Nanner
05-27-2003, 11:01 AM
My Ottawa Alien Boys. :D
I can see this turning into one of those situations like the Minnesota Twins, where these guys just play and develop together for a few years and then eventually they're all on the big team, and the whole team is just one big happy, winning family.
:jump:
Call-ups from minors make major impact
Players such as Roberts, Matos seem more mature, confident with O's now
By Roch Kubatko
Sun Staff
Originally published May 27, 2003
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Orioles have taken a more youthful spin in the past week, hoping to change the direction of their season while also performing the delicate balancing act of evaluating specific prospects for the future.
Some turns are done out of necessity, with injuries creating opportunities. And in one instance, it occurred out of impatience.
The reasons don't matter as much as the results -- four wins in six games on the road and a 23-26 record heading into the opener of tonight's series against the Anaheim Angels at Camden Yards.
In a span of six days, the Orioles called up infielders Brian Roberts and Carlos Mendez and outfielders Luis Matos and Jack Cust from Triple-A Ottawa. Only Cust hasn't contributed, but that's because he hasn't left the bench.
Roberts won Thursday's game in Anaheim with a ninth-inning grand slam off closer Troy Percival, and was 6-for-13 with three walks and two RBIs in the Texas series. Matos went 7-for-14 with two homers -- including a 403-foot shot -- and three RBIs in Arlington. And Mendez rapped a pinch-hit double in the eighth inning to begin Thursday's rally.
Unless the Orioles change their plans, Cust will return to Ottawa this week when B.J. Surhoff comes off the disabled list. The Orioles must make a decision on Matos when Larry Bigbie, another former Lynx player, is activated, though his strained rotator cuff should keep him out "for a considerable period," manager Mike Hargrove said.
Roberts is supposed to keep second base warm until Jerry Hairston returns, but that also could be a while. Hairston broke a bone in his right foot Tuesday in Anaheim that required a screw to be inserted, and he'll miss six to eight weeks.
The only way the Orioles can change their clubhouse more is if they slap on a few coats of paint.
"With the injuries, it's been a required thing," said Jeff Conine, one of the team's senior members. "They have to do this because everyone's going down. But for a team that's rebuilding, or on that path, it's a necessity to get the guys up here and see if they can play."
By putting Gary Matthews on waivers Friday, the Orioles handed the center field job to Matos, at least temporarily. They also gave a roster spot to Cust that belonged to Matthews on Opening Day until he batted .204 and returned to the bad habits that caused four other teams to give up on him.
Before this season, Matos had accumulated only 35 at-bats at the Triple-A level, and none since 2000, because of two injuries that required surgery in spring training. The Orioles recalled him the past three years and gave him a combined 311 at-bats, but understandably didn't get much in return. Though an accomplished fielder, Matos batted .212 with five homers. He still was learning how to hit, and how to add muscle to a lanky frame.
The results were evident in Ottawa, where Matos batted .303 in 45 games. His 21 extra-base hits ranked second in the International League.
"He has a lot shorter swing," Hargrove said. "He has a little bit more of an idea what he's trying to do with the ball. Before we saw a long, strong swing where he was trying to pull everything and hit everything out of the ballpark. He's come away from that and he's using the whole field. He's a little more sure of himself."
It's true of each player the Orioles have snatched off the Lynx's roster. Bigbie, Matos and Roberts rode the same shuttle between Baltimore and the minors, but never before seemed so ready to contribute at this level, so confident in their abilities, so mature.
"Two years ago, we knew they weren't ready and we had no other option," Hargrove said. "That makes you feel bad for your ballclub and the fans, but it also makes you feel bad for the kids because you know, unless his guardian angel rides on his shoulder all the time, he's going to be behind the eight ball. And whatever progress he's made before he was brought up is going to be stunted and he's going to have to go through that process again."
One goal of the Orioles' new front office regime this winter was creating enough depth at both levels that players wouldn't be rushed to the majors simply because of a shortage of able bodies. Allow the prospects to get their at-bats in a less pressurized atmosphere. Lessons are administered more easily on the farm.
"We've basically called up the same guys the last two or three years, and you can tell just by their actions and the way they handled themselves, they're better prepared," Conine said. "They're not awed by the big-league stadiums anymore or intimidated by the crowds. They're able to step in and do the job."
And other players in the system are noticing how, without a bunch of free-agent barricades placed in front of them, they have a clearer path to the majors if their statistics and efforts warrant a promotion.
"I would think you'd have to be blind to not see there are tremendous opportunities here for young players to play if you've got talent," Hargrove said. "I don't think our players feel like we're hesitant to bring anybody up at all, but they've got to be doing the job at the level they're at, and I can't say that was the case the last two or three years."
Said Roberts: "Anytime new management comes in, I don't think you ever really know for sure what they're going to do. But a lot of people have gotten that opportunity in the last week. Now it's very encouraging for us young guys. They're giving us a chance to play. Hopefully, we can make the best of it."
Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun
I can see this turning into one of those situations like the Minnesota Twins, where these guys just play and develop together for a few years and then eventually they're all on the big team, and the whole team is just one big happy, winning family.
:jump:
Call-ups from minors make major impact
Players such as Roberts, Matos seem more mature, confident with O's now
By Roch Kubatko
Sun Staff
Originally published May 27, 2003
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Orioles have taken a more youthful spin in the past week, hoping to change the direction of their season while also performing the delicate balancing act of evaluating specific prospects for the future.
Some turns are done out of necessity, with injuries creating opportunities. And in one instance, it occurred out of impatience.
The reasons don't matter as much as the results -- four wins in six games on the road and a 23-26 record heading into the opener of tonight's series against the Anaheim Angels at Camden Yards.
In a span of six days, the Orioles called up infielders Brian Roberts and Carlos Mendez and outfielders Luis Matos and Jack Cust from Triple-A Ottawa. Only Cust hasn't contributed, but that's because he hasn't left the bench.
Roberts won Thursday's game in Anaheim with a ninth-inning grand slam off closer Troy Percival, and was 6-for-13 with three walks and two RBIs in the Texas series. Matos went 7-for-14 with two homers -- including a 403-foot shot -- and three RBIs in Arlington. And Mendez rapped a pinch-hit double in the eighth inning to begin Thursday's rally.
Unless the Orioles change their plans, Cust will return to Ottawa this week when B.J. Surhoff comes off the disabled list. The Orioles must make a decision on Matos when Larry Bigbie, another former Lynx player, is activated, though his strained rotator cuff should keep him out "for a considerable period," manager Mike Hargrove said.
Roberts is supposed to keep second base warm until Jerry Hairston returns, but that also could be a while. Hairston broke a bone in his right foot Tuesday in Anaheim that required a screw to be inserted, and he'll miss six to eight weeks.
The only way the Orioles can change their clubhouse more is if they slap on a few coats of paint.
"With the injuries, it's been a required thing," said Jeff Conine, one of the team's senior members. "They have to do this because everyone's going down. But for a team that's rebuilding, or on that path, it's a necessity to get the guys up here and see if they can play."
By putting Gary Matthews on waivers Friday, the Orioles handed the center field job to Matos, at least temporarily. They also gave a roster spot to Cust that belonged to Matthews on Opening Day until he batted .204 and returned to the bad habits that caused four other teams to give up on him.
Before this season, Matos had accumulated only 35 at-bats at the Triple-A level, and none since 2000, because of two injuries that required surgery in spring training. The Orioles recalled him the past three years and gave him a combined 311 at-bats, but understandably didn't get much in return. Though an accomplished fielder, Matos batted .212 with five homers. He still was learning how to hit, and how to add muscle to a lanky frame.
The results were evident in Ottawa, where Matos batted .303 in 45 games. His 21 extra-base hits ranked second in the International League.
"He has a lot shorter swing," Hargrove said. "He has a little bit more of an idea what he's trying to do with the ball. Before we saw a long, strong swing where he was trying to pull everything and hit everything out of the ballpark. He's come away from that and he's using the whole field. He's a little more sure of himself."
It's true of each player the Orioles have snatched off the Lynx's roster. Bigbie, Matos and Roberts rode the same shuttle between Baltimore and the minors, but never before seemed so ready to contribute at this level, so confident in their abilities, so mature.
"Two years ago, we knew they weren't ready and we had no other option," Hargrove said. "That makes you feel bad for your ballclub and the fans, but it also makes you feel bad for the kids because you know, unless his guardian angel rides on his shoulder all the time, he's going to be behind the eight ball. And whatever progress he's made before he was brought up is going to be stunted and he's going to have to go through that process again."
One goal of the Orioles' new front office regime this winter was creating enough depth at both levels that players wouldn't be rushed to the majors simply because of a shortage of able bodies. Allow the prospects to get their at-bats in a less pressurized atmosphere. Lessons are administered more easily on the farm.
"We've basically called up the same guys the last two or three years, and you can tell just by their actions and the way they handled themselves, they're better prepared," Conine said. "They're not awed by the big-league stadiums anymore or intimidated by the crowds. They're able to step in and do the job."
And other players in the system are noticing how, without a bunch of free-agent barricades placed in front of them, they have a clearer path to the majors if their statistics and efforts warrant a promotion.
"I would think you'd have to be blind to not see there are tremendous opportunities here for young players to play if you've got talent," Hargrove said. "I don't think our players feel like we're hesitant to bring anybody up at all, but they've got to be doing the job at the level they're at, and I can't say that was the case the last two or three years."
Said Roberts: "Anytime new management comes in, I don't think you ever really know for sure what they're going to do. But a lot of people have gotten that opportunity in the last week. Now it's very encouraging for us young guys. They're giving us a chance to play. Hopefully, we can make the best of it."
Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun