All the Birds can get these days are damaged goods (C. Davis), and over-the-hill has-beens (Lee, Guererro), etc.)

Shame about Davis. Too bad Reynolds couldn't mentor him about how to swing and miss without hurting himself...

I'm not blaming the O's, but the line of players who have stood at 1B for the Orioles has been somewhere between an absurd comedy and bizarre run of bad luck. No matter who it is, the Os 1B seems destined to have something pop up and hold him back.

Davis was damaged goods when he got here. One of the insider reports indicated that he had discomfort in the shoulder prior to coming over here. Maybe our great owner, the resourceful and renowned trial lawyer, can find a way to unwind the contract that his idiot GM entered into. This deal pretty much symbolizes the state of the organization. We can't even dump a veteran for a prospect any more without getting screwed.

Jeff, Not too much talk about Steve Johnson. I followed him through high school and the minors. He dominated AA this year and had a rough start in AAA. Since then, I have seen his last 10 starts have been pretty good. Any idea if he gets a look in sept? Or does he walk as a free agent?

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Jeff Z's reply: I think he could get a shot in December. May depend on how Matusz and Britton hold up, but you'd think he'd be a guy they'd want to get a look at.

I was looking forward to seeing Davis in the lineup the rest of the year. He's a good guy to have.

I never thought I would say this, but where is Randy Milligan and Joe Orsulak. I used to get frustrated by how mediocre they were, but these days mediocrity shines in Baltimore.

Can we get Koji back?? Getting damaged goods is totally unacceptable..

I like Reynolds at 1B.

And, even with C. Davis on the DL, the Orioles need a serviceable starter (Tommy Hunter) more than they need a stellar setup man (Koji) anyway.

Gil, Gil, Gil, what am I going to do with you? You know I love ya, pal, but you're letting your emotions get I the way of your good senses.

You have to look at it this way. It was a one for one deal, an aging, but very effective late man for a young, bulldog starter who has had good success in the majors. Davis is the proverbial player to be named later, that's all. He and Scott can rehab together, and if Dr. Yocum is as good as they say he is, they'll be back next year.

And the other silver lining is that now Bell gets to play every day. Little by little, he's getting more and more comfortable up here. He had a great game last night, and has certainly earned a shot to stay out there.

Not everything is doom and gloom, Gil, though sometimes I think you might actually be my ex-wife posting under a different name.

Too bad about Davis - hope it's a quick recovery. Hunter was the key player in the trade - having been a starter for a pennant winner, he's a tough competitor, ready to work. Davis is a young guy with a huge upside, but inconsistent in the majors lately (though his overall power stats aren't bad). If the Rangers knew he was ready to blast off and fulfill his potential, he would not have been included in the deal. He may well be ready, but nobody will know until he gets daily playing time, and that was more likely to happen with the O's, whether now or in the Spring.

Damn , I really wanted to see Davis get regular playing time so O's will know what they have in him .

Get well soon , Davis

I hope the lesson learned this year was that it is not a good idea to sign older players past their prime. Lee and Guerrero both sounded promising, mostly because we remember them at their best, though it is interesting to note that Dunn and Laroche have done worse than the over-the-hill Orioles alternatives. Signing Guerrero blocked Reimold, Pie and Bell (to a degree), and put Scott in left field (would he have hurt his arm as DH?). Now the Orioles have to find out if they can count on any of these younger players, at a cost of several million dollars doled out to the older guys. With no apparent gain in the win column, I should add...

ken, I don't know why, maybe it's merely the 14 consecutive losing seasons that makes me just a wee bit skeptical of any move that this organization makes. And ken, if your ex wife was talking about the Orioles, she was probably right. As far as the Orioles are concerned a light at the end of the tunnel is usually a train coming from the other direction.

I've been wondering about the many injuries to pitchers over the past decade or so. The rate of injuries seems much greater than it used to be three or four decades ago. Perhaps it's just my perception and an objective study would show a constant rate over time.

If the rate has gone up, then I wonder if the cause is high school pitchers using steroids routinely. If this is true, then it also explains why some successful pitchers lose velocity when playing professionally for the first time in the minors.

Obviously, I'm speculating. If a Sun blogger has the correct explanation for the many injuries, then please share your insight. .

Did the Oriole doctors actually give him a complete physical or just have him cough once & see if he still had a pulse???

JEFF I TRULY WISH ALL THESE PLAYERS FACING SURGERY WELL. THEIR careers are in the balance, something many fans seem to forget criticising them and the orioles. I REALLY had high hopes eralier this year to maybe see klein in sept. the way he was pitching. I PRAY HIS ARM RECOVERS AS SO MANY HAVE AND WE SEE HIM UP HERE WITH THE BUNDYS IN 2013. I still believe there will be a place for C. DAVIS here even if we got Fielder. IV would have liked to seen Davis at 3B some but he couldn't play there and not be able to throw. Meantime Reynolds shows what he can do at 1B and Bell a longer look at 3B. Now if only we get to see Adams and Miclat at 2B and J. Johnson in the rotation. I hope they are already planning a much stronger conditioning program for Arietta, Britton, Berken, Bergesen, and Matusz. I look forward to seeing PATTON get more appearences too. I believe we have some talent now for a stronger healthier team and maybe a Fielder filling a hole. Now another lefty or two in the pen and maybe arighty or two also but not at the expense of a draft pick except fielder a 2nd rd. pick.

Jeff; Do you think the orioles will ever be real good again?
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Curt