Hey Roch, there's been mention of Kevin Millar coming up with a team catch-phrase that has to be censored. Any way you can let us in on the secret without using expletives? Maybe you could use a formula along the lines of A-----E?

Nice wrapup Roch, thanks.

Roch, I hope the front office (not to mention Angelos) gets off their collective duff and signs Melvin ASAP. He's been nothing but the perfect Oriole in every way since he's arrived here, and he, along with Miggy, is the heart and soul of the team. He's a fan favorite and is great in the community. He lives here in the off-season! He's been playing at well below market value for years, and it's time for them to compensate him fairly.

Message to Mike F and Peter A: Sometimes you have to reward a player for loyalty and past peformance. I believe Mora's been underpaid for past two years. 3 year/ $30 Mil will make everyone whole. Give the fans a break and pay the man!

Hey Roch, I just got back from the game.I saw Schmuck woofing down a huge ice cream cone with half of it on his shirt. Did he save you any?

Wow, I remember when I was thinking of Markakis as a lock to make the team. What are his chances now that he's in this horrendous slump? I imagine it's pretty much locked up for him to go to Ottawa, but only because the Orioles would rather do that and the slump is enough reason to get away with it.

Hey Roch,

It was nice meeting you at the Marlin's game on Monday and seeing you again today. So tomorrow is our last day in Florida... what would it take to get a mention in your blog? A "You Roch Our World" sign? ;)

Keep up the great work and maybe we'll see you tomorrow!

-Lindsay, Jill, and Heathir

Great to see Penn throwing well. I agree with Roch that he should start the season in the minors, getting experience and building up arm strength. I feel the same way about Markakis, although I know there is plenty of disagreement here about that.

Roch, do you have a sense of whether Nick's cold stretch quieted the talk of him starting the season in the majors among the decision-makers?

Derek: I just can't go there. It's just something he's been yelling in the clubhouse to draw laughs. Shock value. And it works. Trust me. Hopefully, the team gets off to a good start and he comes up with something printable.

Andrew: Markakis was a long shot that began to intrigue everyone. Now he's back to being a long shot.

Hmm
Think Brokeback Mountain meets Cowboy up?

Roch, so now we know the blogs are just a clever ploy in picking up the ladies?

In catching up tonight on the last 3-4 days of blogs, I enjoyed the Stern reference. Reminded me of a story I heard second hand that maybe someone can clarify.

Being interviewed on a sports talk radio show, Syd Thrift was asked by a caller the progress of one of the O's top prospects named Gary Dellabate (a.k.a. Bababooey of the Stern Show). Syd responded by saying something like he had heard good reports on him and that he was progressing well.

Unreal. I've never been able to confirm if this was true. Is this fact or legend?

Drats, they're onto me!

As for the Gary Dellabate story, it's been exaggerated a bit. In talking to the show's host, Steve Melewski, I'm told the caller made reference to the Howard Stern producer, and Syd Thrift said something like, 'I've heard that name.' He never had a chance to go any further, since the caller couldn't resist jumping in and revealing the prank. Syd didn't have time to elaborate or give a scouting report. Maybe he would have, maybe he wouldn't. We'll never know.

I'm sorry, Howard Stern fans like that just begin to annoy me. It's one thing to try to trick some dry talk show, but then they start calling cool shows and they just jump in with "BABABOOEY,BABABOOEY,BABABOOEY,BABABOOEY...".

Thanks Roch for your continual updates, and maybe Millar's catchphrase could be....BABABOOEY BABABOOEY BABABOOEY BABABOOEY BABABOOEY BABABOOEY.

Roch is smoozing the ladies now down in Fla. Groupies for Roch? Maybe he will have to change this to "Roch Star"?

I LOL at the visual of Schmuck with ice cream all over his shirt. Somehow I am not surprised.

Penn, Markakis, & the other prospects...off to AAA or AA & get more experience. See some of ya in July.

Almost forgot, anyone see the similarity to Stern & today's athlete? He took the money & ran just like today's players do.
He went from maybe 20+ million listeners to 1.5 million in 2 weeks. He is almost irrelevant now. It's stupid of CBS to sue him actually, they are just giving him much needed press time now. The replacements they hired are getting 0.7 & 0.9 shares , things like that, that is the root of that lawsuit.

Roch, are there groupies down there at spring training? Like to hear about this little talked about info.

Ugh. Let's please not get into discussion of groupies. Just because there are women at the games does not mean they are groupies. I'm young, single, and go to the games alone. But I go to games to watch baseball, not to pick up baseball players. I've made the South Florida trip for 5 years now and have been a season ticket holder at Camden for about 7.

As far as being a Roch groupie...well, I'm down with that. This blog is going to get me fired from work because I check it about 5 times a day.

What was my point? Oh, yeah. When you see me next week at the games I better not even hear you think the word groupie. And, Roch, I think I'm near home plate. I'll make sure to wave to you.

Veronica,

If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, walks like a duck.......

Groupies are part of baseball lore & don't tell me you wouldn't go out with Roberts or Bedard (only 2 I know of that are single) if they even looked cross eyed at you.... :-)

Wow, Brian. That kind of misogynistic, backwards thinking gets me all hot. Are you single? I would totally be surprised if you were.

The point I was trying to make was that not all single women at the stadiums are groupies. Not all of them are there trying to catch the attention of the single players. Some of them actually enjoy the sport. Don't judge a book by its cover. I’m sorry if I didn’t convey that more specifically in my last comment but, hey, I only went to Brown. You'll have to excuse my poor commenting skills.

There are groupies pretty much everywhere, or at least very, very enthusiastic autograph seekers. Bloggers like myself just have fans, and the occasional stalker.

I know there are plenty of women like Veronica who go to the games because they like baseball, and not to get noticed by the players.

Veronica,

Settle down... don't get your... , never mind.
If I use a :-) I am teasing... 98% of the time I am teasing here. This is the one window I have open that allows me to break the stress at work. :-)
I don't hate women, on the contrary. I am all for women liking baseball as well. That gets me hot. Too few like the sport ,even fewer understand it or appreciate the particulars of the game. Most I have encountered judge the players by how "cute" they are though & could care less about the game, stats, etc..
Brown huh? Name dropper. I bet the baseball stunk there though... :-)

I'm sorry, Brian (and Roch because we have taken over your blog). I do get defensive when it comes to women at the stadiums. I know the type of girl you refer to. I see them all the time at the Yards. They give the rest of us a bad name by saying stupid things and pretending they know what they are talking about. Like one bleach blonde, silicone enhancing girl at a game against Oakland who asked out loud, "When is Barry Zito going to be at bat?" It took all the restraint I had not to throw my six dollar Bud Light at her.

Oh, but I will give you one thing: Brian Roberts sure is pretty, but I like guys who are taller than me.

LOL

Don't start insulting my G/F now Veronica, I was being to like you....

beginning... the cold medicine is kicking in....

Yeah....blame it on the cold medicine:)