Okay, just my luck...I complain about Liz and his walks (right after he loads the bases on three straight), and he ends up pitching 4 innings of no hit baseball, with 4 Ks, allowing only one base runner (a walk of course) after terrible start.

Go figure. :-)

Team nickname - Snoozy

If only each game was 4 innings.....we got some great 4 inning pitchers!

I thought you'd be RKub?

Liz showed me a lot about his intestinal fortitude tonight.

After loading the bases on three walks he retired the side without allowing a run to score.

After the third walk I moaned, "Here we go again..."

Liz showed guts and perhaps a glimpse of what he may be capable of doing with four scorless innings.

Dont forget MASN calling Markakis "Honeybear:....My wife still asks if honeybears up yet

If only opposing team's would give us one mulligan per game.

Just for some perspective, the Phillies are far ahead of the O's in talent. It can be argued that every position player except RF is superior to the Orioles counterpart. The pitching is nearly as bad as the Orioles' pitching. They find themselves fighting tooth and nail for a playoff spot in an inferior NL. My only point is that we are not a free agent bat and a pitcher away from going to the playoffs. That only helps us be less embarassing. Think about Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Aaron Rowand, Pat Burrell (this year anyway), Shane Victorino, and the Bourn kid. That's trying to be competitive. Not this collection.

Who's on the O's "I wanna collect my last paycheck before my arm falls off" radar this offseason? Can we get a new doctor to do the intake physicals?

B for "beyond repair"

I'll be pulling for the Indians in the postseason. Why? Chris Gomez is as good a reason as any.

Those sound like hockey nicknames.

poor Roch. What did u do in your previous life to deserve this assignment

I can't figure out if Gomey is Leo Gomez, Chris Gomez, or Randy Milligan.

Trying to see the positive part of this dreadful season, if the O's maintain their current position, they will at least have the #2 pick in next years draft. Is there another Weiters or Markakis that will be available???

Did anyone else just feel bad for Trembley in the post-game interview ? The guy was answering questions like someone had just shot his dog.

I took my six-week-old daughter to her first O's game last night. I'm not sure who was crying harder.

On the bright side... hang on, I'll get back to you.

My favorite nickname:
Jay "waste of air" Gibbons

Brian Roberts was quoted today saying, "But we're not going to be a last-place team because that's where we should be, I'll tell you that."

Huh? Tell me what?

Tom D. I don't think the Giants owe Bonds anything. Both parties used each other this year. Bonds found a team to pay him 20 mill and he had a place to play and break the HR record. I'm not really sure what the Giants gained overall by having Bonds when you really look at it. I guess there was the marketing aspect but that park is usually full no matter what and many fans outside of SanFran were actually 'turned off' by Bonds.
Bonds did add some offense but was he worth that much? He probably was more of a negative distraction as the focus became the HR record rather than winning games. The Giants were never in the race and their final record isn't much better than the O's, despite paying huge $$$ to Zito/Bonds/Durham,etc..
The Giants have to rebuild and signing a 44/45 year old-even if it is for the mininum, doesn't seem to make much sense. I doubt that Bonds would return for those $$$ and to be a sub.
I don't know why Bonds wants to play anymore anyway and who would want him? Some suggest the AL as he could DH but the negatives far outweigh the positives in my opinion. Sure, he might hit 25-30 HRs but his presence would turn off many fans and players. He's always had preferential treatment and he doesn't seem the type to act as a mentor/positive influence on younger players. Let's hope the Orioles don't bite-they should have learned their lessons with the Belle/Palmeiro/Sosa 'experiences'!

The Sun reports that the O's are battling to avoid having the worst record in baseball. My feeling is the stigma will be entirely PR if they fall to that level. Ironically, the benefit may be worth it.

Joe Mauer, Delmon Young, Adrian Gonzalez (drafted #1 by Florida and then involved in 2 of the worst trades ever to get to SD and hit 26 HR), Justin Upton, David Price. These are all #1 picks going back to 2000.

There are several highly advanced players who will be in this year's draft. The O's could pick up another player who will be ready to move up in 2 years.

Imagine the 2009 team with Reimold in LF, Rowell or Moore at 3B, Snyder or Moore at 1B, Wieters, Markakis and Roberts with a rotation of Bedard, Guthrie, Lowen, Bascom and either McCurdy, Liz or Spoone with Beato and Erbe in the bullpen.

Add to that whomever the O's pick in 2008 for the 2010 season.

Could this be a light at the end of the tunnel?

And as our resident proof-reader Ray has already discovered, the closer would be Frankie "Lard Butt" Rowland.

He is the kid the O's found in a corn field last summer throwing rocks at birds. He was hitting 115 on the radar gun and could make the rocks spin to follow the bird’s flight.

He is 19 and never played a day of baseball before the O's sent him to extended spring training to learn the game. He is scheduled to start as the closer for Bowie next year. I thought every one knew about him.

Because I guess it just isn't possible to have a typo, is it? (You must be proud you caught it.)

O's Fan in Nebraska -

If only that was our biggest complaint.

There ain't a damn thing to say.

Zambrano had me wondering if he was trying too hard to prove something to Toronto. (Especially after hitting the 1st batter....)

At the same time, his fastball - usually in the low 90s - was topping out at 88 - 89 mph so you could not say he was over throwing. There were a couple guys he had on the ropes but he just couldn't put them away.

Tike Redmond did not show him the love, either. I believe 2 of the Jays 1st inning hits were catchable but Tike broke back on them and then was not able to get back fast enough to make a catch. And Moore's brain freeze cost him, too. You could call it a rookie mistake, but that play works the same at every level - GET AN OUT!

Have the O's given any thought to putting Bynum in CF? Tike is hitting lights out but he has to get to those balls.

This is the story of the 2nd half of our season - the starter can't throw a strike, when he does the defense lets him down (well, except Payton), the bullpen comes in and fails then pitches well enough to allow the O's to get back in the game but allows the other team to get just enough runs to win.

I am hoping for all of the teams that win in the post season to sweep. I do not care who wins (as long as the team does not have NY on it's hat), just sweep. Free Agent season starts 16 days after the last game of the World Series.

I read Zrebiec’s recent article, “O’s dangling above bottom,” and have come to the realization that perhaps the best thing that could happen to this club is for them to finish with the worst record in baseball. Maybe this is what it will take for the front office to know once and for all that things must change.

In this article, Roberts says, “I don't think any team can really win when you've lost basically your entire rotation from April. You can't look right now and say this organization is an absolute wreck because I don't think we are. . . . But any organization would look like that right now if they were in the situation that we're in. But we're not going to be a last-place team because that's where we should be, I'll tell you that."

Maybe we shouldn’t take much stock in what a player says regarding the O’s losing, particularly someone upbeat (and not a malcontent) like Roberts; maybe there is some truth in his comments. But I have to disagree and say this organization is an absolute wreck precisely because it suffered pitching injuries and had just about no one from within their organization that was able to step in and help. No one. No one was able to step in and stop this team from being a complete laughing stock.

Look at the ERAs on this team. Has anyone ever seen a larger list of pitchers holding 7, 8, and 9+ ERAs? Pitchers pitching at under 7 ERAs are looking good now.

Remember the preseason predictions on the Nationals, about how they were going to be the worst team in baseball, and maybe even one of the worst of all time? How many experts and even average fans like myself and others posting here were counting on at least 110 losses from them? How about all the jokes about them not even having a starting rotation beyond John Patterson (who hasn’t even pitched since the beginning of May and was terrible when he did)? Right now, they are 72-87, bad but several games better than the O’s and a far cry from those 110 loss predictions. How come they were able to patch together a serviceable pitching staff from seemingly nothing? How come the O’s were able to patch together nothing from what has been a fairly hyped-up (at least by the O’s themselves) minor league pitching corps?

I know what the answers will be. The Nationals didn’t suffer a bunch of injuries like the O’s. The NL is weaker than the AL, the NL East is weaker than the AL East. But what will the excuses be next year when the O’s are bad and they might not be hit hard by injuries?

I saw the post from yesterday Tom D thanks. For once, I wasn't joking around...

All this trade Tejada stuff.... I pose this, just what do any of you think they can get for him? I say LISTEN to offers, be receptive, but don't begin the talks.... play coy. That MIGHT get fair value in return.
In any case, I am reluctant to deal the guy just to be rid of him.... he is a good ballplayer when properly motivated. IF he would move, to 3B OR 1B, then we have something.
I am NOT saying Hernandez has to be annointed SS, but give him a look & anyone else too in ST. The O's we all loved won with a SS that hit .210 & fielded brilliantly if I recall..... having a slick SS makes all the pitchers better. Even just 2 extra outs gained a game makes a big difference. IF we have a banjo hitting SS that catches everything between Eutaw St & Pratt... I would be satisfied.
With Tejada at 3B & possibly Mora in LF, that makes those 2 positions as good or better defensively as this year & the offensive production would be better at BOTH positions, possibly negating the reduced offensive production at SS. Furthermore, I dare anyone to point out a FA 3B OR LF that the O's really have a shot at $igning that could out produce either guy. This $aves more of potter's coins to be used on a veteran SP, a closer, a set up man, & possibly a power hitting 1B. These needs supercede the latter with Tejada & Mora still under contract & not so easily dealt for near equal value.
So let's not be so quick to dump Tejada gang.... he might just help out with this domino affect IF he will move to 3B or 1B.

I heard a good one on DC sports radio today..... "if you were Vick , facing 5 yrs in fed prison, had lost possibly $30+M, wouldn't you be doing harsher drugs than marijuana...."

Another good one from 105.7 The new show on Fox in January

.24

Some interesting reading:

http://www.mlb4u.com/topfa07.php

Check out the prediction for Tori Hunter - we can't find $17 mil for 5 or 6 years in Peter's desk drawer?

Also of interest is the comments for #14 on the list.

Anyone see where Jim Beattie got a new job? Lets see......he goes from Executive VP of Baseball Operations with the Orioles to 'interim bullpen coach' for the Florida Marlins for the rest of the week. Good to see Jim Beattie landed on his feet after the Orioles destroyed his career.

I guess next year we will see Mike Flanagan hired as batting practice pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays? How about Jim Duquette taking over as the batboy for Sunday afternoon home games?

Brian Roberts should just stop talking to the media. His polyannish optimism on how 'great' this team really is, despite their record, is lunacy. Just once, can't we hear some honesty and have a player, coach, or executive just admit that this team, in its current configuration, is wretched???

JPA. Good comparision re: Phillies...I guess it shows how much more offense we need to compete, even more so when you look at the offenses around the AL, which is a far better league in my opinion.
I mean the RedSox/Yanks/Tigers/Indians all have far better lineups 1 thru 9 and I can probably add a couple of more in there. Many of our starters(Millar/Payton/Mora to name a few) would be bench players on those teams.
The quickest way to get competitive is by steady pitching and for that to happen in Balt. we need too many stars to align at once....No injuries to the starters, Cabrera to become consistent, 2 dependable middle relievers, a closer to miraculeously appear, the so-called Mazzone magic to finally sink in...did I leave anything out???

Tom D,

One of the O's big problems over the past few years has been offering big money, long-term deals to guys who are almost guaranteed to decline well before the end of the contract.

Remember Brady Anderson?

Melvin Mora?

Now you want them to do it again with Hunter?

Hunter is a good deal at three years, but beyond that we would be looking at another Melvin Mora situation, with a longer contract and for much more money.

Hunter will be 33 years old next season. That's 38 or 39 by the end of a 5- or 6-year contract. He might be a good deal for a contending team that can get its money's worth at the front end, but that's not the O's, unfortunately.

There are no quick fixes. This team will have to get better from the bottom up. $16-$17MM (even half that) can be put to much better use in the draft. Then when they really start to come together, let them spend the big money for that one last piece of the puzzle.

"g" for Good grief!