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 2016, 2012, 1996 Tuesday, January 3, 2017 Columns: Top 10 Orioles storylines of 2016 The Sun 12/30 Free-agent slugger market could open up for Orioles in new year The Sun 12/29 Orioles bullpen a candidate for regression after strong 2016 campaign The Sun 12/28 Orioles right-hander Tyler Wilson looking to learn from last year's struggles The Sun 12/24 Orioles have interest in free-agent outfielder Rajai Davis The Sun 12/23 Core group to shape Orioles' success in 2017 MLB.com 12/30 The Hall of Fame Case: Melvin Mora MLB.com 12/30 Orioles powered way to postseason in 2016 MLB.com 12/28 Inbox: What's likelihood of Trumbo returning? MLB.com 12/26 Sharing joy part of O's holiday highlights MLB.com 12/23 This, that and the other MASNsports.com 1/3 Making up resolutions for the Orioles MASNsports.com 1/2 Wondering about your worries in a new year MASNsports.com 1/1 Wondering what’s next for Kim MASNsports.com 12/31 Notes on Givens and Orioles assistant hitting coach MASNsports.com 12/30 Orioles primed for more late additions MASNsports.com 12/29 This, that and the other MASNsports.com 12/28 Chris Davis: “I think there’s definitely a sense of urgency” MASNsports.com 12/27 Wondering about Rickard’s place on 2017 roster MASNsports.com 12/26 Because You Asked - Home Alone 4 MASNsports.com 12/25 Orioles continuing efforts to improve OBP MASNsports.com 12/24 Duquette: “Still looking for opportunities to build the club” MASNsports.com 12/23 The Orioles may have to move on from Mark Trumbo MASNsports.com 1/2 For starters, another look at the rotation MASNsports.com 1/1 Some final 2016 gripes while looking ahead to 2017 MASNsports.com 12/31 Some fans see the future and are very concerned MASNsports.com 12/30 The Orioles balance a hopeful present with an uncertain future MASNsports.com 12/29 A statistical look at the Orioles’ 2016 team pitching MASNsports.com 12/28 The search for an outfielder continues MASNsports.com 12/26 Christmas Day takes MASNsports.com 12/25 Memo to batters: Hit it high and let it fly MASNsports.com 12/24 Orioles honor local heroes through Birdland Community Heroes, Americana Music programs MASNsports.com 12/31 MLB Rumor Central: Could Mark Trumbo still return to Baltimore? ESPN.com 12/27 The Orioles' Unforgettable And Forgettable In 2016 PressBoxOnline.com 12/30 Why An Extension For Jonathan Schoop Makes Sense For Orioles PressBoxOnline.com 12/29 Orioles Should Consider Moving Chris Davis To Right Field PressBoxOnline.com 12/29 Can Tyler Wilson Be A Real Contributor For Orioles In 2017? PressBoxOnline.com 12/28 Could Jesus Liranzo Be Orioles' Next Mychal Givens Or Donnie Hart? PressBoxOnline.com 12/27 Five Things To Know About Orioles Prospect Tanner Scott PressBoxOnline.com 12/26 Post-New Year’s Day buys are now more important than pre-Christmas shopping in baseball BaltimoreBaseball.com 12/28 Thanks for 2016 — and here’s hoping for an even better 2017 at BaltimoreBaseball.com BaltimoreBaseball.com 12/30 Tap-In Question: Besides a World Series, what’s your top 2017 wish for the O’s? BaltimoreBaseball.com 1/2 http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-top-10-orioles-storylines-of-2016- 20161229-story.html Top 10 Orioles storylines of 2016 By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun December 30, 2016 A year when the Orioles hit heaps of home runs and earned a playoff berth ends Saturday, leaving a year’s worth of memories — some good, some bad — for everyone to mull over. This Orioles’ season had its share of drama, intrigue and downright fun, but most everything fit into a few tidy storylines. With 2016 wrapping up, here are the top 10 Orioles storylines that played out over the calendar year, along with some required reading if you want to freshen up on how it all went down in the moment. 10. Veteran starters disappoint throughout In a rotation that caused headaches for the entire season, there seemed to be a veteran or two not carrying his weight at all times. Whether it was the slow start and subsequent shelving of Yovani Gallardo with shoulder soreness, the three-month disaster that was Ubaldo Jimenez’s first half, or the uninspiring performance of trade-deadline acquisition Wade Miley, there wasn’t much to smile about for that group. Jimenez spent essentially two months out of the rotation, and the other two veterans were skipped at times down the stretch. In all, it contributed to a team that was never quite comfortable with its starting rotation. And if you’re looking for a reason why the baseball world doubted the Orioles’ prospects, it was in no small part because of that. 9. Chris Tillman’s tease The clichés about Opening Day signifying a new beginning are too apt to leave out. Before that warm April afternoon turned rainy, Chris Tillman was the best version of himself anyone could imagine, striking out five of six batters before the weather ended his day. Through the first month or so of the season, he was a stud. By becoming comfortable with his slider and mixing that in against right-handed batters, Tillman had yet another weapon to help him become the front-line starter the Orioles badly needed. A shoulder problem contributed to his second half being spoiled a bit, but he still finished with a 3.77 ERA and erased all doubts that his 2015 struggles were anything but health related. Another year like 2016 will mean Tillman is in line for a huge payday next offseason in free agency, but he might never be more electric than he was on Opening Day. 8. What a first half … In retrospect, what the Orioles were able to do before the All-Star break deserves more kudos than it got. By the end of June, they’d already ripped off three seven-game winning streaks, including one to open the season, and spent all but 15 days in the first half atop the American League East. That was mostly buoyed by a record-breaking offensive June. In addition to hitting 56 home runs, they led the league in runs (185), hits (294), batting average (.300), on-base percentage (.357) and slugging percentage (.531). It was fun to watch, but it ultimately didn’t last. 7. Brad Brach steps in for Darren O’Day Part of the Orioles bullpen's strength in recent years hasn’t just been that closer Zach Britton is unhittable, but the fact that he’s not the only person they can rely upon. For four seasons, Darren O’Day was among the game’s best setup men. The Orioles rewarded him as such after he was named to the All-Star Game in 2015, signing him to a four-year, $31 million deal. But hamstring and shoulder injuries kept him off the mound for much of 2016, and in his place came another All-Star: Brad Brach. Brach took a massive step forward in the first half of this season, entering the All-Star break with a 0.91 ERA and finishing the year with a 2.05 ERA. He had some problems keeping the ball in the park in the second half. But Brach’s 2016 gives a lot of hope that the Orioles bullpen could be even better next year when it’s at full strength with a health O’Day and all the rest of the parts back. 6. The saga of Hyun Soo Kim and Joey Rickard Deserved or not, no two players got more attention this year than outfielders Joey Rickard and Hyun Soo Kim. Both began the year as unknowns, with Rickard a Rule 5 draft pick and Kim a proven hitter in South Korea but untested in the United States. Rickard was a star in spring training, and started in left field on Opening Day. Kim struggled in spring training, and only made the roster because his contract allowed him to refuse assignment to the minors. On that fateful April afternoon, Rickard was wildly cheered and Kim was booed when introduced. The former became something of a hero during the Orioles’ seven-game winning streak that opened the season, and Kim hardly played. Over time, however, their roles reversed. Rickard’s season ended in July after he’d become a platoon player, batting .268 before tearing a ligament in his thumb. By the end of May, Kim had become an everyday player and ended the year as a fan favorite, batting .302 with an on-base capability the Orioles desperately needed. Their paths were intertwined all season, and on a team of stars, there was plenty of spotlight left for these two. 5. The Mark Trumbo Renaissance Possibly a little low for the major league home run leader, but that says a lot about the rest of the cast of characters up and down the Orioles roster. He’s a universally recognized value, considering he came from the Seattle Mariners for backup catcher Steve Clevenger and mashed 47 home runs while making the All-Star team and adding more power to the Orioles’ potent offense. He, like so many others on the team, slowed a bit in the second half, but that only accentuates how important his first-half production was to a team that set all kinds of records in June and needed a power bat to make up for Chris Davis’ downswing.