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Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Columns:  Orioles have interest in free-agent reliever Dustin McGowan The Sun 2/11  After historic trip in 1999, Orioles should be first MLB team to play again in Cuba The Sun 2/10  Orioles will have at least 56 players at The Sun 2/10  Orioles notes on 2015 draft and minor league minicamp The Sun 2/10  O's tab non-roster invitees for Spring Training MLB.com 2/10  Graham on new minor league hires, Davis on spring plan and last year's injury MASNsports.com 2/11  Orioles announce spring training roster MASNsports.com 2/10  Minor league : A look at four O's homegrown added to the 40-man MASNsports.com 2/11  Baltimore can forget about All-Star Game in 2017, too CSN Baltimore 2/11  Orioles invite 15 non-roster players to spring training CSN Baltimore 2/10  Jimenez tries to turn forgettable season around CSN Baltimore 2/10  Will Orioles' trip to Cuba have to wait a year? CSN Baltimore 2/10  Orioles Adam Jones Balances Work and Play SIkids.com 2/10  Orioles Hot Stove Show: , & CBS Baltimore 2/10  will give out bobbleheads of wearing O’s minor league jersey The Washington Post 2/10  Tides Ron Johnson returning for 4th season The Virginian-Pilot 2/11

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-have-interest-in-freeagent-reliever- dustin-mcgowan-20150211-story.html

Orioles have interest in free-agent reliever Dustin McGowan

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun February 11, 2015

The Orioles have expressed interest in free-agent reliever Dustin McGowan, according to multiple industry sources.

The Orioles have reached out to McGowan’s representatives, but they are believed to be among several teams interested in the former right-hander.

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette has said he’d like to add one more reliever before heading to spring training, ideally one with a track record of getting both right- and left-handed hitters out.

McGowan, who turns 33 next month, was 5-3 with a 4.17 ERA and one in 53 games last season with the Blue Jays. He made eight starts last season, but he was better out of the , going 3-1 with a 3.55 ERA in 43 relief appearances. He held opposing hitters to a .215 batting average while pitching out of the bullpen.

A first-round pick in 2000, McGowan missed more than three full seasons and needed multiple shoulder surgeries. Since his last procedure in 2012, he’s posted a 3.76 ERA while pitching mostly in relief.

If the Orioles add another reliever on a major league deal, he’d join an already crowded bullpen mix in spring training.

With the exception of left-hander , the Orioles return all of their bullpen pieces, including Zach Britton and set-up men Darren O’Day and .

Orioles manager likes to have optionable players in his bullpen in order to keep his relief arms fresh, especially early in the season. But the Orioles bullpen currently has very few players with minor league options.

Britton, O’Day, Hunter and left-hander , who is out of options, would appear to be entrenched in their bullpen roles. Right-hander , who proved to be a valuable eater last season despite not making the team out of spring training, is now out of options, as is right-hander Ryan Webb, who was sent to the minors for one month in August before rosters expanded in September.

The Orioles also have six starters competing for five rotation spots, so they could bump on of those pitchers to the bullpen. They also signed left-hander this offseason. Add left-hander T.J. McFarland, who does have options, and two Rule 5 picks – right-handers Jason Garcia and Logan Verrett – who would need to remain on the roster all season and there are already several relievers competing for few available spots.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-schmuck-column-0211-20150210- column.html

After historic trip in 1999, Orioles should be first MLB team to play again in Cuba

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun February 10, 2015

If the new relationship between the United States and Cuba allows for an ongoing relationship between and the baseball-crazy island nation, the Orioles should be the team that breaks the ice.

They earned it.

The news Monday that the club is considering another Cuban goodwill trip certainly brings back vivid memories of the Orioles' visit to Havana in 1999. The event caused much consternation in the Cuban exile community and made principal owner Peter G. Angelos the target of criticism long after the team of Cuban All-Stars traveled to Baltimore and defeated the Orioles several weeks later.

There had not been a visit from an American professional team in nearly 40 years and the long- standing U.S. economic and tourist embargo remained largely in force. The Orioles and MLB received permission from President Bill Clinton's State Department to negotiate a home-and- home series and paid to upgrade Havana's Estadio Latinoamericano for Cuba's half of the occasion.

Of course, the trip was controversial. How could it not be?

It spawned protests in the Miami area and speculation that Angelos was somehow trying to corner the market on Cuban baseball talent in advance of any political sea change in the tiny communist country.

Maybe there was some hope of expanding awareness of the Orioles organization at a time when the promising players who defected from Cuba tended to land elsewhere, but that wasn't the primary motivation for going there.

"I read somewhere that I wanted to do this because I was interested in their ballplayers," Angelos told The Baltimore Sun at the time. "I don't remember ever being motivated by that objective. I don't remember exactly when was the first time I thought about this, but it was at the time when it was becoming apparent that the Soviet Union no longer was a threat to the Western Hemisphere. It seemed to me that it made sense to have better relations [with Cuba].

"This is just an interested citizen. Why can't we do something together to improve the relations between our people? We have so much in common."

Angelos led a delegation of baseball officials to Havana in January 1999 to work out the details and returned for Cuba's half of the two-game series in late March. He and baseball commissioner Bud Selig would garner another round of criticism for watching the game alongside Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, and Angelos did not shy away from it.

"He's the principal political person in his government," Angelos said after the game. "If he invites you to sit with him at the ballgame, good manners would dictate that you accept."

The Orioles also caught some heat the year after the Cuban overture for their reluctance to sign Cuban defectors, a policy that the club claimed was intended to discourage Cuban ballplayers from putting their lives at risk trying to escape to the United States.

There was some irony there, considering the original suspicion about the team's supposed desire to become the preferred destination for Cuban baseball talent, especially when North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms asked Attorney General Janet Reno to investigate the Orioles for alleged hiring discrimination against Cuban defectors.

Angelos was undeterred and apparently remains so. He told the Associated Press in 2009 that he was hoping to stage another goodwill trip to Cuba, and now there is talk of a possible set of exhibition games there.

With the recent decision by President Barack Obama's administration to relax many aspects of the trade embargo, that kind of thing now seems to be a real possibility, though there are still enough political and logistical obstacles to make it seem unlikely to happen this spring.

Obviously, Angelos thought another round of baseball diplomacy would happen a lot sooner than this, based on his comments after the historic game 1999 game in Havana.

"It was one great day in the effort to bring the Cuban and American people together," he said. "It's one small step, but I think other teams will follow. I think what the Orioles have begun will go on and on.

"We've got some very substantial political problems to be resolved, but we are working together to do some positive things."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-will-have-at-least-56-players-at- spring-training-20150210-story.html#page=1

Orioles will have at least 56 players at spring training

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun February 10, 2015

The Orioles will have 56 players in major league spring training camp, barring any late additions, the club announced Tuesday.

The group includes 41 members of the club's 40-man roster. Suspended Chris Davis does not count against the 40-man roster limit until he completes his suspension -- one more game -- in the 2015 regular season. He can play in exhibition games.

The Orioles have invited 15 players to camp who are not on the 40-man roster, including top prospects outfielder Dariel Alvarez and right-handed , former Orioles on minor league deals such as pitchers Mark Hendrickson and Steve Johnson and outfielder Nolan Reimold, and former big leaguers signed to minor league contracts this winter, including J.P. Arencibia, infielder-outfielder and outfielder Matt Tuiasosopo.

One other side note: According to the list, new outfielder will wear uniform No. 23 -- that was Nelson Cruz's number last year.

Here is the full list of players and instructors for spring training, which begins in earnest Feb. 20 when pitchers and have their first workout in Sarasota, Fla.:

40-MAN ROSTER # PITCHERS (22) 73 Berry, Tim LHP 35 Brach, Brad RHP 53 Britton, Zach LHP 49 Bundy, Dylan RHP 16 Chen, Wei-Yin LHP 71 Drake, Oliver RHP 68 Gamboa, Eddie RHP 61 Garcia, Jason RHP 39 Gausman, Kevin RHP 50 Gonzalez, Miguel RHP 29 Hunter, Tommy RHP 31 Jimenez, Ubaldo RHP 17 Matusz, Brian LHP 66 McFarland, T.J. LHP 25 Norris, Bud RHP 56 O'Day, Darren RHP 30 Tillman, Chris RHP 64 Verrett, Logan RHP 58 Webb, Ryan RHP 63 Wilson, Tyler RHP 59 Wright, Mike RHP 40 Wright, Wesley LHP # CATCHERS (3) 45 Clevenger, Steve CA 36 Joseph, Caleb CA 32 Wieters, Matt CA # INFIELDERS (7+1) 19 Davis, Chris* INF 3 Flaherty, Ryan INF 2 Hardy, J.J. INF 13 Machado, Manny INF 43 Navarro, Rey INF 38 Paredes, Jimmy INF 6 Schoop, Jonathan INF 18 Walker, Christian INF # (8) 12 De Aza, Alejandro OF 57 Hassan, Alex OF 10 Jones, Adam OF 9 Lough, David OF 28 Pearce, Steve OF 23 Snider, Travis OF 51 Urrutia, Henry OF 27 Young, Delmon OF # MANAGER/COACHES 26 Showalter, Buck 54 Chiti, Dom (bullpen) 47 Coolbaugh, Scott (hitting) 55 Diaz, Einar (asst. hitting) 11 Dickerson, Bobby (3B) 24 Kirby, Wayne (1B) 77 Russell, John (bench) 37 Wallace, Dave (pitching) NON-ROSTER INVITEES # PITCHERS (6) 70 De La Rosa, Dane RHP 62 Harvey, Hunter RHP 34 Hendrickson, Mark LHP 52 Johnson, Steve RHP 75 Jones, Chris LHP 65 Roe, Chaz RHP # CATCHERS (3) 15 Arencibia, J.P. CA 60 Lavarnway, Ryan CA 74 Ward, Brian CA # INFIELDERS (3) 67 Almanzar, Michael INF 1 Janish, Paul INF 41 Parmelee, Chris INF # OUTFIELDERS (3) 79 Alvarez, Dariel OF 14 Reimold, Nolan OF 48 Tuiasosopo, Matt OF # ADDITIONAL STAFF 9 Anderson, Brady 72 Arias, Rudy 85 Berry, Sean 14 Bordick, Mike 88 Bradshaw, Kevin 83 Beerer, Scott 76 Graham, Brian 91 Griffin, Mike 81 Hernandez, Jose 89 Jabalera, Miguel 86 Johnson, Ron 78 Kendall, Gary 80 Manto, Jeff 16 McGregor, Scott 84 Mills, Alan 87 Peterson, Rick 82 Ruiz, Jett 17 Surhoff, B.J. 90 Werner, Don *- suspended list (does not count toward 40-man limit)

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-notes-on-2015-draft-and-minor- league-minicamp-20150210-story.html

Orioles notes on 2015 draft and minor league minicamp

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun February 10, 2015

Once right-hander James Shields – the final free agent tied to draft-pick compensation – was signed by the , this year’s draft order could be officially set.

The Orioles will have two picks in the first round, the 25th selection and the 36th selection, which is a compensation pick for losing Nelson Cruz.

Add their second- and third-round selections and their competitive balance pick (which is between the second and third round) and the Orioles will have five selections in the first 102 picks.

That’s a lot, so the organization will have a much greater focus on this June’s draft. Last year, they didn’t make a pick until the third round, when they took Miami high school left-hander Brian Gonzalez with the 90th overall pick.

The Orioles had forfeited their first-round pick to sign right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez and their second-round pick to sign Cruz. They also dealt their competitive balance pick to the as part of the trade for right-hander Bud Norris in 2013.

Minor league minicamp scheduled

It’s now just 10 days until the Orioles' first spring training workout for pitchers and catchers. The first full-squad workout won’t take place until Feb. 25 at the Ed Smith Stadium complex.

That same day, the Orioles will open a minicamp for many of their top-level minor leaguers at the Twin Lakes Park complex.

Among the minor leaguers who will be at the camp are right-hander Zach Davies, right-hander Parker Bridwell, right-hander Mychal Givens, left-hander Daniel Rodriguez, infielder Derrik Gibson and infielder Ozzie Martinez.

The Twin Lakes camp is an extension of big league spring training because it includes the players who were considered for major league camp but weren’t invited. They will report several days before full minor league camp opens at Twin Lakes. Expect these players to get playing time in big league spring games as part of manager Buck Showalter’s “just-in-case” crew.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/108890074/orioles-tab-15-non-roster-invitees-for-spring- training

O's tab non-roster invitees for Spring Training

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com February 10, 2015

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles announced their Spring Training roster on Tuesday morning, with 15 non-roster invitees expected in big league camp. Two of the most notable names are prospects Dariel Alvarez and Hunter Harvey, who was the club's first-round pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.

Alvarez is considered one of the organization's best defensive prospects and he could push to join the Major League club very soon. Harvey is coming off a season-ending flexor mass strain sustained in July, but he has had a normal offseason and should be a full-go in camp.

Other signings include outfielder Nolan Reimold, which the club announced earlier this week, and the return of veteran pitcher Mark Hendrickson. Steve Johnson, who re-signed as a free agent this winter, will also be in big league camp. Michael Almanzar, who was the O's Rule 5 Draft pick last season, also made the cut.

Baltimore's pitchers and catchers will report on Feb. 19, with the first workout scheduled for the following day. The first full-squad workout will be on Feb. 25.

Here is the full list:

Pitchers: RHP Dane De La Rosa, RHP Harvey, LHP Hendrickson, RHP Johnson, LHP Chris Jones, RHP Chaz Roe.

Catchers: J.P. Arencibia, Ryan Lavarnway, Brian Ward.

Infielders: Almanzar, Paul Janish, Chris Parmelee.

Outfielders: Alvarez, Reimold, Matt Tuiasosopo.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/02/graham-on-new-minor-league-hires-davis- on-spring-plan-and-last-years-injury.html

Graham on new minor league hires, Davis on spring plan and last year's injury

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com February 11, 2015

The Orioles crossed another item off their to-do list yesterday by announcing their camp roster, which included 15 non-roster invitees.

Manager Buck Showalter counts 59 available lockers at the Sarasota complex and he uses that number as his cutoff while constructing the roster. There's room for three more players if the Orioles want to occupy the entire space.

The group of instructors includes Kevin Bradshaw, who replaces Dave Anderson as minor league infield coordinator. Anderson was hired as manager at -A Salt Lake in the Angels organization.

"Kevin is outstanding," said director of player development Brian Graham. "He reminds me a lot of Dave Anderson. They worked together with the Tigers. Kevin has been an infield coordinator for a number of years. He just does an outstanding job. He's a really good teacher, a really good instructor. He spent a lot of time with (Miami's) Perry Hill, who is one of the best infield instructors in the game. He's just really good.

"Kevin has a nice way about him. Good teaching methods and a really good instructor. I'm very excited about Kevin Bradshaw."

Another member of the spring staff, Sean Berry, has replaced Denny Walling as hitting at Triple-A Norfolk.

"Sean is a tremendous hire," Graham said. "He's a former big league hitting coach, a former big league player. He was hitting coordinator with the Astros and Padres. Sean Berry is going to be a tremendous asset to that Triple-A team."

Graham also spoke in glowing terms about two other hires this winter - Keith Bodie as -A Bowie hitting coach and Howie Clark as Single-A Delmarva hitting coach.

"Keith Bodie has got tremendous baseball experience and tremendous baseball knowledge," Graham said. "To have him as Double-A hitting instructor is a huge plus for the organization. He's been the Double-A manager for the Astros the last few years. He's been a Triple-A manager and hitting coach and he's been a Double-A hitting coach. He's got great experience. I'm really excited about him.

"Howie Clark is a former Oriole and he's got as much energy, enthusiasm and knowledge as anybody in the game. This guy loves to work and loves to teach. He really wanted to get back into and I'm really glad we hired him. His energy, enthusiasm and work ethic are all off the chart. He's a really good hire.

"The exciting thing about all these guys is they wanted to come here, wanted to come work for the Orioles. I'm very excited about what we have. Very excited."

Paco Figueroa moves up from Delmarva to Single-A Frederick as hitting coach, "which is great because he'll be with the same kids we have last year in Delmarva and they all performed so well," Graham said, rattling off names that included Chance Sisco, Trey Mancini and Drew Dosch.

"It's the best fit for Paco and the best fit for the organization to have him with all the guys who performed so well for him."

Short-season Single-A Aberdeen doesn't have a hitting coach. Scott Thomas is changing roles and will serve as third base and position player coach.

Meanwhile, first baseman Chris Davis told Showalter that he wants more at-bats this spring. He went 15-for-37 (.405) with three doubles, four home runs, 13 RBIs and 10 runs scored last spring, but he .196/.300/.404 during the regular season.

"I think last year, I was not playing it safe, but we kind of eased into it and I really didn't feel like I had that sharpness when the season started," Davis said in an interview on the "Hot Stove Show" on 105.7 The Fan. "And then obviously with the injury early on, I wasn't the same hitter that I was in the past. I think that's going to be big for me this year, getting started off on the right foot."

He'll be in step with new hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh. They've already been working out in Dallas.

"Cooley obviously coming aboard is huge for me because he's a guy that really knows me and a guy that I've hit with for a number of years," Davis said, "but the biggest thing for me is just making sure that I'm ready once the season starts, and I think getting some more at-bats and playing a few more games down in Sarasota will definitely benefit me."

The oblique injury robbed Davis of his power to left and left-center field, where the ball often traveled during his 53-home season in 2013.

"I think early on in the season, guys were really pounding me in, really attacking me inside," Davis said. "I was still having productive at-bats, I was driving in runs, and once the weather starts to warm up a little bit, as a power hitter you want to see the ball fly. And for me, there were balls I hit to left-center and to left field that I really didn't have that finish on.

"I didn't notice how big of a deal it was until this offseason, until I had a chance to take a little bit of time off and then get back into my routine and start hitting again. It kind of bothered me looking back, just the way I handled things. One, I foolishly tried to play through it, which just made it worse. And two, everybody told me, 'Don't come back too early. Make sure you take the time, make sure you're healthy,' but the competitor in me just wanted to get back out on the field. I felt like I was healthy enough, and really I just played the rest of the year with a nagging injury.

"It really wasn't as evident how bad it affected me until this offseason, but I'm completely 100 percent healthy right now and actually a little bit stronger than I was at this point last year."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/02/orioles-announce-spring-training- roster.html

Orioles announce spring training roster

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com February 10, 2015

The Orioles are inviting 15 non-roster players to spring training, including pitcher Hunter Harvey, veteran left-hander Mark Hendrickson and outfielder Dariel Alvarez.

Just as manager Buck Showalter stated at the minicamp, pitcher Suk-min Yoon isn't included among the non-roster invitees. Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski also was excluded after moving up from low Single-A Delmarva to Double-A Bowie last summer.

The Orioles could still sign another player to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. The spring roster is not necessarily finalized.

The 40-man roster includes an extra player, first baseman Chris Davis, who must serve one more game of his suspension. He can participate in workouts and exhibition games.

New outfielder Travis Snider has inherited Nelson Cruz's No. 23, and left-hander Wesley Wright is wearing No. 40. The Orioles didn't hand out No. 21, which belonged to outfielder until he signed a four-year deal with the Braves over the winter.

Pitchers and catchers report Feb. 19. Full-squads workout begin Feb. 25. The first game is March 3 against the Tigers in Lakeland.

Here is the full camp roster:

40-man roster

Pitchers 73 Berry, Tim LHP 35 Brach, Brad RHP 53 Britton, Zach LHP 49 Bundy, Dylan RHP 16 Chen, Wei-Yin LHP 71 Drake, Oliver RHP 68 Gamboa, Eddie RHP 61 Garcia, Jason RHP 39 Gausman, Kevin RHP 50 Gonzalez, Miguel RHP 29 Hunter, Tommy RHP 31 Jimenez, Ubaldo RHP 17 Matusz, Brian LHP 66 McFarland, T.J. LHP 25 Norris, Bud RHP 56 O'Day, Darren RHP 30 Tillman, Chris RHP 64 Verrett, Logan RHP 58 Webb, Ryan RHP 63 Wilson, Tyler RHP 59 Wright, Mike RHP 40 Wright, Wesley LHP

Catchers 45 Clevenger, Steve 36 Joseph, Caleb 32 Wieters, Matt

Infielders 19 Davis, Chris* 3 Flaherty, Ryan 2 Hardy, J.J. 13 Machado, Manny 43 Navarro, Rey 38 Paredes, Jimmy 6 Schoop, Jonathan 18 Walker, Christian

Outfielders 12 De Aza, Alejandro 57 Hassan, Alex 10 Jones, Adam 9 Lough, David 28 Pearce, Steve 23 Snider, Travis 51 Urrutia, Henry 27 Young, Delmon

Non-roster invitees

Pitchers 70 De La Rosa, Dane RHP 62 Harvey, Hunter RHP 34 Hendrickson, Mark LHP 52 Johnson, Steve RHP 75 Jones, Chris LHP 65 Roe, Chaz RHP

Catchers 15 Arencibia, J.P. 60 Lavarnway, Ryan 74 Ward, Brian

Infielders 67 Almanzar, Michael 1 Janish, Paul 41 Parmelee, Chris

Outfielders 79 Alvarez, Dariel 14 Reimold, Nolan 48 Tuiasosopo, Matt

Manager/Coaches 26 Showalter, Buck 54 Chiti, Dom (bullpen) 47 Coolbaugh, Scott (hitting) 55 Diaz, Einar (assistant hitting) 11 Dickerson, Bobby (third base) 24 Kirby, Wayne (first base) 77 Russell, John (bench) 37 Wallace, Dave (pitching)

The list of instructors includes new minor league infielder coordinator Kevin Bradshaw and Triple-A Norfolk hitting coach Sean Berry. The Orioles still haven't announced their hiring.

Additional Staff 9 Anderson, Brady 72 Arias, Rudy 85 Berry, Sean 14 Bordick, Mike 88 Bradshaw, Kevin 83 Beerer, Scott 76 Graham, Brian 91 Griffin, Mike 81 Hernandez, Jose 89 Jabalera, Miguel 86 Johnson, Ron 78 Kendall, Gary 80 Manto, Jeff 16 McGregor, Scott 84 Mills, Alan 87 Peterson, Rick 82 Ruiz, Jett 17 Surhoff, B.J. 90 Werner, Don

Werner, the Orioles' minor league catching instructor, was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer last spring. He's winning the fight and it's wonderful to see his name on the list.

Pitchers and catchers report to the minor league camp at Twin Lakes Park on March 6, and position players report on March 10. The first game will be played March 18.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/02/draft-on-pitchers.html

Minor league core four: A look at four O's homegrown pitchers added to the 40-man

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com February 11, 2015

Over the winter, the Orioles added four pitchers from their farm system to their 40-man roster. That speaks well for the club's player development operation, as none of the four were drafted since 2012 and all four made improvements on the O's watch to get to this point.

The four pitchers added were:

* Oliver Drake, a 43rd-round pick in 2008 * Eddie Gamboa, a 21st-round pick in 2008 * Tyler Wilson, a 10th-round pick in 2011 * Mike Wright, a third-round pick in 2011

I'm not ruling any of the four out to make a start at some point for the Orioles this year, but it sure appears their best chance to impact the big league club in 2015 would come out of the bullpen.

All four could be on the Norfolk-Baltimore shuttle this year as we know how manager Buck Showalter likes to work with a rested bullpen as much as possible. These players can be optioned up and down repeatedly and it seems very likely that one, or all four, will be.

Wright, who turned 25 on Jan. 3, went 5-11 with a 4.61 ERA in 26 starts for Triple-A Norfolk last season. But he had a spectacular finish to his year, pitching to a 0.95 ERA over his last seven starts. In his last four starts, he gave up one earned run in 29 2/3 innings for an ERA of 0.30.

Drake, who turned 28 on Jan. 13, went 2-4 with a 3.08 ERA and 31 saves in 35 chances at Double-A Bowie in 2014. His 12.1 per nine innings were the best single-season mark in his seven-year minor league career. He also held hitters to a .214/.278/.297 line in 210 plate appearances.

Drake gets credit for a solid comeback from August 2012 shoulder surgery. He also made the 40- man for the second time. The first came in November 2011.

Wilson turned 25 in September and got married on Nov. 15. Three days later, while on his honeymoon, he found out he made the 40-man roster. He was named the Orioles 2014 minor league Pitcher of the Year, winning the Award.

He went a combined 14-8 with a 3.67 ERA in 166 2/3 innings between Bowie and Norfolk. He led all Orioles minor leaguers in wins and strikeouts (157) and ranked seventh in ERA.

The 30-year-old Gamboa went 5-7 with a 3.81 ERA last year between Bowie and Norfolk. Gamboa was a minor league free agent this winter and several teams showed interest in him after he went 6-2 with a 1.83 ERA in Mexico. Over 68 2/3 innings, he walked seven and fanned 56.

The Orioles signed him to the major league deal on Dec. 3. Last March, Gamboa pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in an impressive, yet brief, stay in big league camp. Now he'll be back at Ed Smith Stadium when workouts begin.

None of these four pitchers has ever been on a top 100 prospects list that I am aware of. None is 24 or younger. None were drafted in the second round or higher.

Yet they all should get credit for making the 40-man roster, and in the case of Gamboa, reinventing himself as a pitcher the last two years. Drake overcame the shoulder injury. Wilson was the O's Pitcher of the Year, topping other more highly touted prospects. Wright overcame the poor start last year at Norfolk.

Now we may see one or all in the major leagues.

I have interviewed each pitcher and provided a profile of each this winter: Click on their names to read each on Gamboa, Wilson, Wright and Drake.

While it is nice to have prospects make the majors at age 19 like , 21 like Jonathan Schoop or 22 like , this four won't do that.

But they might be able to help the Orioles win in 2015 and if they do, no one will worry about what their birth certificates say or where some prospects lists once ranked them.

This goes along with the Orioles' philosophy of using Bowie, Norfolk and Baltimore as a 75-man roster to draw from. When the Orioles looked to add talent to their 40-man roster this winter they looked for pitchers that can help. They didn't base such a decision off a radar gun or someone's prospects list.

They found four homegrown products that could make their way to Baltimore this season.

Steve speaks: Click here to listen as I was a guest this week on the Baltimore Sports Report podcast. We talked a lot about the O's farm system as well as plenty of other topics. It is a lengthy interview of about 30 minutes, so grab a coffee and pull up a chair.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/baltimore-can-forget-about-all-star-game-2017- too

Baltimore can forget about All-Star Game in 2017, too

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore February 11, 2015

Once the Orioles found out they weren’t hosting the 2016 All-Star Game, they knew they wouldn’t be seeing it in 2017, either.

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is about to award the 2017 game to Miami. There’s never been an All-Star Game in Florida.

That also means that three straight All-Star Games (Cincinnati, San Diego, Miami) will be held in National League Cities.

Washington is probably next on the list. The 2015-17 games will all be held in parks that have never hosted one, and Nationals Park is one of the few that haven’t held one. , Citizens Bank Park, Tropicana Field are the others.

Manfred’s predecessor, Bud Selig, preferred a secretive process for deciding on All-Star Games. He didn’t want cities campaigning for the game, so the Orioles, who initially thought they had the inside track on the 2016 game, didn’t talk about it publicly.

But, at the Winter Meetings, San Diego put on a very public show in its successful campaign for 2016.

Now, Manfred wants those Super Bowl-type campaigns.

Baseball will be different because the All-Star Game more easily fits in Cincinnati than the Super Bowl would.

While it’s a bigger deal for the All-Star Game to be in New York than Kansas City, smaller markets won’t necessarily be disadvantaged by Manfred’s desire.

Cities with newer or refurbished stadiums will be advantaged.

Once Oakland and Tampa Bay get more attractive venues, they’ll be able to join the party.

For the foreseeable future the Orioles are shut out, and there probably won’t be any more All- Star Game chatter coming from here any time soon.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-invite-15-non-roster-players-spring- training

Orioles invite 15 non-roster players to spring training

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore February 10, 2015

The Orioles have invited fifteen non-roster players to spring training. As of now, they’ll have 56 players in camp, their 40-man roster, the suspended Chris Davis, and the invited fifteen.

Pitchers and catchers report on Thursday, Feb. 19. The full squad reports five days later.

Mark Hendrickson, Hunter Harvey and Steve Johnson are among six pitchers coming into camp. The 40-year-old Hendrickson impressed enough in last month’s minicamp to get an invite. Harvey was the No. 1 draft choice of the Orioles in 2013, and Johnson returns after shoulder surgery last September.

Chris Jones, Dane De La Rosa and Chaz Roe have also been invited. Jones was in camp last year, and De La Rosa and Roe were signed this offseason and have major league experience.

Three catchers: J.P. Arencibia, Ryan Lavarnway and Brian Ward come to camp. Arencibia was signed last month, Lavarnway was picked up on waivers and Ward is a longtime Orioles farmhand.

There are three infielders, Michael Almanzar, Paul Janish and Chris Parmelee. Almanzar was a Rule 5 draft pick a year ago, and reacquired from Boston last August. Janish and Parmelee, who have substantial major league experience, are new to the organization.

Dariel Alvarez, who doesn’t have enough minor league experience to require a place on the 40- man roster, Nolan Reimold and Matt Tuiasosopo are the outfielders.

Alvarez hit .309 with 111 hits and 14 home runs in 91 games for AA Bowie in 2014, so there will be lots of eyes on the 26-year-old Cuban during the spring. Reimold was signed on Monday. Tuiasosopo was added in December.

The Orioles did not invite Mike Yastrzemski, the highly thought of outfielder who had great success at Delmarva, Frederick and Bowie. He is sure to be summoned often from minor league camp.

Nor was Suk-min Yoon invited to camp. Last month, manager Buck Showalter said Yoon, who was a much publicized free agent a year ago, would not be brought to major league camp.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/jimenez-tries-turn-forgettable-season-around

Jimenez tries to turn forgettable season around

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore February 10, 2015

Nine days from now when spring training begins, Ubaldo Jimenez will be out to prove that 2014 was just a bad dream.

“It was pretty hard, coming to a new team,” Jimenez said. “Doing what everybody expecting you to do was hard.”

Jimenez’s numbers weren’t good. A 6-9 record, a 4.81 ERA, and worst of all 5.5 walks per nine innings.

“Regardless of what happened, I fought a lot. I was trying to find a way to survive,” Jimenez said at last month’s FanFest.

“This is going to be my 13th spring training, and I always have the same goal,” Jimenez said. “It doesn’t matter what people are expecting. For me, there’s only one goal, and that’s getting ready for the season.”

After signing a four-year, $50 million contract last February, Jimenez had a forgettable season.

Jimenez says his mechanics are different from most pitchers.

“It takes a little bit more time, a little bit more hard work to get it going,” Jimenez said.

Because of his sprained ankle, which cost him a month last year, working on his mechanics became harder.

“That makes it more difficult to get going,” Jimenez said.

Toward the end of the season, Jimenez felt he pitched better.

“We were working on my mechanics, trying to stay closed, trying not to open up,” Jimenez said. “I think I got it down because at the end of the season, the last couple of starts, I know I walked a couple of guys, but I felt really good, mechanics-wise.”'

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/will-orioles-trip-cuba-have-wait-year

Will Orioles' trip to Cuba have to wait a year?

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore February 10, 2015

A few weeks ago, I had a hunch. My passport was due to be renewed in April, and I sent it off for an early renewal. It may not be processed before I leave for spring training next week, but should the Orioles play a game in Cuba next month, my new passport should be in hand.

Since we’re friends around here, I can confess one of my great disappointments. I didn’t get to go to Cuba with the Orioles in 1999.

I have wanted to go to Cuba for years, mostly out of curiosity. A communist country just 90 miles away from ours? I’ve passed the coast of Cuba on cruises, and talked about the country with former Orioles pitcher Danys Baez, Rudy Arias, the Orioles bullpen catcher and with writers who made the trip 16 years ago.

Even though I’ll have that new passport soon, I think it will have to be reserved for possible trips to Toronto, for this year anyway.

While the U.S. and Cuba are building new bridges, it’s still probably too early to bank on an Orioles game there this year.

Manager Buck Showalter doesn’t like distractions as he prepares his team, and my guess is that if there were to be a trip there, he’d prefer it early in the spring schedule, rather than later.

In 1999, the Orioles played the Cuban National team in Havana on March 28, just eight days before the season started. By the way, the Orioles began that year 4-14.

The Orioles game in Cuba was worldwide news in 1999, and a return trip, even if it was an exhibition against the , would be big news, too.

I’d love to go and experience baseball in Cuba. I’m thinking that my first trip could come in March—2016.

NOTES: The Orioles have two first round picks in the 2015 draft, 25th and 36th. The 36th pick is as compensation for losing Nelson Cruz. … The Orioles named Chris Martrich as their coordinator of public relations. Martrich will work under new public relations director Kristen Hudak. … Pat Connaughton, drafted in the fourth round last year, won’t be reporting to minor league spring training any time soon. He’s busy with . In his senior season at Notre Dame, the two sport star is the Fighting Irish’s second leading scorer (13.3 points) and leading rebounder (8.1). Notre Dame is currently ranked 10th in the nation. Connaughton pitched in six games for Aberdeen last season. http://www.sikids.com/blogs/2015/02/10/orioles-outfielder-adam-jones-balances-work-and-play

Orioles Outfielder Adam Jones Balances Work and Play

By Elizabeth McGarr McCue / SIkids.com February 10, 2015

His team had just won the 2014 American League East, the Orioles' first division title since 1997, and here was Baltimore centerfielder Adam Jones, a pie in each hand and a determined look on his face, slowly stalking the on-field postgame revelers. He glanced to his left and right, carefully considering who should receive one right in the kisser. Whap! Unsuspecting teammate Nick Markakis, holding his one-year-old son, Toby, got the first pie, and a jubilant fan in the first row of the stands got the second. "I wish I had more," says Jones, who at 29 has won four Gold Glove awards, a Silver Slugger, and has made four All-Star teams. He has also become known as the guy who has taken the time-honored tradition of smashing a pie in a teammates' face after a game to a whole new level.

It all started in 2010. Baltimore was a young club, and Jones and wanted to celebrate players making their major league debuts by giving them a shaving cream pie to the face. Fast forward four years and now the pie goes to a star player of the game. For example, if a teammate hits a walk-off homer, pitches a , or makes a clutch play, Jones will be waiting.

"I'm amazed how far this has come," he says. "After every postgame, people are blowing my Twitter up for pie, pie, pie this guy. Why aren't you pie-ing? Pie him on the road. Pie anybody. Pie [manager Buck]Showalter. Pie [broadcaster] ."

Jones has rules, though. He won't pie anyone who has been in the majors longer than he has, unless a player is new to the team. "I'm not saying somebody with less time can't get me," explains Jones. "If I'm going to do it, I gotta be able to take it. If anybody pies me, I can't do anything about it but enjoy the pie." Oh, that's another thing. He really can enjoy the pie.

Players complained that the shaving cream burned their eyes, so Baltimore eatery Dangerously Delicious began delivering real pies for the home games last season, just in case someone had a big enough performance to warrant a postgame celebration. Jones's favorite? Banana cream. "They also made me a Reese's Cup pie," says Jones. "It was unreal." Whatever the flavor — peach, chocolate, strawberry, cherry or the Kit Kat pie that Markakis requested — the aim is the same: to have fun and stay loose. "That's how the makeup of our team is," says Jones. "Although we're all grown men, everybody's a big kid."

A HEALTHY APPETITE FOR LIFE

It was clear when Jones was a little kid growing up in San Diego that he loved making people laugh — and a good prank. "He's been a jokester for as long as I can remember," says his cousin Adrian Limbrick, 31. "He used to run a lot. His socks and shoes used to smell so bad. Whoever would go to sleep first would usually get the socks up under the nose."

When he was 12, Jones became serious about baseball, tuning into the Padres' games night after night, even watching reruns and reviews of games he had already seen. And always with a bat, a ball, and a glove nearby. "Say he was just in the room watching the game," recalls Limbrick. "He'd be throwing the ball in the glove. A little bit later, he'd be aiming the bat like he was taking a cut."

He became a standout on coach Robert Hubbard's travel youth baseball team, the San Diego Redwings, and on top of the talent Jones showed in the field (he played and worked his way up to a 96-mph ), what struck Hubbard was young Adam's communication and people skills. "He got along with every kid on our team," says Hubbard.

The Mariners selected Jones with their top pick in the first round of the 2003 draft, when he was a 17-year-old senior at Morse High. His government teacher, who was following the draft online, let him leave class to answer his cellphone when the team called. Though former Padres great tried to woo Jones to play for him at San Diego State, Jones signed with the Mariners that summer, and they first brought him up to the majors in July '06. After playing 73 games in the big leagues, he was traded to the Orioles in '08. Since then, his career has taken off.

In 2014, Jones led AL centerfielders in games played (159) and was fifth in putouts (374). He hit .281 with 29 homers and 96 RBIs. And he's created a local "mini phenomenon" (as he calls it) with the phrase Stay Hungry, which he first tweeted early in 2012. "I was saying as a team, as a city, as a fan base, stay after the prize. It's a long season. Keep after it," says Jones. "People don't even say 'Adam' anymore. They just say 'Stay Hungry' to me."

Jones often posts pictures of food on Instagram (#StayHungry). His Twitter feed includes a photo of him and his dog, Missy, digging into either end of a pie at Dangerously Delicious during a calendar shoot to raise money for the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter. ("It made sense to take my hungry dog to the place where all the pies are," says Jones. "She was into it.")

On the field Jones, is, well, still hungry, maintaining that his game is a work in progress. "I think I've had some success based on ability, but I think I can get better mentally and emotionally," he concedes, before adding: "I need to win a ring." And after the Orioles wins their first in more than three decades? "I want Dangerously Delicious to make a six-foot pie and pie the heck out of me, with a big parade going all throughout Baltimore."

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/02/10/orioles-hot-stove-show-chris-davis-chris-tillman-caleb- joseph/

Orioles Hot Stove Show: Chris Davis, Chris Tillman & Caleb Joseph

CBS Baltimore February 10, 2015

MASN’s Jim Hunter and Roch Kubatko get together on The Fan to talk about the latest in the off-season and also talk with some players and staff about what’s going on as they prepare for spring training in Sarasota, Florida. Monday’s guests were first baseman Chris “Crush” Davis, and O’s ace Chris Tillman and catcher Caleb Joseph.

Chris Davis joins Jim and Roch to talk about having the itch for spring training to begin and getting back on track after a disappointing season in 2014.

Chris is ready to get some more at bats this spring, “I’ve already mentioned this to Buck, I want to get some more at bats. I think last year I was–not playing it safe but–we kinda eased into it and I really didn’t feel like I had that sharpness when the season started and then obviously, with the injury early on, I wasn’t the same hitter that I was in the past. I think that’s going to be big for me this year. Getting started off on the right foot. ‘Cooly’ [Coolbaugh] coming aboard is huge for me because he’s a guy that really knows me and a guy that I’ve hit with for a number of years. The biggest thing for me is just making sure that I’m ready once the season starts and I think that getting some more at-bats and playing a few more game in Sarasota will definitely benefit me.”

Crush talks about how the oblique injury he suffered last season really effected his swing throughout the 2014 season. “I didn’t notice how big of a deal it was until this off-season until I had a chance to take a little bit of time off and then get back into my routine and start hitting again. It kinda bothered me, looking back, just the way I handled things. One, I foolishly tried to play through it which just made it worse and two, everybody told me ‘don’t come back to early, make sure you take the time, make sure you’re healthy’ but the competitor in me just wanted to get back out on the field. I felt like I was healthy enough and really I just played the rest of the year with a nagging injury.” Chris said, “I’m completely 100% healthy right now and actually a little bit stronger than I was at this point last year.”

Scott Coolbaugh is the new hitting coach for the Baltimore Orioles and Chris played with him as a coach while he was in Texas. He’s very familiar with Scott and vice-versa. Chris feels as though Coolbaugh will be well received because he fits the “do whatever it takes to win” mentality of the clubhouse.

The new MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has floated out the idea of outlawing the shift in the majors to increase offensive production. Jim notes that he can’t remember a time that Chris stepped up to the plate and there wasn’t some version of the shift used against him and recalls that someone at Fan Fest asked him about using that to his advantage and laying down a bunt in the gap. Chris says, “I think there are definitely situations where I need to bunt. I know there was some frustration last year, obviously with my batting average being as low as it was not only on my part but with the fan base and maybe even on some of my teammates part as far as me hitting into the shift. First of all, when you’re not swinging the bat well and you’re kinda trying to find it, for me I want to go up there and I want to have the at-bat. I don’t want to just lay a bunt down. There were times last year when I did lay a bunt down but for me it was really a comfort thing. It’s different working off a machine or even off of a BP arm and laying balls down the third base line and then going into a game and doing it. For me it was just a comfort thing and I have worked on it this off-season.”

Roch asks Chris if he believes he will be taking fly balls in right field since there is a vacancy there. Chris has experience in the outfield in the past but before his suspension last year he was the every day first baseman. Chris says, “I’ve been getting worn out in Texas about it. People asking ‘What happened to Markakis?’ I think it’s on the table. I don’t know and I asked Buck what his thoughts were and kinda was like ‘If I’m going to be playing in the outfield, give me a heads up so I don’t come in at like 245 thinking I’m going to be playing first base every day and then I’m rumbling around in the outfield.’ I think it’s always on the table with Buck.” He doesn’t seem like he minds playing any position on the field as long as he can contribute and get out there and play as long as the team is successful.

Chris also talks about the accident that he witnessed on 295 where he got out and helped the driver of a truck that rolled over after his tire blew out. The guys joke with him about him running to the rescue and flipping the truck over all on his own but Chris recounts what happened and the real heroes of the day–the EMTs and Firemen.

O’s ace Chris Tillman is next up on the Al Packer Ford hotline on the O’s Hot Stove Show. Chris has been down in Florida for about a month already, even though pitchers and catchers don’t have to report until next Thursday, February 19.

Chris talks about consistency in his game and reflects on the season he had in 2014. “Looking back there was a few rough patches and a few good patches.” Chris said, “Overall, it was pretty consistent but at the end of the day you like to get rid of those really really rough patches and stay on the even keel like you always talk about.

“I think [adversity] helps, big time. You learn more from the games where you struggle. It’s not like you’re going out there trying to struggle so you can learn something but when you go out there and you have a good game, one of those games where all your teammates come up and congratulate you, you say well I don’t really remember what happened and you move on. The games that are a little tougher with some tough outs and you kinda of get hit around a little bit you can really sit back and watch some video and talk to the catchers and pitching coaches and everyone has a piece to the puzzle. You just gotta try and figure it out for the next time out.”

The competition this year for for the starters on the pitching staff is steep. There are 6 starters right now for 5 spots in the rotation. “It’s a good problem to have,” says Tillman. Competing for jobs will make the whole staff better. Tillman, Norris, Gonzalez and Chen were the consistent starters in 2014 while they shuffled Jimenez and Gausman through the 5th spot. Expectations are high for Gausman this year. Tillman talks about the fact that he takes pride in making every one of his starts. He wishes he could pitch more than every fifth day but when it comes his turn he doesn’t want to give any of them up.

He also talks about his control of the base runners last season. Chris was among the best in not allowing stolen bases last year.

Next up on the Hot Stove Show is starting catcher for much of the 2014 season, Caleb Joseph who is now fighting for a position on the roster with the return of Matt Wieters and the signing of J.P. Arencibia.

Caleb talks about the day he got called up to the bigs from Tampa last year. “Oh man, just an incredible amount of emotions flowing at one time. Just excited, honored, nervous, you put any sort of adjective in front of it and that would pretty much explain how it was. I was just glad that it worked out the way that it did, now with unfortunate circumstances with Matt going down so it was kind of bitter sweet. Personally, it was a great moment. We won the game and that was just a great feeling.” Those emotions were the accumulation of year in the minor league system and fighting to get a chance in the majors. Caleb said he found a jersey that was given to him by the Bay Sox with 400 inscribed on it and said “it brought back those same memories that they did a great job and the production was great but I just really didn’t want that to be my legacy. When I talked to you that first day it was amazing to finally be there but, like I said, that last spring training my whole motivation and goal was to get to triple-A, because I knew if I could get out of double-A I would still have a chance. It went really well and unfortunately Matt was injured but I got the call and my dream came true that day.”

Roch says that in the minors it was Caleb’s offense that got him attention but it was his defense that raised the question marks in his game. When he got to the majors that seemed to flip-flop and his defense is really what kept him around. Caleb responded, “It’s tough. I expected fully to go up there and hit as well. When I first walked into the clubhouse, a lot of the advice I was given by Buck and the other staff members was, ‘Hey, we really need you to play defense. We don’t expect you to come up here and hit 4th. You’re going to hit 9th and play defense.’ So I really spent a lot of time doing that. Meeting with pitchers, trying to get as comfortable as I could with the staff and learning the players we were going to be facing.”

Caleb talks about the role that Brady Anderson has played in his development and how he influenced the team to give Caleb a shot in the bigs. Caleb says he is grateful for the opportunity and glad that he could prove Brady right. He’s working hard to get his game to where he can be an impact player on the roster. He notes that he knows Matt Wieters in the number one guy but he also knows that he has to fight his way into the second spot.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2015/02/10/bowie-baysox-will-give- out-bobbleheads-of-babe-ruth-wearing-os-minor-league-jersey/

Bowie Baysox will give out bobbleheads of Babe Ruth wearing O’s minor league jersey

By Scott Allen / The Washington Post February 10, 2015

Baltimore native Babe Ruth signed his first professional baseball contract with the minor league Baltimore Orioles of the in 1914. Ruth pitched for the Orioles for a few months before financial difficulties caused by the arrival of the Federal League’s Baltimore Terrapins forced Orioles owner Jack Dunn to sell Ruth to the American League’s Boston Red Sox.

The Bowie Baysox don’t want you to forget Ruth’s brief stint in Baltimore. In partnership with Ruth Birthplace and Museum, the Class AA affiliate of the Orioles will give out bobbleheads of the legend wearing his 1914 Baltimore minor league jersey to the first 1,000 fans ages 13 and older on July 19.

The Ruth bobblehead giveaway is among the highlights of the Baysox’s promotional schedule, which also includes a Touch-A-Truck event on May 30.

The Eastern League’s gave out bobbleheads of Ruth in a Red Sox jersey in 2005 after Boston broke the “ of the Bambino” the previous season.

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/02/tides-manager-ron-johnson-returning-4th-season

Tides manager Ron Johnson returning for 4th season

By David Hall / The Virginian-Pilot February 11, 2015

Former major leaguer Ron Johnson will return to manage the for a fourth season, the International League announced Tuesday.

Johnson will be joined by returning pitching coach Mike Griffin and new hitting coach Sean Berry, who replaces the retired Denny Walling. Jose Hernandez, a 15-year major league veteran, returns as third base coach.

Johnson, who had a short major league playing career and a long one in the minors, has a minor league managerial record of 1,477-1,478. He guided the Tides to a 65-79 record last season.

More importantly, Johnson kept the parent Baltimore Orioles stocked with a fresh supply of bats and arms, often juggling his lineup to suit O's manager Buck Showalter's needs. Many of those players helped Baltimore to the AL East crown.

Johnson said Tuesday he couldn't confirm his return because the O's hadn't yet announced it.

Berry, 48, joins the staff from San Diego, for whom he was the minor league hitting coordinator. A former , he played 11 major league seasons for five teams, primarily Montreal and Houston.

Berry also played for Johnson in the Kansas City organization. He worked with Johnson's son, Chris, as Houston's hitting coach.

Griffin, who pitched parts of six big league seasons for five teams from 1979-89, will coach his seventh season with the Tides.

Johnson, 58, is 1 of 11 IL managers returning this season. The other three became third base coaches for their organizations' parent clubs.

New managers in the IL will be Jared Sandberg of Durham, Delino DeShields of Louisville and Mike Quade of Rochester.