From the Far East to the A.L. East

by Matthew Taylor

O's sign Uehara

Call it the MacPhail Doctrine.

It's great to sign a player from the Far East, although the move falls into the category of "better late than never" as the O's are the last team in the A.L. East to do so. Nevertheless, it's another sign that MacPhail's "Extreme Makeover: O's Edition" is more than just empty rhetoric.

Baseball YouTube videos, especially those of pitchers, don't provide nearly the same excitement as do football and basketball videos that get forwarded around after the old alma mater signs a top-flight recruit. Nevertheless, the clip below shows one of Uehara's wicked pitches from the 2006 World Baseball Classic, during which he posted a 2-0 record and led the tournament with 16 strikeouts.





This second clip, from DoublePlayTV, provides a one-minute rundown on Uehara (starts at 2:30 mark). If nothing else, the prediction that he would sign with the Yankees for $12 million per year should make O's fans smile.