Roch: Would McPhail really deal Roberts for Cedeno, Gallagher, and prospects? Cedeno is terrible. He doesn't hit for average or power, he doesn't walk, and he strikes out alot. Maybe he can field, but we have that in Hernandez, Fahey, and Bynam. Gallagher is, at best, an unproven back-end of the rotation starter or long reliever. I understand the Tejada and Bedard trades, even though none of those prospects may pan out, because there's at least the possibilty we may end up with the better end of those bargains. But this supposed deal? Say it ain't so.

Uh oh, Jay Gibbons is playing the outfield. The Orioles better check to make sure they paid their DL insurance premium for him before he does something crazy like run after standing still.

Hey, big win for the Terps last night. I think its kind of funny (and dumb) that the Sun's game article just throws all the player stats numbers at the end of the article without any explanation of what they mean. You have to go to another paper or sports site to figure it out. Throw me a frickin bone.

It's good to see Steve Trachsel back with the Orioles. I think he did well. I only hope the umps give him a break this year when it comes to balks.

The Orioles problem is that there are too many prima donna veterans around to change the culture. Look at the punks on the team that the young guys have to learn from. This rebuilding then, is still being done half-ass. If the team truly, truly wanted to rebuild, it would do whatever it took to cut Gibbons, Payton, and maybe Huff and Mora. But with them, the cancerious, infectious, stank losing culture will recultivate into at least some of the young guys (maybe some of its leftover from the staph in Sammy Sosa's foot).

Hopefully today's game is not quite as embarassing as yesterdays!

That's a hideous lineup.

Dear God let them be at least mediocre and not historically bad

Watch how everyone's mood changes if the Orioles win 5-1. I think it's fair to say there's an abundance of melodrama among the people here.

One thing I think most people agree on, though, and that is the likelihood that this team will have trouble winning 70 games. That being said, do we have to throw our arms up in the air and wail each time a player screws up or the team loses?

This is a year for sorting through what the team has and separating the wheat from the chaff. The Orioles also have to continue purging the veterans who can no longer contribute, but at least show some sort of return for them. It's a process. It will take a couple of years. There will be triumphs and disappointments. And it will be fun to watch as long as the team continues in the right direction.

Unfortunately, there will be no shortage of people who whine and complain when the team inevitably struggles as the year progresses. That's just as lazy as a veteran ballplayer going through the motions to pick up his paycheque. A little creativity with the comments would be a welcome change.

Roch, going to the Nats game tomorrow, and wondered, what time do the Orioles get to the Space Coast Stadium? thanks

It would appear that old baseball axiom of the pitchers being ahead of the hitters early on only applies to other teams, not the O's. Just the opposite applies with out guys, not the Marlins/'27 Yankees....

Fahey has a thigh to get fluid from? It looks like the poor devil only has a thigh bone....

If this is true, it's a sad shame & if I am the Cubs I do it fast before someone in Bal'mer wakes up....

Sean Gallagher, shortstop Ronny Cedeno, pitching prospects Jose Ceda and/or Donald Veal, and perhaps one other player.

Not one of those guys will come close to equaling Roberts in value or impact, I think it's safe to go on the record with that comment. It's a classic case of a bulk of ifs ,&'s, & , maybes for a star. Why not at least try to resign Roberts to a long term deal first? Get it assured , on the record, out for all to see , that he won't sign, then the deal can be rationalized somewhat.

Roch, those old timers sure do like to get an early start heading out for the blue plate special huh?
When we were in Sarasota in Jan. for our baseball tourney, we wondered out loud one day, why our hotel pool bar closed at 6 PM. That wasn't going over too well with us. We were told that the old folks at the hotel would get angry & complain about the noise from the bar crowd at night. They claimed they could not sleep. So they had to move the closing time from 8 PM to 6 PM......

Roch,

Enjoy watching Trax practice his pickoff move.

If his pitch count is 35, what does that make his pickoff move count? 70?

With this line-up why would you even pitch to Markakis? Gibbons batting 4th???

why are we looking at cedano over eric patterson? i just dont understand and i would love for someone to break it down for me. i just read in the chicago paper the other day about patterson basically being blocked from playing for the cubs, shouldn't that make it easier for us to go after him? he has power, can hit for average, draw walks and steal basis. unreal that we want some bum like cedano!! give me a break!!

Ya know all, we have been looking at this Roberts trade all wrong. MacFaiI is quite astute. I think we should be really upset with Roberts. If he could have done the roids properly, more than just once, he probably could have hit 50 HR like Brady Anderson did one year instead of just 20. He might have stolen 75 bases instead of 50 last yr too. He really wasn't think about the team there..... maybe MacFail is on to something dealing him to the Cubs for their spare parts....

Here's an idea...how about they leave Wieters in the lineup, everyday, until minor league camp opens up?

Why are we wasting at bats on Gibbons? He has 15 days to get rusty again once the season starts anyway. Unless of course they have him in the outfield today hoping he suffers a season ending injury...hmm

Five minutes after he walked up to the plate, Roberts showed everybody why we still need/want him to stay. That kind of offensive spark is extremely rare. It also doens't help that the Cubs don't want to pony up any real prospects.
A little advice for Adam Jones, reaching base doesn't mean you can stop paying attention.

You all Orioles haters are ridiculus. It's been ONE spring training game. ONE!!!! And the pitchers (besides Loewen and Walker) that got beat up, are scrubs that aren't going to make the team anyway. And Loewen was all psyched after being out a year, and Walker is working out kinks.
And, I'm not too sure how people think we're going to be SO horrible this year. We lost Tejada, who's numbers weren't much different than what Scott put up. And Huff HAS to be semi-better than last year to pick up the difference. And, granted we lost our stopper, Bedard, but Cabrera HAS to be semi-better too, and then someone else step in and throw some wins in there. I can't see how we'd be any worse than last year. I'm not saying we're going to be better, but I think they'll be exciting to watch at least. So stop all this talk about being historically bad.

Eric and Baron: Many of us that post negative comments are NOT O's haters. When your team hasn't had a consistent winning record in the last "umteen" years, it can be a little frustrating. Then when your team basically plans to jettison its best players for the "future" it becomes even more demoralizing knowing that a team you care about will be subject to mediocrity for the foreseeable future. Why are the Yankees and Red Sox consistent winners every year? Heck, mediocrity to them is losing in the first round of the playoffs.
As fans we have every right to vent, criticize, and second guess decisions which the team makes. Does it make us feel better? Sure. But as a true long time Oriole fan you have to wonder why the Angelos ownership era has failed miserably. So if people like sounding there frustrations on Roch's blog so be it.Believe me, it would make my day if I could post how great this organization is run and what a great team we have. Unfortunately, we can't do that right now.

Eric -- We are not bashing the O's. We are just making comments. The reason you see so many of these "nasty" comments is because we've suffered through ten years of this crap, so there is really nothing we can be super chipper about. We don't have a definite slugger and our pitching, like always, is questionable. When we say the O's are going to be historically bad, its because they probably will. This, however, does not mean we are not going to root for them. We are just expressing an opinion.

No one is Oriole bashing on here. We are just simply frustrated and this is the only place to vent. I LOVE THE O's! I always will! But sometimes you just have to say what ever the hell you feel like saying!

Nobody HAS to be better than they already have shown.
The Roberts trade is a bad deal. Could be why MacPH hasn't made it.
Please Adam, prove to us why you're not Jeff Stone.

Relax , a few of us are only trying to point out (with humor sometimes)the players we got in trades aren't really that good , only one at #44 is on the top 100 prospect list,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Proper rebuilding is taking a true #1 like bedard and build around him , now we have to find a true #1 and we already had one...........Peter the Great has to learn a really nice pitcher is a good reason to go to a game , we do not have any truly nice pitchers any more (remember Musina , Ryan , Bedard etc.) to pull us to the games,,,,,,,,,Some of us just don't see any hope when Peter the Great will not pay a player to pitch every five days , whan they become really nice , he lets them go,,,,,,,,,,case closed.

Jennifer--Hopefully the Birds will win today and your dog will be so happy he'll decide not to eat your coat after all.

as a cubs fan, i sincerely hope that they get roberts now before it's too late! over 2 months of boloney. do it now, hendry
let's go cubbies!!!!!

Almost Former has a point — with one of the guys he mentioned.

The other three I can live with on my team, but Mora is a malcontent that can absolutely ruin an impressionable young prospect.

Was there a game (heck, an inning?) where he wasn't moping, complaining or complaining something wasn't his fault?

Barry -- I hope they win! That way I won't go home in a bad mood and take it out on the dog. I still think my boots can be fixed! He just chewed on the heels. What's annoying is he's 3 years old and has never chewed anything up before!!! Must of been that new leather smell, or he just knew I was having a bad day and decided to piss me off a little more!

Jennifer--I have a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier (Jake), who at the age of 5 will now and then find some carpet worth chewing. Sounds like your guy is pining for his own genuine Rawlings Players Special.