Roberts stepping up for a good cause

07/19/2006
BALTIMORE -- Fans will have a chance to hang out and play games with second baseman Brian Roberts and other Orioles at Brian's Baseball Bash, a fundraising event for the University of Maryland Hospital for Children.
The event, which is being held for the first time, will be at the ESPNZone in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, close to Camden Yards on Sunday, Aug. 20, from 7-10 p.m. ET.
Details of the Bash were announced during a press conference before Wednesday's game. Several officials from the hospital spoke and thanked Roberts for his support.
Roberts, 28, had open-heart surgery when he was five, and visits the University of Maryland Hospital for Children often.
"I started visiting the hospital I guess three years ago," he said. "The hospital is a place that I am familiar with, especially as a child. For me, it was something that I could really sink in to, something that I was familiar with and something I wanted to give back to."
When Roberts visits the hospital, he talks with the patients and signs autographs. But he decided that a public event would be an even greater way to contribute.
"I started to realize in order to make a bigger impact, sometimes you need other people's help," Roberts said.
Scheduled to appear at the event along with Roberts are some of his teammates, including Miguel Tejada, Erik Bedard, Jay Gibbons, Jeff Conine, Kris Benson, Kevin Millar and manager Sam Perlozzo. Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Mark Clayton will also be there, and maybe more Ravens, Roberts said.
An adult ticket costs $200, and it will cost $150 for children 12 and under. The price of admission includes an ESPNZone game card, dinner and dessert, the chance to meet the players, get autographs and receive some Orioles giveaways. Silent and live auctions will also be held.
"Some of the auction items will hopefully be pretty special things that people don't get to do too often," Roberts said. "Possibly a batting practice session."
Tickets can be purchased by calling the University of Maryland Medical System Foundation at 410-328-6064, or by going to the Web site for the event: briansbaseballbash.com.
The event will be emceed by Jim Hunter, who's in his 10th season as an Orioles broadcaster.
"[Roberts is] a very important player," Hunter said. "He's also a fine young man and understands that he can help and give back."
Roberts, an All-Star last season, is in his fourth full year with the Orioles.

Source: http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/

Notes: Club could use four-man rotation

07/19/2006
BALTIMORE -- Over the next 15 days, the Orioles have three off-days -- meaning the team could use a four-man rotation during that span.
If they opted to go that route, it would keep most of their pitchers on normal rest, while veteran Russ Ortiz would likely be the odd man out. Manager Sam Perlozzo said no decision has been made yet.
"We'll see how we go in the next day or so; we'll see where we are," he said.
Ortiz made his third start with the Orioles on Tuesday night, with his outing cut short due to an hour-and-a-half rain delay. Ortiz has given up 12 runs in 12 innings with Baltimore, and has yet to pitch past the fifth inning in any of his three starts.
Perlozzo said after Tuesday's game that the decision on whether Ortiz will start again is not only his.
"That's pretty much an organizational decision," he said. "My job is to pitch him, if he's here. Until we all sit down and say he's not going to be pitching, he's in our rotation."
The Orioles signed Ortiz in late June after he was released by the Diamondbacks. Baltimore is paying Ortiz the prorated league minimum of $327,000.
One option to eventually replace Ortiz would be Daniel Cabrera, who was sent down to Triple-A Ottawa on Friday and made his first start there Tuesday night.
Cabrera pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up four runs and seven hits. His control had been a problem all season long, and Cabrera walked three and struck out four with Ottawa. He leads the Majors in walks and wild pitches.
"His velocity was good. He still didn't have command of his breaking ball," Perlozzo said on the reports he received. "It's a start, it's a step. We'll get that game behind him and see how he does next game."
There is no timetable for Cabrera's return to the Orioles, but Perlozzo would like to get him back as quickly as possible. Before Cabrera returns, Perlozzo wants him to gain more control with his breaking ball.
"He really should dominate down there," Perlozzo said. "I think we'll give him the benefit of the doubt the first time out. He might not have been totally into it.
"I'm in a hurry to get him back. I just want him to show some improvement."
Another young pitcher the Orioles are watching in Ottawa is Hayden Penn, who is scheduled to start Wednesday. Penn was called up May 21 to start for the Orioles, but then had appendicitis, and was placed on the disabled list the next day. Wednesday would be Penn's first start since his bout with appendicitis.
"The biggest thing for Hayden is conditioning -- from being in a medical situation where he wasn't able to do as much running and getting in the sort of physical condition he needs to be in to be effective," Perlozzo said. "The more time he gets, I'm sure the better he's going to be physically."
Perlozzo didn't give a definite answer when asked if Penn would be with the team before the season ended.
Lineup shuffle: Brian Roberts was given the day off Wednesday, with Chris Gomez making his first start since being activated from the disabled list last week.
"He's probably been the only guy who hasn't had one for a while," Perlozzo said about Roberts. "It looks like he needs it."
Gomez batted eighth, and outfielder Luis Terrero took over Roberts' usual duties as the leadoff hitter. Terrero entered the game 1-for-20 this season with one walk.
It was Terrero's sixth start, and the third time he was in the leadoff spot.
Javy Lopez sat out for the third straight day, bothered by lower back problems. Perlozzo was not necessarily going to start Ramon Hernandez again, especially with a day game following a night contest, but the manager wanted to see what the weather was like and how Hernandez was feeling.
Byrdak throwing again: Reliever Tim Byrdak, who has been on the disabled list since mid-April with bone chips in his left elbow, made his first rehab appearance Monday with Class A Aberdeen.
In one inning, Byrdak gave up two hits and one run, and he struck out the side.
"I felt pretty good," he said. "I thought I threw the ball pretty well, and kept the ball down. My fastball velocity was a little down, but they told me that's going to be the last thing to come."
Byrdak threw a bullpen session in Baltimore during the Oakland series, and will pitch for Double-A Bowie on Thursday.
Byrdak said he hopes to be ready in a couple of weeks, but right now, he's working on building up his arm strength. There is no set number of rehab appearances that Byrdak will have.
"I'd love to come back here to Baltimore, and that's my goal," he said.

Source: http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/

Orioles stumble against A's in finale

07/19/2006
BALTIMORE -- The temperature was in the mid-90s for the third consecutive day at Camden Yards, but Barry Zito was able to cool things off -- the Orioles bats, at least.
The Orioles dropped their second straight game, ending their seven-game homestand the way it started. Baltimore scored one run in each of the first two games following the All-Star break, and managed only a run in Wednesday's series finale, as the A's won, 5-1.
Oakland has dominated the Orioles over the past two seasons, winning eight of the last nine games in Baltimore, and 11 of the last 13 overall.
Starter Kris Benson lost his fourth straight game, giving up three home runs in six innings. Benson also gave up three homers June 28 against the Phillies.
"He had good life on his fastball, but his command wasn't quite there and his offspeed pitches weren't great today either," manager Sam Perlozzo said.
Benson gave up nine hits and five runs while striking out three and falling to 1-3 lifetime against the A's. After going 3-1 with a 3.23 ERA in June, Benson has struggled in three of his four starts this month.
Oakland scored twice in the first on a two-out single by Frank Thomas, the third A's hit of the inning. Benson said he struggled with the command of his slider in the first few innings, and that's the pitch Thomas was able to hit through the left side of the infield.
Up 3-0 in the sixth, Eric Chavez hit a home run to right field and two pitches later, Thomas hit a ball more than 400 feet into the left-field stands for back-to-back homers. Benson threw changeups on both home-run balls.
"They went there and got them," Benson said. "Of course, they could've been better pitches. I threw a handful of them in the same spot and they missed them. It was just the luck of the draw there and like I said, they got them up in the air and hit them out."
Meanwhile, Zito allowed one run in seven innings, marking the seventh straight outing in which he's given up three runs or less. Zito limited the Orioles to five hits, and his ERA fell to 3.20, which is sixth-best in the American League.
"He's a good pitcher. He throws the ball where he wants," said Miguel Tejada, who played with Zito from 2000-03 in Oakland. "We swung at a lot of bad pitches, too."
Zito picked up his 10th victory, giving him double-digit wins in six of the last seven seasons. He improved to 3-2 with a 1.51 ERA in six career starts at Camden Yards.
"He mixed his pitches," said Kevin Millar, who was 1-for-3 off Zito with a double. "He just kept us off-balance enough and we could really never get anything going off him. When he's throwing all of his pitches in any kind of sequence, he makes it tough. He's one of the better ones out there."
With the loss, Baltimore fell to 9-23 against left-handed pitchers this year. The Orioles are batting an American League-worst .234 against southpaws this season.
The only serious threat for the Orioles was in the seventh inning. Kevin Millar doubled and scored on a Ramon Hernandez single. With Hernandez on first, Corey Patterson reached base on an error by first baseman Mark Kotsay, who made another error trying to flip the ball to Zito, allowing Hernandez to go to third.
Chris Gomez worked a 3-1 count and thought he had walked on a close pitch toward the inside of the strike zone, but it was called strike two. On Zito's next throw, Gomez grounded into his second double play of the afternoon.
Baltimore went 3-4 on its homestand, losing the first two, then scoring 17 runs in three straight wins before dropping two against Oakland. The Orioles begin a six-game road trip Friday in Tampa Bay.

Source: http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/

Bedard maturing as pitcher

07/20/2006
BALTIMORE -- Some young pitchers have the tendency to just go out and throw. If they're on, they'll do well. Others -- the better ones -- go out and pitch. They can win games without having their best stuff.
Baltimore lefty Erik Bedard seems to be in the transition phase, and his current six-game winning streak serves as evidence to that. Five of the six victories have come after an Orioles loss, a sign that Bedard is becoming a more mature pitcher.
"He's a pitcher now," manager Sam Perlozzo said. "I think, before, he was a bit of a thrower and didn't have all of his pitches working for him. And now, he's confident, obviously. When he's got three pitches going for him and locates them, he throws hard, but he uses it effectively now. He keeps hitters off balance, and that's why you're seeing good results."
Then, over his last six starts, Bedard (11-6, 4.02 ERA) has a 1.07 ERA, striking out 44 batters in 42 innings. This month, he's 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA. The 11 wins are already a career high for the Orioles' sixth-round pick in 1999, far better than his previous best of six wins from each of the past two seasons.
"Right now, I'm on a roll, and I'm trying to roll with it," Bedard said.
And the 11 victories, which are tied for the most by a lefty this season, are second-best in baseball, ranking him with names like Roy Halladay, Mike Mussina, Curt Schilling and Kenny Rogers.
When pitching coach Leo Mazzone was asked where Bedard ranks among pitchers in the American League, his reply was: "Right with the names just mentioned. "He's got that kind of know-how. He's a very intelligent guy. A lot of people haven't realized how smart this guy is. It's not because I'm here, it's because he's been smart from the get-go as to what he wants to do."
Teammate Melvin Mora noticed how good Bedard could be before the season began.
"I was just talking to this guy in Spring Training, and he has no idea how nasty he is," Mora said. "I think he's one of the toughest left-handed pitchers in the American League right now."
Bedard, like several other Baltimore pitchers, missed time in Spring Training because of the World Baseball Classic. He pitched for his native Canada, tossing four scoreless innings in his one start.
"I didn't have him in the spring for a long time," Mazzone said.
But Mazzone and Bedard have made up for lost time. A big part of Bedard's recent success is owed to Mazzone, who taught Bedard how to throw a circle changeup. It wasn't until recently that Bedard learned the pitch and began to throw it effectively.
"It's huge," said Mazzone about the changeup. "It's got him to get some low-count outs, and it makes his fastball and his breaking stuff better. It was a no-brainer, really. He decided to trust it, and he's the one who had to go out there and trust it in the middle of a Major League season. A lot of people wouldn't do that."
Both Bedard and his catcher, Ramon Hernandez, understand the importance of the changeup.
"The changeup's a big factor," Bedard said. "Throwing strikes with that helps me a lot."
Said Hernandez: "If you want to win a lot of games in the big leagues ... you cannot come here and pitch with two pitches. You gotta have all of your pitches working, and you gotta be able to throw them anytime in the count in any situation."
The questions now for Bedard are whether he can maintain his consistency, and his health.
Even before Bedard's current stretch, he was streaky this season. Bedard started the year with four straight wins, posting a 2.77 ERA after those outings. Then over his next 10 starts before the six-game win streak, Bedard went 1-6 with a 7.26 ERA.
Last year was a tale of two seasons for Bedard, who went 5-1 with a 2.08 ERA in his first nine starts, but then sprained the MCL in his left knee, which led to an eight-week stay on the disabled list. When he returned, Bedard struggled, going 1-6 with a 5.01 ERA in 15 outings.
Bedard also missed most of the 2003 season after having ligament replacement surgery in his throwing elbow.
Health-wise, Bedard's been fine this season, and he's on pace to throw the most innings in his career. And although he's been streaky, it seems like Bedard is turning the corner toward becoming more of a pitcher, especially with the addition of the changeup.
"I think we want Bedard to continue to improve, to get over the hump so to speak. We always felt his stuff was good enough and Leo was able to give him a changeup and help that," Perlozzo said. "He's constantly improving. We'd like to see Erik continue to do that, continue to stretch out. He showed us in the game in Cleveland that he didn't have his best stuff and pitched well, and that's what we're looking for."

Source: http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/

Pressure not a problem for Benson

03/05/2006
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Pressure is what you make of it, and Kris Benson has seen it all before.
He's not intimidated by the challenge of a new city and a new league any more than he was by the experience of being the first overall pick in the 1996 First-Year Player Draft. He is used to having expectations attached to every start, and he doesn't expect anything different in Baltimore.
"I think there's pressure every year. There's been pressure put on me since college," said Benson, who attended Clemson University. "This is nothing new to me. It's not like this is uncharted territory when it comes to people's expectations or expectations of myself. I don't really get too caught up in that.
"I have a routine that I do, and that prepares me for every start. People's opinions and expectations don't really outweigh mine, so it's not really a driving force in my career."
It may not be a driving force, but it has been a recurring theme. Benson has been billed as the "next big thing" for so long that people have overlooked his modest contributions on the mound. This isn't a draft-day bust -- it's just a guy who hasn't been able to reach his full potential for a variety of reasons.
First, there was his placement on the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team that hasn't had a winning season since 1992. Benson made it to the big leagues quickly and was slotted in at the top of his team's rotation, but he never put up the gaudy statistics associated with an ace.
Then there was the injury, an elbow ailment that necessitated Tommy John surgery after the 2000 season. Benson missed all of 2001 and pitched a partial season in 2002, regaining his stuff along the way.
His command came back in 2003 -- another season cut short by injury -- and one year later, he was just getting comfortable when he was traded to the New York Mets, a team that had even larger expectations for his talent.
Again, he didn't disappoint, but he didn't live up to ace billing. Finally, he arrived in Baltimore this winter as the centerpiece of a three-player trade.
Benson went 10-8 with a 4.13 ERA last season and thinks he can build on that success this year.
"The combination of being on a new team, being in a new league, having a new catcher and having a new pitching coach is going to be good for me," said Benson, who welcomes his transition. "It's what you make of it. I don't really pay much attention to outside things. I just pay attention to what I need to do in the clubhouse and on the field.
"I know what I have, and if it was a new catcher that wasn't that good, that would be one thing. I have one of the best in the league, and that definitely makes you more relaxed. Having the best pitching coach in the league makes you more relaxed, too. I know what I have, and it's all good stuff."
With those last comments, Benson was referring to Ramon Hernandez and Leo Mazzone, Baltimore's two other big-ticket offseason additions. Benson, Hernandez and Mazzone are expected to revitalize the pitching staff and help make up for uncertainty from the other rotation slots, manned by young and inconsistent starters Erik Bedard, Daniel Cabrera and Bruce Chen.
Manager Sam Perlozzo said that it's fair to consider Benson an X-factor in his team's success this year.
"Starting pitching is the name of the game, and we're looking for someone to come in and stabilize that for us," said Perlozzo. "We have two young kids that are still trying to grow, that we think very highly of. The fact that you can send a veteran out there and know you can get a quality game every time he's out there, it's comforting."
And that puts Benson, at the ripe old age of 31, in the odd position of veteran stalwart. The right-hander has only made 30 starts once in the last five years, but he's only had a losing record once in that span.
Benson, along with Rodrigo Lopez, is a leading candidate for the Opening Day start -- and all the expectations that come with the top spot in the rotation.
"I don't care about calling somebody an ace. That kind of stuff doesn't bother me," said Perlozzo. "We're obviously going to have a Game 1 starter, and we're going to call him our ace. Or you all are going to call him our ace. That will happen.
"We got Kris Benson for a reason -- to solidify the starting rotation. He doesn't have to be the best in the world, but he certainly has to hold up his end of the bargain. And we think he will."
Benson, for his part, welcomes the spotlight. He doesn't mind being looked at as an important component of the team's success, and he doesn't mind being reminded of his lofty draft status.
He just wants a chance to pitch, and he'll accept the results every time he gets that chance.
"People are going to be tough because of the pressure of being a No. 1 pick, but I think I've handled it just fine throughout my career," said Benson. "I don't avoid the situation. I don't avoid the topic. I just consider my job as something I still love to do, and it's still something I get paid to do. It doesn't matter where I am.
"There's still a chance for me to play baseball, and it's not really a long-term thing in my lifetime. It's something I make sure I enjoy while I'm here, and I try to make sure I do the best that I can every single day that I show up."

Source: http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/

Markakis closing in on Majors

03/05/2006
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Nick Markakis will tell you he's ready for the big leagues, in behavior if not in words.
Baltimore's top prospect picks his quotes very carefully, but his body language displays the confidence of a player well beyond his age and experience level. Still, his candidacy for the Opening Day roster is open to debate from both sides of the aisle.
"It's always difficult," said Markakis, speaking about the uncertainty around his next assignment. "But you've got to go out there and still perform, play to the best of your ability. Hopefully, things will work out. At this point, I'm just trying to go out there and help the team."
Despite scant experience against upper-level pitching, Markakis has handled himself well through the early stages of Spring Training. Consequently, important people are watching his every move and marking his progress every day. So far, to his credit, he hasn't seemed out of place.
"You're impressed with the way he acts. He looks like he's a kid that belongs here and knows he can play here," said Jim Duquette, the Orioles' vice president of baseball operations. "He's not brash about it. He's got the quiet confidence that you see in good, young players."
Markakis has had success everywhere he's been, so he has no reason not to be confident. The outfielder has shown power and patience at each stop in the Minor Leagues, and he hit .339 in a 33-game trial at Double-A Bowie last season. The Orioles would like to see more of the same, but they're open to promoting him quickly if his skills warrant it.
In fact, none of the team's decision-makers will rule him out of the Opening Day picture. And it's not for lack of competition. Baltimore brought in several players to compete for playing time in the outfield, ranging from Corey Patterson and Richard Hidalgo to part-time options like Kevin Millar and Jeff Conine.
"He's got a great demeanor," said Millar, endorsing his potential teammate and rival for playing time. "He carries himself like a professional, and obviously, he's got tremendous upside. I think this kid's got legitimate talent and probably has a legitimate shot at making this club."
If that opinion holds true across the board, Millar and Conine could settle in at first base and designated hitter. It's a dilemma, though, for one reason. Markakis can be promoted at any moment, so the Orioles have little or nothing to lose by letting him take his time. Then again, if he's ready, there's no reason to hold him back.
"The hardest thing is to make a judgment too early," said Mike Flanagan, executive vice president of baseball operations. "It will be day-to-day. He'll get a lot of playing time and a lot of opportunities and we'll just have to wait and see."
"I'm still getting to learn him, watching him handle himself. He looks like he's not intimidated," said Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo. "I think that's the biggest thing you're going to have to see. He's pretty much done what we'd like to see him do, but it's early. He's got a ways to go.
"[Once] we get a little deeper into the spring, we'll get some of the better pitching on a consistent basis. It's going to be interesting, but I have total confidence he's going to hold his own."
That's a popular opinion, and so far, it's been well-founded by the statistical record. Markakis has never batted below .280 or posted an on-base percentage lower than .370 in his four Minor League stops, and his slugging percentage has clicked higher at each progressive level.
In short, he hasn't seen any adversity yet, and the Orioles aren't sure when he will. Whenever it crops up, Markakis has to prove he can handle it.
"The first factor is you have to see if the ability's there. The second factor is his mental capacity," said Duquette. "How do you think he'll handle things as teams start to make adjustments to him? How will he handle failure at the Major League level? Everyone goes through that. Those are two of the factors, anyway."
In this case, composure doesn't seem to be a concern. Markakis handles everything with a cool detachment, including persistent questions from a curious media corps.
"This is my second Spring Training with the guys. I feel comfortable around them. I know what to expect up here and I feel a little more confident," he said recently. "As a hitter up there, I just block everything out. I just focus on me and the pitcher, and that's it. I focus on taking good swings and putting the good part of the bat on the ball.
"If you do that, hopefully, you'll be successful."
So what will go into the final decision? How will the Orioles ascertain if their prized prospect is good enough to start the season in the big leagues? How will they decide if he'd be better off with more experience? Like most things, the men in charge will take everything in and ultimately trust their instincts.
Simply put, if he's better than any of his peers, he'll start over them. The O's won't worry about stifling his progress by feeding him too much, too soon.
"All the good ones are [confident]," said Flanagan. "They pretty much tell you when they're ready. You can't make them be ready. You can want them to be ready, but ultimately, they'll tell you."

Source: http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/

Three homers not enough for Orioles

03/05/2006
Orioles at the plate: David Newhan and Nick Markakis hit solo home runs, while Andy Tracy launched a two-run shot. Markakis had two hits in the game.
Nationals at the plate: Matt LeCroy, Marlon Anderson and Ryan Zimmerman hit home runs. Zimmerman had two RBIs in the game. Royce Clayton, Marlon Byrd and Michael Tucker had RBI singles. Tyrell Godwin had a two-run triple.
Orioles on the mound: Kris Benson made his Orioles debut, giving up two runs on four hits in two innings of work. He struck out two and walked one. He threw 29 pitches, 17 of them for strikes. Cory Morris also pitched two innings, giving up two runs on two hits.
Nationals on the mound: Starter Jon Rauch pitched three innings, giving up two runs on two hits, solo home runs by Newhan and Markakis. Steve Watkins threw three shutout innings.
Grapefruit League records: Orioles 1-3; Nationals 1-3.

Source: http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/