World Champions 1983, 1970, 1966

American League Champions 1983, 1979, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1966 American League East Division Champions 2014, 1997, 1983, 1979, 1974, 1973, 1971, 1970, 1969

American League Wild Card 2012, 1996

Monday, October 5, 2015

Game Stories:

Chris Davis homers twice, Orioles win to finish 81-81 in what might be end of era The

Sun 10/4

Davis belts 2 HRs as O's top Yanks in finale MLB.com 10/4

Matt Wieters on catching today and his future (O's win 9-4) MASNsports.com 10/4

Davis hits Nos. 46 and 47; Parra, Wieters drive in two in win over New York

MASNsports.com 10/4

Yankees lose to Orioles 9-4 but open playoffs at home AP 10/4

Davis caps Orioles career with two homers CSN Mid-Atlantic 10/4

Columns:

As season comes to a close, Dan Duquette still sees re-signing Chris Davis as top priority

The Sun 10/5

Is there hope behind the Orioles' uncertainty? The Sun 10/4

'I wanted to catch today,' Matt Wieters says The Sun 10/4

Buck Showalter's mother dies at age 87 The Sun 10/4

Manny Machado only player in MLB to play every game this season The Sun 10/4

Orioles draw 2.3 million fans in strange year The Sun 10/4

Davis puts 'exclamation point' on season MLB.com 10/4

Machado open to extension talks with O's MLB.com 10/4

Wieters makes sure to catch for O's in finale MLB.com 10/4

The good, bad and ugly from the 2015 season MASNsports.com 10/5

A day of loss for Buck Showalter as Orioles win finale MASNsports.com 10/4

Manny Machado: "This is the organization I want to be with" MASNsports.com 10/4

Orioles lineup vs. Yankees MASNsports.com 10/4

Dan Duquette on chance to re-sign Chris Davis, offseason priorities and more

MASNsports.com 10/5

Chris Davis: "It was a pretty special day" (plus Matt Wieters, Chris Tillman quotes)

MASNsports.com 10/4

O's game blog: Machado's take on Davis, today's pitchers and more MASNsports.com

10/4

Orioles off-season of uncertainty begins now CSN Mid-Atlantic 10/5

Orioles attendance falls slightly in 2015 after April unrest CSN Mid-Atlantic 10/4

Jones, Schoop missing from final Orioles lineup CSN Mid-Atlantic 10/4

Machado says Orioles need to re-sign Davis, others CSN Mid-Atlantic 10/4

Pending free agents help Orioles sweep Yankees, finish season at .500

PressBoxOnline.com 10/5

Season finale could be Matt Wieters' last game as a Baltimore Oriole

PressBoxOnline.com 10/4

Orioles say re-signing Chris Davis is “a top priority” NBCsports.com 10/5

Orioles' TV ratings on MASN among highest in MLB Baltimore Business Journal 10/5

Chris Davis homers twice to lead majors with 47; free agency next CBSsports.com 10/4

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-yankees-1005-20151004-story.html

Chris Davis homers twice, Orioles win to finish 81-81 in

what might be end of era

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

October 4, 2015

For the past month, Chris Davis has had constant reminders that his Orioles career might be

coming to an end, from hearing fans plead with the pending free agent to remain in Baltimore

while he's been in the on-deck circle to Sunday morning, when he drove to Camden Yards for

the Orioles' final game of the regular season.

"Today when I was driving in, I said, 'Man, this might be the last time I'm making this drive,'"

Davis said. "Just times throughout the day, I wasn't trying to dwell on it. When I was walking

down the tunnel, it hit me hard. I actually asked Matt [Wieters] before the game started, I said, 'Is

it starting to get to you a little bit?' When I was walking down the tunnel, I thought it might be

the last time I do this. Hopefully, it's not."

As the Orioles' disappointing 2015 season came to a merciful end Sunday with a 9-4 victory over

the New York Yankees, it felt like the end of an era.

Before Sunday's game, Davis signed leftover bats in silver Sharpie and left them in some of his

teammates' lockers. There were far too many handshakes, goodbyes and hugs to simply mean,

"See you next spring training."

If it was goodbye, Davis — one of the Orioles' six pending free-agents — gave the home crowd

a fitting farewell, hitting a pair of two-run home runs in the season finale, including one in eighth

inning that might have been his final at-bat as an Oriole.

As that familiar crack off Davis' bat was followed by another ball flying onto the right-field flag

court of Camden Yards, he ended the season with the second major league home run crown of

his career (he also led the majors with 53 in 2013). Davis' 47 homers were the fourth-highest

single-season total in Orioles history.

"That's a little too apropos, the last one," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "As it left the

ballpark, I just went, 'Really?' To put an exclamation point on the quality of contributions he's

had, it's been fun to have a great seat to watch him. He's been very good for our city. He's really

established himself here in Baltimore. I felt very honored to be part of that. It's never goodbye,

it's see you later. That's the way I always approach the end of the year."

Despite falling far short of their World Series aspirations following last year's trip to the

American League Championship Series, the Orioles (81-81) won their fifth straight game and

finished the season at .500.

"They just don't give in," Showalter said. "I was kidding them that they're my cup of coffee every

day because regardless of how you come in or out, they come in the next day ready to play.

Everybody feeds off that — coaches, teammates. … Their competitive fire never wavered. We

looked at everything that happened, the self-inflicted challenges, and that's why, because they're

such an accountable bunch."

Now, the Orioles enter their most uncertain offseason in years. Six key players — headlined by

Davis, catcher Matt Wieters, left-hander Wei-Yin Chen and reliever Darren O'Day — will

become free agents, and the club isn't likely to bring many back.

"You're trying not to dwell on it [during the game] because you have a job to do," Showalter

said. "But anybody who says, 'No, I just pass it off,' nobody's that cold. You spend as much time

together as we do and go through, I don't want to say battles and fights. … But it's more than just

somebody picking your friends for you. It's become quite a family, something that I really

wanted to do when I came here — make everybody feel like they had a stake in this."

Together, much of this group resurrected the Orioles from 14 years of losing. And while each

passing year in this game means change, this Orioles club will potentially be more affected than

most.

"We had a great group of guys and it was fun to be a part of," Wieters said. "And it was fun and

unique seeing us all kind of come up together and seeing us playing together. Where we went

from where we were is special and I think any time you can build on something, what we had

here before, and to make us competitive in the division is special."

Davis, who will be one of the most coveted hitters on the market, said he'd like to stay, but given

the Orioles' frugal approach to free agency, even the fans at Camden Yards seemed to think this

was goodbye.

After Davis rounded the bases for his second homer, he was welcomed to the dugout by a

standing ovation from the announced crowd of 33,224, which also gave Davis a rousing ovation

when he took his defensive position as first base in the top of the ninth.

As Davis did a post-game TV interview, fans chanted loudly, "We want Chris," and Davis tipped

his cap to the crowd before disappearing down the dugout steps.

"I understand that the season is over and things are going to change," Davis said. "Some things

are going to change. But at the same time, I don't want to turn the page just yet. I'm going to go

home, reflect, think about everything's that's happened. I'm hopeful that I'll know something

pretty soon."

In what might have been his final game in orange and black, Wieters — a home-grown Oriole

who had been with the big league club the past seven seasons —drove in two runs with a two-out

single in the first off Yankees starter Michael Pineda.

"It's a good way to finish," Wieters said. "It was emotional before the game, and then the game

came and I was able to focus on the task at hand and then when it's over, it's over and you soak it

in for a little bit ... and be ready for an offseason. … There will be a lot of things that come this

offseason that I have no idea what to expect."

O'Day, who has been a late-inning rock in the club's bullpen the past four years, pitched a perfect

eighth.

Right-hander Chris Tillman (11-11) held the Yankees (87-75) to two runs on seven hits over

51/3 innings, striking out five and walking four.

The Orioles' first five runs were scored with two outs, including J.J. Hardy's RBI single in the

fourth, which was followed by Gerardo Parra's two-run single.

After Zach Britton closed the game with a perfect ninth inning, Showalter stood just beyond the

front of the dugout and greeted each of his players with a handshake and a hug.

"You just try to play better baseball and remind everybody how great this place is and can be,"

Showalter said. "Every time there's the first hint of fall in the air, I want people thinking about

playoff baseball and the World Series. That's why we get up in the morning, that's why you go to

spring training, that's why you do the things we're going to do between now and February.

"We're not giving in. It's not good enough, though. It's not good enough. 81-81 isn't good

enough. We're trying to win. We want to be the last time standing, the last city standing, and our

city deserves that."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/153206650/yankees-lose-to-orioles-in-final-game

Davis belts 2 HRs as O's top Yanks in finale

By Barry M. Bloom and Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

October 4, 2015

BALTIMORE -- The Yankees secured home-field advantage against the Astros in the American

League Wild Card Game presented by Budweiser, which will be played Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET

(ESPN) at Yankee Stadium.

They did so despite losing, 9-4, to the Orioles on Sunday at Camden Yards because the Astros

also dropped a 5-3 decision to the D-backs in Phoenix.

"I've played on teams that have struggled going into the playoffs," Yankees manager Joe Girardi

said after his team limped in by losing six of its last seven, including three games here to the

Orioles this weekend. "I've played on teams that have played extremely well and you don't get it

done. Tuesday's a new day and we're where we want to be. We're in the playoffs and I think the

guys feel good about that."

Slugger Chris Davis, one of six pending O's free agents, homered twice in what may have been

his final game as an Oriole, the second one during the eighth inning in his last at-bat. He finished

with a Major League-leading 47 home runs.

"I was pretty fired up after I hit the first one. The second one, I felt like I was in shock running

around the bases," said Davis, who brought the crowd to its feet multiple times and spurred "Re-

sign Davis" chants.

"I can't express how much I appreciate the support of our fans. Really the last month, I've heard

people when I go into the on-deck circle, go up to the plate, today was pretty awesome after the

postgame interview hearing everyone cheer. And hearing the fans cheer down the first-base line

today, meant a lot to me."

The Yankees have right-hander Masahiro Tanaka slated to start on Tuesday night against

Houston ace Dallas Keuchel, who will be pitching on three days' rest. The winner of Tuesday's

game will travel to Kansas City to open an AL Division Series against the defending AL

champion Royals on Thursday.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Offensive woes continue: Brian McCann popped out to end a bases-loaded situation during the

Yankees' loss in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader. In the first inning on Sunday, with two outs

and runners on first and third, McCann popped out again, this time to short right, to end the

inning. Jacoby Ellsbury grounded weakly down to first with runners on the corners to end the

fourth.

Davis, Wieters shine in Camden Yards finale: The pair of big names -- both entering free agency

for the first time -- made sure that if Sunday is their last game with the Orioles, it was

memorable. Davis homered twice, ending with a Major League-best 47, and he received an

ovation as he stepped in for his final at-bat in the eighth. Matt Wieters went 2-for-5 with a

double and two RBIs. Reliever Darren O'Day, another pending free agent, also tossed a scoreless

eighth inning.

"That's a little too apropos, the last one. As it left the ballpark, I just went, 'Really?'" Orioles

manager Buck Showalter said of Davis. "To put an exclamation point on the quality of

contributions he's had. It's been fun to have a great seat to watch him. He's been very good for

our city. He's really established himself here in Baltimore. I felt very honored to be part of that.

It's never goodbye, it's see you later. That's the way I always approach the end of the year."

No pitching: The Yankees lost six of their last seven games, and none of the starters lasted longer

than seven innings in that span. On Sunday, Michael Pineda couldn't make it through the fourth,

allowing four runs on six hits.

O's end with a bang: Despite being eliminated from the postseason during their previous series,

the Orioles completed the three-game sweep over the Yankees and did their best to play the part

of spoiler.

"We're not giving in. It's not good enough, though. It's not good enough," Showalter said of the

season. "[Finishing the season] 81-81 isn't good enough. We're trying to win. We want to be the

last team standing, the last city standing, and our city deserves that."

QUOTABLE

"Every offseason, for the most part, if you're not a free agent, you think you'll be back ... but this

is the first offseason where it could be anyone. I loved every second I've spent here and I loved

everybody in this clubhouse, and I loved all the fans. If it ends today, it was a great time." –

Wieters

AN EMOTIONAL DAY

Showalter's mother, Lina Carrie Spires Showalter, passed away late Saturday night. She was 87.

WHAT'S NEXT

Yankees: Tanaka will look to pitch the Yankees into the ALDS when he takes on the Astros on

Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. The righty has faced Houston once in his career, allowing six runs

on seven hits over five innings during a no-decision on June 27 at Minute Maid Park.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/10/matt-wieters-on-catching-today-and-his-

future.html

Matt Wieters on catching today and his future (O's win 9-4)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

October 4, 2015

Matt Wieters felt it was important today to catch the final game of the 2015 season. Catch what

could be the final game of his Orioles career.

No matter the circumstances, no matter his physical condition, he wanted to be behind the plate.

He had to be behind the plate.

Wieters comes across today as both motivated and melancholy.

"Yeah, I wanted to catch today," Wieters said while surrounded by reporters at his locker. "No

matter what happened the last few weeks, I was going to do whatever I had to to catch today and

play, hopefully not, but maybe the last game on the home side."

That's life as a pending free agent, one of six on the team, a guy who was drafted and developed

in the organization.

Would Wieters consider his ties to Baltimore while deciding on his future?

"I won't know until I go through the process," he said. "I'll do a lot of prayer and hopefully God

will lead me to where he wants me to be and then I know that will be the right one.

"On top of that, there is nothing but fond memories that I have from my time here in Baltimore. I

love this city and I love this team and I love this clubhouse more than anything."

It's been a difficult last few weeks for Wieters, his club falling out of playoff contention as he

contemplated life in a different uniform.

"Everywhere I've turned, I've had a great memory or a great feeling about what I've gone

through," he said. "After the game today it's going to be sad, it's going to be emotional, but at the

same time I want to remember all the good times that I did have here."

Wieters was told that he sounded like a guy who didn't expect to be back.

"I speak like a guy who doesn't know what's going to happen this offseason, and it's the first time

that I will have gone through that," he replied. "It's new for that. All you can do is really embrace

it and take it for what it is."

Wieters figured to be lined up for a huge multi-year deal, but his elbow surgery and a schedule

that mostly kept him from catching on back-to-back days has made it more challenging to gauge

this market value.

"I think that's probably a test every free agent goes through," he said. "They run you through a

battery of tests. But I'm confident once I get home and get back to a normal offseason that I'm

going to feel great for next year. I'm actually looking forward to a normal offseason and not

having to do rehab after rehab for the whole offseason."

Manager Buck Showalter predicts that Wieters will take on a much heavier workload next

season, no matter where he's playing.

"If you go back through the history of these injuries, Matt has done as well if not better than you

could've expected," Showalter said. "I have a lot of confidence he's going to be back catching

120, 130 games next year if he wants to.

"I think he's been very, he's pushed it to the point where he didn't put it in jeopardy or put us in

jeopardy from a competition standpoint. I would have signed up for what we got out of Matt his

year when we were originally going to do the surgery. He's such a contributor in the locker room

and the dugout. To understand the full text of what he brings, it takes a lot more than analytics.

He doesn't take a back seat to many there. He's always wanting to improve. He doesn't have it all

figured out. He's very receptive to new things. Has got a pure heart about it."

As for writing Wieters' name into the lineup today, Showalter knew in advance that it was going

to happen.

"We had it mapped out when we got off the road trip to see if he was thinking the same thing I

was," Showalter said. "I think it's important for Matt to be back there regardless because he

knows he's a contributor and a guy we count on and will again today."

Wieters isn't upset that the Orioles failed to sign any of their pending free agents before the

season ended. They traveled a different road in the past with center fielder Adam Jones and

shortstop J.J. Hardy.

"I try not to read anything into it," Wieters said. "I like the baseball aspect of it, just being able to

go out and play baseball. That's what we hire agents for and what we have front offices for, so

they can deal with the numbers and finding what they feel is the right fit for people. But as far as

trying to say what should have been done and what shouldn't be done, I wouldn't do that. I enjoy

going out on the field every day and playing with these guys. That's all I can ask for."

Losing Wieters would just broaden the Orioles' offseason plans unless they intend to fill his

absence with in-house players. Either way, there's work to be done after the club failed to post a

winning record and return to the playoffs.

"You know, every year is different and I don't think you can put your finger on one thing,"

Wieters said. "As a team, we competed and grinded every day, but in the end we didn't pitch well

enough and we didn't hit well enough. Defense was probably the one thing that for the most part

was steady all year, but to be able to get where you want to be in this division you're going to

have to pitch better and you're going to have to hit better.

"There were times where we just couldn't get the timely hit and times where it seemed like

everything kind of fell against us, but each year is going to be different. I will say that everybody

in this clubhouse grinded it out for the whole year and we'll do the same thing today."

Significant improvements in the rotation and lineup won't come cheaply. It's a matter of how

much the Orioles are willing to spend - and not just on their own players.

"We'll see what happens," Wieters said. "I know all of us that are getting to test the open market

this year love Baltimore and love the fans and would love to hopefully be back, but it's

somethere where it's the first time in our careers that we have the choice to see where we think is

the best fit for us. It will be a new experience for me and something that I'm just kind of going to

take in and see how it goes.

"When you have some of the young players and some of the veterans we have in here, it sets up

for success. When you have young players like Manny (Machado) and (Jonathan) Schoop and

you've got a back end of the bullpen with (Zach) Britton and you have (Chris) Tillman leading

the staff, you have pieces in place that you can build on.

"Just being here for the last seven years, it's a great clubhouse and it's a great group of guys who

want to win for each other. In this game where there's so much money and things involved, it's

something special when you know that the guy next to you is going to give everything for you."

Note: A second X-ray on Schoop's right hand also came back clean. Showalter said Schoop and

Jones are available today in some capacity.

Update: It's a pending free agent frenzy. Gerardo Parra singled with one out in the first inning -

his eighth hit in the last four games - Chris Davis doubled and Wieters delivered a two-run single

for a 2-0 lead.

Update II: The Yankees scored a run in the top of the second on Greg Bird's leadoff double and

two ground outs, with Dustin Ackley getting the RBI.

Update III: J.J. Hardy singled to score Wieters, who led off the fourth with a double, and give

the Orioles a 3-1 lead. Wieters is 12-for-24 in his last eight games.

Parra had a two-run single with two outs after Ryan Flaherty doubled on a ball that kicked off the

front of the mound and rolled past Ackley and Nolan Reimold was walked intentionally.

Parra is 9-for-16 with five RBIs in his last four games.

Update IV: Davis hit a two-run homer to left field in the fifth inning to increase the lead to 7-1.

That's his 46th home run this season.

Update V: Tillman was removed with one out in the sixth after Didi Gregorius' RBI triple. T.J.

McFarland got the last two outs. He's pitching for the third time in four days.

Update VI: The Yankees scored twice in the seventh, both runs charged to McFarland after he

allowed three straight singles and Brad Brach replaced him. Orioles 7, Yankees 4

Update VII: The Orioles defeat the Yankees 9-4 to clinch third place and their second .500

season in club history, the other coming in 1957. They end the season with five straight victories.

Davis homered again in the eighth, a two-run shot that raised his season total to 47 - the fourth-

highest in club history.

Zach Britton recorded his 37th save.

Chris Tillman goes 11-11 with a 4.99 ERA.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/10/chris-davis-hits-nos-46-and-47-parra-and-

wieters-drive-in-two-in-win-over-new-york.html

Davis hits Nos. 46 and 47; Parra, Wieters drive in two in win

over New York

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

October 4, 2015

Was is just coincidence or were some of the Orioles trying to remind the organization of what

they will be missing if they leave?

In a 9-4 win over the Yankees, pending free agents Chris Davis, Matt Wieters and Gerardo

Parra combined to drive in eight of the runs. Davis homered twice and drove in four.

The win lifts the Orioles' final record to the .500 mark at 81-81, and they post a fourth

consecutive non-losing season. They also won the season series 10-9 over the Yankees. They

have won the season series two straight years for the first time since 1980-82.

Since the start of the 2012 season, the Orioles lead the American League in wins and rank fifth in

the majors with 355. The Orioles ended the season on a five-game winning streak, outscoring

their opponents 34-14 in that time. They went 47-31 in home games.

Wieters started the scoring with a two-run single in the first to score Parra and Davis. When the

Orioles took a 5-1 lead in the fourth, J.J. Hardy had an RBI single and Parra added a two-run

single. Davis smoked a two-run homer to left-center in the fifth to make it a 7-1 game.

That blast tied Davis for fourth on the O's single-season homer list. He is the only Oriole ever

with two 40-homer seasons. Davis hit another two-run shot in the eighth to complete the scoring.

That moved him into sole possession of fourth place. He ends the year with 47 homers and 117

RBIs.

Most homers by an Oriole:

53 - Chris Davis, 2013

50 - Brady Anderson, 1996

49 - Frank Robinson, 1966

47 - Chris Davis, 2015

46 - Jim Gentile, 1961

Wieters ends the year and perhaps his O's career with an eight-game hitting streak. During that

stretch, he is 12-for-26 (.462) with two homers and six RBIs. In this series, Parra went 8-for-13

(.615) with two doubles and five RBIs.

Chris Tillman picked up the win, going 5 1/3 innings while allowing seven hits and two runs.

Tillman ends the year at 11-11 with an ERA of 4.99. The Orioles did not have a single complete

game in 2015.

Today's attendance was 33,224 and the total for the season was 2,320,588.

Now, an important offseason for the Orioles front office begins. A team that may have a quite

different look will gather for spring training next February in Sarasota, Fla.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/10/04/ap-bba-yankees-orioles-1st-ld-writethru

Yankees lose to Orioles 9-4 but open playoffs at home

Associated Press / SI.com

October 4, 2015

BALTIMORE (AP) The New York Yankees stumbled into home-field advantage in the AL

wild-card game, falling to the Baltimore Orioles 9-4 Sunday after a loss by Houston made the

outcome meaningless.

New York will enter Tuesday's winner-take-all game against the Astros with little positive

momentum after being swept in three games by Baltimore and losing six of their final seven

regular-season games. the Yankees fell behind 7-1 in the fifth inning and stranded 11 runners.

New York was 4 for 31 with runners in scoring position in closing series, including 1 for 12

Sunday.

After clinching a playoff berth on Thursday, New York needed just one win at Camden Yards to

assure itself a game at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. That victory never came, but that's partly

because manager Joe Girardi tried to balance the importance of winning against resting his

starters and relievers.

''It's tricky,'' Girardi said before the game. ''I need to think about certain people.''

Fortunately for the Yankees, Arizona's 5-3 victory over Houston ended the Astros' bid to host on

Tuesday. Had New York (87-75) and the Astros (86-76) finished tied, Houston would have won

the tiebreaker for home field based on head-to-head record.

Yankees starter Michael Pineda (12-10) lasted only 3 2-3 innings, allowing four runs and six

hits. The right-hander has yielded a total of 11 runs in his last two outings.

Eight relievers followed, none of whom pitched more than an inning.

Major league home run leader Chris Davis connected twice for Baltimore, giving him 47 for the

season. He also struck out for the 208th time, fifth-most in one season in big league history.

Playing perhaps his final game with the Orioles, Davis hit a two-run shot off Bryan Mitchell in

the fifth and a two-run drive against Caleb Cotham in the eighth. The slugger will enter free

agency coming off a season in which he drove in 117 runs.

Chris Tillman (11-11) gave up two runs and seven hits over 5 1-3 innings to level his lifetime

record against New York at 6-6.

The sweep gave Baltimore a 10-9 record against New York this year. After going 13-6 last year,

the Orioles have won successive season series against the Yankees for the first time since 1981-

82.

Baltimore finished 81-81 after winning the AL East last year with a 96-66 record. Although they

missed the playoffs, the Orioles were in contention for a wild-card berth until the final week and

closed with a five-game winning streak to avoid what would have been their first losing season

since 2011.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado failed to homer in a fifth consecutive game but

completed the season as the only player in the majors to participate in all 162 games.

Baltimore went up 2-0 in the first inning when pending free agent Matt Wieters hit a two-run,

two-out single.

Doubles by Greg Bird and Didi Gregorius got New York a run in the second before the Orioles

chased Pineda with a three-run fourth.

After Wieters doubled and scored on a two-out single by J.J. Hardy, Ryan Flaherty greeted Chris

Capuano with a line drive that bounced off the mound and went into left field for a double. Two

batters later, Gerardo Parra delivered a two-run single.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: CF Adam Jones (back) and 2B Jonathan Schoop (hand) watched from the dugout,

although manager Buck Showalter said, ''Both are capable of doing something for us today.''

ON DECK

Yankees: New York will send right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (12-7, 3.51 ERA) to the mound on

Tuesday.

Orioles: Baltimore heads into an important offseason uncertain if this was the final game as

Orioles for pending free agents Wieters, Davis, Darren O'Day and Wei-Yin Chen.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/davis-caps-orioles-career-two-homers

Davis caps Orioles career with two homers

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

October 4, 2015

BALTIMORE --- If this was the end for Chris Davis’ Orioles career, it was a fitting end.

Davis hit two home runs, giving him 47 this season, and listened to fans chant for him after the

game.

The day ended well for the Orioles. It was their fifth straight win, and they end the season at .500

with a 9-4 victory over the New York Yankees before 33,224 at Oriole Park on Sunday.

“I was pretty fired up after I hit the first one. The second one, I felt like i was in shock running

around the bases. The last few games have been pretty special, finishing up strong was big to a

lot of guys in here,” Davis said.

Davis began perhaps his final day with the Orioles by accepting his second Most Valuable Oriole

award. Two years ago, Davis picked up his first and proclaimed his love for Baltimore and hope

for a long-term deal.

That hasn’t happened.

Two years later, there’s word that the Orioles may be preparing a lucrative offer for the slugger,

but it may not be enough to entice him to stay.

Besides the two home runs, he had a double and scored a run.

“Today, when I was driving in, I said: ‘man, this might be the last time I’m making this drive.’

Just times throughout the day, I wasn’t trying to dwell on it. When I was walking down the

tunnel, it hit me hard,” Davis said.

While most of the attention was centered around Davis, it was an emotional day for Matt

Wieters, too. He could be a highly sought after free agent, too.

Wieters, who was 2-for-5, had similar thoughts.

“I loved every second I've spent here and I loved everybody in this clubhouse, and I loved all the

fans. If it ends today, it was a great time,” Wieters said.

Manager Buck Showalter, who faced the loss of two of his favorite players, suffered a more

important loss. His mother, Lina Showalter, died at 87 late last night.

He wanted to talk about baseball, not himself.

“This time of year you reach for small victories. That they didn't give in. I know there were a lot

of teams counting on us to play the way we played. For that, I'm really proud,” Showalter said.

Besides Davis and Wieters, Gerardo Parra and Steve Pearce are also possible free agents.

Parra was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Pearce was hitless in three at-bats.

Chris Tillman (11-11) worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs.

The Orioles (81-81) finished the season on a five-game winning streak and without a complete

game for the first time and end the year at .500 for just the second time in team history.

Manny Machado, the only major leaguer to play in all 162 games, was 0-for-4.

Darren O’Day, another possible free agent, pitched a perfect eighth.

Meanwhile, New York (87-75) plays Houston in the wild-card game at Yankee Stadium on

Tuesday night.

Michael Pineda (12-10) allowed four runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Davis has received vocal support from Adam Jones and Manny Machado. Jones has publicly

stated that he’ll go to managing partner Peter Angelos to lobby for an extension for Davis.

“It means a lot. I’ve said before, this is a great group in here. I feel like we’re all brothers in here,

and we’re all looking out for each other. We keep in touch in the off-season, and I really express

them stepping out to express how much they want me back. I can’t say enough about them,”

Davis said.

Davis, Wieters and O’Day were clubhouse leaders, people Showalter turned to.

“It's become quite a family, something that I really want to do when I came here. Make

everybody feel like they had a stake in this,” Showalter said.

Wieters will take his time to savor the season.

“It's a good way to finish. A good way to finish the season. It's a good way to not have a losing

season, go 81-81, and it's a good way to finish. It was emotional before the game, and then the

game came and I was able to focus on the task at hand and then when it's over, it's over and you

soak it in for a little bit...and be ready for an off-season,” Wieters said.

If Davis leaves Baltimore, he does with a smile on his face, remembering the crowd’s ovation.

“It was pretty awesome. I didn't want to step out and take anything away from the game, but I

appreciate their support. I’ve said it before but they’ve supported me throughout, whether it was

god times or bad times. I really appreciated that, the way people treated my family. it was a

pretty special day,” Davis said.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-dan-duquette-re-signing-chris-

davis-top-priority-20151004-story.html

As season comes to a close, Dan Duquette still sees re-signing

Chris Davis as top priority

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

October 5, 2015

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette reiterated on Sunday that he sees attempting to re-

sign first baseman Chris Davis as a top priority.

Davis, one of the Orioles’ six pending free agents, just completed one of the most prolific

offensive seasons in club history. He led the majors with 47 homers, the fourth-highest single-

season total in Orioles history.

“He’s had a great year and he’s been a great player for us, so obviously, we’d like to have him

back,” Duquette said. “Whether we can do that in the market, that remains to be seen, but we’re

going to try.”

Over the past three seasons, Davis’ 126 homers are the most in the majors, 15 more than former

Oriole Nelson Cruz, who was last year’s home run king before signing a four-year, $57-million

deal with the Mariners.

If the Orioles are unable to re-sign Davis, it would mark the second straight year they allowed

the majors’ home-run leader to walk in free agency.

Asked if he believes the Orioles have the necessary resources to re-sign Davis, Duquette said:

“We always field a very competitive team in Baltimore and we extend our resources to get our

payroll as high as we can get it and still keep it affordable for our fans. So that’s what we’re

going to do. I don’t know where the market is going, but I know we can field a competitive team

next year.”

Besides Davis, catcher Matt Wieters, left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, right-hander reliever Darren

O’Day, outfielder Gerardo Parra and infielder-outfielder Steve Pearce are free agents.

“We have a lot of work to do this offseason because we want our team to compete and contend

next year,” Duquette said. “Hopefully we have solid enough talent that we can add people in the

offseason to where we need to add.”

Following the Orioles’ 9-4 season-finale win, Davis – who is represented by Scott Boras – said

he’s open to listening to offers from Duquette.

“I think letting the season play out, letting teams finish before everything gets out,” Davis said.

“I haven’t talked to my agent or Dan. We may have talks before then. We may not. I don’t know

what’s going to happen. I’m kind of all ears right now. It’s the first time I’ve gone through this.

There’s a lot of unexpected things coming my way, but I’m open.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck-blog/bal-is-there-hope-behind-the-oriole-

uncertainty-20151004-story.html

Is there hope behind the Orioles' uncertainty?

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun

October 4, 2015

During what might have been Chris Davis’s final interview session as an Oriole, he was asked

what he would say to fans who fear that a big chunk of the veteran nucleus of the team will not

be back next season.

There definitely is an undertone of fatalism among the fan base as Davis, Matt Wieters, Wei-Yin

Chen and several other players head into free agency, but Davis offered a bit of perspective and

hope regarding the future of the team even as he remained noncommittal about his own.

“I think the biggest thing to remember is that there are a lot of really good players on this team

… guys who have really bright futures, like Manny and Schoop and obviously Jonesy and J.J.

will be back,” said Davis, after hitting two more home runs in the Orioles’ series-sweeping 9-4

victory over the Yankees. “I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I know these last few

days I’ve shared a lot of great memories with them and hopefully it’s not the end.”

It probably is the end for Davis in Baltimore, but he made a fair point. The Orioles have players

that they can build around if the front office and ownership are committed to making sure the

team is a contender again in 2016.

Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop are two of the brightest young infielders in the game and

both are tied to the team for years to come. Kevin Gausman figures to be a fixture in the starting

rotation for at least the rest of the decade. The Orioles discovered a new set-up man in converted

shortstop Mychal Givens.

Even if Wieters does not return, the emergence of Caleb Joseph as a solid catcher with some

plate presence maintains the strong up-the-middle defense that helped the Orioles lead the

American League in fielding percentage and fewest errors.

All that is fine, of course, but it’s important to not forget that all of those players and all of the

pending free agents were here this year and the Orioles had to win their final five games just to

finish at .500.

That means there would have been work to be done this winter even if none of them were likely

to leave, which is a sobering thought going forward. The Orioles are probably going to be losing

the major league home run leader for the second offseason in a row, and fans can only hope that

the front office does not try to replace him with an underachieving former top draft choice who

didn’t pop in his previous organization.

If newcomer Gerardo Parra also leaves via free agency, the Orioles are going to need two

dependable corner outfielders who can produce at the plate. In a perfect world, one of them

would have plus speed and leadoff skills.

The starting rotation will take a major hit if agent Scott Boras steers Wei-Yin Chen to another

team, especially if baseball operations chief Dan Duquette does a hard sell with the fans that

Tyler Wilson is ready to step in and fill the fifth starter role.

Wilson is a nice young pitcher who handled himself very well when called upon to fill in

temporarily as both a starter and reliever, but the Orioles badly need one more dependable

veteran starter to put at or near the top of the rotation.

Of course, we’re talking about a significant amount of money whether the Orioles make a big

play to keep some of the departing free agents or try to sign two or three proven players to

broaden the talent base in their absense. If history is any guide, it’ll be quite a while before it

becomes apparent which way, if either, the Orioles will turn.

Duquette has a history of being very deliberate early in the process, which doesn’t bode well for

Davis’ return. He said on Sunday that he will go home, wait out the postseason, and hopefully

sign soon thereafter.

The fans who were shouting “We want Chris” while he did a postgame television interview on

the field Sunday evening certainly hope that the front office heard them and takes advantage of a

fairly-lengthy exclusive bargaining period to make a strong effort to bring him back.

Maybe it already was thinking in that direction. Maybe owner Peter Angelos will be so

unsatisfied with a .500 record that he insists that Duquette moves boldly to make sure his team

isn’t looking up at sea level next year.

Lots of maybes. Lots of questions.

Not a lot of answers.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-i-wanted-to-catch-today-matt-wieters-says-

20151004-story.html

'I wanted to catch today,' Matt Wieters says

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun

October 4, 2015

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters started 54 of the club's first 161 games behind the plate this year as

he worked his way back from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery in 2014. But he really

wanted to start Sunday — the Orioles' 2015 season finale, which might have been his final game

in an Orioles uniform.

"I wanted to catch today," said Wieters, a pending free agent. "No matter what happened the last

few weeks, I was going to do whatever I had to [do] to catch today and play — hopefully not —

but maybe the last game on the home side."

Showalter said the decision to put Wieters in the starting lineup and behind the plate —

potentially one last time — was a scripted one.

"We had it mapped out when we got off the road trip to see if he was thinking the same thing I

was," Showalter said. "I think it's important for Matt to be back there, regardless, because he

knows he's a contributor and a guy we count on."

Wieters, 29, has been with the organization since being selected fifth overall out of Georgia Tech

in the 2007 amateur draft. He made his debut with the Orioles — to much fanfare — in May

2009 and has since been selected to three All Star teams and won two Gold Gloves.

"It was emotional before the game, and then the game came and I was able to focus on the task at

hand and then when it's over, it's over and you soak it in for a little bit," Wieters said. "I loved

every second I've spent here and I loved everybody in this clubhouse, and I loved all the fans. If

it ends today, it was a great time."

At one point Sunday, Wieters was told he sounded like someone who didn't expect to be back

with the Orioles.

"I speak like a guy who doesn't know what's going to happen this offseason, and it's the first time

that I will have gone through that," he said. "All you can do is really embrace it and take it for

what it is."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-buck-showalters-mother-passes-away-

20151004-story.html

Buck Showalter's mother dies at age 87

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun

October 4, 2015

Orioles manager Buck Showalter was dealing with a heavy heart Sunday that had nothing to do

with baseball.

His mother, Lina Carrie Spires Showalter, died late Saturday night in Florida at age 87.

Showalter's mother visited Baltimore several times to watch her son manage during his tenure

and took pride in never missing an Orioles game on TV.

She recently was moved from Showalter's childhood home to an assisted living facility.

Around the horn

Showalter said a second X-Ray on Jonathan Schoop's right hand came back "clean" and that the

second baseman was much better after being struck on the hand by a Drew Hutchison pitch in

the first inning Thursday. Showalter said Schoop and Jones (back) could have been used in

Sunday's finale if needed. Jones hadn't played since Sept. 27 in Boston. … The Orioles finished

the season 64-48 when shortstop J.J. Hardy starts a game and 17-33 when he doesn't. …

Desingated hitter Jimmy Paredes will play winter ball in the Dominican Republic this offseason

for Escondido. He is expected to work on improving defensively as a corner outfielder. … Davis

received his 2015 Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award in a pregame ceremony Sunday.

Davis, a pending free agent, received a huge ovation from the Camden Yards crowd during the

ceremony and continually throughout a game in which he hit two home runs. … The Orioles

finished the 2015 season without a pitcher throwing a complete game, the first time that has

happened in modern club history.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-notebook-1005-20151004-story.html

Manny Machado only player in MLB to play every game

this season

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun

October 4, 2015

After ending each of his past two seasons prematurely because of injuries, 23-year-old third

baseman Manny Machado did something this year that no Oriole had accomplished since Adam

Jones in 2012.

For the first time in his young career, Machado played all 162 games — the only major leaguer

to accomplish that feat in 2015. Four players did it in each of the previous three seasons.

"I'm blessed to be a part of this team, part of this organization, thankful that they gave me the

opportunity to go out there every day and help this team win," said Machado, the ninth Oriole to

play every game in a season. "At the end of the day, I've played 162, which is my main goal

since the end of spring training."

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said as the season waned, he began talking with Machado to

gauge the importance of playing every game.

"It's something that he has earned the right to have input on by getting this far and I don't think

it's hurting him or the club at this point," Showalter said.

The difficulty of the feat is not lost on Showalter, especially considering the uncertainty

surrounding Machado this season as he returned from injury.

"I did tell him this: 'Whatever you do in your career,' and he's got a chance to be a great one, 'the

thing you're gonna reach back for and talk to your grandkids about is playing 162 games,'"

Showalter said. "Because as we go forward in our game that's going to be very rare, very rare. So

I'm real proud of the fact that he's going to be able to attain that."

Before Sunday's game, Machado talked to reporters about his and the team's future, saying he

believed that the Orioles should make re-signing slugger Chris Davis the club's No. 1 priority —

echoing what Adam Jones said last week.

"From the season we had, going from [losing] Nelson Cruz and losing [Nick] Markakis, we've

got to do something. I think our top priority will be signing Davis and try to get a couple more

key pieces to stay here as well," said Machado, who ended the season with a .286 average, 35

home runs, 86 RBIs, 102 runs scored and 20 stolen bases. "I think we've just got to get back to

where we need to be. We missed a couple of pieces, and that didn't help, and losing Davis is

definitely not going to help us."

As for his own contractual situation, Machado will be in his first year of arbitration this winter.

He said he'd be open to signing a long-term deal; he's under team control through 2018, the same

as Jones.

"Yeah, why not? This is the organization I play for, this is the organization I love," Machado

said. "This is the only organization I know. I'd definitely be interested in talking. We'll see what

happens when that day comes."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-os-draw-23-million-in-strange-year-

20151004-story.html

Orioles draw 2.3 million fans in strange year

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun

October 4, 2015

The Orioles' announced crowd Sunday was 33,224 – which brought the season total to

2,320,588. That would be Camden Yards’ lowest total attendance since 2012, but that’s

misleading given the unique situation facing the Orioles this year in relation to attendance.

The 2.3 million is for 78 games, including three that were held at Tropicana Field in St.

Petersburg, Fla., but were considered home games. Those games, May 1-3, were moved from

Baltimore to Florida because of the downtown riots following the death of Freddie Gray in

police custody.

The Orioles also didn’t have three other home dates – two were single-admission doubleheaders

(one caused by rain and the other because of the riots) and the third was because the organization

decided not to permit fans entrance to the April 29 game as a safety precaution following the

riots.

Based on 78 dates, the Orioles averaged 29,751, which was down from the 80-date regular

season average of 2014, when the club won the American League East. But it’s higher than the

29,106 averaged in 2013.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/153282996/chris-davis-finishes-season-with-47-home-runs

Davis puts 'exclamation point' on season

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

October 4, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Chris Davis, honored Sunday afternoon as the Most Valuable Oriole for the

2015 season, put a memorable end to what could be his final game with the O's.

Davis, who entered Sunday leading the Majors in home runs, hit two more to push the number to

47 and received several standing ovations in the Orioles' 9-4 win to complete a sweep over the

Yankees at Camden Yards.

"That's a little too apropos, the last one. As it left the ballpark, I just went, 'Really?'" Orioles

manager Buck Showalter said. "To put an exclamation point on the quality of contributions he's

had. It's been fun to have a great seat to watch him. He's been very good for our city. He's really

established himself here in Baltimore. I felt very honored to be part of that. It's never goodbye,

it's see you later. That's the way I always approach the end of the year."

Still Davis, who ended the year with 117 RBIs and will be one of the most sought-after hitters on

the free-agent market, acknowledged it wasn't just any regular end of the season.

"Driving in today [it hit me]," Davis said. "I said, 'Man, this might be the last time I'm making

this drive.' Just times throughout the day, I wasn't trying to dwell on it. When I was walking

down the tunnel, that hit me hard. I actually asked Matt [Wieters] before the game started, I said,

'Is it starting to get to you a little bit? [He said], 'Yeah.' When I was walking down the tunnel, I

thought it might be the last time I do this. Hopefully, it's not."

Davis' first blast, a two-run shot in the fifth inning which came off Bryan Mitchell, put the O's up

7-1. He also doubled in the first and walked in the sixth before taking his final at-bat in the

bottom of the eighth. Yankees manager Joe Girardi made a pitching change, subbing Caleb

Cotham for Andrew Miller, and Davis blasted an 0-1 pitch out to right field to send the crowd to

its feet.

While the O's faithful were denied a curtain call, they gave Davis another ovation as he jogged

out to first base in the top of the ninth inning and chanted "Re-sign Davis" during his postgame

interview by the first-base dugout. The farewell was a fitting end to an outstanding second half

for the slugger, who has amassed 161 homers -- good enough for 10th on the club's all-time list -

- in four-plus seasons.

Pending free agent Wieters joked of Davis stealing the limelight.

"He's been doing it for the last three years, so I kind of expected him to hit a home run there.

Wherever he signs, he better remember who got him all those pitches when he was here to hit."

Perhaps it will be with Baltimore, with current players Adam Jones and Manny Machado already

speaking out about the need to keep Davis in black and orange.

"It means a lot," Davis said of the public support. "I've said before, this is a great group in here. I

feel like we're all brothers in here, and we're all looking out for each other. We keep in touch in

the offseason, and I really appreciate them stepping out to express how much they want me back.

I can't say enough about them."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/153174418/manny-machado-open-to-extension

Machado open to extension talks with O's

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

October 4, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Orioles third baseman Manny Machado, who is arbitration-eligible this

offseason, said he'd be open to discussing a contract extension with the organization.

"Yeah, why not? This is the organization I play for, this is the organization I love," Machado

said. "This is the only organization I know. I'd definitely be interested in talking. We'll see what

when that day comes."

Machado was the only player in the Major Leagues to play all 162 games this season, and he

entered Sunday with 35 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Named to the All-Star team, Machado

also showcased some Gold Glove-caliber defense and said he wouldn't be swayed by what the

organization does regarding its six free agents (Chris Davis, Wei-Yin Chen,Darren O'Day, Matt

Wieters, Gerardo Parra and Steve Pearce) this offseason.

Machado knows it will be a big offseason for the Orioles and, like Adam Jones did recently, he

voiced the need for the organization to make some moves.

"Definitely, I'm not saying I'm a nobody here, but I'm just here to play baseball. Adam,

obviously, is here. He's a franchise player. He has definitely more of a voice than anybody in this

clubhouse. He wants [Davis back]. We all want him to come back. At the same time, we know

it's a business. If someone offers him more money somewhere else, people are going to offer

other people more money somewhere else, but at the end of the day, we need Davis here. We

need O'Day here. We need all the other free agents, Chen, all the guys that helped us get to a

winning organization. Definitely, you don't want to see them leave, but it's tough to stay."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/153193590/matt-wieters-discusses-time-with-orioles

Wieters makes sure to catch for O's in finale

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

October 4, 2015

BALTIMORE -- A few weeks ago, Matt Wieters looked at the Orioles' schedule and made sure

he planned appropriately. It was important for the backstop, who was drafted by the club and has

spent the past seven seasons in the Major Leagues with the O's, to catch the season finale as he

embarks on free agency this winter.

"No matter what happened the last few weeks, I was going to do whatever I had to to catch today

and play, hopefully not, but maybe the last game on the home side," said Wieters, who hit a two-

run single in his first at-bat Sunday afternoon against the Yankees to give Baltimore a 2-0 lead

during the O's 9-4 win.

"Everywhere I've turned I've had a great memory or a great feeling about what I've gone through.

After the game today it's going to be sad, it's going to be emotional, but at the same time I want

to remember all the good times that I did have here."

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Wieters, who returned in June following last year's

season-ending Tommy John surgery, progressed better than he could have hoped this season.

"If you go back through the history of these injuries, Matt has done as well -- if not better -- than

you could've expected. I have a lot of confidence he's going to be back catching 120, 130 games

next year. If he wants to," Showalter said. "I think he's been very -- he's pushed it to the point

where he didn't put it in jeopardy or put us in jeopardy from a competition standpoint. I would

have signed up for what we got out of Matt this year when we were originally going to do the

surgery. He's such a contributor in the locker room and the dugout. To understand the full text of

what he brings, it takes a lot more than analytics."

Wieters, who remained with the team last year while he rehabbed, is looking forward to having a

normal offseason and acknowledged questions about his health are normal for any free agent.

Whether Baltimore will be one of the teams asking remains to be seen.

"I won't know until I go through the process," Wieters said of the potential for a hometown

discount for the O's. "I'll do a lot of prayer, and hopefully God will lead me to where he wants

me to be and then I know that will be the right [choice].

"On top of that, there is nothing but fond memories that I have from my time here in Baltimore. I

love this city and I love this team and I love this clubhouse more than anything."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/10/the-good-bad-and-ugly-of-the-2015-

season.html

The good, bad and ugly from the 2015 season

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

October 5, 2015

It wasn't all bad.

I don't suggest that the Orioles adopt this line as their slogan. Nor would I go with "It could have

been worse." But honestly, there was plenty to like about this season and lots more to lament.

Manny Machado played in all 162 games. That alone was cause for celebration following two

knee surgeries and the scrutiny that accompanied his every move at minicamp and spring

training. But he took his game to a whole new level by batting .286/.359/.502 with 30 doubles,

35 home runs, 86 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and 102 runs scored.

The kid has "superstar" written all over him, which probably won't meet with the approval of

Major League Baseball. They're pretty strict about logos and inscriptions.

Jonathan Schoop overcame a knee injury and hit 15 home runs in 86 games. He also is a plus-

defender at second base and mature beyond his years. He's got good makeup, as they say.

Schoop is part of the core that we know is coming back next season and he's only going to get

better. An infield with Machado and Schoop is special.

Zach Britton went 37 for 41 in save situations and left no doubt that he belonged in any

discussion regarding the top closers in the game. He's getting tough outs on the road in the

American League East. His sinker is filthy. Players in both dugouts are in awe on a nightly basis.

Chris Davis led the majors with 47 home runs and drove in 117 runs. He also led the team with

84 walks. Guess the TUE was no joke. He should have received it every year. And not having an

oblique injury also made a world of difference.

A year ago, the Orioles were wise for not trying to sign Davis to a long extension. Now it's

unfortunate. That's baseball.

The Orioles didn't finish with a losing record. Sounds pretty hollow considering how they won

96 games and the division last season and swept the Tigers in the ALDS, but they went 5-0 at the

end when they had little more to play for than pride. And I don't care what anyone says, third

place is a heck of a lot better than last. You're still home watching the playoffs, but you're not a

basement dweller.

The world has enough of those. Trust me. I'm on Twitter.

Brad Brach remains one of the most underrated relievers in baseball. His last three outings before

yesterday weren't up to his standards, but ignore them. He was an extremely valuable part of the

bullpen and his importance could grow if Darren O'Day isn't re-signed.

O'Day wasn't a fluke in 2012, 2013 or 2014. He's still an elite set-up man, as he proved again this

season. He's also the leader of the bullpen. Don't underestimate the importance of it.

Mychal Givens earned the chance to break camp with the team next spring. He'd have to pitch

his way off the club. It may be too soon to anoint him the replacement for O'Day if the veteran

leaves, but the kid looks legit. He also fields his position like you'd expect from a former

shortstop.

He may be the first defensive replacement reliever, as manager Buck Showalter kinda/sorta

joked.

Jason Garcia made it through the season as a Rule 5 pick and can continue his development in

the minors next season, whether it's Double-A Bowie or Triple-A Norfolk. It wasn't easy, but it

happened. He's worth developing, with the hope that his velocity returns.

For those fans saying at various points that the Orioles quit, you were wrong then and you're

wrong now. Major overreaction. The club played poorly for stretches and wasn't as sound

fundamentally as in previous years, but it didn't stop caring and wasn't lacking in effort. There's a

big difference.

For those fans saying Nolan Reimold would get hurt again this year, he stayed healthy with the

Orioles and Norfolk. It's OK to admit you were wrong - and at times pretty cruel.

We'll never know whether re-signing Nelson Cruz would have hoisted the Orioles into the

playoffs. If you're sure of it, please lend me your crystal ball. I'm tired of asking for it.

Maybe those extra 43 home runs would have allowed the Orioles to out-bash teams in games

they otherwise lost this season. Maybe those extra 43 home runs would have covered for the sins

of a rotation that, in my opinion, still shoulders most of the blame.

The Orioles didn't want to give Cruz a fourth year due to his age and injury history. I would have

deemed it a sound investment if he enabled them to win a World Series during those first three

years. Not my money, though.

The season ended with the Orioles out of the playoff field in large part because they didn't

adequately replace Cruz and Nick Markakis. They lost production and clubhouse leadership, and

players privately seethed.

Markakis only hit three home runs, easily the lowest total of his career, but he batted .296 with a

.370 on-base percentage and played in 156 games. From the sound of his MRI results over the

winter, I thought his head was supposed to roll off his shoulders before opening day. Perhaps I

misunderstood.

The on-base percentage would have come in handy here. Machado was sensational as the

primary leadoff hitter, but you can tell that Showalter wants to move him down the order where

he belongs.

The Orioles counted on repeat production from a group of players who couldn't deliver,

including Bud Norris, Miguel Gonzalez and Alejandro De Aza. Steve Pearce heated up late, but

he wasn't the same player in 2015. Travis Snider wasn't nearly as good as advertised, the Orioles

tricked by his second half with the Pirates, who must have changed their uniform colors to black

and fools gold.

Chris Tillman's ERA jumped from 3.34 in 2014 to 4.99 this year and his innings fell from 207

1/3 to 172 2/3. J.J. Hardy, his offense impacted by a left shoulder injury, needed two hits

yesterday to raise his average to .219. Delmon Young and David Lough were designated for

assignment, though Lough is back in the organization. Young must be in the Witness Protection

Program.

Wesley Wright wasn't supposed to replace Andrew Miller by himself, but he was supposed to

make more than two appearances. The Orioles were concerned about him from the minute he

started throwing in spring training.

Everth Cabrera was supposed to bring much-needed stolen base skills. He swiped two bags,

didn't impress in the field - especially at second base - and never got back to the majors after

being released in June.

The roster wasn't flexible. Too many players without options, a mistake that can't be repeated.

Showalter often managed with his hands tied, yearning for the days when players more easily

could be shuttled back and forth between Baltimore and Norfolk.

Showalter might also appreciate not having to carry a Rule 5 pick in his bullpen, but the Orioles

"know who they are," to borrow another one of his expressions, and rely on the draft during the

final day of the Winter Meetings to help stock their roster.

The Orioles had their share of injuries. So does everybody else. It's not an excuse, but it's a

reality that they would have been much better with full seasons from Matt Wieters, Hardy,

Schoop, etc.

The rotation lacked depth, and not only because of injuries to top prospects Dylan Bundy and

Hunter Harvey. It's an area that must be addressed. It's usually a specialty of executive vice

president Dan Duquette.

You'll still find members of the organization who resent Duquette's interest in becoming Blue

Jays president, or at least his refusal to shoot down the rumors. They viewed him as having one

foot out the door. Some agents complained about a lack of accessibility at the Winter Meetings.

But not everyone agrees with this perception. It depends on the individuals, and Duquette

continues to deny that he wasn't fully engaged in his current duties.

Would the Orioles really have been more active in December and January if the Blue Jays never

reached out to him? I have my doubts. They didn't sign Cruz and Ubaldo Jimenez until spring

training 2014. Since when do they make a flurry of moves before Christmas or before the ball

drops on New Years Eve?

Whatever. It still created controversy that lingered through the season. It's a challenge in any

organization to have everyone on the same page. The Orioles aren't always in the same book.

The Orioles were 25-26 in one-run games and 34-50 on the road. That hurt. Their offense ranked

fourth in strikeouts with 1,331, but the top two teams - the Cubs (1,518) and Astros (1,392) -

made the playoffs. Maybe that deficiency is overblown.

The media is invited into the clubhouse today from 3 p.m.-4 p.m., but players usually are packed

and headed home following the last game. One or two may trickle in, but I won't plan my entire

day around it.

Duquette and Showalter will meet with reporters and I'll pass along their quotes later in the day.

Plan your entire day around it so I don't feel abandoned on the first day of the offseason.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/10/a-day-of-loss-for-buck-showalter-as-

orioles-win-finale.html

A day of loss for Buck Showalter as Orioles win finale

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

October 4, 2015

Players walked off the field in a straight line today as they do after every victory, except each

one stopped in front of the dugout to embrace manager Buck Showalter. Pitching coach Dave

Wallace hugged the guys in his rotation and bullpen, pausing to pat Wei-Yin Chen on the face

and say a few words to him.

Fans chanted "We want Chris" as Davis did a postgame interview on MASN following a 9-4 win

over the Yankees that guaranteed the Orioles a third-place finish in the division and a .500 record

for only the second time in club history. Davis tipped his cap before heading down the steps and

into the clubhouse.

Another season is over, but the emotions are running much deeper than normal. And not only

because pending free agents Davis, Matt Wieters and Darren O'Day made such huge

contributions in what may be their final games with the club.

Showalter managed with a heavy heart. His mother, Lina Carrie Spires Showalter, passed away

late last night at age 87, but he didn't tell reporters, who learned of his loss during the game. His

eyes were moist as he sat through a 10-minute postgame interview.

It's always difficult for Showalter to watch his players pack up their belongings after another

season, the boxes and glances tugging at his emotions. Imagine how he felt today.

"Yeah, it's a trait that I wish I didn't have sometimes. I can take it in," he said.

It was a sad day, indeed, but "not for baseball reasons," Showalter insisted.

"There's never a sad day in baseball," he said. "You get a chance to do this every day. It's an

honor. It's an honor to be able to take the tough times, too."

Davis hit two more home runs to give him 47 on the season, the fourth-highest total in club

history. He had eight multi-homer games this year, raising his career total to 15.

The second shot came in the eighth inning after Yankees manager Joe Girardi removed left-

hander Andrew Miller and brought in right-hander Caleb Cotham.

"That's a little too apropos, the last one. As it left the ballpark, I just went, 'Really?'" Showalter

said.

"To put an exclamation point on the quality of contributions he's had ... It's been fun to have a

great seat to watch him. He's been very good for our city. He's really established himself here in

Baltimore. I felt very honored to be part of that. It's never goodbye, it's see you later. That's the

way I always approach the end of the year."

Fans stood to applaud Davis before every at-bat and tried to coax him out of the dugout after his

second home run. It felt as though they were saying goodbye.

"Our fans have been through thick and thin," Showalter said. "There's been some unbelievable

moments here this year. You look at not being the last team standing, but there are so many

things that you reach back for, and I was very happy we could end it on a positive note. Just a

subtle reminder that nothing's ever as good as it seems and nothing is ever as bad as it seems.

You try to keep a sense of reality."

Wieters had a two-run single in the first inning, a double in the fourth and a couple of

outstanding throws after fielding tappers in front of the plate. O'Day blew through the Yankees

in the eighth to lower his ERA to 1.52 in 65 1/3 innings. They both may be gone in 2016.

"Of course you think about it," Showalter said. "You're trying not to dwell on it because you

have a job to do. Anybody who says, 'No, I just pass it off,' nobody's that cold. You spend as

much time together as we do and go through, I don't want to say battles and fights. There are

things going on in life that are a lot tougher than what we do, OK? I'm not going to over-

dramatize it. But it's more than just somebody picking your friends for you. It's become quite a

family, something that I really want to do when I came here. Make everybody feel like they had

a stake in this.

"Darren was good again. You've seen so many guys kind of graduate to another level. Manny

(Machado) had the year he had, Chris, Brad Brach. I take things out of stuff like that. Tilly (Chris

Tillman) not giving in and coming back. That's why you like him.

"We had a lot of exit conversations, we had a lot of time with the rain delays to talk to guys and

it's been a blessing. I wrote down today to remind myself of all the people who've had, I don't

want to say 'career years,' but really made strides. Jon Schoop. And some guys who maintained

the level of expectations that they've created. Matt came back from that injury, Caleb (Joseph)

has continued to prove himself. Kevin Gausman's right where he should be in the process. I think

I had about 12 of them when I was making them out today. Of course, I was giving us a lot of

leeway there. I was being Mr. Positive."

It's never easy to keep that title in a season that leaves a team two notches lower in the division

than the previous summer and stuck at home for the playoffs. The Yankees had much more to

play for this weekend and the Orioles swept them, the first time it's happened since June 28-30,

2013 at Camden Yards.

"We keep hammering that you don't give in," Showalter said. "There's that lure that you can take

anytime you want to. And it's hard, it's a challenge not to. I told the guys today I come in every

day and they're my, I used a different word but we'll say 'coffee.' And we're theirs.

"Sometimes, you come in here and the sun does come up. And when you come back and play a

good series and a good game and you know you've done something not just anybody can do. But

there's challenges in every walk of life. Somebody has a horrible week at work and Monday,

how do you go again? You just keep grinding. All of you all have had to do it. It's all relevant. It

really is."

Five straight wins to close the season can ease some of the pain. Not all of it, of course. Not for a

manager who's trying to treat the day like any other while grieving. But it provided the latest

reminder of why he likes his guys.

"It just verifies what I say to you. They just don't give in," Showalter said.

"Their competitive fire never wavered. We looked that everything that happened, the self-

inflicted challenges, and that's why, because they're such an accountable bunch. As they get old I

think they'll understand what I and we and they have been preaching to each other.

"This time of year you reach for small victories, that they didn't give in. I know there were a lot

of teams counting on us to play the way we played. For that, I'm really proud."

It's important to include, however, that the Orioles have reached the point where a non-losing

season isn't sufficient. It's the culture here, and Showalter doesn't want the credit for its

development.

"I don't create that, I appreciate that," he said. "The players create that, the fans do, the city. You

just try to play better baseball and remind everybody how great this place is and can be. Every

time there's the first hint of fall in the air, I want people thinking about playoff baseball and the

World Series. That's why we get up in the morning, that's why you go to spring training, that's

why you do the things we're going to do between now and February.

"We're not giving in. It's not good enough, though. It's not good enough. 81-81 isn't good

enough. We're trying to win. We want to be the last team standing, the last city standing, and our

city deserves that."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/10/manny-machado-this-is-the-organization-i-

want-to-be-with.html

Manny Machado: "This is the organization I want to be

with"

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

October 4, 2015

As he approaches the final game today in his finest season as a professional, Orioles third

baseman Manny Machado said he's open to discussing a contract extension if the team wants to

resume a dialogue.

The sides spoke in the past without coming close to an agreement. Maybe it's time to try again

with Machado now eligible for arbitration and his production substantially on the rise.

Machado is the only major league player to appear in every game this season, and he's only the

second in Orioles history to hit 30 home runs and steal 20 bases in the same season. He's batting

.288/.360/.506 with 30 doubles, 35 home runs, 86 RBIs, 101 runs scored and 20 steals.

"Last time we spoke was a couple years ago and the topic hasn't come up, but I love this

organization," Machado said. "I'd definitely love to stay here, so yeah, we could talk this

offseason. It would be great. And if we get something done it will be much better. We'll just see

what happens.

"I know last time we talked we kind of left it like that, just to prove that I could play, if I was

going to be able to play again, and I've shown it this year. We'll see what comes up."

The two knee surgeries no longer are a topic of conversation. Machado's play has made them

seem irrelevant.

The Orioles have six pending free agents and could enter 2016 without a chunk of their nucleus,

including first baseman Chris Davis, catcher Matt Wieters, starter Wei-Yin Chen and set-up man

Darren O'Day. Machado said it won't influence his desire to remain an Oriole beyond his current

contract.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "This is the organization I came up with, this is the organization I

want to be with. I have no doubt in my mind that we're going to get back to where we need to be.

We've got to make some moves, get some people, sign some people back. Hopefully, we sign

Davis back.

"This organization, I think we're on the right path and I don't think we're going to go back to

where we were. As long as we have the guys around here like Adam (Jones) and me and the guys

we have next to us, J.J. (Hardy).

"We want to win and we're not going to go back to being a losing team or a losing organization. I

hope they do everything in their power to get the pieces that we need to have in this organization.

For my part, this is the only organization I know. This is the organization I love, this is the

organization I want to be with. If the situation comes up and we talk about it, yeah, we'll sit

down and talk. I'd definitely love to stay here."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/10/adam-jones-and-jonathan-schoop.html

Orioles lineup vs. Yankees

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

October 4, 2015

Adam Jones and Jonathan Schoop remain out of the Orioles' lineup on the final day of the 2015

season.

Nolan Reimold is leading off and playing center field. Ryan Flaherty is starting at second base.

Manny Machado is the first Oriole to homer in four straight games since Caleb Joseph on Aug.

2-9, 2014 (five games). It's the 24th such streak in club history. Chris Davis and Reggie Jackson

share the record with six games in a row.

Steve Pearce has collected six doubles, six home runs and 14 RBIs in his last 21 games since

Sept. 9, including a .526 slugging percentage. Twelve of his 17 hits are for extra bases.

Gerardo Parra has hit safely in nine of 11 career games against the Yankees, batting

.341/.341/.455 (15-for-44) in that span.

A win today guarantees the Orioles a third place finish in the American League East.

The Orioles and Yankees have split 18 games this season.

For the Orioles

Nolan Reimold CF

Gerardo Parra RF

Manny Machado 3B

Chris Davis 1B

Matt Wieters C

Steve Pearce LF

Steve Clevenger DH

J.J. Hardy SS

Ryan Flaherty 2B

Chris Tillman RHP

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/10/os-dan-duquette-on-chance-to-re-sign-

davis-offseason-priorities-and-more.html

Dan Duquette on chance to re-sign Chris Davis, offseason

priorities and more

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

October 5, 2015

Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette has been a guest of mine

several times this season when I've hosted "Orioles Baseball Tonight" each Sunday on the O's

flagship radio station 105.7 The Fan FM in Baltimore.

Our last interview for this season on the show came Sunday. During that interview on 105.7 The

Fan, Duquette said that he believes the Orioles can afford to sign Chris Davis to a new long-term

deal. He also said improving the club's pitching is his biggest offseason priority.

The Orioles have six pending free agents in Davis, Matt Wieters, Wei-Yin Chen, Darren

O'Day, Gerardo Parra and Steve Pearce. To begin Sunday's interview, I asked Duquette if he has

had some discussions and/or contract talks yet with any of those players?

"We've had discussions with some of our free agents," he said. "Obviously, we'd like to re-sign

some of our players that have had good years. Chris Davis in particular has had a really good

year. He's done a real solid job his whole time in Baltimore. It's no secret the club would like to

have him to come back and we're going to do what we can.

"We're going to sign some free agents to help our team and we're going to continue to build our

team to be competitive year in and year out. But this focus in the offseason on payroll and free

agents. Yeah, we're going to do some of that and we're going to have a good year next year, but

let's not get too over-focused on that. We've got the core of a good team returning as well."

After a year where he hit .262, led the majors with 47 home runs and drove in 117 runs, Davis is

in line for a huge contract. His agent, Scott Boras, is known for getting large contracts for his

clients.

Can the Orioles even afford to re-sign Davis?

"We have a very competitive market and we fund our payroll about in the middle and we have

some flexibility in our payroll for next year. So the answer to that question is I believe yes. I

believe yes," Duquette said.

"What his market price will be, I mean, everything has to have a semblance of reason to it. We

try to take into account a number of things with each player that we sign. But to answer your

question, I would say, you know, within reason, yeah."

Is there a chance the club will talk contract with Davis and Boras before he officially hits free

agency after the World Series?

"Well, that is always a possibility," Duquette said. "In this situation, that is kind of a tough one. I

don't know that Scott has a long history of doing that with his clients. But that is an option that is

open to the team."

In this interview, after he was named Most Valuable Oriole for 2015 on Friday, Davis said it was

disappointing that no substantive contract talks have taken place with the team. I asked Duquette

for his reaction to that from Davis.

"We have made it clear to Chris that we like him and we'd like him to stay for the long term. We

made an offer to sign him here long-term after the 2013 season, when he had an excellent year.

And we've had recent discussions in regard to him staying with the club. Chris knows how Buck

feels about him and how I feel about him. We obviously like Chris Davis. Whether we can sign

him up long term, that is another issue, but we are going to try," he said.

There are some that feel the Orioles will need to increase their payroll to improve their team. I

asked Duquette if that was going to happen and if the club needed to add payroll to get back to

contending?

"The thing that the Orioles need to do to get back to 90-some wins is have a better pitching

staff," he said. "We scored the same number of runs as last year. But we gave up 89 more going

into (Sunday's) game. To get back to where we need to be to get to the playoffs, we're going to

have to improve our pitching staff.

"There is some correlation between the size of your payroll and the competitiveness of your

team. But I will say this again - we have plenty of resources here to be competitive. How we go

about improving our pitching, that is our No. 1 priority in the offseason.

"We're going to need to get better performance from the people that we have and we're also

going to need to add pitching depth from outside the organization.

"We're going to have to roll up our sleeves, put our drawing board up there and get going. But

we're up for it. We're going to assess where we fell short this year and then we're going to get

ready to staff the team to go it again next year," Duquette said.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/10/chris-davis-it-was-a-pretty-special-day-

plus-matt-wieters-chris-tillman-quotes.html

Chris Davis: "It was a pretty special day" (plus Matt

Wieters, Chris Tillman quotes)

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

October 4, 2015

Chris Davis got a lot of cheers at Camden Yards today. Cheers for his big season at the plate.

Cheers for hitting two more homers. And then cheers after his postgame MASN interview by

fans unsure if they'll ever see him in an Orioles uniform again.

"It was pretty awesome," Davis said of the fan reaction. "I appreciate their support. They have

supported me in good times and bad times. It was a pretty special day. I can't express how much

I appreciate the support of our fans. The last month at home, I've heard people yelling. Today it

was pretty awesome after the postgame interview to hear everyone cheer. It meant a lot to me."

Davis hit his 46th and 47th homers today in the O's 9-4 win over New York. That is the fourth

most in franchise history. He is No. 1 on that list after hitting 53 home runs two years ago.

"I was pretty fired up after I hit the first one. Second one, I felt like I was almost in shock

running around the bases," Davis said. "I think the last few games have been special to finish up

strong. It was big to the guys in here."

All week, there has been a feeling in the Orioles clubhouse that this is goodbye for some of the

players. Did this feel like more than the end of a season for Davis today?

"I don't know if I want to get that deep yet," he said. "I understand the season is over and some

things are going to change. But at the same time, I don't want to turn the page just yet. I'm going

to go home and reflect and want to see what unfolds these next few months. Obviously with the

postseason going on it will be a little bit of a wait. But I'm hopeful I'll know something pretty

soon.

"Today when I was driving in, it kind of hit me. This might be the last time I make this drive.

Putting my uniform on, walking down the tunnel, it hit me hard. I asked Matt (Wieters) before

the game, 'Did it get to you a little bit.' He said, 'Yes.' Walking down the tunnel, I thought this

might be the last time I do this, but hopefully it's not.

"This is a great group in here. We're like brothers in here. We keep in touch in the offseason. I

really appreciate them (some teammates) stepping out there and expressing how much they

wanted me back."

Davis expressed hope that he could make a quick decision on where he will play next year. The

Orioles can negotiate with him now, but he is not yet officially a free agent. That comes at the

end of the World Series. Davis was asked what he would say to fans who seem certain he will

soon be an ex-Oriole.

"The biggest thing to remember is there are a lot of really good players on this team," he said. "A

lot of guys that have bright futures, with Manny (Machado), (Jonathan) Schoop, Jonesy (Adam

Jones) and J.J. (Hardy) will be back. I don't know what the future holds for me, but these last few

games have been pretty special. Hopefully it is not the end.

"I haven't talked to my agent or Dan (Duquette). We may have talks before then (the playoffs),

we may not. I don't know what will happen. I'm all ears right now. Obviously this is the first time

I've gone through this and a lot of unexpected things are coming my way, but I'm hopeful."

Matt Wieters talked about the emotions of the day and knowing that he might have played his

last game with the team.

"It was emotional before the game, and then the game came, and I could focus on the task at

hand," Wieters said. "Now I have no idea what to expect. I'm going to embrace it and go from

there.

"Every offseason, if you are not a free agent, you think you'll be back. But this is the first

offseason where it could be anywhere. I loved every second I spent here and I love everyone in

this clubhouse and I've loved the fans. If it ends today, it's been a great time."

Wieters was part of the group that turned the Orioles from a losing team into a playoff team and

the 2014 American League East champs. For that, he passed along some credit to his teammates

and manager Buck Showalter.

"I wouldn't know as much about baseball if Buck wasn't my manager the last four or five years.

He has so much knowledge and is so open with the players," he said. "I would not have learned

near as much if I didn't have him as a manager. It was fun and unique seeing us come up together

and play together. Where we went from (where) we were was special."

Chris Tillman got the win today and talked about the victory and the Orioles' future.

"To finish the season the way we did is a positive note," he said. "We are leaving here happy.

We're not satisfied with what we did this year, but the mood is good. There are definitely going

to be a lot of changes, and I think you never really know what is going to happen. I really don't

know how to approach that, but hopefully we have a lot of the guys back."

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/10/os-game-blog-machados-take-on-davis-

todays-pitchers-and-more.html

O's game blog: Machado's take on Davis, today's pitchers

and more

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

October 4, 2015

O's third baseman Manny Machado is the latest Oriole to campaign for the team to re-sign

pending free agent first baseman Chris Davis. He expressed those sentiments earlier today in

the Orioles clubhouse.

"When you have a guy hitting 40-something home runs and driving in 120, you want to see him

back. We need him back," Machado said. "From the season we had, going from losing Nelson

Cruz, (Nick) Markakis and (Andrew) Miller, we have to do something. I think our top priority

should be signing Davis back and then trying to get a few more key pieces to stay here. We need

to get back to where we need to be. Losing Davis would not help us."

Machado stopped short of saying he would go directly to team management to express that, as

Adam Jones said he intended to do.

"I'm just here to play baseball," Machado said. "Adam is our franchise player and he has more of

a voice than anyone in this clubhouse. We all want him. But we know it's a business and

someone could offer him more money somewhere else. At the end of the day, I think we need

Davis here. We need (Darren) O'Day here and (Wei-Yin) Chen. Those are guys that helped us

become a winning organization."

On the mound this afternoon in the season finale, Chris Tillman (10-11, 5.05 ERA) pitches

against right-hander Michael Pineda (12-9, 4.24 ERA).

Tillman has recorded two straight quality starts, allowing five runs in 13 1/3 innings. In six

September starts, he went 1-2 with a 7.03 ERA. In his only start this year against New York, he

gave up four runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings on May 7.

Pineda beat the Orioles on May 10 in New York when he struck out 16 Orioles without allowing

a walk over seven innings. But overall, in four 2015 starts against Baltimore, he is 2-1 with a

5.70 ERA. He leads the American League in strikeout-to-walks ratio at 7.19 with 151 strikeouts

to 21 walks.

A win today would give the Orioles an 81-81 (.500) record and would mark the fourth

consecutive season with at least at a .500 record. The Orioles went 93-69 (.574) in 2012, 85-77

(.525) in 2013, and 96-66 (.593) in 2014. Prior to 2012, the Orioles had 14 consecutive losing

from 1998-2011.

Since the start of the 2012 season, the Orioles lead the American League and rank fifth in the

majors with a 354-293 (.547) record. The Orioles' 852 home runs over that span lead the majors,

62 homers ahead of the next closest team - the Toronto Blue Jays - at 790.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-season-uncertainty-begins-now

Orioles off-season of uncertainty begins now

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

October 4, 2015

At the dawn of the Buck Showalter era five years ago, a breakeven season would have cause for

celebration in Baltimore.

Now, it just feels empty.

After 14 losing seasons, shouldn’t four consecutive non-losing seasons—for the first time in 30

years—feel better?

No.

That’s because Showalter has succeeded in one of his most important tasks — raising

expectations — and after an unlikely wild card team in 2012, a competitive one in 2013, and an

AL East winner a year ago, a .500 team just doesn’t make it.

The Orioles had to win five straight games against Toronto and New York to close at the break-

even point, just the second time in team history it finished there.

But, the fans who attended Sunday’s windy farewell knew all too well that big changes are in

store.

After the first two winning seasons, the Orioles were able to keep their core of Chris Davis, J.J.

Hardy, Adam Jones, Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters together and had a young budding star in

Manny Machado.

Markakis is gone, and now Davis and Wieters are expected to go, and fans aren’t pleased about

it.

Davis is in an enviable position. Not yet 30, he’s a free agent in a year where there aren’t many

quality first basemen available, let alone ones with two home run titles.

The Orioles are faced with an awful decision. If they do everything in their power to sign Davis,

they’ll likely sacrifice the ability to add other stars and complementary pieces. They may also

lose the chance to extend Machado, who’s still three years away from free agency, but may be

worth more than Davis.

After Markakis and Nelson Cruz left, fans wondered how the Orioles would be able to replace

them. A popular retort was that Davis, Machado and Wieters would all be back, happy and

healthy.

That was mostly true. Davis nearly doubled his home run output of 2014. Machado hit 35 and

became a much more selective hitter, but Wieters, due to a limited schedule in what was

essentially a rehab year, didn’t produce what was expected.

While the losses of Cruz and Markakis were crucial, they also pointed to a lineup much too

dependent on power. Machado is now a dangerous all-around hitter, and Jonathan Schoop is

showing signs that he could be, too.

But, there were too many times when the team seemingly waited on the home run.

The players that Dan Duquette and Showalter hoped would adequately fill in for Cruz and

Markakis—Alejandro De Aza, Travis Snider and Delmon Young—failed, and were all gone long

before season’s end.

Steve Pearce failed to follow up on his surprising 2015, though he showed some late power, and

Duquette was forced to try and replace Markakis at the trading deadline with Gerardo Parra,

another pending free agent.

Davis, Parra, Pearce, Wieters, Wei-Yin Chen and Darren O’Day are all free agents, and if even

two of those return, it would be a major victory.

While the club continued to hit home runs, it continued to strike out at an alarming rate, and the

on-base percentage, which has been a concern of Duquette ever since he arrived four years ago,

dropped yet again—to .307.

Those issues all could have been forgotten had the starting pitching maintained its 2014

excellence.

It didn’t.

While Chen continued to almost always provide creditable starts, and Ubaldo Jimenez rebounded

to somewhat justify their investment in him, the others fell back.

None fell farther than Bud Norris, who led the team in wins with 15 in 2014, and won just two

before his July 31 jettisoning.

Chris Tillman, who was the team’s best pitcher in 2013 and 2014, had a middling year, and

Miguel Gonzalez stumbled, too.

The Orioles are hoping for more from Tillman, Gonzalez and Kevin Gausman, who turned in a

few excellent late season starts.

All will have to be much better in 2016.

Of all the free agents, Chen is the least likely to return. The Orioles are betting, and I think

they’re right, that they got a four-year bargain with Chen, and that re-upping him isn’t wise. He

earned $15.47 million for the past four years, and in his next contract, he could average that on a

four-year deal.

Even if O’Day leaves, which will probably happen, the Orioles may be somewhat protected with

the emergence of Brad Brach and Mychal Givens to set up for Zach Britton.

Duquette and Showalter will address the 2015 season and what they think lies ahead for the next

few months this afternoon.

One area that must be immediately addressed is the uncertainty surrounding the coaching staff,

which Showalter has repeatedly said, is the best he’s had. None are under contract for 2016.

The off-season begins now.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-attendance-falls-slightly-2015-after-

april-unrest

Orioles attendance falls slightly in 2015 after April unrest

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

October 4, 2015

BALTIMORE – The Orioles had a challenging season on the field, and their attendance fell

slightly. Sunday’s crowd of 33,224 gave the Orioles a total attendance of 2,320,580.

That’s a drop of about 144,000, but the Orioles suffered from the unrest that plagued Baltimore

in April. Three games were relocated to St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field and counted as Orioles

home crowds, but attendance was far below what it would have been at Oriole Park.

The Orioles also lost a gate from the Apr. 29 fanless game, and they also played a makeup

doubleheader on May 28 for two games postponed by the rioting.

This week, rain forced a Wednesday doubleheader, trimming attendance further.

The Orioles’ average crowd was 29.751, down a little over a thousand fans from 2014.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/jones-schoop-missing-final-orioles-lineup

Jones, Schoop missing from final Orioles lineup

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

October 4, 2015

BALTIMORE --- Adam Jones and Jonathan Schoop are missing from the Orioles lineup for the

final game. Manager Buck Showalter said that both were available to play in the game.

“Both are them are capable of doing something for us today in a certain area, and we’ll use it if

the game calls on it,” Showalter said.

Jones has played only once in the last two weeks due to a back spasm. Schoop bruised his right

hand in Thursday’s game. He had a second X-ray of the hand, which was clean.

Besides Chris Davis and Matt Wieters, two other pending free agents, Gerardo Parra and Steve

Pearce were in the lineup.

Showalter said he wasn’t promising that Darren O’Day, who’s likely to be sought after as a

reliever would appear in the game.

“If it helps us win a game. That’s the way we do it. That’s what Darren expects, and usually

that’s the case,” Showalter said. “He’s a good man. He’s as good a person as he is a pitcher.”

NOTES: Jimmy Paredes, who hasn’t started since Sept. 12, will play winter ball in the

Dominican Republic next month. … Norfolk manager Ron Johnson and pitching coach Mike

Griffin have left for their homes. Bowie pitching coach Alan Mills remained for the last game.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/machado-says-orioles-need-re-sign-davis-

others

Machado says Orioles need to re-sign Davis, others

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

October 4, 2015

BALTIMORE --- Manny Machado know that this is likely to be the final game in an Orioles

uniform for some of the players he’s spent four years with.

Chris Davis, who was presented with the Most Valuable Oriole award before the game, is

foremost in Machado’s thoughts. So are Wei-Yin Chen, Darren O’Day and Matt Wieters.

“It’s a part of the business. Not all of them are going to be able to come back, but when you have

a guy hitting 40-something home runs and driving in 120 for a team, you want to see them back.

We need them back. From the season we had, going from Nelson Cruz and losing [Nick]

Markakis, we’ve got to do something,” Machado said.

“I think our top priority will be signing Davis and try to get a couple more key pieces to stay here

as well. I think we’ve just got to get them back to where we need to be. We missed a couple of

pieces, and that didn’t help and losing Davis is definitely not going to help us.”

The 23-year-old Machado would be reluctant to campaign to upper management to stay here

unlike Adam Jones.

“Definitely, I’m not saying I’m a nobody here, but I’m just here to play baseball. Adam,

obviously is here. He’s a franchise player. He has definitely more of a voice than anybody in this

clubhouse. He wants [Davis]. We all want him to come back. At the same time, we know it’s a

business,” Machado said.

“At the end of the day, we need Davis here. We need O’Day here. We need all the other free

agents, Chen, all the guys that helped us get to a winning organization. Definitely, you don’t

want to see them leave, but it’s tough to stay.”

If Davis and at least some of the others depart, that leaves a void in the clubhouse, is Machado

ready to assume leadership?

‘If it comes to that point, definitely. I’ve learned from Adam. Since I got here, Adam’s been the

only person who’s came up and talked to me. Obviously, J.J. [Hardy]. J.J.’s a little different.

He’s a quiet leader. He leads the team in a different way. Learning from both of those guys, I

definitely stepped in and just do what I can do. Go out there and help the team win, which is the

most part,” Machado said.

“This is where the position has changed. Everybody who comes in here wants to win. When you

all have that mentality, we all want to win, we all want to be brothers. That takes us to the next

level. I’m definitely ready to step up and do what I have to do to help this team get to the next

level.”

Even at 23, he’s ready, Machado said.

“It’s just part of life. I think I that’s how I see it. You’re going to have to become a man someday

or the other. This is a different team. This not like the Yankees back in the day. They had Jeter,

A-Rod, Babe Ruth. We have a different clubhouse here. Everybody speaks up here,” Machado

said.

“That’s why we’re so special here. I think that’s why we’re so special here. Everybody can just

stand up and say whatever they want. It’s not just the veterans. It’s not just the older guys. Any

rookie or any one-year person can stand up and say something. I think that’s why we have a

different organization over here. We have something special that we thrived for and enjoy.

That’s why we all enjoy playing with each other. We don’t want nobody to leave because we

have such a great bond here, so I don’t think that’s a big deal. Anybody can just come up here

and say what they want. At the end of the day, this is a team, there’s no I in team. Everybody’s

going to have to say something to make stuff right.”

Machado said if the Orioles come to him in the offseason with an offer for an extension, he’s

ready to listen.

“Yeah, why not? This is the organization I play for, this is the organization I love. This is the

only organization I know. I’d definitely be interested in talking. We’ll see what when that day

comes,” Machado said.

http://www.pressboxonline.com/2015/10/05/pending-free-agents-help-orioles-sweep-yankees-

finish-season-at-500

Pending free agents help Orioles sweep Yankees, finish

season at .500

By Paul Folkemer / PressBoxOnline.com

October 5, 2015

The Orioles wrapped up their 2015 schedule Oct. 4, a season during which they fell short of

expectations. They settled for a moral victory by avoiding a losing season, finishing with an 81-

81 record by sweeping the New York Yankees.

The Birds' final game brought a bit of a somber atmosphere on a chilly day at Oriole Park at

Camden Yards. The O's players knew they'd be heading their separate ways after the game,

having failed to make a repeat appearance in the postseason. But they also knew Oct. 4 may have

represented the final game in a Baltimore uniform for several key Orioles.

If it was indeed the Orioles farewell for the pending free agents, most of them went out with a

bang. And in the case of first baseman Chris Davis, it was two bangs.

Davis brought the crowd of 33,224 to its feet on multiple occasions. Prior to the game, he

received a loud ovation as he was presented with the 2015 Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole

award. He then spent the remainder of the afternoon justifying that honor.

In his first at bat, a Davis double was sandwiched between singles by two other pending free

agents -- right fielder Gerardo Parra and catcher Matt Wieters -- to give the Birds a 2-0 lead in

the bottom of the first.

In the home half of the sixth, Davis swatted an opposite-field two-run home run off Yankees

righty Bryan Mitchell, extending the Orioles' lead to 7-1 and bringing the crowd to its feet.

He wasn't finished. Davis came up to bat a final time during the bottom of the eighth inning,

facing right-hander Caleb Cotham with a runner aboard. Orioles fans rose in unison, knowing it

could be the last time he would ever take a swing as a member of the Birds.

As if written in a movie script, Davis delivered one final moment of glory. He crushed a two-run

home run over the right-field scoreboard, giving him his eighth multi-homer game of the season.

It was his 47th blast of the season, giving him the major league home run title for 2015. And

with his four RBIs Oct. 4, Davis finished the season with 117, second in the American League

behind Toronto's Josh Donaldson (123).

The Camden Yards crowd went crazy, giving Davis a thunderous standing ovation as he circled

the bases and greeted his teammates in the dugout.

"I was pretty fired up after I hit the first one," Davis said. "And then the second, I was almost in

shock as I ran around the bases."

The fans' reception didn't go unnoticed by Davis.

"I can't express how much I appreciate the support of our fans," Davis said. "The fans supported

me throughout, whether it was good times or bad times, and I really appreciate that, the way they

treated me and my family. It's pretty special to me."

Manager Buck Showalter couldn't help but be impressed by Davis' heroics during what might

have been his final game as an Oriole.

"I think whether that's the case or not, [it] put an exclamation point on the quality contributions

he's had," Showalter said. "It's been fun to have a great seat to watch him. He's been very good

for our city. I'm happy. He's really established himself here in Baltimore. I felt very honored to

be a part of that."

Though Davis was the most visible star of the game, other pending free agents contributed as

well. Wieters and Parra each collected two hits and two RBIs, and right-hander Darren O'Day

worked a perfect eighth inning in a setup role, as he's done many times during his four seasons

with the Birds.

With each player, Showalter knew it might be the last time he'd be managing them with the

Birds.

"Of course you think about that," Showalter said. "You try not to dwell on it, because you've got

a job to do. … We've become quite a family, something that I really wanted to do when I came

here, and make everybody feel like they've got a stake in this."

Right-hander Chris Tillman started for the Orioles and allowed two earned runs in 5.1 innings.

That was just enough to lower his season ERA below the 5.00 mark for the first time since Sept.

1. Tillman finished the 2015 season with a 4.99 ERA.

Four O's relievers finished off the 9-4 Baltimore victory to wrap up the season. After falling to

76-81 Sept. 30, the Birds won their final five games of the year to finish 81-81. It was the second

time in O's history that they finished with exactly a .500 record, something Baltimore also did in

1957 (when the team finished with a 76-76 mark).

"This time of year, you reach for small victories," Showalter said. "They didn't give in. I was

kidding them that they were my cup of coffee every day, because regardless of how you come in

or out, they come in the next day ready to play. And everybody feeds off that, coaches,

teammates. And this is hard to do. As you've heard me say many times, to keep that mentality,

their competitive fire never wavered."

Still, Showalter wanted -- and expected -- better from the 2015 season overall.

"It's not good enough, 81-81 isn't good enough," he said. "We're trying to win. We want to be the

last team standing, the last city standing. And our city deserves that."

The Orioles will need to wait seven months to give it another try. And when they return to the

field in 2016, their roster could have a very different complexion.

http://www.pressboxonline.com/2015/10/04/season-finale-could-be-matt-wieters-last-game-as-a-

baltimore-oriole

Season finale could be Matt Wieters' last game as a

Baltimore Oriole

By Paul Folkemer

October 4, 2015

As the Orioles began packing up the clubhouse prior to the 2015 season finale Oct. 4, several

veteran players knew it was likely their final day in a Baltimore uniform. Some of the Birds'

most prominent contributors are eligible for free agency during the offseason, including first

baseman Chris Davis, lefty starter Wei-Yin Chen and righty reliever Darren O'Day.

But one pending free agent -- catcher Matt Wieters -- has been a member of the Orioles longer

than any of the others. Drafted by the Orioles in 2007, Wieters made his big league debut in

2009. During Wieters' seven years in the majors, the O's are the only organization he has ever

known.

Wieters will be a free agent for the first time, and it is widely believed he'll seek a contract

beyond what the O's are willing to pay, especially because the Orioles have capable in-house

replacements -- namely fellow catcher Caleb Joseph.

Prior to the game, Wieters spoke about his free agent status and whether the process could lead

him back to Baltimore in 2016.

"We'll see what happens," Wieters said. "I know all of us that are getting to test the open market

this year love Baltimore and love the fans and would love to see them keep improving and

hopefully be back. It's the first time in our careers that we'll have the choice to kind of see where

we think is the best fit for us. It'll be a new experience for me and something that I'll just kind of

take in and see how it goes.

"I think there will be a lot that will go into my thinking. I won't know until I go through the

process. So I'll do a lot of prayer, and hopefully God will lead me where he wants me to be, and I

know that'll be the right choice."

If Oct. 4 is Wieters' swan song, he said he will treasure his time as an Oriole.

"There's nothing but fond memories that I have from my time here in Baltimore," he said. "I've

loved this city and I've loved this team and I've loved this clubhouse. … Everywhere I've turned,

I've had a great memory or I've had a great feeling about what I've gone through. After the game,

it's going to be sad, it's going to be emotional, but at the same time, I want to remember all the

good times that I've had here."

Manager Buck Showalter praised Wieters for his accomplishments as an Oriole, both on and off

the field.

"He's such a contributor in the locker room and the dugout," Showalter said. "To understand the

full text of what he brings takes a lot more than analytics. … And he's always wanting to

improve. He doesn't have it all figured out. He's always very receptive to things."

Wieters missed the first two months of the 2015 season while rehabbing from last year's Tommy

John surgery. During 74 games since returning, Wieters batted .265/.318/.419/.737 with eight

home runs. The season final Oct. 4 marks his 55th start at catcher this season.

"I'd have signed up for what we got out of Matt this year," Showalter said. "If you go back

through the history of these injuries, Matt has done as well, if not better, than you could have

expected. And I have a lot of confidence he's going to be back catching 120, 130 games next year

if he wants to. I think he's pushed it to the point where he didn't put it in jeopardy or put us in

jeopardy from a competition standpoint."

Regardless of whether Wieters returns to the Orioles, he thinks the Orioles are in good shape

moving forward.

"Some of the young players and some of the veterans that we have in here, it sets up for success,"

Wieters said. "You have young players like Manny [Machado] and [Jonathan] Schoop. You've

got a back end of the bullpen of [Zach] Britton. [Chris] Tillman leading the staff. You have

pieces in place where you can build on it.

"And more important than that, just being here for the last seven years, it's a great clubhouse and

it's a great group of guys who want to win for each other, which is something special, where you

know the guy next to you is going to give everything for you."

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2015/10/05/orioles-say-re-signing-chris-davis-is-a-top-priority/

Orioles say re-signing Chris Davis is “a top priority”

By Aaron Gleeman / NBCsports.com

October 5, 2015

Last week impending free agent Chris Davis expressed frustration that the Orioles had not

approached him about a contract extension during the season, pointing out that the team had

previously locked up other players like J.J. Hardy and Adam Jones mid-season.

Now that the season is over and Davis had another monster year Orioles executive vice president

Dan Duquette told Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun that re-signing Davis is “a top priority”

and added:

“He’s had a great year and he’s been a great player for us, so obviously, we’d like to have him

back. Whether we can do that in the market, that remains to be seen, but we’re going to try.”

Davis is 29 years old, has some defensive versatility, and has led the league in homers in two of

the past three seasons while posting an .891 OPS during that time. He’s going to get plenty of

huge multi-year offers and based on some of Duquette’s other quotes within Encina’s article it

sure sounds like the Orioles are preparing for life without him.

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2015/10/05/orioles-tv-ratings-on-masn-among-

highest-in-mlb.html

Orioles' TV ratings on MASN among highest in MLB

By Ryan Sharrow / Baltimore Business Journal

October 5, 2015

Despite a disappointing 2015 season, the Baltimore Orioles averaged one of the highest

television ratings in Major League Baseball.

The Orioles drew a 5.35 average household rating on MASN through Sept. 20, unchanged

compared with the same period last season, according to data compiled by SportsBusiness

Journal.

The figure ranked fifth in MLB this season, just behind the 6.35 household rating posted by the

Detroit Tigers.

Around 1.1 million households in the Baltimore market have a TV, according to Nielsen,

resulting in an average of 49,000 tuned into the O's on any given night.

The Orioles, which advanced to the American League Championship Series last year, finished

the 2015 season on Sunday with an 81-81 record. The team ended in third place in the AL East.

The Kansas City Royals' average rating this season rose 90 percent to 12.33, the highest in MLB.

The Chicago White Sox posted a 29 percent decline, or 0.82 household rating, the lowest in

MLB.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25327680/chris-davis-homers-twice-to-lead-

majors-with-47-free-agency-next

Chris Davis homers twice to lead majors with 47; free

agency next

By Matt Snyder

October 4, 2015

Orioles slugger Chris Davis went yard twice on Sunday, giving him 47 on the season. That

means he's won the AL home run title and also led the majors in homers this season.

"Crush" now heads into free agency. He led the majors in home runs two of the last three years,

but was bad in 2014, hitting .196/.300/.404. This season he ends with a .262/.361/.562 slash at

age 29.

It'll be interesting to see Davis' free agency unfold.

As for the AL home run leaderboard, here's the final top five:

1. Davis, 47

2. Nelson Cruz, Mariners, 44

3. Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays, 41

3. Mike Trout, Angels, 41

5. Albert Pujols, Angels, 40

5. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays, 40