Rutschman, a catcher from Oregon State, was so feared at the college level that he got the Barry Bonds treatment late in the season. The Orioles clearly feel he’s worth big money. They worked quickly to get him signed, into their system, and hopefully prepare him to become a franchise cornerstone for years to come.
Rutschman batted over .400 two seasons in a row, including .427 as a junior this season with a 1.356 OPS.
New York Yankees phenom Gleyber Torres has been terrorizing Baltimore Orioles pitching ever since entering the league, and the O’s announcers have just about had it with him.
The All-Star infielder stepped up to the plate in the second inning of Monday’s game between the two teams, prompting Baltimore play-by-play broadcaster Gary Thorne to note how Torres has torched the Orioles with a .386 lifetime average against them. As Thorne was almost mid-sentence, Torres, wouldn’t you know it, smacked a homer to left-center to put the Yankees on the board.
This prompted an exasperated Thorne to yell out, “GET HIM OUT OF HERE!” and openly question why the O’s still chose to pitch to Torres. Take a listen:
The Orioles announcers have had ENOUGH of Gleyber Torres
The 22-year-old Torres has been almost as good against everyone else as well, entering play on Monday with a .293/.330/.503 slash line on the season to go along with eight homers and 21 RBIs. As for the Orioles, it has been another nauseating season with their AL-worst record of 15-31. To make matters worse, Torres isn’t even the only Yankee to disrespect them in recent times.
Frank Robinson, a trailblazing baseball legend who is the only player ever to be named MVP in both the National and American League, has passed away at the age of 83 after a battle with bone cancer.
In addition to his successful playing career, which featured 586 home runs, a triple crown, and two World Series wins, Robinson also became the first ever black manager in Major League Baseball history when he took over as player-manager for the Cleveland Indians in 1975.
During his career, Robinson spent time with the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels and aforementioned Indians. He also served as manager of the San Francisco Giants, Orioles and Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals after his time in Cleveland.
A 14-time All-Star, 1956 NL Rookie of the Year, 1966 World Series MVP, and 1989 Manager of the Year, Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 alongside Hank Aaron. He has also been inducted into the Reds, Orioles and Indians Hall of Fame and had his No. 20 retired by all three clubs.
In 2005, Robinson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush.
Robinson is survived by his wife, Barbara, a son and a daughter.
Elias joined the Astros in 2012 and played a role in assembling a roster that won the World Series in 2017. He also helped build a farm system that was regarded as one of the best in Major League Baseball at one point. Skills in both of those areas would be welcomed by an Orioles team that will be looking to rebuild after moving many veteran pieces last season and replacing them with young, unproven players.
The Orioles have been looking for a new GM ever since moving on from Dan Duquette as executive vice president and general manager last month.
The Orioles decided to part ways with manager Buck Showalter following one of the worst seasons for any team in MLB history, but the three-time AL Manager of the Year wants to make it clear he has nothing but love for the organization and the city of Baltimore.
In a heartfelt letter he wrote via BaltimoreBaseball.com, Showalter reflected on his eight-plus years with the Orioles and tried to put into words how much calling Baltimore home has meant to him. He did a very good job of that.
“You know you’re talking about something that’s very important to people and you’ve got to take very seriously,” Showalter said of baseball in Baltimore. “I think the fans felt like I and we were as serious about the Orioles as they were. It’s not just someplace you’re passing through.”
Showalter described the things he is going to miss most about managing the O’s, one of which is the feeling of knowing his team sent fans home with something to be happy about on days the Orioles played well.
“Those are things you’re going to miss. You’re going to miss a good weather day game when we played well, we played crisp, get into the car and drive at about 5 mph down Pratt Street looking at all the people in black and orange and realizing that you may have been a part of making a good memory for somebody and their family,” he wrote.
As someone who has more than 1,500 wins as an MLB manager, Showalter surely didn’t want his tenure in Baltimore to end the way it did. You need look no further than the ruthless remark of one scout to know how bad the Orioles were in 2018, but Showalter stood no chance with a stripped-down roster and franchise that was committed to rebuilding. His letter came across as incredibly sincere, and it’s worth reading for fans in Baltimore.
A former Boston Red Sox general manager could be in line to take over a division rival.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Orioles have contacted Ben Cherington, a former Red Sox executive who now works in the Toronto Blue Jays’ front office.
As the Orioles have searched for the new head of baseball operations, they've had contact with former Red Sox GM Ben Cherington, who works with the Jays now.
Cherington is best remembered for building the 2013 Red Sox, who went from worst to first and won the World Series. It was, however, the only winning season he presided over, as well as the only year during his tenure the Red Sox didn’t finish last in the AL East.
The Orioles are seeking a replacement for former GM Dan Duquette. Whoever takes the job will likely be signing up for a lengthy rebuild in one of baseball’s toughest divisions.
