Bird's Eye View

Leading Off

Scott is “on assignment” at the beach this week, so we’re a day late, and sound funny. We braved modern technology to bring you this episode, and Scott recorded from where he does all his best work: the backseat of his car.

The Brian Roberts Watch (1:35) starts us off on a good note, as Roberts has done well in his games thus far. We give an account of his first game back, and (spoiler alert!) he homers later in the game as we record on Tuesday night. Roberts is stabilizing the 9-hole (2:43), but his role in the field is up for debate. Scott thinks that Roberts is best suited to DH, while Jake is willing to wait and see how much Roberts can bring defensively (3:20).

The Medical Wing is starting to empty out. Here’s a run down:

* Nolan Reimold is back with the team (4:40)

* Wei-Yin Chen is taking another rehab start, but should be back up on his next turn (5:49)

* Steve Johnson is throwing off flat ground, and is still several weeks away (6:36)

* Wilson Betemit (#SorryWilson) is nowhere near returning (6:14)

* Who the Hell is Steve Pearce (6:49) has made no significant progress, and will remain on the DL, especially with the roster crunch

 

The BEVys

The BEVys are rapidly approaching (7:44)! Remember to check out categories from:

* Baltimorons

* Section 336

* Eutaw Street Report

Over at Bird’s Eye View, vote in our two BEVy categories:

Biggest Regression to the Norm

Best Call (Announcer)

 

VOTE ORANGE

Most recent All-Star voting results show that Adam Jones has slipped to #2 in the outfield, and that Nick Markakis has fallen out of a starting position, holding at #4 behind Jose Bautista (8:22). We encourage ALL of Birdland to get out there and Vote Orange, to get Markakis back into the starting lineup.

Don’t let Canada win this. Their bacon is ham.

 

O’s in the Spotlight: National Media Weekend

Saturday on FOX

The Orioles were on full display on the national stage, as Saturday night’s game was broadcast on FOX, and Sunday’s game was selected for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball (11:05). The O’s weren’t even the butt of their jokes, as the Orioles represented themselves and the city of Baltimore well, winning both games.

The FOX broadcast was very complimentary to the Orioles, partially because for once it is the Orioles with the star-studded lineup, and the Yankees with a bunch of has-beens and never-will-bes (12:40).

FOX pregame activities included a Ken Rosenthal interview with Orioles PR Director Monica Barlowe (13:49), discussing her battle with lunch cancer (she’s a non-smoker), and raising awareness for Johns Hopkins Medicine. Definitely worth checking out.

 

Sunday ESPN

Jake and Scott had this game covered from all angles: Jake was in attendance, and Scott took in the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcast.  The Orioles were good enough to show up in a big way – putting on a good show for a national audience (16:07).

The game was not a sell-out (16:33), but nearly so. As with any game against the MFY, there were way too many Yankees fans in attendance. (17:04).

Jake appeared (17:20) on the Kiss Cam (but, it should be noted, it was not with Scott), then chased a Yankees fan out of his section. Note to visitors: DO NOT USE YOUR CELL PHONE DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM (18:43).

The numbers were greatly in the Orioles’ favor, but there were just enough to be annoying. The crowd seemed a little up and down, regarding intensity (21:10).

Leading Off

We’re a couple of days late so that Jake could slack off on Monday, but the time off has not dampened the enthusiasm! The guys celebrate actual content for The Brian Roberts Watch (2:40), and some of it may even be good news! Dylan Bundy’s upcoming Tommy John surgery puts a dark cloud over the Medical Wing (10:15).

 

The BEVys

Thanks to all the folks how have helped with the BEVys thus far (15:30). Remember to check out categories from:

* Baltimorons

* Section 336

* Eutaw Street Report

 

For ourselves, we’ll post polls shortly for our two BEVy categories:

Biggest Regression to the Norm

Best Call (Announcer)

 

Return of the AL Beast

The Blue Jays just completed a 3-game sweep of the Orioles, as part of their 11-game winning streak (23:45). This is notable, because it brings them within 6 games of first, and makes the AL East an open, 5-way heat. The other divisions in baseball average a 13.5 game lead from first to last, whereas all 5 teams in the AL East are above .500.

This will have a significant effect on the AL Wild Card (27:00), but it’s still likely that the AL East will send two teams to the post season. Many thanks to the AL Central for being terrible.

 

Kudos to O’s for BOGO Tickets

The guys take a rare moment to tip their caps to the Orioles organization for making affordable tickets available (31:00). It gives the fans few excuses to stay at home. The Birds are offering BOGO ticket deals to pack the yard during the Indians series. After making “questionable” decisions (think day-of-game charge), it’s about time they get something right.

The Birds are ranked 18th in MLB attendacnce, up from 20th in 2012. Average attendance is about 28,ooo – both at home, and on the road.

 

The Curious Case of Chris Davis

Chris Davis’ 2013 success has brought whispers (OK, shouts) about PEDs (35:40). Domenic Vadala put the issue in perspective pretty well in his blog on masnsports.com. You can’t deny that the realities of MLB’s rocky history with PEDs makes it easy to suspect the worst when players put on an unusual power display. No one can say with certainty that ANY player is clean. That being said, Chris Davis is probably not on steroids. Consider:

* He’s passed tests this season

* At 27, he’s hitting his prime

* The power is not new. He’s alwatys been strong as an ox, and hit 33 HRs in 2012

* Davis has improved in non-power categories. He’s walking more, timing offspeed pitches better, and selecting better pitches to swing at. Are these necessarily PED indicators?

* Davis gets good pitches to hit this year because he’s in the middle of a very powerful lineup

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Who had a great week? Who had a terrible week? Who made us ashamed to be Orioles fans? Find out in this week’s GB&U. The guys run through their Good, Bad, and Ugly (43:00).

 

Listen to BEV on iTunes!

You can find Bird’s Eye View all over the web, including iTunes. Be sure the check for the show, and leave us all sorts of favorable comments and ratings. Flattery will get you everywhere, you know.

 

Contact Bird’s Eye View

There’s plenty we got wrong in this episode. Be sure to tell us exactly how.

* [email protected]

* Tweet @birdseyeviewbal

...

Leading Off

Scott unveils his second attempt at the Drunk Gary Thorne (0:55), which is somewhat less likely to kill you than the last one. More “news” becomes available for the The Brian Roberts Watch (2:10), and a Terry Crowley reference! We take a trip through the Medical Wing (4:00)- Wei-Yin Chen turns out to be the only bright spot.

The O’s continue to have a strong showing in All-Star voting (5:55), as Birdland is voting orange en masse. The Orioles have 4 players set to start as of RIGHT NOW, and could see a couple of others get the nod as a manager’s selection. How good does this look?

Here comes the cavalry!

Remember the cavalry (10:00)? Remember how much we were looking forward to seeing the likes of Brad Bergesen mowing down hitters in the AL East? Yeah, that didn’t work out so well. The guys review a brief, depressing “where are they now.” Warning: Dave Trembley is referenced.

These kids are not alright Jake Arrieta and Zach Britton make their returns to the Orioles rotation this week against one of the premier offenses in the American League. WHAT COULD GO WRONG ? Arrieta has already lost, as of recording of this episode. The guys are willing to write him off as either a bullpen arm, or the quintessential “change of scenery” guy (13:30). Jake gets bitter while Scott slips into his Zach Britton give-away t-shirt (16:25).

With the rest of the cavalry, some of them simply flamed out. Others ended up in the bullpen. One or two ended up as trade chips. But there is one bright spot: Chris Tillman (20:50). He may not be an ace, but he Tillman a dependable Major League starter who has asserted himself as a stopper in this inconsistent rotation. Baseball is big on nicknames. Maybe Tillman should be “The Cavalry.”

 

(Sexy) Potpourri 

Yes, you read that correctly. No, it’s not any less awkward on the podcast (25:55). Sott channels his inner Baltimoron, and keeps Jake on a timer by ringing a bell (26:30). You’re welcome, all you earbud listeners. The guys hit the dead smelly flowers of topics that can’t stand on their own:

* The media vs. the boo birds: who will own it? (27:25)

* Casilla usually hurts the team. Did his finger injury hurt it worse? (29:20)

* Should the Orioles make it rain? (31:00) The guys consider extensions for:

* Manny Machado

* Matt Wieters

* Chris Davis

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Who had a great week? Who had a terrible week? Who made us ashamed to be Orioles fans? Find out in this week’s GB&U. The guys run through their Good, Bad, and Ugly (37:10).

 

Listen to BEV on iTunes!

You can find Bird’s Eye View all over the web, including iTunes. Be sure the check for the show, and leave us all sorts of favorable comments and ratings. Flattery will get you everywhere, you know.

 

Contact Bird’s Eye View

There’s plenty we got wrong in this episode. Be sure to tell us exactly how.

* [email protected]

* Tweet @birdseyeviewbal

* Bird’s Eye View on Facebook

Leading Off

The podcast starts out with a sighting for The Brian Roberts Watch (1:45) and an actual baseball update regarding his status.  We then move into the Medical Wing (06:00) discussing the prime targets of Reimold, Betemit, Chen, and the expected return of Wada.  Wada the Orioles going to do with him?

This team is for real…no really!

Jake puts on the rose colored glasses and drinks the orange kool-aid discussing the fact that this is a very good team (13:20).  Jake talks positives from our line-up and Scott takes the side of the pessimists (…sort of).  We cover three points for this discussion:

* The Orioles roster is filled with legitimate All-Stars (17:00)

* The lineup is good enough to cover weaknesses (24:15) – The Ryan Flaherty Segment

* The Bullpen will hold up for this team (29:45)

Starting Pitching…Is this It?

We go through the starting pitching and dissect their quality so far (38:45):

* Chris Tillman – Stable, “the stopper”

* Jason Hammel – Inconsistent so far and not the Hammel of 2012

* Miguel Gonzalez – League Average Thus Far.

* Freddy Garcia – 50:50 Split of Good and Awful

* Kevin Gausman – Do we have anyone better?  Should we be giving him this much rope?

* The Options

* Arrieta:  Getting lit up in the minors

* Jurrjens:  Hurt

* Britton:  Doing OK (3.48 ERA in Norfolk)

Why not go get Cliff Lee (45:30)?  That’s not realistic, but who are guys the Orioles would, could, or should target?

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Who had a great week? Who had a terrible week? Who made us ashamed to be Orioles fans? Find out in this week’s GB&U. The guys run through their Good, Bad, and Ugly (49:30).

 

Listen to BEV on iTunes!

You can find Bird’s Eye View all over the web, including iTunes. Be sure the check for the show, and leave us all sorts of favorable comments and ratings. Flattery will get you everywhere, you know.

 

Contact Bird’s Eye View

There’s plenty we got wrong in this episode. Be sure to tell us exactly how.

* [email protected]

* Tweet @birdseyeviewbal

* Bird’s Eye View on Facebook

Leading Off

The podcast starts out on a high note, as Scott breaks down his recipe for the first candidate for the Drunk Gary Thorne concoction(1:15). The Brian Roberts Watch (4:05) )gives way to a discussion of the absurdity that is All Star voting. But, um… #VoteOrange (4:45)!

No stay in the Medical Wing would be complete without obsessing over Dylan Bundy (8:20), and his soreness from mass flexor tightness. That is totally what she said. We also await the triumphant return of Taylor Teagarden to part-time play (11:00).

 

Things may actually be OK…

Jake crowns the music for this week Scott’s opus magness (16:00). Can we all agree that Joe Angel blows Fred Manfra out of the water, when it comes to play-by-play (27:30)? Jake admits that the Dickerson HR call may be better than Gary Thorne’s Wieters grand slam call from April. The Orioles had three signature come-from-behind victories to cement a magical week.

* Chris Davis t-shirt night (19:00)

* Jake complains about not getting a t-shirt. Scott gloats about getting his.

* Props to O’s fans for being awesome.

* Nick Markakis really gave the team a boost (spoiler alert!)

* Friday’s Chris Dickerson HR (25:20)

* Nick Markakis put a charge in the team with a HR (spoiler alert!)

* Chris Dickerson provided  more late-inning heroics

* Gausman’s gem agains the Tigers – the schadenfreude game (28:00)

* Good thing DD and Showalter aren’t as kneejerkish as the fans. Gausman may not be a dominant starter, yet, but deserves a chance to pitch in the majors. Great fastball command and a new circle change.

* Chris Davis hit another HR (yawn).

* Alexi Casilla hit a “double”

The guys debate whether this inspired play is “special” to the team, or whether that is reserved for the fans (31:00).

 

2013 by the numbers (or “Scott Peaks Early”)

Scott breaks down the numbers, and compares the Orioles 2013 offensive (39:00) and pitching numbers (41:45) to the 2012 club over the same period. Short answer: the hitters are improving, the starters are falling apart. Special attention is paid to Jason Hammel’s inconsistent season (42:20).

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Who had a great week? Who had a terrible week? Who made us ashamed to be Orioles fans? Find out in this week’s GB&U. The guys run through their Good, Bad, and Ugly (47:30).

 

Listen to BEV on iTunes!

You can find Bird’s Eye View all over the web, including iTunes. Be sure the check for the show, and leave us all sorts of favorable comments and ratings. Flattery will get you everywhere, you know.

 

Contact Bird’s Eye View

There’s plenty we got wrong in this episode. Be sure to tell us exactly how.

* [email protected]

* Tweet @birdseyeviewbal

* Bird’s Eye View on Facebook

 

Leading Off

Episode 37 of the podcast is a very special one, as it coincides with the debut of Kevin Gausman, who wore #37. Spoiler Alert: we talk about him a little later on in the show. Also, on the top of the show, we thank you for joining us in the adventure that is Twitter, and encourage you to tweet #SorryWilson to take one of Scott’s balls.

That may have come out wrong.

Quick shout-out to the guys over at Section 336, and their Night at the Yard event(1:30). The podcast is worth checking out, and you should definitely join them (and us!) for their event. You get a ticket, a shirt, and the opportunity to catch a game with people who are just as Orioles crazy as you are.

 

The BEVys: Biggest Regression to the Norm

As a reminder, we’ll be hosting The BEVys during the All Star break (3:30). Our first BEVy category is ‘Biggest Regression to the Norm.’ This award goes to the player who statheads and haters told you before the season “this guy can never do that again.” Whose star has fallen back to the pack in the most meaningful way? Send us your nominees:

* Tweet your response to us with #BEVys

* Email us at [email protected] 

* Leave us your thoughts in comments below

 

This is the Dawning of the Age of Gausmania

So some kid got called up on Thursday (9:30)… What are we calling this phenomenon? The guys discuss the move, its permanence, and what the mark of success should be for Gausman in 2013. Then it’s on to Thursday’s start: what we liked, what we didn’t, and what does it all mean?

 

From Pretender to Protestor 

Long-time listeners will remember our special “affection” for Kevin Gregg, who we deemed “The Protestor.” Scott provides pretty compelling  evidence that Jim Johnson has replaced him in that area (25:55). Jake fights his heart and his head, and the guys try to put some perspective on the most logical (or likely?) path forward.

 

Battle of the Beltways

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Scott mocks Jake (a surprise?) for attending a fine DC academic institution(44:25). It’s that time again – the time where we pretend that O’s/Nats is a real rivalry worth paying attention (45:40). MASN needs to understand how much fans hate the “bring the MASN family together” nonsense during O’s/Nats broadcasts. The guys talk about the 4-game series, and Jake drags Scott into some MLB fashion (52:45).

Actually, Scott gets more into it than usual, as he proposes some interesting ideas for Orioles camo:

 

Tip of the cap to National Discourse – a Washington Nationals podcast run by our buddy Josh. Go check it out, if that’s… your thing.

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Who had a great week? Who had a terrible week? Who made us ashamed to be Orioles fans? Find out in this week’s GB&U. The guys run through their Good, Bad, and Ugly (57:50).

 

Listen to BEV on iTunes!

You can find Bird’s Eye View all over the web, including iTunes. Be sure the check for the show, and leave us all sorts of favorable comments and ratings. Flattery will get you everywhere, you know.

 

Leading Off

The guys celebrate a team from NY coming to town by adding Long Islands to the Drink of the Week rotation(1:25). Why didn’t we think of themes before? Send us recommendations for a drink named after Gary Thorne. Tweet us with #GaryThorneDrink (1:40). We run through another depressing Brian Roberts Watch (2:18), and a rapidly expanding Medical Wing. Notable entries:

* Nolan Reimold – is that a hamstring injury, or a “hamstring injury?” (3:42)

* Miguel Gonzalez still has a thumb (3:44)

* We hope Taylor Teagarden won’t get Wally Pipped (5:04)

We pause to acknowledge Wei-Yin Chen’s entry into the Twitterverse, by noting that it coincided with his translator getting an account, too. Does he get to tweet his own thoughts? That guy still has the best job in baseball (6:10).

Jake acknowledges a complete blog fail – the Who Votes Orange poll broke almost immediately after posting. Let’s face it, folks, he’s better with stone tools. If you tried to vote, our apologies – we were working on being incompetant this week (8:15).

 

It’s Time to Have “the Talk”

Jake and Scott prepare to have a very difficult talk with O’s fans:

* Things look (o)bleak, as the O’s are mired in a 5-game losing streak. Jake gives an empassioned defense of rational thought (11:27), and points out that the Orioles lost games in their winning seasons, and that the 2012 season shows that simply waiting for “the other foot to drop” isn’t very productive. Scott scoffs this kind of thinking away (16:12).

* O’s fans who are celebrating Ryan Flaherty’s demotion should keep in mind that it is only a matter of time before he comes back (20:17). The Orioles do not have very good options left at 2B , and the Birds have made it clear that they will give “Little Irish” every opportunity to succeed. Look for Flaherty to return one Navarro and Casilla flame out.

 

Things We’ve Been Pondering This Week?

A terrible string of games gets us thinking: what are the real questions Orioles fans should be asking themselves this week? Instead of running through these questions, we pick dumb ones. It’s what we do (26:15).

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The guys run through their Good, Bad, and Ugly for this week. Where did they squeeze two good performances out of a week where the Orioles failed to win a game? Listen in as they scrape the bottom of the barrel (38:53).

 

Listen to BEV on iTunes!

You can find Bird’s Eye View all over the web, including iTunes. Be sure the check for the show, and leave us all sorts of favorable comments and ratings. Flattery will get you everywhere, you know.

 

Contact Bird’s Eye View

There’s plenty we got wrong in this episode. Be sure to tell us exactly how.

* [email protected]

* Tweet @birdseyeviewbal

* Bird’s Eye View on Facebook

Leading Off

Before getting into the podcast, a little housekeeping:

* Don’t miss our special episode featuring Sam and Alan from Baltimorons. We were going to include it in this week’s show, but we realized that it would run at least 7 hours, and even we can’t listen to ourselves talk that long. Thanks again to the All Weather Fans in New York (2:15).

* Check out Eutaw Street Report’s Fan Spotlight post featuring… us! Many thanks to the folks over at ESR for helping us build great community with other fans who take obsessing over the O’s way too seriously (3:40).

* Don’t forget to get in on your chance to win WIIIIIIIIIILSON! by tweeting us with #sorrywilson (5:20)

 

Introducing the BEVys

The BEVys is an annual award show presented by the Bird’s Eye View podcast to recognize outstanding praise- and mock-worthy achievments by the Baltimore Orioles, their fans, related media, and anyone else who looks at us the wrong way (6:30).

The BEVys will be held during the All Star Break, as to give us something to talk about during the lull between games, and to look back at the first half, and determine focus for the second.

In the coming weeks, we will anounce categories, and post polls on the website so that listeners can help choose candidates and winners. The BEVys need your help! It’s important that you vote, provide ideas, and call us idiots, where necessary.

 

Everybody Hurts

We actually have something to talk about in The Brian Roberts Watch (11:35), and take a trip through the rest of the Medical Wing. Also covered:

* Miguel Gonzalez (14:05) – is he still a Yankee killer?

* Wei-Yin Chen (15:30) – the situation looks rather oblique

* Jake Arrieta (17:30) – shoulder and ego still balky

* Roster moves aplenty (20:07) – get a seat, the music is about to stop

* Options for Saturday’s starter (23:20) – Warning: Scott makes a Jurrjens/Jergens joke.

* Bottom of the order woes (29:05) – Flaherty, Reimold, Navarro, oh my!

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Who had a great week? Who had a terrible week? Who made us ashamed to be Orioles fans? Find out in this week’s GB&U (46:01).

 

Feel Free to Share Your Feedback!

* Comment on the show notes.

* Email us directly at [email protected]

* Click on any social media button on this page.

 

Check Us Out on iTunes!

You can listen to the show on iTunes. Be sure to rate the show, and leave a comment to let us know what you think.

 

We have a special podcast this week with a guest appearance by the Baltimorons podcast this week.  We mentioned earlier this week that we appeared on their podcast and we reciprocated the favor and had them on ours.

We have them introduce and explain their origins from the long and winding road from Virginia to the depths of New York.  We discuss with them their feelings on the Nationals being from Northern Virginia.

We then enter the Lion’s Den.  The Baltimorons tell us about their experiences being in New York as an Orioles fan.  And whether being away from home ever led them to stray to another team.

And we tackle the heart of the Orioles community with podcasting and what led them to start their podcast and goals they want to accomplish with it.

If you want to see how far the community of Birdland really stretches, take a listen to this special edition of Bird’s Eye View.

Leading Off

Fresh off a 11-game road trip, and a brutal 20-game stretch without a break, the Orioles and their weary fans can take breather with an off day, and a brief homestand.

Here on the podcast, we start (as always) with The Brian Roberts Watch (1:40) followed by a trip to the Medical Wing (2:30). A Chris Davis scare and Miguel Gonzalez’s blister are the only real updates.

 

 

We take a time-out to tell you about a great Orioles podcast called Baltimorons. Jake and Scott made an appearance on the Baltimorons podcast which will be posted on Wednesday. We encourage you to go check out Sam and Alan’s fine work – their unique perspective as O’s fans “in abstentia” is can’t-miss stuff. These guys “get” being Orioles fans, and make talking about the Birds fun (8:25).

Thanks, again, Baltimorons! Look for Sam and Alan on Bird’s Eye View next week!

 

The Wild, Wild West

Scott does his best DJ Jazzy Jeff (11:28), as we review the Orioles’ West Coast trip. The Birds are winning games against the teams that helped decide the fate of the AL East in 2012 (15:10). Wins are good, mkay? The run differential is up from last year, too, so there’s that…

Despite how it felt at the time, this was a pretty good road trip (16:25). The games they lost were devastating, but the overall performance was exactly what you need for a extended road trip. Freddy Garcia gave us hope that the 5th starter carousel may be slowing down (19:48).

Where do the Orioles stack up against the rest of the AL (21:55)? This trip goes a long way to setting them up to stand with the postseason contenders. Hopefully the Birds can get fat on the Blue Jays the way the AL West will beat up on Houston.

 

Potpourri

Our potpourri segment returns, with a look at items that don’t necessarily belong together, but that don’t belong anywhere else. We run down:

* Whether Roberto Alomar is a legit Orioles HOF (28:42)

* Jake Arrieta’s essential media rage (32:45)

* The Next Knuckler: Zach Clark (36:37)

* Chase Utley? (40:00)

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The guys run down their list of the Birds who had the best, the worst, and the most unbearable weeks(43:49).

 

Feel Free to Share Your Feedback!

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Check us out on iTunes!

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