We will fire a "long time" Oriole Coach, that will provide a little distraction......

I like change, Change is needed. He has been a coach for a long time here, what are the results? Not good. I feel bad the guy lost his job, but no results will lead to that for any of us, in any job.....

THIS JUST IN...

In response to the Colorado Rockies copyrighting the phrase "Rocktober", the Baltimore Orioles have announced they will be filing paperwork to copyright the phrase "Rebuilding Year".

v is for vendetta!

i think daniel cabrera snuck in and pitched the 5th inning for the rockies....

V as in no victory for the rockies

I think Millar makes a good point that wearing the Red Sox would have "crossed the line."

Kona Boy--I think you misread something. The O's actually copyrighted "Rebuilding Year" in 2001. The mistake is an easy enough one to do, as the stench still smell fresh.

Fire Andy Etchebarren? Oh, yeah, what better way to revive the Oriole Way than someone who epitomizes it. An absolute outrage.

Another ex-Oriole who might make a good first base coach: Brady Anderson.

Classy gesture??? Hogwash. Just the O's once again showing little regard for what's left of their fanbase. They can't put Baltimore on the jersey, the games in HD, or allow executives on radio stations to promote their own dumb team unless the station pays them. Real geniuses we've got.

Get over the Millar deal, "non deal"...Changes need to be made and they are being made. Some will not be popular but I believe McPhail is doing it right.

Sorry about the gaffs in the last post. I'm getting a little sleepy following the World Series game as the Sox pummel the Rox. The bottom of the fifth was a little mind numbing. Too bad for Colorado that there isn't a mercy rule in major league baseball! (Something the O's will readily attest ought to be in place. LOL)

The corrected copy should read: The mistake is an easy enough one to [make], as the stench still smell[s] fresh.

Fire Andy Etchebarren? Oh, yeah, what better way to revive the Oriole Way than [can] someone who epitomizes it.

Since Millar is such a fan of baseball, think he'll make a promo for the Rockies telling their fans to chin up, cowboy up, and regroup to crush the Boston Yankees?

I didn't think so.

The first change that should be made is shipping that has-been (never-was) Millar to another team.
Lots of other bums can hit.260. Some of them might even care for whom they play.
Briniging Brady back is a good idea. But why would he want to? Bringing back ex-O's to coach only works when you have players who have a clue.

The thing about the firing of Andy Etchebarren is that the Os have been especially bad with its nepotism style of management. It has led to a lot of complacency in insidious ways at all levels. The Os for the last decade has revered its "What a great character!" guys and links to the old "Oriole Way" days so much that coaches and high level officials have been entrenched in critical places thourghout the organization. What chance did Flanny/Beattie/Duquette/Thrift/Wren/etc have at firing any of these guys since they were either former teammates and friends or they had less seniority than the coaches/managers in question?...I think that's partly why newly hired managers were not so easily able to hire their own coaching staffs, the politics of it was too severe for a "new guy" to traverse...we have been luck to have a lot of great personalities in the organization for the Os over the last decade, but there's a long list of coaches that lasted a lot longer than they would have anywhere else...

...personally I think this sends a message throughout the organization that MacPhail will fire franchise "favourites" and try to install his brand of a meritocracy...that being said, isn't that what the Oriole Way REALLY was? Players, coaches, management advancing based on results and hard work, not because he's a great guy that everyone likes...in some ways I think firing such a long-standing coach and player for the Os is an even stronger message than firing Flanny would be...I'm not saying they should keep Flanny; I'm just saying this is a change of course...

I don't have that a problem with what Millar did that being said I doubt we'll see Johnny Damon throw out any first pitch in fenway.

There are so many more things to be distressed about as an oriole fan. Let the man relive when it was fun to play the game for one night. He didn't wear a jersey... he went back to the place where he is a significant figure. If the shoe was on the other foot and the Orioles were doing the same thing no one would have a problem having former players of the O's that are on other teams throwing out the first pitch. Hell, you'd give them a standing ovation.

First we have to get out of this rut and get a good team... and that should be the thing that distresses us about this franchise... not because Kevin Millar threw out a first pitch.

Big Picture people... this is nickel and dime crap to a player that to a man was a bright spot of our lineup and always good for a soundbite.

Gotta love the press... great guy one day... hang em out to dry the next. Way to go Roch!

Millars 7th game toss is no big deal.He has repeatedly shown his love for the game during the time he has been here and this is just another example. Get over it, there are far more important problems with the Orioles than the postseason actions of our most determined player.

Millar's immediate reaction to Orioles fans outrage was, "I didn't get where I am today worrying about what other people think". He was referring to Orioles fans. You know, the people who pay his salary. It was a selfish act not a classy gesture. Only traitors have their loyalty questioned.

I don't agree it's no big deal. I like Millar but what he did was a betrayal. How would it have looked to Yankees fans if Johnny Damon had gone back to Fenway to throw out the first pitch?

And what's more important? "Loving the game" or loyalty to your team and the fans in your team's city?

In light of our annual collapse in August, maybe the O's should patent the phrase-Auguslaughter..

Enough about Millar. Maybe Etchebarren was getting results. Maybe his reports at the organizational meetings were less than stellar. Someone needs to instill a major league work ethic and attitude from Aberdeen on up. Maybe if Aberdeen had a winning record there would be room to complain about firing Etchebarren.

Too bad about Surhoff. Hoiles would be a good fit.

Of course Millar did most of the talking... how could it not be with the show being hosted by the suck-up queen of sports talk shows.

Good points Eddie.

Just a little on Millar... players on this team could learn a heck of a lot by watching him approach at-bats. Okay, so his BA was just okay. But he had the second highest OB% on the team. Of course there are ways to inflate stats (just like Tejada hitting lots of singles but that didn't get him past Millar in OB%), but the bottom line is he got on base more than anyone except our leadoff man. Take shots at his decision to support a rival, but don't call the guy a bum when only 33 other MLB players reached base at a higher clip than he did! Does this mean I think he is a better hitter than Markakis or Tejada--no, but the man works his tail off and never gives up an at-bat. How many players on this team can you say that about?

That being said, I actually did not think he did a great job in the interview. He came across as pretty defensive and didn't come close to apologizing to the fans who were offended (rightly or wrongly). Roch, I was really impressed that you did not dodge any of the tough questions that needed to be asked and always enjoy your segments. Anita, on the other hand, has to tone down the way she panders to players during her shows. She constantly tries to be everyone's buddy. It's also a pet peeve of mine how she not-so-subtly changes her personality and conversational style when she interacts with players of different ethnic backgrounds. It seems a bit ingratiating but it's her decision and it seems like all of the players like her. I just wonder if she is losing some credibility with her radio audience by letting her guests dictate interviewing conventions. Does anyone else notice that or am I totally off-base?

If there were no message boards, no forums for people to vent about trivial matters, this would have registered as barely a blip on the radar.

I'm impressed/ relieved Angelos was involved, I agree it shows good sportsmanship. What does people think, Millar did it on his own? This had nothing to do with rooting for another team. If people weren't "rooting for laundry" as Jerry Seinfeld says, they'd realize this was marking a historical event in baseball's recent past. The ALCS & ending an 86 year drought. That's it.

Traitor? Not in my book. And no amount of fan-based peer pressure will change my mind.

If O's fans hate RSN invading Camden then attend the games. It looks foolish for fans to complain (how many, 5?) when, from tv's perspective, Camden looks empty.

Before Brian Roberts went to the All Star game did O's fans warn him not to speak to Red Sox players because they're "enemies"?

CA is burning to the ground, the world is going insane yet this becomes the biggest story in weeks, months.

"Traitor": NY has reserved that title for Rudy G. after he paraded around in a Boston RS jersey yelling "Go Sox" in NH 2 days ago.

I don't have a problem with Millar's actions at all. I have much more of a problem with trading away Chris Gomez than giving Millar permission to throw out the first ball in game 7. There's no denying that the 2004 season that Millar played with the Sox will be a part of him forever.

I'm still with ya Millar!

Millar's a good baseball player and an awesome guy. People who are upset at the Boston thing need to get over themselves and realize that he is a human and he was part of a magical ride in Boston. Should he just ignore that because his utterly mediocre team (on which he's been a great influence/personality) is in the same division? No.

BTW, Roch...you're the best. I love these tidbits about our young guys. I just hope the optimism is well founded. Keep up the great work.

This is my first comment on the millar fiasco...I know he still pined for the sox but I didnt know it ran this deep.

Roch...I know you say he always gives 100% when he takes the field and that may be true but if he is still on the team next year when we play the sox it will always be in the back of my mind as to if the sox have a 10th man on the field.

Millar's appearance was hogwash in so many ways.

First, the silly, obsequious Marks let him off the hook from the get-go, telling him before he even started talking that she "has no problem" with what he did. Poor Anita's top two priorities are always (1) to make it about herself and (2) preserve her cozy relationships with the beloved Professional Athletes she fawns over. The theme of her every interview: "I'm cute! Don't you think I'm cute? I'm cute. Hey, how cute am I today?"

Second, Millar's explanations were lame. He went to Boston because he "loves the game?" and to "see a baseball game?" If that's the case, why did he take sides? He wasn't promoting the Indians, was he? Why did he refer to the Red Sox as "we?" (He never addressed that.) What Millar did helped the Red Sox and was meant to help the Red Sox. Whether he donned a Boston uniform or not, he was cheerleading for that team. And how, exactly, did any of this help the Orioles?

Millar's "explanations" on Marks' show evaded all of that, and there was no meaningful follow-up questioning. In fact, Marks finished up with her usual unserious, flirtatious act: "Hey Kevin, do I get to ride with you on your bike this season?"

Gack. Can't we do better than this?

I guess perhaps it was a classy gesture that Angelos didn’t throw a fit and say, no, no, no, and stomp up and down with his hands over his ears and just show everyone what a petty tyrant he can be. Of course, that’s where we should be outraged—that he still owns the team, the team is still horrible, and we can count on more mismanagement that will keep us in fourth place indefinitely.

Comparing this to some theoretical event where Johnny Damon would show up in Fenway just isn’t an adequate comparison. The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry is the stuff of baseball lore; Red Sox-Orioles is barely a blip. If you ever notice, when Boston and New York play, that is the baseball story for three or four days, and even in April, the talk is about playoff implications. When the Red Sox play the O’s, it’s usually a discussion of how many times in a row the Red Sox have beaten the Orioles and the Red Sox Nation takes over Camden Yards. Damon leaving Boston was seen as a betrayal (particularly after he talked about how much he loved Boston) and he’s been vilified by the fans, the front office, and the Boston media; Millar leaving Boston was just business and there seems to be little public bitterness.

Many times, a player leaving one team and joining another leaves bitter feelings and that player generally isn’t welcome in a nonplaying capacity at his old team’s park. Could you imagine Mike Mussina returning to Camden Yards to throw out a first pitch? No, it won’t happen any time in the near future, because there’s still a decent amount of bitterness on all sides. The same can’t be said about Millar and Boston.

again, whether Mascot Millar MEANT to offend is immaterial. the RESULT was he did.

his steadfastness in his explanation and deflecting the crticism "the front office said it was ok" DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT!!!

Mascot Millar cannot go on tv and tell me NOT to be offended cause he didn't MEAN to be offensive. baloney. i WAS offended, and still am, and everytime someone says something publicly about this, it gets worse instead of better.

This controversy over Millar makes me sick. If you watched ANY games this year, you would know that his enthusiasm, defense and PLATE DISCIPLINE set an example that very few of his teammates followed, regardless of their talent levels.
It's effin' entertainment, folks. Millar is a folk hero in Boston and God bless him for being the man he is.
He also has a sense of humor and though he is dead serious about baseball, he's not dead serious about himself or life.
Give it up. And give up this Oriole Way crap. As a poster noted, succeeding on your merits was the Oriole Way. If it applied to the owner, he'd have been gone long ago.
The O's problems go way back to Edward Bennett Williams, with his misguided signings of Lee Lacy, Freddie Lynn, Alan Wiggins and the like.
THAT disrupted the culture. Angelos has just collected the money.

I am still interested in Tremblay's "no comment" on Millar's act in Boston. Tremblay is trying to instill pride in being an Oriole and sees a guy who he penciled into the lineup regularly make a fool of the Orioles franchise by portraying a "rally monkey" for Boston. His bosses appoved hence the no comment.

Roch, check out the Bonds story on ESPN's website. It's quite telling & shows what a jerk Bond's can be.

R Lewis talking about schemes to help out a certain player really did crack me up. Didn't he almost stand on his head demanding the ravens sign large immovable objects to place in front of him so he isn't blocked. I mean, he has to roam free & make those tackles 5 yds down field so he can do his silly dance..... a ravens game wouldn't be complete without that happening after every routine tackle.

Cya Andy E. They need scapegoats.

Millar had better get his passport updated & practice his Japanese if the O's decide to get a 1B this winter.

Hoiles as 1B Coach? Nice guy I suppose but haven't we had enough of potter's pets on the coaching staff?

Random Thought....

Does anyone else miss Chris Gomez? I saw his name in another post and it just reminded me of how much I miss him. I thought he was pretty damn good at everything. They pretty much put him in every single position on the field and he rocked them all.

BRING HIM BACK!!!!

PS If I were Anita Marks, I would have grilled the crap out of Millar just to get him going, and then tell him how I felt. I would never start the interview by going "Oh I have no problem with it whatsoever." Kissing ass is not an attractive quality in anyone, especially as a female sports broadcaster or reporter or whatever she is. It just comes off as "Oh I know nothing about sports so I'm just going to agree with everything they are saying." (I know she knows a crap load about sports, it just looks the other way)
Millar is a comedic genius and she missed what could have been a great interview. Anita, you have got to make it more interesting and stop sucking up to the players. They're not going to hate you if you ask the hard questions..... Geez!!!

For the love of all things holy, people, quit trotting out the Millar:Damon analogy! As has been said before, it's 2 completely different situations. That said, did Millar bat 3-5 or make any web gems for the BoSox? No? Then GET OVER IT!!! Let's ride Millar out on a rail! We have sooo many more than capable people to replace him in all the roles he has accepted in Baltimore! I really don't get how this gets so far under so many people's skins that they can't see, hear, or feel anything else!

Certainly there have to be more important items to fret over, than Millar returning to the scene of his greatest baseball moments. Do we remember the Cal tributes, adnauseum, with many returning players. Or how about the Angels standing and applauding Cal in mass, in the middle of a game?
My only problem with Millar and the O's, is that he was the best we could put on the field in the "cleanup spot".
Yes he had a great OBP, so let him bat 8th/9th, we could use that there.
As for Etch and the other firings, it is about time. Forget the old "O's" way, it does not exist. The more you try to replicate the past, the further it disappears.
It is time for a new beginning, and kudos finally to the owner for taking the necessary steps.
Give them a chance and pray for the best.

Jeez; it isn't that anybody wants Millar railroaded out of town. It isn't that we don't realize he was one of the most valuable two or three Orioles last year. And yes, his plate discipline and attitude did and do set an example for teammates. He's a leader, a funny guy, and a valuable O, and that is appreciated.

However, since he IS a leader, his off-field decisions do matter. There was absolutely no upside FOR THE ORIOLES in his performance in Boston. There was plenty of potential downside. Evidently, lots of fans don't really mind, and that's fine. But lots do. And with good reason. Millar may have had his reasons for doing what he did ("I have good friends on that team;" "It was an honor to be asked;" "I've got a potential gig with Fox Sports"), but that doesn't mean they were good reasons. Millar offended lots of fans because he showed bad judgement, and in my view he shouldn't be dismissive of the many fans who SAW it as bad judgement.

Finally, again -- I really, really wish ESPN had a genuine sports commentator on afternoon radio. Nobody but Anita Marks CARES whether football players and baseball players like her and/or think she's cute. (And if they do, and that's why they talk to her -- where's her pride as a journalist?) Roch, you ask a grown-up's questions when you're on, and that's appreciated, but it's overwhelmed by the shamelessness of her fawning and sucking-up. Please try to make it easier for actual sports fans to listen.

And by the way, the Damon comparison IS legitimate. The question is: If the Orioles didn't stink -- i.e. if they were an actual competitor vs. the Red Sox -- would Millar have done what he did?

The answer is "no."

In other words, his accepting the invitation was a tacit admission that the team he plays for is pathetic and more or less beyond hope.

Millar may think that -- and it may even be true -- but to make that statement in an extremely public setting is embarrassing to anybody who tries to support that team. It's an embarrassment to the city he plays in, especially given the way the Red Sox and their fans come in here and brazenly embarrass all of us several times a year.

Kevin's a decent guy and a hard worker, but this was goofy. He should continue playing hard and keep his views to himself -- until such time as he is no longer accepting an Oriole paycheck. Or he should quit playing for the Orioles.

He did not wear a Sox Jersey. He might as well have since that was the sentiment displayed. Could the Orioles be more irrelevant?

This might give some of you a different perspective on the Millar issue. I live in Myrtle Beach and one of the sports bars here has a fair amount of Red Sox fans. They thought it was hilarious he threw out the first pitch for the Sox and couldn't believe the Orioles let him do it. So now I get to hear crap about this for a few more weeks.

Maybe I'm old school but I think that was bush league. Collaborating with the enemy is treason. But I guess that kind of competitiveness went the way of the dinosuars and pitchers throwing complete games.

Like I've said before, blow up this team and start over. If the players on your roster identify with another team its time for some new blood.

k is for kill the traitor lol

This entry that I post to often is ridiculous. I wont post any further comments. The Orioles stink anyway. I don't evenknow why Ihave been afan for 50 years. Next year will be a repeat of this year.

You know when this whole thing started it was just something that sort of bugged me a little. The more Kevin talks though the more bothered by it I become...so I'd prefer it if he just shut up.

Millar was wrong end of story. To support your friends, attend the game, there is no need to throw out the first pitch. That said I can't believe here in 2007 there are still people who don't get it b/c its the easiest deduction on the planet right now: so long as the albatross that is angelos is around the neck of this franchise, it will never succeed.

I'm more concerned that a guy who hit .254-17-63 could be the first baseman next year than I am about what he did in Boston. He may have had a respectable OBP but first is a power position and 17 HR and a .420 slugging percentage don't cut it.

millar doing what he did was no big deal. we as o's fans have many more important things to worry about - especially the o's performance ON the field. get over it people and please stop being so sensitive. etch getting fired is much more important and that won't nearly draw so much fire...

After watching the Millar interview on MASN, I'm still pretty disappointed in the whole thing. I was hoping he'd at least apologize for offending the fans even if he still didn't agree that what he did was wrong. The fact that he plays hard every day is all well and good but I still don't think he completely understands what it is to be an Oriole if he really doesn't care how fans perceive his actions.

Our starting first baseman is a "rally monkey" for a detested Divisional foe and some people don't see why many of us didn't like it? This topic is not going away soon and shouldn't. He made a fool of the team with the permission of upper management. Great way to instill pride!

What matters is his teammates think it's a non- issue, stirring the pot as Jamie Walker said, "if it was someone else..." Which is probably what McPhail & Angelo's thought too.

Get off the Johnny Damon thing. That is RSN's great shame -- the guy was integral to winning them a WS in 86 years. He signed with the Yanks, so what? The FO was rumbling all season about a change, they knew he wrecked himself playing hard... talk about lack of loyalty. Damon wouldn't get to throw out a ball, they'd be throwing things at him. It makes Red Sox fans look like jerks. Let's not behave as poorly as them.

Does anyone else find this World Series boring? I hope Colorado picks things up when they get home. Boston's altitude is 20 miles above sea level, they'll be going over 5000.

You people have too much time on your hands to criticize one of your better players for throwing out the first pitch for a baseball game. Get a life.

Can't help but laugh at that. By your use of language, you aren't even an Os fan. And yet you're here trolling an Orioles blog despite the fact that our season ended a month ago. Hmm, who needs to get a life here?