There is hope associated with Baltimore baseball this spring. The youngsters coming through the minor league system are starting to mature into major league-ready contributors, and the front office brought in a few veterans who appear to be perfect short-term fits. Mr. Oriole himself, Cal Ripken Jr., has noticed the improvement. He took a few minutes to chat about the Orioles — and Topps’ million-baseball card giveaway that he is promoting — with Sporting News‘ Ryan Fagan.
‘I think all of baseball is looking at the Orioles’ arms,’ Hall of Famer Cal Ripken says.
Sporting News: What are your thoughts on this year’s Orioles? They’re generating a bit of buzz.
Cal Ripken: If you’re an Orioles fan, there’s lots of reasons to be optimistic about the coming season. They’ve assembled a lot of talent, young talent, in this rebuilding process. Adam Jones came into his own last year as a center fielder, a fabulous center fielder. (Nick) Markakis is a perennial All-Star out in right field. They’ve got (Miguel) Tejada coming back as a bridge at third base. Garrett Atkins, I thought, was a good pickup. Matt Wieters is a potential Joe Mauer in the making, and the guys they’ve got on the mound — (Kevin) Millwood’s coming in as a true ace to take a little pressure off them, and maybe provide some veteran leadership for these young arms. They’ve got guys who legitimately throw in the upper 90s, and it’s a matter of them figuring out what to throw and when to throw it. If they do, they’re going to be very competitive.
SN: Wieters has all the measureables and had a good rookie season, but what about him stands out to you?
CR: When you first look at him, he’s calm and handles the pitching staff well. He’s a big guy, and he has all the offensive skills that you get excited about out of that position. But he seems to be a smart catcher — one that handles the pitching staff well, and one that you’d be glad to have grow with their young staff. When you look at somebody like Joe Mauer, I think you take for granted some of his defensive skills behind the plate, but I think Matt Wieters is in the same sort of mold as Joe Mauer.
SN: What are your thoughts about Brian Matusz, the young lefty?
CR: The word around baseball about the great young arms — and Brian certainly fits into that — is they have phenomenal stuff. Then it’s a matter of making the pitch at the right time, making the right pitch, and throwing to your game plan and figuring out how to settle into that big league model. Some people can do that really easily. I remember Mike Mussina was somebody who came right into the big leagues and knew what he was doing from a mental standpoint and a physical standpoint, and he had success right away. Ben McDonald struggled a little bit, and he had to get his feet on the ground and get more of a game plan before he took off. So, you’re wondering, at least from a makeup standpoint, are they Mussina-types or are they a little more like McDonald-types?
SN:With as many young starters as the Orioles have, they probably have both, right?
CR: Yeah. I’m excited. I think all of baseball is looking at the Orioles’ arms.
SN: Did you have a favorite baseball card as a kid?
CR: I was a big Brooks Robinson fan, and I was also a big Cincinnati Reds fan — maybe because I was a front-runner and they were the Big Red Machine and they competed against the Orioles in the 1970 (World) Series. So I tried to collect the starting lineup for the Reds. And, being around Baltimore, Brooks Robinson was hard to get. I remember getting a lot of Tom Shopay cards, but I finally got a Brooks. I couldn’t tell you where Brooksie is; I think my mom might have thrown it out.
SN:Do you remember the first time you got to meet Brooks?
CR: I do. When my dad first came to the big leagues. I was about 14 or 15 years old, and I had the chance to go down and say hello to Brooksie. He didn’t disappoint; he was as nice of a person as I thought he was. Took all the time in the world for me. I still have yet to find a person in the world who says a negative thing about Brooksie. He was my man.
SN: Have you seen some of the cards in this Topps giveaway?
CR: I’m looking at the 1952 Topps rookie card for Mickey Mantle, and this one, they tell me, in vintage condition went for $250,000. This one I have right here has a couple scrapes on it, and they say it’s worth about 20 grand.
SN: The most expensive card I’ve ever held was worth about $70. What’s it feel like to hold a Mantle rookie card?
CR: Well, it doesn’t feel much different. This Mickey Mantle one is really protected. It’s in a real thick case so I can’t do any damage to it, and it’s tagged. So it doesn’t feel much different than holding my rookie card, which is not worth nearly what Mickey’s is. But, you know, baseball cards are baseball cards. The older ones have some nice color.
Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.
There is hope associated with Baltimore baseball this spring. The youngsters coming through the minor league system are starting to mature into major league-ready contributors, and the front office brought in a few veterans who appear to be perfect short-term fits. Mr. Oriole himself, Cal Ripken Jr., has noticed the improvement. He took a few minutes to chat about the Orioles — and Topps’ million-baseball card giveaway that he is promoting — with Sporting News‘ Ryan Fagan.
‘I think all of baseball is looking at the Orioles’ arms,’ Hall of Famer Cal Ripken says.
Sporting News: What are your thoughts on this year’s Orioles? They’re generating a bit of buzz.
Cal Ripken: If you’re an Orioles fan, there’s lots of reasons to be optimistic about the coming season. They’ve assembled a lot of talent, young talent, in this rebuilding process. Adam Jones came into his own last year as a center fielder, a fabulous center fielder. (Nick) Markakis is a perennial All-Star out in right field. They’ve got (Miguel) Tejada coming back as a bridge at third base. Garrett Atkins, I thought, was a good pickup. Matt Wieters is a potential Joe Mauer in the making, and the guys they’ve got on the mound — (Kevin) Millwood’s coming in as a true ace to take a little pressure off them, and maybe provide some veteran leadership for these young arms. They’ve got guys who legitimately throw in the upper 90s, and it’s a matter of them figuring out what to throw and when to throw it. If they do, they’re going to be very competitive.
SN: Wieters has all the measureables and had a good rookie season, but what about him stands out to you?
CR: When you first look at him, he’s calm and handles the pitching staff well. He’s a big guy, and he has all the offensive skills that you get excited about out of that position. But he seems to be a smart catcher — one that handles the pitching staff well, and one that you’d be glad to have grow with their young staff. When you look at somebody like Joe Mauer, I think you take for granted some of his defensive skills behind the plate, but I think Matt Wieters is in the same sort of mold as Joe Mauer.
SN: What are your thoughts about Brian Matusz, the young lefty?
CR: The word around baseball about the great young arms — and Brian certainly fits into that — is they have phenomenal stuff. Then it’s a matter of making the pitch at the right time, making the right pitch, and throwing to your game plan and figuring out how to settle into that big league model. Some people can do that really easily. I remember Mike Mussina was somebody who came right into the big leagues and knew what he was doing from a mental standpoint and a physical standpoint, and he had success right away. Ben McDonald struggled a little bit, and he had to get his feet on the ground and get more of a game plan before he took off. So, you’re wondering, at least from a makeup standpoint, are they Mussina-types or are they a little more like McDonald-types?
SN:With as many young starters as the Orioles have, they probably have both, right?
CR: Yeah. I’m excited. I think all of baseball is looking at the Orioles’ arms.
SN: Did you have a favorite baseball card as a kid?
CR: I was a big Brooks Robinson fan, and I was also a big Cincinnati Reds fan — maybe because I was a front-runner and they were the Big Red Machine and they competed against the Orioles in the 1970 (World) Series. So I tried to collect the starting lineup for the Reds. And, being around Baltimore, Brooks Robinson was hard to get. I remember getting a lot of Tom Shopay cards, but I finally got a Brooks. I couldn’t tell you where Brooksie is; I think my mom might have thrown it out.
SN:Do you remember the first time you got to meet Brooks?
CR: I do. When my dad first came to the big leagues. I was about 14 or 15 years old, and I had the chance to go down and say hello to Brooksie. He didn’t disappoint; he was as nice of a person as I thought he was. Took all the time in the world for me. I still have yet to find a person in the world who says a negative thing about Brooksie. He was my man.
SN: Have you seen some of the cards in this Topps giveaway?
CR: I’m looking at the 1952 Topps rookie card for Mickey Mantle, and this one, they tell me, in vintage condition went for $250,000. This one I have right here has a couple scrapes on it, and they say it’s worth about 20 grand.
SN: The most expensive card I’ve ever held was worth about $70. What’s it feel like to hold a Mantle rookie card?
CR: Well, it doesn’t feel much different. This Mickey Mantle one is really protected. It’s in a real thick case so I can’t do any damage to it, and it’s tagged. So it doesn’t feel much different than holding my rookie card, which is not worth nearly what Mickey’s is. But, you know, baseball cards are baseball cards. The older ones have some nice color.
Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.
The Rays entered 2009 determined to prove that their trip to the 2008 World Series wasn’t a fluke. Didn’t happen. Because of injuries and a group of underperforming stars, they weren’t a factor in the AL East race in the second half, and an 11-game losing streak in early September erased any thoughts of claiming the wild card. That painful learning experience behind them, there are plenty of reasons — Evan Longoria, an MVP-caliber hitter, anchors a strong lineup, and the rotation is solid –to believe 2010 will have more in common with 2008 than 2009 for Tampa Bay.
Will Carl Crawford be trade bait if the Rays struggle?
Three questions
1. Is Rafael Soriano the answer to the bullpen issues?
Few were shocked when the Rays reached the middle of June and neither Troy Percival nor Jason Isringhausen, their mind-is-willing-but-flesh-is-weak veteran closers, was healthy. The bullpen, which was a strength for the Rays during their playoff push in 2008, fell into a bit of disarray. Lefthander J.P. Howell, one of nine different Rays to record at least one save last year, did an admirable job until he faltered late in the season.
That ninth-inning uncertainty is why the Rays targeted Soriano, who was 27-for-31 in save opportunities for the Braves in 2009. "When you get one guy that you feel can handle the ninth inning, it permits you to mix and match through the first eight, which is kind of a nice thing to do," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.
2. Will Pat Burrell and Dioner Navarro produce offensively?
You would be hard-pressed to find a pair of teammates who disappointed more in 2009, and neither will have a long leash should his struggles continue into 2010. Navarro, the squad’s unofficial Mr. Clutch in 2008, dropped from a .295 batting average and .757 OPS to a .218 average and .583 OPS. The Rays traded for catcher Kelly Shoppach this offseason, and he will share time behind the plate.
Burrell, who was signed as a free agent before the 2009 season to provide righthanded power as the DH, went from 33 homers and an .875 OPS with the Phillies to 14 homers and a .682 OPS, both career lows.
"I really believe that the second year (in the AL) is going to matter a lot for him," Maddon said. "Leaving his only organization last year probably was more difficult than he let on — switching leagues, switching positions, going to arguably the best division in all of baseball and all of the very good pitchers that he had to face. There were a lot of different factors involved in regards to not having a typical year for him."
3. What should they do with Carl Crawford?
The left fielder is one of the most exciting players in the game — his 15 homers, 60 stolen bases and .305 average speak to that — but he will be a free agent after the 2010 season and his next contract will be a whopper. That doesn’t necessarily fit the Rays’ blueprint of high-talent, low-cost players. If the team struggles early, the front office could entertain trade offers for Crawford, who doesn’t turn 29 until August and would command a hearty package of low-cost talent in return.
But if the Rays are in the thick of the AL East or wild-card race, can they really trade Crawford? If they don’t, he almost will certainly test the free agent market after the season. It likely would require a significant hometown discount for him to remain in Tampa Bay.
Projected lineup
1. SS Jason Bartlett: Hit at least .345 in 4 of 6 months.
2. LF Carl Crawford: Hit .295 at home, .315 on road.
3. 3B Evan Longoria: Top-three MVP finish very possible.
4. 1B Carlos Pena: Has averaged 39 HRs, .935 OPS with Rays.
5. 2B Ben Zobrist: Breakthrough year: 91 RBIs, 91 runs, 91 BBs.
6. CF B.J. Upton: OPS dropped from .784 to .686.
7. DH Pat Burrell: .202 AVG, 0 HRs vs. lefthanders.
8. RF Matt Joyce: Gabe Kapler and Fernando Perez in mix.
9. C Dioner Navarro: .183 AVG vs. righthanders.
Projected rotation
1. RHP James Shields: 3.42 ERA in first half; 5.16 ERA in second.
2. RHP Matt Garza: Held lefthanders to .196 AVG, .608 OPS.
3. LHP David Price: Quality starts in 6 of final 8 starts.
4. RHP Jeff Niemann: 13-6, 3.94 ERA as rookie.
5. RHP Wade Davis: 4-hit, 10-K shutout in third career start.
Projected closer
RHP Rafael Soriano: Held opposing hitters to .194 AVG.
Grades
Offense: B. The star power is here: Ben Zobrist, Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria all have finished in the top 11 in the AL MVP voting the past two seasons, and Crawford, B.J. Upton and Jason Bartlett combined for 132 stolen bases last year — more than 26 teams. Questions at DH, right field and catcher keep the Rays from getting an "A."
Pitching: B. The rotation has five guys capable of giving No. 1-starter performances on any given night; the goal is improved consistency. Dropping the ugly numbers from Scott Kazmir (5.92 ERA) and Andy Sonnanstine (6.89 ERA as starter) should help improve the unit’s 4.54 ERA. If Soriano is the ninth-inning answer, the bullpen should fall into place.
Bench: B. Willy Aybar has been an invaluable part of the Rays’ bench the past two years; he is a switch hitter who has started games at all four infield positions and clubbed a combined 22 homers. Speedy Fernando Perez missed all of 2009 but can play all three outfield positions.
Manager: A. Maddon punched all the right buttons and pulled all the right levers in 2008. That magic touch didn’t extend into 2009, but he understands his players’ strengths and weaknesses as well as any manager in baseball. Maddon’s emphasis on teaching the Ray Way of baseball in the minors should pay off this season.
Sporting News prediction: The Rays have the talent and experience to compete for a postseason berth, but beating out the Yankees and Red Sox won’t be easy. The more likely scenario has them finishing as the best third-place team in the majors.
COMING THURSDAY: Blue Jays preview.
Ryan Fagan is a staff writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com.
The Rays entered 2009 determined to prove that their trip to the 2008 World Series wasn’t a fluke. Didn’t happen. Because of injuries and a group of underperforming stars, they weren’t a factor in the AL East race in the second half, and an 11-game losing streak in early September erased any thoughts of claiming the wild card. That painful learning experience behind them, there are plenty of reasons — Evan Longoria, an MVP-caliber hitter, anchors a strong lineup, and the rotation is solid –to believe 2010 will have more in common with 2008 than 2009 for Tampa Bay.
Will Carl Crawford be trade bait if the Rays struggle?
Three questions
1. Is Rafael Soriano the answer to the bullpen issues?
Few were shocked when the Rays reached the middle of June and neither Troy Percival nor Jason Isringhausen, their mind-is-willing-but-flesh-is-weak veteran closers, was healthy. The bullpen, which was a strength for the Rays during their playoff push in 2008, fell into a bit of disarray. Lefthander J.P. Howell, one of nine different Rays to record at least one save last year, did an admirable job until he faltered late in the season.
That ninth-inning uncertainty is why the Rays targeted Soriano, who was 27-for-31 in save opportunities for the Braves in 2009. "When you get one guy that you feel can handle the ninth inning, it permits you to mix and match through the first eight, which is kind of a nice thing to do," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.
2. Will Pat Burrell and Dioner Navarro produce offensively?
You would be hard-pressed to find a pair of teammates who disappointed more in 2009, and neither will have a long leash should his struggles continue into 2010. Navarro, the squad’s unofficial Mr. Clutch in 2008, dropped from a .295 batting average and .757 OPS to a .218 average and .583 OPS. The Rays traded for catcher Kelly Shoppach this offseason, and he will share time behind the plate.
Burrell, who was signed as a free agent before the 2009 season to provide righthanded power as the DH, went from 33 homers and an .875 OPS with the Phillies to 14 homers and a .682 OPS, both career lows.
"I really believe that the second year (in the AL) is going to matter a lot for him," Maddon said. "Leaving his only organization last year probably was more difficult than he let on — switching leagues, switching positions, going to arguably the best division in all of baseball and all of the very good pitchers that he had to face. There were a lot of different factors involved in regards to not having a typical year for him."
3. What should they do with Carl Crawford?
The left fielder is one of the most exciting players in the game — his 15 homers, 60 stolen bases and .305 average speak to that — but he will be a free agent after the 2010 season and his next contract will be a whopper. That doesn’t necessarily fit the Rays’ blueprint of high-talent, low-cost players. If the team struggles early, the front office could entertain trade offers for Crawford, who doesn’t turn 29 until August and would command a hearty package of low-cost talent in return.
But if the Rays are in the thick of the AL East or wild-card race, can they really trade Crawford? If they don’t, he almost will certainly test the free agent market after the season. It likely would require a significant hometown discount for him to remain in Tampa Bay.
Projected lineup
1. SS Jason Bartlett: Hit at least .345 in 4 of 6 months.
2. LF Carl Crawford: Hit .295 at home, .315 on road.
3. 3B Evan Longoria: Top-three MVP finish very possible.
4. 1B Carlos Pena: Has averaged 39 HRs, .935 OPS with Rays.
5. 2B Ben Zobrist: Breakthrough year: 91 RBIs, 91 runs, 91 BBs.
6. CF B.J. Upton: OPS dropped from .784 to .686.
7. DH Pat Burrell: .202 AVG, 0 HRs vs. lefthanders.
8. RF Matt Joyce: Gabe Kapler and Fernando Perez in mix.
9. C Dioner Navarro: .183 AVG vs. righthanders.
Projected rotation
1. RHP James Shields: 3.42 ERA in first half; 5.16 ERA in second.
2. RHP Matt Garza: Held lefthanders to .196 AVG, .608 OPS.
3. LHP David Price: Quality starts in 6 of final 8 starts.
4. RHP Jeff Niemann: 13-6, 3.94 ERA as rookie.
5. RHP Wade Davis: 4-hit, 10-K shutout in third career start.
Projected closer
RHP Rafael Soriano: Held opposing hitters to .194 AVG.
Grades
Offense: B. The star power is here: Ben Zobrist, Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria all have finished in the top 11 in the AL MVP voting the past two seasons, and Crawford, B.J. Upton and Jason Bartlett combined for 132 stolen bases last year — more than 26 teams. Questions at DH, right field and catcher keep the Rays from getting an "A."
Pitching: B. The rotation has five guys capable of giving No. 1-starter performances on any given night; the goal is improved consistency. Dropping the ugly numbers from Scott Kazmir (5.92 ERA) and Andy Sonnanstine (6.89 ERA as starter) should help improve the unit’s 4.54 ERA. If Soriano is the ninth-inning answer, the bullpen should fall into place.
Bench: B. Willy Aybar has been an invaluable part of the Rays’ bench the past two years; he is a switch hitter who has started games at all four infield positions and clubbed a combined 22 homers. Speedy Fernando Perez missed all of 2009 but can play all three outfield positions.
Manager: A. Maddon punched all the right buttons and pulled all the right levers in 2008. That magic touch didn’t extend into 2009, but he understands his players’ strengths and weaknesses as well as any manager in baseball. Maddon’s emphasis on teaching the Ray Way of baseball in the minors should pay off this season.
Sporting News prediction: The Rays have the talent and experience to compete for a postseason berth, but beating out the Yankees and Red Sox won’t be easy. The more likely scenario has them finishing as the best third-place team in the majors.
COMING THURSDAY: Blue Jays preview.
Ryan Fagan is a staff writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com.
