"I think he's just a baseball player," manager Dave Trembley said of Justin Turner. "He's kind of a grinder, a blue-collar guy. He can hit the fastball, uses the other side of the field pretty well. He hangs in there on the double play. He runs hard and slides hard. Good work habits. Kind of a gamer." (Getty Images / September 8, 2009) |
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BOSTON — -
Justin Turner had already been to Fenway Park twice before. He was with Triple-A Norfolk this season when the Tides played Pawtucket at the stadium. He had also played there as a collegian in the Cape Cod League.
But as he walked into the stadium Tuesday and entered the visiting clubhouse, he was overcome by a different feeling.
"It's something you work for your whole life and dream about as a kid," Turner said. "To finally get here is indescribable."
Turner, a second baseman acquired from the Cincinnati Reds last offseason in the Ramon Hernandez deal, was one of five Tides added to the Orioles' roster Tuesday. Pitchers Bob McCrory, Chris Lambert and Chris Waters, and catcher Guillermo Rodriguez also joined the club, giving manager Dave Trembley more options on his bench and in his bullpen for the final 3 1/2 weeks of the season. Ranked the Orioles' 27th best prospect by Baseball America entering the season, Turner hit .300 with two homers and 43 RBIs in 108 games for Norfolk. He could receive playing time at second and third base.
"I think he's just a baseball player," Trembley said. "He's kind of a grinder, a blue-collar guy. He can hit the fastball, uses the other side of the field pretty well. He hangs in there on the double play. He runs hard and slides hard. Good work habits. Kind of a gamer."
Turner's parents took a red-eye flight from Los Angeles and arrived in Boston at 5 a.m. Tuesday, hoping to see their son make his major league debut. They were rewarded in the sixth inning when he entered as a pitch hitter and went on to play third base.
"The coolest part is, a lot of these guys I played with earlier in the year at Norfolk," he said. "It makes it a little more comfortable for me being in the locker room."
Henn pitched in 36 games for the New York Yankees from 2005 to 2007, going 2-6 with a 7.53 ERA. He made 14 appearances for the Twins this year and went 0-3 with a 7.15 ERA.
He's expected to join the club before today's series finale at Fenway Park. Henn will give the Orioles another left-hander in the bullpen if they decide to move Mark Hendrickson to the rotation to fill rookie Brian Matusz's spot.
Waters went 9-7 with a 4.49 ERA in 29 games for Norfolk, while Lambert, who was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 20, went 7-9 with a 3.85 ERA in 24 Triple-A starts between Norfolk and Toledo.
"They could [start], but I would say that's somewhere down the road," Trembley said. "They give us the inventory so I don't have to keep going to the same guy night after night. Some of those guys that have been here all year, they've had a lot of appearances."
Waters, who made 11 starts for the Orioles last season and went 3-5 with a 5.01 ERA, said he has grown to enjoy pitching out of the bullpen. At Norfolk, he went 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in nine relief appearances and 7-7 with a 4.79 ERA in 20 starts.
"Whatever gets me up here to stay is what I want to do," Waters, 29, said. "It doesn't matter. Whatever I can be successful at and help the team, then that's what I want to do."
But as he walked into the stadium Tuesday and entered the visiting clubhouse, he was overcome by a different feeling.
"It's something you work for your whole life and dream about as a kid," Turner said. "To finally get here is indescribable."
Turner, a second baseman acquired from the Cincinnati Reds last offseason in the Ramon Hernandez deal, was one of five Tides added to the Orioles' roster Tuesday. Pitchers Bob McCrory, Chris Lambert and Chris Waters, and catcher Guillermo Rodriguez also joined the club, giving manager Dave Trembley more options on his bench and in his bullpen for the final 3 1/2 weeks of the season. Ranked the Orioles' 27th best prospect by Baseball America entering the season, Turner hit .300 with two homers and 43 RBIs in 108 games for Norfolk. He could receive playing time at second and third base.
"I think he's just a baseball player," Trembley said. "He's kind of a grinder, a blue-collar guy. He can hit the fastball, uses the other side of the field pretty well. He hangs in there on the double play. He runs hard and slides hard. Good work habits. Kind of a gamer."
Turner's parents took a red-eye flight from Los Angeles and arrived in Boston at 5 a.m. Tuesday, hoping to see their son make his major league debut. They were rewarded in the sixth inning when he entered as a pitch hitter and went on to play third base.
"The coolest part is, a lot of these guys I played with earlier in the year at Norfolk," he said. "It makes it a little more comfortable for me being in the locker room."
Orioles trade for Henn
In a minor league trade, the Orioles acquired left-handed reliever Sean Henn from the Minnesota Twins for a player to be named. Henn, 28, was 1-1 with a 2.33 ERA and six saves for Triple-A Rochester.Henn pitched in 36 games for the New York Yankees from 2005 to 2007, going 2-6 with a 7.53 ERA. He made 14 appearances for the Twins this year and went 0-3 with a 7.15 ERA.
He's expected to join the club before today's series finale at Fenway Park. Henn will give the Orioles another left-hander in the bullpen if they decide to move Mark Hendrickson to the rotation to fill rookie Brian Matusz's spot.
Relievers first
Waters and Lambert are candidates to join the Orioles' rotation when Matusz and Chris Tillman are shut down within the next couple of weeks. But for now, Trembley said their role is in the bullpen.Waters went 9-7 with a 4.49 ERA in 29 games for Norfolk, while Lambert, who was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 20, went 7-9 with a 3.85 ERA in 24 Triple-A starts between Norfolk and Toledo.
"They could [start], but I would say that's somewhere down the road," Trembley said. "They give us the inventory so I don't have to keep going to the same guy night after night. Some of those guys that have been here all year, they've had a lot of appearances."
Waters, who made 11 starts for the Orioles last season and went 3-5 with a 5.01 ERA, said he has grown to enjoy pitching out of the bullpen. At Norfolk, he went 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in nine relief appearances and 7-7 with a 4.79 ERA in 20 starts.
"Whatever gets me up here to stay is what I want to do," Waters, 29, said. "It doesn't matter. Whatever I can be successful at and help the team, then that's what I want to do."
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