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American League Wild Card 2012, 1996

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Columns:

Mychal Givens finds himself at personal, professional crossroads in rookie season The

Sun 6/28

Orioles outfielder Adam Jones spent a lot on Air Jordans, but for a good reason The Sun

6/28

Caleb Joseph catches first rehab game since injury, angling for return to Orioles The Sun

6/27

Orioles prospect Tanner Scott pitching well, has become valuable asset The Sun 6/27

Peter Schmuck's Orioles grades for June 27 The Sun 6/27

Orioles part of All-Star races going to the wire MLB.com 6/27

Duquette on the Brach deal MASNsports.com 6/28

Updating the All-Star voting MASNsports.com 6/27

Notes on D.J. Stewart, Hunter Harvey and more (plus draft notes, Joseph in Frederick)

MASNsports.com 6/28

Ryan Romano: O’s run bases well, despite lack of steals MASNsports.com 6/28

Orioles-Padres preview STATS, LLC. 6/27

Hot Orioles Turn To Ubaldo Jimenez To Keep Streak Alive Against Padres CSN Mid-

Atlantic 6/28

Orioles' Caleb Joseph Catches 8 Innings In First Game Since Scary Injury CSN Mid-

Atlantic 6/27

Orioles' Manny Machado Maintains All-Star Voting Lead, Mark Trumbo Falls CSN Mid-

Atlantic 6/27

Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell, Ron Hansen Remember Milt Pappas

PressBoxOnline.com 6/27

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-mychal-givens-finds-himself-at-personal-

professional-crossroads-in-rookie-season-20160627-story.html

Mychal Givens finds himself at personal, professional

crossroads in rookie season

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

June 28, 2016

Mychal Givens has been an important part of the Orioles’ bullpen since he arrived from Double-

A Bowie late last season, but he finds himself at both a personal and professional crossroads as

the Orioles begin a lengthy West Coast road trip Tuesday.

Givens worked through a slow start to the season to achieve a 1.80 ERA in his first 24 outings,

dominating righties in the process. But he has allowed eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings over his

last four appearances.

He hasn’t pitched since last Tuesday, thanks in part to a four-game set against a heavily left-

handed Tampa Bay Rays lineup, and for the first time Givens’ role seems tenuous. It’s not solely

performance-related, though.

Before the Orioles flew west Sunday evening, manager Buck Showalter hinted that the players

whose wives were due to give birth to their families’ respective first children would be tough to

bring on a trip that long and that far away from home.

Left-hander Ashur Tolliver was optioned after Sunday’s game, with his wife, Kelli, due July 7 in

Arkansas. Givens, whose wife Tiffani is due July 11, is the other. That’s still two weeks away,

and falls on the All-Star break. Combine the time off with the fact that Givens lives in Tampa,

where the Orioles begin their second half, and he’s hopeful that the schedule works in his favor.

“This is going to be my first one,” Givens said. “I’m really excited for it right now, and

hopefully everything goes to plan with the All-Star break, where I wouldn’t have to miss any

time. Hopefully, I can do both parts — be happy to be up here and be happy to spend time with

my newborn. Right now, it’s just a wait. I’m fine waiting.”

To get to that ideal situation, however, Givens must be across the country and have a few outings

to turn around his slump. Givens said he and Showalter had discussed the situation, and believes

his best way to turn things around is to be able to get back on the mound.

“Baseball’s s a game of failure,” Givens said. “It’s a long season, so you’re going to have some

rough patches, and rough weeks. At the same time, you have to correct everything, get back on

the mound and try to take one inning at a time, one pitch at a time.”

Givens struggled in his last outing against the Padres, who the Orioles play again this week, and

may not get a chance to throw in a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners this weekend,

either.

The Mariners have several left-handed regulars spread through the lineup, and left-handers are

batting .459/.545/.676 off Givens. He didn’t pitch in the three-game series against Seattle at

Camden Yards.

Combine that factor with the pending returns of Vance Worley (groin) and Darren O’Day

(hamstring) from the disabled list and the fact that T.J. McFarland is eligible to return from being

optioned on Tuesday, and the Orioles will have a few moves to make this week.

A few disappointing games leading to a minor league assignment would be hard luck for Givens,

who has struck out 35 of the 90 right-handed batters he’s faced while holding them to a .178

batting average.

But with so much unknown with him both off the field and on it, there’s some sense that keeping

Givens out west, especially for a series where the Orioles might stay away from him, might be

difficult for all sides to stomach.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baltimore-sports-blog/bal-orioles-outfielder-adam-jones-

spent-a-lot-on-air-jordans-but-for-a-good-reason-20160627-story.html

Orioles outfielder Adam Jones spent a lot on Air Jordans,

but for a good reason

By Jonas Shaffer / The Baltimore Sun

June 28, 2016

Don't you ever say Adam Jones doesn't have a sense of style. Some might even saytoo

much style. Three years ago, the Orioles center fielder's Nike Air Swingman MVP "Camo Toe"

(get it?) cleats were banned by Major League Baseball.

His civilian fashion demands attention, too. In this revealing Associated Press feature, we learn

that he has 40 to 50 "statement socks" (at least one pair includes mustaches); a $1,200 pair of

low-top, animal-print sneakers from French designer Lanvin; and 10 pairs of Air Jordans that

required a "shoe-sleuthing crew of 10 people." (I would've described them as shoe gumshoes, but

shoe-sleuthing crew works, too, I guess.)

But calling these Jordans typical shoes would be like calling Jones a typical center fielder, and he

is certainly not that.

This is a Nike Air Jordan Doernbecher. Doernbecher is Doernbecher Children's Hospital, an

academic teaching children's hospital in Portland, Oregon, associated with Oregon Health &

Science University. Every year since 2004, Nike designers and developers have partnered with

Doernbecher patients who have battled serious illnesses to build a shoe unique to each patient.

The children choose the colors, styles and materials, and the resulting Freestyle Collection has

raised over $14 million to help expand the hospital's research and care.

Jones told the AP he spent over $2,500 on a special-release pair of Air Jordan 5s designed by

Isaac Arzate like those seen above. Several years ago, Arzate, a preteen baseball and basketball

player, suffered a cardiac arrest during basketball practice and was sent to Doernbecher, where

doctors discovered a heart abnormality. He underwent open-heart surgery and, after being invited

to the Freestyle program, started designing a custom pair during his recovery.

In April 2012, Arzate suffered a second, fatal heart attack, and Nike, Doernbecher and his family

worked together to finish his design. Covering the shoe are words from a poem Isaac wrote a day

before his passing.

"The shoe will never get made again, so I look at it as I'm blessed to be able to throw money

away like that," Jones said. "I'm just blessed to find a passion. I like shoes. I like Jordans, so,

hey, it's all part of it."

For more on Jones' haute couture, including how he turned plugs into jewelry, watch the video

above and read the full AP story.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-caleb-joseph-catches-first-rehab-game-

since-injury-angling-for-return-to-orioles-20160627-story.html

Caleb Joseph catches first rehab game since injury, angling

for return to Orioles

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

June 27, 2016

Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph reported no problems and said he felt healthy and strong after

going behind the plate Monday night for High-A Frederick, catching for the first time since

suffering a testicular injury that required surgery.

Joseph caught eight innings, threw out one of two attempted base-stealers, and went 0-for-3 with

a sacrifice fly. He seemed to believe he felt good enough to return to the majors and join the

Orioles on the West Coast as they begin a nine-game swing with the San Diego Padres Tuesday,

but wasn’t sure when that would be.

“I’m going to have to make a few phone calls here,” Joseph said. “I felt really good. I expected

to feel good, but I felt better than anticipated, so it’s a really good sign. I’m going to make a few

phone calls, then we’ll see what happens.”

Joseph has now played 10 rehab games, going 10-for-34 (.294) between Frederick and Double-A

Bowie, but wasn’t able to catch until he was four weeks out from his May 30 surgery.

The first catching assignment brought on some apprehension, but Joseph was able to endure two

long innings to start the game and put the incident that caused his injury behind him, all while

building his legs back up.

“A few pitches to some left-handers, we were trying to elevate the ball to the same exact

location,” Joseph said. “It did cross my mind a few times, but we’re still living to tell about it, so

it’s a good first step. I think, over time, that will just go away and we’ll go back to normal.”

Francisco Pena has been backing up starter Matt Wieters in Joseph’s absence, and has hit .214

with a home run in 28 at-bats. Joseph was batting .182 in 66 at-bats at the time of the injury.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter had previously said Joseph could return to the majors after just

one game behind the plate, but it’s unclear whether that will be the plan.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-offday-0628-20160627-story.html

Orioles prospect Tanner Scott pitching well, has become

valuable asset

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

June 27, 2016

Left-handers whose fastballs routinely hit 100 mph don't come around often, so it was only

natural for Orioles prospect Tanner Scott's star to rise this offseason. How could it not?

Try as he did to ignore it, it was only once Scott stopped trying to pitch like a high-ceiling

prospect on the fast track to a major league bullpen that he began to resemble one again.

"Especially going out to the [Arizona] Fall League, doing well, people started to notice that I'm a

hard-throwing lefty," Scott said. "This offseason, I was getting more attention and I'm like, 'Uh-

oh.' Then spring: 'Oh Crap.' Then I'm starting in Frederick. I better be lights out, perfect.

"But if you're thinking that, you're not going to be perfect. You're not going to be what you want.

But if I just put that aside and just go out there and do what I'm capable of. I'm capable of doing

a lot better than I started. A lot better than I started."

Since that rough start, Scott has been as close to perfect as someone as raw as him can be for the

High-A Frederick Keys.

In his last 23 2/3 innings (12 appearances), Scott has allowed just seven hits and one earned run,

striking out 39 batters with 14 walks. It's brought down an ERA that ballooned as Scott dealt

with the pressure of trying to pitch like one of the most intriguing prospects in the Orioles'

system. He entered May with a 12.79 ERA and more walks (15) than strikeouts (12), but now

has a 3.92 ERA on the season.

"Sometimes, guys put pressure on themselves," Keys pitching coach Kennie Steenstra said.

"There was a lot of things written about him, a lot of things said about him obviously during the

spring. Guys tend to put pressure on themselves a little bit, and he was kind of overthinking

things early on."

The hype that weighed him down, however, appears to be justified. He struck out 60 batters in 42

1/3 innings over two levels last season, went to the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League and

struck out 10 in nine innings while allowing just two runs. The Orioles' coaching staff talked him

up at the team's minor league pitching minicamp in January, and he pitched in four major

league spring training games for the Orioles this year.

In one, he struck out the side on nine pitches. Manager Buck Showalter almost didn't want to talk

about him after games, as if someone like Scott could be a secret.

All of that weighed on him, but it's now in the past. As the trade deadline approaches, Scott may

well be one of the Orioles' most valuable assets, if they decide to move him.

"He's really settled in, and I'm not worried about him at all," Steenstra said. "We weren't worried

about him even back in April. Everybody goes through some learning pains, some growing

pains, and he's in a really good place right now."

There's more to his improvement than just the mental side. Both before and since the Orioles

drafted him in the sixth round out of Howard College (Texas), his mechanics have been broken

down and rebuilt. The Howard coaches smoothed him out some, then the Orioles' pitching

program, under director of pitching development Rick Peterson, worked on making Scott's

delivery safe, smooth, and repeatable.

Even last fall in Arizona, Scott's mechanics wavered. He's athletic and uses his lower half well,

but his front side opened up too often at times and his arm slot got erratic as a result.

His most recent adjustment, which came around the time of a disastrous seven-run appearance

near the end of April, wasn't a total overhaul.

"At the beginning of the year, my hands started down at my waist, and I'd move them up and

then down when I broke," Scott said. "I'd be behind the ball and it'd be causing me to miss

everywhere. Now that I'm starting with my hands higher — instead of moving them constantly,

they're always in one spot. Once I got it, it's easier to get to that same spot every time."

Scott cited the video influence of Orioles closer Zach Britton — who also has gone from a starter

with low hands at the outset of his delivery to someone whose arm slot was made more

consistent when he raised them. The impact was immediate. Gone are the four-pitch walks and

erratic control of the early part of the season.

The results have improved since. He gave up just one hit in 14 May innings, and has been just as

good in June. There are some days when he's got strikeout stuff — he fanned all six batters he

faced on June 15 at Myrtle Beach. Others, like when he retired seven of eight on 27 pitches

Saturday, are more contact-oriented days.

Some of the recent results have also come as he's mixed back in his changeup, which Scott notes

is a pitch "no one thinks I have." He smirks when saying he's thrown four in his last two outings,

and says he's completely confident throwing his slider in all counts now, too.

Steenstra said Scott might not throw the slider more than five times in a typical outing. With a

fastball that sits in the high-90s, Scott has been able to cruise at times on just that. But Scott and

Steenstra know that's the next step for Scott, to move forward.

"I don't think anything's ever a last step, but it's definitely something we've been working on,"

Steenstra said. "It's a point of emphasis right now to integrate that into the game a bit more and

maybe utilize it in counts when he'd normally not throw it or to hitters he might not throw it to.

We're going to utilize it a little bit more now. He's very comfortable in what he's doing, and it

should be a pretty easy process."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-peter-schmuck-orioles-grades-for-june-27-

20160626-story.html

Peter Schmuck's Orioles grades for June 27

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun

June 27, 2016

Every week, Orioles columnist Peter Schmuck will grade the performance of the Orioles in five

categories. The letter grades are not directly tied to any particular statistic, but are representative

of a cumulative evaluation of everything – tangible or intangible – that falls under that particular

category.

Click on the photos above to see how the Orioles fared this week.

Hitting: A-

Though the Orioles struggled with RISP in Monday night’s rain-makeup road game, the offense

produced consistently through the rest of the week, scoring at least five runs in six of the seven

games and averaging nearly seven runs per game. The club obviously is known for its top-to-

bottom power, but the emergence of contact hitters Hyun Soo Kim and Joey Rickard – as well as

Adam Jones’ success in the leadoff role – has changed the chemistry of the offense. Who would

have thought at the start of the season that the Orioles would be closing out June ranked second

in the American League in on-base percentage. Didn’t see that coming.

Defense: B+

The band is finally back together again. Manny Machado returned from his four-game

suspension on Friday night and J.J. Hardy is back playing regularly after missing six weeks with

a broken bone in his foot. So, the Orioles are back playing the kind of defense everybody has

come to expect – steady up the middle with regular flashes of spectacular glove work.

Remember, this is a defense that had fallen to 20th in the majors in fielding percentage a few

weeks ago, but I predicted it would be back in the top 10 by July 1. It’s going to be close. The

O’s now rank 14th at .985 with the 10th ranked team at .986. This past week, the Orioles made

just three errors in seven games.

Rotation: B

The Orioles still need to go outside the organization for help to position themselves for a strong

second-half run, but O’s starters no longer appeared to be in crisis mode last week. Strangely

enough, Chris Tillman was the only starter to give up more than four runs in a game. Kevin

Gausman started twice and allowed a total of four earned runs in 12 2/3 innings, including his

strong 7 2/3 shutout innings on Saturday. Jimenez didn’t win back his place in the rotation, but

he won back some fans with a strong six innings against the Padres on Wednesday night. Tyler

Wilson had a pretty good outing Tuesday night and didn’t get a win. He struggled Sunday and

won anyway. So it goes. Yovani Gallardo had a tough first inning on Friday, but still displayed

the veteran presence the club hopes will stabilize the rotation.

Bullpen: A-

If not for one very uncharacteristic outing by Mychal Givens, the Orioles bullpen would have

carried a shutout into Sunday’s game. Givens spun out of control and allowed four earned runs

without registering an out on Tuesday night, but the other six relievers who took the mound for

the Orioles combined to pitch 18 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run. Brad Brach

continues to be almost unhittable and hasn’t allowed a base hit in his last 7 1/3 innings dating

back to the Red Sox series. Zach Britton struggled a bit with his command in a couple of outings,

but not to the detriment of the club. He converted both his save opportunities and continues to

lead the American League with 23. Dylan Bundy made a pair of long-relief appearances and

gave up just two hits and no runs over six innings. T.J. McFarland even stopped by in a

doubleheader roster-expansion situation and picked up a victory. It was a very impressive week,

especially with Darren O’Day still on the disabled list.

All things considered: A-

The week got off to a disappointing start, with the Orioles dropping a game to the Rangers that

they should have won land and another to the Padres they should not have lost. Since then, the

club has been on a roll, winning five straight games and performing well on all fronts. Can’t ask

for much more than a 5-2 week after losing the first two. And the five-game winning streak

couldn’t have come at a better time, since the Orioles are now headed west for a long trip that

includes stops in San Diego, Seattle and Los Angeles.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/186481224/mlb-all-star-voting-updates

Ever-tightening All-Star races going to the wire

By Mark Newman / MLB.com

June 27, 2016

Entering the final 72 hours of the 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot, it seems

increasingly likely that Major League Baseball's tradition of surprising late-surge selections will

continue as fans decide the starting position players for the 87th All-Star Game presented by

MasterCard on July 12 in San Diego.

In the National League, there is now a virtual dead heat at catcher between to-date leaderYadier

Molina of the Cardinals and surging Buster Posey of the Giants, while the Cubs' seemingly once-

certain bounty of having five starters at Petco Park might be reduced to as few as two if leads

keep disintegrating at this rate for infielders Ben Zobrist, Kris Bryantand Addison Russell.

In the American League, two-time All-Star Game MVP Mike Trout of the Angels is the only one

seemingly assured of a starting spot in the outfield. Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts of the

Red Sox are still following him, respectively, in position for the other two spots, but the race is

on. Betts is closing on his teammate, and only 208,503 votes separate Betts from No. 4 Lorenzo

Cain of the Royals, No. 5 Mark Trumbo of the Orioles and No. 6 Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays.

Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday. Fans can submit up to five ballots per any 24-hour

period, with a maximum of 35 ballots per account, exclusively at MLB.com and all 30 clubs sites

using the 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot.

Molina, bidding for his eighth consecutive All-Star selection, led in every weekly NL voting

update for the past month. But Posey outvoted him since the last one, 433,716-363,433, so the

previous lead that hovered around 70,000 is now down to just 5,130. The Nationals'Wilson

Ramos, who made a big surge in the last update, outdrew Molina for the second week in a row,

this time 383,224-363,433, and is very much in the picture given the massive voting volume.

The Cubs have dominated at all four infielder spots throughout the past month of updates, but at

this moment, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, still holding a narrow lead over Trout in the race for

top overall vote-getter, is the only sure thing. The other three have leads in the 300,000s, but that

is a big dropoff over the past several days.

At third base, Nolan Arenado of the Rockies has outgained Bryant since Wednesday, 564,988-

388,966.

At shortstop, Trevor Story of the Rockies outgained Russell, 313,545-251,184. Meanwhile,

Dodgers rookie Corey Seager received more support than either of them -- 379,204 votes -- to

make a late bid.

And at second base, few Major Leaguers have had a better time lately than Daniel Murphyof the

Nationals. He received a whopping 594,028 votes since Wednesday's update -- compared to

417,730 for Zobrist. That reduced Zobrist's lead to 306,934, the smallest among those three

Cubs.

Miguel Cabrera, Josh Donaldson and Nelson Cruz all made late-surge starts last year.Pablo

Sandoval, Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera did it in 2012. So did Alex Avila andJose Reyes in

2011. There was Josh Hamilton in 2010, Dustin Pedroia in 2009, Barry Bonds in 2007, Mark

Teixeira and David Eckstein in 2005. In 2004, Hideki Matsui surged past fellow

countryman Ichiro Suzuki to start for the American League. There were others as well, going

back to Cal Ripken Jr. in 2001 -- enough evidence to know that some big leads are not safe.

Fans may also receive the ballot by texting VOTE to 89269 (USA) or 101010 (Canada). Or text

VOTA for a ballot in Spanish. Message and data rates may apply. Up to five messages. No

purchase required. Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for info.

Rosters for American and National Leagues will be revealed at 7 p.m

. ET on July 5 during the one-hour Esurance All-Star Selection Show on ESPN.

Following that announcement, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2016 Esurance MLB

All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player on each league's All-Star roster. On Tuesday, July

12, watch the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard live on FOX, and during the game

visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award

presented by Chevrolet via the 2016 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote.

The 87th All-Star Game, in San Diego, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by

Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB

International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national

radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide

comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visitallstargame.com.

AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR BALLOTING LEADERS

CATCHER

1. Salvador Perez, Royals: 3,754,594

2. Matt Wieters, Orioles: 1,033,217

3. Russell Martin, Blue Jays: 981,618

4. Brian McCann, Yankees: 578,013

5. Robinson Chirinos, Rangers: 511,308

FIRST BASE

1. Eric Hosmer, Royals: 2,638,022

2. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: 2,088,920

3. Chris Davis, Orioles: 952,053

4. Justin Smoak, Blue Jays: 772,948

5. Hanley Ramirez, Red Sox: 769,385

SECOND BASE

1. Jose Altuve, Astros: 2,186,949

2. Robinson Cano, Mariners: 1,276,010

3. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox: 1,081,667

4. Omar Infante, Royals: 949,308

5. Ryan Goins, Blue Jays: 757,923

THIRD BASE

1. Manny Machado, Orioles: 2,196,732

2. Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays: 1,590,183

3. Mike Moustakas, Royals: 1,135,431

4. Adrian Beltre, Rangers: 1,099,086

5. Nick Castellanos, Tigers: 789,144

SHORTSTOP

1. Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox: 2,825,025

2. Alcides Escobar, Royals: 1,478,645

3. Troy Tulowitzki, Blue Jays: 1,136,479

4. Elvis Andrus, Rangers: 917,112

5. Carlos Correa, Astros: 694,103

OUTFIELD

1. Mike Trout, Angels: 2,972,582

2. Jackie Bradley Jr., Red Sox: 2,184,884

3. Mookie Betts, Red Sox: 1,915,637

4. Lorenzo Cain, Royals: 1,821,746

5. Mark Trumbo, Orioles: 1,801,969

6. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays: 1,707,134

7. Alex Gordon, Royals: 1,165,980

8. Ian Desmond, Rangers: 1,133,422

9. Paulo Orlando, Royals: 1,065,647

10. Carlos Beltran, Yankees: 964,473

11. Kevin Pillar, Blue Jays: 934,982

12. Michael Saunders, Blue Jays: 903,050

13. Adam Jones, Orioles: 726,916

14. Melky Cabrera, White Sox: 518,476

15. J.D. Martinez, Tigers: 497,102

DESIGNATED HITTER

1. David Ortiz, Red Sox: 3,400,200

2. Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays: 1,131,827

3. Kendrys Morales, Royals: 1,102,349

4. Victor Martinez, Tigers: 865,194

5. Nelson Cruz, Mariners: 799,967

NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL-STAR BALLOTING LEADERS

CATCHER

1. Yadier Molina, Cardinals: 1,568,930

2. Buster Posey, Giants: 1,563,800

3. Wilson Ramos, Nationals: 1,282,287

4. Miguel Montero, Cubs: 854,629

5. Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers: 846,380

FIRST BASE

1. Anthony Rizzo, Cubs: 2,630,049

2. Brandon Belt, Giants: 1,233,499

3. Paul Goldschmidt, D-backs: 977,889

4. Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers: 734,448

5. Brandon Moss, Cardinals: 522,808

SECOND BASE

1. Ben Zobrist, Cubs: 2,474,852

2. Daniel Murphy, Nationals: 2,167,918

3. Joe Panik, Giants: 768,312

4. Neil Walker, Mets: 500,384

5. Chase Utley, Dodgers: 488,170

THIRD BASE

1. Kris Bryant, Cubs: 2,459,704

2. Nolan Arenado, Rockies: 2,108,503

3. Matt Carpenter, Cardinals: 882,135

4. Matt Duffy, Giants: 665,802

5. Martin Prado, Marlins: 396,859

SHORTSTOP

1. Addison Russell, Cubs: 1,741,182

2. Trevor Story, Rockies: 1,423,547

3. Corey Seager, Dodgers: 1,082,434

4. Brandon Crawford, Giants: 1,002,201

5. Zack Cozart, Reds: 528,785

OUTFIELD

1. Dexter Fowler, Cubs: 2,320,877

2. Bryce Harper, Nationals: 2,253,083

3. Yoenis Cespedes, Mets: 2,249,489

4. Jason Heyward, Cubs: 1,485,679

5. Ryan Braun, Brewers: 1,327,209

6. Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies: 1,155,982

7. Jorge Soler, Cubs: 992,174

8. Starling Marte, Pirates: 893,952

9. Andrew McCutchen, Pirates: 816,079

10. Stephen Piscotty, Cardinals: 793,912

11. Hunter Pence, Giants: 764,004

12. Matt Holliday, Cardinals: 680,416

13. Charlie Blackmon, Rockies: 644,191

14. Marcell Ozuna, Marlins: 578,015

15. Angel Pagan, Giants: 561,677

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/06/duquette-on-the-brach-deal.html

Duquette on the Brach deal

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

June 28, 2016

SAN DIEGO - No matter how the two-game series in San Diego unfolds for the Orioles, with the

opener played tonight, they’ve already scored a huge win. To the point where they should feel

pangs of guilt.

Nah, forget it. This is a business. The Padres knew what they were doing on the day they traded

reliever Brad Brach to the Orioles for minor league pitcher Devin Jones.

Mark down Nov. 25, 2013 as a date when Dan Duquette did some of his finest work as Orioles

executive vice president.

Brach for Jones didn’t gain much notice in the industry. There wasn’t a tidal wave of reaction.

The deal didn’t bring much more than a trickle, something for the local scribes to write about in

the offseason.

Who knew?

Brach is 17-5 with a 2.49 ERA in 142 games over three seasons with the Orioles. Scouts are

convinced that he’s destined to close for a team within the next few years, once he’s eligible for

free agency, and the Orioles must decide how much they want to pay their multi-purpose

reliever.

There’s no rush to figure it out. He’s been money in any role given to him, including the primary

set-up man while Darren O’Day’s on the disabled list.

Brach is saving his best for 2016, going 5-1 with a 1.05 ERA and two saves in 34 games and

earning serious consideration for his first All-Star Team. He’s allowed five runs and 23 hits and

struck out 50 batters in 42 2/3 innings.

Jones, meanwhile, came back to the Orioles last year and retired after three relief appearances at

Single-A Frederick. The former ninth-round pick out of Mississippi State never pitched above

Double-A, where he went 4-7 with a 5.84 ERA in 24 starts with Bowie in 2013.

The Padres gave up Brach, who posted a 3.19 ERA in 33 appearances and still had a minor

league option, for Jones over the winter. This isn’t a knock on Jones when I say that the decision

is puzzling. Sort of like how the meaning of life is puzzling. I just don’t get it.

The Orioles sent Brach to Triple-A Norfolk, where he appeared in 17 games in 2014. He’s out of

options, but that’s like saying Bill Gates is out of singles. It doesn’t really matter.

So, exactly how did the trade come together? Well, it started with positive reports from major

league scout Dave Engle, who’s based in California, and Duquette’s eye for under-the-radar

acquisitions.

“Brad hadn’t established himself as a big leaguer,” Duquette said. “He had been up and down a

few times with the Padres. Dave Engle, our scout, recommended him. He liked him. And when

we looked into Brad’s record, we saw that he pitched in the low minors, particularly in the

California League, as a closer. He was familiar with pitching in high-leverage situations.”

True enough. Brach saved 33 games at low Class A Fort Wayne in 2009 and 41 at high Class A

Lake Elsinore in 2010, posting ERAs of 1.41 and 2.74, respectively. He’s 21-16 with a 2.42 ERA

and 119 saves in seven minor league seasons.

“He had good size and a good arm,” Duquette said. “That’s why we ended up acquiring his

contract and bringing him over. We liked what he did in the minors. He wasn’t a middle reliever,

in other words. He was a closer and he had distinguished himself in the California League prior

to advancing to the major league roster with San Diego.

“Devin Jones had a good arm. He came to us from Mississippi State and he had a good curve.

We liked Brach. He was closer to the big leagues and closer to helping us.”

Brach was an unfinished product. The Orioles took care of the rest, making this part trade and

part player development story.

“In fairness to Brad Brach, he developed a split-finger after he came to the Orioles and that’s

really his bread and butter. That’s his key out pitch. So, he developed a skill after he came to the

club that he didn’t have prior to the trade,” Duquette said.

Brach used it Saturday night to strike out Evan Longoria, strand two runners and preserve a one-

run lead after feeding the Rays’ third baseman 95 and 96 mph fastballs.

“He had good size, he had a good arm. But he really developed his changeup, which is his split-

finger pitch, and he uses that effectively against both left- and right-handed hitters,” Duquette

said.

“He’s very dependable and that pitch is a real weapon for him. He’s done a nice job for us. And

he pitches in high-leverage situations. Good for him. Not only did he get himself established, he

came up with another pitch. And it’s a swing and miss pitch.”

Will Brach miss an All-Star Game that he so richly deserves to attend in uniform? He isn’t a

closer, but perhaps moving up to the eighth inning in O’Day’s absence will help the cause.

Otherwise, we’re back to the undefined role issue that makes guys like him go ignored when it

comes to honors.

“Well, the American League did pick O’Day,” Duquette said, smiling. “Brad Brach’s excelling

in a similar role. He certainly has the portfolio to be considered for the All-Star team. He’s

pitched great for us.”

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/06/updating-the-all-star-voting.html

Updating the All-Star voting

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

June 27, 2016

Manny Machado remains the only Orioles player leading at his position in American League All-

Star voting.

Machado is first among third basemen with 2,196,732 votes to stay ahead of the Blue Jays’ Josh

Donaldson (1,590,183).

Mark Trumbo, who leads the majors with 22 home runs, has dropped from fourth to fifth among

outfielders with 1,801,969 votes. The Angels’ Mike Trout is first with 2,972,582 votes, followed

by the Red Sox’s Jackie Bradley Jr. with 2,184,884, the Red Sox’s Mookie Betts with 1,915,637

and the Royals’ Lorenzo Cain with 1,821,746.

Adam Jones is 13th with 726,916.

Matt Wieters is second among catchers with 1,033,217, trailing the Royals’ Salvador Perez with

3,754,594.

First baseman Chris Davis is third with 952,053 votes to trail the Royals’ Eric Hosmer with

2,638,022 and the Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera with 2,088,920.

No other Orioles rank among the leaders.

This is the final update before the teams are revealed on July 5 at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

The All-Star Game will be played on July 12 at Petco Park in San Diego, where the Orioles

begin a two-game series on Tuesday.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/06/notes-on-dj-stewart-hunter-harvey-chris-

lee-and-more-plus-draft-notes.html

Notes on D.J. Stewart, Hunter Harvey and more (plus draft

notes, Joseph in Frederick)

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

June 28, 2016

Even though he was hitting just .230 at Single-A Delmarva, the Orioles recently promoted their

2015 first-round draft pick, outfielder D.J. Stewart to Single-A Frederick.

The 25th overall pick last June, Stewart is trying to find the form that saw him hit .351 and .318

his last two seasons at Florida State. He was named the 2014 ACC Player of the Year.

But the left-handed-hitting left fielder hit just .218 last year at short season Single-A Aberdeen in

his pro debut. In 62 games this season with Delmarva before the promotion to the Keys he was

batting .230 with four homers, 25 RBIs and a .719 OPS.

I asked O’s director of player development Brian Graham the reasons behind Stewart’s move to

Frederick.

“He’s a first-round pick out of a major college,” Graham said. “And it’s an opportunity to start

fresh with a brand new batting average. He has the tools and the ability, it just has to translate.

“I think he needs to find some consistency with his swing. D.J. has a great work ethic. He’s got

bat speed. He’s got strength and he understands the strikezone. He’s got to find that consistency

with this swing and when that happens he has a chance to be a good hitter.”

Stewart hit out of a very low crouch at Florida State. He hit more upright earlier this year in his

batting stance after tweaking the stance at instructional league last fall. For now his stance is still

a work in progress.

“He seems to still be adjusting,” Graham said. “There are times when he is lower in his stance

and times when he is higher. You know, hitters make adjustments. D.J. needs to find a spot that

is comfortable for him and the spot that is going to allow him to be a good hitter.”

Did the Orioles have any concerns about moving Stewart up a level with his stats being what

they were at Delmarva?

“People might read into this too much,” Graham said. “This is a good player that is a good hitter

and this is a new opportunity for him. Don’t overthink or read into it too much. We like D.J.

He’s a good hitter and a good player. Let’s put him at this level and see how he competes.”

Stewart has hit safely in all four games so far with Frederick, going 5-for-16 (.313) with two

doubles and two RBIs. He is 4-for-9 versus right-handed pitching. He made three starts in left

field and last night started in center field for Frederick.

Elsewhere on the farm:

* Orioles 2013 first-round pick, right-hander Hunter Harvey, made a successful return to the

mound on Saturday in the Gulf Coast League. Over two scoreless innings he fanned five batters.

It was his first minor league game since July 25, 2014.

“I saw Hunter pitch and it was really good,” Graham said after seeing that outing in person. “He

is healthy and threw free and easy. Ball came out of his hand well and he threw strikes with good

velocity.”

Harvey missed time with a strained right flexor mass and fractured fibula. And then in May he

had another health issue and underwent sports hernia surgery.

But the organization’s No. 2 ranked prospect according to Baseball America is finally back. He

will throw two to three innings on Wednesday in the GCL and after that could be ready to enter a

team’s five-man rotation. A move to short season Single-A Aberdeen is possible. If all goes well

he could certainly move to Frederick, where he had been expected to start this year.

* Outfielder Austin Hays, taken by the Orioles earlier this month in the third round of the draft,

has missed a few Aberdeen games with a sprained wrist. He got hurt sliding head first into a

base. The injury does not appear to be serious and X-rays were negative. Hays made a strong

debut, going 5-for-8 with a double and triple in his first two IronBirds games.

* Double-A Bowie pitcher Chris Lee is taking part in a throwing program right now and Graham

said he feels great. Lee went on the Baysox DL June 5 with a lat strain. Lee has not started for

Bowie since May 23. He is 5-0 with a 2.98 ERA in eight games and is ranked by Baseball

America as the Orioles’ No. 6 prospect.

“Right now it’s to be determined when he pitches (in a game) again,” Graham said.

Lee could make a rehab start or two at a lower minor level when he returns before rejoining the

Bowie club.

* Right-hander Parker Bridwell, another Baysox starter on the DL, will return to a pitch in a

game this week. On the disabled list since May 26 with broken ribs, Bridwell will pitch

Wednesday in the CGL game. It may be just an inning as he begins to work his way back. Like

Lee, Bridwell is on the Orioles 40-man roster. He is 1-1 with a 5.13 ERA this year for Bowie.

Back when Bridwell went on the DL, Orioles manager Buck Showalter talked about the right-

hander.

“He has a broken rib,” Showalter said. “He actually pitched his last start with it. You know those

West Texas guys - Parker’s a tough bird. That is why I like him. I would not sell him short. I

really like him. I think he’s going to be a good bullpen piece. I do,” Showalter said then.

* When he was in Florida recently watching the Gulf Coast League team, Graham saw pitcher

Cody Sedlock throw his first bullpen session. The 21-year-old right-hander was the Orioles’ top

draft pick this year, taken 27th overall, out of the University of Illinois. He was signed to a slot

bonus of $2,097,200.

“It was really impressive,” Graham said. “Good body, good arm. Ball comes out of his hand

well. Threw a lot of strikes with plus velocity. It was impressive. He’s on a (throwing)

progression. He threw 100 innings in college. I’m guessing he’ll go into a five or six-man

rotation at some point in Aberdeen when he gets ready and he probably won’t pitch a lot of

innings.”

Sedlock has to continue the throwing progression with another bullpen or two followed by

throwing live practice and then a simulated game or two before he moves to Aberdeen.

O’s second-round draft pick, left-hander Keegan Akin out of Western Michigan University, will

go through the same throwing progression in Florida. He hasn’t throw his first bullpen session

yet.

Draft notes: The Orioles have annouced the signings of 25 draft picks so far. They have not

announced the signing yet of right-handed pitcher Matthew Dietz, their second-round pick, but

MLBPipeline.com’s Jim Callis reported they have agreed to an overslot bonus worth $1.3

million. An industry source confirmed the Callis report. With Dietz done, the Orioles have

agreements/signings with their top six picks and with 12 of their first 16 picks over the first 15

rounds.

A source indicated the Orioles are closing in on two other signings and those are with sixth-

round pick, right-handed pitcher Tobias Myers from Winter Haven (Fla.) High School and also

with eighth-round pick, right-handed pitcher Ryan Moseley out of Texas Tech. That would mean

they have agreements with 14 of the first 16 picks when those deals get fully completed.

The Orioles continue to pursue their seventh-round pick, NC State first baseman Preston

Palmeiro, who is the son of former Oriole Rafael Palmeiro. They are also negotiating with 13th-

round pick, left-handed pitcher Brandon Bonilla of Hawaii Pacific, son of former Oriole Bobby

Bonilla. Right now the O’s don’t appear close to signing either Palmeiro or Bonilla.

The Orioles’ 17th-round selection, left-handed pitcher Tyler Blohm out of Archbishop Spalding

High School in Severn, Md., has a firm college commitment to the University of Maryland. But

the Orioles still feel they have a chance to sign him.

The Orioles will likely wind up signing a total of about 32 or 33 players from a draft class of 41

players that included 27 pitchers and 14 position players and 31 college selections.

Joseph in Frederick: For the first time since his injury, the Orioles’ Caleb Joseph played behind

the plate last night. He caught eight innings for the Single-A Frederick Keys, going 0-for-3 with

a sac fly and he threw out one of two attempting base stealers.

Joseph took a foul ball to the groin area on May 30, sustaining a testicular injury that required

surgery. While he had served as a DH for both Frederick and Double-A Bowie, last night was the

first time he caught since the injury.

“It was good, felt great,” Joseph told reporters at Harry Grove Stadium. “There were a few

pitches against left-handed hitters we were trying to elevate the ball to the same exact location, it

crossed my mind a few times. But we’re still living to tell about it. It was a good first step.”

Does Joseph feel ready now to rejoin the Orioles?

“I’m going to have to make a few phone calls here. I felt really good. I expected to feel good, but

I felt better than I anticipated,” Joseph said.

Now he should return to the Orioles at some point over the next few days.

Frederick scored twice in the last of the ninth last night to win that game over Carolina 6-5 at

Nymeo Field. The Keys trailed 5-1 in the third inning and posted their third walk-off win of the

year on Cam Kneeland’s double. It is the largest comeback win of the year for Frederick.

Thanks to reporter Greg Swatek of the Frederick News-Post for passing along some quotes from

Joseph’s night in Frederick.

http://www.masnsports.com/orioles-buzz/2016/06/ryan-romano-os-run-bases-well-despite-lack-

of-steals.html

Ryan Romano: O’s run bases well, despite lack of steals

By Ryan Romano / MASNsports.com

June 28, 2016

Every so often, I hear legends -- faint whispers upon the breeze -- of Orioles squads that would

steal bases. Brian Roberts, Brady Anderson, Al Bumbry: These speedsters could constantly

threaten to break for the open bag, and many times they made good on that threat. But they have

come and gone, and the team has sorely missed their presence, especially as of late. For the third

straight season, the Orioles rank last in the majors in stolen bases. On a more advanced basis,

they don’t fare much better: According to FanGraphs’ wSB metric, their inability to swipe has

cost them 1.6 runs this season, which slots them 21st in all of baseball.

Yet the Orioles have still run the bases pretty well. Overall, they’ve earned 1.8 runs in this

regard, good enough for 13th in baseball. By the other two components of FanGraphs’

baserunning metric -- wGDP, which analyzes the frequency of double plays, and UBR, which

looks at runner advancement on a number of scenarios -- they currently sit 10th in all of baseball.

While the O’s may not steal a great deal of bases, they don’t plod their way from first to home.

Let’s begin with wGDP. The Orioles actually have a fair amount of double plays to their name

ranking 13th in the majors with 60. That’s a function of their high-caliber offense, though: The

Orioles have put more runners on base, so they’ve given their opponents more chances to turn

two. Per Baseball-Reference, they’ve earned 538 double-play “opportunities” (defined as a plate

appearance with less than two outs and a runner on first base); their double-play rate is 11

percent, in line with the major-league average.

One player stands above the rest when it comes to double plays, or the absence thereof: Chris

Davis. Since breaking out in 2013, he’s set the pace the majors with 9.5 wGDP runs, and this

season has been no different. Aside from him, a number of other players -- chiefly Manny

Machado, Pedro Alvarez, and Hyun Soo Kim -- have worked around the rally killer. As a team

that puts the ball in the air pretty often, the Orioles don’t risk running into double plays very

often; these players’ efforts have removed even more of the uncertainty.

As good as the O’s have been with avoiding double plays, their true skill has shone with their

ability to advance. B-R tracks a number of situations in which a runner can take an extra base --

if he’s on first when the batter hits a single, he can move to third; if it’s a double, he can score;

and so on. It combines all of these into XBT rate, or Extra Bases Taken rate. Here, the Orioles

compare pretty well to the competition, with a 43 percent clip that ranks seventh. When they’ve

had an opportunity to move up an additional 90 feet, the Orioles haven’t hesitated. Nor have they

come up short that often: On only 20 occasions have they made an out on the basepaths,the

fourth-lowest figure in the majors.

Davis, surprisingly, takes the cake here as well: He’s been worth 1.7 UBR runs this year. Aside

from him, the best performers are simply the average ones. Prior to 2016, Matt Wieters had cost

the Orioles 16.2 runs with his advancement; thus far this season, he’s been worth -0.1 runs in that

area, which amounts to a big upgrade. J.J. Hardy (-6.1 UBR pre-2016, 0.0 UBR 2016) and Mark

Trumbo (-5.1 UBR pre-2016, 0.0 UBR 2016) fit this mold as well.

Dan Duquette deserves a fair amount of the credit for this. The Orioles don’t have any truly

awful baserunners -- the David Ortizes and Billy Butlers of the world -- which compensates for

their lack of elite quickness. But I think that third base coach Bobby Dickerson might have

brought this about. In his fourth season at the position, Dickerson, derisively known as

“Windmill” among some fans, seems to have exercised more caution in sending runners. He

hasn’t hesitated to flail his left arm at the right time, such as this weekend against the Rays’

inexperienced outfielders. On other occasions, though, he’s played it safe, likely saving the

Orioles from a few embarrassingTOOTBLANs. When you have your sluggers running the bases

competently, who needs the speedsters of old?

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/preview?gameId=360628125

Orioles-Padres preview

STATS, LLC. / ESPN

June 27, 2016

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Padres return home where the weather has been as warm as the

team.

The Padres (33-44) welcome the Baltimore Orioles (45-30) on Tuesday, the first of a brief two-

game, interleague series at Petco Park. The set kicks off a five-game homestead for the Padres,

their last before the All-Star break.

San Diego returns from a six-game road trip in which they went 4-2 and continued to swing hot

bats.

Before taking three of four from the Cincinnati Reds, the Padres split a pair of games at

Baltimore.

In the first game between these two on Tuesday night, the Padres right-hander Erik Johnson (0-5,

8.54 ERA) squares off against righty Ubaldo Jimenez (4-7, 6.97).

Johnson came over from the Chicago White Sox in the trade which sent veteran starter James

Shields to the South Side. But Johnson has struggled since landing with the Padres. It is his

fourth start as a Padre and his second with the team against the Orioles.

Last Wednesday, Johnson was punished by the Orioles in a loss. He surrendered six runs on nine

hits, two of which were home runs, in a season-low four innings.

Johnson has reached the sixth inning in just one of his three starts with San Diego.

"He's run into a little bit of tough luck," Padres manager Andy Green told MLB.com. "If you

look at his last outing, we didn't do some things defensively behind him that we should've done,

in Baltimore, some balls found holes.

"I think the No. 1 thing for him is we've got to keep the ball in the ballpark, give our defense an

opportunity to make plays. If he does that, he's going to have the opportunity to be successful."

To do so, Johnson needs to keep his pitches from hitting the outfield seats. He has been touched

for seven home runs in 14 2/3 innings, which helps explain his 9.82 ERA in his three Padres

starts.

Jimenez has struggled after the calendar flipped to May 1. Since, he has fashioned a 8.44 ERA

and issued 30 walks in 48 innings.

But Jimenez is coming off a solid performance, when he stymied the Padres on Wednesday.

Jimenez picked up the win as he worked six innings and allowed two runs on six hits. He struck

out five but walked a season-high four.

To get back on track, Jimenez simplified his plan.

"I think the approach was going back to the basics," Jimenez said. "Just see the target, hit the

glove and try to get him out."

The results were positive as Jimenez won for the first time since April 13.

"It was good to see him go home and feel good about himself," Orioles manager Buck Showalter

said.

Now the Padres are back home, hoping to change their luck against Jimenez.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/hot-orioles-turn-ubaldo-jimenez-keep-streak-

alive-against-padres

Hot Orioles Turn To Ubaldo Jimenez To Keep Streak Alive

Against Padres

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

June 28, 2016

Tonight's Game: Baltimore Orioles (45-30) vs. San Diego Padres (33-44), Petco Park, San

Diego, 10:10 p.m.

Starting pitchers: Ubaldo Jimenez (4-7, 6.97) vs. Erik Johnson (0-5, 8.54)

Keys to the Game:

Can Jimenez pitch as well as he did in his last start against San Diego last week? He allowed two

runs on four hits.

Can the Orioles build on their 4 1/2 game lead? It's their largest since the end of the 2014 season.

News and Notes:

The Orioles have won five straight.

The Orioles and Padres split two games in Baltimore last week.

Johnson allowed six runs on nine hits in four innings on Wednesday.

In June, the Orioles won 14 home games, more than in any single month since June 1979 when

they won 15.

Matt Kemp is batting 14-for-41 (.341) with two home runs against Jimenez.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/orioles-caleb-joseph-catches-8-innings-first-

game-scary-injury

Orioles' Caleb Joseph Catches 8 Innings In First Game

Since Scary Injury

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

June 27, 2016

FREDERICK, Md.—Caleb Joseph had just spent eight innings behind the plate for the first time

in four weeks. He watched the Frederick Keys come from behind an inning after he took himself

out of the game, and even joined in the on-field celebration.

As he walked off Nymeo Field, Joseph walked up a flight of stairs to a concourse that leads to

the Keys locker room. Joseph was surrounded by well wishers, and they wanted autographs.

In this unique setting, Joseph promised his fans he’d be back out momentarily, and he was,

spending several minutes fulfilling each request.

Soon, Joseph will resume his duties as Matt Wieters’ understudy for the Orioles, but on Monday

night in his return to catching after his scary May 30 testicular injury that required surgery,

everything seemed normal.

Joseph caught eight innings and was 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly for the Keys.

“It was good. It felt great. All the preparation I did in Bowie paid off. Felt strong even into those

later innings. Pitchers did a great job, didn’t throw too many balls in the dirt. It was fun to be out

there, especially fun to get that ‘W’ in walkoff fashion,” Joseph said.

The Carolina Mudcats’ leadoff hitter, Stephen Gaylor fouled a ball off his left eye, a little

reminder of the incident that necessitated surgery.

“I was thinking, ‘oh man, is this a bad omen here?’ The poor guy, a full swing, and it hit him in

his eye, and I think ‘good night, do I really want to be back here?’ This is a weird game. People

think this is a non-contact sport. It’s contact in different ways. It’s high speed. There’s a lot of

danger involved. We know that going into it. I’m glad the guy was O.K,” Joseph said.

Manager Buck Showalter originally said that Joseph would catch one game, and if everything

went well, he’d come back to the Orioles and could catch in San Diego on Wednesday

afternoon.

After Sunday’s game, Showalter amended the plan and said that Joseph would catch in Frederick

again on Tuesday night, this time to Orioles pitcher Vance Worley, who’s rehabbing a right

groin injury.

“I’m going to have to make a few phone calls here. I felt really good. I expected to feel good, but

I felt better than anticipated, so it’s a really good sign. I’m going to make a few phone calls, then

we’ll see what happens,” Joseph said.

In the seventh, Joseph threw one runner out stealing. Another had such an enormous lead that no

throw could have gotten him.

There were only a few reminders of the accident for Joseph.

“A few pitches to some left-handers who were trying to elevate the ball to the same exact

location. It did cross my mind a few times, but we’re still living to tell about it, so it’s a good

first step. I think, over time, that will just go away and we’ll go back to normal,” he said.

Joseph has hit .308 in his four games with the Keys. In his first three, he was the designated

hitter. He also hit .286 in six games as a DH for Bowie.

His new protective cup worked out well, he said.

“No issues at all. For the most part, I had peace of mind and the people at NutShellz, they’ve

done a great job and had a superior product. I feel really good about it. Maybe I can order you

guys one, you guys can try it out,” Joseph said.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/orioles-manny-machado-maintains-all-star-

voting-lead-mark-trumbo-falls

Orioles' Manny Machado Maintains All-Star Voting Lead,

Mark Trumbo Falls

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

June 27, 2016

Manny Machado continues to lead in third basemen in the final voting update for the American

League representatives to next month’s All-Star Game.

While Machado leads, Mark Trumbo has slipped to fifth in the outfield balloting.

Machado, with just under 2.2 million votes, leads Toronto’s Josh Donaldson by more than

600,000.

Trumbo, who was fourth in each of the last two weeks, has dropped to fifth. His 1.8 million votes

trails not only Los Angles’ Mike Trout, Boston’s Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Mookie Betts, but also

Kansas City’s Lorenzo Cain. Trumbo is nearly 114,000 votes behind Betts for third place.

Matt Wieters remains in second place among catchers, but he is more than 2.7 million behind the

overall leader in votes, the Royals’ Salvador Perez, who has 3.75 million.

Chris Davis is third in the first base vote. He has 952,000 votes, but is far behind Kansas City’s

Eric Hosmer, who handily leads Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera.

Houston’s Jose Altuve (second base), the Red Sox’s Xander Bogaerts (shortstop), and Boston’s

David Ortiz (designated hitter) are the other leaders.

Voting for the July 12 All-Star Game, which will be held in San Diego’s Petco Park, ends on

Thursday at 11:59 p.m.

Rosters for the All-Star team will be announced on July 5.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2016/06/27/brooks-robinson-boog-powell-ron-hansen-

remember-milt-pappas

Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell, Ron Hansen Remember Milt

Pappas

PressBoxOnline.com

June 27, 2016

On June 13, fans gathered at Pappas Restaurant on Taylor Avenue to pay tribute to former

Baltimore Orioles great Milt Pappas, who passed away April 19 at the age of 76.

PressBox publisher Stan "The Fan" Charles hosted the event with a panel that included three of

Pappas' former teammates -- Boog Powell, Ron Hansen and Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson --

as well as writer Jim Henneman and Orioles director of alumni affairs Bill Stetka.

Called "An Evening For 32: Remembering The Orioles' First Best Pitcher," the event featured

stories, memories and jokes, as the panel looked back on Pappas' baseball career.

Robinson talked about the first time he saw Pappas pitch, and Hansen highlighted his control.

Powell discussed the Pappas-Frank Robinson trade and whether the Orioles could have won the

1966 World Series without it.

Powell discussed Pappas' fashion sense and style, and Robinson recalled their experience with

president George H.W. Bush and Pappas' reaction to losing a perfect game with a walk on the

27th batter.

The panel discussed how quickly Pappas worked and his place in Orioles history.

The panel discussed Pappas' career numbers as compared to some pitchers in the Hall of Fame,

and Robinson shared a joke that left the crowd in stitches.