It should be a good read . As much as I hate the Yankees , I am still intrigued by their shenanigans . Same applies to the Cowboys .

You're not on radio at all today?

Pete, It should be a good read. I thought the Yankees never should have gotten rid of Torre, a highly underrated manager. Yes, it can be argued that he always led teams that were loaded with talent, but the pressure of managing in New York for the Boss, of handling a roster of overinflated egos, of keeping the team on an even keel when going through extended stretches with key players on the DL, of dealing with that city's intense media scrutiny, not to mention, of going up against teams in baseball's toughest division, certainly must be considered as well.

He always managed there with a quiet strength and dignity that brought honor to that storied franchise, and I think established himself as an all-time Yankee great.

On the Orioles front, now that the team released Oscar Salazar and may be out of the running for Ty Wigginton (the Phillies are interested), do you think that gives Kevin Millar a better shot at being re-signed or does the team have no interest in him regardless of how the market plays out?

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Peter's reply: I'm starting to think he's not in their plans regardless, though they haven't ruled him entirely out. Once again, if they added a veteran pitcher that made them more likely to go with a 12-man staff, maybe there is more roster flexibility, but I think Huff is going to play 130 games there.

Pete:

Yep, far better to get your hopes dashed in April and the go about the real Baltimore business of talking about the Ravens, a team that surely has no subplots or high strung super stars. Hoholho.

Um, right. Clearly, Pete, it's better to have a team that finishes with a losing record every year.

Give Roberts his 4 years. Our rotation will finally be ready in 2011, when Matusz and Arrieta will be on board joining Tillman and Guthrie; and if we have signed Roberts, we'll have Snyder at 1B, Brian at 2B, perhaps Izturis at SS for a third year, and Rowell or Henson at 3B; Wieters at C; Scott at DH if we haven't traded him by then; and Pie (if he works out), Jones, and Nick in the OF. That's a contender, especially strong up the middle. Without Roberts, a much less impressive team both offensively and defensively.

Yes, I feel much better with inadequate lineups, pitching staffs that always seem to be riddled with injuries and players who look doomed here and then blossom elsewhere once they get proper coaching.

What's that? Uh -- Playoffs? Don't talk about -- playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope the Orioles can win a game!

A lot of us fans were bummed when the Orioles let go of Oscar Salazar as they've gone in pursuit of Ty Wigginton. Maybe we shouldn't have been, and here's why.

In his column today at ESPN.com, Buster Olney, while examining some telling player stats around the majors last season, writes: "The guy who ranked fifth in the majors in OPS against left-handed pitchers remains unsigned -- Ty Wigginton, who absolutely hammered lefties in 2008, posting a .424 on-base percentage and a .631 slugging percentage."

Given the well-documented struggles of Oriole lineups against southpaws over the past fews years, Andy MacPhail's interest makes perfect sense. Whether the O's have a chance now with the Phillies expressing interest is another thing, but Wigginton's is a bat that would be a definite upgrade for the Orioles offense.

Can't wait until Millar writes his book...

Pete,

There you go again, no I want my ownership to SPEND SPEND SPEND, but someone has to be in control. When players have direct access to the GM and owner (see Washington Redskins and Clinton Portis) the Head Coach or manager are placed in an awkward position. Coaches and Managers make 200K and the player makes 11Million it's a no win situation. Ok so you do the cheap route and never compete, or you spend big bucks and are always competitive and might have a locker room explosion, but I''ll ALWAYS go for the opportunity to be competitive. This is NOT a reason not to spend money, just another excuse for being cheap!

Pete-

I have always admired Torre. Brian Cashman just seems like the kind of GM who would not look out for his manager, so that news is no news. I believe a lot of us hope the Dodgers meet (and beat) the Yanks in the World Series. That would make all well with the world. Sweet justice for Mr. Torre !!

I'll gladly trade for that kind of drama. Better failure in the playoffs than in July.

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Pete's reply: Of course you would. I was being a big sarcastic.