He's hitting around .220 in a contract year. He looks like he doesn't even want to be here. He's getting older , his bat is slowing down so the pitches look much faster than they did a few years ago. His body is breaking down. He's about done. I almost see him getting waived when Izturis comes back.

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Pete's reply: I doubt that. He's a second half player, so they'll give him a chance to get back in a groove.

can someone tell jim palmer when a pitcher strikes out a batter 3 times that is NOT a hat trick. a hat trick is when a soccer -hockey- lacrosse -field hockey player scores 3 goals in a game. i think the hair dye is making him sound like john sterling that does the yankee games.

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Pete's reply: To be fair to Palmer, baseball players do call three K's a hat trick. Four is called "The Silver Sombrero." There is no set nickname for a five-K game, but I've heard it called "The Olympic Rings."

can someone tell jim palmer when a pitcher strikes out a batter 3 times that is NOT a hat trick. a hat trick is when a soccer -hockey- lacrosse -field hockey player scores 3 goals in a game. i think the hair dye is making him sound like john sterling that does the yankee games

Somebody pointed out on here a few days ago that Mora is = to Jay Payton and Kevin Millar in 2008 again preventing Oscar Salazar time to show what he’s got. Personally I love Mora and I think he still makes great defensive plays but the guys been so bad at the plate lately. The way I see it on this O’s roster it doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done your subject to be traded or sat for the overall advancement of the team in the hopefully near future.

"there isn't a scout, manager or GM who thinks Bergesen is a better pitcher than Jim Johnson"
Peter Schmuck July 2 2009

Peter, This is one of those far reaching ridiculous statements you have the propensity to make when trying to back up a point which may or may not be right.

You mean to tell me that at that point in the game, the odds were higher that Bergeson would come back out and walk the first guy and then give up a two run home run?
You really believe that? in spite of the fact that he was pounding the strike zone all day and had NOT WALKED ANYONE. The odds would not even be close...the likelihood is that Bergeson would continue to dominate the Red Sox because he had done it for 8 straight innings and didn't appear to be tiring at all

Also, put up for sale signs on JJ and Bergesen. You really believe Johnson would fetch more in a trade right now than Bergesen? With all due respect you are nuts. Bergesen looks like he could be a number 1 starter while JJ may have some more good years as a reliever and may not....relievers are a fickle bunch that way. Most relievers are relievers because they are not consistent enough to be starters. Go ahead and ask around a bit (Macphail, etc).....I would be willing to bet quite a bit that you are incorrect on this so called irrefutable "fact" you just throw out there.

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Pete's reply: Not only do I believe that, I am absolutely sure of it. You asked me about the odds of it happening (before the fact). No freaking question about it. Johnson had given up three home runs in HIS WHOLE CAREER. Bergesen has given up nine in the last two months. Johnson was fresh and Bergesen was tired. You know something, you're a pretty smart guy when you already know what happened.

Peter, I just checked out your "News Items" column. Some really funny stuff, especially on Sir Sidney.

Both you and blog poster Dave raise interesting points about Mora. (Hey Dave, do your homework; Melvin's batting .266, not .220--big difference.)

It's possible that Dave Trembley is trying to set a fire under him the way he did George Sherrill, where the results were extraordinary.

Dave's remark about the possibility of him being waived seems a bit premature. We all know how white hot Mora got after the All-Star break last year, and the front office rule seems to be that a player needs to be really struggling before they'll cut him loose. And the fact that he's owed around $5M over the rest of the year might make the team reluctant to pull the trigger.

That said, would the Orioles be willing to sacrifice some defense to have Ty Wigginton and Oscar Salazar taking turns at third?

Personally, I think there's a bit of loyalty on both sides when it comes to Melvin and Peter Angelos. Mora had had a good community profile, is liked and respected by his teammates as an elder spokesman and quite possibly could still be productive for a couple more years.

At 37, though, he probably needs to turn it on pretty soon if he wants to have a chance to be a part of the future of this club. I think I voice the opinion of most Oriole fans when I say that hope he is in the team picture doused with bubbly when they're celebrating World Series Champs.

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Pete's reply: I think you're right about Dave and Melvin. I think this is Dave playing a little mind game to get him going. Will it work? Hard to say, but they aren't going to waive him and -- despite him telling people he might waive his no-trade -- he doesn't have a great deal of value right now.

Bill get control of your life man

Thanks John, I thought I was on a sports blog and didn't notice I had stumbled upon a psychological help site

I’m just saying take a few deep breaths and drink a beer or something.. Totally unrelated did the Astros Pads game really get delayed an hour cause of a bee attack?

What went on with Mora ans Salazar after the HR on Sat.? They had words in the dugout.

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Pete's reply: I didn't notice that. Sorry.

GrebB,

I don’t know if anything happened but from the rumors Mora looks like a pretty negative force in the clubhouse right now

Can Mora play 1st base? He could be backup 3rd/1st/DH.....and PH....

Also, its July so that means Huff should be getting hot anytime now-right?

Thanks again John,
You mean you have to always post about the current thread?
Wow man you are a genius... sorry I missed that... i failed my first year of blogging 101.
My life is in the hand of the Lord, but I do appreciate your concern for me....

Pete,
Can we save everyone a lot of time and aggravation and say that the Orioles won't be competitive next year?

I think you have to trade Mora and Huff. I would then bring up Snyder to play 1B and move Salazar to 3B. Let Wiggington rotate in there every once in awhile. I don't see the O's spending big money to sign Huff as a free agent. Get something for him while you can before it is too late!!!!! Also, to replace Huff and Mora on the roster, I would bring up Justin Turner and Scott Moore. They may want them to stay down to play everyday, but why block them if they deserve a shot too? Bring up TIllman and Arrieta while they are at it. Maybe even Patton too.

I like Mora, he's been with the team for a long time and I have enjoyed watching him play. I have wondered whether hitting him 2nd wouldn't be a bad idea: let him see some pitches, and he has done a good job there in the past. He's good at taking pitches to let Roberts run.

While it is possible that he is losing it as a player, I don't like how O's fans here just turn on him so abruptly. You've rooted for him for years, why stop when the going gets tough? Maybe it is time to let him go or bench him, but jeez, people are so, like, angry.

Pete - I'm confused. The Orioles article on the front sports page clearly states that Melvin Mora asked for the day off and Trembley even gave the reason why. Therefore, he wasn't benched.

I guess Melvin is handling it fine since that is what he wanted.

We could go on and on about Melvin.
I actually have a bunch of times for the last few years. If we focus on the here and now, he's actually been a pretty bad offensive player. Especially for a corner infielder. No power, no run production. And DT stuck with him in the 5 hole despite there being absolutely no reason to do so. Talk about loyalty and respect beyond the call of duty. If you subscribe to even the simplest lineup theory- getting your best hitters as many at bats as possible- plain and simple, he was and still is not the Orioles 5th best hitter. So what are the O's to do?
The dilemma wth Mora seems not to rest purely on the baseball side of things. He's been loyal and professional, a good soldier for a terrible franchise who did get himself a pretty nice contract a few years ago.
How do you ease him out of the lineup and get playing time for the guys that are playing better?
He's not a fit for a rebulding team, and you gotta bet the O's are in the market for a young projected prototypical power hitting 3rd baseman that can drive in some runs. Further, you cannot have a weak hitting left side of the infield. You can win with real good defense/9 hitter shortstop -Andino or Itzuris- if the third baseman can hit. The stellar D played by those 2 cannot be made a liability because your third baseman can no longer hit.
Hey, you knew this day was going to arrive. I guess for everyone's sake the hope was a decision could be made at the end of the year, not in the middle.

I have to be honest, I was a bit disturbed by the attempt to turn on the fan that is sick of eating garbage year after year, the one you spotlighted today.

He and I have been fed Guthrie, and Rodrigo Lopez, and Ponson as an ace for 11 years. This will be the first year I don't go support that waste of a major league affiliate, and the last time I post, because to you, me and my ilk are crazy for complaining about being fed the same old garbage year after year after year.

I'm tired of dropped balls.

I'm tired of running mistakes.

I'm tired of bad ball year after year after year in a small city that drew 3 million for how many years of garbage?

Of which I paid good money and was a part of.

I'm sorry Pete, I have a right to bitch. I paid for it.

Unlike most of the O's pitching staff I've been fed this junk for 11 years, I paid for the right to earn my complaint.

I'm tired of promises.

I'm tired of the Trembly's and Mazilli's and Perlozzo's and Guthrie's and Lopez's and

GOOOOOOOD GAWD....

Larry Bigby's....

I'm tired of the excusers and the excuses.

One more Calvin Maduro and my head explodes.

Whether you or the sun or a few who really cares posters want to admit it, this team isn't much better than anything else I've seen for YEARS now.

Want to argue with me?

Simply show me WINS???

I'll gladly shut up.

You and the Orioles can argue with anyone about the future.

We've all heard it for 11 years.

What tells any of us dumb fans who can't voice our biased for a really good reason opinion any reason to believe you?

Was there not potential talent in the past?

Could it have been mismanaged?

I'm sorry Pete.

I like you. You have a good sense of humor and are not crazed by the day to day inefficiencies of the team fielded by those that make choices at the warehouse.

I'm a fan, and an observer of baseball, and I know a porly led club and the same old garbage when I see it.

If the O's have Guthrie as an ace and are afraid to bring up an arm that can't do better than this or better than Rich Hill and benefit them from competition in the process, they have the same old garbage they've been feeding me for 11 years.

I've paid for and bought enough of that. I buy no more. Let me see more kids like Reimold and Weiters, let them grow and struggle.

Enough with the Eaton and I'm supposed to believe Guthrie can beat a real ace retreads.

And yes, a real manager will help.

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Pete's reply: Everybody's got a right to bitch, no question about it, but I've also got a right to comment when the guy refers to Sherrill as a "fat, washed-up pitcher" who needs to be dumped at the first opportunity. That's wrong and stupid on two levels. Sherrill has been great, and if your (not you personally) idea of fixing what ails the Orioles is dumping an All-Star because of one bad outing -- and taking a ballgame so seriously that you assault the guy on a bush-league personal level -- I'm going to call you out on it. Fans aren't required to be logical, but in this blog, if somebody is going to dish is out like that, the guy better be able to take it, too.

Epic

Peter, I wonder if by"fat, washed-up pitcher" he meant Sherrill or Baez. Stupid remark either way, but it wasn't altogether clear to me.

"there isn't a scout, manager or GM who thinks Bergesen is a better pitcher than Jim Johnson"
Peter Schmuck July 2 2009

Come on, Peter, honestly! I'm sure you haven't polled them, but I'll stick my neck out and say that even if that's the case now, it won't be for very much longer.

I don't know that Bergy necessarily will preferred to Johnson anytime soon, but he will be considered just as good, I promise you that. Keep in mind, too, that all other things being equal Bergy is, relatively speaking, more valuable to the team than JJ simply because he's a starter, and indeed the only starter who at the moment can be counted on to pitch well from one outing to the next.

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Pete's reply: I agree, but Bergy has reeled off seven real good starts. I believe Guthrie had about 12 or 13 in a row at one point early in his career. You really never know. Bergesen has been great, but he was rated way below the other top prospects by Baseball America. I hope he turns out to be a great pitcher, but we don't know that yet. And no, I didn't poll anybody, but Johnson is a highly respected middle guy who is probably the closer in waiting. Good starters definitely are more valuable than middle guys, but this whole argument is about the ninth inning, not the whole game.

ok, if all it took was mind games to make a 37 yr old weak hitting third baseman snap out of it, then here's an idea- hire a psychologist to jack around with the whole roster and go on and win the series. That is a preposterous angle on the Melvin story. You can't tell me that a 37 year old major league veteran needs mind games to get his game in shape. What he might need is the experience of a 37 year old in a 27 year old body. Guys get old. They lose it. They get a cortisone shot then go wild in the second half of the year.The worst thing that happened last year in a year of worst things was Mora going off and making the team think he still has it. Doesn't seem like it now. One more thing: how much trade value does a 37 year old guy in the walk yr of a contract have anyway? Its not like he has unlimited topside. He has had his best years. If you get a mid level anything back you are doing well.

Mor is a serial sulker. He wants to bat second and that's probably a good idea since Jones has tanked. Maybe Jones needs to be dropped to 7th as a wake up call. I think the hype has gone to his head. Baseball is a what have you done for me lately game.

Of course no matter how bad the O's play,it's never Trembley's fault. I think the players have quit on Trembley and want him gone. There's too many things that go unadressed by Trembley because he doesn't want to hurt feelings.

I would give Gary Allenson or Brad Kommisk the rest of the year to see if they could turn this team's losing attitude around. If not,find a seasoned manager in the off season.If McPhail's such a great baseball man,why can't he see this team is going through the motions?

I think you need to go to Best Buy and pick up the Stupid Blog Post Filter 3000.

Feel like I am listening to the Anita Marks show all the completely illogical comments on here and how they let people ramble on that show.

This team wasn't supposed to go anywhere this year. So chill out you lunatics and enjoy the bright spots that we have seen this year.

Release Gary Thome.

Pete, I see you still have many "non-baseball" guru's posting on your blog. I dont even allow my teenage son to use some of the language and name calling used here in reference to some of OUR ballplayers. Perhaps these "fans",with their mediocre IQ's, should move their trailers up north....I'm sure they would be more comfortable sitting in the upper deck with the teenagers in NY.
Myself, I am and always will be a fan of the Orioles (since '66) and the players playing the game for us. Mora may be reaching the downside of his career but I salute him for all he has given us since joining the team.

Keep up the good work, Pete. Appreciate it.

O's had a great announcer (Jon Miller) and prior to him had Mel Proctor and John Lowenstein on TV. Now we have a bunch of "yes men" ( other than Jim Palmer and Dave Johnson). Presently the O's are lifeless and need a strong fiery manager who stands on the top dugout step and is into every pitch of every game.