Thank you for posting that. Hopefully some people will chill about Payton now.

I'll take 6 bombs, 30 RBIs and a .260+ average out of my 4th outfielder any day. Let's give the guy a break.

Roch, has there been any talk over any trades that the O's might be involved in before the trade deadline? We have some guys that have been hitting pretty well lately and I would think they would get a look...Payton and Huff perhaps?

Based on Roch's comments about Payton, it sounds like the comment by "Jay Payton" under the "Sweep Dreams" post might have been bona fide. If so, Jay, thanks for communicating with the fans, and keep up the good work at the plate!

Hi all,

Check it out. I'm blogging the Orioles for the Examiner.

Go to,

http://www.examiner.com/x-207-Baltimore-Orioles-Examiner

I'll be doing game summaries with a healthy dose of sarcasm.

I'm also hoping to write about Jay Gibbons in York this weekend.
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You're running an ad for your blog on my blog? OK, I demand equal time! - Roch

I'm sure a lot of fans haven't noticed the ritual because it actually doesn't happen until the next day.

In Payton's next AB, he swings at the first pitch.

Pfffft - Flat Breezy would pwn Payton in a steel cage match. thats really all that matters in this case and life in general.

If I'm a GM for a contending team and need a bat, I'm looking at Payton. He's proven that he can come off the bench and get it done. You can look at Huff similarly.

I believe the ritual involves Payton going over to Trembley and complaining he doesn't get enough playing time.

I've seen them rub their bald heads together in the dugout and sing "Ebony and Ivory" on the post game show.

To 97Cavaliers and Steve: Well done.

Roch, if you really need parking tonight, e-mail me. i can hook you up and keep you on the correct side of the river.

p.s. stay away from the cheesesteaks, but do have the chili cheese dog from Hard Times or the Half Smoke "All the Way" from Ben's.
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Appreciate the offer. Thanks. But I should be OK. I'm supposed to be on "the list." We'll see. - Roch

How about putting one in the win column. Why isn't this enough for people?

Lest we forget Grand Slams off Okajima.

Roch,

I heard the NAT's are planning to have radio broadcasts in spanish. Do the Orioles plan on doing the same? It would be a great way to get the large hispanic population in the area involved (aka purchasing tickets). Maybe they can get on 99.1, and I can listen to that station again. Now if I can just learn spanish more then the Taco Bell menu.

"Also, Payton and Sherrill apparently perform their own ritual after saves that we haven't noticed. Payton won't reveal it. Has anyone seen it?"

Is it fit for public viewing?

The Payton excuse sounds like damage control to me....

caprimode, me too, I agree with you, on taking those stats from a FOURTH OFer... the crux of the problem is, he doesn't think he should be the 4th OFer on the team, thus the problem.....

Without solid verification that was indeed a post by Payton in some blog other than this one, I am not eating the bill of my hat yet....

Good one cavalier, you too Ben in Tampa.... but Steve's is probably more accurate.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! YAY!

What do I want for my birthday.....

Orioles sweeping the nats! Possible? I think so!

Go O's!
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Happy Birthday, Jennifer!
And which one would this be??? - Roch

Enjoy the stadium Roch. It is beautiful.

Roch,
Take some Marines with you - that is the only way to be safe near the Washington Navy Yard.

Roch - you need to use the term 'flat breezy' in your blog. Its not 'flipping the bill' - its making that breezy flat, yo.

can we be full members of the nl central now please? i think we'd be in contention for that division every year.

First off---Thank you Ben truly a submission for the ages. As to trades ,I see no reason at all to think about trading Aubrey Huff. His production has been great and it is forcing people to start pitching to Markakis. We are 3 games over .500 and are playing solid baseball.I would certainly consider trading Bradford for a minor leaguer or two and agree that Payton is attractive to a contender that needs a right handed hitting outfielder, but I think it would be a mistake to disrupt this teams chemistry. As long as they keep playing like this, we as fans need to recognize that the whole is far greater than the parts on this club and not mess with success until the offseason.

Happy birthday Jennifer, ... it’s mine too — unfortunately for me, it’s the big 4-oh!

Or as guys refer to it, “The year of the rubber glove.”

It doesn't sound like you're trying to forget what day it is as much as I am, though! ;-)
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Speaking of the rubber glove...well, nevermind. That's another blog entry for another time. Perhaps on my last day at The Sun. Anyway, Happy Birthday, Kevin. - Roch

Yeah it looks like Payton can hit Left Handed pitching. Should be a good trade chip if someone in the NL is going to the playoffs vs the Cubs. He has more RBIs vs the Cubs then I think any week he has had as an Oriole.

Roch, you do know that Washington has the best metro system in the country right? Even beat-writers need to start going green and taking public transportation.

I thought everyone needed to get off of Payton's back anyway. It was obvioulsy not a personal issue with Sherrill, and baseball players are indeed very superstitious. I think Andrew was right about the comments on the "Sweep Dreams" post as well.

Great game yesterday Jay, and everyone else for that matter!

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/roch/blog/2008/06/sweep_dreams.html

I think they hug...

y for "yawn" I am still tired

Happy birthday jennifer my was the 16th

Payton has been getting some clutch hits lately which is noteworthy in his sub role.

From MLP Rumors:
"The Yankees aren't interested in Erik Bedard, but the Phillies are. The teams have differing opinions on whether Bedard's surly demeanor would present a problem."
He hasn't heard boos till he hears them in Philly.

I know it was partly in jest Roch, but I believe their will be some hesitancy to deal with MacPhail, particularly in multi-player deals after his fleecing of the Mariners and Astros.

Tim T, do you really think the Nats new stadium is beautiful? It is a nice place to watch a game(unless you are in one of those seatsi n the lower deck, first base side, that you cannot see the scoreboard) It was a fun time, but Beautiful didn't enter my mind. I would go back and I think if any Oriole's fan does go, they will enjoy themselves. Go 'O's, Nat's.

way to go o's. gotta love this team. evry player and coach seems to be making it happen. as a fan up here in nyc, i couldn't be more proud to be a lifelong o's fan.

Roch and commenters alike are on fire today. I think I've laughed more at this entry than any others in a good while. The retort about the rubber glove... simply priceless.

Will this be the weekend we end the Sunday streak? They took Jim Hunter off the broadcasting team for the game, right? It's worth a try at this point.

And I say that as a guy who tends to enjoy Hunter's broadcasts.

"How about putting one in the win column. Why isn't this enough for people?"

Because fans are capable of extraordinary idiocy...

Either city tvpdx, Bedard would get eaten alive with his attitude & quick self hook...

Ray, never underestimate the egos of the other GMs. They all probably think they can fleece all the others. They might be a bit more careful in dealing with AM, but they will still try him. They will tend to think it was more the fault, carelessness of the Sea & Hou GMs than anything astute by AM...

Also, on deals with other teams....If Hillary & Obama can get on a stage & blow sunshine up each others backsides, act like they like each other & support each other, then anything is possible....

Last year this time, teams wouldn't deal with the O's because Peter would cancel the deals. Now, teams won't deal with the O's because they're afraid of getting fleeced by MacPhail!!!

HAHA And I was freaking out about my age. HAHA! I'll be 21+ 3.

Happy Bday Kevin! Isn't June 27th the best day! Finally it's on a flipping Friday. It's usually on a monday or tuesday so I'm VERY HAPPY! I'll take a shot for both you and I tonight!

GO O's!

Oh and Roch I'll have a shot for you too!

I think MacPhail will do what he said and not "pull the carpet out from under" this team. Things are going well, and he's only gonna deal if it helps. We can go through all the permutations, but AM knows what he's doing. Did anyone see anything out of the Cubs that were being offered for BRob in the offseason? Cedeno? Murton? Marshall?
AM for GM of the Year!

Roch,

Don't be fooled by just being on "the list" for parking. "The list" is a ruse. Everyone on "the list" ends up wearing heavy shoes and is invited to swim laps on the bottom of the Anacostia River.

My cousin Guido wanted me to add that "I'm just kidding".

Safer bet is to park in Pentagon City and take the Metro.

people srsly need to get off payton's n*tz, he's been a great teammate, very timely clutch hitter for us and can possibly bring us even more prospects in the future....WHAT more can you ask for?

and why all the lil' nitpicky comments about Jones--HE'S twenty-friggin-two y0! He leads our team in game winning hits and is learning and progressing nicely and playing stellar defense.

As for dogging Markakis too, K's are really no worse than a ground out, in fact probably better than a ground out sometimes because then there is no double play.

Let's just enjoy the season, it's been great so far, and for a team that was considered dead in the water before spring training even started, well we get this team of pureawesomeness, blowing expectations away.

do not trade Huff imbmso, i've always loved the porn star lol. k that is all for now.

s is for sweep the nats!!!

GMs are professionals. They still make deals with the likes of Beane and Schuerholz, even if those guys have very good records of coming out on top in trades. Good deals are just acceptable balances of benefits and risks for both clubs - Bavasi dealt a middle reliever and prospects for a guy who looked like an ace. Had Bedard put up a Cy Young season (heck, plenty of us on this board kind of expected that) then people might be saying the trade tipped in Bavasi's favor. The same GM can look bad one trade and great the next - look at Daniels of Texas. Sending Adrian Gonzalez and Chris Young to San Diego for a broken-down veteran starter with only one year left on his contract was really dumb, and he gave up a good amount to rent Carlos Lee to no real benefit. But he later got a very nice haul for Teixeira. Other teams' GMs will still readily deal with MacPhail, even if his record in Baltimore so far looks quite good. It will be fun to see what he does! Of course that assumes he moves quickly enough to do something before the deadlines, remembering his slow and methodical pace that frustrated us over the winter (but now seems worth the wait).

Damn it Ben in Tampa-- now I can't get the image of Sherrill and Payton butting heads like matterhorns and singing interracial love songs... maybe thinking of rubber gloves will make it go away... nope.

As for Payton, some people choose not to play the game of telling people what they want to hear in a presser (like Bedard for example). In some ways, I respect their consistency and integrity more than guys like A-Rod who spout off cliches and just want to be loved by us all. Kudos to Payton for performing above expectations and for not giving a crap about what most of us think. That said, he is no spring chicken and if we are offered a modest return you have to consider it.

First off, I think we continue to bench Mora and keep playing Huff, Scott, and Millar. They all are hot. Huff has batted almost .500 in his last 5 games, according to ESPN. Scott is a doubles machine. Millar is high OBP and patience. These are your 4-6 hitters.

I think I like this lineup better than a lineup with Mora in it for the short-term. It just looks like they hit better. Maybe it's just what I'm seeing lately.

Second, as to Payton and Sherrill's ritual, I haven't seen it, but I think they hug every time at the mound.

Let's sweep these Nats!

Happy birthday, Jennifer.

Roch -

Do you really think Jennifer is going to divulge her age after you outed Amber and her curtains not matching the carpet?

Jennifer will always be 21-23 in my mind.

Tom from Millersville wrote:

"Now if I can just learn spanish more then the Taco Bell menu."
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Now, if you can just learn the word should be 'than' not 'then'.

You keep Weiters in the minors all year so his service time doesn't start. Then hopefully he makes the team out of spring training in 2010.

Happy Birthday, Jennifer! How about if everybody from this blog meets for an Oriole game someday and groan everytime we hear Jim Palmer say, "All of sudden" and flip up our bills for Flat Brreezy!

Happy birthday Jennifer.... now those beers at the Yawn are legal eh?

If I am Sherrill, & its a top of the mound hug from Payton, I'd beg Payton to risk superstitions , bad charma, hexes, plagues, etc. & tell him to turn the freaking hat brim up.... those mound hugs have got to be breaking some man laws!

Jennifer, Happy Birthday. What a great birthday gift a sweep would be. Are you going to any of the games this weekend?

While we're all handing out birthday wishes, let's not forget to wish Jim Johnson a Happy 25th Birthday today.

Happy birthday to Jennifer, Kevin, AND to Jim Johnson then!

Wow this blog was priceless today: Just what I needed after a long week at work

Happy Birthday Jennifer... tomorrow night I'm going out to celebrate mine (which is on SUNDAY ick) but I will certainly be sure to start a round of song for you and have no fear, there will be a round purchased for you. And I assure you, it will be delightful. I say that now because there is no way in hades I will remember it on Sunday....
Lots of late June bdays... hm.... 9 months before must always be bad nights on television....

Yes that was Jay commenting in the "Sweep Dreams" thread. He doesn't pipe up often but finally got fed up regarding this issue. Everyone's making too big of a deal over him not flipping his bill. There's no bad blood between him & George and he's not showing him any disrespect. Most ball players are superstitious and he's no different. He's far from not being a team player. He's the one encouraging the young players and picking them up when they have a bad game or make a bad play. Sure he'd love to play more and that's nothing to apologize for. He loves the game and wants to be out there.

Oh...and "Ben from Tampa", your comment regarding him & George rubbing their bald heads together and singing Ebony & Ivory during the post game show literally made me laugh out loud. Jay thought it was funny too :)