The 2001 Orioles Yearbook
And What a Year it was !!!
The Orioles began 2001 with reduced expectations for the first time in many years. The front office had finally admitted what knowledgeable fans had known for a couple of seasons. The Orioles, as constructed, were unable to muster a winning effort, no matter what the free agent expenditure.
So, the so-called kiddie corps movement was in full swing. The promise of the July acquisitions of the previous year (Richard, Fordyce, Matos, Lunar, Julio, Kinkade), along with the emergence of players from within (Kohlmeier, Parrish, Hairston) and the promise of other as yet untested players (Brea, Towers, Hale, Gibbons, Willis Roberts) was festering some optimism on the part of O's fans.
The Orioles acquired veteran pitcher Pat Hentgen to solidify what promised to be a very young rotation, since Scott Erickson was to miss the entire season with an injury, and Mike Mussina had departed in free agency. Mike Bordick was a positive veteran re-acquisition from the Free Agent market to plug a hole in the infield. A young Rule 5 draftee, Jay Gibbons, was expected to possibly inject some pop into a rather moribund lineup. Cal Ripken was returning for what many expected to be his last season, though major concerns about his back remained. Brady Anderson appeared to be healthy, and although his power and outfield defense had both seemed to be permanently diminished, he still appeared to be a capable leadoff man.
The biggest concern was with Albert Belle. Belle's second half falloff and eventual shutdown in 2000 was a major concern for the club. It had led the team to offer a contract to David Segui, a capable but oft-injured former Oriole who had, in recent years, become a "bat for hire".
The first problems in the spring were with the pitching staff, and Belle. Among the pitchers, John Parrish, who has shown brief moments of promise in his late 2000 starts, was unable to get the ball anywhere near the plate. Ryan Kohlmeier was ineffective, as was newly minted starter Chuck McElroy. Meanwhile, it took very little time to see that despite Belle's off-season regimen, his degenerative hip problem was going to disable him. He only batted a handful of times before he was placed on the inactive list. He would continue to hold a roster spot, because if he retired, the Orioles' insurance policy on his services would be invalid.
As the season opened, however, the Baby Birds and the Old Birds played with gusto and verve, and managed to keep their heads above water the early part of the season. Despite being no-hit by Boston's Hideo Nomo in only the second game of the season at Camden Yards, the Birds were competitive, though it was 13 games into the season before a starter won a game (Jason Johnson was the first). Pat Hentgen in particular was pitching in a manner that reminded fans of the 1992 efforts of Rick Sutcliffe, like Hentgen a former Cy young Award winner, who had led the 1992 Baby Birds of Mussina and McDonald to a winning record.
It was not to last, however. Hentgen went down with an arm injury after only a month, and the offense, which had already been a weak point, began to drag down the team. Cal Ripken was obviously struggling at the plate, as was Brady Anderson and Delino DeShields. Only Jeff Conine, David Segui, and Melvin Mora were hitting with any authority. Gibbons understandably struggled when he played, but he did show a smooth swing and considerable power. The pitching staff had its own problems. Chuck McElroy and Jose Mercedes had both come crashing to earth after high-flying expectations. Ryan Kohlmeier had his numbers catch up to him, and was soon not only not the closer, but sent to Rochester. Willis Roberts, however, showed promise stepping into the spot vacated by McElroy, and Jason Johnson was throwing the best ball of his career.
Once David Segui went down with one of his several injuries, however, and Mike Bordick injured his shoulder 60 games in, the team totally collapsed. Not even the unexpected offensive heroics of Jeff Conine could save the club from its free fall. On July 4, the Yankees came to town, with the Orioles sporting a 39-42 record. The Orioles were swept by the Yankees, two of the three games overwhelmingly defeated, and the gas just seemed to run out of the Birds. From 39-42, the Orioles went 9-26 from that point until the end of the first week of August.
So, once again the Orioles attempted to move some players. Chuck McElroy had already been released, as had Delino DeShields and Greg Myers. Mike Trombley was moved to the Dodgers in return for a fireballing pitcher with control and injury problems, Kris Foster, and a backup minor league catcher, Geronimo Gil. Tony Batista, a one-time All-Star third baseman, was picked up off waivers from the Blue Jays in a salary dump.
The rest of the way, it became about the kids, and the Cal Ripken retirement tour. Ripken had finally announced his pending retirement in June, when it appeared that he was playing day-to-day, and was ranking among the worst offensive players in the AL. Upon the announcement, he began playing better, and fans around the country were afforded the opportunity to fete the Iron Man as he played in cities for the last time.
Meanwhile, Josh Towers, Jerry Hairston, Willis Roberts, Fernando Lunar, Brian Roberts, Jay Gibbons, Melvin Mora, Brook Fordyce, Mike Kinkade, Tim Raines Jr., Chris Richard, Larry Bigbie, Luis Matos, Casey Blake, Willie Harris, John Wasdin, Chad Paranto, Leslie Brea, Kris Foster, John Bale, Jorge Julio, Rick Bauer, Willis Roberts, and Sean Douglass all took shots at showing the Orioles they belonged, and could contribute. Some succeeded, some failed, some are still works in progress. Their stories are in the summaries contained herein.
The end of a turbulent season finally came. Twice interrupted in Baltimore, first by the train tunnel fire, then by the terrorism of September 11, the season ended on a bittersweet note as Cal Ripken walked off the field for the last time in front of the hometown faithful, ending his career kneeling in the on-deck circle as Brady Anderson struck out on a high fastball to end another Orioles loss.
Later in the off season, Anderson was released, and signed by the Indians. With the free agency of Alan Mills, the Orioles have no connection to their winning teams of the middle nineties except for Mike Bordick and Scott Erickson, and the Oriole with the longest continual uninterrupted service is Sidney Ponson.
It's a really new day in Baltimore baseball. Here's the final act in a long-running play.