Orioles Mailbag: should Hernandez DH more? Will big Russ Ortiz and Rodrigo be back?

Mailbag: Should Hernandez DH more?
Beat writer Spencer Fordin answers Orioles fans' questions

Would Ramon Hernandez have had a better season if he caught less games or spent more time as the designated hitter during the hot summer months?-- Walter B., Las Vegas

Hernandez just had the best offensive season of his career, so it's hard to say whether he would've been able to do even better. The backstop went into 2006 as Baltimore's most heralded acquisition, and he justified the acclaim by handling his job behind the plate and setting career highs in home runs (23), RBIs (91) and hits (138). Hernandez also set personal bests for a full season in both on-base percentage (.343) and slugging (.479).
The veteran managed all those numbers despite a wicked midseason slump that dropped him from the middle of the batting order to the bottom. Hernandez hit .260 or better in every month except July, when he hit .180. His power numbers dropped in the second half, but he finished the year with three homers in his last five games. In Baltimore's anemic offense, Hernandez ranked second in homers, RBIs and extra-base hits (54).
The Orioles are counting on Hernandez to produce a similar year in '07 -- preferably without the midseason swoon. And his bat is just an added benefit. The former All-Star was signed for his ability to work with young pitchers, a trait he showed in prior stops in Oakland and San Diego. If Hernandez can coax the best possible results out of pitchers like Erik Bedard, Daniel Cabrera and Adam Loewen, the O's won't care how he hits.

What are the Orioles going to do about Rodrigo Lopez? As a starter, he had the most losses in the Major Leagues. Is he going to stick in Baltimore as a reliever?-- Joshua S., Centreville, Va.

Lopez might be a lost cause. Baltimore gave him every chance to succeed, but he became just the third pitcher in franchise history to lose more than 17 games. Lopez had an ERA under 5.00 in just two months -- August (4.85) and September (3.97) -- and both came way after his season was beyond redemption. Despite all that, Lopez is still under contractual control, and the O's will likely try to trade him in the early part of the winter.
That's really the only recourse. Lopez, who holds a career record of 60-61, is a year shy of free agency. The Orioles will likely decline to offer him arbitration, because the process would all but guarantee a raise. In this case, that would mean a salary of $4 million or more. If a trade proves unlikely or impossible, Baltimore's only other option is to refuse to offer him a contract. In that case, Lopez would become a free agent.
What would be the point of losing him without compensation? In this case, it would mean saving $4 million or more. Baltimore isn't going to pay a reliever that much, and Lopez has pitched himself out of the rotation permanently. The Orioles will shop for a starting pitcher to take his spot -- even if it means paying more money. Lopez would do well to land with a National League team, where he could miss some of the game's biggest bats.

Angel Chavez, who came to the Orioles in the Jeff Conine trade, appears to be Baltimore's best shortstop in the Minor Leagues. Is he the fall-back option if the O's opt to trade Miguel Tejada?-- Jeffrey B., Camden, Maine

Chavez is an interesting player, but he can't fill Tejada's cleats. The infielder showed some pop last season -- which he split between Double-A and Triple-A -- but his true purpose in the organization is to add depth. Think of him as a supercharged Brandon Fahey, but without the ability to play left field. Tejada is the team's most indispensable player, and if the Orioles trade him, they'd likely need to land a replacement in the deal.
Chavez, meanwhile, may fit into the team's plans as a future utilityman. Second base and shortstop are the team's two strongest positions -- thanks to Brian Roberts and Tejada, respectively -- but Baltimore sorted through its utility options last season. Ed Rogers, Howie Clark and Fernando Tatis were all given chances to stick as reserve infielders, but none grabbed the job. If he ever gets the chance, Chavez may fare better.

What's the deal with Russ Ortiz? Will he be back next season?-- Emmaleigh O., Clay, W.Va.

Ortiz recently filed for free agency and most likely won't be back in Baltimore next season. The veteran went winless in 26 appearances last season and lost starting jobs with both Arizona and the Orioles. He allowed 18 home runs in 63 innings and may never regain the form that made him a strong starter with San Francisco and Atlanta. Ortiz doesn't have much velocity anymore and can't fool hitters with his breaking stuff.
Another Oriole, infielder Chris Gomez, filed for free agency at the earliest possible moment. Gomez spent two years in Baltimore and proved that he can still field adequately at every infield position. The 35-year-old does most of his damage against left-handed pitchers and will be searching for a utility job. Two years ago, Gomez signed as a Minor League free agent. This time, he may have to look for the same kind of deal.

O-R-I-O-L-E-S: Millar & Hawkins are now free agents

BALTIMORE -- Kevin Millar and LaTroy Hawkins filed for free agency on Monday, rounding out Baltimore's list of eligible players. Both veterans played with the Orioles for one season, and both may still be in the team's plans for next season.
Millar signed with Baltimore last winter and started at first base for most of the season. He surged in the second half and finished with the second-highest on-base percentage (.374) of any Baltimore regular. Millar had spent the previous three seasons with division rival Boston.
Hawkins, meanwhile, was one of the only veterans in a youth-laden bullpen last season. Baltimore leaned on him heavily late in games, and he responded with a 3-2 record and a 4.48 ERA. Hawkins served as a role model for many of his younger teammates and was popular inside the clubhouse.
Three Orioles filed for free agency over the weekend, which was the earliest possible time under the league's basic agreement. Utilityman Chris Gomez and reliever Russ Ortiz filed Saturday, the first day after the World Series, and backup catcher Chris Widger followed suit on Sunday.
Gomez spent two seasons with Baltimore, but the other two were relative newcomers. Ortiz joined the Orioles after getting released by Arizona, and Widger was a late signing after Baltimore traded Javy Lopez to Boston. Neither player contributed much in their brief auditions.
Widger got just 17 at-bats with the Orioles before a pinched nerve cut his season short. Ortiz, on the other hand, made five starts and 15 relief appearances for the Orioles. The right-hander went all season without a win and allowed 18 home runs in 63 innings as an Oriole.
Gomez missed two months with a broken bone in his right hand and only had 14 hits when September started. But he had a huge month, batting .437 (31-for-71) and finishing his season with a career-best 18-game winning streak. Gomez can still play all four infield positions.

"L-O-U-S-Y"

'Lousy' most fitting word for performance

Joe Paterno needed just six words to perfectly describe his team's performance during a 26-12 win against Illinois on Saturday.

Lousy, lousy, lousy, lousy, lousy, and for good effect, lousy.

"We're just lousy," Paterno said for the sixth and final time during a brief postgame press conference. "Can I get that across? It's spelled L-O-U-S-Y."

A graduate of Brown University's English program, Paterno probably has other words in his vernacular to sum up the Nittany Lions' effort.

Disgusting, horrendous and miserable come to mind.

"We struggled a little bit today," senior running back Tony Hunt said before reconsidering. "Well, a lot."

For the second straight week, Penn State's rushing attack faltered behind a porous offensive line. The last two games, Penn State has rushed for 26 yards on 49 attempts.

"I didn't feel like most guys out there -- including myself -- were making the second effort to get on blocks and things like that," All-America tackle Levi Brown said. "You can't have that if you want to win games."

The lack of effort was clear, as the Lions had just 184 offensive yards.

"[Paterno] used the word lousy for our offense, and I have to totally agree," said sophomore wide receiver Derrick Williams, who finished with 26 receiving yards and seven rushing yards. "Everybody needed to pick it up everywhere."

But nobody did. For Penn State's offense, momentum was nonexistent. Even after sophomore safety Anthony Scirrotto intercepted a Juice Williams pass on the Penn State 17-yard line and returned it to the Lions' 47-yard line, the offense started with no drive -- literally.

The next three plays, Penn State moved three yards, all on a run by Hunt on first down. Two incomplete Anthony Morelli passes later, Jeremy Kapinos punted, his fourth of eight eventual punts.

Subtract Dan Connor's safety, Tony Davis' fumble return for a touchdown and Scirrotto's kickoff return for a score, and Penn State's offensive production was nine points.

And while it's easy to credit Penn State's defense with the win, Juice Williams constantly confused the Lions' defense with the option, helping his team to 202 total rushing yards. Over and over again, the Illini ran the option to defensive end Tim Shaw's side, usually with success.

This week, Mike Hart, Brent Bracket and walk-on wide receiver Patrick Mauti all tried to play Juice Williams' role on the scout-team offense. Defensive end Josh Gaines even said Mauti broke a few runs for touchdowns in practice. With that said, it's not so surprising the defense couldn't stop Illinois.

If Penn State hadn't had a few timely defensive plays and a solid special teams performance, Illinois would have easily spoiled a perfect homecoming weekend in Happy Valley. In fact, the Fighting Illini should have. Penn State didn't deserve a victory Saturday, and the alumni didn't deserve an abysmal performance.

And at the end of the day, Paterno didn't even need six words to accurately judge the Lions' play. He could have done it in one -- lousy.

Arthur Rhodes files for free agency (10/29/06)

(10/29/06)

NEW YORK - One day after the World Series ended, baseball’s business season began Saturday when San Francisco’s Barry Bonds, Oakland’s Frank Thomas and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Nomar Garciaparra headed 59 players who filed for free agency.

Oakland pitcher Barry Zito and Washington’s Alfonso Soriano are the biggest names available in this year’s free-agent class. Approximately 200 players are eligible to file by the Nov. 11 deadline, and free agents can start talking money with all teams the following day.

Under new rules this offseason, free agents do not face any deadlines to re-sign with their former teams. In the past, players had to re-sign by Dec. 7 (or Jan. 8 if offered salary arbitration) or else could not return to their former teams until May 1. The deadlines were eliminated in baseball’s new labor contract.

Among pitchers, the Chicago Cubs’ Kerry Wood and Houston’s Andy Pettitte could attract some interest. The Astros’ Roger Clemens also is eligible, but the 44-year-old hasn’t indicated whether he wants to pitch in 2007 or whether he’d consider leaving his hometown team.

Outfielder Luis Gonzalez, not wanted back by Arizona after eight seasons with the Diamondbacks, plans to play next year.

Bonds completed a $90 million, five-year contract with the Giants. He has 734 homers, 21 shy of Hank Aaron’s record, but it isn’t clear whether the Giants want him back. After missing most of 2005 because of a bad knee, Bonds batted .270 with 26 homers and 77 RBIs in 367 at-bats this year.

“A lot of players are somewhat nervous or apprehensive about becoming free agents because of all the uncertainty,” Bonds’ agent, Jeff Borris, said Saturday. “Barry has nerves of steel. That’s also evident in the way he plays baseball.”

Five players filed Saturday from the New York Mets: outfielders Cliff Floyd and Ricky Ledee, pitchers Orlando Hernandez and Steve Trachsel and shortstop Chris Woodward.

Five players also filed from Philadelphia — catcher Mike Lieberthal and pitchers Arthur Rhodes, Rick White, Randy Wolf and Aaron Fultz — along with five from San Diego.

Three players filed from the New York Yankees: infielder Miguel Cairo, reliever Octavio Dotel and outfielder Craig Wilson.


© 2006 The Associated Press.

Insight

Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel.
-- Homer Simpson

Gettysburg Times (10/23/06: Officials pestered by pigeon population

BY SCOT ANDREW PITZER
Times Staff Writer

Gettysburg leaders are pestered by pigeon droppings peppering the rooftops of borough buildings.
For years, Gettysburg Borough Council has explored methods of ridding the municipality of the havoc-inducing winged pests.
The borough has budgeted $2,000 in past years for poisoning related purposes.However, that method doesn’t appear to be working.
Borough officials discussed the pigeon matter during a budgetary workshop Thursday evening.
Officials want to invest in a better population control option.
“We’ve been paying to poison the pigeons for a long time,” said finance director Ramona Overton. “It’s not working.”
The pigeon problem is frequent in at least five or six quadrants of the borough.Particularly, the burgeoning population flutters through the heart of town — Lincoln Square.
The birds frequently deposit waste products, which decay buildings, vehicles, and destroy property.
“They’re bad at my house,” said councilman John Murphy, a Long Lane resident.
The birds are also spotted regularly atop the roof at the historic Gettysburg Railroad Station on Carlisle Street.
Overton suggested investing in a method that would permanently address Gettysburg’s surging pigeon community.
“We should spend it once, and then we’re done,” Overton told borough officials, “insteadof paying for it again and again and again.”
Permanent deterrent methods — such as roof top metal spikes — could replace the present day pigeon control poison.
The borough finance director said ample funds are poured out of the municipality’s wallet,year after year, and it might be financially prudent to invest in a permanent solution, instead of temporary relief.
“Has the previous method not worked?” asked councilwoman Holly Giles.
Overton replied: “Don’t you see the pigeons? There doesn’t seem to be many solutions.”
Councilman Marty Qually suggested another solution.He said he was in favor of creating a municipal policy that would require property owners to help dispose of the unwelcome feathery creatures.
Contact Scot Pitzer at 334-1131, ext. 247 or spitzer@gburgtimes.com.

Pumpkin Carving

Happy Halloween!

P.S. My friends and I did this!

Your hangy ball...

...has a purpose! You've seen it. It dangles in the back of your throat like a piece of jewlery. I've always wondered, but I've never really known what its good for.

Somewhere along the way, I learned that the hangy ball (uvula) serves as a barrier against bacteria and other sources of infection along with the tonsals. This turns out to only be partially true. Interestingly, the tonsals and uvula aren't very good at this job and get infected themselves regularly. Their removal is one of the most common surgeries in all of medicine.

The uvula actually serves its most important purpose in newborns! It turns out that in newborns, the back of the throat is still developing, and these newborns haven't quite mastered the skill of breathing and eating separately and getting everything down the correct holes in the back of the throat. In these newborns, the uvula is positioned so that as they nurse they can drink milk and breath at the same time! As we grow, the back of the throat becomes elongated, so that the uvula no longer can hang in such a position, and thus we have to choose between swallowing and breathing, and can no longer do them simultaneously.

Election Season

The 2006 national election season is well under way. The most notable twist so far, the Republicans have sex scandals and the Democrats have money scandals.

Go Team!

It's been a treat to follow the Vikes so far this season. Although the offense has been anemic, the defense has been solid. In their worst effort of the first 5 games, they surrendered 19 points to the Bears, who lead the NFL in scoring thru 5 games.

Of course, the Vikings have produced respectable defensive efforts in September and October of past seasons, only to falter in the stretch.

This is a new team, though, with a new owner, a new head coach, much new personnel and a refreshingly new attitude. They have some young receivers on the offense that could develop into a reasonable offensive threat.

The Vikings are currently 3-2. If the defense stays tough and the offense comes around a little, they've got a shot at the post season.