Why the hell is Roberts on the bench today?!?! He’s not even hurt Roberts said he’s fine it seems like this team just keeps doing things to intentionally lose games all season long. Somebody made a good comment on that last Litmus test blog
The O’s have no balls

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Pete's reply: I wouldn't have started Roberts today. He couldn't throw accurately from second base to first yesterday. Some people want to make every decision into an argument against Trembley. This one is silly.

Pete- You invited me to have a beer with you but I settle for diet coke and A/C for sports chat.

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Pete's reply: A/C?

LIFTOFF! LOL! I dont remember the last tme Kevin Millar did one of those

The O's starting pitching is certainly moving in the right direction. The O's offense, unfortunately, continues to be one of the most undisciplined and ineffective in the league at scoring runs, which is a bad combination with young pitchers (and old ones.) O's hitters do far too much swinging early in the count at bad pitches, and get themselves out on balls too often overall (that's how they blew the bases loaded, one out, and first and second, one out chances in back-to-back innings yesterday. Of the four batters who hit w/ RISP in those innings - Wieters, Izturis, Huff, Reimold, only Reimold was retired on a strike. The other three got themselves out on balls to save Tallet.) This team needs a coach who stresses discipline, using the whole field, the value of OBP, and the importance of making starters throw a lot of pitches, as the Yankees and Red Sox do. Crowley's aggressive approach hurts us, and has for years.

As for Huff's foul in the 10th, it did look like it hit the dirt, but why is he swinging at a pitch at his ankles in the first place? The second strike he swung at was also low. If he'd take the balls, he'd hit better.

Matusz seems to be a typical O’s pitcher already. Tosses 80’s and mostly balls..

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Pete's reply: He looked pretty good the first time out. Let's give it a little while.

There may not be any calories in diet coke, but there is aspartame~~ which is more harmful than calories

Matusz looks overmatched unfortunately...but the thing that bugs me is how markakis and jones are not chipping in against a quality pitcher? Very disappointing to see th erole players pick it up and your studs lay eggs - they could have him on the ropes.

~~There may not be any calories in diet coke, but there is aspartame~~ which is more harmful than calories~~

actually Diet Coke is available sweetened with splenda as well as five other variants of the original. But thanks. I was afraid I might have to go a full day without any trivial negativity on the site. I am sure if you search hard enough, you will find a study where a lab rat died when a 20 pound bag od splenda fell on him too.

Yeh must see, and MASN has the Nationals on the HD feed. Lovely.

And before everyone bashes Matusz...just chill. He'll learn from this.

The Nats are the better team right now. 7 game win streak

Give the kid a break, Ron.

a) The radar gun in Toronto is broken. This was already discussed yesterday. If you look at the MLB Gamecast, you'll see that he's actually throwing in the 90s.

b) He was 8-0 with a sub 2.00 ERA at Bowie in his first year with the club. He strung together 20+ scoreless innings between there and Fredrick. How many O's prospects have done that?

c) He's around the point where he's thrown more innings in a season than he ever has before. This is usually where young guys struggle a bit. Making the jump from AA to the majors is tough as well. Double trouble.

d) He's a smart kid with a strong mental make up. Listen to him speak. He's learning a lot right now. This will only benefit him in the future.

For your sake, I really hope you were commenting drunk.

Ok,

We've seen Matusz, Herenandez, Berken and Tillman, and the jury is still out! Guthrie our senior question mark. The Warehouse has a lot to think about during the offseason, but one thing for certain we still need pitching and these guys need time to develop into to consistent starters. With that said and needing a 3B, 1B and DH (which are usually the 3-5 hitters in most line-ups it appears to me that we are further away than we once thought! I wouldn't look for PA to break open the checkbook anytime soon as we are NOT just around the corner. Yes there is a light in the very distant future, but it's quite a ways away!

I am surprised that you encourage such sacrilege Peter.
There is one approved beverage for watching baseball with chips, and thats beer. Some old time fans might even suggest it should be Natty Boh.
Chuck Thomson would roll over in his grave to hear you exclaim "Ain't the Diet Coke Cold!"

Chris in Hawaii ,

I am wasted... off 12 years of bad O's pitching buddy. I didn’t say he’s going to be a bust but he looked like an O’s loser right now. Hopefully he fixes his mistakes and gets better next time but if there is something the orioles can do to help they need to step up also.

I disagree, Keith Rowe. I do not think we need or should bring in any starting pitching unless it is a top tier number one which I doubt will happen. Also, I think we knew all along that we would need a 1B and 3B this offseason so that was not unexpected. If we got decent 1B and 3B, we could make do with a DH from our roster.

No idea if it is close enough to open the wallet or not, obviously hope so with only two positions to fill IMO.

One thing to consider with the rook Ps all getting some exposure, is that Andy might get enough of a sample on each to decide which one of them is better off used as trade bait to fill a corner infield spot. At some point it is increasingly likely, with Bergy and Hernandez showing reasonably well, that part of this first wave will be traded.

Schmuckeneberger,

Why does it always sound like you are trying to sell the Orioles ?

Has Jim Hunter been outsourced ?

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Pete's reply: Because I disagree with your constant stream of negativity when the team's future is so much brighter than it has been in the past. I'm not going to go out of my way to be miserable and bitter about a baseball team, especially one that is finally showing some light at the end of the tunnel. It's supposed to be fun. Frankly, if I felt like you, I'd probably go collect stamps. They never let you down.

Lucky horesehoe,

I know that you are self absorbed and not very intelligent. For some reason, you think its important to tell us all of your adventures ordering a kosher meal on your flight, but you have a problem with me pointing out the dangers of aspartame or splenda (all diet soda is dangerous, dumbarse) ~~ I know you love living a life of ignorant bliss, I should point out that I dont care what you think.. If you dont like my posts, dont read them. I usually dont read yours unless Im having trouble sleeping

Pete's reply: A/C?

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Must be Pepcid AC.

Halladay is great to watch, but I'm glad I spent the day outside, and Harrington vs. Woods is a better match-up.

'Frankly, if I felt like you, I'd probably go collect stamps. They never let you down."

Also, Jason has never met a stamp he couldn't lick.

Pete,
If you are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel you might want to call the emergency room or put down the pipe man.

JasonC

~~I know that you are self absorbed and not very intelligent.~~

Pretty funny. You twist a baseball post into a surgeon general's warning about your phobias and I am self absorbed? I catch your incorrect statement but I am the one who is unintelligent? Interesting thought process. I guess the clever label Schmuckeneberger is evidence of your towering intelligence?

~~For some reason, you think its important to tell us all of your adventures ordering a kosher meal on your flight,~~

huh? The thread was talking baseball when YOU hijacked the thread to discuss your fear of sweeteners.

~~but you have a problem with me pointing out the dangers of aspartame or splenda (all diet soda is dangerous, dumbarse) ~~

I corrected you by letting you know that Diet Coke has seven variations including those with no aspartame. I corrected a factual misstatement. I did not make a value judgement on choosing to believe only the hundreds of reports saying aspartame is "dangerous" and not to believe the hundreds which find it NOT dangerous although I have my opinion on the subject.

~~know you love living a life of ignorant bliss,~~

You made a mistake and I corrected you. It really wasnt a big deal. Are you getting all pissy because you made a mistake or because I corrected you?

~~I should point out that I dont care what you think.~~

uh huh. That explains why you replied in such a pissy manner.

~~If you dont like my posts, dont read them.~~

Thanks for giving me your permission. But I think I will read them as I read all the posts here and comment as I see fit and Peter allows.

~~I usually dont read yours unless Im having trouble sleeping~~

I can tell by the way you didnt read this one, And your further attempts to be dismissive and insulting are further evidence of how little you care. LOL nice try but not buying it. With all those scary sweeteners out there threatening your life, I am sure it is hard to sleep at night.

Now do you really want to drag this off topic silliness on any further or can we drop it?

The cynic in me would say that there are all kinds of reports on the air we breathe being filled with numerous toxic chemicals and if someone's so worried about all the bad things in the world they should just hold their breath a couple days.

Anyway, let's hope this isn't like the Metallica song No Leaf Clover:

"Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel was just a freight train coming your way."

"Supposed to be fun." Just put that phrase into a macro, Mr. Schmuck, and use it for all the "fans" who spend their time turning over rocks looking for yucky bugs. I have a list of gripes and disagreements with some of the club's decisions, but I'm really having FUN. And it's extra fun fun because I suffered through at least eight years when there was nothing positive at all, no matter how rosy the tint on your glasses. No way to even imagine that the next year might be better. The next few years might go to crap and not be an improvement, but at least O's fans can say "wait 'til next year" without crying inside, and without everybody else in baseball laughing. I choose to focus on that, and to have fun. And my stamp collection is getting a lot less attention this summer.

Oriole fans are really starting to make me sick. I'm more tired of hearing complaints from Oriole fans than I am the Orioles actually losing.

Between reading the comments on blogs like this one and callers to local radio stations I cant stand it anymore.

Matuzs has one bad start and already you're hearing the grumbles. The same thing with Wieters and Tillman. Everyone complains about 12 losing seasons. Ok, when the Orioles go 82-80 what are you gonna complain about then. MacPhail won 2 world series with the Twins and was a bartman foul ball away from taking the Cubs to the worls series. The man knows what he is doing and his track record shows it.

Yeah we are gonna have another losing season this year but look at the brightside. With MacPhail's moves plus our drafting this year we have found 4 possible starting pitchers for the rotation,developed an all star center fielder in adam jones, have locked up one of the best outfielders in the game in Nick Markakis, and got 2 solid hitters for years to come with Wieters and Reimold. All of the above were things we didnt have before this year started.

Even with the losing record this season has been better than anyone could have expected if they just think about it.