Camden Depot Participates In Camden Chat's Opening Day Marathon

In a series of 29 Orioles and baseball-related articles running up to the beginning of the O's first game of the season against the Twins today (hooray for opening day!), Camden Chat has an ongoing Opening Day Marathon that you should definitely check out.

Camden Depot contributed a post to the marathon -- or, actually, a podcast. In a special edition of the Camden Highball, several of our writers -- Jon, Ryan P., Joe, Patrick, Nate, and Ryan R. -- took some time to dissect various parts of the O's for the 2016 season.

You can find the post/podcast over at Camden Chat. As always, thanks for reading (and listening). And thanks to Camden Chat for including us in their fun series.

The Camden Highball (Episode 13): The Rosters They Are a-Movin'

I swear there's a good reason for this picture...
you'll have to listen to find out why (photo via Keith Allison)

It's a new week and a new show for the Camden Highball.  This week Pat and Nate talk to Jeff Long of Baseball Prospectus and Baltimore Sports and Life to get his thoughts on Oliver Drake and the unique pitch that he throws.  Jeff also revisits his thoughts on Manny Machado as the 2015 MVP and if Steve Pearce can bounce back from a dismal start to the season.

This week's musical guest is the band jason., performing the song "Rarities".  They have been on indefinite hiatus so long that the only place to find their music is on their myspace page.

Camden Highball (Episode 13): The Rosters They Are a-Movin'

0:00 - jason. - "Rarities"

3:58 - Welcome to Episode 13

5:18 - Roster Moving!

11:10 - Revisiting the Brian Matusz Suspension

14:15 - Jeff Long joins the show

15:22 - Oliver Drake throws a pretty interesting pitch

21:46 - Can Steve Pearce bounce back?

28:20 - Manny Machado as 2015 MVP?

38:20 - Outtakes (pre-planning a Logan Forsythe centric episode)

The Camden Highball (Episode 12): Previewing the 2015 MLB Draft

This week Pat and Nate talk to Camden Depot alum Nick Faleris about the 2015 MLB draft and which players the Orioles may target with their first round pick (they have the 25th pick in the draft). You can follow Nick on twitter at @NickJFaleris

This week's musical guest is Mike Holden (who may or may not be Pat's brother).  The song is called "Take No Victims" off his EP, "Level".  You can find his music on his site, iTunes, and Spotify.  You can also follow him on twitter at @mikeholdenmusic.

Camden Highball (Episode 12): Previewing the 2015 MLB Draft

0:00 - Mike Holden - "Take No Victims"
3:33 - Introducing episode 12
5:17 - Nick Faleris joins the show
6:07 - Overall thoughts on the 2015 draft class
7:30 - Similarities between Brady Aiken/Mike Matuella and Jeff Hoffman?
12:38 - Orioles draft philosophy under Dan Duquette
14:24 - Players Orioles may be targeting with their pick
18:42 - Concern over Orioles pitching player development?
22:36 - Nick's thoughts on Mike Wright and Kevin Gausman
28:17 - Potentially available college and high school bats in the draft
37:26 - Nick's thoughts on the 2015 Orioles

The Camden Highball (Episode 11): Talkin' Bats with Juan Baret

Brian Matusz partakes in some "shenanigans"

This week, Pat and Nate talk to Juan Baret, the owner and operator of Baret Bats, which specializes in handcrafted custom made wood baseball bats.  We talk to him about his inspirations for beginning his business, the types of materials he uses, the Emerald Ash Borer, and more.  We also discuss the growing legend of Mike Wright and the shenanigans of Brian Matusz that will likely lead to his suspension.

As with our previous episode, we begin the podcast with a song by a local musician.  This week's show begins with "productivity" by Maryland artist p.zorito.  You can find his music on his Bandcamp website, and follow him on twitter at @diarrhea.

Camden Highball (Episode 11): Talkin' Bats with Juan Baret

0:00 - p.zorito - "productivity"
3:50 - Pat demonstrates his commitment to the podcast
6:04 - The amazing Mike Wright
14:15 - Brian Matusz prefers a high SPF for sun protection
20:00 - Juan Baret of Baret Bats joins the show
23:19 - Types of wood Juan uses to make bats
24:46 - Juan gives his thoughts on white ash and the Emerald Ash Borer
26:31 - Customizing Baret Bats
33:48 - Juan's thoughts on the AL East

The Camden Highball (Episode 10): "That's Not Good"

This week's episode of the Camden Highball clocks in at nearly 45 minutes (don't worry, Pat and Nate both got paid overtime).  In this installment of the podcast, we talk with Camden Depot and Beyond the Box Score's Ryan Romano about Bud Norris' 2015 season (hint, see the episode title) and we get his interesting thought on Chris Tillman, and why he may be potentially having trouble missing the strike zone.  We also discuss some thoughts on Steve Pearce as a super utility player and Jimmy Paredes (or as some have called him, the modern day Babe Ruth).  Plus some quick hits on Ryan Lavarnway and Kevin Gausman.

This week also marks the first time since the podcast has been rebooted that we will begin the show featuring a song from a local artist.  This week's artist is Brad Engler.  You can find his music on his website, Spotify, or purchase his 3-song EP, "From the Trees" on iTunes (search: "Brad Engler").  He also writes about baseball on the excellent Phillies blog, Crashburn Alley.

Camden Highball (Episode 10): "That's Not Good"

0:00 - Brad Engler - "Lean Into Me"

4:09 - Pat resists talking about the Washington Capitals

6:32 - Steve Pearce: Super Utility Player?

14:27 - Jimmy Paredes is a hitting machine

21:09 - Ryan Lavarnway instead of Steve Clevenger?

23:45 - Kevin Gausman to AAA

25:54 - Ryan Romano joins the show

27:25 - Ryan talks about Bud Norris' "interesting" start

33:16 - Ryan's thoughts on Chris Tillman

38:11 - Ryan gets positive with Jimmy Paredes and Steve Pearce

The Camden Highball (Episode 9): Greetings From Norfolk!

The Camden Highball is back after taking a brief hiatus last week.  On this week's episode, Pat and Nate answer a couple of your questions from Twitter and talk about the (slightly) alarming walk rate of the entire Orioles pitching staff.  We also talk to Camden Depot's Joe Reisel about the things he's seen in Norfolk during the first month of the minor league season, and he tells us who he thinks is the most impressive Orioles player he's ever seen play at Harbor Park.  His answer may surprise you.

Camden Highball (Episode 9): Greetings from Norfolk!

0:16 - Making an excuse for no podcast last week
1:24 - Orioles pitchers are walking everyone
6:07 - Adam Jones is REALLY good at baseball
11:47 - Concerned about Manny's defense?
12:33 - Our weekly Steve Pearce, Alejandro De Aza, and Ryan Webb segment
13:08 - Matt Wieters, Caleb Joseph, and 2016
15:36 - Nate's cat is hungry
15:57 - Camden Depot's Joe Reisel joins the podcast
18:30 - The effects of Harbor Park
20:50 - Joe weighs in on some AAA players
28:03 - Most impressive player Joe has seen play at Norfolk

The Camden Highball (Episode 8): Get to Know Your Orioles Prospects

On this week's episode of the Camden Highball, Pat and Nate talk about Ubaldo's ejection, Pablo Sandoval's techniques for breaking up the double play, and some small sample size issues for the Baltimore offense.  Following that discussion, they talk to Tucker Blair of the Baseball Prospectus prospect team to get his thoughts on the Orioles minor league system, which players he likes more (or less) than the general consensus, what he sees so far this year in Dylan Bundy, and what happens when you don't wear the proper scouting attire to a game.

Camden Highball (Episode 8): Get to Know Your Orioles Prospects

1:30 - Ubaldo's ejection
4:40 - Schoop hits the DL
7:50 - Small Sample Sizing the offense
14:07 - BP's Tucker Blair joins the show
15:22 - Overall state of the Orioles minor league system
16:53 - Thoughts on Dylan Bundy
23:03 - Christian Walker as the 2016 first baseman?
25:48 - Under the radar Orioles prospect
28:42 - Over-hyped Orioles prospect
29:44 - Quick talk on Hunter Harvey

The Camden Highball (Episode 7): Talkin' AL East in the Year 2015

On today's episode of Camden Highball, Pat and Nate discuss more of last week's Ryan Webb trade and try not to get overly excited about Ubaldo Jimenez's one hit (and more importantly one walk) performance on Saturday.  After that, in light of the Orioles upcoming series against Boston this weekend, we talk with Matthew Kory of Baseball Prospectus and the newly launched BP Boston to get his thoughts on the Red Sox, the Orioles and what to possibly expect from what appears to be a wide open AL East.

Camden Highball (Episode 7): Talkin' AL East in the Year 2015

1:08 - Pat and Nate talk about the Ryan Webb Trade
9:17 - UBALDO!
14:27 - Pat and Nate talk to BP's Matthew Kory about the Red Sox, Orioles, and the AL East

The Camden Highball (Episode 6): The Return of the Camden Highball

The 2015 baseball season officially got underway last night with the St. Louis Cardinals defeating the Chicago Cubs 3-0. Today, the Baltimore Orioles begin their 2015 season on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays. With the new season upon us, we thought we would resurrect the old Camden Depot podcast, Camden Highball. It’s something that we are planning to do on a weekly basis, with (hopefully) plenty of guests throughout the season.

Our first guest this week is current contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and founder of Camden Depot, Jon Shepherd. We discuss some surprises on the Orioles' opening day roster and talk predictions for the upcoming season. This week’s show is available to download, but hopefully future episodes will be available in iTunes.

Camden Highball (Episode 6): The Return of Camden Highball

The Camden Highball (Episode 5): Men who Stare at Men with Gloves

Oh, it is a Thanksgiving miracle!  The long awaited to be edited fifth episode of the Camden Highball is ready for public consumption.  Joining me on the show is Andrew Gibson of Baseball Info Solutions and Camden Chat fame.  We are discussing quite a bit about defensive metrics: what they mean and how they are calculated (in a very general idea-based way).  This means that we discussed the Orioles outfield and the worthiness of their gold gloves as well as one of our favorite subjects here at the Depot, Mark Reynolds.  Kevin sent me an email for me to comment on the Trayvon Robinson and Robert Andino deal that we wrote about earlier.  Let's get started...

Episode 5 of the Camden Highball

00:00:00 Music - Baltimore is the New Brooklyn by J.C. Brooks and the Uptown Sound (in full at end of podcast)
00:00:25 Greetings from Jon
00:02:00 Mailbag from Kevin in Newport News, VA.  Should we be excited about Trayvon Robinson?  What this means for Xavier Avery?
00:09:32 Interview with Andrew Gibson
00:10:25 What are DRS and UZR?
00:12:37 Balls hitting the outfield fence in DRS
00:15:08 Differences between home/road splits for Camden Yards
00:21:10 Good fielding plays explained using Mark Reynolds
00:25:49 Breaking down the arm component using Davis, Jones, and Markakis
00:40:12 Off season perspective on first base, More Mark Reynolds and others
00:45:55 Andrew likes Youk
00:48:04 Jon wonders about Travis Ishikawa and first base defense
00:52:02 Orioles needing to keep window open without selling off future
01:00:39 Baltimore is the New Brooklyn (in full)

We are available on iTunes (though we still seem to have some problems with updating there).  If you have any question you would like to pose to us, feel free to mail them via CamdenDepot@gmail.com or via the Camden Depot Facebook page.

Articles of note mentioned:
Depot's Home/Road UZR Split Post (it was nice to see this article had legs)
Dewan's indirect response on Jones and Markakis
Depot's pilot study on how arm components of defensive metrics change for elite arms

The Camden Highball (Episode 4): Searching for Nate McLouth

On the podcast today, I have finally gotten around to editing the track.  It was originally recorded on October 21st, but the discussion applies to today as well as it did on Sunday.  Replacing Nick Faleris on the podcast for this episode is co-writer of Camden Depot, Daniel Moroz.  We have a prequel discussion on what Nate McLouth means for the 2013 season on the Orioles.  We explore other possibilities for the outfield.  An aside about the misperception (in our opinion) of Mark Reynolds' defense at first base.  Some thoughts about internal and external left field options.  We also discuss the future of the Orioles behind the plate and what a Matt Wieters extension would mean.

Episode 4 of the Camden Highball

00:00:00 Music - Castle on the Cumberland by HooDoo Hounds (written by Matt Huddleston; in full at end of podcast - 01:19:00)
00:00:22 Greetings from Jon (with slight change in sound quality)
00:02:00 Mailbag from Phillip in Plano, TX.  Who earned their place on 2013 team?
00:04:00 Using Small Sample Sizes to Evaluate Players
00:10:19 Rolling into LF talk and Nate McLouth
00:16:48 Internal Options - Reimold, Avery, and Hoes
00:26:09 Perhaps a misguided idea about Mark Reynolds playing left field
00:27:40 Mark Reynolds is not a gold glove first baseman
00:34:32 Nick Markakis' defense is considered and his decline; other internal options
00:41:40 Free Agent Target: Josh Hamilton
00:47:25 Free Agent Target: Nick Swisher
00:54:14 Free Agent Target: Melky Cabrera
01:03:30 Daniel discusses centerfielders to shift to left (i.e., Angel Pagan, Cody Ross)
01:07:25 Orioles catchers and a Matt Wieters extension

We are available on iTunes (though we seem to have some problems with updating there).  It stands to be quite an exciting series of games between now and then.  If you have any question you would like to pose to us, feel free to mail them via CamdenDepot@gmail.com or via the Camden Depot Facebook page.

The Camden Highball (Episode 3): The Fan Never Dies

On the podcast today, we are recording on the Orioles/Yankees ALDS travel day.  I (Jon Shepherd) am joined by Nick Faleris from Baseball Prospectus.  We discuss a good deal about the series so far.  I discuss how attending Game 2 of the ALDS had an effect on my fandom, including the feeling to argue balls and strikes when you are 400 yards from the plate.  The Janitor, Jim Johnson, is discussed at length about whether he is elite, postseason performances, and the future.  Jones also gets a bit of a spotlight for his troubles at the plate.  Finally, we preview the upcoming games in New York and how I think everything is in the Orioles' favor at the moment. The recording was made Tuesday night (October 10, 2012).

Episode 3 of the Camden Highball

00:00:00 Music - Watchin' the Orioles by Songs from the Moon (in full at end of podcast - 00:38:30)
00:00:14 Greetings from Jon and Nick
00:01:44 Jon Shepherd's Experience at the Yard for Game 2, the Sadness of the Press Box, and Relating to the Grinch
00:07:15 Nick Commenting on the Dichotomy of Fandom and Analysis
00:12:22 The Janitor - Making Messes and Keeping Order
00:23:39 Constant Concern and Good Fortune
00:27:40 Preview for Games 3 through 5 in the ALDS

We are available on iTunes.  It stands to be quite an exciting series of games between now and then.  If you have any question you would like to pose to us, feel free to mail them via CamdenDepot@gmail.com or via the Camden Depot Facebook page.

The Camden Highball: From Yellowstone with Hope and Fear

On the podcast today, we are in the midst of playoff fever.  I (Jon Shepherd) am joined by Nick Faleris from Baseball Prospectus.  We discuss a good deal about the wild card match up between the Orioles and Rangers.  We have worries and concerns, but it is unmistakable to be in a position to run the table in October is a great place for Baltimore to be.  Camden Depot is also proud to reintroduce the book club and we are eager to present Weaver on Strategy as our first selection.  We will post more in depth on the Book Club later.  You have two weeks to acquire the book and read the first third of it.  The recording was made Thursday night (October 4, 2012).

Episode 2 of the Camden Highball

00:00:00 Music - Indiana by ABADABAD (in full at end of podcast)
00:00:20 Greetings from Yellowstone (or a bit North)
00:01:57 A One Game Playoff with Rangers is What the O's Want
00:05:00 Saunders is an Odd Choice
00:08:24 Fear of Darvish
00:10:10 Constant Concern and Good Fortune
00:17:45 A Bullpen is Hard
00:21:55 Camden Depot Book Club: Weaver on Strategy

We are available on iTunes.  It stands to be quite an exciting series of games between now and then.  If you have any question you would like to pose to us, feel free to mail them via CamdenDepot@gmail.com or via the Camden Depot Facebook page.

The Camden Highball: The First Podcast

After discussing the making of a podcast for almost two years now, Camden Depot is presenting the first episode of the Camden Highball.  Here we hope to produce a fairly consistent weekly podcast where the expanded Depot team of Daniel Moroz, Heath Blintiff, Steph Diorio, Jeremy Strain, and Jon Bernhardt will take part in discussing their perspective of things Oriole.  We are quite excited about this offering and look forward to the conversations that will come.  I hope you all enjoy.

On the podcast today, I (Jon Shepherd) am joined by our long standing writer Nick Faleris who is soon leaving to write predominantly for Baseball Prospectus about Minor League and amateur prospects.  We answer two letters from the mailbag: an evaluation of Steve Johnson and a discussion on what Andy MacPhail has meant to the 2012 Orioles.  We then tackle the AL East playoff race, who we think matches up best to the Orioles liking in the playoffs, and how to set up the post season rotation assuming the rest of the season plays out well for the team.  Finally, we add our two cents on the play of Manny Machado.  The recording was made Tuesday night (September 25, 2012).

Episode 1 of the Camden Highball

00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:59 Mailbag
00:11:35 AL East Race
00:14:15 Playoff Matchups
00:19:50 Setting Up the Rotation
00:34:00 Prospect Focus on Manny Machado
00:44:40 Nick Heading to Baseball Prospectus
00:47:51 Camden Depot Expansion

We are tentatively scheduling the next edition of the Camden Highball to post the morning after the final game of the season.  We should be available on iTunes by then.  It stands to be quite an exciting series of games between now and then.  If you have any question you would like to pose to us, feel free to mail them via CamdenDepot@gmail.com or via the Camden Depot Facebook page.

I would also like to thank Mark Brown with Camden Chat who has proved quite helpful in giving pointers to setting up this podcast.  Here at the Depot, we are familiar with appearing on podcasts, but not actually producing them.  We are doing our best to provide you with the best sound and show we can offer.  Any failing in this endeavor obviously should be credited to Mark.  All praise though is clearly to be directed toward the Camden Depot staff and our lovely, pleasant guests.