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By Dan Connolly | July 21, 2009
Ronnie Welty understands where he is in pro baseball's hierarchy. The Single-A Delmarva right fielder is flying under the prospect radar. "That's how I kind of feel," said Welty, who is leading the Shorebirds with a .303 average (90-for-297) and 45 RBIs and is tied for the club lead with seven homers. "Every game is an opportunity to show what I've got and to turn some heads in the future." This status is nothing new for Welty, whom the Orioles selected in the 20th round of the 2008 draft.
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By CHILDS WALKER | June 30, 2008
It's fun to be an Orioles fan right now. I heard so over and over the past week as I talked to Baltimoreans about this year's team. They love the comebacks, the daily effort and George Sherrill's straight-brimmed cap. They believe in Andy MacPhail and applaud his bold moves this past offseason. They might even trust Peter Angelos not to meddle with MacPhail, though they're not completely sold on that one. The hints of passion sounded lovely in a town that had been forced to shut its heart to baseball during 10 long years of losing.
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By Dan Connolly | February 9, 2008
When Mike Mussina embraced the bright lights and big money of New York in 2000, the Orioles were left without an ace, a No. 1 pitcher who evokes fear in the opponent and gives his team the belief that it will win every time he is on the mound. That void lasted until 2006, when hard-throwing, low-talking lefty Erik Bedard truly emerged. He gained national prominence last season when he was a legitimate Cy Young candidate before missing September with a strained oblique. So why, after being without one for so long, would the Orioles deal away a 28-year-old homegrown ace for five unproven players?
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By BILL ORDINE | December 15, 2007
I know I'm going to be sorry for opening this can of worms again, but I just can't resist. About that Miguel Tejada trade. When I first wrote about this on the blog, some readers were upset that I was dismissive of some of the players coming to Orioleland. I referred to some of them as not being household names. Well, for a much better rundown of the haul Baltimore might have made, I refer you to Roch Kubatko and Jeff Zrebiec's excellent scouting report earlier this week in The Sun. But I was taken by some readers being particularly keen on the notion that two of the players, pitcher Troy Patton and third baseman Mike Costanzo, were the No. 3 and No. 6-rated prospects in the Houston Astros' organization, according to Baseball America.
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By DAN CONNOLLY | December 7, 2007
Nashville, Tenn. -- The Orioles' front office contingent left here yesterday with an oft-injured, journeyman catcher and a Rule 5 minor league reliever in its winter meeting shopping cart. And nothing else. It could have been worse. The Orioles could have taken home one of those tacky "Grand Old Opry" plastic boots and a garish "Country Christmas" T-shirt. Actually, it could have been much worse. The Orioles could have acquired a bunch of expensive, mediocre veterans as they have in the past.
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By ROCH KUBATKO | November 4, 2007
It looks more and more like the Orioles have shifted into a serious rebuilding mode. I'm guessing team president Andy MacPhail wasn't overly impressed with what he saw this summer or what he heard at the organizational meetings. Unfortunately, the "rebuilding" should have started sooner and been done more effectively. A lot of years have been lost. Now fans will be asked to remain patient while prospects work their way up from the lower levels of the farm system and veterans are dealt for more prospects who are closer to the majors but aren't going to bring you a title in 2008.
NEWS
By CHILDS WALKER | February 1, 2007
Sometimes, I toss about the names of ballplayers who may not be familiar to the casual fan or even the casual fantasy baseball player. I do this without much introduction or explanation, and I wonder if it's occasionally a disservice. The guys bound to be least familiar to the masses are prospects. So, in an attempt to lay better groundwork for this year's baseball coverage, I'm devoting this space to an introductory list of interesting talents who may play their first full or partial major league seasons in 2007.
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By Childs Walker | October 1, 2006
With another losing Orioles season at a close, the inclination to look toward a better future is strong. But the reality is that with Nick Markakis and Adam Loewen already established in the big leagues, Orioles fans might not have another elite prospect to look forward to until at least 2008. Because it's still recovering from a series of weak drafts, the franchise lacks talent in the upper minor leagues, say talent evaluators around baseball. The Orioles have few outstanding positional prospects at any level.
NEWS
By CHILDS WALKER | April 6, 2006
The Orioles' farm system has been drawing its best reviews in years, and with four teams starting play this week, prospect watchers should have plenty to talk about. The three teams within easy driving distance of Baltimore - low Single-A Delmarva, high Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie - all feature players considered vital to the Orioles' future. "We very strongly expect this to be a very exciting year," said David Stockstill, the Orioles' director of minor league operations. Triple-A Ottawa lies farther from reach but is stocked with major league veterans who could be called up quickly if the club's bullpen or utility players falter.
NEWS
By Jamison Hensley | April 24, 2004
The last team scheduled to make a pick is taking a first-rate mentality into today's NFL draft. Ravens officials said there is a solid chance of landing a player they graded as first-round talent with the 51st overall selection. An analysis of the past five drafts showed, on average, that the Ravens' 29th-rated player would have been available at No. 51. It's a finding that shouldn't raise too many eyebrows because highly regarded prospects falling to the Ravens have become as much a fixture on draft day as ESPN analyst Mel Kiper's towering coif.