I would do something special for Anita Marks as well!!

He may be a rookie, but he is no dumby!

Anita Marks knows so little about baseball she brings a football to Spring Training? Why doesn't she just wait from Browns Training camp to open?

I'm not worried about Jones not being chatty. He's a 22-year old kid trying to fit in on a new club in a new city. It's hard to leave friends and go to the other coast - and it's even harder when, pro ball player or not, you're still just a kid. I know it would be hard for me, anyway. Markakis is only just now opening up a little.

Where's an Erik Bedard fishing trip when you need one?

Well, fingers crossed and hoping Loewen can put together 4+ decent innings. It will be interesting to see if there is an improvement on the strike to pitch count ratio. Loewen is this years "X factor "and may prove to be the difference between dismal season and optimistic.
I predict breakout for Cabrera and 14 wins For Guthrie. That's 50 wins for the starters due to lack of run support and the bull pen chips in for 21.

71-91 at year end.

You're welcome.

Danny: I believe the football was in George Sherrill's locker. That's what I was told at the time.

Dan: I agree with you on Jones. I think he'll loosen up more as he grows more comfortable in his new surroundings. Nice kid. Just more quiet than I expected.

Put Huff into the DH role instead of Payton and this may be the OD Lineup.

BC Mike your numbers are good. There is no way they will do worse than last year with a improved hitting lineup. Even if the pitchers arent much better they will get atleast 70.

I say 72-90.

They continue to pamper Gibbons??? They should send him on every trip. He is awful in the field & at the plate...here's to hoping we release him

If Cherry is sent down, it better be solely because the other 2 guys are out of options. He has pitched well enough to stay. IF one of these guys falters or they find a new home for Bradford, I'd bring Cherry back up. Bradford in the bandbox called the Yawn scares me every time he trots in.... he is better suited for big parks in the NL.

Anita has milked that girls football QB thing to death. Roch, you are surprised that Anita is flirting with or being flirted with, some of the guys on the team? Hang on buddy, she is approaching the Cougar stage. She is ready for Dewey Beach. You should be prepared to pounce. :-)

Showcasing Payton today huh? Good. Lets hope the Tokyo Giants or Hiroshima Swallows have a scout at the game.

It sounds like Hernandez is choking. I don't mean to be cruel, but there is a gagging sound coming from Ft L that can be heard in Fells Point.... now we get the poor man's version of M Belanger....Fahey.

BeDolt must have been perplexed on that fishing trip last yr..... no ice to cut a hole into.....

Matt you are right excpet that you can bet your last dollar that Roberts will not be with the O's opening day...and then at that point....Roch......who in the heck is going to bat leadoff for the O's....guess it will SS Cedeno or 2B Patterson....cause all the other players mentioned are pitchers excpet maybe Murton...sure is good when it hapens but slow process when ever the O's do anything on trades excpet Tejada....

I agree with JWBBZ... why coddle Gibbons??? I'd have him on every bus ride, play in every away game..... he has earned it. Maybe he would quit? Naaaaa that would be too good to be true. At least he might be willing to "buy" his way out of town. He could join Payton in Japan!

I wish to amend my last entry..... I'd make Gibbons DRIVE the bus too.

Ray -- You mentioned how Radhames Liz wasn't highly regarded by BA's John Manuel. Fortunately, Rick Kranitz IS high on him and I think his opinion counts for something, too.

Still another reason that Jeremy Guthrie must start on Opening Day: For the Orioles management to refuse him that shows that it doesn't have any confidence in him. Not a good idea when you have a pitcher who could be on the verge of blossoming into something special.

Applying the front office's current "logic" for 2007, Steve Trachsel or Jaret Wright should have taken the ball for the season opener and not Erik Bedard. It was a bad idea then and it's a bad idea now.

Seventy wins is too optimistic by half. You heard it here first: the Orioles 2008 record will be 31-131.

personally i would settle for a team full of monks under vows of silence as long as they could win 90 games.

I disagree on the end-of-season records.

I believe we have pitching depth--rotation-wise and in the bullpen. Plus most of these guys are young, talented and improving.

Ultimately, I feel talented pitching depth is the most important factor in getting your team to the playoffs. I'm in no way saying that's what is going to happen this year for the O's (while sober).

But just consider 2007:

AL: Boston, Cleveland, Anaheim, New York. Each had great pitching and/or tremendous offense. Cleveland and Boston had superior pitching and were more sucessful.

NL: Philly, Chicago, Arizona, Colorado, San Diego. Similar story, but I think we can all agree what happen with Colorado was pretty unique.

However, only pitching won't get it done--see Anaheim, Arizona, and San Diego. Very rarely does a great offense combined with average pitching bring the ring.

For (1) a mediocre to average offense, plus (2) an above average pitching staff combined with arm depth, I say (an optimistic) .500 ball for the O's this season.

What needs to happen for the Orioles to send Gibbons to AAA after his 15 games suspension? He is not hitting now and I don't see him hitting well after 15 days off. Would he accept a minor league option? Play everyday and maybe save his career

Olson and Hernandez are life time minor leaguers.................

Dave -- 31-131 LOL. Now tell us what you REALLY predict.

I'd say 70 wins. As I've said before, we can put together a nice lineup against righties (Roberts, Markakis, Millar, Huff, Moore, Scott, etc.). We will be bad against lefties. But you can quickly name the number of lefty starters in the entire AL East (Pettitte, Lester, Kazmir). If our bullpen is a solid as I hope (largely a function of whether the starters can prevent them from being overworked), we'll be OK.

Roch,

Do you think it's mostly the fantasy-ballers who post the mean comments? Hey I want a winning season for the O's too, but please keep in mind that these guys are all bustin' their collective rumps to make this team, and todays' goat can be tomorrows hero. It's live and unscripted. So just sit back and watch, and enjoy as the dramas unfold before you, and remember...you're watching...these guys are doing.

Go O's!