Good stuff Roch, thanks. Your forte.... blogs like this from ST for us poor bas.... back in cold Md.

Ray shouldn't rush it, why risk it? By August the team will be 30 games out.

The first day of Spring Training and Opening Day are probably the only 2 days I can feel optimistic all year.

Why does Angelos have to run his ballclub like a law firm? These guys are not lawyers, they are baseball players. If they want to grow long mangy beards so be it. All that should matter is results on the field, not appearance.

Chris Ray lost weight? He already was skinny as a rail to begin with. We better call in Sidney Ponson and Sid Fernandez to help him get back up to his playing weight....

Golly, Chris Ray was small to begin with wasn't he? You're saying he lost a lot of weight? You're sure it's not that he is standing next to Mickolio or Yan...isn't Yan like 250 pounds?

Aubrey Huff and Danys Baez make me want to throw up in my mouth. Please do us a favor, and dont mention those 2 guys in anymore of your blogs. Lets try to forget that these pieces of trash are on the team.

If you see Macphail, tell him I can blow 5 run leads and bat .240 for a modest price. They can save alot of money, and get the same level of zero production out of me. I am also quite the clubhouse presence. Can't promise I will stay away from the booze and golddiggers. The Aubrey Huff articles have been a bad influence on me, so I apologize ahead of time.

Roch,

The lines on Cabrera and Mickolio are priceless. Good stuff...

I saw more rumors today about a Roberts trade on the Chicago Sports website. Anything you have heard on your side?

By the way, it's nice to see no oblique injuries being reported yet.

Remind me to never travel with you.

Tell Danys not to rush things... these things take time... better safe than sorry... Tell Gibby the same.

Cheers!

Roch:

Seeing your first post from Spring Training definitely makes me happier on this chilly day in the mid-Atlantic.

Let's believe for a moment that the new and old Orioles will have a surprisingly upbeat season this year. Hope spring eternal.

Thanks Roch! This is SO much nicer to read than whether Clemens licked his lips a lot and if that meant he was lying. Spring rochs!

Why can't the Orioles just let up and the facial hair policy?!? Seems like such a petty thing (or is that a Petey thing) to worry about.

Any chance Costanzo might also see work at 1B or in LF? Sounds like he has the kind of power that the O's are lacking.

The last labrum issue for the orioles that I can remember belonged to Robby Alomar. That seemed to take away his ability to switch hit if I remember correctly. So needless to say, a labrum issue for a pitcher would be much worse. Is anyone complaining now about the caution over physicals with the mariners trade? I didn't think so.

As long as we're talking uniform numbers (and I usually am), what's Steve Trachsel wearing? Is he getting #41 back, or does Matt Albers have it, as the roster says he does?

Labrum?

Did someone say labrum?

Did someone say labrum and Patton in the same sentence?

It does bring back memories. Was it Ainsworth (the 'hidden gem' in the Ponson SF deal) that had a labrum issue which was no big deal going into spring training one year, but it ended up finishing his career?

let's hope 'n' is for "nothing serious" and not 'negligent'.

Roch:

It's fine if you end up in the Bahamas. But stay clear of Aruba if Sir Sid's still on the prowl.

Any Jose Canseco parties in Miami on the agenda? That's the spring training invite all the players want.

Any new tattoos in the making?

You know who else had a labrum?

Adam Loewen, in 2004. Stop freaking out.

Tom in Seattle... No, Ainsworth had a broken shoulder blade.

Half of them can barely use proper English..... did you hear Pettitte's quote yesterday in a sworn depo is an example.... a double negative....
So why insist they look like bankers, accountants,.... or even lawyers....

Sir Syd isn't public enemy #1 in Aruba anymore, that kid who is suspected of killing the 18 yr old Am girl is ahead of him now. They literally said, he is no longer welcome on the Island.... you can beat up a Judge, but kill their tourist industry & they get upset.

Re: Beards

On the one hand, they don't draw pictures on the box score. On the other hand...Pitchers with beards always look dumber when they are eye tracking a dinger on TV.

What about Rick Sutcliffe...didn't he have a beard when he pitched ? Goose Gossage 5 o clock shadow squared looked intimidating ...maybe the fans should be allowed to vote on it. A beadr ballot instead of an all star ballot. 60% and you're in.

"I tried to find the shortest route from my condo to the ballpark this morning, but I ended up in the Bahamas again"

Wish I had that problem

Crap, I only got to the second blog piece and already pulled my right oblique reading about all the rehab going on...

Since a couple others have expressed their opinions...as far as I'm concerned if you're getting paid millions of dollars a year to play a game for a living, then you can take the few minutes each day to shave so you don't end up looking like a mountain man. What they choose to do with their facial hair after October and before April is their business, but I really hope we won't have to hear anymore of the "Beards for the Birds" this season.

Good for Chris Ray, hopefully he'll be ready to fulfill his goal of pitching in August. It isn't likely that it will make a difference this season, but it'll give him a month or so to get his feel back for pitching live so that he's not as rusty going into 2009.

Bill, Beerman....

Don't know which Chris Ray you were thinking of, but the one who closes games for the Orioles was looking a whole lot more like Terry Mathews than Brian Fahey last year.

Glad to hear that both Ray and Ramon have come to camp in better shape.

Dug this up from the Astros web site... it was originally posted September 12, 2007. Interesting, but it doesn't seem to jive with what is being mentioned now...

Patton slowed: Troy Patton admitted Wednesday he was initially worried when he felt soreness in his left shoulder a few days ago, but after meeting with team medical director Dr. David Lintner on Tuesday, he relaxed a bit.

"I thought it was the shoulder, but Dr. Lintner said it was my bicep tendon," Patton said. "I just know that when I try to throw with my natural arm motion, it's been hurting for a couple days."

Lintner assured Patton there was nothing structurally wrong with his arm.

"He thinks it's just normal wear and tear from eating up innings," Patton said.

The 22-year-old lefty threw 151 1/3 innings in the Minor Leagues this year, 50 more than he had at any point in his professional career. Add to that the 12 2/3 innings he's logged during his brief time in the big leagues and it's not terribly surprising his shoulder is somewhat fatigued.

"I threw almost as many as last year and I started getting worn down last year, too," Patton said. "It could have been quick rest and the relief appearance. It could have agitated it. I don't know exactly what did it. I haven't felt right for three or four days."

The Astros haven't decided if they will shut down Patton for the remainder of the season, but they're surely not going to push him through the final weeks of a non-contending season.

"I don't know that he'll be completely shut down," manager Cecil Cooper said Wednesday. "We'll re-evaluate it as we go. Today, he's going to get out and just toss and see how it feels and go from there."

Hopefully, Patton isn't the Kris Benson of this camp.

Speaking of the restriction on beards, we now know why Angelos never bought the House of David team.

Roch:
When you were out over the ocean you didn't see Fatso Ponson going by on his Jet Ski, did you? Also, when you have a minute could someone clarify why it is two years later and Ponson's arbitration case against the O's is unresolved?? Does the Collective Bargining Agreement allow for all that time to go by?

I'm still not comprehending Huff complaining about Balto when he lived/worked in the World's Largest Trailer Park. Sorry, I lived in St Pete for many years and will. Never. Go. Back. Meh, maybe for 5 years and $19mil I might reconsider.
But what do I know, I moved to Cleveland.
"i" is for idiot. that's *my* halloween costume this year.