Tejada needs to give it a rest and so do the Orioles. He isnt helping anybody by taking an at-bat and wasting it just to keep his streak alive. I cant wait for the uproar in the media about the streak that Ripken is getting into the Hall Of Fame for being patronized for the sake of a spoiled liability like Tejada.

SNOW JOB!!!!!!!!
Roch are you telling me that a professional
baseball player, with a hand injury, only
picked up a baseball just before his first
at-bat??? If you or any of the other bloggers
out there believe that, I got a bridge in Brooklyn for sale. You gotta a be kidding me!!
You would wonder why the national media
is all over the organization.

Wow. that's as clear as mud!! Talk about spin control. Let's give both Miggy and Trembley the proverbial benefit of the doubt. Besides, I'm more concerned about Bedard-hopefully, "Dr. Castillo" made the correct diagnosis and he's back for his next start.
On a positive note, nice win, taking 2-3 from a Padres club that looks solid is a good step.

Roch, I'm still waiting for you to make a Hiram Bocachica reference. Tejada whiners, get off the keyboards. Go O's for now and beyond...

That sound you hear is me banging my head against the wall from wondering if the Orioles have cornered the market on hiring idiots. Trembley needs to go back to the minors after this stunt.

Wow. Now we have gone from keystone cops to orwell's 1984. Selfishness is sacrifice. He could not swing but he still wanted to stay in. He didn't know he couldn't swing but let's bat him 2nd.

He was man enough to say he wasn't comfortable in the batter's box but he still went ahead and batted knowing he couldn't swing.

Trembley owes Tejada nothing. He blew the call. And it really sounds now like he is not being all that honest about it. We would never be that unethical as to send a guy up there knowing we were going to yank him. Right. The official orioles site had a story that that is precisely what duquette trembley and tejada and the trainer all agreed on before the game.

I suppose they had it wrong. Freedom is slavery. Knowlege is ignorance. 2+2=5. The whole thing stinks to high heaven.

Tom D - what do you think of a guy who doesn't know he can't swing until he is in the batter's box, doesn't take himself out, blows the bunt, insists afterwards at first that he should still play and says after the game that it wasn't just to keep the streak alive and he will likely do the same thing tomorrow if necessary?

If I'm a reporter covering Trembley, I'm impressed with his verbal abilities thus far. Very quotable, and yet disciplined in his approach, not unlike Joe Torre.

Two words -

Bull Sh!t

That's the biggest bunch of crap I've ever heard! As you said Roch, that doesn't explain why Tejada was moved up to 2nd in the batting order. When has Tejada EVER batted 2nd?????????

It's crap like this that gives talking heads like Kruk and Phillips reason to say this organization is the worst in baseball and any managerial candidate would be nuts to take the job here. Girardi is looking smarter than ever for turning the job down

If I'm a reporter covering Trembley, I'm impressed with his verbal abilities thus far. Very quotable, and yet disciplined in his approach, not unlike Joe Torre.

Too bad about Bedard, but if he can't pitch he can always pinch hit: despite today's 0 for 3 at the plate, he's still hitting .400.

I don't buy it. Everyone with a brain and a pair of eyes could see that Tejada only took that AB to keep his streak alive. For him to say that he "didn't know he couldn't swing" until he got to the plate is an insult to Oriole fans intelligence. Shame on him, and shame on Dave Trembley for allowing it.

Add dilusional and a liar to Trembley's resume.

i'll take trembley at his word on this. he's given me no reason to believe otherwise. so far i like trembley. long-term i think o's need someone who can go match wits and balls with any manager. if they REALLY think trembley can then let's roll with him.

Donna, Now that I know that Miquel didn't know he could swing the bat until he got into the batter's box, I feel really bad for all the negative things I said about him. In fact, I'm ashamed that I thought he was selfish.

We all know what's going on. Trembley wants the job and he knows if he pisses of Tejada the Latin contingent in the clubhouse quits on him and he's screwed. He better hope the other cliques in the clubhouse don't quit on him for this stunt. If Girardi takes the job this morning and Trembley knows he's a lame duck does he make this same choice? Hell no!

It was ok for Ripken to continue to "show up" and be put in the line up every day even though his hitting was not that good, but when a curtosey was given to Tejada to keep his streak alive, the media has only negative things to say. There is a double standard in B-More. I liked the approach of Trembley and the respect he gave to Tejada and the team. and...The Orioles won. What's the big deal. Maybe the respect for everyone given by Trembley is what the players needed.

Here we go again with all you whiners, crying about Tejada. Seriously, give it a rest. I'm so sick of hearing people cry about the integrity of the game, where was Gehrig's integrity? If he's too hurt to play he's going to have to sit. It's not like he can keep doing this for two weeks just to keep the streak going. If he does have to sit then all of this is moot, except for the fact that you cry babies will be complaining that he had one more game added to his total than he should have. We, as Oriole fans, have bigger fish to fry than worrying about Tejada, and it's not like the rest of MLB fans already don't think the O's are a joke anyway.

Roch: As for Bedard's injury, it was stated after the game on the radio broadcast that first reports from the clubhouse were that he only has a MILD hamstring strain. We can only hope that's accurate and that he does nothing to aggravate it. Another stellar performance by an O's starter...rewarded with a win! (Boy, does that sound great to say.)

All you Miggy bashers out there listen up and lighten up. The man HAS earned the right to call the shots somewhat. However disappointing his season is so far, we are talking about one of the best players in all of baseball over the past decade, a bona fide superstar. And although he's sulked from time to time about playing for a losing team, he has, for the most part, been a solid addition to the O's over the past few seasons. No one can deny that.

For all the moaning and groaning about how bad it was letting Tejada give up an at bat for the love of his streak, I think one thing must be kept in mind to put this in it's proper perspective: As great as Cal's streak was (I'm most impressed with the consecutive innings played, which will be as difficult, if not more so, for anyone to break than the games streak), let's not forget that there were times he played despite being in mired in abysmal slumps that sometimes went on for over a week. This didn't occur as often as Ripken's naysayers would have us believe, but it DID happen. So don't trash Miggy for one AB and in the same breath praise Cal for not ever hurting his team, because it's both untrue and hypocritical.

An aside: So far, three games into his tenure as interim manager, Dave Trembley has said and done things that make me think he'd not be a bad choice to manage the team long term, though I want to see more. I don't think Lee MacPhail necessarily wants to have Trembley as manager on a permanent basis if he can get someone with a proven big league mangerial track record, so Dave basically has to have the team perform at such a constant high level that he overwhelms MacPhail and EARNS the job. The only way he gets the interim label removed is if the Orioles keep winning, but already he's made decisions that strike me as exhibiting bolder, more "outside the box" thinking than we ever saw with Sam (such as better utilization of team speed and baserunning agressiveness) and the team's improved play started with his first game as skipper. Whether that's coincidence (a distinct possibility) or not remains to be seen, but it does seem to bode well. Let's see if the club can carry over the new energy to the next series and beyond.

Are Tejada or Trembley running for office anytime soon? Because this is the type of garbage snowjob we get from politicians.

I have to say that professional athletes are some pretty transparent people. They are so removed from the realms of social reality that they think they can pull these lines on people and no one will be the wiser.

I didn't care for Tejada previously; I obviously can't stand him now.

To be honest with you, I'm not sorry Girardi turned down the Orioles. Really, his major league tenure consists of one losing season, even though he took a young team and kept it in contention. I'm not sure one year makes up a great resume.

I would feel very comfortable with Trembly managing the Orioles (and I'm not just getting caught up in the good feelings that go with a two-game win streak). I remember one other time the Orioles fired a manager during the season and hired one of their coaches who had some pretty good minor-league credentials -- Earl Weaver in 1968. I'm not saying Trembley will turn out to be another Earl, but I like what I see as far as his running the game (the Tejada situation today notwithstanding).

I don't think Davey Johnson is the answer, and Rick Dempsey, although I like him, could turn things into a real circus.

Trembley for all we know just decided to take the non-aggressive route, he knows theres a groundswell against him [Tejada] and that in the buzz about a firesale Tejada is always on people's lips; so ... Trembley let Tejada have the benefit of the doubt today in the off chance that MT was being sincere about his wrist feeling better and when it was obvious it wasn't, Trembley pulled him. Right now I don't think Trembley has the capital to totally oust players from the team, only to allow players to show their true colors through their own actions, i.e. Tejada being selfish and Gibbons being totally useless.

It's a meaningless statistic. I don't recall Cal ever showing up for one at bat, but Tejada won't play long enough to break any records. Cut Trembly some slack...he currently has the best W/L record in Orioles History.

Tom D,
From reading all of your comments, I would have thought you would have been happy that Joe Girardi turned down the Oriole manager's job today. Repeatedly, you told us that your were "not sold on him."

On June 20th, you wrote "Sadly, I feel the die is cast. But what I really hope is that the guy will turn it down. Unfortunately, I just do not think he is that smart....."

Now, today, June 21st, you rip into Julia saying "Julia--maybe the qualities that allowed Girardi to turn the offer down are that he is a douf a jerk and a certifiable idiot."

As you know, I went to bat for Girardi big time (he never was much of a hitter) and I am disappointed that he has decided not to come to Baltimore. But, you know where I stand.

I don't follow your logic. He turned the job down. According to your line of reasoning, apparently "he is that smart" after all. Why blast Julia and now paint Girardi's decision as revealing that "he is a douf a jerk and a certifiable idiot?"

Kind of funny that the manager who says the Orioles are going to start doing things the "right way" decides to put Tejada's streak above the team. Trembley talks a good game it's a shame he doesn't practice what he preaches.

Most of you defenders of Trembley probably have not seen the story that I referenced earlier.

It is here:
http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070621&content_id=2040984&vkey=news_bal&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal

It was written pre-game and posted at 4:30 eastern time. Here are the key excerpts in case you don't want to go to the site:

---- start quote

Tejada took batting practice Thursday morning and then held an impromptu conference with the training staff, Trembley and executive Jim Duquette by the batting cage.

They decided that the best way to keep things alive and keep Tejada healthy was to bat him once and sit him down.
"You've got to look at the big picture here," Trembley said. "We're going to do what's right. That's what I've been trying to do since I've been here -- do what's right, not what you're supposed to do. ... If we can't show respect for Miguel Tejada -- for all he's done for the game and the Orioles -- we're missing the boat a little bit."

Trembley said he didn't want to pinch-hit Tejada late in the game because it would likely be a crucial situation that would lump a lot of pressure on the infielder's shoulders. Trembley was worried that Tejada might swing with more vigor than necessary, which could make the injury even worse or cause another one.

"I understand what you're saying, but I wouldn't want to put him in the situation to pinch-hit," he said. "Usually, when you put a guy in to pinch-hit, it's a little more important. There's something on the line."

---end quote

Remember, this was all said BEFORE the game started.

Then, after the game...

If you read Roch's entry above you will see that Trembley seems surprised that Tejada was not comfortable in the box but FOR SURE would NEVER purposefully insert a player just to bunt and be taken out. "we don't play that game. we don't do that."

If Tejada really didn't find out he couldn't go until he went to the plate, explain what he was doing batting 2nd?

Didn't Trembley say something about being honest with his players? Obviously, that doesn't apply to the fans.

Pure bushleague, and embarrassing in the home of the legitimate streak.

I don't hold it against the "interim" manager to defer to Miggy. Realistically, what do you all really expect him to do while he's wearing the "interim" title???

Like I've said before, until management chooses who they really want to run the team and gives that person the full authority to do so, nothing's going to change.

Sorry, I don't have a big problem with Trembly or Miggy. How many times did people say Cal should sit during a late season slump. Seems like he wasted 4 or 5 at bats a game in those instances. He was also tossed in the first inning for arguing strikes. Maybe that would have looked less obvious then his stunt today. Agree he can't do this over an extended period, but I think hes earned one. It was a little like Bret Farve laying down for the sack record, but its a long way from any record. In case no ones paid attention, Trembly seems to be getting hustle out of these guys and some offense. He seems to respect the players and his background of managing at successfully at lower levels is in line with some of the better managers in history. Like to see him hang around a while. Glad Girardi isn't on his way here. May impress in interviews but so did Maz. The Marlins don't seem to miss him. Essentially the same record and team as last year, or maybe the new manager is also a genius.

Mark C-

Great few posts these last couple days. I've full heartedly ageed with every post and enjoy reading them.

Tom D-

I Just can't follow you? When would you ever agree to have the second batter of the game bunt? Regardless of who it is that is doing the bunting...you would be ok with that type of offensive strategy? How long would it be ok to do, until its not ok to do??? 2 days in a row? 4? 10? Against certain pitchers like Wells? maybe a great strategy for the rest of the year? Let alone doing it and then taking the player out....

I am a little upset at how the bunting went down today, but understand in the whole scheme of things this is just a small blip in whats really important. If I were in Trembleys place I would have given him the choice and probably let him do it for the day, but thats it...Hopefully Miggy can come back tomorrow and be fine, but I would have a problem if this kept occuring in this day and age. But, everyone that is complaining has a point, THEIR point and a LOT of people are in agreement.

It seems odd to me that someone wouldn't have a problem with this strategy? Adding the fact that there IS a streak involved just adds to the "mysterious circumstances factor", but it doesn't forgive the point that it may have been the wrong "team" thing to do. If a player can't even swing a bat or field a ball due to swelling, or if the player took a brutal hit the night before and was sent to the hospital the night before...then why take the chance of damaging the wrist more? And why put the team in a position you know isn't optimal to win? Those are legitatate questions that I believe most people are upset about...So maybe you could use these blogs as a way to see how other people may have a point and less as a means to make a point and attack other points that do not agree with your own...

Trembley has the "interim" tag, and this was only his third day managing a major league team. He needs to be given a pass on this Miggy situation, IMO.

Someone posted stating that Bedard is faking the hamstring injury. I just think it's outrageous to claim that Bedard, Hernandez, or anyone else on the team is faking an injury. Get a brain.

guys, i watched the game on delay. just finished it up here. yea thats the fan i am. what a good game. bedard is awesome. screw anyone who said they'd trade him! i have no prob with tejada hitting and leaving. who else do we have on the bench? not like we're giving up a big bat position player. also, i say keep trembley in. no reason to screw up with the way these guys are playing. there's hustle, there's running the bases. hell mora stole a bag! call me crazy but i like it. here's hoping cabrera can add on to it in the next game. we need him to step up too and follow bedard and guthrie.

I hope all the whiners about Miggi HAVE left their positions as "Orioles fans." At least some of these comments (thanks, Russ) prove that a few people have some sense left. You guys need to get a clue and get over your selfish selves.

Tom D - Seems you are so busy throwing darts at people that you've become confused. I do recognize the quote that you attributed to me, but it certainly is not mine. Apology accepted.

Secondly, what bearing would Tejada's stats have on the manager's decision to play him today? You repeatedly say here that his numbers will be the same as always at the end of this season. I just disagree with you on that.

christ on a cracker. after reading these comments. go get a life people. lou gehrig was taken out of a game the same way. look it up.

also. DON'T trade tejada. you people are all about getting a superstar. "tex" was shite for the first 2 months of this year. you all would have been grilling him on a weber if he was here and had those stats.

i hate stat people. play by the gut. that's the only way.

I don't remember Ripkin playing DH when he was tired. Didn't Cal hit over 20 homers have close to 100RBIs every year. Didn't Ripkin play gold glove defense. Need I say more. This just cheapens Tejada's streak and makes Ripkins accomplishment even larger. The Os should sit him tomorrow.

great post Russ, couldn't have said it better.

I hope all of the O's fans that rightfully lambasted Trembley and Tejada will soundly boo both of them when they get back to Baltimore. Trembley doesn't belong where he is and he cemented that by a minor league move. Tejada hasn't been worth the money he's received (sounds like just about every FA we sign) and I hope his days as an O are very limited -- like less than a month.

This organization is without a doubt the worst in professional baseball and perhaps in all of professional sports. What a shame for a city and a ballpark that deserve better.

P.S> Lou Grerig twice batted leadoff and then came out of the game extending his streak. We all seem a little too good at finding fault with any move. Trembly stood by his best player and that may reap rewards for the TEAM.

Trembley gave Miggy the same consideration that Gehrig was given to keep his streak alive. Lou got the benefit so that the streak could continue even if he wasn't up to it. If you listened to the postgame, Gehrig and Miggy both were acknowledged as having something special going for them and received the proper respect for their durability. Cal got ejected three times (at least once in the first inning) and the streak continued. Lighten up and Go O's!

How did Trembley get Bradford to pitch a scoreless inning? The guy must be a genius!

Who needs Barry Bonds when Millar can draw 3 walks in the 4 hole!

Tell me Chris Ray doesn't really have a 4.59 ERA.

What are the odds of Castillo starting tomorrow?

Well, heres' hoping Dave Johnson is chosen. He's certainly got the smarts and leadership for the job. Question is can Angelos swallow his pride, and hire the best man for the job.

Sorry to hear Bedard was hurt. Despite his endurance issues he's turned in a very respectable year. We've been spoiled a bit by young Guthrie. But Bedard by far has been our second best starter with perhaps Burres being third, Traschel fourth and DCab worst. Our starters haven't been the problem despite injuries to Bensen, and Penn and the Rlo giveaway.

I do have a question for you Roch. What's the latest on whether we sign Pheps?

Also why was Doyne sent down and Shuey called up? THere has to be some kind of logic why a guy leading the Tides in saves and ERA for releivers was sent down in favor of a guy with a 4.70 ERA on the Tides.

As to the Tejada incident, to me it is trivial. Mig's power nubmers might be down, but the guy always hits over .300 and is still our most feared hitter. If he had a guy like Tex hitting behind him he'd be even better.

I imagine Bedard will miss his next start with Bell getting a start. I'd be surpriosed by an Olson call up yet.

One would think the FO will ahve a decision next year on the starting front:

Guthrie
Bedard
Loewen
DCab
Olson
Penn
Bell
Burres
Traschel

with Liz in the wings.

I have a feeling one is going to go in a significant offensive move. We really do need a big power bat.

As to the bullpen, honestly i don't get why these guys imploded as badly as they have. They're all really underperforming. Who'd have thought after 42 million that it'd still be one of the biggest problems on the team? Not even sure how to fix this as releivers seem to be as reliable as Jay Gibbons pinch hitting long term.

Bottom line, including this season, Miggy has an average of .313 for the Orioles in his career. So what, he's on pace to hit .307 with 16 homeruns, 93 RBI, and 198 hits this year? That still leaves him with average season numbers that read like this : .313 avg/25 HR/110 RBI/204 hits. Quick, lets string him up and drag him outta town. Not since Palmeiro in the mid-'90s have we had a player who averages a season with those kinds of numbers. The guy is a gamer, and he has earned the right to continue his streak. All you people want to whine, but Gehrig did the same exact thing twice, and he is a baseball God. It is reported that his wrist has been fractured anyway, so the streak will end as it is, so what's one more game? As fans, we pick some lousy things to bitch about. Worry about who's going to manage this team and how we're going to get out of this decade long funk rather than Miggy getting one AB to extend his streak. He has played hard for this team and put up some impressive numbers and I, for one, will be a fan of his no matter what happens.

Tuning in late, but after reading all the comments and learning that MT has a stress fracture, I have to weigh in with the "minority report," from Tom D and Ken Francis principally. I can buy Trembley's explanation of events. He's "interim" and no one with that title would want to be a 1,000+ game streak stopper.

MT got a shot, reported a problem, and Trembley did the right thing in subbing Gomez at short. To all those bashing this hiccup in this dismal season, get a life, or at least get a grip on the reality that the situtation was complicated and not an easy call where any precedent dictated a different outcome. Not that big a deal.

Be thankful that the O's won, that Bedard got a well-deserved win and that there's opportunity to right the listing ship. It could be the beginning of an upswing, maybe not. Worry about Bedard's hamstring, what MacPhail will do, the Arizona series – or as Tom D said, find another team. The Orioles are mediocre, from the owner, to the FO to the bench, to be sure, but the Tejada-Trembley-streak blip is just that, a blip.

Earl W -

Here is what Jason Stark is saying about why the bullpen imploded so badly:

We've heard a lot of talk about how the Orioles' bullpen undid Sam Perlozzo. But Perlozzo did his share to undo that bullpen, too. Until Danys Baez headed for the DL, four Orioles relievers (Chad Bradford, Jamie Walker, Chris Ray and Baez) were on pace to pitch in nearly 90 games this year. And here's all you need to know about how insane that is: No pitcher in the history of the franchise has ever appeared in more than 76 games in a season. Those four, said one AL executive, "were totally abused."

Pretty interesting. The starters were sometimes pulled a little early, I thought, but more of a problem was not using a couple of guys at all, and using the rest for two few batters each. Getting warmed up to come into a game takes a lot out of your arm so the manager has to ration the frequency of appearences. Ours didn't.

Don Baylor ("20 Junior") would be ok with me, but I am rooting for them to get Davy Johnson in here and get him quick.

I think Dempsey is too goofy - and the players already know him and see him as a goofy peer. Too hard to change perspectives.

Absolute garbage. Can't this team at least lose with some dignity?

Trembley has demonstrated that he doesn't have the guts to turn this team around. And let's get real, Miguel Tejada ain't Cal Ripken and he certainly ain't Lou Gehrig. He's a selfish, me-first guy who the O's don't need around the clubhouse.

The worst thing about The Streak is we're talking about it and not about baseball, and if Trembley does some sort of dance to keep it going, The Streak will get larger and larger and baseball smaller and smaller. Let it go. Consecutive games? Come on! Moderate baseball stats people (Like me, moderate. Anyone who knows more than me is a 'Stats Nut.') know Aaron-Bonds-Ruth-Mays-Sosa, Ryan-Clemens-Johnson-Carlton-Blyleven, and Rose-Yastrzemski-Aaron-Henderson-Cobb. But Ripken-Gehrig-whoever-whoever-Tejada? It's not only a distraction, unless he's going to go another nine years and pas Cal, no one's going to care. Let it go. Play ball!

Question 1 on the O's manager job interview:

Your star player is injured and can't play, but he wants to keep his consecutive games streak alive. What do you do ?

I don't know Davey Johnson personally, but I think I know what he would answer to that question.

Why do we even need a manager when the players are constantly deciding when they enter or leave the game ?

Hey, who cares if the Orioles won? Who cares if they scored a combined 19 runs against the best pitching staff in the majors in the best pitching ballpark in the entire league? Who cares that the O's were aggressive on the basepads (and it actually worked, except for Markakis' horrible, horrible steal Thursday, but I can't see that being repeated too often)? Who cares if Bedard was awesome? Who cares that Alberto Castillo was responsible for 4 of the Orioles 6 runs in the game?

Nope, all that matters is Tejada's only at-bat, which was at such a pivotal point in the game. I mean, if Tejada had ended his streak, Chris Gomez could have come in and smacked a home run out to Los Angeles or something, meaning the Orioles could have won instead of lost! Oh, wait...

And for the one guy saying that Cal had 20 HR and 100 RBI ever year, he didn't.

Cal has had over 100 RBI only 4 times in his career: 1983, 1985, 1991, and 1996. After 1996, he drove in 84 RBI. From 1998-2001, he only drove in more than 60 RBI twice, and his highest total was 68 in 2001.

And after his home run explosion of 34 in 1991, Cal hit over 20 home runs only twice: in 1993 and 1996. All those other years he hit 13-18 HR per year.

So, really, Cal's bat was never the same after the 1991 season. He wasn't the offensive juggernaut people seem to think he was. After 1991, Cal hit for average and essentially nothing more.

New Rule For Managers: Every player sits out at least one full game before and one full game after the All-Star Break.

There can be no question that these consecutive games written into the lineup streaks are at best a distraction and at worst a complete misappropriation of priorities. And, of course, they do nothing in terms of increasing a team’s competitiveness.

We are not talking about consecutive wins or consecutive scoreless innings or consecutive home runs or consecutive RBIs or consecutive hits or even consecutive games with a hit. We’re just talking about the imprudent and counter productive practice of failing to take a strategically scheduled rest.

Best not to allow anything of the sort to even get started.

As for Trembley, the smartest thing he could have done would have been to come out on his first day on the job and sit Tejada right then and there and thus establish right from the git-go that he was about winning, period, not about enabling players to put their focus on anything other than winning.

It was a golden opportunity to make an important statement but Trembley not only didn’t get it, he went in the completely opposite direction and, true to The New Oriole Way, made a fool of himself and his player.

Maybe this fiasco will, at least, help other managers and managers-to-be understand the need for our New Rule For Managers (see above).

Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.

In general, I can understand the negative and disgruntled reactions of O's fans, but in many cases I have seen it carry way too far. The reactions to today fall into that category. David Steele's article, and the enitre sentiment that it conveys about "the worst day in recent O's history" are completely ridiculous and out of line with what actually happened.

For the last two years, I have been living in San Diego, having moved from Baltimore, and hadn't seen a single O's game in person over that stretch. I ordered my tickets for this series during the offseason and got good seats near the O's dugout down the third base line, where I could see into the dugout, and I attended all three games. Allow me to shed some light on this supposedly horrid day in O's history from the perspective of somebody that was actually there.

First let's start with some perspective on this series. The O's come in on the infamous 8-game losing streak, following Perrlozzo's firing, etc. In the first game, we are slated against Jake Peavy, perhaps the best pitcher in all of baseball right now. We are already slated for a loss, and to make matters worse, Traschel clearly does not have his better stuff. After going down 5-0, what happens? We come back and knock in 3 runs in the 6 and give Peavy his shortest and perhaps ugliest start in a long time and knock him out of the game. The Pads blow the game open in the bottom of the inning, but the O's don't hang their heads and give up, and they could have given everything that has happened in the last two days and two weeks. No, they go out there and put up three more runs next inning for a solid total of 6. Yes, we lose the game, but I leave it thinking positively about how the team battled and didn't hang their heads.

In Saturday's game, Guthrie is utterly dominant, and the O's bats come alive again for seven, also against a very good pitcher. We dominate the best team in the NL from start to finish for a 7-1 victory that was never close. Guthrie is shaping up to be one of the best pitchers in all of baseball and his stats since becoming a starter back that up. Remember that the next time you bash the team or the front office, who picked him up for nothing from Cleveland. We might also add that Tejada goes 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI before getting hit by a frightening fastball that was tracking straight for his face, on the wrist. If Tejada cared only about his streak, he would have come out then. He was already well into the books by that point. But no, he stays in because he's one tough mother ___ and eventually comes around to score, before being lifted. We'll come back to the Tejada situation.

On Sunday, apparently the "worst day," Bedard turns in another solid start, the O's play an energetic game with lots of offense (six runs again) and aggressive baserunning, the bullpen easily holds the lead for the final three innings, and the supposedly lowly O's complete the come-from-behind series victory over the first place Padres in San Diego.

A few notes on Perlozzo/Girardi/MacPhail/Trembley/Tejada:

With regard to Perlozzo, I am dissapointed that it didn't work out, but I am relieved that he was fired and I am happy with the timing of the removal. Like most O's fans, I was pulling for him from the beginning, but he definitely made some horrible decisions along the way that cost us too many games and my feelings soured. It is clear that he was not working out as a manager and that he was not going to lead us to the season we had hoped for. The thing I find amazing is that so many O's fans were vehement about calling for his firing, and then, when he was actually canned, backed down and started feeling sorry for him and began to blame it all on the players. Yes, the blame goes everywhere to a certain extent, but the fan base should realize that the firing was the right move at the right time. To call for his head and then back down once he actually gets tossed is truly low class.

As for Girardi, I originally felt good about him. I'm glad they pursued him as a first choice. It's not every year that the reiging Manager of the Year is on the free agent market (we'll forget about Davey Johnson for a moment). But Girardi didn't want to maager the team. The heck with him! I agree whole-heartedly with MacPhail that he shouldn't have to sell the managerial opening too hard, and that the guy who gets the job should really want it (this seems like a fairly elementary requirement). So we'll move on with somebody who really cares about the team and treats it like the privilge it is to be managing it. Which brings us to Trembley.

Although 3 games is definitely an insufficient sample, I must say how impressed I am with Trembley so far. He has the guys working hard on the fundamentals again, he is agressive on the basepaths (in a good way), and he has already shown some ingenuity in moving the lineup around. Furthermore, he respects his job and the privilge it is to be managining it, and he seems supremely happy to be managing it. Even from where I was sitting, you could feel the glow of his smile coming from the dugout. That's not to say I think we should lock him up immediately as our next longterm manager, but I do think that we should let this experiment go for longer and see if he can continue to change the momentum of the team, as it seems he is doing so far. If he can keep it up long term, there's no reason to conduct more interviews. If not, we go back to the drawing board.

And now for Tejada. First let me point out that Trembley's decision was justified. As a 20-year minor league manager, are you really, on your third day of work, going to shut down the fifth longest consecutive games streak in history? Of course not. Gehrig twice did the same thing as Miggy did today, and you don't hear too many people complaining about his honor or ethics. And as many others have commented, Cal played through several compromised conditions as well.

But I'd like to say a little more about Tejada. One thing that I took away from these three games is really how much energy he provides for his team and teamates on the field and in the dugout. This guy is constantly getting people fired up on the field, telling them to get their heads in the game, constantly encouraging people, rooting them on, giving support and enthusiam. This really doesn't come through on TV. You have to be there in person (and with good seats) to really appreciate it. I know the media talks about this energy of his from time to time, but I think the awareness of it has declined recently. He's still doing it. He's still undeniably our team leader. Yes, his numbers have declined a bit, but thy're still good numbers. To claim that Miggy puts himself before the team is ludicrous. Miggy is the heart of the team, and he knows it, and as a result, he wants to play everyday. At one point late in today's game, I looked over and Miggy was standing on the dugout bench, waving both arms over his head and encouraging his teamates on the bases.

After many years of this, he has strung together an impressive streak of playing everyday. Does he want the streak to continue? Yes! But is he doing it at the team's expense? That's ridiculous. He will sit out if he's really hurt. I agree with Jay Payton who said that if he does this once or twice its okay, but if he did it for a week, it wouldn't be. At any rate, his streak will most likely end tomorrow if the injury is really as bad as it appears, and no, he won't be "putting himself in front of the team," but he will be there continuing to encourage and support his teamates with his energy, only this time from the sideline.

Overall, I would like to say this: yes, it's been a bad ten years, and yes this team has dissapointed an awful lot this year, but there are still plenty of bright spots on the current Orioles. There is much more that is positive happening on this present ballclub than the David Steele's or the Jon Kruck's or the Joe Girardi's of this world will ever know. Fine, let them all have their perception of this team and franchise as a horrible and backward bunch of self-serving underperforming losers. Let them believe whatever they want. But at the end of this "worst day" in recent O's history, let's point out the naked fact that this same club just walked into San Diego with an interim manager, an 8 game losing streak, everything seemingly up in the air, and all the reason in the world to fall apart further and to actually believe in all that garbage that everybody is saying about them. But no, that didn't happen. Instead they pulled out a come-from-behind series win on the road against the best team in the NL. If that's our worst day, I can't possibly imagine what our best would look like.

Many of these comments that have just bubbled up from within echo the many good and wise points made by Ken Francis above.

The era of whiny and endlessly disgruntled and pessimistic O's fans (who themselves help to drive the ongoing cycle of managers with their angry comments) must come to an end. We may be in last place, but there are many positives remaining on this team still. If this whole organization is really going to change, the fans must also change and that should begin now.

On this apparently most awaful of days, I for one saw great posiitives, great baseball, great fundamentals, and great clubhouse comraderie. I hope that others will learn to see this too.

I still say that in this blue-collar town, there are double standards. Miggy is certainly doing much, much, much, much, much better than Gibbons. I don't hear one word of complaint about that. I don't hear flak about hiring Gibbons for extra years. Gibbons has never been more than mediocre. In my many years as an Oriole fan, there is always one "type" of player doing poorly, he is still lauded for being an nice guy. Another "type" player who plays reasonably well will get grief for not doing better! Oriole fans need to take a good look within. It is also a wonder whether the Orioles organization in itw own way perpetuates this clearly divided thinking

I agree with some of you. Let's get off these guys backs for a minute. Tejada deserves this (Gehrig did it twice). I love Cal Ripken and was the only one in my family who did not scream for him to sit when he was hitting under .200. How many of you nay sayers can say that? I gloated the next year when he has his MVP season. I hope we can all do the same very soon if and when this franchise returns to its once proud status. Wea re all tired of losing. I doubt most of the Orioles like to lose as well. Let's hope Angelos gets out of his own way this time and let's the front office do its thing. Let Miguel Tejada alone please!

I keep hearing people complaining about the integrity of the game on the radio this morning.

Integrity? Of a game full of guys who take steroids on top of steroids, horse tranquilzers, what have you.

And isn't this damn near what the Yankees did when Gherig had a sore back and they had him bat leadoff as the SS. He grounded out, and was taken out. Streak intact. What crap.

If I'm Trembley, the very first order of business would have been to end Tejada's streak, before the injury even occurred. It's a distraction the team doesn't need. If Miguel has a problem with that, he's telling the rest of us that he's a distraction the team doesn't need. If the team is interested in winning games, they need to get rid of all the background noise and nobody's feelings should be spared in the process at the expense of the team's performance. While he's healing, I'd be looking for ways to unload him. The organization has hit rock bottom and it's time to clean house and keep only the parts that look like they can make the team better next year or the year after.

I think the most serious part of the Tejada injury that no one seems to be talking about is his value to be traded. It seems like McPhail was coming in to do some house cleaning (if Petey actually lets him) and now with his wrist broke then who would want to trade for him. Who knows if he would have been traded if healthy, but with that injury it doesn't look good to get something back in return for him.

Hey Roch. Any truth to the rumor going around that Garardi required a clause in his contract allowing him to interview with the Yanks or Cubs while still under contract?

Bynum or Fahey at SS?

I don't care about the bunt. Average Cal gets to keep his streak so let's move on.

I agree with the positive perspectives, on the team, on the interim mananger and on the state of the O's.
I like what Trembley has done/imparted to this team, so far.
You can not sit back and wait for hits to occurr, you have to be proactive, which he is.
You can see the difference in attitude immediately...the hustle, the excitement and enthusiasm on the bench.
I am not disappointed in the Girardi decision. He has no great track record, and is someone that prefers to be elsewhere, thank you for being candid.
As for Tejada, he deserves 1 or 2 attempts to keep his streak alive. It did not hurt the team, and the manager, was up front and immediately addressed the issue, what a change.
Please remember, that Saint Cal, was repeatedly asked, requested to take a rest, but no...it was more about Cal than the team. Also we won nadda in the Cal era,
but even so, it was always about Cal, and still is today. The Oriloes allowed dissension on the team with Cal's impetus....separate hotels, and other privileges for him and his pal Brady and Hoiles. I hated it then and still do.
Let's give this team and the new management a chance to shift the paradigm...we all deserve it!

I heard on 105.7 this morning that Tejada's wrist is fractured- If so, this banter about the streak is all a moot point. Time to let it go- and usher in the Bynum era.

You people really need to get a life if you are mad about Trembley putting in Tejada. BIG DEAL. Tejada thought he could play, and the pain was just too much, so Trembley took him out. END IT THERE AND SHUT UP. What we should be concerned about is that Tejada's trade value just went down the toilet. I think Trembley is a huge upgrade from Perlozzo, and should be considered as a permanent replacement. When was the last time the O's took infield practice before a game before Trembley's era? The O's need to get back to the basics, and he seems like a good guy to teach that.

I am glad Girardi doesn't want to come here. Do you think this town really wants a Yankee guy running the show. Lets bring back Davy Johnson, maybe that will help lift the Curse of Davy Johnson that has plauged the Orioles for almost 10 years now.

Cal Ripken, Jr: "The emphasis should be on the team. There have been times during the streak when the emphasis was on the streak. I was never comfortable with that. It was time to move the focus back to the team."

Yesterday's at-bat was about the streak. It's time for Miggy to shift the emphasis back to the team. The injury will heal faster if he doesn't play, and the O's need him at 100% as soon as possible.

I'm willing to cut Miggy some slack for one day. But if he does it again, then it's the idiots who are complaining about "whiners" that will need to explain how continuing this stunt isn't a selfish act that hurts the team.

See ya Girardi, I don't think I care. I'm always a bit leery of the "hot" candidates, whether they be football coaches or baseball managers. Seems like many of the "hot" guys don't pan out. And tell me again, how much experience does Girardi have as a manager? And how smart can a guy be who tells his boss to shut up?

Dusty Baker doesn't seem to be interested, and that's fine with me. Davey Johnson??? I'd want someone more current. Don Baylor, where did that name pop up from. Seems like the usual suspects, the same cast of recycled characters. My vote would be give Trembly a long look and keep Rick Dempsey on the short list.

You NEVER would of seen Cal do that yesterday, goes to show you, he's only playing for the streak ... time to go Miggy .. You're not a team player !! Enjoy the DL !

Criminy, here we go again. You people piddle all over Tejada when he muffs a play or doesn't give it the ol' Charlie Hustle on a pop fly, but when he tries to play through a BROKEN wrist, you dog him for wanting to keep the streak alive! Shaddap!! A broken wrist isn't like a twisted ankle that you can wrap real tight and tough it out. Nobody's taking anything away from Cal -- yeah, he could've stood a day off here or there, but big ups for the guy dragging it out there every day -- but come on, give Miguel a little bit of credit, too! It's not his fault he was born in Dominican and not Aberdeen; at least try to believe that he might have wanted to plat to help the team.

The O;s should let Gomez play short or at least DH more often . He produces when he plays but he plays little.

The O;s should let Gomez play short or at least DH more often . He produces when he plays but he plays little.

Oh for the love of Pete is there ANYTHING this fanbase won't complain about?

So what, Miguel was given a chance to have a "cheap" game and extend his game streak? What does that hurt? He was taken out after one at bat and the team was not made to suffer for it by having him stay in the whole game and take several poor at bats and make any fielding errors. It's not a crime and I wish everyone would stop acting like it is!

It doesn't ruin anyone's integrity as even the almight Gherig did the same type of thing on two separate ocassions! Now that the scans have come back to show that he has a fracture the story is different. One game is a courtesy and I agree with Trembley that it's a respect that Miggy deserved...now we know that he isn't going to be able to help the team until he's healed up and if they continue to allow him a single at bat over an extended time just to keep the streak going THEN we can start talking about integrity.

Lets not start Tejadagate, he isn't the first Oriole with a questionable start to keep his streak alive.

I'm glad Trembley is showing respect for the Orioles' consecutive losing seasons streak.

Wow. Now we have gone from keystone cops to orwell's 1984. Selfishness is sacrifice. He could not swing but he still wanted to stay in. He didn't know he couldn't swing but let's bat him 2nd.

He was man enough to say he wasn't comfortable in the batter's box but he still went ahead and batted knowing he couldn't swing.

Trembley owes Tejada nothing. He blew the call. And it really sounds now like he is not being all that honest about it. We would never be that unethical as to send a guy up there knowing we were going to yank him. Right. The official orioles site had a story that that is precisely what duquette trembley and tejada and the trainer all agreed on before the game.

I suppose they had it wrong. Freedom is slavery. Knowlege is ignorance. 2+2=5. The whole thing stinks to high heaven.

Tom D - what do you think of a guy who doesn't know he can't swing until he is in the batter's box, doesn't take himself out, blows the bunt, insists afterwards at first that he should still play and says after the game that it wasn't just to keep the streak alive and he will likely do the same thing tomorrow if necessary?

bigger mistake than tejada-gate was kissing girardi's ass, knowing full well all NY guys and half of world were blowing up his cell phone urging him "don't go to baltimore" probably massive collusion took place but we'll never know.

Os should have left him on shelf for a few weeks then talked to him. this is all angry angelos acting impulsively behind schenes. he probably feels sting of fan hate more than anyone. and deservedly so.

The O's should play Gomez more often. He usually drives in a run when he plays .

Just some stuff off ESPN worth reading...

Rumbling along
• Life with Peter Angelos, Part 1: True story: The Orioles' entire baseball-operations department first heard about Angelos' decision to hire Andy MacPhail when they read Buster Olney's story on ESPN.com. Seriously.

Life with Peter Angelos, Part 2: Obviously, MacPhail never would have taken this job if Angelos hadn't promised him he'd have nearly full autonomy. But one baseball official who has known Angelos for years told Rumblings: "I still question whether he'll let Andy do what's necessary. Andy will do a great job there if Peter lets him do his job. But Peter is Peter. So I doubt it." But another baseball man who has worked with Angelos says, "I know everyone is skeptical that he'll really relinquish the reins. But I honestly think he's had enough. I think the losing finally got to him."

Life with Peter Angelos, Part 3: One friend of Joe Girardi told Rumblings this week: "If Joe were to ask me whether he should take this job, I'd tell him he's nuts. I just can't see him working for Peter Angelos. I'd tell him to wait for a better job."

Girardi's buddies in the game say the one job he'd be interested in besides the Yankees, Mets and Cubs would surprise you. It's the Royals, if Buddy Bell ever gets fired, because of Girardi's respect for GM Dayton Moore.

• We've heard a lot of talk about how the Orioles' bullpen undid Sam Perlozzo. But Perlozzo did his share to undo that bullpen, too. Until Danys Baez headed for the DL, four Orioles relievers (Chad Bradford, Jamie Walker, Chris Ray and Baez) were on pace to pitch in nearly 90 games this year. And here's all you need to know about how insane that is: No pitcher in the history of the franchise has ever appeared in more than 76 games in a season. Those four, said one AL executive, "were totally abused."

• Don't be surprised if the Orioles add Don Baylor to their managerial-interview list. But Dusty Baker was never a candidate for that list. Every indication is that MacPhail thought Baker wasn't the right fit for this team.

• The other blockbuster firing of the week was Eddie Murray's exit as Dodgers hitting coach. Dodgers players have told their friends that Murray was so headstrong and old-school that half the position players on the roster weren't even on speaking terms with him.

To all of those referencing the Gehrig incidents, please keep in mind:

1) Road trips were a lot more arduous then then they are now. No cushy seats in first-class 747s for the Iron Horse.

2) It took a fatal disease to end Gehrig's streak. If not for the ALS, Lou may have continued the streak for a few more years. Even at the age of 35, when he was probably in the first stage of the disease, he still managed to hit .295 (his lowest average since 1925 at the age of 22) and hit 29 HRs and knock in 114 runs.

3) Throughout his streak, Lou played despite a broken thumb, a broken toe, back spasms, and lumbago.

4) Miguel Tejada does not deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Lou Gehrig or Cal Ripken. By his actions, he put himself and the streak ahead of the team and that is reprehensible.

You know people kill me; their memories are short, and they are always ready to jump to conclusions that condemn others. I watched Ripken play for a long time, and he would never have completed the stereak without a lot of concession, from Orioles management. Anyone who paid, or pays attention knows there was lots of discussion as to whether Cal 's streak had become bigger than the welfare of the team; so GET OFF IT PEOPLE!!
Anyone who knows sports also knows that the situation with Miggy giving it a go before conceeding to sitting out is very commonplace. I am no professionl athlete, but I remember attempting to play basketball the day after getting my ribs cracked in a sparring match. My ribs hurt, I couldn't breathe very deeply, but still I wanted to give it a shot, and that was just for kicks, not for the millions of dollars that Miggy gets paid!
I now have a crooked finger from doing the same type of thing from attempting to swing a softball bat the day after dislocating a finger in a basketball game. Get real people!

Here's what bothers me about the Tejada situation: They wasted an out putting him in the 2 spot. For a team that has trouble scoring, they really need to cherish those 27 outs (maybe even more so than in the Earl Weaver days). The Lou Gehrig-era Yankees could afford to be a little more frivolous about wasting an out, the 2007 Orioles need to think twice about it.

However, the Orioles won the game and all will be forgotten in two weeks. Of some of the inane errors in judgement this team has made over the past ten years, this is a minor one.

I know my attention will be focused on whether or not Chris Gomez is ready to step up and produce like he did yesterday. (Great job, Chris!) I won't think twice about the Tejada bunt flap after today.

I'll be curious to see how this team responds to a possible extended absence by Tejada. Sometimes adversity can rally a team. I'm not ready to write this team off because of Tejdada's injury. Maybe, Huff's bat picks up a little . . . Maybe Gomez is able to produce close to a 2007 Tejada-like level . . . Maybe Freddie Bynum gets some starts . . . Maybe one of our AAA hitters gets some experience . . . Maybe I'll stop writing in Larry King-ellipsis style.

Of course, maybe the Orioles will tank, who knows? I will miss Tejada, but his injury at least provides a little intrigue. At least for a little while.

Barry V Lipinski - Ever heard of sarcasm?

Just wondering.

Specifically, Julia speculated that some greater nobility and intelligence lead Girardi to reject the O's job. I offered an alternative interpretation to why he made the decision - he is too stupid to see what his opportunities and options are.

And maybe I was being, oh, I don't know, facetious? Maybe a little?

But seriously, could it be possible that my thoughts about why Girardi said no could have nothing to do with how I felt about him saying no?

I think his saying no was the 2nd best thing that has happened to the Orioles this year - the best being Trembley being put in the "interim" spot. But do I think he was smart to say no?

Let me put it this way: lets say you are a guy everyone thinks is the next Casey Stengal. You may have some issues dealing with people and it cost you your last job. But, no matter, people say you are great and what a wonderful manager you will be.

Now, what you really want to do is manage the Yankees. But the Yankees have a guy headed for the HOF managing the team and he is not ready to leave. And, the owner of the Yankees has all but named the hitting coach of the Yankees as the guy to replace the HOF manager.

At the same time, "everyone" is also saying you would love to manage the Cubs almost as much as the Yankees. They have a nut case as manager and he might not be back next year. But the Cubs have never hired a manager who is not either a former Cub or a veteran with several years of managing experience.

Two struggling but promising teams - in DC and one in Baltimore contact you. They offer money, guarantees of 2 - 3 years without being fired, and the opportunity to build the reputation as the baseball genius everyone suggests you are. They love you and they want you to sign a deal with them.

But, well, they are not the Yankees. So you say no.

Now lets consider two things - you are NOT going to be hired as the Yankees manager. Mattingly is. You are not a retread so the Cubs are probably not going to call, not when Jim Fregosi is still available.

Second, who is going to call in October? KC, Pittsburgh, Texas, Tampa Bay, Cincinnati? Which one of these is the "right situation?" And how are any of these better than the well financed and eager to win Nationals or Orioles? And how many of these teams are actually going to be serious when they call, knowing that he has already refused 2 pretty good deals?

Earl Weaver wanted to first play for and then manage the St Louis Cardinals. It wasn't there for him so he "settled" for the O's and is in the HOF. I would call that smart.

Girardi wants to manage the Yankees. Apparently he is willing to risk being out of the game 2 years (that will look good on the resume) or risk having to take a job with a team that does not have the money to compete. I would call that idiotic.

There was nothing noble about his turning the O's down. To make an idiotic decision like this you have to be an idiot. Or, in other words "a douf a jerk and a certifiable idiot."

As for why Miggy batted second in the lineup, the reason is simple. Once the decision was made to allow Miggy to extend his streak by batting and then not taking the field (as Gehrig did several times), then he has to bat in the 1, 2, or 3 spot in order to ensure that he does get to bat in the first inning. And since the decision had been made to replace him with Gomez, then the reason Miggy batted in the 2 hole was simply because that was the best spot to put Gomez in after Miggy came out.

OK, I have sifted through the 3 blogs worth of whining & bemoaning from most of you & my general consensus is....alot of you remind me of women.... you rant & rave at the convenient target to vent frustrations that are really coming from other sources...in other words, you take out the anger at the O's plight on Tejada & interestingly, Trembley.
Cut the crap, for one thing, what was Trembley supposed to do? I think he handled a tough situation the best way he could & it's being made out to be much bigger than it is by most here. Third day on the job , his star player has the 5th longest streak going , & wants to try & extend it....JUST as Gehrig did & wanted to do & just as Cal would have if the situation arose in his streak too.
I know Cal is a deity here, but come on, does anyone really think he would not have done the same thing if he had to to maintain his streak? He played alot of games where he should have & could have takena day off , to regenerate & help his team, but he didn't, & that was OK then & is now. Ditto for Gehrig. I don't have a problem with someone being proud of achieving such a feat & wanting to keep it going. It's one game, maybe 2, out of over a thousand? How many of you can say you haven't missed work one day out of the last thousand? Can any of you fathom how hard it is to play that many games & not be hurt somehow? Give the guy some credit for perseverance not selfishness. He shouldn't be penalized because some nitwit threw at him in frustration & hurt him. If that had been Cal everyone would have been ready to ban Brocail from baseball, it's Tejada & most here blame him? I don't get that at all....
I don't proclaim he should do this for a week or so though, if he has a slight fracture, he should go on the DL & let it heal. NOT because he "taints" his streak , but for the good of the team & himself. He risks making it worse & from what I read, 10 days to 15 & it could be healed. Better that than making it worse & missing 2 months. You can bet pitchers will be jamming him too, knowing he can't get around as well & that jam shots will hurt.
As for Bedard I say cut him some slack too. I am not a huge Bedard