Matt Wieters accepts offer, hurts Orioles' chances of keeping others - ESPN
Catcher Matt Wieters has accepted the Baltimore Orioles' qualifying offer. That means that Wieters automatically gets a one-year, $15.8 million contract from the team. It also means the Orioles will have less cash to spend on retaining Chris Davis and Darren O'Day.
16 of 20 MLB qualifying offers declined by free agents - SBNation.com
For the first time in the four-year history of the new free agent compensation system, an MLB player accepted the qualifying offer; in fact, three did. But the bulk of free agents did not, with 16 of 20 declining the one-year, $15.8 million contracts from their old teams to instead hit the open market in hopes of more lucrative deals.
Wieters says comfort level in Baltimore big factor | CSN Mid-Atlantic
"It was difficult but anytime you are choosing to play with a bunch of great guys in a great baseball town where your family is happy, it makes it an easier decision," Matt Wieters wrote in a text message. "And you realize how blessed you are to have an opportunity to stay with the only team you’ve known."
Wieters' return pleases Duquette, Davis talks go on | CSN Mid-Atlantic
"There was a lot of speculation that Matt would receive a multi-year deal from another club and that would lead him to decline the offer from the O's, but if you look at some of the things that Matt said, he believes that Baltimore is the right place for him at this stage of his career," Dan Duquette said on a Friday conference call.
School of Roch: Dan Duquette on keeping Matt Wieters and how it impacts other moves
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette stated today that there's still enough payroll flexibility to retain first baseman Chris Davis despite committing $15.8 million to catcher Matt Wieters, who accepted the qualifying offer. "I don't think it impacts our desire or our ability to re-sign Chris Davis," said Duquette, who's in New York to watch third baseman Manny Machado receive his Gold Glove.
School of Roch: Caleb Joseph on Matt Wieters taking qualifying offer
"I talked to Matt a few days ago and he kind of updated me on the situation. I told him, 'Buddy, if you accept it, I promise you I'll be the most excited person in that clubhouse.' There's no doubt about it. Matt makes the Baltimore Orioles better and he makes me better and I'm excited to be his teammate again."
Orioles not picked for exhibition in Cuba - Baltimore Sun
From the "Where did this come from?" file: Since there was so much interest from teams wishing to participate in an exhibition game in Cuba this spring, Major League Baseball apparently decided to have a lottery to decide which team would get the opportunity. And it won’t be the Orioles.
Osseo Orioles comeback pays off for Class AAAAAA title | Examiner.com
It is the editorial policy of this blog to celebrate the successes of any teams named Orioles, and today, that's the Osseo Orioles, who won 14-13 in the Class AAAAAA high school football championship game in Minnesota. Would it be easier to just say 6A, Minnesota?
Happy Birthday to former Oriole Curt Schilling. Man, I hate having to list him here. What a dumb trade, and I hate having him associated with the Orioles without any of the post-season success to go with it. Others with birthdays include Robert Fulton 1765 - Engineer and inventor (steamboat); Claude Monet 1840 - French impressionist painter ; Jawaharlal Nehru 1889 - Indian politician Aaron Copland 1900 - Composer, writer Joseph McCarthy 1909 - Politician (U.S. Senator from Wisconsin); McLean Stevenson 1929 - Actor; P.J. O'Rourke 1947 - Political satirist, journalist, writer; Buckwheat Zydeco 1947 - Musician ; James Young 1948 - Singer, guitar player (Styx); Prince Charles (Charles Philip Arthur George) 1948 - Prince of Wales, oldest child of England's Queen Elizabeth II; Yanni 1954 - Musician; Condoleezza Rice 1954 - U.S. Secretary of State D.B. Sweeney 1961 - Actor ; Reverend Run (Joseph Ward Simmons) 1964 - Rapper (Run of Run D.M.C.); Patrick Warburton 1964 - Actor ("Seinfeld," "Family Guy"); and Vanessa Bayer 1981 - Actress, comedian ("Saturday Night Live").
On this date in Baltimore baseball history...
In 1973, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer is named the 1973 American League Cy Young Award winner. Palmer collected 22 victories and led the circuit with a 2.40 ERA.
In 2005, The Baltimore Orioles officially announce that they will not be bringing back outfielder Sammy Sosa or first baseman Rafael Palmeiro, though both have indicated that they would like to return to baseball. "At this point, we are heading in a different direction," club executive VP Mike Flanagan says.
1680 - Gottfried Kirch discovers the Great Comet of 1680 (Kirch's Comet/Newton's Comet)
1896 - Power plant at Niagara Falls begins operation
1904 - King C Gillette patents Gillette razor blade
1922 - BBC begins domestic radio service from 2LO at Marconi House
2012 - CFBDSIR 2149-0403 is discovered, the closest rogue planet to earth (100 light-years away)
Consider this your discussion space for Oklahoma State vs Iowa in outdoor NCAA wrestling action. More than 35,000 fans are expected to attend at Iowa's Kinnick Stadium. It's kind of a big deal.