Turkey Joe Trabert, raconteur, beer-can collector, sit-down comedian and loyal son of the old palatinate, will not be at Camden Yards today, and he shocked us with the news at lunch at Andy Nelson's barbecue the other day.

That's the first Opener Turkey Joe will miss in who-knows-how-long, and the 2008 Orioles season marks the first time he'll be without a share of two season's tickets in 29 years.

Those of us who know the man well use this as a measure of the fragility of the Orioles' fan base. Turkey Joe is from the old hard-core of Birdland fans, and he's a notoriously frugal man who prefers to buy everything second-hand, except food and beer. That he produced $1,000 a year in recent years for his share of two season's seats at Oriole Park provides sufficient evidence of his devotion.

But not anymore. "I am sick of the losing," Joe said over a mess of ribs. "I'm not going to sit through that again." He's happy to see the Orioles launching a youth movement, Joe said. "But I'm not going to sit through five losing seasons waiting for that to happen."