I agree with keeping Adam Jones on the bench for a couple more days if it means fully healing up his hamstring. I hope Koji goes deeper into the game today and thumbs up all around for Rich Hill. He sure looked better than Cy Young candidate Mark Hendrickson. Pete, who do you think replaces Eaton in the rotation and when? I can't wait for that day.

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Pete's report: I would guess either David Hernandez or Chris Tillman. Really depends on how married the O's are to the original timetable for each prospect.

Is anyone at the Sun following the negotiations going on between the Os and Lee County, FL and the Os and Sarasota County, FL? Is anybody handicapping the outcome? Do we know when we will know about a new deal for a Spring Training facility?

Here's a random thought. If i see Ty Wiggington hit one more ground out from swinging on a first pitch, I'm gonna' break my TV. Is it just me, or does this guy have less plate discipline than Felix Pie on crack? It helps the opposing pitchers so much to have this bum in the lineup. He keeps their pitch count down, and helps their confidence by creating quick innings. When we have a pitcher on the ropes, Wiggington is like the cure for them. Get em right back into rhythm w/ a few quick outs. He sets a terrible example for the younger guys and goes against everything Crowley and this team is preaching about having good at bats. I honestly think if he was being granted an IBB (can't imagine why, but let's just say if...) he would still swing at the first damn pitch...

I know the O's want to keep Wieters down because of the super two rules, doesn't it make sense to keep Tillman down there too. He also just turned 21 so is there really any reason to rush the kid? For team that will probably lose 95 games. Why not call up Waters I know he;s got a 5.0 ERA in AAA but no point in rushing who is hopefully our future ace. And release Eaton and promote someone like Patton to AAA.

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Pete's reply: I don't think teams pay as much attention to that kind of thing with pitchers. Don't think it is a big issue with Wieters, but he didn't get off to the greatest start at Norfolk, so it probably makes sense to wait another couple of weeks.

Its also worth noting that Pie has been incredibly productive in May, including a nice triple already in today's match up with the royals. you just can't rush the young guys too much. The stress these guys are under to perform is something we as fans just can't understand. I'm really glad McP decided to stick with the kid. Everyone seems to forget it took Jones and Markakis a good bit of playing time to start developing, and Pie is only 24! Good things are happening for the Os right now. If we can get Eaton out of the rotation we might be able to have a pretty reliable team before the All Star Break. Bring on the young talent!!! I'm enjoying seeing all these prospects make the most of their opportunities! Smart moves by McP and Dave!

Pete, like you I was stunned at all the harsh comments directed at Scott yesterday. Sure he was upset, I expect him to be, I want him to be. No player worth his salt wants to sit down, and every player who's worth a damn thinks for sure he'll be better tomorrow. DLing him was the right move, but I'd have been disappointed if he hadn't grumbled a little, I want players who want to be out there every day.
Kudos to Rich Hill for a much needed shot in the arm to the rotation, and I also agree with Trembley pulling him when he did. Now as far as Koji is concerned, I would like to see him start stretching out a bit myself. The guy's a veteran, and he's had plenty of time to get in shape. It's time to push his pitch limit up if he can handle it. Lets remember however that he was tagged by most major league scouts as a long reliever. It's possible that 100 pitches is just all the gas his tank holds. I'd still rather have him throwing 5 quality innings than watch Eaton throw 4 lousy ones.
I'm begining to think that by the end of the season, we'll be watching a very different, and much better team.

Out in Seattle, don't get to watch the O's very much. Has Pie's improvement at the plate coincided w/ a return a familiar position in the field (since Jones went out?)

How does Pie look in CF? I read many complaints about his play in LF.

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Pete's reply: He seems more comfortable in CF, but he started hitting better before that.

Uehara: 83 pitches through 5, then single, double, single, double in the sixth. Guess the extra day didn't help.

I've never seen so many foul balls hit off oriole pitchers...i bet the souvenir hunters love it when the O's come to town.

I blame it all on Greg Maddux. 97 pitch complete games ruined it for everybody else.

1-6 w/ RISP
5 LOB

1 picked off 1st
1 caught stealing

Looks like another typical Orioles game. Get the lead early, then blow the opportunities we get time after time until the other team makes a late surge. Just when you think it's safe to start watching the Os again, they make you regret that decision.

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Pete's reply: Yep. They keep wasting baserunners and failing to press struggling pitchers. Very frustrating to watch.

Ok, regarding Koji.
Roy, you know you can't pay all that money for a long reliever...
First, Dave takes him out of a game in which he's in command , because supposedly DT does not want to overuse him and hinder him for the remainder of the season. Now you say let him get a couple more outs to build up his stamina for the rest of the season. Well? Today on extra rest he goes 5. I say it does not matter one bit, because...
Secondly, the guy spent the last couple of years pretty much on the downside of a career, to the point where the effectiveness had faded to the point where he he gets demoted to the bullpen. Now he comes here as a starter.Firstly, I have to ask why wasn't the guy here while he was a pitching star in Japan? And now that he's here pitching against the toughest competition in the world, why should anyone expect any more than what his career had become in Japan?
I don't. A couple times around the league and 5 innings will be the norm, whether DT yanks him or not.
Can't anyone on this team pitch a nice solid 7 innings?
When the Oriole pitching staff from spots 1 thru 5 is full of real-life starters, and not failed relievers, we'll all know progress is being made.
And it'll begin to show in the win column. And a relief corps(or should that be corpse?) that's not gassed by Flag Day.

Pete,

While I know it's only the Royals, the O's have looked pretty decent the last two days, playing good steady ball. A shame with 6 days Koji didn't last a little longer yet still a good outing with nothing to show on his record. Were coming, if 4 & 5 spots become .500 pitchers we could be respectable.

I nominate myself as an emergency replacement for Adam Jones. I'll be 68 next week plus I'm at least 35 lbs over my playing weight BUT WHEN I GET TO THE BALL I CATCH IT! Plus I know which base to throw to, where the cutoff man is, and when I do make a routine catch I don't jump around like I just saved game 7 of the Series. If 3.14 (pi(e), get it?) is an outfielder I'm Willie Mays.

i guess the answer to that short relief question is No. The bullpen pretty much stinks. The starting pitching is below average. If you believe you gotta pitch to win in this league, where does this leave the O's?T hey had games where they gave up 7 and 8 runs to one of the worst offenses in the major leagues.
I wish there was something good to say about the 15 members of that pitching staff. But there's not.
Same as it ever was.

At the rate he's going by July Koji won't be able to pitch enough innings to be a set up mad. Out of gas in less than 6 innings on 6 days rest is rediculous.

I keep saying it - the Orioles have an unbelievable FOCUS problem.

How can you win just 2 out of 12 final games in a series, but win 14 out of the other 26 games?

Check the box scores. The O's routinely score first and then quit for the rest of the game.

Year after year after year...same problem. They don't have a player on the roster who refuses to lose.

It's like a NON-COMMISSIONED "salesman" who drives 2 hours to an appointment, spends 3 more hours "pitching" his product and then not asking for the order.

It's called "going through the motions...."

This happens when there is nothing invested in having success.

Pete,if I'm not wrong the Orioles are 4 and 27 in the last 31 Sunday games.Help me understand.This is laughable.

Mike. I agree with you re: Wigginton-he looks like a bust and makes you wonder what MacPhail was thinking there. Two yrs=6 Mill and right now, we couldn't give this guy away.
After today's game, you have t wonder if the 'pen is already showing signs of wear and tear. How many games can we expect them to pitch 4 innings?
We really need a couple of 7-8 inning games from our starters.
On a positive note, we did split with the vastly improved Royals on the road and hopefully, Hill can continue his solid outing. I'm still reading the transactions section in hope that Eaton is gone soon!

Peter, do us all a favor and find out what the difference in handle was this year compared to last year at the Preakness. With 30,000 fewer people in the infield, at $50 a pop per ticket, plus what they did not spend on the races, it most be a tidy sum.

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Pete's reply: You aren't going to believe this, but they announced that the handle was nearly $10 million higher than last year.

Maybe it's just me, but it looks like Koji hits the wall around the 75 pitch mark, and when he loses it he loses it quick. I think Rich Hill may be a big help, and I think it's just about time to scuttle Eaton and bring up the next baby bird.

The 'we weren't going to compete this year' excuse is plausible. You owe it your fans (customers) and players to do your best with what you have and look to get better when you have the chance. I know the Orioles say they 'have a plan', but to use the rational that they can't compete is a cop-out.

The Marlins, have a payroll of almost half of what the Orioles have, play in a division with the Mets and Phillies. These two teams have a combined payroll of $249M.

The Blue Jays spend an avgerage of on $400K more on each roster player, and they are paying BJ Ryan $12M a year!! Proving every team has players they have overpaid for the results they get. It's thse that develop talnet and generally make signings that are good investments that are successful.

Pete,

Do you have any Idea why Patton has not been promoted to Norfolk? It seems to me that he would be the next logical pitcher to be called up, not Tillman or Hernandez since he has prior ML experience.

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Pete's reply: The only explanation is that Andy and Dave Stockstill do things on their own schedule. They said at the outset that since he missed last year they wanted to keep him down for an extended period to get more experience.

Oh My, another dispiriting loss. It's bad enough when we lose because of a bad outing by the starter. After all that was expected since this spring. The really dispiriting part is that the parts of the team that were supposed to be working keep failing us too. The Bullpen, which we have been told for two springs in a row now is "much improved" continues to be much the same, unreliable, and the offense which on paper at least also looks much better, never seems to be able to deliver the killing blow when they have a pitcher on the ropes.
The continuing avalanche of baserunning mistakes and other mental errors should be embarrasing to a major league team, and the defense, also touted as much improved, has been average at very best.
I want to believe in the rebuilding effort, I want to see the O's become a competitive team again but it seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. Is it too much to ask that we see a little improvement in at least some aspect of the team this year?

Pete,

ESPN this morning had a rumor that Baez is drawing interest from many teams. Do you know anything more?

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Pete's reply: Wouldn't surprise me, but I haven't heard anything. I'm sure somebody could have him cheap if willing to take that salary.

I agree with you,Pete, Koji has to build up his stamina. Maybe that's why he was in the bullpen in Japan. But he does pitch great for 5 innings. So Pete, I'll ask the same question I asked several months ago, "Where are the future HOF pitchers coming from?" In ten years there will be NO complete games, NO ERA's under 4.00, probably NO 200 inning or even 200 strikeout pitchers. There are no more Jim Palmers or Bob Gibsons ! !

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Pete's reply: Guess some of us wily junk ballers were born way too early.