World Champions 1983, 1970, 1966 American League Champions 1983, 1979, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1966 American League East Division Champions 2014, 1997, 1983, 1979, 1974, 1973, 1971, 1970, 1969 American League Wild Card 2012, 1996 Monday, November 17, 2014 Columns: Cal Ripken talks about shortstop J.J. Hardy and the Orioles' defense The Sun 11/17 Hunter values cultural exchange of Japan Series MLB.com 11/16 Os, Markakis continue to negotiate Britt’s Bird Watch 11/13 Orioles sign infielder Ozzie Martinez MASNsports.com 11/17 Nothing new with Markakis over the weekend MASNsports.com 11/17 Is a dominant bullpen back end essential or the new "flavor of the month"? MASNsports.com 11/17 Graham on Alvarez: "He could help in the big leagues next year" MASNsports.com 11/16 Decision pending on De Aza MASNsports.com 11/15 Mike Griffin on Mychal Givens and Parker Bridwell, plus final AFL stats MASNsports.com 11/15 Burnett off the board MASNsports.com 11/14 Daniel Clark: Recapping O's prospects' performances in Arizona Fall League MASNsports.com 11/14 Cruz's home runs stand out in power hungry market CSN Baltimore 11/17 Boras' neutral-site World Series idea should go CSN Baltimore 11/16 Don't believe rumors: Big names didn't land with O's CSN Baltimore 11/15 Stanton's deal could have implications for Orioles CSN Baltimore 11/14 Orioles think 2015 will be breakout year for Gausman CSN Baltimore 11/14 REVISITING 2014 AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST PREDICTIONS: PITCHING, MANAGERS PressBoxOnline.com 11/17 TRADES, FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS LESS IMPORTANT TO ORIOLES THAN RECOVERIES, RETURNS? PressBoxOnline.com 11/17 IN ADDITION TO EXCITEMENT, ORIOLES' 2014 POSTSEASON RUN GENERATED ECONOMIC IMPACT PressBoxOnline.com 11/17 Baby Eagles Nest At Orioles Spring Training Stadium CBS Baltimore 11/15 Bald eagle nest removed from Ed Smith Stadium lights ABC 7 MySuncoast 11/14 Eagle's nest removed from Sarasota's Ed Smith Stadium wfla.com 11/14 Baltimore Orioles: The Coin Toss on Alejandro De Aza Baltimorewire.com 11/17 Baltimore Orioles: Making the Case for Nick Markakis Baltimorewire.com 11/15 Baltimore Orioles: Speeding Up Games in MLB Baltimorewire.com 11/15 Baltimore Orioles: Different View of Dan Duquette in 2014 Baltimorewire.com 11/15 2015 Spring Training: A battle at first base for the Baltimore Orioles Birdswatcher.com 11/16 http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-cal-ripken-talks-about-jj-hardy-and-the- orioles-defense-20141116-story.html Cal Ripken talks about shortstop J.J. Hardy and the Orioles' defense By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun November 17, 2014 When J.J. Hardy won his third consecutive American League Gold Glove Award earlier this month, he became only the second Orioles shortstop to win at least that many in a row. Mark Belanger won eight Gold Gloves in his career with the Orioles, including six straight from 1973-1978. Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio won nine Gold Gloves in his career, but only two with the Orioles. And Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., won just two total. So Hardy is second overall in Gold Gloves won by an Orioles shortstop despite playing here only four seasons. And the three straight give him an accomplishment that Ripken, considered the club’s greatest all-around shortstop, never reached. The Iron Man is more than OK with that. He has been a fan of Hardy for years. “I can’t say enough good things about J.J.,” Ripken said recently. “His overall defense and his leadership -- and it doesn’t hurt that he can hit 30 homers, too.” Ripken said he first noticed Hardy as a young player with the Milwaukee Brewers when Ripken was calling a Brewers-Philadelphia Phillies game for TBS. “I remember watching J.J. and seeing how he played. And I’m thinking, ‘Man, this guy is always going to the right spot, he’s always doing that. He’s always thinking, always ahead,” Ripken said. “I remember going to [Brewers general manager] Doug Melvin and telling him, ‘You’ve got something special here.’ And he said. ‘Well, we’ve got another kid behind him that’s going to be special, too.’ And that was [Alcides] Escobar, now with Kansas City.” Coincidentally, Hardy and Escobar were both dealt to the AL and have been battling for the Gold Glove, with Hardy winning each time since 2012. The Brewers now have 24-year-old Jean Segura, who made the All-Star team in 2013, playing shortstop. They acquired Segura in a deal with the Los Angeles Angels in 2012, when they dealt away Zack Greinke. It’s all connected. The Brewers traded Hardy to the Minnesota Twins in November 2009 for Carlos Gomez, partially so they could make room for Escobar. The Brewers then traded Escobar to the Royals in December 2010 as part of a package to acquire Greinke. Ten days earlier, the Twins had sent Hardy, who had dealt with injuries in 2010, to the Orioles along with infielder Brendan Harris for pitchers Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson, who are out of affiliated baseball now. It arguably is one of the best 10 trades the Orioles have ever made. “I thought it was so great that the Orioles got him, and he is back playing the way he was playing [in Milwaukee],” Ripken said. “J.J. is a main stabilizing force. He is a quiet leader, but he is a really good player. Really understands the game, really understands all the situations in the game. I think the Orioles’ success, in many ways, can be attributed to his stability in the middle.” Hardy, 32, is locked up at least through 2017 after signing a three-year, $40 million extension in October that includes a team option for 2018. Now that free agency is upon us, it looks like a pretty shrewd move by executive vice president Dan Duquette to sign Hardy when he did. Several clubs are looking for a shortstop -- including three teams with the deepest of pockets, the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and New York Mets. Given the lack of shortstop options, steadiness of Hardy and money available, you have to think Hardy could have received a lot more on the open market. But it just shows the Orioles’ commitment to rock-solid defense -- something that has helped the organization make the playoffs in two of the past three seasons. That, too, is something that excites Ripken. “There has always been pride in the Orioles organization over the years in pitching and defense,” Ripken said. “The home runs and the RBIs and all those other kinds of stats get all the credit. But I think the Orioles always valued their pitching and defense. "Because defense, in general, is pitching as the first line and the gloves behind you as the second. And it’s been great. Buck Showalter has emphasized that from the beginning as well.” http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/101597608/orioles-tommy-hunter-values-cultural- exchange-of-japan-series Hunter values cultural exchange of Japan Series By David Venn / MLB.com November 16, 2014 TOKYO -- Events such as the Japan All-Star Series are touted as vehicles for globalizing the game of baseball, which at the professional level in the United States has been influenced for decades by stars from Latin America, and more recently, players from Asia. As baseball has become more diverse at the Minor and Major League levels, players of different nationalities, languages and cultures have increasingly come together on team rosters. In the process, friendships have been formed and horizons broadened. "We all have a common goal, and that's to win," said Orioles relief pitcher Tommy Hunter, who is on the team of Major League stars in Japan. "You can take anybody from any kind of culture, but put him on a baseball field, and if they have the same mentality as you, it doesn't matter what kind of language barrier you have. The mentality is there." While in Tokyo, Hunter had dinner with former Minor League teammate and retired Japanese league pitcher Yukinaga Maeda. Hunter also describes former Rangers and Orioles teammate Pedro Strop, a native of the Dominican Republic, as "one of my best friends." At their core, said Hunter, bonds are formed based on the shared experience of playing the game that they love. "I think that the camaraderie, the closeness and the fraternity of baseball worldwide are renown," he said. "You bond really quickly with baseball players. "You make relationships in every aspect of life. Baseball is just another one of them. You have respect for guys that play well and guys that play hard, that share the same joy and passion for baseball that you do. If you're a baller, you're a baller." This trip has been an opportunity for the Major League players to immerse themselves in Japanese culture on and off the field. But the group also has a decided Latin American presence, with nine players born either in the Dominican, Venezuela or Cuba. In addition to Strop, Hunter has bonded with many more of his Latin American teammates over the years and has received several invitations to visit their home countries. Although he has yet to take any of them up on it, Hunter does have such a trip on his radar. "They want me to come so bad," he said. "Hopefully I get down there. They have experiences that they want to share: Their home, their culture and what they're about." http://brittghiroli.mlblogs.com/ Os, Markakis continue to negotiate By Brittany Ghiroli / Britt’s Bird Watch November 13, 2014 at 11:14 AM BALTIMORE— It would be tough to imagine Nick Markakis not in an Orioles uniform next season.