They won't let you leave the clubhouse unattended? What are the Rays officials afraid that you might tape their batting practice or something?!?

Welcome to the Sunshine State Roch! You're about to get a downpour, that blob finally passed by me up here.
Didn't think they still made Bit-O-Honeys, but Reese's would beat them anytime.

I hope that is the reason, that Trembley wanted to give the O's fans a little reward. Or, as a previous poster mentioned, make the Yanks wet themselves.

This sux, looks like maybe only Sunday's game will be on TV for me.

The O's lost last night because their inept offense continues to struggle against the most average of pitchers.If Ian kennedy is pitching to even a decent hitting team last night he gives up a slew of runs and is headed back to AAA to find an out pitch. It's never good to judge a pitcher's performance when he's throwing to an offense as weak as the O's.

If you think a hitting coach matters, then you have to can Crowley, because finishing near the bottom in every offensive category but strikeouts won't get it done. If you think a hitting coach doesn't matter, then have the bat boys be the acting hitting coaches and try to get some better hitters who don't need hitting coaches (cause if you believe they matter, you don't have a good one).

Explain this approach to me: Adam Jones swings on a bad 2-0 pitch with hernandez on first and no outs in the 7th inning of a tie game vs Markakis taking a perfect bp fastball on 2-0 with the bases loaded, 1 out, up by a run, and a young pitcher on the ropes in the 3rd inning??

I love Bit O Honeys. They used to be in all the vending machines. Life was good back then. But now...the crazy kids with their Tropical Fruit Skittles and Cookies N' Creme Hershey Bars...where's that going to get them? Diabetestown. That's where.

Anyway, does anyone else think this Rays series may be the toughest we've faced all year. These guys are doing great and they've been playing the O's very well.

Bit-O-Honeys and Peanut Butter Cups? Is there even an argument?

Peanut Butter Cups 4-eva

Mark Teixeira in a Baltimore road jersey! Get onboard:
http://bringmarkhome.withthispetition.com

The idea to pull a pitcher after he takes the mound only works when you're playing at home. I was at the game and there was zero reaction from the crowd. I figured that was the reason but no one really noticed what happened. There were very few people left in the stadium at that time.

Any chance of a Chris Heintz sighting in the majors? He can't possibly be any worse at the plate than what's up there right now.

peanut butter cups all the way!

This is going to be an important series for the future of this season for this team. Those last two losses in NY has the potential to but this team in a funk...

Lets breakout! Go O's

Roch, if Huff is on the side of the mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, I’ll have to re-assess how I feel about him (and what’s up with Millar? He seems like a peanut butter cup kind of guy). There is a reason why you can’t even find Bit O’ Honey candies in the kids’ trick-or-treat bags anymore—they stink for the work involved, and no one can afford the potential dental work. Peanut butter cups are, in my opinion, the pinnacle of candy-making achievement.

Mark C: “Have we not had endless conversation material about the blown Garcia call?” Ack, none of it has been good! That’s not even a memory that many fans can chuckle over a dozen years later and say, oh well; it still causes considerable pain for me and the fans I know (of course, being knocked out by Cleveland a year later and the 10 years of misery afterward haven’t helped). There has to be some sort of common ground between preserving the national pastime (which has changed a lot anyway over the years and will continue to change), accuracy in calls, and speed of game. And unlike most professional sports, baseball has its own testing ground for new developments/procedures—the minors.

What's the point of carrying both Alex Cintron and Luis Hernandez on this club? Orioles need another hitter - preferably a good high fast ball hitter - as they're overpowering Nick Markakis right now, who instead of going with the pitch is trying to pull them.

In the long run, Adam Jones might prove to be a better hitter than Markakis.

Bit O' Honeys. A blast from the past, Roch. Along with Good 'n' Plenty, Screaming Yellow Zonkers, and Fruit Stripe Gum. As a little kid I was afraid of Bit O' Honey after I was stung by a bee at the BMA sculpture garden.

Speaking of candy relics, I've been obsessed with eating Circus Peanuts. I just love 'em, but I feel like I'm the only person on earth who does.

True, mick. We saw Cormier warming up through the whole top of the 8th, so we didn't even look at who came out of the dugout. Really wished we had noticed to cheer. Oh well, we had pretty well toed the line on asking-for-a-knuckle-sandwich from the home crowd, anyway.

Really, we had to toe that line, since I know it kills every one of us to hear our place taken over. I hope we left a bad taste in some of those fans' mouths.

Circus Peanuts! I used to devour them as a kid, don't know where they are these days.

Speaking of peanuts, the boiled green peanuts they have down here are nasty. Stay away from them Roch.

Millar and Aubrey Huff arguing whether Bit-O-Honeys are better than miniature Reese's peanut butter cups.

If this is the case for anyone, let alone these two "power" hitters, than whoever thinks that is crazy. And they need to send me whatever super-duper, high-strain ganja they're smoking that would actually make them think that.

Plus you can't but the Bit o' Honey on a sundae. The only other thing that rivaled the Reese's cup in my mind was the short-lived Keebler Magic Middle which was basically a chocalate chip cookie with extra liquid fudge injected in the middle. I am sure there are one or two less diabetics in the world because that was discontinued.

Jim66-- I definitely agree with your sentiments. It seems that every individual who remains in this organization has a vision or a coherent approach to how they address things with the exception of Crowley. Sometimes he is very aggressive, sometimes players are taking everything, sometimes they are just lost. Rarely creative, never superlative. Most of the great hitters were fluorished elsewhere or prior to his arrival (Alomar, Palmeiro, ED, Ripken, Belle, et al.). As much as we want to praise Roberts and Markakis, it's not like they are close to bringing home any batting crowns and now they are both floundering. As I've said before, if you are willing to judge Mazzone on recent work and discount his track record, why the long leash on the Crow? I don't see the free agents rushing to work with someone who once helped Kirby Puckett or Kent Hrbek.

I know I would feel bad if I knew the man who by all accounts is very nice, but he is in the business of production and his production is failing and has not gotten it done for a long time. The FO has told us we have had the talent to compete for years, so what's the problem?

Paul R,
The crazy part about circus peanuts is that sell them in the checkout line at Dick's Sporting Goods and I have no idea why.

Dave

Millar, Huff and the rest of the Orioles need a Bit O Hitting, not candy. Their "offense" is truly offensive and painful to watch.

How about Burres last night....that was some kind of outing. I wonder if he is in our long term plans?

Bit-O Honeys were scattered all over the house when I was growing up because my dad loved them. It was the only snack kicking around in his car, too. I tried and tried to like those things and just could not do it.

jim66, easy fella, we all feel your pain. Adam Jones has very little experience with situational hitting in the big leagues. In the 7th, he probably was expecting a middle of the plate fastball in that 2-0 hitters count and had made up his mind to swing before even seeing the actual offering. Maybe Trembly should have had him take a pitch there but hesitated to because....

In the 3rd, and in the same hitter's count, bases loaded, 1 out, maybe Nick Markakis was told to take a pitch. D'oh!!! Or did he watch that bp fastball go by all on his own? We don't know. But I generally have to agree with you, jim66, there were a bunch of at bats last night that were hard to watch.

I do know hitting, coaching and managing in the big leagues is really, really hard. You're a hero on the good nights, and you suck on the bad nights.

But in Nick's defense, I also think that opposing coaches and pitchers have finally put together a nice game plan for him. After 2+ years, they have a good idea what, when and where to pitch him in all types of situations. Hopefully, he'll do what all great players do when they get figured out. He'll figure it out. And probably without Crowley's help.

Paul, after you mentioned Fruit Stripe gum, I couldn't stop thinking about it so I just walked to the Canton Market and got some. I forgot how good it was!!!! The market also sells candy cigarettes but I was too embarassed to buy them. HAHA!

Ya know what candy I can never find.... Sugar Daddies... they'll rot your teeth in a heartbeat but man are they good.

Fans should know that as long as the Orioles organization has an unqualified person like Roger Hayden handling stadium operations we will continue to have incidents like the fans shown in the Examiner being thrown out. He's the reason the ushers are out of control and the ballpark experience is a joke. I remember last year when he couldn't even get a weather report right and a game wasn't called at the right time. I know how bad he messed up Baltimore county as a failed, one term county executive and now he has brought that same incompetence to OPACY. I don't care if you edit this Roch, but at least I know you'll read it. And maybe that's all that matters. But the truth is, it's the truth.
Obviously they have the same kind of people running things at the Trop which is why you need an escort to walk around that dump. It's one thing to be fan unfriendly but press unfriendly? Now that's where I draw the line.

The players are just seeing the reality of their chances this year sink in , the Evil Empire burst the little bubble they had,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the timely hitting couldn't go on forever , they did well with what they have , until we get a few legitimate h/r hitters in the line up , we are just pretenders , just the facts man , just the facts................

Bit O' Honeys, Squirrel Nut Bars and those crunchy things with soft peanut butter inside... you can find all those "penny candy" items in the big bags on the bottom shelves in the candy aisle.

Peanut butter cups are better but a guy can eat a bag of those before he knows it, Bit O' Honeys last.

You have no choice but to ride it out with Nick but Salazar needs to be on this team being rotated around to give Mora and Millar days off.He's been a very consistent hitter at Norfolk all year. What happened to the reward system the O's were going to use?

I don't mean to pile on but you really can't argue that Markakis and Roberts weren't getting good pitches to hit last night. And for that matter, have you ever heard any of the really good hitters ever use that as an excuse? Honestly, I think most pitchers take every single batter seriously at this level, because if you don't, you'll get crushed. It's not like Markakis is getting the Bonds treatment. He is just in a bad place right now and it's a matter of time before he puts it together. Maybe this is equivalent to his sophomore slump. I just know that no one benefits from him being this ineffective in the 3-hole. I think Mark C mentioned getting him out of there or resting him for a couple of games. Would it hurt to try?

Obviously Nick' slump wouldn't be this dramatic if he had some legit protection in the lineup. Maybe it's time for a change and the Crow ought to go?

Whatever happened to those "Chunky" bars?

It's time to promote some hitters like Salazar and Moore if he's back.

We need to put Luke back in left, because I'm tired of seeing Payton sail throws that are extremely important in a game. That throw wasn't even close to home plate, and he was almost halfway to the grass at second base, literally.

Imagine if we had three strong arms in the outfield. We know about Jones and Markakis. That's why nobody is gonna hit singles in the direction of these men, because opponents know they can throw them out, evidenced by Markakis' assist to first base, and Jones' assist to third base several games back. But, no, we don't have a man in left field who hasn't had any assists yet.

Ok, that's enough for my rant today. Let's go, Orioles, and beat these Rays into submission! I've had enough of Pena hitting homers off us, and having their pitchers look like Pedro in his heyday. Ok, seriously, that's enough of my rant.

I am beginning to think Nick Markakas needs to see an eye doctor. I think he can't see the pitches very well. You hear of players going thru this, then get an eye exam and find they are either far or near sighted. If he hits the ball in the 3rd, we are winners today I believe.

Jim from Dundalk,

Pretenders?
Are you implying that you think the O's see themselves as contenders this season?
I'm content with the O's apparent commitment to rebuilding!
To me, the fact that they've been moderately competitive so far is just gravy.

I think ya'll misinterpeted Roch,
" I can’t leave the clubhouse unattended, and I’m alone on this trip"
He don't need an escort.
He can't leave the clubhouse without a "Sun" presence.
At least I think so.

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You got it. - Roch

So the offense can't hit it's way out of a paper bag some nights. Is that a newsflash all of a sudden? Didn't we know this going in? Just the fact that our pitching has done a one-eighty is reason enough for this O's fan to get excited. R-E-B-U-I-L-D-I-N-G...remember? The offense will get fixed - maybe not right away, but I trust Andy's Gang to eventually do the right thing. Like George Micheals said, "Ya gotta have faith..." (I'm sorry for that. George Michaels is terrible, but it fits). As long as I'm coining phrases, remember the famous words of Toby McGuire in that Seabiscuit movie - "...brick by brick..."

Hey Ben W,

Re: LF with assists, thought Luke Scott had one - back in April - on the run he threw a guy out at the plate - can't remember what game it was now ...