I sense the excitement in your blog - thanks for the effort

It is amazing how much progress the organization has made in so little time.

When will a solid spring training facility catch up with the progress of the team?

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Pete's reply: Be patient on the spring training facility. It's only been 20 years or so.

Thanks for all the updates Peter. I like seeing the high strike to ball ratios you've been citing from the O's pitchers. Could be the start of something good.

Interesting that Baez is getting the second start. Shows that they're seriously considering him for the rotation.

I second that sentiment. While I'm in no rush to see my beloved O's leave my stomping grounds, they do need to find an established (and permanent!) Spring Training home. The level of feet-dragging on the part of the O's front office (and by front office, I strictly mean the Angelos brood) on this matter has gone beyond the realm of being considered unprofessional. We are now crossing the threshold of public embarrassment on our way to the pit of despair (sorry I got caught up in the nerdy sci fi analogy, Peter Angelos has always resembled a miserly dragon to me).

So far Hayden Penn isn't on that list. How has he been throwing so far. Haven't seen any news on him so far this spring.

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Pete's reply: I don't know for sure if he isn't on that list. He's been throwing regularly and well.

Peter, it was a pleasure meeting you Saturday. Here's my take on the Orioles that my kids & I met at Spring Training:
1. It took Adam Jones all of one season to become jaded with the fans.
2. Nick Markakis is as down-to-earth and sincere as anyone (especially a multi-millionaire) could possibly be. He was GREAT with my kids. So glad he's becoming the face of the franchise!
3. Brian Roberts was all smiles when we chatted about his contract extension. He's sincerely happy to be an Oriole (thank goodness!).
4. Melvin Mora took an INSTANT liking to my 10 year old twins. He not only signed baseballs for them, he also took pictures with them...then he commented on how raising twins must be "so easy" compared to sextuplets. He might not have the best reputation, but he's a hero to my kids!
5. Brian Matusz, if he stays healthy, is going to be a front line starter. This kid has all the tools and is so excited to be at spring training.
6. Dave Trembley is the perfect gentleman. When practice ended he gave "pointers" to my 10 year old son, who is a Little League All-Star.
7. Peter Schmuck actually does wear Hawaiian shirts...and his sense of humor is better in person than in a blog, which is hard to believe!

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Pete's reply: I'm glad you had a good time. I'm sure we'll see you there again.

It's okay for Melvin Mora to say he likes kids.

But if he says he likes 12 year olds, there's a problem.

Sounds like Adam Jones didn't get excited enough for somebody upon meeting the "Little League All-Star". There are so few of them around these days, I'm surprised Jones blew his big opportunity to hob nob. Maybe you should have waited to catcht him at snack time after the game.

And Nick Markakis gave you rabbit ears as you walked away.

Pete, do you think the O's are using Baez as a starter with hopes that some team might trade for him since he could be a swing man in some club's rotation or do you think the O's think he can be a legitimate starter? I never got the feeling that Andy or Dave, had much faith in Baez.

Curious if there are any rumors on Perez? Seems like he would be a nice fit in the rotation which would allow another young SP, to pitch in the minors without having to be rushed.

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Pete's reply: I think they really think Baez might be able to be successful as a starter, and he's kind of angled out in the bullpen. Perez is my sleeper this year, but don't have a great sense for how he fits.

To NY O's Fanatic,

Great post and enjoyable/insightful to read......nice one. As for you and your kids meeting Pete and the Aloha shirts, I just hope he wasn't wearing the one the turtle peed on when you met him!

And what's up with AJ? The O's give him an opportunity, he does decent and he's already got an attitude? I hope he was just having a bad day. Was he really that unfriendly?

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Pete's reply: I think Adam can seem aloof at times, but I've found him to be cooperative. I hope, if he was unfriendly, it was an isolated incident.

Pete, do you think these 5 (Guthrie, Uehara, Hill, Baez, and Hennessey) are the 5 that Kranitz said he had in mind to break camp in the rotation?

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Pete's reply: Don't know about Hennessey. I bet the other four are correct, however.

To JW,
Thanks for the kind response to my post.
Regarding Adam Jones: keep in mind, that on any given day at Ft. Lauderdale, there MIGHT be 300 people watching practice...and that includes all vendors, Japanese media and stadium employees. The longer practice goes on, the more the "crowd" dispenses. By noon, there might be 100 people scattered about. After practice, AJ was standing in an area outside the batting cage with a total of 10 fans seeking his autograph. All I asked was for him to look in our direction so I could take his photo. He not only wouldn't sign for those seeking his autograph, but when I asked if he could look in my direction for a photo, he flat out said "NO" and walked away. Everyone is entitled to bad moments and bad days, but to the 10 of us, it seemed he couldn't be bothered with the commoners.
And, btw, Peter made no reference to "turtle pee" on his shirt! In fact, he seemed quite proud of his Aloha pick for that day.