54-49 Big win

Apparently Philly asked for Schoop, that probably ended discussions right there.

Hopefully DD is active today on the phones. Try to get Soriano from the Cubs, Headley from the Daddies, and if Philly comes to their senses, I'll take Blanton.

55-49 Sweep the yanks tomorrow.

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This article appears in the July 30, 2012 issue of Sports Illustrated

By the time Dylan Bundy stood atop the bullpen mound at Harry Grove Stadium, home of the Class A Frederick (Md.) Keys, one recent afternoon, he had already long-tossed from the left centerfield wall to the rightfield corner -- a distance of some 300 feet -- and thrown a dozen pitches uphill by stepping on the back of the mound. At 19, he is the best pitching prospect in baseball and the most diligently calibrated. He has been built to pitch ever since he was eight, when he was playing shortstop on his father's nine-year-old Owasso, Okla., travel team. One day Denver Bundy, in a jam and short on pitching, asked him, "Can you throw strikes?"

The kid looked him dead in the eye and said, "Yes, sir."

So began the making of a pitcher who by high school was remarkably professional in almost every way except the paycheck -- and that would come soon enough. As a young teenager Bundy flipped truck tires, threw 75-pound sandbags over his shoulder, pushed wheel-barrows full of dirt around the family's 15-acre plot in northeast Oklahoma, dug four-foot holes and refilled them purely for the exercise. He played 300-foot-long toss three times a week, gulped barley and broccoli shakes and munched on homemade granola bars, swore off hamburgers and allowed himself to eat a fatty food once every other Sunday. He cranked out 500-pound squats in his well-stocked home gym, studied nutrition and anatomy on his own, and as a high school junior in 2010 threw 181 pitches over two games on the same day. After the last of those pitches was clocked at 92 mph, Bundy made certain that people knew it was he, not the coach, who insisted on pitching both games. "Long games and proper rest make you stronger," he said then.

His peak velocity climbed like the August thermometer readings in the northeast Oklahoma plains: 91 as a freshman, 94 as a sophomore, 97 as a junior and 100 as a senior on April 16, 2011 -- he remembers the exact date. In his final season at Owasso High, he was 11--0 with a 0.20 ERA and 158 strikeouts and just five walks in 71 innings. Read those numbers again.

"The greatest, most-complete high school pitching performance I've seen since Kerry Wood," read the report on Bundy filed by one veteran National League scout, referring to the former Cubs phenom who came out of Texas in 1995.

Rivulets of sweat cascaded down his square face as Bundy prepared to throw a bullpen session on that June afternoon in Frederick. With his close-cropped blond hair, wide shoulders and chest, and his signature ham-hock thighs, Bundy is a pitcher the way Marvel Comics would imagine one. Though Bundy is listed at 6-foot-1 -- that last inch comes with a professional wink -- and 195 pounds, nothing about him suggests a teenager, especially when he launches a baseball. The missile seems propelled from those massive thighs as much as his right arm. His curveball has the kind of big break that weakens hitters' knees. His changeup, an unnecessary accessory in high school -- he threw it about once per game -- is becoming a weapon.

"That's the .220 line," said Rick Peterson, standing behind Bundy.

Peterson is the Orioles' director of pitching development. He was talking about a piece of string attached to two sticks and stretched across home plate at the height of a hitter's knees. "Against pitches thrown at that line or below," Peterson said, "the data show that hitters hit .220."

Peterson, 57, is a new age pitching guru, one of the pioneers, backed by the research of famed orthopedist James Andrews, of marrying biomechanical and quantitative analysis with the art of pitching. First-year Orioles general manager Dan Duquette hired him to be the team's pitching czar, a job that comes with no greater responsibility than taking care of Bundy, the fourth pick in the 2011 draft, the way the Smithsonian does the Hope Diamond.

Bundy's first bullpen pitch sailed high, but he quickly began plucking the string with fastballs as if playing a Stratocaster from 60 feet, six inches. Under Peterson's orders, he threw nothing but fastballs, this being one of his "fastball command" work days. It was an impressive display, but Bundy was not happy with it.

"I was ticked off the entire time," he said.

Why?

"That first pitch was high."

Bundy is at the elite end of the state of the art of pitching, the embodiment of what can be wrought from advances in training, nutrition, instruction and travel baseball. (For three summers starting at age 15 he would leave home alone to pitch for a team in Texas.) As a power pitcher who profiles as an ace, he represents the greatest asset a team can hold. Simultaneously, he represents enormous risk. Using a 20-year sample between 1981 and 2000, pitchers drafted and signed out of high school in the first round were more likely to never pitch a day in the big leagues (43%) than they were to reach 20 career wins (34%).

Raising Bundy is both thrilling and perilous for the Orioles. With $6.25 million -- his signing bonus -- already invested in him, how do they develop a great high school pitcher into one of the rare, durable aces?

Very carefully.

There is no sports genus with a greater risk-reward ratio than high school pitchers. Like supermodels, they look great, but the chances of entering into a long-term relationship with one are slim. Teams keep drafting them for their visceral gifts, but the toll of throwing so hard so young, their incomplete physical development and the few opportunities to measure them against top competition leave teams spending millions on veritable lottery tickets.

Major league teams signed 102 high school pitchers taken in the first round from 1981 through 2000 (not including supplemental first-round picks). Yet only 15 of those 102 pitchers won 20 games for the team that drafted them, a group that included Dwight Gooden, Roy Halladay, CC Sabathia and Josh Beckett. For every one of those brass rings, there were three total busts. Of those 102 high school first-rounders, 44 never reached the majors.

"Generally they are high risk/high reward," says Padres G.M. Josh Byrnes, who used three first-round picks this year, including supplemental choices, on high school pitchers. "We realize there is some power in numbers. Hopefully one or two deliver."

When Duquette was the general manager of the Red Sox, he used his first-round pick on a high school pitcher three times in a five-year period (1995--99). None of them reached the big leagues. "The volume of failure is great," Duquette says about the industry's track record with high school pitchers. "That's really sobering, especially when people say they're experts.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz22SCgCge7

Wei-Yin Chen Is a stud........56-51 Big win

Another big win 57-51

Damn and Miguel Gonzales keep it up.

Great win, need a good home stand now!!!

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?co...y_23650475&v=3

@KenWeinmanSport @gunitradio Teagarden: I dont always get hits, but when I do I prefer #GameWinners #OriolesMagic

ROFL

Mark Viviano ‏@MarkViviano

O's win 4 of 6 at NY/TB. Home for 10 gms vs SEA, KC, BOS- all w losing recs. For all their weakness, O's v much in playoff race


Need to win 6 or 7

I'm just gonna post the same thing I said in the game thread on OH.

That's the 10th straight one-run win. Pythagoras can lick my taint.

O's top draft pick, LSU pitcher Kevin Gausman, will make his pro debut tonight for short-season, Single-A Aberdeen when the IronBirds play at State College. He is expected to pitch three innings and then pitch three innings every sixth day until the end of the regular season.

Aberdeen IronBirds ‏@IronBirds

@KevinGausman retires the @SCSpikes in order in the 1st inning with a pair of strikeouts...END 1... @IronBirds 3 Spikes 0



Aberdeen IronBirds ‏@IronBirds

Another 1-2-3 inning for @KevinGausman in the 2nd inning. END 2 in State College, PA... @IronBirds 3 @SCSpikes 0

Aberdeen IronBirds ‏@IronBirds

9 up. 9 down for @KevinGausman tonight. 3IP, 0H, 0R, 2K in Gausman's professional debut. END 3. @IronBirds 3 @SCSpikes 0.

*splooge*

Think that's it for him only letting him go 3.

Another big win 58-51

Ok O's 12 innings is enough win it here

God, these marathons are tiring. But, they always win 'em, so....

On to the 13th! Let's play all night!

LOL

O's have gone 15 up 15 down since the 8th.

ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo

#Orioles are the 1st team to play into the 13th inning 5 times this season; they are 4-0 in their previous 13+ inning games

We must have logged more innings than any other team in MLB by now.

Going to the goddamn 14th. These guys are tired, and need to rest up for that huge Royals series...

Both teams are killing the pen

Yup. JJ's up, and Buck really wanted to rest him. Hunter was scheduled to start tomorrow, right?

Bad call on Quesadilla and a bloop by Nick, and we're in business.

**** yeah big win 59-51

Hey, I think we won another one. How about that.

And, 4 1/2 back of the MFY.

Dan Connolly ‏@danconnollysun

The pen again was great and #Orioles are now 23-6 in one run games. Oh, and the Orioles are 4.5 behind the Yankees in the East. Im not jokin


Pen is unreal

Oakland 9, LAA 0 in the 7th. If that holds, we'll be tied with the A's for the #2 WC spot with the Angels on the outside looking in. It's way too early but God, I forgot how much fun a pennant race is.

Britton down, Steve Johnson to make the start tonight. Fun fact: His father got his first win (in his second start) on August 8, 1989.

LETS GO STEVIE!!!!!

Also Flaherty apparently has tonsilitis, and will be put on the DL tomorrow, to bring up another pitcher to help the pen recover. Get the brooms out boys, time for the sweep tonight!

Hope Stevie does good....Man On Aug 8 still in this race what a season.

Looks like it's Miguel Socolovich. Great name, not a great pitcher. And Dave Johnson's got to be feeling like an expectant father tonight.

ADDED: Dave drove to the airport today (and called in to 105.7 to discuss the whole thing) to pick up Stevie after his flight in from Atlanta. How cool is that?

Nice debut, kid.

Steve Johnson's first inning:

12 pitches, 12 strikes, one hit (meh), 3 K's.

It's the Mariners, though...

Yup it was nice.

Now there's a stat I've been waiting for.

Per Jim Hunter: The O's have made 118 roster moves this year, most in the league. This is not a surprise, but damn. And Norfolk, due to the parent club, has made one hundred ninety eight. Wow.

All you can say is wow

Hey, look, a Reynolds rap.

Need his bat to wake up

Steve Johnson great start 6innings 2runs 2 walks and 9k's

Bring on the royals.

Need to take 3 out of 4.... The O's haven't won 6 in a row all year and Chen has a chance at this tomorrow.

You know, I like the Royals fans here. But the O's, if they're gonna make any playoff race noise, really need to take their club out behind the woodshed because the road gets very bumpy after they leave town.

Nothing personal, just business.

Sweep 60-51...60 wins on Aug 8 unreal.

Double pie in the face for Steve. Heh.


There have been, I don't know, a half dozen times this year when it looked like these guys were wobbly and ready to fall, to revert back to the shittiness of the past and just disappear. But every time they've bounced right back. I have no earthly idea how they're doing this. The "experts" don't either. Ride the wave, I guess. This is just so cool.

How many games out are the O's now?

4.5 in the east might be 3.5 after tonight. Tied for the first wild card.

I thought about a month ago they were going to fold. Good to see them hanging in there. Keeping the Skanks or Red Sox out of the playoffs this year would be a win-win situation

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/bal...shirt_chen.gif

We're having Chinese tomorrow.

So did everyone. I seriously don't know how they're doing this.

Brittany Ghiroli ‏@Britt_Ghiroli

Orioles top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy moving to Double A Bowie. Won't be activated for a few days.


Moving on up

What do you think? If he does well at Bowie, does he go to Norfolk, or straight to The Show? Personally, I don't think he ever goes to AAA if he kicks ass in AA.

I think we see him this year in Baltimore like the rays did with price out of the pen.

Bring it, Baltimore bird bitches.

Heh. Get some!

Orioles plan to select the contract of INF Manny Machado

Baltimore Orioles ‏@Orioles

The #Orioles plan to select the contract of INF Manny Machado from Double-A Bowie Thursday. He will be making his major league debut.


HOLY SHIT **** YEAH

been watching manny for a long time in the minors. glad hes finally up. too bad its against the royals

Roch Kubatko ‏@masnRoch

Machado, 20, has batted .266/.352/.438 with 11 HR & 59 RBI in 109 games w/Bowie. .275/.365/.505 line in 91 at-bats since the All-Star break.

this doesnt even make sense though. Since he isnt really killing the minors

WTF? This is really out of the blue.

Brittany Ghiroli ‏@Britt_Ghiroli

"If we can do something that makes us 2 inches better to have a chance to win the last 49 games, we’re going to do it." -Showalter postgame

http://i.imgur.com/eSX5q.gif

Manny Machado

WTF?! Is he playing 3rd or SS? My guess is 3rd but wow

And here I was, surprised that they promoted Bundy to Bowie.

These guys are not ****ing around. Man, I hope the kid's up to the challenge.

Brittany Ghiroli ‏@Britt_Ghiroli

Duquette on Manny Machado: "When you have the player with this kind of talent, he's a natural."

here you go O's fans

http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/y...6785579639.png

@jonmorosi

Manny Machado expected to start at third base for the #Orioles on Thursday. @MLBONFOX

Machado joining the Orioles

Baltimore’s Manny era has begun.

The Orioles announced plans Wednesday night to select the contract of top position prospect Manny Machado from Double-A Bowie prior to Thursday’s game, a move that bolsters Baltimore’s infield and supports the organization’s stance that it is committed to winning in 2012.

“The guy’s got a lot of talent and we feel like he can help,” executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said of Machado, a top young shortstop considered one of the best prospects in all of baseball, period.

“Manny should be a plus-defender, wherever we play him. He’s a five-tool player and he can help our team. I think he improves our team and it’s important here [for this club] to be strong.”

Machado has played mostly shortstop at the Double-A level but is expected to be used at third base with the O’s given shortstop J.J. Hardy’s stellar play. The 20-year-old has played two career games at third base, but the Orioles’ brass feel he’s capable of handling another position and helping a Baltimore club –which enters Thursday in a three-way tie for the American League Wild Card – make a playoff push.

“When you have the player with this kind of talent, he’s a natural,” Duquette said of Machado, who was named the Eastern League Player of the Week going 10-for-21, including hitting for the cycle on Saturday. “The guys’ got a lot of talent and we feel like he can help.”

A smooth defender, Machado has drawn comparisons to Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez –who he works out with in the offseason — and has hit .266/.343.428 in three Minor League seasons. Machado, the third overall pick in the 2010 Draft, has played 203 games at shortstop, three at designated hitter and two at third base, posting a career .955 fielding percentage over that span.

Following the Orioles’ 9-2 win Wednesday night, Orioles manager Buck Showalter made it clear the club will do whatever possible to stay in the postseason race, a sentiment confirmed shortly after with news of Machado’s pending arrival.

“If we can do something that makes us two inches better to have a chance to win the last 49 games, we’re going to do it,” Showalter said.

What a ****ing brilliant idea. Solve the 3rd base problem both offensively and defensively (as I've had enough of Betemit over there).

I have tickets tonight and was really excited to get the Chen shirt, and now I am even more excited about Manny! This could be a game changer!!!

Oh, and if anyone plans to catch any of the game, I'll be the nut dressed in orange behind home plate with the giant "Who Knew" sign.

Only thing that could top this news is if on Saturday they tell us they are bringing Bundy up for his next start. Hell Bundy's next scheduled start in AA is Tuesday and I'll be at the O's/Red SUX game that night,.....**** it, promote him to the majors and let him pitch against the SUX!

Updated Aug 9, 2012 2:13 AM ET



Are the Baltimore Orioles rushing Manny Machado?

MLB STANDINGS
How is your team doing? Check the status of every division.

Sure they are. But I like the move, for a team that still — yes, still — is involved in the American League East and wild-card races.

If the Orioles were going to promote their top position player prospect at some point this season, they chose the perfect moment: Machado is expected to debut at third base Thursday night, at home, against the last-place Kansas City Royals.

Above all, the circumstances are ideal because of how the Orioles have played lately: They just swept the Seattle Mariners and have won five straight overall. Machado, who turned 20 last month, isn’t expected to arrive at Camden Yards and save the season. He’s supposed to play a decent third base, hit low in the order, and bring energy during the August dog days.

He can do that much. So, this could work for the Orioles as long as they keep the expectations right there.

THIRD CLASS
These agile stars were sizzling while manning the Hot Corner. Who are the all-time best third basemen?

Defense might be the biggest near-term concern. Machado, selected just two spots behind Bryce Harper in the 2010 draft, has spent virtually his entire pro career at shortstop. Over 109 games at Class AA Bowie this year, Machado has played third base only twice.

Despite Machado’s considerable athleticism and aptitude, he’s about to learn that the major-league game is much faster than anything he saw in the Eastern League. And it’s especially quick at third base, a reflex position that can take years to master.

That said, it’s not as if Machado is succeeding Brooks Robinson. Wilson Betemit and Robert Andino have played the position recently, and neither has done so with distinction. Machado, meanwhile, had been hitting .462 in the minors this month.

Yes, that is a small sample size — two levels below the AL East. But this is a small-sample-size time of year. If Machado was going to be a September call-up, anyway, then why not let him debut when his confidence is at a high point?

PURPLE HAZE
MLB veterans come up with humiliating stunts to initiate rookies.

Besides, let’s not lose sight of the big picture here: The Orioles are second in the AL East, 4 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees. They are in a three-way tie for the AL wild card. No one expected them to be this good — certainly not their fans, who are (maybe) starting to think about postseason baseball for the first time since 1997.

To many of them, Machado’s debut will be further evidence that the Orioles have built a team worth watching. And when Orioles fans decide to follow their new favorite player on Twitter (@MannyMachado3), they will notice that Machado’s avatar shows him sitting beside a onetime Orioles shortstop prospect who also debuted at age 20 and played some third base early in his career.

Cal Ripken Jr.

Pretty smart to bring him up against Royals pitching, honestly.

I have heard speculation on platooning Betemit and Reynolds at 1st with Machado taking the starts at 3rd to keep Betemit's bat in lineup against righties. Wouldn't bother me.

I'd be slightly annoyed if they took Reynolds bat out of the lineup. At least he knows how to take a walk, and as of late, his bat has been heating up. Last night's HR, was the first ball i've seen in a LONG time that he drove to center/right. Good sign in my opinion.

Seriously every time I see you post I yell "Yay Mike!" in my head.

is it bad that every time I post, I also yell Yay Mike!

Brittany Ghiroli ‏@Britt_Ghiroli

Machado batting 9th.