About Andrew Stetka

Andrew is a Bel Air, MD native who moved to Arizona in February 2011 and brought his passion for Baltimore sports to the desert. He previously worked at 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore as a producer and weekend host and is now a writer and editor for a national newswire that services thousands of radio stations across the country. Andrew grew up attending Orioles and Ravens games throughout his childhood and also went to many sporting events at Towson University and the University of Maryland including Football, Basketball and Lacrosse. He not only brings a great view from afar at the local Baltimore sports scene, but also has a unique national view on Charm City. You can follow Andrew on Twitter: @AStetka

Thursday Thoughts: Who the Heck Are These Guys?

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Andrew Stetka

1. Spring training is here and for the Orioles, it’s really a game of “who is he?” that will be played for the next six weeks. We always knew this would be the case, but it has never been more evident than through watching the team’s social media and realizing that the pitchers and catchers reporting this week really are a bunch of nobodies. Even players like All-Star John Means and top draft pick Adley Rutschman are included in that category. Means might have made the roster for last season’s […]

Thursday Thoughts: Showalter Shunned in Houston

Posted on January 30, 2020 by Andrew Stetka

It’s still cold and the Super Bowl has yet to be played, but Spring Training is right around the corner. Now I’m peeking out from around a different corner to see if this thing still works the way it used to. It’s been a while since I’ve written in this space. It’s probably been even longer since you’ve read any of it. Toward the end of last baseball season, interest in the Orioles seemed to dwindle. Losing 108 games will do that to a fanbase. But the O’s are still […]

Thursday Thoughts: Orioles Right to Extend Netting at OPACY

Posted on July 18, 2019 by Andrew Stetka

stadium at camen yards during practice with mostly empty seats

1. I was only mildly surprised by Saturday’s Andrew Cashner trade, and really only for a second. It makes total sense that the O’s would deal Cashner, who had put up some decent numbers this season prior to his Boston debut the other night. What shocked me more than the trade, however, was the reaction to it. I guess I haven’t adjusted my brain to be able to deal with Orioles fans who expect anything other than misery for at least the next five years. This is year one of that, […]

Thursday Thoughts: Don’t Buy Into The Fan’s Manny Shtick

Posted on June 27, 2019 by Andrew Stetka

After a brief hiatus, Andrew Stetka returns with his Thursday Thoughts column for ESR. 1. I was pleasantly surprised, for the most part, in the crowd’s reaction to Manny Machado’s return to Baltimore this week. It’s not that I expected to hear overwhelming booing from the fans, but I expected to hear more of it than I did. It’s great that, at least over the TV broadcast, it couldn’t really be heard at all. It looked all positive for Machado, who deserved all positive. Machado provided Orioles fans with some […]

Thursday Thoughts: Bad News Birds

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Andrew Stetka

girls softball team with jerseys on that say bears

This is a weekly column that dives into some random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. I used to do eight as a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. A couple years back, I cut it down to four or five, so consider it the Earl Weaver/Brooks Robinson era of Thursday Thoughts. (Today we have a Billy Ripken version) – A.S. 1. If you’ve watched the last week or two of Orioles baseball, I applaud you. You must really enjoy pain and agony. That, or you are locked in a dungeon somewhere and […]

Thursday Thoughts: Vegas Rumors, Anderson’s Status, & More

Posted on May 9, 2019 by Andrew Stetka

A panoramic shot of Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

This is a weekly column that dives into some random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. I used to do eight as a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. A couple years back, I cut it down to four or five, so consider it the Earl Weaver/Brooks Robinson era of Thursday Thoughts. (Today we have a Billy Ripken version) – A.S. 1. It was so silly to me to hear all of the scuttlebutt regarding the Orioles potentially moving to Las Vegas over the last week. It all stemmed from an interview given […]

Thursday Thoughts: Locking Up Mancini Would Make Little Sense

Posted on May 2, 2019 by Andrew Stetka

Trey Mancini catches a ball at first base.

This is a weekly column that dives into some random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. I used to do eight as a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. A couple years back, I cut it down to four or five, so consider it the Earl Weaver/Brooks Robinson era of Thursday Thoughts. (Today we have a Billy Ripken version) – A.S. 1. There’s been some bluster over the last few weeks about the fact that the Orioles are one of a handful of teams that haven’t handed out an extension to any players. […]

Thursday Thoughts: Stop the Position-Player-Pitching Madness

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Andrew Stetka

This is a weekly column that dives into some random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. I used to do eight as a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. A couple years back, I cut it down to four or five, so consider it the Earl Weaver/Brooks Robinson era of Thursday Thoughts. (Today we have a Billy Ripken version) – A.S. 1. No one should be surprised at the demotion this week of Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins. Neither fans, nor coaches or even Mullins himself can fret at the fact that he […]

Thursday Thoughts: Expectations, No-Hit Bids, & The Davis Problem

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Andrew Stetka

1. There’s no question that the Orioles’ hot start is exciting. Even after coming into the season expecting the worst from this team, there’s always a desire to watch a winning baseball team. Who knows how long the O’s will keep up their winning ways, but when you anticipate a lot of losses coming in, you learn to appreciate victories even more. I’ve written a lot about expectations over the last handful of seasons. This season’s are obviously the lowest they’ve been in perhaps seven or eight years. It’s important […]

Thursday Thoughts: Buckling Up is Done, Now We Strap In

Posted on March 21, 2019 by Andrew Stetka

1. As we all come out of hibernation and rub our eyes to awaken before baseball season, let’s not be too afraid of what we’re expected to encounter as Orioles fans. This one is going to be rough. Like, really rough. Let’s also remember that baseball is fun, and actually, already underway. The Mariners and A’s have taken care of that over in Japan with a pair of regular season games. 2. The only thing I’ve been able to think about regarding the 2019 Orioles thus far is how painful […]

Thursday Thoughts: Mike Mussina Get His Hall of Fame Nod

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Andrew Stetka

Congrats to The Moose In his sixth year of eligibility, former Orioles ace Mike Mussina is finally headed to Cooperstown. “Moose” was elected to the Hall of Fame earlier this week with 76.7% of the vote (needing 75%). He’ll be joined in this year’s class by Mariano Rivera, Edgar Martinez and Roy Halladay, who will go in posthumously after tragically passing away late in 2017. Fellow former Orioles Lee Smith and Harold Baines will also be enshrined this summer in upstate New York after being selected in December by the […]

Thoughts on the Hiring of Mike Elias

Posted on November 17, 2018 by Andrew Stetka

The Orioles have a new leader in place of their front office, following a harrowing six weeks that left fans in limbo. Mike Elias has been hired as the team’s Executive Vice President and General Manager. He will take over all of the team’s baseball operations, and according to the club, has “full autonomy” to build a staff and make the decisions. This is where you insert the “shocked face” GIF. Let’s first take a step back and think about what the last month-plus has been like for Orioles supporters. […]

Thursday Thoughts: Limping to the Finish Line

Posted on September 27, 2018 by Andrew Stetka

This is a weekly column that dives into some random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. I used to do eight as a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. As of last year, I cut it down to four or five, so consider it the Earl Weaver/Brooks Robinson era of Thursday Thoughts. – A.S. 1. Welcome back to Thursday Thoughts. I’ve been limping to the end of this abysmal season just like the baseball team in Baltimore. If you hadn’t noticed, we took a few weeks off here at Thursday Thoughts, and for […]

Thursday Thoughts: Bundy, Andreoli, & 2019 Schedule

Posted on August 23, 2018 by Andrew Stetka

This is a weekly column that dives into some random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. I used to do eight as a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. As of last year, I cut it down to four or five, so consider it the Earl Weaver/Brooks Robinson era of Thursday Thoughts. (Today we have a Billy Ripken version) – A.S. Before we get going with this week’s Thoughts, I want to do a real quick shameless plug. I spoke with Justin McGuire of the Locked On Orioles podcast yesterday about a piece […]

Thursday Thoughts: With Little to Talk About, Fans Focus on Mullins

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Andrew Stetka

This is a weekly column that dives into some random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. I used to do eight as a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. As of last year, I cut it down to four or five, so consider it the Earl Weaver/Brooks Robinson era of Thursday Thoughts. (Today we have a Billy Ripken version) – A.S. 1. Everyone seems to be talking non-stop about Cedric Mullins lately, and when he’ll be called up to the Orioles. I guess, when there’s nothing else to talk about, this is what […]

Thursday Thoughts: Trying to Digest the Orioles’ Sudden Turn

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Andrew Stetka

This is a weekly column that dives into some random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. I used to do eight as a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. As of last year, I cut it down to four or five, so consider it the Earl Weaver/Brooks Robinson era of Thursday Thoughts. – A.S. 1. It’s taken me a couple of days to fully wrap my head around what the Orioles did earlier this week. In fact, I still don’t think I’m completely there. But, it’s Thursday, and I’m here to opine. I […]

Thursday Thoughts: O’s Cornered Themselves with Machado

Posted on July 19, 2018 by Andrew Stetka

This is a weekly column that dives into some random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. I used to do eight as a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. As of last year, I cut it down to four or five, so consider it the Earl Weaver/Brooks Robinson era of Thursday Thoughts. – A.S. 1. Perhaps the most talented player in Baltimore Orioles history is departing. Manny Machado is off to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the result of a lack of foresight from the O’s. It didn’t have to be this way. The […]

Thursday Thoughts: The O’s Historically Bad Defense

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Andrew Stetka

This is a weekly column that dives into some random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. I used to do eight as a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. As of last year, I cut it down to four or five, so consider it the Earl Weaver/Brooks Robinson era of Thursday Thoughts. – A.S. 1. After a week away from this column, we’re getting back into action with plenty of rumors and speculation. Regular readers of this piece will notice there wasn’t one here last week. I took my own little All-Star break […]

Thursday Thoughts: Buck Showalter On the Way Out of the Dugout?

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Andrew Stetka

This is a weekly column that dives into some random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. I used to do eight as a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. As of last year, I cut it down to four or five, so consider it the Earl Weaver/Brooks Robinson era of Thursday Thoughts. – A.S. 1. When I woke up this past Sunday morning and heard about a weekend column by The Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck, my eyes glazed over. Schmuck took to writing about rumors that the Orioles could be relocated, and it […]

Thursday Thoughts: Prepare for Disappointment in Machado Trade

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Andrew Stetka

Manny Machado follows through on his swing.

This is a weekly column that dives into some random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. I used to do eight as a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. As of last year, I cut it down to four or five, so consider it the Earl Weaver/Brooks Robinson era of Thursday Thoughts. – A.S. 1. The Orioles finally went and did it this week. They benched Chris Davis, and there’s no real clear-cut path to playing time for the first baseman. Davis’ benching comes at a time where it doesn’t really matter. It’s […]

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