Mora, Roenicke, Lowenstein to O’s Hall of Fame
Longtime team scout Uhlman also picked; Gausman adjusts to bullpen
BOSTON — Former Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora and outfielders John Lowenstein and Gary Roenicke have been selected for enshrinement in the Orioles Hall of Fame, the club announced Monday.
Mora was elected by a vote of media members, club officials and Orioles Advocates. Lowenstein and Roenicke were selected by the veterans committee.
Longtime Orioles scout Fred Uhlman Sr. will be inducted as this year’s Herb Armstrong Award winner.
Former Orioles first baseman Rafael Palmeiro was on the ballot but was not voted in.
All four will be honored at a luncheon at Camden Yards on Aug. 14. Lowenstein will not be able to attend because of a previous engagement.
A two-time All-Star, Mora spent parts of 10 seasons with the Orioles, batting .270 with a .350 on-base percentage and .431 slugging percentage. He is also among the franchise’s career leaders in doubles (eighth, 252), RBIs (eighth, 662), home runs (10th, 158), runs (10th, 709) and total bases (10th, 2,073).
His .340 batting average in 2004 is the Orioles’ best single-season mark. His 808 games at third base trail only Brooks Robinson on the club’s all-time list.
Lowenstein and Roenicke formed one of the most successful left field platoons in Orioles history, sharing the position from 1979 to 1985. Both were members of the Orioles’ 1983 World Series championship team, when they combined for 34 homers and124 RBIs.
Before retiring this year, Uhlman spent 46 years in professional scouting, including the past three decades with the Orioles. He joined the organization as scouting director in January1985 and later served as a special assistant and pro scout.
He also established the Orioles’ first baseball academies in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, and was responsible for signing Jeff Ballard, Steve Finley, Gregg Olson, Arthur Rhodes and David Segui.
Gausman making adjustments in ’pen
Right-hander Kevin Gausman is adjusting to pitching in relief again after making all 20 of his regular-season major league appearance last year as a starter. He pitched well as a reliever in the final two months of the 2013 season, holding opponents to a .205 batting average.
WhenGausmanfinished the Orioles’ 8-3 win Sunday over the Boston Red Sox with two scoreless relief innings, it marked the first time in his career that he had completed a game.
“It was a little weird, though, being out there for the end of the game,” Gausman said. “I’ve never been out there for the end of the game. [After the last out], I almost turned around and started running back to the dugout. That was pretty cool.”
Getting used to relief work also means making adjustments, and Gausman recently has begun working out of the stretch, something he didn’t do while pitching in relief two years ago.
“I’ve just kind of gotten into situations where I’m coming in with guys on base, and that’s one thing, if you warm up doing something, you should probably do that in the game,” Gausman said. “I think it helps me. I think it’s less moving parts, and the better you can get with guys on base, it kind of limits some opportunities for the other team. Watching guys like [ Chris] Tillman, those guys are really quick to the plate and they control the running game. They don’t allow anything to happen, so it’s less things you can mess up.”
Sunday was the best outing of the season for Gausman, who had allowed runs in each of his first four appearances.
Schoop arrives in Sarasota
Second baseman Jonathan Schoop has reported to the Orioles’ major league spring training complex in Sarasota, Fla., where he will complete his rehabilitation from a right knee injury. He won’t do anything for the next few days; his knee will remain immobilized until the swelling subsides.
“It will be interesting to see how Jon’s knee is after today,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Monday. “He got in yesterday … see how that’s progressing. It will be interesting to see what happens once he gets that swelling stuff out. See how long it’s going to be.”
Showalter confirmed that the typical recovery time for Schoop’s injury — he suffered a Grade 1 partial posterior cruciate ligament tear and medial collateral ligament sprain — is six to eight weeks. But the Orioles believe he could be back sooner, possibly as soon as two to four weeks.
“I’m going to see with the six to eight weeks and see what happens,” Showalter said. “That’s the long term. Got some sneaking suspicions [about] Jon, as young as he is and as strong as he is.”
O’s comfortable with Cabrera hitting 9th
Everth Cabrera, who has become an everyday player because of injuries to shortstop J.J. Hardy and Schoop, has settled in at the bottom of the Orioles’ batting order.
In 11 starts this season, Cabrera has hit in five different spots in the order, but in the club’s 7-1 loss to Boston on Monday, he hit ninth for the third time. Showalter likes having Cabrera’s switch-hitting bat and speed in that spot.
“Being a switch-hitter sitting there, we all know he’s a little better right-handed hitter so far,” Showalter said. “He’s a threat [on] both sides, real good bunter. What hit me in the spring when we played National Leagueclubs washowmuchtheyhonoredthebuntwithhim, whichtold mehemustbeapretty good bunter. He got thrown out [a] couple [times], the first couple ... stolen bases. You could see he could steal a base.”
Around the horn
Center fielder Adam Jones was hitless in three plate appearances Monday, ending his nine-game hitting streak. Jones still has reached safely in 10 straight games — he was 0-for-2 with a walk — and is off to the best start of his career. He is hitting .438 (21-for-48) with five home runs and16 RBIs.