Injuries happen

As we prepare for the 2011 season, we need to remember that injuries happen. Here's a litany of Oriole injuries over the last 5 years. I probably forgot a couple, but if so, they should be minor players.

2010

Roberts 91 games

Pie 72 games

Scott 14 games

Wieters 11 games

Montanez 93 games

Uehara 62 games

Gonzalez 90 games

Johnson 106 games

Hernandez 33 games

Berken 47 games

Simon 20 games

Millwood 12 games

Total: 281 games offense, 12 games starting pitchers, 358 games relievers

2009

Izturis 31 games

Reimold 16 games

Jones 29 games

Scott 14 games

Pie 9 games

Montanez 107 games

Hill 100 games

Uehara 109 games

Bergesen 61 games

Total: 206 games offense, 270 games starting pitchers, 0 relief pitchers

2008

Jones 26 games

Sherrill 25 games

Sarfate 19 games

Guthrie 26 games

Walker 28 games

Albers 85 games

Loewen 135 games

Trachsel 11 games

Bierd 70 games

Johnson 26 games

Total: 26 games offense, 172 games starting pitchers, 253 games relievers (excludes Baez and Ray, who missed the entire year)

2007

Ramon Hernandez 33 games

Tejada 23 games

Payton 16 games

Patterson 24 games

Mora 20 games

Bynum 37 games

Bedard 33 games

Guthrie 16 games

Ray 66 games

Baez 39 games

Wright 155 games

Loewen 135 games

Trachsel 17 games

Totals: 153 games offense, 356 games starting pitchers, 105 games relievers (excludes Benson, who missed the entire year)

2006

Roberts 21 games

Patterson 15 games

J. Lopez 13 games

Gibbons 53 games

Newhan 116 games

Gomez 55 games

Hawkins 15 games

Benson 16 games

Cabrera 19 games

Totals: 273 games offense, 35 games starting pitchers, 15 games relievers (excludes Penn getting appendicitis immediately after being called up and before he pitched).

Although the BRob injury last year was a bad one, and we had multiple injuries to relievers, we were extremely fortunate with our starting pitchers. We probably won't be that fortunate in 2011. Hopefully the starting lineup and bullpen will have better luck than last year. Overall, we have to expect that we'll lose 300 - 650 games to injury, and hope that those injuries don't hit our most important players.

As we prepare for the 2011 season, we need to remember that injuries happen. Here's a litany of Oriole injuries over the last 5 years. I probably forgot a couple, but if so, they should be minor players.

2010

Roberts 91 games

Pie 72 games

Scott 14 games

Wieters 11 games

Montanez 93 games

Uehara 62 games

Gonzalez 90 games

Johnson 106 games

Hernandez 33 games

Berken 47 games

Simon 20 games

Millwood 12 games

Total: 281 games offense, 12 games starting pitchers, 358 games relievers

2009

Izturis 31 games

Reimold 16 games

Jones 29 games

Scott 14 games

Pie 9 games

Montanez 107 games

Hill 100 games

Uehara 109 games

Total: 206 games offense, 209 games starting pitchers, 0 relief pitchers

2008

Jones 26 games

Sherrill 25 games

Sarfate 19 games

Guthrie 26 games

Walker 28 games

Albers 85 games

Loewen 135 games

Trachsel 11 games

Bierd 70 games

Johnson 26 games

Total: 26 games offense, 172 games starting pitchers, 253 games relievers (excludes Baez and Ray, who missed the entire year)

2007

Ramon Hernandez 33 games

Tejada 23 games

Payton 16 games

Patterson 24 games

Mora 20 games

Bynum 37 games

Bedard 33 games

Guthrie 16 games

Ray 66 games

Baez 39 games

Wright 155 games

Loewen 135 games

Trachsel 17 games

Totals: 153 games offense, 356 games starting pitchers, 105 games relievers (excludes Benson, who missed the entire year)

2006

Roberts 21 games

Patterson 15 games

J. Lopez 13 games

Gibbons 53 games

Newhan 116 games

Gomez 55 games

Hawkins 15 games

Benson 16 games

Cabrera 19 games

Totals: 273 games offense, 35 games starting pitchers, 15 games relievers (excludes Penn getting appendicitis immediately after being called up and before he pitched).

Although the BRob injury last year was a bad one, and we had multiple injuries to relievers, we were extremely fortunate with our starting pitchers. We probably won't be that fortunate in 2011. Hopefully the starting lineup and bullpen will have better luck than last year. Overall, we have to expect that we'll lose 300 - 650 games to injury, and hope that those injuries don't hit our most important players.

Looking at some of those names from 06 and 07 is cringe worthy.

Troy Patton was a rotation candidate in 08 before he tore his labrum in ST.

Troy Patton was a rotation candidate in 08 before he tore his labrum in ST.

Troy Patton tore his labrum coming out of the pen in Huston the year before.

Troy Patton was a rotation candidate in 08 before he tore his labrum in ST.

The Orioles knew he was damaged goods when he was traded.

Troy Patton was a rotation candidate in 08 before he tore his labrum in ST.

Here are the 2010 Red Sox:

Martinez 22 games

Youkilis 56 games

Pedroia 85 games

Cameron 83 games

Ellsbury 143 games

Varitek 59 games

Lowrie 93 games

Cash 15 games

Hermida 35 games

Saltalamacchia 14 games

Patterson 16 games

Lowell 34 games

Beckett 57 games

Buchholz 19 games

Masusaka 15 games

Okajima 22 games

Delcarmen 11 games

Total: 652 games offense, 91 games starting pitching, 33 games relievers

As we prepare for the 2011 season, we need to remember that injuries happen. Here's a litany of Oriole injuries over the last 5 years. I probably forgot a couple, but if so, they should be minor players.

2010

Roberts 91 games

Pie 72 games

Scott 14 games

Wieters 11 games

Montanez 93 games

Uehara 62 games

Gonzalez 90 games

Johnson 106 games

Hernandez 33 games

Berken 47 games

Simon 20 games

Millwood 12 games

Total: 281 games offense, 12 games starting pitchers, 358 games relievers

2009

Izturis 31 games

Reimold 16 games

Jones 29 games

Scott 14 games

Pie 9 games

Montanez 107 games

Hill 100 games

Uehara 109 games

Total: 206 games offense, 209 games starting pitchers, 0 relief pitchers

2008

Jones 26 games

Sherrill 25 games

Sarfate 19 games

Guthrie 26 games

Walker 28 games

Albers 85 games

Loewen 135 games

Trachsel 11 games

Bierd 70 games

Johnson 26 games

Total: 26 games offense, 172 games starting pitchers, 253 games relievers (excludes Baez and Ray, who missed the entire year)

Although the BRob injury last year was a bad one, and we had multiple injuries to relievers, we were extremely fortunate with our starting pitchers. We probably won't be that fortunate in 2011. Hopefully the starting lineup and bullpen will have better luck than last year. Overall, we have to expect that we'll lose 300 - 650 games to injury, and hope that those injuries don't hit our most important players.

Here are the 2010 Red Sox:

Martinez 22 games

Youkilis 56 games

Pedroia 85 games

Cameron 83 games

Ellsbury 143 games

Varitek 59 games

Lowrie 93 games

Beckett 57 games

Buchholz 19 games

Masusaka 15 games

Okajima 22 games

Delcarmen 11 games

Total: 538 games offense, 91 games starting pitching, 33 games relievers

I think the numbers listed for the Orioles are somewhat skewed, as Montanez and/or Hill probably would have been in the minors had they not been hurt. By comparison, the Red Sox suffered injuries to their key players.

This is why I feel that picking up a "veteran starter", even if he is a starter-only type like Millwood rather than a swing man like Chen, is not a problem. You rarely get out of spring training with your projected 5 starters all healthy, and you certainly don't get very far in the season.

2010 Yankees:

Rodriguez 14 games

Granderson 24 games

Thames 18 games

Johnson 134 games

Berkman 15 games

Posada 15 games

Pettitte 57 games

Mitre 56 games

Marte 78 games

Aceves 133 games

Park 31 games

Total: 220 games offense, 57 games starting pitchers, 298 games bullpen

The Orioles knew he was damaged goods when he was traded.

In my recollection, he claimed to be okay and that his shoulder was just a little stiff in ST, but after he threw a bullpen session was shut down, then he tried to rehab it but eventually got surgery. He definitely spent some time not on the DL in ST and was considered a rotation candidate in that time.

2010 Rays:

Pena 14 games

Bartlett 14 games

Longoria 10 games

Joyce 77 games

Shoppach 49 games

Kapler 46 games

Davis 17 games

Niemann 20 games

Balfour 34 games

Sonnanstine 19 games

Total: 210 games offense, 37 games starting pitching, 53 games relievers.

I'd say Tampa was extremely fortunate in 2010.

In my recollection, he claimed to be okay and that his shoulder was just a little stiff in ST, but after he threw a bullpen session was shut down, then he tried to rehab it but eventually got surgery. He definitely spent some time not on the DL in ST and was considered a rotation candidate in that time.

Pretty correct.

But IIRC, the Orioles were hoping he would be better by ST, but they knew of the injury. When he wasn't alright in ST is when they shut him down and it came out that the Orioles knew about the injury.

2010 Yankees:

Rodriguez 14 games

Granderson 24 games

Thames 18 games

Johnson 134 games

Pettitte 57 games

Mitre 56 games

Marte 78 games

Aceves 133 games

Total: 190 games offense, 57 games starting pitchers, 267 games bullpen

Seriously, this is exactly why we need to add a quality veteran starter and at least one more reliever.

2010 Blue Jays:

Encarnacion 45 games

Buck 12 games

Hill 14 games

Lewis 25 games

Snider 65 games

Tallett 42 games

Purcey 77 games

Litsch 120 games

Marcum 11 games

Rzepczynski 84 games

Total: Offense 161 games, starting pitchers 257 games, relievers 77 games.