The Baltimore Orioles traded minor league right handed reliever Rob Delaney to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for veteran catcher Chris Snyder.

The 32-year-old Snyder will join the Birds in Seattle Monday night (replacing Luis Exposito on the 25 man roster according to MASN) and will backup Matt Wieters. The O’s felt the need to make the move after placing backup C Taylor Teagarden on the 15 day DL Sunday with a dislocated thumb suffered in Saturday’s win over the Oakland Athletics.

Snyder hasn’t played a game at the major league level in 2013 but has played 706 in his nine year MLB career. Snyder is a career .225 hitter with 77 home runs in just over 2,000 career at-bats. He hit .176 with seven homers in 76 games last season with the Houston Astros.

Delaney, 28, made just three appearances for the AAA Norfolk Tides this season, going 0-1 and allowing six earned runs and nine hits in 5.1 innings pitched.

When you see a meme or GIF image posted @WNST on Twitter, it was regularly posted by me. I often know the source of the meme/gif or sometimes make them on my own, but regularly see one being passed around via Facebook or Twitter (I admittedly haven’t gotten involved in Reddit just yet but know it makes me a dinosaur) where the source cannot be identified.

So when I post them on our account, I’ll often say something like “take credit if yours.” It’s my little way of saying “I don’t know the origin of this, but if I find out soon I’ll be sure to offer credit where the credit is deserved.” Many times that leads to a direct response from the creator of said image which allows me to send out another message offering credit to the person who is deserving. It’s an imperfect science as we all continue to learn about social media etiquette, but it has proved effective thus far.

Sadly, there’s a well known idiom that dates back perhaps as much as a century whose creator seems unknown. I can’t imagine social media will be of any help this time.

The idiom is “hindsight is 20/20.”

It’s a very simply concept. 20/20 is nominal vision, as a person standing 20 feet from someone reads it as if they were standing 20 feet from the object. “Hindsight is 20/20″ reflects the notion that when you look back on something that already occurred, it can always be seen in ideal vision. I’m not certain what level of vision someone would be described as having in foresight, but I would tend to doubt it would even be as good as 20/40.

The idiom was fresh in my mind while watching Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Jake Arrieta crumble in the fifth inning of Sunday’s 7-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Arrieta walked OF Skip Schumaker and OF Carl Crawford on four pitches each, sandwiching a plunking of SS Justin Sellers between. The passes brought Arrieta’s BB total to five for the day (while recording only 12 outs). A Mark Ellis two run single would end Arrieta’s outing, his line would show five earned runs after being handed four runs over the first four innings by his own offense.

For Arrieta, the story has been all too familiar this season. In four starts, he has allowed 16 BB and 14 earned runs. The lack of control and elevated pitch counts have lead to the starter pitching an average of just under five innings per start (19 total innings pitched), however remarkably the Birds have gone 3-1 in the span.

Following Sunday’s start, O’s manager Buck Showalter described the pitcher’s issues as being emotional. “Emotions effect mechanics” the skipper noted, comparing Arrieta’s emotional state to putters in golf who struggle when overwhelmed. Arrieta described his lack of control Sunday as “frustrating”, “unacceptable” and flat out “bad”. He noted “this isn’t me…this really isn’t something I’ve ever done at this rate” in terms of free passes.

To his credit, he’s right. To his discredit, it doesn’t matter.

Showalter and GM Dan Duquette now have a difficult decision to make regarding their struggling starter. Arrieta still has options left, meaning they could make a move in the coming days to bring up a starter from Norfolk (they have a decision to make Wednesday already following their doubleheader Saturday). Such a move would perhaps allow Arrieta to get back to the AAA level and work on his control, but it would seem obvious that the starter would likely dominate a lower level of hitting.

(Continued on Page 2…)

Courtesy of Bovada, (www.Bovada.lv, Twitter: @BovadaLV).

 

Who will be the first manager to be fired?     

Charlie Manuel                           4/1

Bud Black                                 9/2

Ron Gardenhire                         5/1

Ron Roenicke                           7/1

Joe Girardi                                15/2

Eric Wedge                               8/1

Ned Yost                                  9/1

Terry Collins                              10/1

Clint Hurdle                               10/1

Mike Scioscia                           12/1

John Gibbons                           20/1

 

Odds to win the 2013 World Series     

Detroit Tigers                            7/1

Atlanta Braves                           15/2

Washington Nationals                8/1

Los Angeles Dodgers                10/1

Los Angeles Angels                  12/1

San Francisco Giants                12/1

Toronto Blue Jays                     12/1

Cincinnati Reds                         14/1

Texas Rangers                          14/1

Oakland Athletics                      16/1

St. Louis Cardinals                    16/1

Boston Red Sox                       20/1

New York Yankees                    20/1

Baltimore Orioles                       25/1

Tampa Bay Rays                       28/1

Philadelphia Phillies                   30/1

Arizona Diamondbacks              33/1

Kansas City Royals                   40/1

Chicago White Sox                    50/1

Colorado Rockies                     50/1

Cleveland Indians                      66/1

New York Mets                          66/1

Pittsburgh Pirates                      66/1

Milwaukee Brewers                    100/1

Minnesota Twins                        100/1

Seattle Mariners                        100/1

Chicago Cubs                           150/1

San Diego Padres                     150/1

Houston Astros                         500/1

Miami Marlins                            1000/1

 

Odds to win the 2013 AL Pennant       

Detroit Tigers                            4/1

Los Angeles Angels                  5/1

Texas Rangers                          13/2

Toronto Blue Jays                     13/2

Oakland Athletics                      8/1

Boston Red Sox                       10/1

New York Yankees                    10/1

Baltimore Orioles                       12/1

Tampa Bay Rays                       14/1

Kansas City Royals                   18/1

Chicago White Sox                    22/1

Cleveland Indians                      25/1

Minnesota Twins                        50/1

Seattle Mariners                        50/1

Houston Astros                         200/1

 

Odds to win the 2013 NL Pennant       

Atlanta Braves                           7/2

Washington Nationals                4/1

Los Angeles Dodgers                9/2

Cincinnati Reds                         6/1

San Francisco Giants                6/1

St. Louis Cardinals                    8/1

Philadelphia Phillies                   15/1

Arizona Diamondbacks              16/1

Colorado Rockies                     25/1

New York Mets                          33/1

Pittsburgh Pirates                      33/1

Milwaukee Brewers                    40/1

Chicago Cubs                           66/1

San Diego Padres                     75/1

Miami Marlins                            350/1

 

Odds to Win the 2013 AL East 

Toronto Blue Jays                     5/2

Boston Red Sox                       11/4

New York Yankees                    3/1

Baltimore Orioles                       9/2

Tampa Bay Rays                       9/2

 

Odds to Win the 2013 AL Central        

Detroit Tigers                            2/7

Kansas City Royals                   11/2

Cleveland Indians                      9/1

Chicago White Sox                    12/1

Minnesota Twins                        20/1

 

Odds to Win the 2013 AL West

Oakland Athletics                      9/5

Texas Rangers                          7/4

Los Angeles Angels                  7/4

Seattle Mariners                        18/1

Houston Astros                         200/1

 

Odds to Win the 2013 NL East             

Atlanta Braves                           1/1

Washington Nationals                6/5

Philadelphia Phillies                   13/2

New York Mets                          12/1

Miami Marlins                            200/1

 

Odds to Win the 2013 NL Central        

Cincinnati Reds                         10/11

St. Louis Cardinals                    7/5

Pittsburgh Pirates                      7/1

Milwaukee Brewers                    18/1

Chicago Cubs                           25/1

 

Odds to Win the 2013 NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers                7/5

San Francisco Giants                7/5

Arizona Diamondbacks              9/2

Colorado Rockies                     7/1

San Diego Padres                     40/1

Orioles’ Return to Sunday Night Baseball Delivers Record 8.4 Baltimore Rating

The April 14 edition of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball – Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees – delivered a record 8.4 metered market rating in the Baltimore market, according to Nielsen. This is the best rating in Baltimore for a regular-season Major League Baseball game on ESPN. The game delivered a 4.4 in the New York City market and a 1.8 nationally.

ESPN’s new Sunday Night Baseball team – Dan Shulman, Orel Hershiser, John Kruk with Buster Olney reporting – provided commentary for the game. The next Sunday Night Baseball telecast is April 21, at 8 p.m. ET, when the Philadelphia Phillies host the St. Louis Cardinals. Sunday Night Baseball is also available on ESPN Radio (with Jon Sciambi and Chris Singleton), ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN. Fans on Twitter can use hashtag #PHIvsSTL to join the Sunday Night Baseball discussion.

This one won’t be quite as long as some of my other Monday columns. So you’ve got that going for you. (Which is nice.)

Thursday, April 5 was “Opening Day Eve” for the Baltimore Orioles in 2012. Like so many years before, the moment wasn’t marked with such excitement in Charm City, but more a reminder of what “hadn’t been” for a franchise over the better part of two decades.

To reflect those emotions, a number of O’s fans planned to join WNST for a Candlelight Vigil that night downtown near the Brooks Robinson statue. We had hoped to make the event a bit larger, but like so many events related to the Birds in the years leading up to that night we were unable to garner any much emotion from area baseball fans other than indifference.

As I was wrapping up “The Reality Check” that afternoon on AM1570 WNST.net, I played a clip from Orioles OF Adam Jones recorded at a media workout that day. I was preparing for a regular Thursday segment called “Free Advice” and got a bit worked up when I heard the All-Star label a group of Orioles fans as “fools” (I was much more willing to dismiss his insinuation that Opening Day was a “shitshow”). I would re-live all of the details, but Luke Jones put them all together quite nicely that night.

A lot of Orioles fans were angry with me for going toe-to-toe with the would-be MVP candidate, despite the fact that I did so on behalf of…well…Orioles fans. I haven’t felt much of a need to write about the issue in detail, mostly because Adam Jones apologized quickly both privately in a text message exchange with me that night and publicly via Twitter. It ultimately left me with a bit of a newfound respect for the man who patrols Center Field.

Moreover, I never felt the need to write about the issue at length because the emotions of that Opening Day Eve changed so quickly over the course of the coming weeks and months.

I will admit openly to being a fan of the perhaps cheesy Denver folk band The Lumineers. They have a hit song in rotation now called “Stubborn Love” that includes the lyric “It’s better to feel pain than nothing at all. The opposite of love’s indifference.” It’s a play on a thought well known, the thought that the passion of love is more equal to the passion of hate or anger than it is contrary. Instead, the lack of passion (or emotion at all) in indifference is more diametric to love than anger.

The Orioles were finally able to remove themselves from the feelings of indifference from fans in 2012. They instead returned to the role of “Stubborn Love”, as emotions were strong throughout the campaign. When the Birds picked up one of their 16 extra inning wins, fans found themselves experiencing a level of pandemonium, even a level of “Orange Fever.” When Dan Duquette and company made a move fans questioned (like trading for veteran DH Jim Thome or P Joe Saunders or failing to acquire a bigger name available player before the trade deadline), the emotion in response was anger instead of indifference.

I finally sat down and watched “BUCKle Up Birds” Sunday night, the Orioles’ 2012 season highlight video. It was fun to remember how much emotion was involved each and every night of the baseball season. It was the first season since the arrival of social media-or even since the internet became prominent-that we got to experience these things together as Orioles fans.

And on this Opening Day Eve 2013, the emotions are much different.

Perhaps we’re not going “all in” on the belief that the team is primed to make another run to a Wild Card appearance (I picked the Birds to finish third in the AL East Friday and finish right around .500), but we’re still legitimately excited about the start of baseball season. Not “saying we’re excited about baseball season because we like the chance to get together and drink on Opening Day but really we’re miserable because we know baseball season is going to suck again this year.”

I would have always expected a good crowd for our Opening Day event Friday at Pratt Street Ale House downtown, but this year I’m also excited for the number of future Thursday night and Friday afternoon events we have scheduled for away and home games respectively. It’s a feeling I’ve never felt before on Opening Day Eve in my adult life.

That’s all I’ve got this week. I’m sure I’ll be angry about something, I’m sure I’ll end up yelling and screaming at some point during the course of the week. But today I’m just grateful that Opening Day Eve feels like a legitimate celebration instead of cause for a candlelight vigil.

I’m grateful we don’t feel like fools this year…even if it is April 1. I hope it’s like that again next year.

-G

 

ORIOLES AND SARASOTA SET FRANCHISE SPRING TRAINING

ATTENDANCE RECORD

 

           With today’s crowd of 7,642 for their Grapefruit League finale against the New York Mets at Ed Smith Stadium, the Orioles set a franchise record by drawing 120,455 fans for their 17 home games.  The figure also represents a new spring training season attendance record for Sarasota, a community which has held spring training since 1924.

 

The previous record for both the Orioles and Sarasota, set in 2011, was 115,506 in 16 home dates.

 

On March 14, the Orioles drew an Ed Smith Stadium record 8,797 fans for a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, one of nine sellouts this spring.

 

“The Baltimore Orioles are proud to shatter our spring training attendance record in 2013 at the beautifully remodeled Ed Smith Stadium,” said David Rovine, Vice President for Orioles-Sarasota. “We are grateful for the fans from the Sarasota region, the Mid-Atlantic states and beyond who came out to enjoy the ballpark and support the local charitable causes we spotlighted on game days. This new record not only demonstrates the powerful attraction of professional baseball in Sarasota, but also underscores the positive relationship that continues to grow between the Orioles and the Sarasota County community.”

Courtesy of Bovada, (www.Bovada.lv, Twitter: @BovadaLV)

 

Below are updated World Series, Pennant, and Divisional Chances plus updated Regular Season Win Totals for every team.  Below that

are some of the more interesting player stats. The full list (in alphabetical order by team) of close to 500 player stats is below my signature.

 

Odds to win the 2013 World Series (Teams whose odds are shorter are in blue, teams whose odds are longer are in red and teams whose odds stayed the same are in black)

                  Odds on 2/20/13           Current Odds

Washington Nationals                17/2                              7/1

Detroit Tigers                            8/1                                8/1

Toronto Blue Jays                     7/1                                8/1

Los Angeles Angels                  9/1                                9/1

Los Angeles Dodgers                17/2                              9/1

Cincinnati Reds                         14/1                              12/1

San Francisco Giants                14/1                              12/1

Atlanta Braves                           14/1                              16/1

Philadelphia Phillies                   18/1                              16/1

Tampa Bay Rays                       25/1                              16/1

Texas Rangers                          14/1                              16/1

New York Yankees                    14/1                              20/1

St. Louis Cardinals                    20/1                              20/1

Baltimore Orioles                       40/1                              30/1

Boston Red Sox                       30/1                              30/1

Oakland Athletics                      33/1                              30/1

Chicago White Sox                    40/1                              40/1

Kansas City Royals                   50/1                              50/1

Milwaukee Brewers                    40/1                              50/1

Arizona Diamondbacks              50/1                              60/1

Cleveland Indians                      75/1                              66/1

Pittsburgh Pirates                      50/1                              66/1

Chicago Cubs                           75/1                              75/1

San Diego Padres                     75/1                              75/1

Minnesota Twins                        100/1                            100/1

New York Mets                          100/1                            100/1

Seattle Mariners                        75/1                              100/1

Colorado Rockies                     100/1                            150/1

Miami Marlins                            100/1                            200/1

Houston Astros                         200/1                            250/1

 

Odds to win the 2013 AL Pennant (Teams whose odds are shorter are in blue, teams whose odds are longer are in red and teams whose odds stayed the same are in black)

                  Odds on 2/20/13           Current Odds

Toronto Blue Jays                     15/4                              15/4

Detroit Tigers                            4/1                                17/4

Los Angeles Angels                  9/2                                9/2

Texas Rangers                          13/2                              15/2

Tampa Bay Rays                       12/1                              8/1

New York Yankees                    13/2                              9/1

Boston Red Sox                       14/1                              14/1

Baltimore Orioles                       20/1                              16/1

Oakland Athletics                      16/1                              16/1

Chicago White Sox                    20/1                              20/1

Kansas City Royals                   25/1                              28/1

Cleveland Indians                      40/1                              30/1

Minnesota Twins                        50/1                              50/1

Seattle Mariners                        40/1                              50/1

Houston Astros                         100/1                            125/1

 

Odds to win the 2013 NL Pennant (Teams whose odds are shorter are in blue, teams whose odds are longer are in red and teams whose odds stayed the same are in black)

                  Odds on 2/20/13           Current Odds

Washington Nationals                15/4                              7/2

Los Angeles Dodgers                4/1                                4/1

Cincinnati Reds                         6/1                                6/1

San Francisco Giants                7/1                                13/2

Atlanta Braves                           7/1                                7/1

Philadelphia Phillies                   17/2                              7/1

St. Louis Cardinals                    9/1                                10/1

Milwaukee Brewers                    18/1                              22/1

Arizona Diamondbacks              25/1                              25/1

Pittsburgh Pirates                      25/1                              33/1

Chicago Cubs                           40/1                              40/1

New York Mets                          40/1                              40/1

San Diego Padres                     40/1                              40/1

Colorado Rockies                     50/1                              60/1

Miami Marlins                            50/1                              75/1

 

Odds to Win the 2013 AL East (Teams whose odds are shorter are in blue, teams whose odds are longer are in red and teams whose odds stayed the same are in black)

                  Odds on 2/20/13           Current Odds   

Toronto Blue Jays                     8/5                                8/5

Tampa Bay Rays                       7/2                                5/2

New York Yankees                    9/4                                15/4

Boston Red Sox                       5/1                                11/2

Baltimore Orioles                       9/1                                13/2

 

Odds to Win the 2013 AL Central (Teams whose odds are shorter are in blue, teams whose odds are longer are in red and teams whose odds stayed the same are in black)      

                  Odds on 2/20/13           Current Odds   

Detroit Tigers                            4/11                              2/5

Chicago White Sox                    6/1                                6/1

Kansas City Royals                   13/2                              6/1

Cleveland Indians                      10/1                              8/1

Minnesota Twins                        15/1                              15/1

 

Odds to Win the 2013 AL West (Teams whose odds are shorter are in blue, teams whose odds are longer are in red and teams whose odds stayed the same are in black)

                  Odds on 2/20/13           Current Odds   

Los Angles Angels                    2/3                                2/3

Texas Rangers                          9/4                                9/4

Oakland Athletics                      5/1                                5/1

Seattle Mariners                        15/1                              15/1

Houston Astros                         50/1                              50/1

 

Odds to Win the 2013 NL East  (Teams whose odds are shorter are in blue, teams whose odds are longer are in red and teams whose odds stayed the same are in black)

                  Odds on 2/20/13           Current Odds   

Washington Nationals                10/11                            5/6

Atlanta Braves                           9/4                                12/5

Philadelphia Phillies                   3/1                                3/1

New York Mets                          15/1                              15/1

Miami Marlins                            50/1                              40/1

 

Odds to Win the 2013 NL Central (Teams whose odds are shorter are in blue, teams whose odds are longer are in red and teams whose odds stayed the same are in black)      

                  Odds on 2/20/13           Current Odds   

Cincinnati Reds                         4/5                                2/3

St. Louis Cardinals                    2/1                                5/2

Milwaukee Brewers                    13/2                              13/2

Pittsburgh Pirates                      10/1                              10/1

Chicago Cubs                           20/1                              20/1

 

Odds to Win the 2013 NL West (Teams whose odds are shorter are in blue, teams whose odds are longer are in red and teams whose odds stayed the same are in black)

                  Odds on 2/20/13           Current Odds   

Los Angeles Dodgers                5/6                                5/6

San Francisco Giants                7/4                                8/5

Arizona Diamondbacks              13/2                              13/2

San Diego Padres                     15/1                              14/1

Colorado Rockies                     22/1                              25/1

 

MLB Regular Season Win Totals (Teams in blue have more wins projected, teams in red have less wins projected and teams in black stayed the same)

                  Win Totals on 2/20/13    Current Win Totals

Arizona Diamondbacks              81.5                              81.5

Atlanta Braves                           88.5                              87.5

Baltimore Orioles                       78.5                              78.5

Boston Red Sox                       82.5                              82.5

Chicago Cubs                           72.5                              73.5

Chicago White Sox                    80.5                              81.5

Cincinnati Reds                         91.5                              91.5

Cleveland Indians                      76.5                              78.5

Colorado Rockies                     70.5                              71.5

Detroit Tigers                            92.5                              92.5

Houston Astros                         59.5                              59.5

Kansas City Royals                   78.5                              78.5

Los Angeles Angels                  92.5                              91.5

Los Angeles Dodgers                91.5                              90.5

Miami Marlins                            63.5                              63.5

Milwaukee Brewers                    81.5                              80.5

Minnesota Twins                        67.5                              68.5

New York Mets                          74.5                              74.5

New York Yankees                    88.5                              84.5

Oakland Athletics                      83.5                              84.5

Philadelphia Phillies                   83.5                              84.5

Pittsburgh Pirates                      77.5                              77.5

San Diego Padres                     74.5                              74.5

San Francisco Giants                87.5                              87.5
Seattle Mariners                        77.5                              77.5

St. Louis Cardinals                    85.5                              86.5

Tampa Bay Rays                       86.5                              87.5

Texas Rangers                          86.5                              86.5

Toronto Blue Jays                     87.5                              88.5

Washington Nationals                92.5                              92.5

 

2013 MLB Player Props

Mike Trout – BA in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   .305

 

Mike Trout – Total HR’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   27 ½

 

Mike Trout – Total RBI’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   75 ½

 

Mike Trout – Total Stolen Bases in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   45 ½

 

Bryce Harper – BA in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   .295

Bryce Harper – Total HR’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   27 ½

 

Bryce Harper – Total RBI’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   85 ½

 

Bryce Harper – Total Stolen Bases in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   22 ½

 

Miguel Cabrera – BA in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   .325

 

Miguel Cabrera – Total HR’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   37 ½

 

Miguel Cabrera – Total RBI’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   127 ½

 

Josh Hamilton – BA in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   .295

 

Josh Hamilton – Total HR’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   31 ½

 

Josh Hamilton – Total RBI’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   115 ½

 

Giancarlo Stanton – Total BA in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   .285

 

Giancarlo Stanton - Total HR’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   41 ½

 

Giancarlo Stanton - Total RBI’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   104

 

Justin Upton – BA in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   .285

 

Justin Upton – Total HR’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   27 ½

 

B.J. Upton - Total HR’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   22 ½

 

B.J. Upton – Total Stolen Bases in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   35 ½

 

Manny Machado – Total HR’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   19 ½

 

Will Middlebrooks – Total HR’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   25 ½

 

Anthony Rizzo – Total HR’s in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   25 ½

     

Yoenis Cespedes – BA in the 2013 Regular Season      

Over/Under                   .290

 

Yoenis Cespedes – Total HR’s in the 2013 Regular Season      

Over/Under                   26½

 

Yoenis Cespedes – Total RBI’s in the 2013 Regular Season     

Over/Under                   92½

 

Justin Verlander – Total Wins in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   17 ½

 

Justin Verlander – Total Strikeouts in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   235

 

Justin Verlander – ERA in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   2.75

 

Stephen Strasburg – Total Wins in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   15 ½

 

Stephen Strasburg – Total Strikeouts in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   235 ½

 

Stephen Strasburg – ERA in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   2.90

Clayton Kershaw – Total Wins in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   16 ½

 

Clayton Kershaw – ERA in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   2.70

 

Clayton Kershaw – Total Strikeouts in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   233 ½

 

Roy Halladay – Total Wins in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   13.5

 

Roy Halladay – ERA in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   3.50

 

Roy Halladay – Total Strikeouts in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   175 ½

 

Felix Hernandez – Total Wins in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   14 ½

 

Felix Hernandez – Total Strikeouts in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   224 ½

 

Felix Hernandez – ERA in the 2013 Regular Season

Over/Under                   3.09

The Orioles have announced plans for the first game of their 2013 spring training season and their fourth season in Sarasota. The team will face the Minnesota Twins at Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow, Saturday, February 23, at 1:05 p.m.

 

            Tomorrow and throughout the season, ballpark gates will open two hours prior to the scheduled first pitch. All fans attending tomorrow’s opener will receive a 2013 spring training magnet schedule presented by the Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the first 1,000 female fans in attendance will receive a Bird of Paradise flower courtesy of Beneva Flowers.

 

REMEMBERING EARL

                The Orioles lost a beloved member of their family in January when Hall of Fame Manager EARL WEAVER passed away. The greatest manager in Orioles history, Weaver compiled 1,480 wins and a .583 winning percentage over 17 seasons as the team’s skipper from 1968-82 and 1985-86. A minor league second baseman for 13 years, mostly in his hometown St. Louis Cardinals organization, the “Earl of Baltimore” began his managing career in the minors in 1956 and joined the Orioles organization a year later. He came up to the Orioles as first base coach in 1968 and was named manager on July 11 of that year. From 1969 through 1982, he won six AL East titles, four AL pennants and one World Series, beating the Cincinnati Reds in 1970. Earl’s Orioles won at least 100 games five times, and he earned Manager of the Year honors three times.

 

He retired following the 1982 season, which ended one game shy of another AL East title when the Orioles lost to the Milwaukee Brewers on the final day of the season. He came back to manage in the middle of the 1985 season for 1 ½ years before retiring for good.

 

Living in Florida after his retirement, Earl was a frequent visitor to Orioles’ spring training and Dream Week. He also made regular visits to Baltimore, including multiple trips with his wife Marianna for the Orioles Legends Celebration Series in 2012. Earl’s sculpture was unveiled in the bullpen picnic grove at Oriole Park on June 30, 2012.

 

The Orioles will honor Earl prior to tomorrow’s game in a pre-game moment of silence and video tribute. In addition, Earl’s uniform number 4 will be stenciled onto the grass outside of the Orioles dugout in foul territory.  An orange patch depicting the number 4 and the words “Earl Weaver” and “Hall of Fame” in black will also be worn on the home, road and two alternate in-game jerseys beginning tomorrow and throughout the entire 2013 season. An image of this patch is attached to this release.

 

 

PRE-GAME EVENTS

            The National Anthem will be performed by tenor HEATH HUBERG. Huberg is currently singing the role of Nadir in Sarasota Opera’s 2013 production of The Pearl Fishers.

 

Ben Millice, representing Southwest Airlines, the Official Airline of the Orioles, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game.

 

SECURITY MEASURES

The Orioles have one of the most liberal food policies in professional sports. Outside food and beverages may be brought into Ed Smith Stadium, subject to the following guidelines:

 

• Soft-sided and paper bags are permitted at Ed Smith Stadium, as long as they fit into a 16” x 16” x 8” container. Hard-sided coolers, thermoses, glass bottles, cans or alcoholic beverages are not permitted into the ballpark.
• Non-alcoholic beverages in plastic bottles are permitted into the park. All items will be checked at the gates and any beverage which has been opened or partially consumed prior to entry is subject to confiscation if it is thought to contain alcohol. In addition, no plastic or paper cups of beverages are permitted into the park at the entry gates.
• All items permitted into the ballpark will be inspected. No bags or items exceeding the maximum size of 16″ x 16″ x 8″ are allowed into the ballpark.
• No containers or unauthorized items can be left at any park entrance.
• No re-entry will be permitted once a fan has entered the ballpark gates.
• Vehicles dropping off or picking up guests with special needs or disabilities are permitted to utilize the East Lot for this purpose. No vehicles are permitted to park curbside, nor are people able to stand and wait with vehicles.

Courtesy of Bovada, (www.Bovada.lv,  Twitter: @BovadaLV).

 

2013 World Baseball Classic – Odds to Win     

USA                                         5/2

Dominican Republic                   13/4

Japan                                        7/2

Venezuela                                 15/2

Korea                                        10/1

Cuba                                         16/1

Canada                                     18/1

Mexico                                      20/1

Puerto Rico                               20/1

Chinese Tapei                            25/1

China                                        33/1

Netherlands                               33/1

Australia                                   66/1

Italy                                          100/1

Brazil                                        100/1

Spain                                        200/1

 

Odds to win the 2013 World Series     

Toronto Blue Jays                      7/1

Detroit Tigers                             8/1

Los Angeles Dodgers                 17/2

Washington Nationals                17/2

Los Angeles Angels                   9/1

Atlanta Braves                           14/1

Cincinnati Reds                         14/1

New York Yankees                    14/1

San Francisco Giants                 14/1

Texas Rangers                          14/1

Philadelphia Phillies                   18/1

St. Louis Cardinals                     20/1

Tampa Bay Rays                       25/1

Boston Red Sox                        30/1

Oakland Athletics                      33/1

Baltimore Orioles                       40/1

Chicago White Sox                    40/1

Milwaukee Brewers                    40/1

Arizona Diamondbacks               50/1

Kansas City Royals                   50/1

Pittsburgh Pirates                      50/1

Chicago Cubs                            75/1

Cleveland Indians                       75/1

San Diego Padres                      75/1

Seattle Mariners                        75/1

Colorado Rockies                       100/1

Miami Marlins                            100/1

Minnesota Twins                        100/1

New York Mets                          100/1

Houston Astros                          200/1

 

Odds to win the 2013 AL Pennant       

Toronto Blue Jays                      15/4

Detroit Tigers                             4/1

Los Angeles Angels                   9/2

New York Yankees                    13/2

Texas Rangers                          13/2

Tampa Bay Rays                       12/1

Boston Red Sox                        14/1

Oakland Athletics                      16/1

Baltimore Orioles                       20/1

Chicago White Sox                    20/1

Kansas City Royals                   25/1

Cleveland Indians                       40/1

Seattle Mariners                        40/1

Minnesota Twins                        50/1

Houston Astros                          100/1

 

Odds to win the 2013 NL Pennant       

Washington Nationals                15/4

Los Angeles Dodgers                 4/1

Cincinnati Reds                         6/1

Atlanta Braves                           7/1

San Francisco Giants                 7/1

Philadelphia Phillies                   17/2

St. Louis Cardinals                     9/1

Milwaukee Brewers                    18/1

Arizona Diamondbacks               25/1

Pittsburgh Pirates                      25/1

Chicago Cubs                            40/1

New York Mets                          40/1

San Diego Padres                      40/1

Colorado Rockies                       50/1

Miami Marlins                            50/1

 

MLB Regular Season Win Totals

Arizona Diamondbacks               81.5

Atlanta Braves                           88.5

Baltimore Orioles                       78.5

Boston Red Sox                        82.5

Chicago Cubs                            72.5

Chicago White Sox                    80.5

Cincinnati Reds                         91.5

Cleveland Indians                       76.5

Colorado Rockies                       70.5

Detroit Tigers                             92.5

Houston Astros                          59.5

Kansas City Royals                   78.5

Los Angeles Angels                   92.5

Los Angeles Dodgers                 91.5

Miami Marlins                            63.5

Milwaukee Brewers                    81.5

Minnesota Twins                        67.5

New York Mets                          74.5

New York Yankees                    88.5

Oakland Athletics                      83.5

Philadelphia Phillies                   83.5

Pittsburgh Pirates                      77.5

San Diego Padres                      74.5

San Francisco Giants                 87.5
Seattle Mariners                        77.5

St. Louis Cardinals                     85.5

Tampa Bay Rays                       86.5

Texas Rangers                          86.5

Toronto Blue Jays                      87.5

Washington Nationals                92.5

Individual tickets for all 18 of the Orioles’ spring training games at Ed Smith Stadium will go on salethis Saturday, January 26 at 10:00 a.m. It is recommended that fans purchase tickets online or by phone.

 

Fans interested in season tickets, five game flex-plans or group tickets, or those wishing to receive additional spring training ticket information may call the Orioles spring training office at 941-893-6300.

 

Spring training tickets for Orioles home games at Ed Smith Stadium may be purchased in the following ways:

 

THROUGH THE INTERNET: Tickets can be purchased at the Orioles’ official website,www.orioles.com/spring.

 

BY PHONE: Individual game tickets can be purchased by phone by calling 877-222-2802. Season, group tickets, suites and other specialty areas are available by calling 941-893-6300.

 

BY FAX OR MAIL: Individual game ticket orders can be faxed or mailed to the Orioles Box Office in Sarasota.  The fax number is 941-893-6375. The mailing address is 2700 12th Street, Sarasota, 34237. To request a ticket order form, call the Orioles at 941-893-6300.

 

AT THE PARK: Individual game tickets can be purchased in person at Ed Smith Stadium in the Left Field Ticket Office, located at 12^th Street and Tuttle Avenue.  The box office will be open on January 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will then be open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from January 28 until February 8. From February 11 – March 30, the box office will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking is available in the East Lot, located on 12^th Street and Tuttle Avenue.

 

TRAVEL PACKAGE: The Orioles are offering the official Spring Training Travel Package that includes hotel accommodations, rental car, game tickets, optional airfare through Southwest Airlines and other amenities.  For more information or to order travel packages, fans should visit www.orioles.com/springtravel or call 1-800-892-7687.

 

The Orioles will play their first of 18 home spring training games in 2013 at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota on Saturday, February 23 at 1:05 p.m. against the Minnesota Twins. 2013 marks the fourth consecutive spring training for the Orioles in Sarasota, and the third in the renovated ballpark.