As promised, here is the first half of the player-by-player 2010 review. This half covers the position players who spent significant time with the Orioles this year.
Robert Andino- .295 Avg., 2 HR, 6 RBI
After appearing in 78 games for the Orioles in 2009, Robert Andino began the season at Triple A Norfolk in 2010. Andino appeared in 132 games for the Tides and hit .264 with 13 HRs and 76 RBIs before being recalled by the Orioles on September 1. Over the final month of the season, Andino appeared in 16 games for the Orioles at 2B, SS, and 3B. In his 61 at bats Andino collected 18 hits, six of them for extra bases. Look for Robert Andino to play a larger role in 2011 for the Orioles with the likely departure of Julio Lugo. Andino's ability to play multiple positions in the field make him a strong candidate to make the 25 man roster next season.
Garrett Atkins- .214 Avg., 1 HR, 9 RBI
While Garrett Atkins struggled in 2009, the Orioles brought him in for the 2010 season hoping he would regain the stroke that led him to average 25 HRs and 110 RBIs from 2006-2008 as a member of the Colorado Rockies. Atkins began the season as the every day first baseman for the Birds. He got off to a slow start, and eventually landed himself in a platoon position at first base. His first, and only, homerun as an Oriole didn't come until May 26 against the Oakland Athletics. Atkins continually failed to produce at the plate in big spots as he hit .212 with runners in scoring position, and only had 8 RBIs in those situations. He had as many strikeouts as he did hits (30), and only eight extra base hits. The Garrett Atkins reclamation project lasted only 140 ABs though after the Orioles designated him for assignment on June 17. After being granted his release several days later, Atkins was unable to find another team to sign with, and remains a free agent heading into the offseason.
Josh Bell- .214 Avg., 3 HR, 12 RBI
The Orioles signed Miguel Tejada in the offseason to play 3B while Josh Bell continued to develop in the minor leagues. When Tejada was traded to the San Diego Padres at the end of July, Bell was handed the reigns as the everyday 3B for the Orioles. Bell wasn't exactly tearing it up for the Tides as he hit .278 with 13 HRs and 50 RBIs in Triple A, but with the season already lost, the Orioles wanted to see if Bell was ready to be the everyday power hitting 3B they envisioned him to be. Bell struggled with his adjustment to the Major Leagues. In his 159 plate appearances, he struck out an alarming 53 times while only walking twice. He didn't seem to find any power at the Major League level with only three homeruns, and two of those were hit in the same game. Towards the end of the season, it became evident to manager Buck Showalter that Bell needed more time in the minor leagues, and he lost his job as starting 3B. Unless he sets the world on fire in Spring Training, look for Josh Bell to begin the 2011 season back at Triple A.
Jake Fox- .220 Avg., 5 HR, 10 RBI (with Orioles)
Jake Fox was acquired by the Orioles from the Oakland Athletics on June 22 for minor league reliever Ross Wolf and cash. While Fox can deliver the occasional homerun with his all or nothing swing, it was his ability to play multiple positions that led to the Orioles acquiring him. In 38 games for the Orioles, Fox played catcher, 3B, 1B and LF for the Orioles. It was this versatility that kept him on the Orioles roster for the rest of the season. Of his 22 hits in an Orioles uniform, half of those were for extra bases. I don't see Fox figuring into the Orioles 2011 plans too much, but alot of things can happen between now and Opening Day 2011.
Cesar Izturis- .230 Avg., 1 HR, 28 RBI
Izturis' abilities at the plate are not the reason the Orioles signed him prior to the 2009 season. The former Gold Golve Award winner was signed by the Orioles to provide solid defense behind the Orioles young pitchers. He did just that in 2010. Izturis had only 9 errors in 603 total chancs en route to a .985 fielding percentage. Izturis is a free agent this offseason, and it would be smart for the Orioles to resign him. A strong defensive SS is hard to find in baseball, and is vitally important to a team looking to build upon pitching and defense.
Adam Jones- .284 Avg., 19 HR, 69 RBI
2009 was Adam Jones' breakout party. For the first time in his young career, Jones was named to the All Star team and won a Gold Glove for his play in CF. With the accolades and recognition he received in 2009, it was safe to say there were great expectations for Jones in 2010. Yet, Jones got off to a slow start hitting only .223 in April, and was hitting .251 after May with only 5 HRs and 15 RBIs. Jones looked lost at the plate, and pitchers quickly caught on to his lack of discipline at the plate. After may though, Jones quickly turned it around in June as he hit .320 with 8 HRs and 21 RBIs during the month. After a red hot June, he cooled off a bit in July before becoming a consistent hitter throughout August and September. Jones finished the season with a .284 batting average, which was a career high, and tied his career high with 19 HRs. His 69 RBIs fell one short of the 70 he had in 2009. In the field, Jones continued his solid play in CF as he committed only 7 errors and had a career high 12 outfield assists. The most encouraging sign for Jones and the Orioles may be that 2010 was the first season in which Jones did not miss any significant time due to injury.
Julio Lugo- .249 Avg., 0 HR, 20 RBI
Lugo was acquired by the Orioles at the end of Spring Training from the St. Louis Cardinals because he has the ability to play multiple positions, and seemed to be an upgrade over 2009's utility man, Robert Andino. Lugo's role with the Orioles increased as the season went on due to injuries and a lack of production. Lugo appeared in games at 2B, SS, 3B, and LF for the Orioles in 2010. While it may not look like Lugo provided a whole lot of spark at the plate, he was very effective against left handed pitchers as he hit .306 versus lefties compared to .210 versus right handers. Lugo saw his role decrease in the second half of the season with the return of Brian Roberts, and Lugo's own injury problems. He is a free agent heading into the offseason, and I doubt he will be back with the Birds next season.
Nick Markakis- .297 Avg., 12 HR, 60 RBI
For many people, 2010 was a down year for Nick Markakis as he posted career lows in homeruns and RBIs. When looking at these numbers, one must look at them in context though. Without a big bat to protect Markakis in the lineup, pitchers didn't always have to give Markakis good pitches to hit. Nick still managed to hit 45 doubles, and increased his walk totals and lowered his strikeout numbers from 2009. He was one of the best in the league at hitting left handed pitchers with hi .361 average. He was also the Orioles best hitter with runners in scoring postion hitting .338 with 45 of his 60 RBIs coming with RISP. Markakis will most likely never be a guy who hits over 30 homeruns, but if the Orioles are able to add a big bat to hit behind him in the lineup, Nick will be able to increase his homerun totals to over 20 and easily have over 100 RBIs. Markakis continued to flash the glove in RF as he committed only 3 errors all season, and had 7 outfield assists.
Corey Patterson- .269 Avg., 8 HR, 32 RBI
Patterson went to Spring Training with the Seattle Mariners, but was granted his release after not making the Opening Day roster. He signed a minor league contract with the Orioles towards the end of April, and made his return to Baltimore in the middle of May. Upon his return, Patterson provided a nice spark at the top of the struggling Orioles lineup. Patterson played almost every day after being recalled from Norfolk due in large part to injuries to Brian Roberts and Felix Pie, and the inconsistent play of Nolan Reimold. A majority of Patterson's playing time came in the months of May and June. Patterson was able to hit .286 with an on base percentage well over .300 during this time. Corey provided O's fan with one of the most memorable homeruns in recent Orioles history. Trailing 6-2 to the Rangers in Texas, Patterson came to plate facing Rangers closer Neftali Feliz with the bases loaded. Down to his last strike, Patterson launched a game tying grand slam into the right field seats, and the Orioles went on to beat the Rangers in extra innings. Patterson saw his playing time decrease with the return of Roberts and Pie from injuries. He played sparingly over the final months of the season, and will likely be given the oppurtunity to find more playing time with another team this offseason.
Felix Pie- .274 Avg., 5 HR, 31 RBI
Felix Pie has shown he is capable to hit at the Major League level. He just needs to do it consistently and remain healthy. Over the past two seasons with the Orioles, Pie has been limited to 183 games, including 82 this season. When healthy, Pie platooned in LF, playing mostly against right handed pitchers and for good reason. Pie hit .286 against right handers with 3 HR and 25 RBIs, but struggled against lefties hitting only .230 with 2 HR and 6 RBIs. 25 of Pie's 79 hits went for extra bases, including 5 Triples. Pie is still young in terms of his baseball experience as he has only amassed 800 ABs at the Major League level. Hopefully Pie can improve upon his numbers against left handers, and become a better all around hitter for the Orioles.
Nolan Reimold- .207 Avg., 3 HR, 14 RBI
Hopes were high for Nolan Reimold coming into the 2010 season after he hit .279 with 15 HR and 79 RBI during his rookie campagin in 2009. The Orioles had hoped they had found their everyday LF in Reimold, and people were expecting a breakout year for the second year player. What the Orioles got from Reimold in 2010 though was, in a word, disappointing. After undergoing season ending achilles surgery in 2009, Reimold struggled to recover from the injury and was in obvious pain during Spring Training. Couple that with his own personal off field issues, Reimold got off to a rough start in 2010. Through his first 83 bats, Reimold was hitting a lowly .205 with 2 HR and 10 RBI. He was demoted to Triple A Norfolk on May 12 to try and resolve his issues, both on the field and off. Reimold continued to struggle in Triple A, hitting .249 for the Tides with 10 HR and 37 RBI in 94 games. He was recalled at the beginning of September by the Orioles, but hit only .212 after his promotion. After hitting .284 against right handed pitchers in 2009, Reimold struggled mightly in 2010 against righties as his average fell to .164 against them. Reimold has a great deal of things to work on this offseason if he wants to get back to the form he showed in 2009, and reach the promise he showed during his solid rookie season.
Brian Roberts- .278 Avg., 4 HR, 15 RBI
In what was not a surprise to many, Roberts missed a good portion of the season with a lower back injury he suffered prior to the 2010 season. Roberts returned in July, and played solid baseball for the Orioles at the end of the season. In 59 games, Roberts was still able to manage twelve stolen bases, while only getting caught twice. He managed to hit 12 doubles and had an OBP of .354. The Orioles strong finish to the season could be attributed, in small part, to Roberts. He has always been the catalyst for the Orioles offense, and he resumed that role at the top of the O's lineup upon his return. Hopefully Roberts is able to put this season behind him, and have a healthy, productive season in 2011.
Luke Scott- .284 Avg., 27 HR, 72 RBI
Scott was voted the Most Valuable Oriole following his career year in 2010. Luke got off to a slow start in April and was hitting .194 with 2 HR and 7 RBI after the first month of the season. Once May hit, Scott never looked back. Always known as a hitter who is either red hot or ice cold, Luke seemed to get away from the extremes this year, and became a more consistent hitter for the Birds. His 27 HR were a career high, and his 72 RBI were only five less than the career high he set of 77 in 2009. Scott's .284 average has to be the most encouraging part for Orioles fans though as it shows he was able to avoid the prolonged slumps he was known for. Scott continued to struggle against left handed pitchers with his .240 Avg, but raked it in against the righties as he hit .297 with 20 of his 27 homeruns. Scott also loved the home cooking as he hit .338 in Camden Yards with 19 HR compared to .228 with 8 HR on the road. Even with his strong 2010 season, Luke Scott is not the anwer to the Orioles power problems. He would be a nice complimentary player to have in the lineup for 2011 if the O's are able to add a power bat.
Craig Tatum- .281 Avg., 0 HR, 9 RBI
Tatum was a surprise coming out of Spring Training. Chad Moeller was expected to make the club as the team's backup catcher, but Dave Trembley and the Orioles management decided to go with Tatum. Tatum was expected to be a "catch and throw" guy as the backup catcher to Matt Wieters. Tatum struggled throwing out runners this season as he only caught 2 runners while allowing 25 stolen bases. In his limited at-bats (114) Tatum showed some ability at the plate. He had a very solid OBP of .349, and filled in nicely for Matt Wieters when he had to go on the disabled list. I would expect Tatum to be back next season as the Orioles back up catcher.
Miguel Tejada- .269 Avg., 7 HR, 39 RBI (with Orioles)
Andy McPhail signed the former short stop during the offseason to be the everyday 3B for the Orioles. While his power numbers were down, Tejada was still hitting for a high average and driving in runs prior to his return to the Birds. He was expected to be a run producer in the middle of the Orioles lineup. Things didn't go according to plan though. Tejada struggled to hit with runners in scoring position, and was becoming more of a singles hitter. McPhail traded Tejada to the San Diego Padres at the end of July, bringing his second stint with the Orioles to a close only a few months into it.
Matt Wieters- .249 Avg., 11 HR, 55 RBI
Ever since he was drafted with the 5th overall pick in the 2007 draft, Matt Wieters was looked at as one of the saviors for the Orioles franchise. After being called up in May of 2009, Wieters had a strong rookie campaign as he hit .288 with 9 HR and 43 RBI. Things were looking good for the Orioles young catcher, and 2010 was supposed to be a breakout year for Matt. Wieters hit .280 in April, and it looked as if he was going to continue to be a force at the plate. Wieters struggled in May and June as he hit .221 and .211 in those months respectively before posting a .289 batting average in July. While the 2010 season was not what Oriole fans were expecting from Wieters, they must remember that he is still very young. It takes time for most major leaguers to develop their abilities at the plate, and Wieters is no different. He has shown the ability to hit at every level he's played at, including the Major Leagues. As the league adjusted to Wieters, he must now adjust to the league. Look at the 2010 season as growing pains for Wieters. He will hit, and he will be the player every O's fan was expecting, it just takes time.
Ty Wigginton- .248 Avg., 22 HR, 76 RBI
Wigginton was expected to be a player who came off the bench to pinch hit or be a defensive replacement, as well as receive the occasional start. With the injury to Brian Roberts, and Garrett Atkins lack of production at the plate, Wigginton was thrusted into the starters role early into the season, and he never gave it up. After the first two months of the season, Wigginton was hitting .288 with 13 HR and 32 RBI. He was the only bright spot in the disasterous Orioles lineup. This hot start led to Wigginton being named to his first All Star team as the Orioles lone representative. While he did get off to a hot start, Wigginton was not able to keep it up as he hit .231 after May. Ty played all over the infield for the Orioles as he made starts at 1B, 2B, and 3B throughout the course of the season. Wigginton will be a free agent this offseason and I wouldn't be surprised if he signs elsewhere.
Look for the review on the pitchers tomorrow.
Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog
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