The O's trying to find a spring training home, is the equivalent of Spinal Tap trying to get a reliable drummer.

They had a great shot at the Disney complex, and I had high hopes on Vero Beach, but Fort Myers, doesn't seem that much of a better situation than the one we are currently in.

Pete, any reason they are so against going to Arizona? This spring training debacle is challenging General Hospital, as the longest running soap opera in America.

I still say the O's should return to Arizona where the bulk of the MLB teams have spring training. Find a partner and build a two-team complex simiilar to the M's/Pads and KC/Tex..these work super. I have gone to Phoenix each year since moving out here from Bmore in 1997 and it's a wonderful week...I can see 12-14 teams play a game or watch two teams practice and it is so convenient. Also no rain or humidity. SIGN NICK NOW

PA and his buddies love the east coast.They will work out a deal somewhere there.

The city of Palm's Park is not a very nice area.Ft. Myers will look out for the Red Sox and Twins.They both donated money after the hurricanes in 2004.It really is a feeling of family with those two teams.PA doesen't have a clue.

The new complex for the Sox will be a duplicate of Fenway Park.How cool is that?

PA doesen't deserve to be in Ft. Myers.It's a classy area.He doesen't have any.

"taking another hand me down from one of the elite teams in their division " .
Pete your'e so right . I am so tired of watching what has become of this organization . I remember when the O's were one of the elite teams in all of baseball . They are now a joke from the front office right down to the field . No one wants to play here and frankly , can you blame them ?
I was in the sixth grade when the O's played Cincy , those days were "magic". I can still name the 25 man squad , now , ...I know Roberts and Nick .
Sorry for going off topic , but it's just so frustrating to watch .

Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah claims that all the details could be worked out within 90 days, which is another way of saying he has no idea who he's dealing with. Like a lot of people who have spent the past couple of decades watching the Orioles stumble around Florida with their hand out, I'll believe it when I see it.

Peter...

This line made me laugh the hardest that I have laughed in long time.

Because of who thery're dealing with, who knows when the Orioles will land a new spring home. For the sake of "rebuilding", I would go so far as to say that we will not be a contender until we have a solid new spring home. It would be a way of providing appropriate modern day facilities, and it would be providing a stamp of commitment of ownership to the entire organization, and most of all, the players.

City Of Palms is certainly an upgrade over Ft Lauerdale.

...............................................................................................
Peter's reply: Jay, you're absolutely right, but they could have done so much better if any body over there had a grasp of the art of the deal.

So the Orioles are once again "taking another hand-me-down from one of the elite teams in their division?"

Boo. Hiss.

Peter A., you miserable bum, you can get your money as a hand-me-down from the Yankees, in the form of revenue sharing. And you can get it from all the Yankees and Red Sox fans who come to Baltimore to see some easy wins.

But you won't get dollar one from me, because I won't be going to Camden Yards until you sell the team. You ruined baseball in Baltimore, you inept penny-pinching meddler.

90 Days he says?!! I hope he is a young guy. The Orioles have a way of making 90 days feel like 90 years.

Please just put the Orioles down in Key West. It will be more fun for all of us. Just put them on a sandlot near the beach, we can sip margarita's and it will cost the Orioles hardly anything.

On a more serious note any word on the Cuban defectors Yadel Marti and outfielder Yasser Gomez?

Also I saw Dan's column about Valentine liking the Orioles signing Koji Uehara, sounds like Valentine built him up, at the end he says he is not the pitcher he once was. Just as interesting at the very end he talks about a competing GM saying why trade for Roberts when you can get Hudson, that was interesting. You look at their stats and they are close except for two critical areas In stolen bases and runs scored. Hudson has never scored 100 runs and never stole 40 bases in a season. Hudson has 42 career steals, Roberts had 40 last season and 226 in his career. In runs scored, Roberts has 619 in his career, while Hudson has scored 419. Other than that they are real similar. Switch hitters, good glove but it seems to me the big difference in steals and runs scored should separate the two big time. Hard to find guys that can get on base and do something once they are there.

A highly reliable source told me spring training was not part of 'the plan'....................

"Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah claims that all the details could be worked out within 90 days, which is another way of saying he has no idea who he's dealing with."

Ain't that the truth! The first line of the story should have read, "The Baltimore Orioles may 'complete negotiations to' move into City of Palms Park in Fort Myers by 2012".

Pete, what year would they start here? I live down here in fort myers and been to the ballpark. The ballpark is in a bad part of town right off of route 41. If I'm the O's, KEEP LOOKING.

Peter,
Just goes to show you that this organization can't spit and chew gum at the same time! McFail can't work on trades becuase he needs to concentrate on the free agent market. Can't get a new deal for a spring training site because the front office is too busy making all of those FA signings. Can't sign Brian and or Nick because - oh well you get the point. I guess McFail and PA are just to busy making sure we get the top draft pick each year!

.............................................................................................
Peter's reply: Let's be fair. MacPhail has nothing whatsoever to do with the spring training situation, other than demanding that ownership fix the situation so that the minor leaguers train near the major leaguers.

Peter: Will The Sun print the incorrect pronunciation of Uehara until the Orioles correct their mistake, or will the newspaper take the initiative to get the facts right?

As I said before, it's not hard to check: Contact a native Japanese speaker. Surely that's not too difficult for a big newspaper.

..............................................................................................
Pete's reply: Let's calm down a little bit. Not exactly the most important issue facing the city of Baltimore right now.

This is just another example of how the O's are cheap & unwilling to spend what it takes. If Angelos doesnt want to pay he should sell. We can only hope

Repeat after me, the Orioles credo, CHEAP IS GOOD, Cheap is Good, cheap is good

Nice quip about stumbling. When it comes to Orioles baseball, the Angelos clan has stumbled in Flordia and virtually everywhere else. It's bad when the team's own fan base automatically assumes the worst, and you wonder if the head honchos really understand (or care about) what a disaster they've created on the field and in public relations.

I'm certain Andy MacPhail understands. I once walked into a job where the reality was far far different from the perceptions conveyed during the interviews. I didn't last a year. I wonder how Andy MacPhail is faring on the inside.

The Oriole's credo---repeat after me, CHEAP IS GOOD, Cheap is Good, cheap is good, etc

Hi Pete,
I realize the O's are disapointed with the Fort Lauderdale officials and for good reason. But I'll tell you, at least from my perspective, Fort Lauderdale's run-down and rusty stadium with wide aisles for good leg room is a great place to watch a Spring game. Not only that, Fort Lauderdale stadium has without any doubt the best stadium food in all of baseball. That is if you like hamburgs and hot dogs, which are both grilled on actual BBQ grills. Even their soft pretzels are grilled, giving it a smokey sort-of taste. I obviously love the place. My waste line shows it, too. BTW, I'm sure I saw you last Spring enjoying a burger or two at the stadium. What say you?

...............................................................................................
Pete's reply: I say it won't cost much to set up grills at a new, state-of-the-art facility. The problem with Fort Lauderdale Stadium is that it's falling down.

An inability to nail down a first class site for Spring Training indicates the competency of the Angelos management team. This is not exactly rocket science. Can't the team do any better than this?

Peter- up and at'em early today Peter, Huh?
Do a lot of teams use "hand me downs" when it comes to Spring Training facilities?
I guess I ask because I had always heard how poor quality the O's situation was.
I think about that nice practice complex up the street from my house where the Ravens call home. I guess they are there every day so it is a little different.
You really can not blame some players for wanting to play for the better teams. They are coddled with better equipment and space. It really is like being a superstar. Granted Ty Cobb and Nap Laj and the Babe didn't worry about that kind of stuff and they were fine.

I sure wish they'd settle on Vero Beach. It's a great self-contained 37-acre facility. It locates them midway in the state geographically so they don't have to play against the same 4 or 5 teams over and over for the entire spring schedule ( like they do in Ft. Lauderdale and would continue to do in Ft. Myers).
Plus they could change the name from "Dodgertown" to "BIRDLAND".
It's a natural, I tell ya.

Well what the H$ll... did you really expect anything different from an organization that is renown for their cheapness ? Cheap facilities, Cheap players, Cheap results. You get what you pay for. To spin it any other way is ridiculous.

Schmucky-

Is there anything involving the Orioles that the angelos has ever negotiated that he didn't screw up by trying to 'lawyer' his way to the cheapest possible result?

he claims he wants to win, but at every turn, he tries to low-ball and get a discount. If he really wants to see the franchise turn around under his 'direction' I think the angelos needs to go out of the country for 3 years and leave the checkbook for someone who knows how to build a winning orginization.

Your 90 days comment was hilarious and unfortunately very accurate. How many "90 days" did it take to settle the Ponson situation. Or how many "90 days" did it take for the O's to get that player to be named later, that clock is still ticking.
An attorney mentallity is wonderful in the court room, where there is only one game plan, "win at all costs." But business is not about the one case presently in the court room. Business is about building an envirnoment where you win most of the time, and allow the guy on the other side of the table to also win most of the time. As long as the O's are run with the Attorney's mentallity of always taking every piece and never treating the guy on the other side of the table as a friend, then the O's will be a cellar dweller.

though i agree it does not seem like a big deal at the moment merely because it is an accidental misunderstanding. way-uh-hara sounds like a misunderstanding to me that no one is correcting because no one knows. it should be uh-hara or ooh-hara, depending on subtle dialect.

Hey Pete,
John Angelos must be working up a mean tan as he's setting fire to bridges across Florida from Vero on the Atlantic to Sarasota on the Gulf.

I like the idea of Vero Beach as a spring training home. Right now we are buried under tons of snow so anywhere in Florida would be great!!
On the subject of the 'rebuild', I see where Chris Gomez is being brought to camp. Hey, I liked his work ethic and all, but I think we are getting cariied away with the 'veteran presence' factor.
The majority of our moves so far this winter involve players over 30 and the roster shows very few impact players in their 20's. Looks like the rebuild is going to take longer than I thought. I realize these are basically stop-gap measures but the more aging vets that clog up playing time, the less we are going to see of the younger players.
We need to find out how good they are and an ideal way is to fill the reserve spots,5th starter, middle relief roles with players who form our 'future'.
I an trying to remain positive but a part of me thinks that maybe this whole 'rebuild' is just a smoke screen. In reality maybe MacPhail is just trying to assemble a mediocre team at the lowest cost possible and hope the fans aren't stupid enough to know better. Hopefully, time will prove me wrong but as it stands, the core of our team consists of Markakis, Jones, Weiters, Huff, Roberts(if not traded) and a whole bunch of question-marks. I won't even get into the pitching staff....

Pete,

Chris Gomez?????? What's up with that move? I personally liked Chris and was glad he got dealt to a winner two years ago, as he seemed like a stand-up and nice guy who produced. However, as we are trying to get younger I thought that better was synonomous with that! Chris Gomez' best days are long behind him, particularly as a backup SS. I know, minor league deal with Spring Training invite but shouldn't we be looking to the future vice the past? There isn't a 28-30 year old utility infielder out there looking for work! Oh yeah, I'm sure not as cheap as Gomez! Got it now!

P.S. He might make a great coach!

The Red Sox had an Option out year after this spring, played there cards very well, and landed a new statuim and Spring training complex. Not built yet. Red Sox are pretty happy with what they have now, but they saw a way to make it better, by threatening to leave. They played the cards and won big. 2012 is when they are supposed to have the place ready. a "mini Fenway".

Will the O's wait 3-4 years to get a new spring home?

Pete, let the record show that The Dude once again called an O's move.

I believe if you check the record a few days ago I called the Gomez acquisition.

If you need anymore predictions I'll be in Nashville for the next two days, hit me up.

Hey Pete... Great Blog... it is hard for an O's fan in Arizona to get any current news on the team and what is going on.
Speaking of Arizona, have you heard anything about the O's looking into filling the vacancy the White Sox left behind in Tucson? The White Sox are sharing a brand new facility with the Dodgers and left the D-backs without a team to share theirs. I know it's a stretch but I thought I would ask...
As for the offseason, I hope that our prospects come along as we hope and that Nick and Weiters can give this franchise their identity back. A lot of people refer to the "Oriole Way", even though most have no idea what it means. To me it always meant that this was a class organization that cared about doing things the right way and not just being the highest bidder when free agency rolled around. I really like McPhail's approach and I believe he is making the franchise sustainable for the long haul, not just for a few years. Let's stop worrying about trying to outspend the Yankees. Remember, since the Yankees started their spending spree in the late '90's (Giambi, Mussina, etc) they don't have a championship to show for it. They won their rings when they built around Jeter, Bernie, Mariano, and Posada; all home grown prospects. They scattered in some hard working free agents and it resulted in a lot of success. Also keep in mind, Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius and Tino Martinez have something that Giambi, Mussina, and ARod don't have: Rings! Keep spending money Yanks...
GO O's (even if it won't be 'til 2010)!!!

..............................................................................................
Pete's reply: So far, the Orioles appear committed to Florida, though I would never say never with them.

What's the problem with Vero Beach?

The folks working there last spring wanted the O's as fast as they could get them?

..............................................................................................
Pete's reply: They couldn't get an answer from the Orioles and have moved on, at least temporarily. It's probably still a possibility.

Has the Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando ever even been visited by the Orioles brass or is it too expensive of an option. The O's need some new blood running the team...and fast!!

Pete-would O's fans actually want to trek to the desert in the springtime? Tucson would a fabulous home for the Orioles to prep for the season. Would the longer flight, the daunting driving distance for the mobile die hards, make such a move impractical? The snowbirds from Chicago came out to our city in droves, and enjoyed every minute of it. I think once O's fans got a taste of the hospitality and the weather, they just might like spring training amongst the cacti. Something to debate about while Mr. Angelos alienates the rest of the Sunshine State. On a side note, any word on the other Japanese pitcher the O's were considering?

..............................................................................................
Pete's reply: I love Tucson, but I don't think they're leaving Florida. They are still in the hunt for Kawakami, or at least they were the last time I heard anything.

yeah, tired of those ALEast hand me downs like Martinez, Dempsey et al.

If C-H-A-D can be pronounced Ocho Cinco, if a drink with vodka in it can be called a martini, Uehara is hardly the greatest inustice in the world

I was going to comment on this matter, but I realized that I was going to repeat myself again and would have to be censored. Heavily censored!

You know, The saddest part of the whole Angelos thing is that HE was supposed to be the "hometown" hero.
The last good owner we had was from DC. Sucks doesn't it?

It's an easy drive to Vero Beach (I used to drive down there and time it to see the Orioles play the Dodgers twice in the same week). Lauderdale is farther to go and more expensive to visit.

The Dodgertown facilities are first-rate (although traditional and spartan) and the minor leaguers can be right there on-site. The Orioles have been sought out as replacement tenants, and it's amazing to me that they didn't leap at the opportunity.

Babs Streisand must be singing "Second Hand O's" somewhere in the background. Having followed the Sarasota saga fairly closely in the newspapers, it is clear that the city was not negotiating in good faith, and seemed to be very distraught that they had been played by the Red Sox- who negotiated a deal with Fort Myers that was nothing short of a dozen golden eggs plus the goose, for the Sox.
But the Orioles also showed tremendous temerity by suggesting that the plans for refurbishing of the Ed Smith stadium in Sarasota would not be good enough.. to the point that the O's indicated as an example that the newly redone facilities for the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte were already viewed as inadequate for the needs of the Orioles. The Port Charlotte project came in under budget and on time. It is a beautiful state-of-the-art facility, with the main stadium and four practice fields, that one Cal Ripken, Jr. decided was good enough for his new minor league team- the "Charlotte Stone Crabs". I wonder if anyone from the Orioles front office, or even better, someone who plays the game, ever visited the Port Charlotte digs before trying to use it as leverage.
With the mind set that they are demonstrating in the negotiations, the Orioles cannot be taken seriously by the town councils or by the local populations that are now expecting to voice their opinions on the subject in referendums before any money is "given" to the O's cause.