I might as well throw my 2 cents in on the so-called veteran presense factor. There's no doubt you need a few seasoned pros around during a rebuildling phase but I think the '08 O's have far too many.
Our young pitchers have guys like Bradford and Walker so bringing in Trachsel for this reason makes no sense. Besides, he's been a journeyman throughout his career so is that what we want our pitcher's to shoot for?
Regarding position players, our roster is filled with aging vets-enough already and let's eat a couple of contracts. The reason is two-fold-open up some roster spots and rid the clubhouse of the possible bad vibes generated by Payton/Gibbons,etc. If I had to chose a couple of vets to stay, I say Mora and Millar. Millar ticked me off with his RedSox antics but overall, at least he's entertaining. I'm more concerned about him being our regular 1B; at this point, he should be a platoon player. We should be focused on finding an power hitting 1B ASAP instead of adding all those oung pitchers.
Finally, I like the idea of inviting some of the past O's back to spring training to inject some of the glory days back in but really, have the current players heard of Boog.Eddie and Earl?

Big Z...points made and taken. Its just that I have not been a big fan of Millar from when we first signed him and the playoff thing didnt help.

One last thing though...where does everyone get the impression that he even does mentor the youngsters? All I ever read about him is he's goofing around and trying to show off in batting practice. I read that Ramon Hernandez was giving pointers to Wieters and my hats off to him for that but I cant recall ever reading the same about Millar...maybe Roch can answer this for me.

For the O's sake I hope he has a good year but I am not holding my breath.

Jennifer,

I get it...you have a crush on Millar...thats great. But do me a favor and don't tell me I would do the exact same thing...I understand how YOU feel about the situation, great. grand. wonderful. Now, get off the bus.

It doesn't matter who called whom or who has friends or how many games down someone is that won the world series....years ago. When he retires, GREAT! When he is on the Orioles, there's no way, NO WAY that is acceptable TO ME.

I'm not saying Millar is bad or mean or not a good player. I'm saying he made a bad decision in THIS FANS eyes...and I can never forgive him. And, if you have REDSOX FANS as friends as I do...its not great hearing how this would NEVER had happened if the situation were reversed...and getting laughed at the state of this franchise that Millar had to go back to where he couldn't find a job to experience a "real team". I'm guessing J. Damon wouldn't even THINK about going back there, for fear of fan retribution and his boss....

Plain and simple, you don't see players on one team going the their immediate rivals within their own division while they are still players to support that team...and even worse in the AL EAST!!!

You are a great fan Jennifer, but obviously you don't share my hatred for our division foes...I HATE having them take over out stadium, I HATE being an away fan in our stadium. I HATE the direction of this club for the past 10 years...

It makes NO SENSE to me that the team has become second rate....in our PLAYERS eyes. Live for the moment, love the orioles, play for the orioles, support the orioles because we have our own history and our own future...we are not only separate from the red sox, but we used to be as revered as them...

Now, our players throw out balls in support of other AL EAST teams while they are still ORIOLES?? and the REDSOX???

I'm fine with players supporting friends and teams that they like...but going out and throwing a ball is a smack in the face to the Orioles franchise...

And with that, I'm done this conversation. Our opinions differ. I wonder how you'd feel it was a different player? Because you are VERY pro Millar and have been on this site. Great guy, great teammate, bad decision to die hard fans like me...

Carol-

I wish I could think as simple as you...YEYEY the red sox still like Millar!!!! YEYEYEY...yippie, what a glorious day for the Orioles!!!!

I feel like going out and getting a Millar redsox shirt...

AGAIN, this has nothing to do with Millar as a player. It has to do with the ORIOLES FRANCHISE and how we are viewed...and in our case. We were the butt of MANY a jokes and still are... I wonder, is MASN going to put replays of him tossing the ball up everytime he comes up to bat?

"Remember what a great guy Millar is, he played for our division rivals...lets put up that video of him again, what a great guy...great oriole." Great guy? I'm sure, great ORIOLE, please...don't make me throw up...

"q" for questionable actions

Agreed. I like MIllar the person alot, I like Millar's presence, and having him around, but I definitely agree, were this to have happened 20 Years ago or more, some other veteran (probably would be a backup catcher), would have given him a black eye over fraternizing with the "enemy"...

In the winter if he wants to goto Aruba with Varitek, go for it! After a game, have a beer with him and Papi. But throw out the first pitch @ the world series while still active for a division rival?!? I

'm 32, but was taught they old school way, so I can only imagine some of the tossing the fans that were around for baseball in the 50's & 60's are doing over that move...

Anybody who thinks Millar would not give 100% effort because he was playing the Red Sox is an idiot and should be banned from participation in this blog. Did you ever play anything against your friends? Are you competitive? I'm pretty confident that he will play his hardest against the Red Sox.

Amen, Wrong Carol and Jennifer. I think Millar underestimates the hatred Orioles fans have for the Red Sox and the pride that some of us still have in our team. I don't expect him to hate the Red Sox, but I do expect him to have some pride in his team and respect the rivarly between the two teams.

He is no leader because a leader does not sell out their team for media attention and that's exactly what he did when he put Fox's interest's ahead of the Orioles and cut that promo. The throwing out the first pitch was not as bad as the promo, in which Millar identified himself as a member of Red Sox Nation to do a favor for the president of the Fox network. He sold out his team for that media attention and I'm sure he had no problem with that.

And that's why Millar gives all the sound bites because he wants attention. He may love the game of baseball but he doesn't give a hoot about the team he currently plays for. He's as much of a leader as Reggie Jackson was for his stint with the Orioles. Now he realizes his career is just about over and a role on television is his future. I fully expect him to be on NESN the minute he retires.

And as for Millar's leadership skills, how good is he really? A leader is only a leader if they have followers. The Orioles obviously haven't bought into what Millar is selling, because look at how they've done under his "leadership." The reason they haven't is that all Millar is selling is knock-knock jokes and gags. When those wear thin, he has nothing left.

This "old school" notion that players on different teams have to be bitter enemies is absurd. Kevin Millar does his best, and wants to win badly. If we had 25 players on our team with Millar's attitude, we would win more games than we deserved, because our attitude would be the best in baseball. The absolute model of the "old school" way of which you speak was Ty Cobb--who was probably a murderer, who would spike his mother for third base, who was a vicious racist, etc. The English "old school" model--now, that I'd endorse--absolute sportsmanship, absolute effort, no trashmouth talk, no in-your-face celebration.

As to the veterans, I agree. Jay Gibbons, Jay Payton, Melvin Mora, and Aubrey Huff should go as quickly as possible--all are bad influences--selfish players who don't hustle, less than average players, and old players. Each, playing, will interfere with the opportunities of younger players. It is possible that timing is at issue, that Mr. MacPhail hopes to get something back for many of these guys, in which case, I agree with his slowness to move on them. But I'd rather eat their contracts than keep them. I realize this would be difficult for those actually paying the salaries. But get rid of them, please, soon.

Did either one of you listen to the Millar audio on throwing out the first ball? He checked it out with the O's - they had no problem with it - so why should Millar? He took it as a honor. If the O's had told him no, my guess he that he would have taken in stride - IMO he's that kind of guy.
I, for one, am glad he's on this team.

Millar is providing a diary for fans to read on the Orioles' website. I wonder if he'd be interested in commenting on this issue and trying to put it behind him before it drags on much longer. It obviously struck a nerve with many Oriole fans.

The Pro-Millar people aren't helping themselves out by using the "you'd have to be an idiot to disagree with me and my point!" argument.

And yes, I'm sure me and other will stop brining this up from the past as soon as, oh I don't know, Millar stops bringing up his past with the Red Sox so damn much. If your qualifications for any position (sport or otherwise) are based on being an affable clown with mediocre-poor results at their job, you might as well vote in Bush for a third term.

j is for just shut up, Millar

okay well that is just my opinion.. but if you are going to hate on a guy for supporting his friends, then I hope you are willing to boo and yell nasty things to Roberts and Gibbons who cheated. Because in my eyes, what they did is a lot worse then throwing a ball for an old team.

You guys hold grudges for some of the silliest stuff.

And no I don't have a crush on Millar, I just support his decision 100%. It shouldn't be that big of a deal.

So I guess it's come down to this, we are such a great glorious franchise that the only thing we can belly ache about is Millar's fondness of being part of the Sox's first title run in 86 and facial hair. Wow! This team is loaded and we have no other pertinent issues to debate.

I personally could care less about Millar's Fox promo or the rule against facial hair on the team, as some have whined about. And yes I hate the Sox & Yanks. Probably longer than most on this blog have been around.

One last time, Millar is an average ballplayer/1st baseman. At 36 he still offers some pop, drives in runs, and plays a respectable 1st base (not great!). Would I prefer to have Tex, Casey Kotchman, or James Loney there? Absolutely!! But the point is we don't. So platooning Millar & Huff is probably our best option going into 2008, baring a last second trade that changes that scenario. Understand that Millar made the show by crossing the picket line. He's an average ballplayer that's worked hard to display his current skills (limited as they are). This guy is not our problem. It's been a poorly run franchise, since Gillick left town. Our farm system was a joke, and scouting didn't improve until Joe Jordan came on board.

I hear all you Sox haters, I'm fed up up with the media bandwagon on NE sports. That being said, the Sox are a well run franchise, that scouts, drafts, and produces prospects. They also dip into the FA market to add a final missing piece, not to cure their farm system ills. When Ortiz was done in Minnesota, I didn't see the O's jumping at a chance to get him. OK, lot's of teams missed that one. Hate the Sox, that's OK, but give them their due.

I still think we need to focus on the holes we have, a huge question mark at SS, unsettled rotation, and mystery as far as a closer. If this team wins 75 games, Trembley should be Manager of the year. However that said, I'd rather go with young hustling ballplayers mixed in with stable veterans. Tom D is correct in his assessment in rebuilding, you don't just throw youngsters out there for the soul sake of fielding a team under 25. You play your best 9. If it's somewhat close between an aging vet and a young player, then you go with youth!

Finally, in regards to Roberts, unless you are blown away with an offer, you keep him. We are going to be a bad team with or without him. In the end, I still think this team wins between 65-70 games.

George Sherrill's #1 fan here -- at least the one that's not related to him anyway, heh.

I really hope you guys appreciate what George will bring to the table for you. I'm glad he's got the shot at the closer's role. Giambi and Ortiz will be no problem for him at all. Manny, too.

I've been perusing the Sun's site for days looking for pictures, though. I did see the video interview on the Orioles' web site with him, though.

Glad to hear his injury isn't serious. He's one of the few that know what that boundary is between playing through pain and being smart enought to shut it down. He'll be fine. And, since the breaking pitches break better in Florida than they do in AZ, he might actually have some decent numbers in Spring Training for a change.

So, from the greater Seattle area, I still say "Free George Sherrill!"

Tom Davis said this morning that the O's led in 120 of 162 games last year. Seems impossible.

I was asked by a friend for my 10 best pitchers all-time. My list:

Cy Young
W. Johnson
C. Mathewson
GC. Alexander
L. Grove
C. Hubbell
W. Spahn
B. Gibson
S. Koufax
B. Feller

"It doesn't hurt too bad. It's just a little tight."

That's what she said.

Hey guys, when Kevin Millar responded to Ryan Dempster's prediction of a Cubs world series win by saying "they'll have to come through us first", I immediately assumed the "us" he was referring to was the Boston Red Sox. Didn't you?

Outsider checking in with a comment=====Millar is o.k. , I would worry about old Payton and Gibbons..these two guys are simply cashing paychecks they don't earn , that my friends is a bad influence....................just my thoughts........

I have no problem with Millar at all. He's a good guy to have around in my opinion. And if Red Sox fans want to come down here and spend money as they fill up Oriole Park, then I welcome that. I met a couple of them at the ball park the last year Pedro Martinez was on the team and it was nice to chat with them. I with my vintage 1973 Orioles cap and their Red Sox caps. As long as they behave themselves and not cuss around the kids I'm okay. The O's lost that game, but I came away with seeing mostly Sox fans filling the place. It was a strange feeling indeed, but if Baltimore fans can't fill up our own stadium, then let's not hate Sox fans for it.

Hey this Millar throwing out the 1st pitch has been beaten(I mean Huffed) to death...

Guys, its not that bad that the O's have some vets.
TerryP. said that having Walker and Bradford are good but bringing in Trachsel was stupid. Come on Steve is a starter, we need 1 veteran starter and a few(like 2 or 3) in the bullpen. Steve isnt a bad accusition. Now Jay Payton is bad to keep around but the rest, Mora, Huff, Millar, Hernendez, Gibbons, and Redman are what this team needs for now. In 2010 when the O's beat out the Yanks and Red Sox for the AL East, none except mabey Huff will be with the team.(they probably will have Mark Teix..... and another decent vet to help out the team)
The vets are welcome but are not going to be with the O's when they win the 2010 WORLD SERIES.
Mabey I took that to far

Greg,

Not to be mean, but YEA the whole reason why Millar, Payton, and Huff are still around is because their not rushing the prospects at all. So that allows them to stick around. Now Mora, I dont know. They have Scott Moore and soon Mike Costanzo, and in probably 2 more years Billy Rowell. When Billy is at AAA on the verge of the majors, Melvin may still be around. AH! That's why Scott is playing at first and the corner outfield positions and Mike is adjusting to catcher. I like Melvin, but I cant stand him hogging up 2 youngsters chance at becoming something. Mabey in 2012 The Yanks will have Scott hitting 40 dingers alongside A-ROD with 40 more!

Does anyone know if I should but Mlb 08 the show or MLB 2K8?
just wondering

Does anyone remember the 3 run game winning HR Millar hit against the Red Sox?

What did he hit against them?

What was his fielding percentage in 2007?

Pull your heads out of your [backsides]. Millar was a valuable player last year.

If you can't get over his doing the introduction to a Sox game - that was approved by the O's (and that would mean Andy MacPhail...) - that is YOUR issue. You have a few things to work out. There are lots of people in the phonebook who can help you - start at the letter "P". But stop trying to put YOUR issues on US. We don't care.

If you are so wrapped up in yourself that you have to bring your self loathing here, I think you should think again. Enough of this BS.

Stop attacking Jennifer. Grow up.

Lets move on tho something that interests the people who are the actual fans.

I like the idea of the O's holding Sherrill out of workouts for now - no reason to Phillip Hughes him and lose him for the whole season.

Meanwhile, Roch, has anyone impressed you more than you expected they would? (And, if you say Millar I will take back all of the nice things I said about you!!)

!This is a serious question, by the way.)

I know it doesn't bother you that the comments don't match your entry, but it would be nice to see most people folloing your lead once or twice a year.

And, finally, let me get this off my chest now so I can pretend it doesn't bother me once the ST games start in ernest - is the Sun going to report the O's ST averages online or in print?

And are they going to update them more than once before the season starts?

Roch whats going on with Randor Bierd?

Hey Mr. Kubatko,

I am coming down to Ft. Lauderdale next month to catch a couple games. Any tips on a decent hotel not too far from the stadium? Close to the beach? I would appreciate any information. Thanks!

Yawn. Let me get something straight : did this happen yesterday, or is this REALLY OLD NEWS ? Some people are over it, and some people are not. End. Of. Story. And I believe that this blog post is about a relief pitcher and his hamstring...

TerryP:

I think that Traschell has value because he is a starter. Veteran presence in the bullpen is great, but it is not as helpful for our young starters.
Not saying I'm right, just my opinion.

Greg:

I think it is time for us to get rid of Gibbons and Payton, but I think that we should keep Mora. Mora's numbers have been decent over the last couple of years, even as he has declined. I have seen plenty of hustle from Mora. He plays the right way : gets his uniform dirty, bunts when he's told to, and runs out grounders... Maybe he'll be less surly with some of the departures ?
Again, not saying I'm right, just my opinion.

Roch, I just read a nice story about Rick Kranitz by Jeff Zrebiec. I'm getting to know Rick better myself and I like his style. For the longest time I didn't understand the difference between Mazzone and Kranitz and this story set it straight for me. There was a lot of hoopla during the brief Leo Mazzone era. It faded quickly because Leo's way just wasn't the right fit for these young pitchers and it's a shame that really Leo inherited so many injuries that it may have made it harder to work with so many new faces popping up as much last year.

Roch, Do you have any info on how Chris Gomez is doing with the Pirates in spring training? I know this isn't Orioles news, but I miss having Chris on the team. I liked what he did for us. Can't we trade Aubrey Huff, Jay Payton and Jay Gibbons to get him back? He's a good guy to have around.