2017, during right-hander Chris Tillman's shoulder recovery.

"It's not like they're relying on him to be the No. 2 starter and throw 230 innings and be an All- Star," Mayo said. "They need him to pitch capably every fifth day; starts may get skipped a few times, and it may only be temporary until everyone is healthy."

That being said, Mayo thinks fans should temper expectations for Lee, even though he has put together a successful spring. Mayo sees Lee's major league ceiling as that of a No. 4 or 5 starter.

"I think his stuff is just OK. He's not the kind of guy you look at and be like, 'Wow, there's a ton of ceiling there,'" Mayo said. "I don't mean that saying he doesn't have a future, but he's not [Dodgers left-hander] ."

Mayo also thought it would be interesting to see how the Orioles handle the situation with 22- year-old Rule 5 outfielder Anthony Santander. Santander had a .290 average in 128 games at High-A Lynchburg with the Cleveland Indians' organization in 2016.

However, Mayo suggests Santander's injury history makes keeping him more complicated, and he questions whether keeping him in the majors at this stage of his career could actually hurt his overall development.

"Even if Santander is the guy with more upside, that upside is going to be hurt developmentally, because they aren't going to get regular enough reps," Mayo said. "… That is something that is going to have to be considered."

Even though the Baltimore farm system isn't ranked near the top of baseball, there will still be a number of players and storylines for fans to monitor during the 2017 season.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/03/30/trey-mancini-makes-orioles-opening-day-roster-as- right-fielder

Trey Mancini Makes Orioles' Opening Day Roster As Right Fielder

By Rich Dubroff / PressBoxOnline.com March 30, 2017

SARASOTA, Fla. -- When spring training began, it seemed questionable that Trey Mancini would make the team, and as the Orioles head north, the 25-year-old, who played first base most of his life, will be a major league right fielder.

Mancini didn't play right field during a game until earlier this month, and he fielded his position acceptably. He hit .333 with three home runs and a team-leading 14 RBIs during Grapefruit League play.

"They told me I made the team. It's really, really exciting," Mancini said. "The last few days have been a little … it's tough not knowing exactly where you're going, and a lot's at stake. It was really relieving to hear."

Manager Buck Showalter also said outfielder Joey Rickard made the team, and it was possible non-roster outfielder Craig Gentry will also make the team.

Showalter said he was satisfied with what he saw from Mancini in the field.

"I wasn't sure about it coming into spring, hadn't really seen that much of it, but after the things he's gone through out of people's eyesight," Showalter said. "It's something he's been working on for a while."

Entering the spring, it looked as if Mancini's path was blocked at first base by Chris Davis and at designated hitter by Mark Trumbo. He had to learn a new position to make it.

"It's really rewarding," Mancini said. "I knew coming in it that it was going to be a tough, tough, uphill battle to get a roster spot on the team. I knew if I took it day-by-day and mentally, stayed strong when I didn't have a good game, not freak out or anything, that it would all be OK, and I could come back the next day and do well. So I feel like I did a really good job throughout the month, bouncing back after maybe tough games, and that's something I really want to take into the season, too.

"I feel really comfortable out there, actually. Every time you play out there, you get more and more comfortable. … I want the ball to come out there and want to make plays."

MAKING MOVES: The Orioles reassigned infielders Robert Andino, Johnny Giavotella and Paul Janish and outfielders Pedro Alvarez and Chris Dickerson to minor league camp.

Right-hander pitchers Alec Asher, who threw a scoreless inning against the Tigers March 30, and Logan Verrett were optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.

The Orioles have 31 players remaining on their spring training roster. Three players, right- handed pitcher Chris Tillman, left-handed pitcher Wade Miley and Rule 5 outfielder Anthony Santander will start the season on the disabled list.

That leaves three cuts to make. In order for the Orioles to add Gentry to the 25-man roster, they need a spot on the 40-man roster. They could accomplish that if Rule 5 outfielder Aneury Tavarez passes through waivers.

BUNDY GIVES UP THE LONG BALL: Right-handed starter Dylan Bundy allowed five runs in six innings March 30 -- the longest stint of any Orioles starter this spring.

Bundy threw 82 pitches during the Orioles' 7-3 loss to the Tigers before 6,900 at Ed Smith Stadium.

Tigers second baseman Omar Infante, outfielder Tyler Collins and catcher James McCann hit home runs, but after McCann's home run in the fourth, Bundy retired nine straight batters.

"One of them's a home run during the season," Showalter said. "The rest of them are fly ball outs. I thought he pitched well. Loved where he got pitch count-wise."

Bundy will start the season's second game April 5.

"It means a lot for me. I know that. I'm happy about it," Bundy said. "Like I said, it doesn't matter what number game it is. As long as I'm pitching in the big leagues, I'm happy."

GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE FINISHED: The Orioles end their Florida stay with a 16-14-2 record.

"Considering all the challenges we had with the [World Baseball Classic] and people moving around, logistical challenge, but got through it," Showalter said. "For the most part, we're healthy, and we've identified some solid depth pieces. A lot of things we hoped would happen kind of happened, materialized."

The team made many moves during spring training and could make more before the 25-man roster has to be set by noon April 2.

"A lot of people forget where we were when we started compared to where we are now, so patience was a virtue once more," Showalter said.

OPENING DAY: Longtime Orioles broadcaster Fred Manfra, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and Maryland State Senator Bobby Zirkin will throw ceremonial first pitches for the opener April 3.

COMING UP: The Orioles will go to Norfolk to play their Triple-A affiliate at 3:05 p.m. March 31.

Left-hander Richard Bleier, who was optioned to the Tides March 22, will start for the Orioles, while either Joe Gunkel or Zach Stewart pitch for the Tides.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/03/30/jim-henneman-2017-orioles-have-more-depth- than-past-teams

Jim Henneman: 2017 Orioles Have More Depth Than Past Teams

By Jim Henneman / PressBoxOnline.com March 30, 2017

With spring training in the rearview mirror, the first act of the new season is cleaning out the notebook, so here goes:

I'm not big on predictions, mainly because they usually just remind us how little we know about the future, but for each of the last four years, I've been stuck on 87 as a number of wins for the Orioles. During that span, they've averaged just less than 88 -- so that's my over/under for this year.

That isn't likely to be enough to win the division, but as the pollsters insist, there is a margin for error of three-five wins.

Having said that, there is something mysterious about this team that has me thinking it might startle the experts, which wouldn't exactly be a novelty. I'm not really sure where it will lead, but there's some depth that hasn't been apparent before, with both young pitchers and position players. In other years, the loss of right-hander Chris Tillman, even for a month, would have caused an early panic attack. It's not like the Orioles can afford to lose their ace for a prolonged period, but it's not like the cupboard is as bare as it used to be.

The outfield situation is still a little murky, even with a platoon on both corners, and it wouldn't shock me if executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette made a trade within hours of the opener April 3. There's no insight involved here, just a wild guess. I was one of the first to ask "who?" and "why?" when Duquette added outfielder Craig Gentry to the mix, and now I find myself wondering if this 33-year-old journeyman might not turn out to be much more than a late-inning defensive replacement.

Every time I try to figure out a way the Red Sox can lose the American League East, it seems outfielder Mookie Betts does something spectacular -- again. On top of that, even "slimmed- down" third baseman Pablo Sandoval is making me a believer that he can regain the kind of postseason success he had with the Giants before seemingly gaining about 10 pounds for every million dollars he got from his new team three years ago.

Boston manager John Farrell still has to sweat it out with one of his supposed No. 1 starters, left- hander David Price, but it's not as if he has to hold a pitching tryout to fill out his starting rotation. If left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who still has a few doubters, can pitch to his full potential, he'd undoubtedly be the best No. 3 or No. 4 starter in the AL -- and maybe all of baseball. There might be some bullpen issues, but with a ton of young talent, the Red Sox are built for success -- not just now but also into the future.

Fortunately for the rest of the AL East, they still have to play 162 games, when, as we all have learned, anything can happen.

Speaking of anything can happen, the Yankees' success this spring (23-8) won't mean a thing on Opening Day, but I wouldn't dismiss it lightly. There's a lot of good young talent on hand, and you'd be hard pressed to convince those kids spring training doesn't count.

Remember when former Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said the , not the Yankees or Red Sox, should be the franchise emulated by the Orioles? It was relatively early during MacPhail's tenure, right around the time the Rays were developing a homegrown bunch that got to one World Series and made a couple of other playoff appearances.

Now it seems as though the Rays have taken a page out of the Orioles' book, using veteran players to play some key roles as they try to stay competitive in a tough division. They've added catcher Derek Norris, infielder Rickie Weeks, ex-O's right-hander Tommy Hunter and, most recently, outfielder Peter Bourjos to play significant roles.

It's hardly a secret I'm very much on board with the World Baseball Classic, so any idea to improve it gets my attention. And I think the New York Post's Joel Sherman has hit on a winner of an idea.

Sherman suggests that every four years baseball simply play the WBC during what would normally be the first two weeks of spring training. The idea is that each country could assemble its team earlier, have set guidelines and play the WBC while other players started the early stages of spring training.

It would mean those involved would have a "winding-down" period after, but that's not much different than what players, like Orioles outfielder Adam Jones and third baseman Manny Machado, are doing now, except the break would come three weeks before the start of a new season, not the final week of camp.

For those who think three full weeks isn't enough time for spring training, Sherman points out it didn't seem to be a problem in 1995, when baseball was coming off a non-World Series year and didn't settle its labor dispute until three weeks before Opening Day. Nobody has been able to come up with the ideal time to play the WBC, but Sherman's idea sounds better than any of the alternatives.

I have to admit, while watching Team USA, I kept thinking Marlins right-handed-slugging outfielder Giancarlo Stanton and Orioles left-handed, power-hitting first baseman Chris Davis are mirror images of each other at the plate.

Every time I read pitching statistics that reflect groundball outs, I think about Eddie Stanky's short career managing the White Sox (1966-68). He had a standing offer for all of his starting pitchers that any time they got 15 groundball outs in a game, he'd buy them a new suit. Of course, that was when complete games and suits were in style. OK, so I'm dating myself, big deal. For what it's worth, I still think wins are important.

It's no secret Orioles manager Buck Showalter considered his mentor with the Yankees, Billy Martin, a baseball genius. It's also not a secret Baltimore baseball fans like to look at Showalter as something close to the second coming of Earl Weaver, but the truth of the matter is the three have almost nothing in common -- except for one thing.

They all felt they were excellent judges of young talent -- and they were/are. I was sad to hear of the passing of Todd Frohwirth, a former O's reliever who had served as one of the club's few professional scouts. He was one of those guys who was just plain fun to be around.

I can't believe I almost let this one go unnoticed. Everybody knows how much the National League supposedly hates the designated hitter rule, maybe because it wasn't the senior circuit's idea. But it sure came in handy when the Mets decided to play Tim Tebow in one of their spring training home games -- as the DH, of course.

The notebook isn't empty yet, but I am, so that's all for now. Happy New Year, everyone.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/03/30/orioles-have-tough-roster-decisions-to-make

Orioles Have Tough Roster Decisions To Make

By Rich Dubroff / PressBoxOnline.com March 30, 2017

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Orioles spring training 2017 has been notable for its length (46 days), its terrific weather (no rainouts in Grapefruit league play) and for the disruptions due to the absence of World Baseball Classic players.

It began with manager Buck Showalter announcing right-hander Chris Tillman wouldn't make a fourth consecutive Opening Day start due to a sore shoulder, and in the early days of spring training, there were lots of additions on minor league contracts (infielder Chris Johnson, outfielders Craig Gentry and Michael Bourn) and trades to add a pair of left-handed pitchers (Richard Bleier and Vidal Nuno).

The additions continued into March, with the surprising return of Pedro Alvarez and his conversion into an outfielder, which is still in its early days. On March 28, the Orioles added another candidate for the starting rotation, right-hander Alec Asher from Philadelphia.

Only Tillman, whose 2017 debut has been further delayed by a March 15 cortisone shot, truly counts as a setback, but what's been notable about this camp has been the fact that the positive developments far outnumber the negative ones.

Tillman's absence has allowed the Orioles to show off some depth they haven't before. While righty Mike Wright, who seemed to be the leader to take Tillman's spot, floundered, right-hander Gabriel Ynoa, who was picked up from the New York Mets just before spring training, and left- hander Jayson Aquino, who was hardly used at all by Showalter a year ago, have proven worthy of consideration.

Left-hander Chris Lee showed enough to present Showalter will another starting alternative later in the season -- and for 2018 if Tillman, righty Ubaldo Jimenez and lefty Wade Miley leave as free agents.

Right-hander Tyler Wilson, who began last season with the team but fell into disfavor after a series of rough performances and spent most of the second half in Triple-A Norfolk, has had a creditable spring and could come north with the team as its long reliever.

Gentry's spring has been nothing short of remarkable and highlights the Orioles' strength in finding players who have been overlooked.

His signing didn't garner much attention but has turned out to be most important. A player who hardly played during the past two seasons because of multiple injuries, Gentry has shown he can help the team with speed, defense and some offense.

With center fielder Adam Jones away at the WBC, Gentry got lots of opportunities.

"We got a really good look at a lot of players we needed to look at that we normally wouldn't have had," Showalter said. "I like the things we've done depth-wise."

Gentry and Joey Rickard have good chances to make the team as extra outfielders. The issue with Gentry is that he's out of options, and if the Orioles want to keep Trey Mancini for much of the season, they can't keep Gentry, Mancini and Rickard. Rickard does have options.

Unlike four of the past five years, it looks as if a Rule 5 player isn't going to start the season with the team.

The Orioles have placed one Rule 5 outfielder, Aneury Tavarez, on waivers, and the other outfielder, Anthony Santander, will start on the disabled list. If Tavarez is unclaimed, then the Orioles could try and talk with the Boston Red Sox, from whom he was drafted, to work out a trade.

Tavarez intrigues the Orioles with his speed and aggressiveness, but he's far from being ready to play at the major league level. They'd love to have him in their farm system because they don't have many players with his athleticism there.

Santander is more of an enigma. He's never played even in Double-A, and while he showed off some raw power in spring, he struck out in nearly half his Grapefruit League at-bats.

If the Orioles would like to keep Santander, they can put him in the minor leagues on a rehab assignment for 20 days and can try and pass him through waivers. Or they can try for a trade from the team they claimed him from, the Cleveland Indians.

With Gentry and Rickard, there's no room for the Rule 5 guys, and finding room for Alvarez and Mancini, who has also been learning the outfield, is a challenge, too, but a good one. It appears Alvarez will start the season at Norfolk and Mancini with the Orioles

Of course, there will be injuries and underperformances, opening the way for others to play.

Showalter used to talk about finding qualified pitchers. It was "the last man standing," he'd say. That's no longer the case anywhere on the roster.

"I think we've graduated from it," Showalter said. "I think it's been some vision in the offseason about things we need to attack and also we're getting some help from our farm system.

"On [April] 9th, and the 15th, for sure, we're going to have to send somebody out that we want to keep. That hasn't always been the case. I think there's a lot of depth in our starting pitchers that a lot of people haven't been giving us credit for."

The bullpen remains a strength of the team. Brad Brach, Donnie Hart and Darren O'Day have all pitched well, and so has Mychal Givens, who was off at the WBC with Team USA. Due to oblique soreness, Zach Britton has had only six middling appearances, but he should be fine, too.

Aquino and Nuno are the two most likely choices if Showalter wants to add another left-hander. Wilson is the top right-handed long-man candidate. Right-hander Logan Verrett is likely headed to Norfolk. The Orioles are also considering candidates outside the organization.

Without Tillman, right-hander Kevin Gausman will start against Toronto on Opening Day. Right-hander Dylan Bundy will follow April 5. Right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez will probably start the season's third game against New York April 7, and if Miley is placed on the 10-day disabled list to start the season, Gausman can start April 8 and Miley April 9. That would enable the Orioles to begin the season with three starters and eight relievers.

Right-hander Oliver Drake, who is out of options and has been a bullpen candidate, has cleared waivers, according to an industry source, and could be outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/03/30/2017-baltimore-orioles-predictions-local-media- personalities-weigh-in

2017 Baltimore Orioles Predictions: Local Media Personalities Weigh In

PressBoxOnline.com March 30, 2017

How many games will the Baltimore Orioles win in 2017? Will they make the playoffs? And who will be the team's breakout star?

PressBox baseball writers and a few local media personalities share their predictions for the 2017 Orioles.

Phil Backert, PressBox / SiriusXM Fantasy Sports (@PhilBackert)

The Orioles are once again primed for October baseball behind stars like third baseman Manny Machado and center fielder Adam Jones. However, it will be difficult to outlast the Red Sox and win the division, so the likely avenue will be the Wild Card with about 88-89 wins. The key factor for the O's will be whether right-hander Kevin Gausman takes the next step, especially with right-hander Chris Tillman sidelined for at least the first month.

Stan "The Fan" Charles, PressBox (@StanTheFan)

I'm picking the Orioles to win 88 games and narrowly miss the playoffs. While I am confident right-handers Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy will take big steps forward, the team can only seriously contend if right-hander Chris Tillman gets off the "if" list. If that occurs, the O's can be right there with Boston and Toronto.

Glenn Clark, Glenn Clark Radio (@GlennClarkRadio)

On paper, the 2017 Orioles look a lot like the 2016 Orioles. There are some areas where they could potentially improve (first baseman Chris Davis' production, right-handers Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman's consistency), but there are also areas where they may struggle to match their success (lefty closer Zach Britton's perfection, Welington Castillo replacing Matt Wieters behind the plate). With that in mind, I will pick them to once again win 89 games and reach the postseason via a Wild Card spot. And I'll make the bold prediction that catching prospect Chance Sisco will get an opportunity during the season and end up being a key contributor.

Dan Connolly, BaltimoreBaseball.com and PressBox (@danconnolly2016)

I think the Orioles will win 90 games, finish in second place in the American League East and earn a Wild Card berth. How far will they get in the playoffs? Well, that depends on the three most important players on the 2017 team: Right-handers Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy and Chris Tillman. I think both Gausman and Bundy take a step forward in 2017, with Gausman pitching 200 innings for the first time in his career, and Bundy completing a full season and 30 starts. If Tillman can return healthy by early May, the Orioles' rotation will be solid. But, ultimately, I don't think the club's rotation will be strong enough to make a deep run into the postseason. Rich Dubroff, PressBox (@RichDubroffMLB)

The Orioles will have their sixth consecutive non-losing season, finishing with a record of 86-76. It will be a good season, but they'll fall just short of the postseason. Left-hander Jayson Aquino will be the team's breakout star, and he'll help solidify the starting pitching, which is the team's biggest concern.

Brittany Ghiroli, MLB.com Orioles Reporter (@Britt_Ghiroli)

The Orioles will finish the season with 84 wins and make the playoffs as the second Wild Card. The breakout star/key factor for the team will be right-hander Dylan Bundy.

Miles Goodman, The Coach's Buzz on 1300AM (@Miles_B_Goodman)

The O's will win 90 games this year and head into the playoffs as a Wild Card team. Right- hander Kevin Gausman will carry them with a 20-win season.

Jim Henneman, PressBox I hate preseason predictions because usually they just prove you wrong. But having said that, ever since the Orioles' 93-win season in 2012, which nobody saw coming, I've been stuck on predicting 87 wins each year. The O's have won 85, 96, 81 and 89 since then, which averages out to just less than 88, so that's the number I'm going with this year. Good enough to win the division? That probably depends on the Red Sox, who look dominant on paper. Good enough for the postseason? I think so. They don't have many "breakout" candidates, so I'll go with one semi- obvious candidate -- Dylan Bundy -- and one who isn't even on the roster as this is written -- Craig Gentry, a relatively unknown 33-year old, and hope he isn't this year's version of Jake Fox.

Bert Rode, Section 336 (@bertrode)

I'm often labeled a pessimist when it comes to hometown sports teams, but I've found that, as a longtime believer in the "reverse jinx for the win," I enjoy being proven wrong. That being said, the Orioles will finish the 2017 season with 85 wins. They will be a good team, no doubt, but as for the playoffs, it's not in the cards. There are two (maybe three) teams in the AL East that are better than the O's this year. Look for right-handers Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy to be breakout stars in 2017. They both have to be -- or else 85 wins is just a pipe dream.

Josh Sroka, Section 336 (@joshsroka)

These Birds, while similar to last year's team, have the added benefit of right-hander Dylan Bundy starting the season in the rotation, so I foresee a slight improvement to 90 wins. The Red Sox have gotten better, and the Blue Jays can still pitch, so I see the Orioles returning to the Wild Card game to once again face Toronto. I think new pitching coach Roger McDowell, new bullpen coach (and apparently vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson) are going to build a solid rotation. I can't believe I'm saying it, but the Orioles' starting pitching is going to surprise some people this year. Of course, if right-hander Chris Tillman doesn't return, Bundy's arm falls off and right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez finds another pothole, this all changes.

Matt Sroka, Section 336 (@Section336)

The 2017 Orioles will hit a lot of home runs, but their success will depend largely on their starting pitching (stop me if you've heard this before). If the top three starters -- right-handers Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman and Chris Tillman -- can stay (or in Tillman's case, get) healthy, and if right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez and left-hander Wade Miley aren't terrible, then the Orioles are in position to improve upon their 2016 win total; let's call it 92-70. If the Orioles are able to hit that 92-win mark, then you can go ahead and pencil them in for the Wild Card game, and this year, they'll have home-field advantage (sorry, Canada).

Glenn Younes, PressBox (@gunitradio)

The 2017 Orioles are going to surprise me one way or another, because I have no idea what to expect. Keeping outfielder/designated hitter Mark Trumbo is a positive, because they got him on a great deal, but don't expect him to lead the league in home runs again. I think Baltimore will be competitive, winning 88 games and challenging for another Wild Card spot. To do that, right- hander Chris Tillman will not only need to get healthy but also need to be a solid No. 1 starter, bordering on an ace.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/03/31/the-camden-effect-at-25-ballparks-legacy-is-large-in- mlb/

THE CAMDEN EFFECT: At 25, Ballpark’s Legacy Is Large In MLB

CBS Baltimore March 31, 2017

A quarter-century later, Larry Lucchino can be self-deprecating about a vision that ushered in a new era of ballpark construction.

“I tell everyone I’ve had one good, original idea in my 38 years in baseball,” said Lucchino, whose career as an executive has included stints with Baltimore, and Boston. “It was to build a traditional, old-fashioned ballpark with modern amenities, intimacy and irregularity.”

It sounds so simple the way Lucchino describes it, and he insists the Orioles weren’t trying to set any sweeping trends when they opened their new ballpark 25 years ago. That’s exactly what happened, though. Oriole Park at Camden Yards became the model for a period of groundbreaking transformation in the way baseball venues were built.

Over two-thirds of all major league teams now play in facilities that opened in 1992 or later, part of a ballpark boom that has changed how fans and players experience the game — and has led to some contentious debate over how to pay for it all.

Three years before the Orioles opened their new park, the Toronto Blue Jays began playing at SkyDome, a futuristic stadium with a retractable roof and a hotel overlooking the field. For Baltimore, Lucchino wanted something more understated.

“We didn’t let people use the ‘stadium’ word — the s-word,” said Lucchino, who was president of the Orioles from 1988-1993. “We fined anybody five bucks if he called it a stadium, because to us, it was a ballpark. The word had a different connotation.”

Located downtown and built just for baseball, Camden Yards was a departure from the trend of multipurpose venues that seemed largely indistinguishable from each other. The B&O Warehouse beyond right field made Oriole Park instantly recognizable — like Wrigley Field’s ivy or Fenway Park’s Green Monster — and although the ballpark’s simplicity was part of its appeal, it included some innovations that improved the spectator experience.

“You never knew where a good idea might bubble up,” said Janet Marie Smith, an architect and urban planner who served as vice president of planning and development for the Orioles and oversaw the ballpark’s design and construction. “It was in a fan forum that someone said, ‘Why don’t you elevate the bullpens beyond the outfield fence so every fan can see who’s warming up?'”

The Orioles drew over 3.5 million fans in the first season at Camden Yards, increasing their attendance by 40 percent from the previous year. Baltimore drew at least 3 million in each of its first 10 seasons at the new park, with the exception of strike-shortened 1994.

BALLBARK BOOM

In that 1994 season, Jacobs Field opened in downtown Cleveland. It was designed by HOK Sport, the same firm that worked on Camden Yards. (HOK is now called Populous, and Jacobs Field is now .)

The Indians enjoyed an attendance bump of their own as they began a mid-1990s renaissance that would result in two American League pennants. The Rangers also opened a new park in ’94, and the Colorado Rockies followed suit the next year.

Across the majors, teams wanted to replicate Baltimore’s success. From 1992-2012, a total of 21 new parks opened. When there were no additions to that list from 2013-16, it was the first time since Camden Yards opened that even two consecutive seasons had passed without a new ballpark.

“The wave of new ballparks has dramatically improved the fan experience in terms of access, sight lines, food options and a variety of other issues,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in an email. “These new ballparks have allowed baseball to ride a wave of record attendance that has improved the economics of all 30 clubs.”

When Lucchino moved on to the Padres, he was a driving force behind their new ballpark. Smith, meanwhile, helped turn the main stadium from the Atlanta Olympics into a baseball park, and the Braves began playing there in 1997. Atlanta is moving into a new home in the suburbs this season.

Lucchino and Smith both ended up in Boston, where they oversaw improvements to Fenway Park that included new seats atop the Green Monster. Lucchino, who had looked to Fenway as inspiration for Camden Yards, had come full circle.

“We used Camden Yards as a model for Boston by saying, ‘We want some of the modern amenities that exist at Camden Yards up here,'” said Lucchino, who is now the chairman of Boston’s minor league affiliate in Pawtucket. “The old-fashioned stuff came from Fenway to Baltimore, and the modern amenities and the newness came from Baltimore to Boston.”

THE BALLPARK EXPERIENCE

As much as fans have come to appreciate a traditionalist approach to designing ballparks, there’s still room for more exotic attractions. Putting seats on the Green Monster is one thing, but at Arizona’s Chase Field, there’s a swimming pool beyond the outfield fence. That’s the type of idea that might have fit back at SkyDome, when the Blue Jays seemed eager to test the limit of what could reasonably be added to a baseball stadium.

Now called Rogers Centre, SkyDome made its own mark on the sport. Five other current ballparks also have retractable roofs. The only remaining dome without one is Tropicana Field, where the Tampa Bay Rays have played since their inaugural season in 1998. The stadium actually opened in 1990.

When it comes to the “modern amenities” Lucchino talks about, fans aren’t the only constituents who can benefit. Players notice when their work environment improves.

“It’s a home away from home. You get a chance to go to (Philadelphia’s) Citizens Bank Park, and you walk in and the clubhouse is huge, and you get the hot tub, the cold tub and the pool where you can swim,” said Phillies hitting coach Matt Stairs, who played in the majors from 1992-2011. “You always look forward to going to those new ballparks, with the brand new locker rooms.”

DEBATE OVER FUNDING

While new parks can benefit players, owners and spectators, they require huge financial commitments — a thorny issue that isn’t going away any time soon. The use of public money in sports has caused a lot of tension over the years. By the time Marlins Park opened in 2012 in Miami, it had been at the center of all sorts of controversy, and the opening was delayed a year because of a lawsuit challenging the ballpark’s financing package. The team prevailed in court.

The Braves, who began playing at Turner Field only two decades ago, already have a new ballpark. The 2017 season will be their first at SunTrust Park in Cobb County. The county contributed about $400 million in public funding.

Last year in Arlington, Texas, voters approved public funding for a new retractable-roof stadium for the Rangers.

“It looks to me that we’re entering an environment where at least owners and the people who can extract the subsidies are saying 15 to 20 years is the useful life of these facilities,” said Brad Humphreys, an economics professor at West Virginia University whose expertise includes sports economics. “If that’s the case then this boom of construction from the ’90s, those stadiums are going to be considered obsolete in 10 years. It is frightening when you look at the size of the subsidies we’re giving out the last 20 years.”

The lesson from Atlanta’s experience is that not every new park is going to be a long-term success story. With so many ballparks being built, some are bound to be more forgettable than others — especially when the style of Camden Yards has been mimicked so extensively.

“I don’t have a crystal ball that’s any better than anyone else’s, but I can tell you that one of the biggest concerns I had when we were working on Camden Yards is: Would it stand the test of time?” said Smith, who now works in the front office for the Los Angeles Dodgers. “I can tell you I certainly feel easier about that question, now that 25 years has passed.”

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/03/31/orioles-announce-new-food-coming-to-oriole-park- this-season/

Orioles Announce New Food Coming To Oriole Park This Season

CBS Baltimore March 31, 2017

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The Orioles announced their new food options available at Oriole Park concessions for the 2017 season, beginning on Opening Day, Monday, April 3.

Here are a few of the new menu items you can find around the ballpark!

Burnt Ends BBQ Hot Dog: Burnt Ends BBQ Brisket, pickled onions, and pickled coleslaw, served in a potato hot dog roll. Esskay Gourmet Hot Dogs, Eutaw Street near Gate H

Chicken Tender Chesapeake: Fried chicken tenders topped with crab dip, served on a potato roll. Bud and Burgers, Eutaw Street near Gate H

Mac & Cheese Twister: Macaroni and cheese topped with choice of crab meat, buffalo chicken or pulled pork, served in a twisted bread cone. Club Grille Portable, Club Level – first base

Meatball Twister: Meatballs, marinara, and parmesan cheese, served in a twisted bread cone. All Pizza Boli’s locations

Fresh Dumplings: A choice of chicken mushroom, beef, and vegetable (Pinch, Mt. Vernon). TAKO Asian Bistro, Main Concourse – third base

Sauced Chicken Tenders: Chicken tenders topped with choice of buffalo, sweet Thai chili, or garlic parmesan sauce. All Baseline Burgers locations

Pork Rind Chipper: The popular Chipper will return with a new option – a pork rind base will be available in addition to house-made kettle chips. The Chipper, Main Concourse – third base

Bacon Pork Rind Chipper Pork rinds topped with cheese sauce, diced bacon bits, shredded cheddar, sour cream, and scallions

Pulled Pork Rind Chipper: Pork rinds topped with cheese sauce, pulled pork, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, and jalapenos.

Crabmeat Pork Rind Chipper: Pork rinds topped with cheese sauce, crab meat, Old Bay, and scallions.

Food offerings at the Eutaw Street All Natural Grille

All Natural Beef Hotdog, All Natural Beef Hamburger, All Natural Chicken Breast Sandwich, All Natural Beefsteak Tomato Sandwich, served on a fresh roll with avocado, lettuce, onions, and basil mayo. Several all-natural desserts, which are additive-free, non-GMO, and made with cage-free eggs, are also available.

New Dessert Offerings at the Eutaw Street All Natural Grille Chocolate Chunk Cookie, Salted Caramel Cookie, Toffee Crunch Brownie, Chewy Marshmallow Bar

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/03/31/orioles-ironbirds-ryan-ripken/

Orioles Sign Ryan Ripken To IronBirds Contract

CBS Baltimore March 31, 2017

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The Orioles have announced that they’ve signed first baseman Ryan Ripken, son of Cal Ripken, Jr., to an Aberdeen IronBirds minor league contract.

The IronBirds are owned by the elder Ripken, and the team plays at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium in Harford County.

Ryan Ripken, 23, was only 5 years old in 1998 when his Hall of Famer dad ended his consecutive games streak in 1998.

The 6-foot-6 infielder has already played for the Washington Nationals Gulf Coast League, the Hagerstown Suns and the Auburn Doubledays.

He went to Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida, before the Nationals took him in the 15th round of the 2014 draft.

http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/2017/3/31/friday-replay-what-you-need-to-know-orioles- opening-day

What You Need to Know For Orioles Opening Day

Max Weiss / BaltimoreMagazine.com March 31, 2017

Monday is Opening Day at Camden Yards. Here’s all you need to know.

Time of Game: 3:05 p.m.

Where you can see/hear it: MASN2 and 105.7 The Fan

Who's throwing out the first pitch: Mayor Catherine Pugh

Starting pitcher: Kevin Gausman (Chris Tillman, who has been the O’s opening day starter for three years running, is injured.)

Projected lineup (according to fantasy baseball site Rotochamp.com): 1. Hyun Soo Kim, LF 2. Adam Jones, CF 3. Manny Machado, 3B 4. Chris Davis, 1B 5. Mark Trumbo, DH 6. Seth Smith, RF 7. Jonathan Schoop, 2B 8. Wellington Castillo, C 9. J.J. Hardy, SS

Plus, here's a list of ways to celebrate both inside and outside the park.

So who’s stock rose in Spring Training? Rising star Trey Mancini absolutely hit the cover off the ball in Spring Training, hitting .339 in 59 at bats. Make no mistake, he’s a very exciting prospect.

Outfielder Joey Rickard wasn’t far behind him, picking up where he left off in last year’s breakout Spring Training with a .302 average in 53 at-bats.

Also turning some heads? Left fielder Craig Gentry, a journeyman player the Orioles didn’t have high hopes for. He’s batting .327 in 52 at-bats and is projected to make the 25 man roster.

And, of course, it seems a little silly to say that Adam Jones’ stock rose this spring—he’s the team captain and already a superstar. But his time at the World Baseball Classic—capped by that mind-blowing catch (you know the one)—electrified both fans and Jones himself, who said the WBC was the “best experience of his life,” sports-wise. We expect Mr. Stay Hungry to be even hungrier (famished?) as the season begins.

What the experts are saying. Thanks to a shaky starting rotation, it’s not supposed to be a great year for the Os, with sports writers projecting them to land anywhere between third and last place in the AL East. Our response? Yawn. The Os are perennially underestimated. We’ll take our chances with Buck and the boys.

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2017/03/31/spring-training-primer-evolving-roster-mancini- rickard-make-club-whats-left/

SPRING TRAINING Spring Training Primer: The evolving roster; Mancini, Rickard make club; what’s left?

By Rich Dubroff / BaltimoreBaseball.com March 31, 2017

What’s happening: The Orioles have made a number of cuts, and now their spring training roster stands at 31. They must get down to 25 by noon Sunday.

Trey Mancini, who had never played the outfield in professional ball until earlier this month, makes the team as a right fielder.

“I knew coming in that it was going to be a tough, tough, uphill battle to get a roster spot on the team,” Mancini, 25, said. “I knew if I took it day-by-day and, mentally, stayed strong when I didn’t have a good game, not freak out or anything, that it would all be OK.”

This time last year, Mancini was preparing to start the season at Double-A Bowie.

Outfielder Joey Rickard, who went north with the Orioles last year as a Rule 5 selection, will be part of his second consecutive Opening Day with the club. The Orioles may also add non-roster outfielder Craig Gentry to the 25-man — depending on what happens with Rule 5 pick Aneury Tavarez.

For now, Vidal Nuno and Tyler Wilson have made the team as relievers. There is one more available spot in the bullpen to begin the season, and it appears to be a battle among Gabriel Ynoa, Jayson Aquino and Oliver Drake.

Three players — lefty Wade Miley, Rule 5 outfielder Anthony Santander and right-hander Chris Tillman — will begin the season on the 10-day disabled list.

Miley (illness) will start the season’s fifth game on April 9, so the Orioles will have just three starting pitchers until then. Kevin Gausman starts the April 3 opener and will pitch again April 8.

Pedro Alvarez, who is attempting to learn the outfield after a career as a corner infielder, will continue to try and master it at Triple-A Norfolk. He was reassigned to minor league camp along with infielders Robert Andino, Johnny Giavotella and Paul Janish and outfielder Chris Dickerson.

Right-handed pitchers Alec Asher and Logan Verrett were also optioned to Norfolk.

What’s happened: Dylan Bundy, who will start the season’s second game April 5, allowed five runs in six innings. Bundy gave up three home runs, but after Detroit’s James McCann homered to lead off the fourth, the right-hander retired the final nine batters he faced.

“I got through six innings and I was just hoping to get through five,” Bundy said. “Getting through that extra inning was a bonus, and I wanted to get through five innings in at least one outing this spring. And I was able to do that today.”

On Thursday, outfielder Adam Jones played in his first Grapefruit League game since returning from the World Baseball Classic. Jones was 1-for-3 and played eight innings in center.

Mancini started the game in right field while Mark Trumbo started at first base. They alternated positions every inning though the first five.

“It was pretty funny rotating between first and right out there,” Mancini said. “I’ve never done that before. That was interesting, but it was fun. It was cool just bouncing around today.”

What’s up with: Alec Asher. The 25-year-old right-hander was obtained from Philadelphia on Tuesday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

He threw a scoreless seventh in relief of Bundy, striking out one batter and allowing a hit to former Orioles’ Rule 5 draft choice Michael Almanzar.

Showalter said there are several things he learned about Asher in the one inning.

“What his arm action looks like, stuff a little bit, talking to Caleb [Joseph]. Some heavy-run sink, a four-pitch mix that we knew coming in,” Showalter said. “A nice optionable option for us as a starter and a reliever.”

What they’re saying: “A lot of people forget where we were when we started compared to where we are now, so patience was a virtue once more.” — Showalter on many of the team’s moves late in the offseason/early spring helping to shape the roster.

What’s the number? 88 — That’s how many players the Orioles used in their 32 Grapefruit League games. Of the 88, 32 were imports from minor league camp.

What’s the record? 16-14-2 — The Orioles, who lost to the Detroit Tigers 7-3 on Thursday, are scheduled to play their Triple-A Norfolk team today at 3:05 p.m. at the Tides’ home, Harbor Park.

Richard Bleier, who was optioned to Norfolk on March 22, will start for the Orioles, and either Joe Gunkel or Zach Stewart will start for the Tides.

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2017/03/30/spring-training-primer-head-north-gausmans- tune-mcdowell-britton/

Spring Training Primer: About to head north; Gausman’s tune-up; McDowell on Britton

By Rich Dubroff / BaltimoreBaseball.com March 30, 2017

What’s happening: The Orioles play their final spring game in Florida today when they host the Detroit Tigers at 1:05 p.m.

Dylan Bundy, Vidal Nuno, Darren O’Day and Alec Asher, who reported to Orioles’ camp Wednesday, are scheduled to pitch.

Bundy will start the second game of the regular season on Wednesday, April 5 against Toronto’s J.A. Happ.

Asher, who was acquired from Philadelphia on Tuesday for a player to be named or cash considerations, admitted being surprised by the trade.

He has recent experience against the Orioles: On March 5, he allowed a run on two hits in three innings at Ed Smith Stadium.

“Tough team. They’re a good team,” Asher said. “You know they swing the bats. It’s nice to be on this side of it.”

Asher will pitch an inning or two in today’s game, manager Buck Showalter said.

Showalter revealed right-hander Chris Tillman’s schedule for the next few weeks. Tillman, who received a cortisone shot in his right shoulder March 15, has resumed throwing.

He will go north with the team and throw bullpens April 1, 3 and 5. He’s scheduled to return to Sarasota on April 7, throw live batting practice April 8 and pitch in extended spring training April 11.

What’s happened: Kevin Gausman threw 75 pitches in 3 2/3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte on Wednesday. He allowed two runs, one of them unearned, walked four and struck out five.

“Physically, that’s probably the best I’ve felt this spring, most like the season from a strength aspect,” Gausman said. “I threw some really good sliders today, so that’s something that’s definitely huge going forward. I think I got pretty much every strikeout on it. Obviously, a lot of pitches in 3 2/3, that’s something I want to limit. I was too quick out of the stretch. That’s why I was cruising to get two outs, and then two-out walks, back-to-back, two-out walks, four walks in 3 2/3. Not very good.”

Showalter played most of his regulars Wednesday, including several who rarely go on the road in the spring. Welington Castillo, Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy, Jonathan Schoop and Mark Trumbo all played against the Rays.

Infielder Chris Johnson, who was released Monday, signed another minor league contract with the Orioles, and has been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk. He’ll play there for his father, Ron, the Tides’ manager.

What’s up with: Zach Britton. The Orioles’ All-Star closer walked two, allowed two hits and struck out one in 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Gausman.

Pitching coach Roger McDowell, in his first year of working with Britton, is enjoying the ride.

“It’s a lot of fun. When you see that 95-, 96-mph sinker, and Zach is never content with where he’s at, and he always wants to improve,” McDowell said. “One of the things that he wanted to work on was a little bit of his breaking ball, (adding it) into the repertoire a little more.”

“When you have a weapon like his sinker, it’s tough sometimes to go to other pitches.”

What they’re saying: “Everybody’s ready to go. It’s time to be healthy, get through it and move on.” — Showalter on the Orioles’ eagerness to end spring play and begin the regular season.

What’s the number? 12 — The number of runs the Orioles allowed in the sixth inning of a 15-6 loss to the Rays. Two pitchers who won’t be with the Orioles this year, Jefri Hernandez and Brian Moran, both selections in the Triple-A phase of December’s Rule 5 draft, combined to allow the 12 runs.

What’s the record? 16-13-2 — The 16 Grapefruit League wins are the most for the Orioles since they won 19 in 2013. The Orioles have two exhibition games remaining: today’s in Sarasota and Friday’s in Norfolk, Va., against the Tides.