San Diego’s I-5 neighbor and rival Los Angeles reported in for a key three game set.  LA had swept the Padres in a May series at Petco and had won 4 of the 5 games overall between the two, so many in San Diego considered this a statement series.  Folks in the Dodger organization apparently felt the same way; LA manager Joe Torre said as much before the series.  On Monday Jon Garland took the mound against Chad Billingsley.

The stands were packed, and a noticeable playoff feel permeated the stadium.  Both Billingsley and Garland were on top of their games, spinning scoreless frame after scoreless frame.  San Diego had the first best chance to break through, loading the bases in the fourth on three straight singles with no one out.  Billingsley dug deep, enticing Will Venable to ground into a forceout at home, getting Tony Gwynn Jr to pop out to short, and blowing away Everth Cabrera looking.

It stayed scoreless until the seventh, when the Dodgers managed to put runners on first and third with two out.  Bud Black rolled the dice, intentionally walking Russell Martin to get to the pitcher’s spot.  Torre countered with pinch-hitter Andre Ethier, who was scratched from the start with a stomach ailment.  Black left Garland in the game to face the left-handed Ethier.  The move backfired when Andre lined a single to center to score two runs.  Those runs were all the Dodgers would need.  Hong-Chih Kuo and Jonathan Broxton got the last nine outs without incident, and the Dodgers had won their fourth straight in San Diego, 2-0.

By now the Padres hadn’t scored against Dodger pitching in almost three games.  With Hiroki Kuroda taking the hill on Wednesday, and the Dodgers having won his last 3 starts in San Diego, the prospects seemed bleak.  Kuroda immediately started dealing, allowing only one hit through the first 5 innings.  Clayton Richard, starting for the Padres, was almost as stingy; but he surrendered a lone run in the third inning, and the Padres found themselves trailing 1-0 heading into the late innings.

Then a funny thing happened.  Kuroda suddenly lost his mojo.  Gwynn led off with a single and stole second with one out.  Chris Denorfia walked.  Adrian Gonzalez worked the count full, then lifted a soft single to center.  In the play that changed the series, Gwynn got a tremendous read on both the ball and CF Matt Kemp’s position, taking off for the plate.  Kemp played the ball on a short-hop and had no play at the plate.  With the scoreless streak stopped at 31 innings, San Diego relaxed.  Chase Headley walked to load the bases, and Nick Hundley drove in Denorfia with a sacrifice fly to give the Padres the lead. San Diego tacked on two more each in the seventh and eighth innings, and came home comfortably with a 6-1 win.

Thursday afternoon put the Padre ace Mat Latos up against Vicente Padilla.  San Diego took an early lead on Headley’s RBI single in the first, but the Dodgers equalized immediately on James Loney’s home run leading off the second.  San Diego retook the lead on Yorvit Torrealba’s run-scoring double in the fourth, and the Dodgers answered again thanks to Garrett Anderson’s pinch-hit single in the fifth.  Patient Padre hitters had forced Torre to remove Padilla after only 4 innings.  It stayed tied and tense into the ninth.  Heath Bell shut down the Dodgers in the top of the inning.  Scott Hairston led off the bottom with a single, and was moved to second by Gwynn.  Oscar Salazar, pinch-hitting for Everth Cabrera, drove a 3-2 pitch up the middle to score Hairston and give San Diego a huge series win.

Before the game, San Diego made their first foray into the trade market, acquiring third baseman Miguel Tejada from Baltimore for minor-league pitcher Wynn Pelzer.  Production from the shortstop position has been a glaring weakness for this team.  The original plan had been to use Jerry Hairston Jr as a utilityman, spot-starting him to give Headley, Cabrera, and David Eckstein days off.  Unfortunately, injuries to Eckstein and Cabrera, as well as Cabrera’s lack of production, has forced J. Hairston to play virtually everyday.  Although Tejada has primarily played third base in 2010, the Padres clearly intend to use him at short, and hope his bat rejuvenates itself once out of Baltimore.

Following the emotional series win over Los Angeles, the Florida Marlins came to town.  San Diego had already played two series against the Marlins in Miami this season, taking 5 of 6.  Florida, for whatever reason, plays very well on the opposite coast, having won 9 of the last 12 games at Petco.  Friday night Chris Volstad matched up against Wade LeBlanc, and the Padres struck first when Headley singled home J. Hairston.  However Tejada was thrown out at the plate, ending the inning.

From there Volstad took over, scattering three hits over the next 4 shutout innings.  Meanwhile after going out in order in the first inning, the Marlin offense came to life.  LeBlanc lost the lead by giving up two runs in the third, then surrendered solo home runs in the fourth and sixth innings.  San Diego tried to fight back in the home half of the sixth.  Denorfia led off with a triple, and Gonzo singled him home, chasing Volstad.  Gonzalez made it to second on Tejada’s ground out, then tried to advance to third on Headley’s ground ball to short and was cut down 6-5, effectively ending the rally.  The Padres only managed one more baserunner the rest of the way, and fell to Florida 4-2.

Saturday morning started with a bang, as the Padres announced a three-way trade with St Louis and Cleveland.  San Diego had also suffered all season long from a lack of production at the corner outfield positions, and tried to address that need by acquiring Ryan Ludwick from St Louis.  Ludwick, suddenly expendable in St Louis based on the play of Jon Jay, immediately became the best outfield bat on the roster, and one of the better gloves.  Ryan would not make it to San Diego in time for Saturday’s mid-afternoon tilt.

On the mound, Ricky Nolasco faced Kevin Correia.  The Padres again faced excellent pitching, as Nolasco faced the minimum through five and did not allow a hit.  Correia has been bitten by the HR bug all season, and it reared its head again on Saturday night.  Marlin rookie Michael Stanton hit a 2-run shot in the second to give Florida a quick lead, and Dan Uggla’s solo shot in the sixth extended it.  Scott Hairston broke up the no-hitter with a solo run leading off the home half of the sixth to keep the Padres within shouting distance.  Florida kept pushing, adding an unearned run in the seventh, then two insurance runs in the ninth.  It turned out they needed those runs, because Gonzalez knocked in two with a single in the ninth, and when Tejada followed that with a single the tying run came to the plate with one out.  Marlin closer Leo Nunez was summoned to face Tejada, and after allowing the single got Nick Hundley and Venable to each ground out, ending both the threat and the game.  6-3 Marlins.

San Diego suddenly found itself both trying to avoid a sweep, and maintain some distance between themselves and he rest of the NL West.  San Francisco had been charging the whole week, and after winning two straight over those Dodgers sat 1.5 games behind.  It was up to Garland to stop the bleeding, but he drew NL Cy Young contender Josh Johnson.  Not an easy assignment.

The 2010 Padres will not be intimidated.  After the first two men were retired by Johnson, Gonzalez singled, Tejada walked, and Torrealba doubled them both home.  Quick 2-0 Padres lead.  Florida fought back with single runs in the second and third to tie the game, then took the lead with another single run in the sixth.  It was San Diego’s turn to come back.  Torrealba singled and Venable walked.  After S. Hairston popped out, Ludwick pinch-hit to a standing ovation.  Ludwick fouled off 4 pitches then singled to left, loading the bases.  Denorfia hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game, followed by J. Hairston doubling over the head of Marlin left-fielder Logan Morrison, clearing the bases.  The Padres did give up a run in the ninth, but held on for the 5-4 win.

San Diego maintained its 1.5 game lead over San Francisco, and now head north for 4 more games with the suddenly reeling Dodgers.  The front office aggressively and imaginatively moved to strengthen the roster, and found a perfect fit in Ludwick, and a potential high-upside offensive player in Tejada.  As August starts, the Padres hold the best record in the National League, and start their stretch drive to the NL West Pennant.

He enjoyed the experience for the most part. It’s worth paying 226 bucks to take Amtrak just to see his team take three out of four against the sad-sack Orioles.

With that said, it’s sad to see how the atmosphere at Camden Yards rotted in the last decade.  Years of losing and bad management will drive fans away in any sports town.

The Orioles have a good fanbase. Don’t confuse lack of emotion to apathy. They recognize what’s going on. They know about the minor-league system, and they understand what’s going on in the major league level. The problem is they are resigned to the fact there is no hope.

Think of the Orioles as the Detroit Lions of baseball.

The farm system has promise, but there’s no guarantee those guys will perform when they get called up to the parent club. Their young players regressed. This team has no pitching at all. Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta and Chris Tillman may be good one day, but who knows. We thought Daniel Cabrera and Erik Bedard would form into a good starting duo, but it did not work out for either of them.

Couple of Orioles fans were interviewed for this piece. They mentioned things won’t get better until Peter Angelos sells the team and Andy MacPhail is fired.

They don’t believe the rebuilding job MacPhail is selling on the fans. They don’t like MacPhail using the organization as a haven for ex-Cubs, and they are not crazy about him being a skinflint when it comes to money. They were tired of Angelos running good baseball people out of the organization under his stewardship.

Johnny Oates,  Frank Robinson, Roland Hemond, Pat Gillick, Davey Johnson and Frank Wren did good things for the organization, but they were not good enough for Angelos so they were sent packing. Jim Beattie, Mike Hargrove, Lee Mazzili and Jim Duquette did all they could to get that franchise out of the doldrums, but Angelos grew impatient with the lack of winning so those men were done quickly.

This is why the Orioles are where they are today. Not only are they losing, but they are boring to watch. Most of their players don’t seem to care whether their team wins or loses. They are just waiting for their paychecks, and checking when they hit free agency.

This isn’t “The Oriole Way”, and fans sense it, which is why there is apathy by the fanbase.

When the Ravens are the top team in Charm City, it’s sad. There’s no question football trumps baseball in most towns, but in Baltimore, the Orioles are normally popular than the Ravens until the last decade. 12 losing seasons going on 13 can do that to a town.

It’s not just bad baseball that is disturbing in Baltimore, but the gameday experience at Camden Yards is terrible to say the least. Kids are not  interested in the atmosphere. Fans often are bored rather than being entertained. The Orioles don’t like to promote their product to the diehards. There’s nothing to do for the fans when it comes to sightseeing.

The quality of food at that ballpark is terrible. Pizza, Borderwalk fries, hot dogs, chicken tenders, Boogs BBQ sandwich and crabcakes are the basic food choices at Camden Yards.

In this day and age, ballparks offer fine cuisine to the fans. Camden Yards is still new enough to offer new food for fans that are interested. It’s up to the Orioles to take notes and find a way to prepare better food that will draw people to the park.

Most vendors at the park were miserable. They looked at their job as a chore. This should never happen.  In most ballparks, vendors are enthusiastic when they sell products for the fans to buy it, but that’s not the case at Camden Yards. Most of the products go unsold, and no one buys the food over there.

It’s not a fun feeling when 75 percent of the Twins outnumber 25 percent of the Orioles fans at the place. In a town like Baltimore, it should never exist. This isn’t Florida or Phoenix.

This fan bellowed every time the Twins scored, but it was depressing when Orioles fans could not muster a comeback with the Orioles not giving a chance to do. When the game became a lost cause, this fan kept his mouth shut and just say there.

A ballpark should be about different fanbases bantering among one another with both of them having fun. That wasn’t the case on Sunday afternoon. Anytime a opposing fanbase feels pity on the home team, it should be humiliating.

Who knows if it’s going to get better? Baseball needs the Orioles do well. In fact, baseball needs all teams to do well so that it can make profit altogether.

Football is successful because it offers hope for teams to not only win, but winning a championship one day. Even Lions fans can feel optimistic despite their team’s struggles. Fans follow up on that. That’s the way baseball wants it to.

It’s up to Angelos to either figure out or sell the team. The best choice would be for him to sell the team, but it’s not happening. He likes the idea of making money and being an owner of his hometown team. One prays Angelos gets it right one of these days.

Thursday is the day Angelos got something. He approved the hiring of Buck Showalter as the manager this afternoon.

This is as good as it’s going to get for the Orioles. Showalter was desperate for a job, and the Orioles wanted someone who can manage this team out of the abyss.

Showalter’s track record and reputation indicates he will turn that woebegone franchise around. He will have his players develop soon, and his team will start playing properly.

This means no tanking, and no more laziness from this team. The Orioles are going to be credible franchise again, and they are going to win games.

Who knows how long he will stay? Chances are he will wear out his welcome, which is something he has done with the Yankees, Diamondbacks and the Rangers. Still, this is not time to worry about it.

This is the time to appreciate the journey of this team. This team has a legitimate manager that can turn this around. If he can’t do it, then there’s no hope.

Let’s pray this Orioles team end this futility. Their fanbase deserve better than what has gone on in this decade, and this nice park should be filled with happy Orioles fans not empty green seats.

San Diego acquires Tejada and $1 million cash for Winn Pelzer, a minor league pitcher who was with AA San Antonio.

Tejada, 36, was the 2002 AL MVP while with Oakland and is a 6-time All Star, most recently last season with Houston.  He played shortstop his entire career at the Major League level until this season.  He has primarily manned third base for the Orioles.

Defensively his skills have eroded.  His last good year with the glove was 2008 with Houston, according to Dewan plus/minus (+7, five runs saved).  In 2009 his plus/minus stood at -21, with equated to 16 runs allowed.  He’s improved at third from those numbers, but still posted a -4 equating to 3 runs allowed based solely on his defense.

Offensively he posted a .269/.308/.362 line for an OPS+ of 81.  That is an improvement over what Everth Cabrera’s brought at short, but  not better than Chase Headley (99), David Eckstein (94), or Jerry Hairston Jr (88).  In his last year with Houston, he put up a .313/.330/.455 line (OPS+ 109).  That might be due to playing on a better team, or perhaps due to playing in a hitter-friendly ballpark.  The Padres are banking on the former reason I’m sure.

If nothing else this move brings in a player who can give Headley the occasional day off, which is a positive.  If his hitting returns to its 2009 form that’s a big improvement for this team.

Welcome to the pennant race, Miguel Tejada.  We look forward to seeing you in action.

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The Baltimore Orioles have the worst team in the major leagues, and Daniel Moroz (CamdenCrazies.com) will give offer his insight on where the Orioles go from here. Conversely, the Toronto Blue Jays keep rolling and Kirk Verner (Examiner.com / Baseball Digest.com) who cover the Jays weights in on the topic. Baseball Digest Assignment editor and Cardinals Content Bill Ivie rounds out the show with St.Louis Cardinals baseball talk. Also, BDL host Mark Healey will be joined on the program by Baseball Digest Fantasy columnist Jay Ferraro.

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Crafted each week by the show’s Executive Producer and BD’s Fantasy Baseball expert Jay Ferraro, listeners of “Baseball Digest LIVE” will hear Fantasy Baseball advice, historical perspectives with interviews of former MLB players and award winning authors, as well as the lowdown the day-to-day action of MLB baseball with the country’s top baseball writers and anaylsts.

Jeff Zreblec of the Baltimore newspaper reports that president Andy MacPhail met with the team this evening upon their arrival back home from their road trip.  MacPhail was not on this road trip with the team, a trip that seen the team lose six straight games to their rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees.

It is assumed that this meeting was to inform the team of a change in management, relieving Dave Trembley of his post and replacing him, presumably with third base coach Juan Samuel.

Samuel, a former three time all star during his major league playing career, has been with the Orioles organization for three seasons prior to 2010.  He has coached first and third base for the Detroit Tigers and was the manager of the AA Mets’ affiliate in Binghamton in 2006, finishing with a 70-69 record and in second place in the division.

The Orioles are a team that has struggled to compete under Trembley since he took over the team in June of 2008 as the then interim manager.  The team has shown signs of growth and possible competitiveness, only to fall short of the finish line each season.  The move at manager will be the first in a long line of steps to start righting the ship that is the Orioles.

Fans with special dietary needs — not just those of us who should be on a diet — especially the growing segment with gluten and other allergies — have long been left out, forced to either bring their own food or choose from a narrow selection.  But Aramark, which handles concessions for 14 MLB teams and 10 minor league clubs, last year rolled out what it believes to have been the first dedicated gluten-free stand at Coors Field in Denver and added one at Turner Field in Atlanta soon thereafter.  This year, Aramark is expanding its offerings to at least three other parks.

In place for 2010 are:

• Citi Field, New York (World’s Fare Market): Hot dog and hamburger on gluten-free bun, gluten-free snacks, gluten-free beer.
• Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia (Section 128): Hot dog on gluten-free bun, gluten-free beer.
• Coors Field, Denver (Section 143): Hot dog, hamburger and chicken sandwich on gluten-free bun, potato chips, cookies and brownies, gluten-free beer.
• Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore (Charm City Market): Gluten-free crab cake, Asian noodle salad, hummus and vegetables, hot dog and sausage on gluten-free bun, gluten-free beer.
• Turner Field, Atlanta (Section 112): Grilled sirloin burger served on tapioca-organic rice roll, hot dog on gluten-free bun, potato chips and popcorn, cookies and brownies, gluten-free beer.

Aramark also notes that fans at the ballparks it serves can contact the concessions manager prior to their visit to make appropriate arrangements and learn more about items that suit their individual diets.  Gluten-free food is also readily available in most premium dining areas, such as suites, clubs and restaurants.

Other Aramark teams include the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Oakland A’s, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays.

This question has been part of the reasoning behind the baseball commissioner’s special committee, which is brainstorming ideas like floating realignment. In this idea, a team like Baltimore, which knew they could not compete for a division title in a certain season, would be lumped in with other powerhouse teams vying for a championship.  Or a team could move to a newly made division each year to give them a better chance to make the playoffs against a watered down division.  I can appreciate the way this MLB committee is dreaming to try to give baseball parity, even though it makes the purists side of me want to hurl.  For now, we’ll just call them dreams.  How does Baltimore deal with where they are right now?

GM Andy McPhail and crew have a promising future.  Last December, John Manuel from Baseball America (BA) ranked the O’s in the 6-15 range of organizations minor league systems.  Instead of trying to sort out 6-15 he just piled this group together after the top five.  Top prospects like LHP Brian Matusz (ranked #5 overall prospect by BA), third basemen Josh Bell, and other arms like Zach Britton, and Jake Arrieta (all are in the top 100 prospects listed by Baseball America) can get Oriole fans excited about the future.

Former first round draft choice, Matt Wieters, at catcher, outfielders, Nick Markakis and Adam Jones, and already mentioned Brian Matusz all are contributing at the Major League level.  Combine those quality players with lifelong Oriole veteran second baseman Brian Roberts and it would seem that the Orioles have a start to a nice nucleus of players.

The first thing you notice when you look at what’s wrong with this team is a bunch of other players who do not have much upside left.  When you look at veteran pitcher Kevin Millwood (whom you would immediately be shopping in a deal, even though his contract is undesirable), shortstop/second basemen Julio Lugo, first basemen Garrett Atkins, shortstop Cesar Izturis, and third basemen Miguel Tejada, you have a group of players that have, well, matured.  You know what these guys are going to give you.  It’s not necessarily awful across the board.  However, there is no upside left in these players.  Perhaps the thinking behind having them on a roster is that they offer the veteran leadership needed for young players as they break in to the majors.  You can understand the idea, but Baltimore really needs to end this streak of getting mediocrity and begin shifting to the future.

What we should begin to see in this organization is a switch from old to new.  Allow Brian Roberts to remain as the old, staple vet on the team if you wish and begin to bring in the new crop of players.  With Nick Markakis, Nolan Reimold (who led AL rookies with 15 HR last season), and Adam Jones, the O’s outfield is set.  If Josh Bell, acquired in a deal with the Dodgers for George Sherrill, who had a bright 2009 in the minors (.295/20/76) can live up to expectations at third, Baltimore begins to shape up a nice lineup.

The real key for success for the Orioles lies in the young arms they have been stockpiling.  Chris Tillman (who came with Adam Jones via the Eric Bedard trade with Seattle) is maturing well in the minors (9.6 K/9 in 5 seasons) and might develop into a #1 or a solid #2.  Matusz already looks like a solid #2.  Then, the other arms like Zach Britton and Jake Arrieta, (who is a Team USA standout pitcher from my neck of the woods in Farmington, Missouri) begin to round out a nice rotation.

The Orioles payroll this year is nearly $74M.  If they begin to look like a contender in a couple years, ownership will need to open the pocketbook and should not have a problem living with a payroll $10-$15M higher as they have in some years past.

2011 could prove to be a year of initiation for many prospects.  Once you start to think about 2012, an Oriole fan can start to get excited.  It won’t be long before Baltimore and her fans could have something to cheer about again.  The ingredients for success seem to be in place.  It may have to be the route of a wild-card in a similar manner to what the Tampa Rays are doing but by doing away with the mediocrity and allow the young men to come in the Orioles have a lot of promise that they can contend.

Robin Roberts debuted for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1948, a professional baseball player that was known in college for his skill on the basketball courts at Michigan State University.  Settling into a baseball career that would span 19 season, Robin Roberts would compile an impressive resume that would lead him to Cooperstown in 1976.  Along the way, Roberts would achieve some amazing feats.

Roberts was a successful pitcher on teams that were not known for being successful themselves.  He was a member of the “Whiz Kids” Phillies of 1952, posting his highest win total of his career at 28, and winning the Sporting News Player Of The Year award.  1952 was the third of his six consecutive twenty win seasons.  He would complete an impressive 28 consecutive games at one point during his career. During this span, in 1954, he would pitch against the Cincinnati Redlegs and retire 27 straight batters in the contest.  He had surrendered a lead off home run to Bobby Adams and won the game 8-1, very close to a perfect game.

Roberts holds the major league record for home runs allowed at 505, won 286 games, lost 245 and posted an earned run average of 3.41 over his career.

Roberts number 36 was retired by the Phillies while he was still an active ballplayer, then with the Yankees in spring training.  He would be only the second player in history to have his number retired while still active, Babe Ruth being the first.  The Yankees would release Roberts before he ever appeared in an official game, and he found his way to the Orioles.  After three and a half years with the Orioles, he would be traded mid season in 1965 to the Astros and again in mid season of 1966 to the Cubs, where he would end his career later that season.  He is also the only pitcher in history to hold victories over all three Braves incarnations; Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta.

Outside the first base side of the Phillies current home, Citizens Bank Park, there is a statue in honor of one of baseball’s all time greats, a man ranked in the top 100 all time by major league baseball and an honorable mention on the all century team.  As news spread through the organization, the air was obviously one of sorrow and mourning.  The team will take the field against the Cardinals today and, without doubt, pay tribute to a legend.

All of us here with BaseballDigest.com and Baseball Digest Classic send our thoughts and prayers to the Phillies family, the Roberts family, and baseball as a whole as we all say goodbye to a true Classic.

It would appear that the Baltimore Orioles bullpen did not receive that yesterday as the team dropped its first game to the Tampa Bay Rays by a score of 4-3.

The O’s offensive consisted of three solo home runs from Luke Scott, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters, who were all able to take Rays’ pitcher James Shields deep.

Obviously, the offense was not enough to help the O’s win and if they want to have a good season, their offense needs to be lights out because their pitching, especially the club’s bullpen, certainly won’t be.

This brings us to O’s starter Kevin Millwood. Millwood looked solid through the first five innings as he allowed just one run in those innings. However, he struggled in the sixth inning and that’s probably when O’s fans and pundits started to sense that the team could fall apart quickly.

The inning started with an Evan Longoria solo shot to left field followed by back-to-back singles. Fortunately for the O’s, Matt Albers was able to induce a double play and strike out Sean Rodriguez to save Millwood.

However, it was Matt Gonzalez, who signed with the team during the off-season, that brought the O’s down. Going into the ninth inning with a one run lead, Gonzalez got Pat Burrell to strike out but then gave up a single to Sean Rodriguez and a double to pinch hitter Kelly Shoppach.

Gonzalez then opted to walk to Jason Bartlett, which was a bad idea when Carl Crawford came up to the plate and smashed a line drive into right field to drive in the tying and winning runs.

Once again, pitching proved to be the Orioles downfall and one has to wonder what the team can do to get better quality pitching out of their bullpen.

With that said, however, one should not ignore the rest of the division. While these clubs may not possess the rosters and depth that the Yankees and Red Sox have, they still have the potential to do a lot of damage by producing a lot of runs and chasing other team’s starting pitchers.

As part of our next installment, it’s time to take a close look at the Tampa Bay Rays.

Outlook

After making the World Series in 2008, 2009 was a difficult one for the Tampa Bay Rays as they failed to make the postseason. The season was filled with injuries to key players, inconsistency in the starting rotation and bullpen and the club was just not able to put it all together like they had back in 2008.

This is a HUGE year for the club as players including Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, Pat Burrell, Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour and Dan Wheeler have their contracts expiring after this season, meaning the 2011 edition of the Rays could look a lot different.

Despite the mediocre finish last season and a potential high turnover rate looming, the Rays have a lot of potential to turn things around in 2010 and could force themselves back into the playoff hunt in 2010.

Offense

When speaking of the Rays’ offense, three guys come to pundits’ and fans’ minds: Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford, and Carlos Pena. The club’s offense goes as these three guys go and as such, the team will need them to produce this season.

Longoria has been a pillar of strength for the Rays ever since being called up in April of 2008. Last season, Longoria hit .281 with 33 home runs and 113 RBI’s. Longoria plays well on both sides of the ball utilizing an active bat, playing gold glove-like defense, and having terrific baseball instincts. Because he’s just 24 years old, Longoria has the potential to improve all aspects of his game.

Crawford, 28, will enter his final year of free agency after this season and will be looking to boost his production. Last season, the center fielder hit .295 with 15 home runs and 68 RBI’s. The 2009 season also saw Crawford have his highest-on base percentage (.364), walks (51) and stolen bases (60) totals of his career. Who knows what his numbers will look like in 2010 with the potential to earn a lot of money in the offseason.

Pena, 31, is also headed towards free agency in the offseason and will look to improve upon his 39 home runs and 100 RBI season in 2009. If he has a solid 2010, the club would be lucky to get Pena back at a hometown discount.

The rest of the offense will be supplied by guys like Jason Bartlett, who hit 14 home runs last season; BJ Upton (.241 batting average, 11 HR, 55 RBI), and Pat Burrell (.221 batting average, 14 HR, 64 RBI) who really struggled with his transition from the National League to the American League. If he continues to struggle this season, look for the Rays to move him out of the lineup and replace him with someone that can produce the runs needed at that part of the lineup.

Pitching – Starting Rotation

After having a solid year in 2008, the Rays’ rotation in 2009 produced mix results. The rotation will be anchored by James Shields. Since joining the Majors in 2007, Shields has averaged 12 wins and pitched over 216 innings. Shields struggled last season with a 4.14 ERA but with Scott Kazmir now on the Angels, Shields has a chance to be in the club record books for starts, innings, and victories.

Despite having an Ace like Shields, most pundits and fans will be looking at 27 year old Matt Garza. Coming off an ALCS MVP performance in 2008, Garza had a solid 2009 in going 8-12 with a 3.95 ERA and going over 200 innings for the first time in his young career. Depending on how the season plays out, do not be surprised if Garza overtakes Shields as the team’s number one starter.

In somewhat of a surprise last season, Jeff Niemann led the team with 13 wins and a 3.94 ERA in 2009. The 27-year-old is a solid back-of-the-rotation option for the club.

David Price was supposed to have the kind of numbers Niemann did last season after exploding onto the scene in the 2008 playoffs. Instead, Price had a mediocre season going 10-7 with a 4.42 ERA. Price has the stuff to become a legit number one or two starter for the Rays.
Wade Davis and Andy Sonnastine are also a part of the rotation. Davis made his Major League debut in September 2009 and in only his third start, threw a complete game four-hit shutout against the Baltimore Orioles.

Sonnanstine was not quite as impressive as Davis as he started the season at 6-7 with a 6.61 ERA in 15 games. Sonnanstine then found himself out of the rotation all together until returning briefly in September for two starts, in which he was hit hard and then moved to the pen. Sonnanstine will more than likely be in the pen to start 2010.

The Rays definitely have a talented rotation from top to bottom with guys that can throw a lot of innings. Let’s see what this staff can do in 2010.

Pitching – Bullpen

The 2010 Tampa Bay Rays bullpen comes into the year with the least amount of question marks. The trade for Rafael Soriano, and subsequent one-year contract, are part of the reason to think there will be more stability in this year’s edition of the Rays’ bullpen.
Along with Soriano, Grant Balfour, and J.P.Howell are the go-to guys in this bullpen. Balfour had a decent 2009 going 5-4 with 4 saves, a 4.81 ERA and 69 K’s over 67 innings. Howell was just as good, if not better, going 7-5 with a 2.84 ERA and 79 K’s over 66 innings.
Dan Wheeler is another solid option out of the pen as he went 4-5 with a 3.28 ERA and 45 K’s over 57 innings in 2009. His only problem is that he had trouble keeping the ball in the park as he allowed 11 home runs last season.

The team obviously has three aces in their bullpen that should help the Rays win more ball games this season. However, the team still needs someone that can put out fires and close out games, which would make this bullpen even better than it is now.

Overall

With the additions the Rays made this off season, and the fact that their main group of young players has another year of experience under their belts, winning more than 89 games seems like more than an attainable goal. However, the real question is does this club has what it takes to get back to the playoffs?

It’s a continuing series to look at what the rest of the AL East has to offer this season, let’s take a look at the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto Blue Jays

Outlook

During the past two seasons, it was tough for baseball pundits and fans alike to decide whether this team was in rebuilding mode or was going for it. However, once the Blue Jays decided to let go of General Manager J.P. Riccardi and replace him with Alex Anthopolous, the club was put into rebuilding mode – a rebuild that will take time and patience from both the organization and its fans.

Offense

Offensively, this team should not struggle to score runs. 26-year-old Adam Lind (.305 batting average, 35 HR, 114 RBI) was a force last season for the Jays and will more than likely provide the same kind of offensive boost this season. Aaron Hill, 28, (.286 batting average, 36 HR, 108 RBI) will also be looked on to provide a lot of offense to the team while also being looked to get on base a bit more. First baseman Lyle Overbay returns to the club looking to increase his offensive numbers (.265 batting average, 16 HR, 64 RBI), although the club will more than likely be looking to deal him and clear the position for Randy Ruiz, Brian Dopirak or Brett Wallace.

Of course, the team also needs to have a big year from outfielder Vernon Wells, who struggled last season hitting .260 with only 15 home runs. Wells also had a rough time in the field last season (-18.2 UZR) but many blame that on his hamstring/wrist injuries over the past two seasons. Unfortunately for the Jays, there isn’t really anyone waiting in the wings so don’t expect Wells to move to a corner spot anytime soon.

Pitching – Starting Rotation

The first part of the rebuild process was letting pitching Ace Roy Halladay move onto better pastures with the Philadelphia Phillies. Obviously, not the easiest move to digest if you’re a Blue Jays fan but this club’s starting rotation could end up being better than most people think in 2010.

Ricky Romero opened some eyes around the team and league last season with his stuff and pitching presence. However, as almost every rookie goes through in the Major Leagues, Romero had his ups and downs last season. Romero ultimately turned in a decent season with a 4.30 ERA over 29 starts. The team will look to further Romero’s development in 2010.

Shaun Marcum returns to the rotation after missing all of 2009 after undergoing Tommy John surgery late in 2008. He was solid in 2007 and 2008 as he was able to strike batters out despite not being a power pitcher, while not walking many at all. Right now, Jays fans should be happy that he is healthy and will be back in the rotation this season.

Brandon Marrow is the new kid on the block after being acquired in a deal that sent Brandon League to Seattle. Marrow is known for having good stuff and walking batters. However, Marrow is just 26 years old and the Jays want him to be able to improve and the only way to do that is by sending him out there every four or five days to start.

In the four-spot is Marc Rzepczynski, who pitched well last season in 11 starts. He had a 3.60 ERA and struck out 60 in 61 innings. It’ll be interesting to see how he follows up on last year’s success this season.

Brian Tallet will more than likely be the fifth starter for the team this season. He did not pitch well last season as he had a 5.41 ERA over 25 starts as an emergency replacement. One would think that a youngster like Brett Cecil (22 years old) might be more suited for the position but the Jays coaches and manager Cito Caston don’t seem to think so.

That’s the starting rotation as of now but don’t be surprised if that changes throughout the course of the season. The club has a number of prospects who are ready to make their mark in the Majors including Cecil, Zach Stewart, and Brad Mills.

Pitching – Bullpen

The Jays will be looking to get better performances out of the bullpen in 2010 after a mediocre 2009. Without B.J. Ryan, Scott Downs and Jason Frasor split the closer position and both got the job done. Downs finished with a 3.09 ERA and struck out 43 and walked 13 over 46 2/3 innings. Frasor did even better with a 2.50 ERA with 56 Ks and 16 walks over 57 1/3 innings. In Downs and Frasor, the Jays have a formidable righty-lefty combination.

In the offseason, the team acquired Kevin Gregg in the offseason. Gregg gave up a lot of dingers last season, which won’t look good when facing tougher hitters and hitter-friendly ball parks in the American League.

The rest of the bullpen should be capable enough in 2010. However, each pitcher has really only had one good Major League season.

Overall

Jays’ fans should look at this season as the first year of the rebuild process. The team should take this season to develop their young prospects and make decisions on who will be part of the club’s future and who won’t. With the team they have in place now, it’s not out of the question that the Jays will improve on their 2009 win total.

With that said, however, one should not ignore the rest of the division. While these clubs may not possess the rosters and depth that the Yankees and Red Sox have, they still have the potential to do a lot of damage by producing a lot of runs and chasing other team’s starting pitchers.

As part of our “The Rest of the AL East” series, it is time to take a closer look at the Baltimore Orioles.

Outlook

The Baltimore Orioles are coming off of 12 consecutive losing seasons, which certainly isn’t great for the organization or its fans.

However, The O’s had a productive offseason in adding four veterans – two corner infielders, a No.1 starter and closer, to go along with a lineup that includes several solid hitters as well as several prospects that are ready to play in the Majors.

With already three other talent-laden ball clubs in the division, this year’s edition of the Orioles will not win the AL East. However, this club won’t be a total disappointment as they are younger, faster and more talented than they have been in a long time.

The team has improved and is ready to have a solid 2010 season and may be even move up in the standings – in this case, just past the Blue Jays.

Offense

In 2009, the Orioles finished in the middle of the pack in most key offensive categories. This year’s edition, however, has a lot more potential to do damage and better be able to without the likes of Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff.

Outfielder Adam Jones had a solid 2009 hitting .277 with 19 home runs and 70 RBI’s. Jones slugged his way onto the AL All-Star team in mid-July before slowing down in the second half of the season and struggling with injuries, being forced to shutdown for the season in September.
Another outfielder, Nick Markakis, 26, is entering his fifth season with the Orioles. Markakis had a solid 2009 as he had a .293 batting average with 18 HR’s and 101 RBI’s. However, he had a decrease in walks, on base percentage and slugging percentage. Expect Markakis to bounce back in a big way and regain his 2007-08 form.

The other starting outfielder, Nolan Reimold, performed well last season in hitting .279 with 15 home runs and 45 RBI’s. Reimold was called up in 2009 to fill in for an injury and ended up taking off and running with the left field position. It will be important for Reimold to avoid the sophomore slump and show that he can produce and stay healthy over a full season if he is going to be the long term solution for the O’s in left field.

There is also catcher Matt Weiters, who made his Major League debut last season. Weiters had a solid rookie campaign hitting .288 with 9 home runs and 43 RBI’s. He has a tremendous challenge ahead of him in 2010 as he looks to continue to develop his offensive skills and lead a young team to better times.

Second baseman Brian Roberts had solid season in 2009, offensively, hitting .283 with 16 home runs and 79 RBI’s. The Orioles should be able to count on him for around 15 home runs, 50 doubles or so and between 70-85 RBI’s.

In the offseason, the team acquired Garret Atkins. Atkins struggled with the Colorado Rockies last season hitting just .226 with 9 home runs and 48 RBI’s. The club has high hopes that he will regain his earlier form when he would hit in the .280 to .300 range and average between 15 – 25 Hr’s and drive in between 80 and 120 RBI’s.

The team retained Miguel Tejada. Tejada is now in his second stint with the club and was terrific last season in hitting .314 with 14 home runs and 86 RBI’s. Tejada is not considered a viable defensive shortstop at 36 years old but will now play third base in 2010 for the club. Tejada can still hit and be a valuable offensive player for this year’s edition of the Orioles.

Pitching – Starting Rotation

The Orioles rotation struggled mightily last season. They were last in the AL in hits, earned runs and home runs allowed. The club also had a pitcher with the most losses (17) in Jeremy Guthrie.

This season, however, the rotation will look somewhat different. The team’s opening day starter will be Kevin Millwood, a veteran pitcher who played for the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves. The Orioles need a guy like Millwood to be an above average pitcher, a mentor to the team’s younger pitchers and someone who can eat up innings. Millwood fits those three characteristics well, doesn’t he?

Then, you have Brad Bergensen, Brian Matusz, and Chris Tillman. Bergensen is only 24 years old and last season was 7-5 with a 3.43 ERA and 65 K’s over 123 innings pitched. The downside to Bergensen is that he put too many balls in play last season, something that the club hopes will be different in 2010.

In Brian Matusz, the Orioles have a pitcher that could end up being an ace for them in the future. In his last game of the 2009 season, he pitched seven innings against the New York Yankees and gave up just one run on four hits and ending the game by striking out Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter. For the rest of the season, Matusz was 1-2 with a 3.10 ERA with 19 K’s in 20 innings pitched.
The fifth starter position belongs to Tillman. Tillman, turning 21 years old on opening day, struggled in 2009 with an ERA of 5.40 and an opponent’s batting average of close to .300. He also allowed 15 home runs in 65 innings pitched. However, seeing how young he is, Tillman has the most room for improvement and should be able to develop further now that he has a season under his belt.

Pitching – Bullpen

The Orioles also had a terrible bullpen last season with ERA’s between 4.00 and 7.00. The team got rid of Danys Baez, Dennis Sarfate, Chris Ray and Brian Bass.

In turn, the team brought in Mike Gonzalez. Over the last five plus seasons, Gonzalez picked up over 54 saves and last season, was 5-4 with a 2.42 ERA and had 90 strikeouts over 74 innings. The Orioles will need that kind of pitcher this season if they want to pick up more victories.

Jim Johnson will once again be the setup man, this time for Gonzalez. Last season, Johnson was 4-6 with a 4.11 ERA and had 49 strikeouts over 70 innings.

Japanese import, Koji Uehara, will probably have an opportunity to pick up a save or two in 2010. After struggling to stay in games last season, the bullpen seems like the right place for him.

Cla Meredith, will be another reliable armin the pen as well Mark Hendrickson. And Matt Albers, who was terrible in 2009, could end up being solid in the pen. The O’s have to hope that Albers will regain the form that once made him a successful pitcher.

Overall

In order for the team to have a solid 2010 campaign, they will need to have good pitching. With such a young staff, no one knows what this staff will be able to accomplish but if Matusz and Bergen can pitch well and Tillman can further develop what he has already, the O’s may surprise some people in the AL this season. If those three fail, however, it will be a long season in Baltimore.

From time to time, a fan will send in a piece that epitomizes this mindset and recalls a moment in their life where players become a “classic” to them.

Ernest Paicopolos is a die hard Red Sox fan.  He always has been.  But at a very young age, he met Brooks Robinson and discovered a classic person and ball player.  He recently sent me this recount of that meeting and asked me to share it here on Baseball Digest Classic.

Brooks Robinson: A Star Apart

There are many ways to characterize greatness in baseball.  Having a potent bat, a slick glove, being swift of foot. There are also the intangibles of greatness: a solid character, a generosity of spirit and—maybe most important of all—treating fans with respect.

When the final chapter is written on the career of Brooks Calbert Robinson, all of the above (except maybe that “fleet of foot” stuff) will apply. This writer can personally attest to his fan-related component of greatness.

Back in 1965—a year after Robinson captured AL MVP honors—the Orioles paid an early season visit to Fenway Park in Boston. It was Sunday, April 18^th, and two youngsters from nearby Somerville, Massachusetts made their way to the ballpark to watch their depressingly inept Boston Red Sox. The next day was one of those quirky Bay State holidays—Patriot’s Day—so the two 13-year-olds were gearing up for a long sports-filled weekend with baseball on Sunday and the Boston Marathon on Monday.

That’s before they met Brooks Robinson.

They had sneaked down behind the visitor’s dugout to watch the game (not a difficult feat in 1965) and got a close-up look at the wizardry that was Robinson at third base. Despite their devotion to the Red Sox, they knew they were witnessing the “best of best” at the hot corner.

So, after the game, they parked themselves outside the player’s exit on Yawkey Way, hoping for a autograph or a simple brush with celebrity. One by one, the Orioles tumbled out of  the ancient park (53 years old even then). First came Boog Powell the massive first baseman. Then, future Hall-of Famers Luis Aparicio and Robin Roberts swooped by. Then, when all hope seemed lost, out came the 1964 AL MVP—a lone straggler from the rest of the flock of birds.

“Hi Brooks!” chimed one of the kids.

“Hey, how are you guys doing?” replied Robinson. “ Do you know where I can get a cab?”

“No, sir.”  Hey, we’re only 13.

Robinson asked, “Well, it’s a nice day. The hotel’s not that far away. You guys want to walk there with me?”

After picking up their respective jaws from the cold macadam, they replied (as coolly as they could), “Sure”.

Then ensued the most astonishing Walk of Fame in their lives—chatting amiably with one of the game’s best about hitting and fielding and life in the big leagues.  This 28-year old superstar was chatting with two teens like they were his peers—or even his teammates. It was a life lesson for how to treat people right.

So, Brooks Robison’s Hall of Fame statistics will always qualify him as among the greatest of the great. Most fans will remember his otherworldly MVP performance in the 1970 World Series as the pinnacle of his achievement. But for two kids from Somerville, Massachusetts (both now approaching 60), his best performance will always be as that regular guy they walked with on a Sunday afternoon in April.

Do you have a memory to share?  Would you like to be featured here on Baseball Digest Classic?  Email Bill Ivie, Baseball Digest Classic Content Editor, at poisonwilliam@yahoo.com.

As Baltimore Orioles’ GM Andy McPhail continues to rebuild a once-proud franchise, Dan Connolly, who covers the O’s for the Baltimore Sun, joins BDL to preview the upcoming season.

Hall Of Fame sportswriter Murray Chass joins the show to talk about his latest column; a look at the recent drug incident involving Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington.

LISTEN LIVE OR DOWNLOAD ARCHIVE HERE

Also joining the program is Baseball Digest Associate Online Editor Joe McDonald, who covers the Mets for NYSportsday.com and Inside Pitch magazine, who’ll discuss the latest from Metsland.

Finally, Baseball Digest Fantasy Editor Jay Ferraro will join host Mark Healey to discuss the latest Fantasy News, the Hot Topic of the day, and recap the draft of the Baseball Digest Home Run Derby League.

LISTEN LIVE OR DOWNLOAD ARCHIVE HERE

All proceeds from the online auction will benefit the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, a supporting partner to those organizations who, on a daily basis, play such a critical role in developing, inspiring, and saving young lives.

To bid on items, please follow these steps:

Click on http://hub.ebay.com/community
In the “View someone’s member profile and more” box, enter the user ID calripkensr.foundation
Follow the prompts on the next page to get to our list of auctions
Here are a few of the items that are up for auction:

Don Mattingly autographed baseball with “Hitman” inscription
Cal Ripken, Jr. signed leather bound commemorative career book
Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson autographed 16×20 Sports Illustrated photograph
Set of 4 Cal Ripken, Jr. autographed Doug West artist proof lithographs
Don Larsen autographed baseball with “WSPG” inscription
Rawlings premium “Gold Glove” series baseball glove
Cal Ripken, Jr. autographed Louisville Slugger bat with “Hall of Fame 2007″ inscription
….and much more!
So log on now, and do some bidding! If you have any questions about the auction or the items being sold, please contact Adam Callaway at acallaway@ripkenfoundation.org

Jay Ferraro is the Executive Producer of Baseball Digest LIVE and Gotham Baseball LIVE.  He is also a columnist for Baseball Digest ,Baseballdigest.com, and Gothambaseball.com. You can reach him at Jay_Ferraro@Juno.com , follow him on Twitter here and add him on Facebook here.

If you look back over the Rays’ recent history and remove the 2008 season, 2009 would seem like a decent year. However, the fact remains that they did make it to a World Series last year and this past season was a monumental disappointment. Injuries to key players and inconsistency in the rotation were partially to blame, but this team just never seemed to put it all together like they had a season ago. Despite the mediocre finish, the Rays do have a bright future and they could force themselves back into playoff contention in 2010.

Pitching was a bit of an oddity for the Rays in 2009. In one respect, the emergence of Jeff Niemann and David Price offered some insight into the bright future for the ballclub’s young talent. In another respect, Andy Sonnanstine failed to prove he belonged on a major league roster, let alone repeat last season’s success, while Matt Garza and James Shields were hardly the “aces” they appeared to be the year before. Consistency was the biggest issue for the rotation in 2009, but the Rays have a considerable amount of talent in the pipeline for 2010. Rookies Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson are two young arms who should make a significant impact right away.

The Rays aren’t likely to make a major splash into the free agent market, as ownership has already made an effort to cut payroll by trading Scott Kazmir and Akinori Iwamura. They do, however, have the ability to improve through alternative avenues. Rumors of an impending Pat Burrell for Milton Bradley swap with the Chicago Cubs could have some legs, and there has also been speculation that the Rays could attempt to trade All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford for a king’s ransom during the offseason. Personally, I don’t think the Rays will head down this road yet. For one, replacing Crawford’s production will be tough to do and top prospect Desmond Jennings may still be a half-season away from big league duty, if for no other reason than to delay his arbitration clock from starting. Secondly, the Rays aren’t the bottom-dwellers they once were and have a decent shot to make a bid for the playoffs with the current roster. Removing Crawford from the equation significantly reduces their post-season chances and would eliminate the possibility of receiving the two compensatory draft picks when he files for free agency in 2011.  If they deal him, I believe they will wait until the July deadline to do so, and it will be for young affordable talent that exceeds anything they believe the team could pick up in the draft with those two picks.

My guess is that Tampa Bay will likely seek out the services of a veteran middle-reliever and possibly a second option behind the plate, but other than that, the Rays are probably set on heading into 2010 with the current roster in tact.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS:

All eyes will be on the Blue Jays this offseason, as staff ace Roy Halladay’s name will likely be thrown around a few hundred-thousand times before the start of the spring training. Aside from that spectacle, the Blue Jays have other issues that need their immediate attention.

For one, the team has no shortstop. Not one on the major league roster and there isn’t anyone down on the farm who’s ready to make an impact. Marco Scutaro and John McDonald are free agents, and though the team has voiced their openness to re-signing Scutaro, he appears very interested in testing the market and would fetch the Jays two draft picks if he signs elsewhere. There are rumors that the team will bring John McDonald back on the cheap, but he’s more of a defensive specialist and could represent a black hole in the lineup if they plug him into a starting role. It would be in the Blue Jays’ best interest to see who might be available via trade or act on Scutaro quickly, as the options in the free agent market are substandard.

The Jays also have a vacancy behind the plate and it would be tough to see them bringing back a 34-year old Rod Barajas. I have to think they would be more open to signing ex-Rockies ‘catcher Yorvit Torrealba or they could make a deal for Arizona’s Chris Snyder. The Blue Jays do have J.P. Arencibia waiting in the wings, but he is probably still a year or two away. Snyder’s current contract runs through 2011 with a team option for 2012 and he would be a relatively cheap option to bridge the gap to Arencibia. At this point, either of those options would be better than handing over the starting gig to 36-year old backup Raul Chavez.

Ok, I’ll say it. The Blue Jays need to deal Roy Halladay yesterday. Profound, right? In all seriousness, the Jays aren’t in a position to compete in 2010 and should try to get the most that they can for him right now. The guy doesn’t really want to be there and the team isn’t going to unseat the Yankees or the Red Sox next season, so pretending like he is the key to a playoff run would just be insulting to the Toronto fans. Former GM J.P. Ricciardi should have pulled the trigger on a deal long before the July deadline, but he balked at every one of the offers. Newly promoted GM Alex Anthopoulos should avoid making the same mistake and construct a deal that nets Toronto more talent than they could get from the two compensation picks headed their way when Halladay signs with another organization in 2011.

*UPADATE* – The Toronto Blue Jays have signed SS John McDonald to a 2-year, $3 Million deal. This still doesn’t change the fact that they need to find another option at the position. McDonald is terrific defensively, but he can’t be counted on to deliver in the lineup on a daily basis. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Blue Jays still go after Marco Scutaro considering that they were able to sign McDonald so cheaply.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES:

Well, they managed to not lose 100 games last season and they found out they have a lot of young ballplayers capable of succeeding at the big league level. Other than that, 2009 was a disaster.

As bad as last season was, this team may actually be somewhat relevant come September 2010. All they really need is for a few of their young studs take a couple steps forward. Nick Markakis, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters are already making a name for themselves in the lineup and it is only a matter of time before Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz and Jake Arrieta do the same in the rotation. However, third base is wide open after the team bought out Melvin Mora’s contract and they still lack a game-changing power bat in the middle of their lineup.

Free agent 1B/DH Carlos Delgado could inject some added pop into the lineup and the team has been rumored to be looking in his direction, but third base is still a position of greater need for the O’s. Josh Bell is still probably a year away from claiming his rightful spot at the hot corner in Camden Yards and Baltimore will probably want to fill that spot with someone other than Ty Wigginton (though he wouldn’t be the worst option to keep the seat warm for Bell). A couple guys who come to mind are Adrian Beltre and Pedro Feliz, as each could be considered possible stopgap options. I wouldn’t want to sign either one of those guys for more than one year, though.

Baltimore’s rotation has been in rebuilding mode since they traded Erik Bedard before the 2008 season, but it seems like that aspect of the team might actually be a position of strength heading into Spring Training. Rookies Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman showed brief flashes of their bright futures in 2009 and will look to establish themselves as staples in the O’s rotation, while prospect Jake Arrieta is not far off from making his own mark in the big leagues. The Orioles could make a push for John Lackey, but I don’t really see them outbidding anyone for his services. If I were an Orioles fan I would rather see them invest in a low-risk, high-reward type like Rich Harden, Ben Sheets or even former Baltimore ace Erik Bedard, as all have been mentioned as possible targets.

The only other real void on the roster is the lack of dependable depth at the back of the bullpen. Nobody knows what Chris Ray will be able to give them, and Jim Johnson isn’t exactly your prototypical closer. I think you can bet that the Orioles will be big players for guys like Mike Gonzalez, Fernando Rodney or Billy Wagner.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone. You can look for the next installment of “Offseason Outlook” after the holiday weekend. Up next, the A.L. West.

If you missed Part 1 of the A.L. East Offseason Outlook, check it out HERE

George Burns, playing God in the 1977 classic movie Oh, God!, may have never been able to utter that famous line had it not been for Ron Swoboda‘s famous and miraculous diving grab of Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson’s ninth-inning liner in Game 4 of that year’s World Series.

Many baseball fans are familiar with the play, if not the exact circumstances.  With the Mets clinging to a tenuous 1-0 lead in the game and a 2-1 Series advantage, and Orioles on first and third with none out, Robinson laced a pitch by fellow future inductee Tom Seaver into right center field that appeared to be headed into the gap, at minimum tying the game and putting runners on second and third with none out.  Instead, out of nowhere, Swoboda, known more for his bat than his glove, made “The Catch,” forever immortalized by World Series game films and historic photos.

The Mets went on to win the game in the 10th inning for the decisive 3-1 Series lead, and took the title the next day at Shea Stadium.

“After 40 years, I’m still thanking Brooksie for not hitting the ball right at me,” joked Swoboda as he arrived in New York Thursday.

With the Mets celebrating the 40th anniversary of the “Amazin’” 1969 squad with a reunion of most of its members this weekend, the New York Daily News, Swoboda and Robinson have teamed to make an autographed, framed print of the famous photo by legendary photographer Frank Hurley available to fans and collectors.

Next to their respective autographs, Swoboda inscribes “The Catch” and Robinson writes “Nice Catch.”

“People are always asking me about it.” addes Swoboda.  “I still have the glove. Did the play change my life? You bet it did.”

The limited-edition (only 1,000 signed copies will be available) photos are priced at $209.99 plus shipping, handling and taxes each. For more information, fans can call Cirillo World at (212) 972-5337, email NiceCatchRon@gmail.com or visit NYDailyNews.com/catch.  It’s part of a collectibles project entitled “The Catch of A Lifetime: Swoboda Saves the Day,” in which veteran New York public relations man John Cirillo is teaming with his boyhood hero.

“I remember racing down the stairs at St. Mark’s School in Brooklyn, and sprinting the three blocks home to watch the end of the game,” says Cirillo, the former Knicks and Madison Square Garden executive. “Like millions of Mets fans from that generation, the Catch has been indelibly etched in my mind’s eye for four decades.”

The joint effort of Swoboda and Robinson is reminiscent of other famously connected duos in baseball who years later worked together to market their shared places in history.  Notably, Ralph Branca with Bobby Thompson on “The Shot Heard Round the World” and Mike Torres with Bucky Dent on the latter’s 1978 A.L. East Division playoff home run come to mind.

Part of the proceeds of each sale of “The Catch” will benefit the New York Mets Foundation, which funds and promotes a variety of educational, social and athletic programs and other charitable causes.

Since 1942, Baseball Digest has been providing comprehensive coverage of America’s Pastime to baseball fans of all ages. Each week, we here at BaseballDigest.com will look back at a different issue of this great publication, and expect (as we did this week) to find tons and tons of interesting topics!

In the August 1969 issue:

Reggie Jackson – Baseball’s Next Super-Star?
Electronic Eye To Replace Umps?
The Game I’ll Never Forget: When Podres Shut Out The Yankees In ’55 World Series

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ISSUE

I sat down with Luke Scott to find out what his secret to success was this year, and Scott not only told me his secret to success, but also how to build a successful major league team.

BD : After batting .215 against lefties last year, the Orioles went out and made a trade with the Cincinnati Reds and brought in Ryan Freel to platoon with you left field. That didn’t pan out for the team, with Freel now with the Royals, but it work out tremendously for you. What’s been the biggest difference for you when facing tough left-handed pitchers?

Luke Scott : It’s obvious that I’m getting an opportunity to play consistently against lefties now. You can ask anybody, whether it’s a right or lefty, if he doesn’t have much experience against the pitchers, and then they ask them to go out there every two weeks and perform at a high level, it won’t happen for them and they’ll struggle. Now all of a sudden you have a label that you can’t hit those pitchers.

BD : How are you approaching lefties this year differently than last season? Was it something you worked on in the off-season?

Luke Scott : It’s just about getting the chance to play everyday. My track record in the minor leagues, whether it was against righties or lefties speaks for itself. When I played everyday in the minors, I consistently hit left-handed pitchers better. You can’t expect someone that comes to the major league level, put a label on them right away that they can’t hit lefties, which isn’t deserved, and then turn them into a platoon player. It’s about getting the opportunity to play everyday, facing the tough lefties, especially the left-handed specialist, and performing at a major league level.

BD :When you take a look at the Orioles outfield this season, you guys are arguably one of the best tandems in the American League. What’s been the biggest difference between last year and this year?

Luke Scott : You know, we do have the talent, and we have the depth in the outfield. We have guys that can track down the ball, all of us throw well, and we’ve had a year to play together.

BD : Who has the best arm in the Orioles outfield right now?

Luke Scott : Adam Jones has the best arm out of all of us, no doubt about that.

BD : Better than Nick Markakis?

Luke Scott : Oh ya. But, Nick has a very, very good arm, but there is no one in the league that is more accurate or gets rid of the ball more efficiently. Adam will make throws that will get guys out by five steps, but they’ll be up the line or off target. Nick on the other hand will get guys out by a step or two but his throws are right on the money.

BD : The trading deadline is Friday, what goes through the mind of a ball player when their name gets tossed around in about a potential deal? You were dealt from the Houston Astros to the Orioles, what was that experience like?

Luke Scott : It’s part of the business of this game. We all know about it. Whoever gets traded means that the other team wants you and that you’re going to a good situation. On the other hand, when your team makes the deal you hope that you get good talent in return. For the most part it’s going to be some young talented kid and you only hope that they’ll pan out at the major league level. Right now I know I’m comfortable where I’m at, but there are times when trades go down that everyone knows about and then there are other times when you get the big surprise.

BD : The Orioles are stuck in a division that showcases the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, and now the Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles have talent, but seem to come up short at the end of the year in the win column. What is it going to take for the Orioles to once again get a top the American League East?

Luke Scott : Everything starts with pitching. We’re going to have to get really, really, really good pitching. We’re going to have to be deep in our starting rotation and the bullpen in order to compete against the two best teams in baseball. The Yankees and Red Sox are spending money for guys that are in their prime, guys that are established, and pitchers that have plus control and plus stuff. The way baseball is right now, good pitching will shut down good hitting. You can’t put all your chips into one basket and try to build your team around hitters, it’s apart of the formula, but if you do it that way your team is going to suffer. If you don’t match up pitching wise, you might as well forget it, because it’s not going to happen.

BD : You sound like a future GM?

Luke Scott : I’ve played this game long enough and you can ask anyone that dresses in a major league uniform, good pitching beats good hitting.

BD : What about the Yankees? Early in the season the pitching wasn’t really there, and it was the hitters that carried this team.

Luke Scott : When you look at this scenario, don’t get caught up looking at the overall numbers of the players. The Yankees starting pitchers numbers may be high, but they’re pitching well. When they happen to pitch one game bad, you’ll see their numbers balloon up. It’s just a small sample size of how well they’re pitching right now though. Those outings are few and far between. It doesn’t show the real consistency of what really is going on. If you’re facing C.C. Sabathia or A.J. Burnett they’re not giving up four to seven runs a game. If their Era’s are high, it’s coming from one bad outing where they maybe gave up six runs over four innings. Now, over their next five games they only give up two earned runs over seven innings, and what you’ll see is their ERA won’t go down as quickly as it went up. Also, lets not forget, if they go out there, they give up two runs and lose, to me that’s not a bad outing, but it reflects bad on the pitcher because they took the lost. It’s the little details that you have to pay attention to.

BD : What are your thoughts on the Yankees ball pen, specifically Mariano Rivera?

Luke Scott : Easy. Rivera the best all-time closer, period. The Yankees bullpen is solid, but if it wasn’t for Rivera slamming the door shut, I don’t know if the Yankees bullpen would be that effective.

BD : What about the Red Sox?

Luke Scott : The same thing. Their starting pitchers are electric from top to bottom. You look at a guy like Brad Penny, who’s their No. 5 starter, and he’s pumping it up there at 97-98 mph in the seventh inning. There are no breaks in that rotation.

BD : So with all that, what’s Luke Scott’s formula to winning in the major leagues?

Luke Scott : It’s really simple. You have two big chunks. You can put pitching and defense into one chunk and offense into the other. Now, the key is not to neglect one or other, you have to find that perfect balance. If you’re the Orioles and you don’t have stud pitching, young guys like the Tampa Bay Rays it’s gong to be hard to compete in this division. We have to try and find that balance and then we’ll be contenders in the east.

Could Luke Scott be a future general manager in manger league baseball? After sitting down with him to talk about his game, it was his answers to how to build a successful team that impressed me the most. Scott seems to understand, not only the game of baseball, but what it would take for him to put on a suit and tie and run a team.

Storm Davis, a seventh round choice, began his career in 1982 with the Orioles, while two other late selections eventually enjoyed lengthy stints in the big leagues.  Glenn Davis (31st round) finished with 190 career home runs and a .250 batting average.  Kevin Gross (32nd round) won 142 games over 15 seasons.

As for the players that were currently part of the lineup in 1979, they were busy watching their rear-view mirror, as the Boston Red Sox were close behind in the standings.

Baltimore did all they could to extend their lead, embarking on a six-game win streak from June 6-11.

In three of those contests, Oriole pitching shut out their opponent.  Earl Weaver’s tendency to mix his lineup – mainly due to match-ups – was never more in effect than it was on June 11.

Against White Sox starter, lefty Rich Wortham, Baltimore put shortstop and right-handed hitter Kiko Garcia at the leadoff spot in place of left-handed hitter Al Bumbry.  Benny Ayala was No. 2, while Ken Singleton and Lee May rounded out the top of the order.  Overall, the Orioles’ first four hitters all swung from the right side against the southpaw Wortham. The result, thanks also to solid pitching from Scott McGregor, propelled Baltimore to a 6-0 win.

The O’s encountered what would be a slight hiccup, losing 12-4 against Chicago the next day.  But a win in the series finale kicked off their longest winning streak of 1979.

– Brian Wright, special to Baseball Digest