Hey Pete. I agree with you on this-what's the point of asking guys to do things they aren't capable of? It's kind of like trying to hit a 230 yd approach shot over water; sometimes you have to lay up.
Markakis isn't being paid 11 mill/yr to bunt and most times, he'll knock the guy in. Nick is the last guy you want bunting in that situation.
The problem with the '09 O's is that guys who should be able to perform the 'little things' like lay down a bunt, hit the other way or run the bases don't. Guys like Itzuris/Mora/Pie and to a lesser extent Jones, have failed numerous times in this regard.
Good teams have players that know their roles and execute; we don't. The Orioles just allow this to keep happening because they don't have anyone better and/or they shrug it off and figure that since the season was lost back in May, what's the point of trying to correct it or learn a new skill?
Until that situation changes, we are going to continue to see tthese mistakes on a nightly basis.

Great Job Pete taking on these Orioles "fans" and their 20-20 hindsight and unrealistic expectiations.
I suspect many of them secretly love it when the O's lose so they can continue with their knee-jerk bashing of anyone who steps foot near the warehouse. Soon someone will be bashing Clancey, the beer vendor who inexplicably gets a video tribute during half the homegames this year.

Who knows if he can bunt I assume he was better off trying to move the runner over by hitting the ball to the right side of the field. Give the pitcher Mijares credit he did a great job, kept them off balance. I think the most piercing part of that inning was the shots in the dugout, with the cameras on Wigginton and the look of disgust on his face, especially when Scott was batting.
Pete: In the old days during the regular season, the video feed part of the broadcast was the video from the home team on games away, is that still true? Or does MASN bring their entire video team? I cannot imagine that Angelos would waste a cent where he does not have to. But I have been out of touch on that for years.

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Pete's reply: No, MASN does not bring its own cameras for road games. It contracts for a video feed and then manages it from a control center. That means, I believe, that the control room gets all the camera feeds and can go to each camera as needed. I would guess every home broadcast crew has a camera that covers the visiting dugout and can get the "local" shots necessary to do a Baltimore-tinged broadcast. If I'm wrong on this, I'm sure somebody from MASN will let me know, but it seems logical. And it's not a matter of the O's being cheap. I've traveled with a lot of teams and all of them do it that way.

I'm with Earl Weaver - screw the sacrifice. If the middle of the order can't drive them in, we deserve to lose anyway.

To CB Coach - Wiggs will get all the chances in the world to improve his .150 RISP next year when he's our regular 3B (I cringe just thinking about it - both at the plate and in the field)

I wouldn't bunt because Markakis is your best hitter and Scott is hugely overrated after the streak he had before the break.
There were a ton of mistakes to lose this game but I think one of thw worse was writting that lineup.
I try not to criticize Trembley too much, but he keeps finding ways to put lefthanders who don't hit lefthanders one behnind the other...
I even thought last night that he wasn't bringing wigginton to pinch hit because he would be admitting his mistake...

"Should Dave Trembly have thrown convention to the wind and ordered Markakis to bunt Reimold over to third? "

Trembley manages with a playbook under his seat. He does not have imagination or skill. Without the convention he'd be in the dugout sucking on his thumb.

He reminds me of Coach Red Beaulieu of the University of Louisiana Cougars in the movie "The Water Boy" doing everything by the playbook he had stolen off Coach Klein. But at least Coach Beaulieu was a winner.

You're right Aldo. I sometimes think DT eschews moves just make a point. The question was, do you want lefty against lefty or righty against righty.? Since Wieters hits better left handed you might pinch hit Wigginton just to get a better matchup one batter later.

As to the bunt question, you touched on every possible point Pete. I agree that you can't ask your cleanup man to bunt, especially when he's left handed and should be able to pull the ball. But as Barry pointed out, Markakis didn't make any effort to pull even from the first swing. It was after the first strike effort that I as manager would have considered putting a bunt on, if for no other reason than to get Markakis' head back into the game.

DAVEY JOHNSON & Angelos have mended fences for those who aren't aware. He's younger than Cox similar age as Joe Torre. I would offer him a 2 year deal with options what do we have to lose? Will he do it? Only by asking will we know . TREMBLEY IS NOT THE ANSWER!

DAVEY JOHNSON, DAVEY JOHNSON ,DAVEY JOHNSON!

Markakis is a run producer. He shouldn't be asked to bunt -- he's left handed and should simply be asked to pull the ball hard to the right side. With the turf there the way it is, you hit a hard ground ball and there's a decent chance it skips through the infield. Just find a pitch you can get good wood on and pull it. He should be a good enough hitter to dictate the ball's direction to that level.

FritzJerries,

I don't see it happening or like it to happen. We need someone young and energetic. I wish Ozzie Guillen were available but he signed an extension through 2012 with the W-Sox. I would still trade 2-3 prospects and buy out his contract if the Sox want to deal.

I'd bunt anybody but Markakis or Roberts in that situation. That said, it is pathetic that every single MLB player doesn't know how to properly bunt -- it is such a fundamental part of the game.

Pete: I was not saying Angelos was being cheap, I just said he would not waste money where he shouldn't. It was just interesting to see repeated video shots of Wigginton.

Bob C.. I hope that Wiggy is not at third everyday next year, it would not be pretty. Actually I do not remember details on his contract, but I seem to remember it was like two years.

Actually I am one of the people that believes that Angelos is not cheap, sure there were a lot of poor decisions made on players but he put money on the table in years past, now they are trying to fix things in a different way. I do not blame him for everything, all I heard was rumors that his sons were way to involved and I really do not know about that kind of thing. Back in the 90's he sure put a lot on the table to players and of course the Albert Belle deal.

If I was the Os manager, I would have all my players develop and maintain their bunting skills starting in spring training. Baseball is a team game. Everybody needs to contribute and you can't just say this is this guy's role and therefore he shouldn't be asked to do something to help the team win. You bunt Nolan over and then all that is needed is a sacrifice fly to probably win the game.
Getting a hit off a tough pitcher is not easy. A batter who is successful 30% of the time is considered good but by setting up the situation where you can plate a run without a hit increases your chances to score greatly.
The problem with DT is that he doesn't adapt to situations. He justs uses generally baseball ideas as his guide but really doesn't adapt to the game to make the correct moves to win. Sometimes he has been more worried about saving his bullpen and thus he keeps a starter in the game when it is obvious the guy has nothing to offer and is only going to continue to be hit hard. Also he often has a relief pitcher pitching well and he'll pull him and put in another guy that may or may not have it that day.

The percentages obviously favor the liklihood of being able to score from third base with less than two outs rather than second base with less than two outs.

Unfortunately, Oriole hitters this year are rendering that favorable calulation rather moot by swinging at bad pitches in those situations and getting themselves out. Therefore, I submit that getting a runner to third base with less than two outs this year has not improved our chances of scoring much at all. It is sort of a reverse lock.

What's more the Orioles have developed a reputation around the league of swinging at nearly anything thrown, and they live up to it nightly. This is all part of the culture of failure and losing ingrained into the organization and it will be hard to change.

As I said in a previous post, to change the culture,the team must do three things this winter:

1. Bring in a manager with a proven winning track record at the Major League level, who will refuse to accept performances like last night's meltdown. Proven winners expect to win every night. I'm not so sure what Dave Trembley expects every night, and neither is he.

2. Move the players who are not capable of developing leadership skills and who consistently underperform in clutch situations. I could use another word to describe how many of our players underperform in clutch situations but it serves no practical purpose.

3. Bring in some players who have won on the field and know how to win in order to act as role models and leaders for the younger players.

I am not suggesting that Macphail abandon the rebuilding effort, but now is the time to enter into another phase of rebuilding and that is to add proven MLB talent to the young mix of players.

The Orioles should go into 2010 with a manager who expects to win and players who expect to win. As fans, we have a right to expect the owner and general manager to expect twin in 2010 also.

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Pete's reply: I'm not sure the percentages are obvious. You're talking about getting a run home from third with one out or from second with no outs (and your best hitter swinging away).

DT has to be hoping he gets the axe soon to put him out of his misery…but then again moves like leaving Bass in so he can get his brains beat in by 5 straight batters will get him an even earlier exit. Oh and what about Felix Pie….can ANYONE run the bases any worse than this guy? Please the experiment is over - get them both outta here.

I have no problem with letting Markakis swing away. As you say, it's his job and our expectation is for him to hit or at least advance the runner there. He's batting cleanup and so bunting, while it would have been unexpected and bold, was not necessary and I won't look back in hindsight on that and wag my finger. That said, not pinch hitting Wiggington for Scott with one out was about as horrible a decision as DT has ever made. Scott has been awful lately and was facing a lefty on the mound. If you're going to go by the book there, than you have to pinch hit the righty in that situation. When Scott walked to the batter's box, who here...including you Pete, actually thought he'd deliver a hit???

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Pete's reply: He has not been dependable lately, but maybe he's about to break out.

Re Pie - according to posts on a different message board, the Twins announcers said it was a straight steal, and Samuel did not wave him to third. Samuel is not a good 3B coach, andm if I remember correctly,, was not a good baserunner when he played (he stole a lot of bases, but made mistakes like Mora does regularly.)

As for the popup, Pie likely thought Mauer caught the ball. If that had happened, he gets third easily. I don't know if he looked at Samuel on that play.

Re Markakis - Trembley wasn't going to pinch-hit for the struggling Scott (no outfielders, unless Andino could play left - I doubt Wigginton can), so might as well let Markakis hit.

Re offense - 3 for 13 w/ RISP continues ineptitude since break. When Rick Dempsey notices that Orioles hitters are getting themselves out on non-strikes with RISP, you know there's a problem.

No, I don't think you have your #3 hitter bunt with a runner on second. A hit scores Reimold, possibly. Who is expected to get a hit but the #3 hitter?

If you sac to get Reimold to third, then you gamble that your #4 or #5 hitter (who are considered weaker overall hitters than #3 theoretically) can push the runner over.

Basically what has happened is that the manager shows no faith in his supposed best hitter, and then is supposed to express it for worse (albeit slightly) hitters.

So, no, I don't bunt my #3 hitter, just to let a #4 or #5 hitter try to drive the ball. I take 3 shots with my #3-5 hitters to get a base hit. But that's me.

thank you, OriAl, for the Pie explanations.
agree 100%, as well as on the Samuel assessment.

As to pinch hitting Wiggy, Reimold could have gone out to left. You lose the dh, but it shouldn't have mattered if you get the lead and hold it.
Or Jones could go to cf for an inning. His back strain possibly more problematic swinging than throwing.

I've been no huge Trembley fan this year but he did the right thing in that situation. Markakis is supposed to get the job done.
He didn't, it happens, in fact it happens quite a lot with the Orioles, which in my opinion is the most pressing problem McPhail needs to solve this offseason.

It sure does get frustrating sometimes doesn't it folks. This organization will not improve until someone or something changes the losers attitude that has been created over the past few years. I don't blame the manager. I blame the entire organization. These guys are poster children for underachievers. They have no clue as to what it takes to win. Just keep the checks coming. That's the attitude. The team needs a couple of vets with a little attitude to inspire these losers. I would like to see them sign a no nonsense player at third and first. Someone who will lead by example and attitude. This team has talent, it just totally quits.

Post turtle!

I would've been pissed if Markakis bunted. He is our best hitter and Nolan, has some serious speed even with his injury so a base hit, will score a run. The only other guy in Baltimore with that type of speed is our own Pete Schmuck, but he would've only scored if he was allowed to hold a turtle and not a pair of batting gloves.

I almost wish the O's would hire Davey Johnson, just to shut up the fans that have been screaming for him since he left. I respect what he did, but does anyone really think if he comes here, the team will instantly improve? Look at the rosters for the 96 and 97 teams and look at the 2009 roster.

Managers, are instrumental to the success of a team, but so are the players they have and their own coaching staff. I am with anyone who says that Juan, needs to go and the same with T Bone, but before lumping the entire staff together, look at how well the BP has been this year, given the turn over and the overuse, I think Dunn, should get a lot of credit. I, also feel that Crow, is doing a good job, as he's made huge strides with the young guys like Reimold, Wieters and Pie, not to mention what he did for Markakis and Jones. Kranny, should be given a raise based on what he's had to work with. 37 pitchers we had in FL, most of them got hurt, cut, traded and others were brought up. The overall era isn't good, but he's getting the most out of these kids even though some people want Clemens, Johnson and Glavine-like pitching performances from these kids.

I will be right there with the haters if next year, this team doesn't drastically improve, but till that time comes, I am sticking with the plan.

Umm, let's do the math... it really doesn't matter who is up in this situation. The difference between a .250 hitter and a .300 hitter is that in every twenty at bats the .250 hitter gets 5 hits and the .300 hitter gets 6 hits. The difference certainly doesn't make me change my strategy.

First of all, let's assume that Nick Markakis, supposedly the best player on the team, a "5 tool" guy, can do what every professional baseball player should be able to do, that is, have a reasonable chance to lay down a sacrifice bunt.

Luke Scott has come up 16 times this season with a runner on third and less than two outs and 12 times he has gotten the runner home. 12 times! That's 75% for you math majors.

Nick Markakis has a 30% chance of getting a hit which may or may not score the runner. And Scott and Wieters a bit less than that.

The point is, with Luke Scott at the plate with a runner on third you have a 75% chance to score. Your chances of getting a hit which may or may not score an ailing Nolan Reimold are not anywhere close to that.

I'm not saying in hindsight that this would have resulted in the O's winning. But this is the correct strategy because over 162 games if you employ rational logic based on facts in your decision making, you will be successful more times than not.

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Pete's reply: Jeff, you can't use Luke's overall success rate, because he has been in a serious offensive funk.

Ozzie Guillen Slugger?? Yeah, because he's doing so well managing a team with all of that talent to a .500 record. Brilliant, not to mention his crappy attitude towards young players,,you've got to be kidding. Well I don't take your posts seriously as it is.

Also, Ty played 31 games in the OF last year for Houston, all but 1 of them was LF, committing 2 errors. So I don't see any reason that he didn't PH last night.

Pete -

The answer is no - you don't bunt. And we shouldn't even be discussing it. Best part of your lineup coming up, you hit.

"The ability to handle pressure and execute strategy comes from within." I agree - but if that's the case, can that be solved? If not, then even with the players we have, we won't win - they're the problem. If it can be solved - who solves it? The players can't, they need leadership. Trembley has shown very little here - no great track record of success.

The answer to me is a new manager in 2010 and a few winning veterans. Not the Wiggintons, Hendricksons, or Zauns, but players who have been on winning ball clubs and played larger roles in it. Pedro, Nomar, etc..not sure who this describes for FA next year, but this club needs leadership. MacPhail has somewhat done that at the GM level, time to filter down.

C'mon Pete....bunting your cleanup hitter......? Has it really come to this?

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Pete's reply: No, it hasn't. If you add a big bat in the middle of the lineup who is a clutch run-producer, I think it changes the chemistry of the lineup and the clutch hitting improves across the board.

Sorry Jeff but your logic is seriously flawed. In fact by your logic you would have Albert Pujols bunt every time in that situation as well. First of all your assuming there is a 100% chance that Nick moves the runner to third if he bunts to arrive at your 75% vs 30%. You can't come to a blanket conclusion because every situation is different. Your also excluding the fact that a deep fly ball to right or center moves the runner to third, not to mention most any ground ball to the right side of the infield.

If Nick was successful on say 75% of his bunt opportunities and Scott had a 75% chance of bringing the runner home that brings it to 50% if Nick bunts. Nick has a .326 average with RISP and less than 2 outs and 85 RBI already on the season. While the team has not been clutch he has and he should be hitting.

Nick's average implies a roughly 30% chance of scoring Reimold, another 10% chance to end up with 1st/2nd or 1st/3rd and still no outs (walk or error, using his OBP to calculate). Not to mention you could end up with the exact same result as a bunt on nearly any ball hit to the right. Even if only 1/3 of the balls a left handed Markakis hit where he got out (60% of the time) went to the right thats another 20% where you have the exact same outcome as a bunt without wasting Nick's out.

Bottom line is, Nick has hit with runners on, is our best hitter, sees alot pitches and usually swings at quality ones. I'm letting him do what he's paid to do. I'm fine with anyone else bunting in our lineup but him there.

Peter,

The Orioles should make Melvin Mora their base running coach for next year and he can teach Pie how to run the bases. It will be a perfect reverse-lock, you see, Pie will forget to listen to Melvin and he will eventually run the bases correctly... just being silly...

Nick is not a cleanup hitter hes 2-3 at best in a lineup with a real DH. Roberts should be the cleanup hitter right now and Pie should take leadoff cause most the time Roberts can get things done in any situation.

Frank please explain your logic. Why on earth would want to put the guy leading the team in stolen bases at cleanup, the guy 6th in the AL in RBI's in the 2 hole and the guy with the .314 OBP in the leadoff slot?

Pete - here is the DEAL.... Why in the Hell can't/don't/won't the Orioles HIRE a bunt teacher/specialists and TEACH these over paid under achieving multi millionaire Prima Donnas - how TO bunt???? It ain't ROCKET SCIENCE! There has to be dozens of great never made it to the majors, minor league little guys who can bunt their ass off - HIRE ONE for Christ's sake and teach them HOW TO BUNT! SHEEESH it's SO simple! You can't tell me LUKE is too retarded or Markakis to learn!! Have an expert work with them before games one or two afternoons a week when at home or in spring training and spend say 10 total hours and LEARN HOW TO BUNT!!!!! Then USE that aquired skill the rest of your carear WHEN you need it and thus can COUNT on it to be done right and successful!! When they put the SHIFT on Luke - bunt yourself a few hits - sure beats the Hell out of those strike outs and weak ass pop ups - YA THINK??? And if ya get good at it - bunt with 2 strikes - will get a hit every time! IF ya already got 2 strikes you gonna make an out anyway so it's NO more an OUT by bunting than by taking or swinging and missing at those ground huggers in the dirt are a strike. In fact - if you bunt with 2 strikes you are far less likely to go after those way off the plate low pitches. SHEEESH - is it that HARD to see/understand. Pete - talk to me - am I making any sense from this nonsense??

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Pete's reply: Some, but you won't bunt yourself to an AL East title. This isn't a bunting league.

ANY MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYER SHOULD BE ABLE TO SAC BUNT! CASE CLOSED.

Micah

Cause nobody else can hit except Nolan...

i don't think you have nick bunt. he's your best hitter and should be able to hit the ball to the right side. hey this is a last place team and they play like a last place team. i do believe with the talent on this team they should be playing much better than the are. it's the manager. trembley is not a good major league manager. look what happened to the rockies when they changed managers. same team. but their play is so much better they may catch the dodgers. may the schmuck be with you.

Jeff -

I'm not going to go into how backwards your logic is because Micah already did so.

I just wanted to drop a couple more tidbits on your "baseball = simple math" argument.

- Luke Scott is hitting .198 with 6 rbi over the past month. Before his rbi in the sixth last night, he hadn't driven in a run in eight games.

- Nick Markakis is batting .342 with 19 rbi over the past month.

FIRE TREMBLEY!!! *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*

39 days left!

The future depends on what we do in the present.

- Mahatma Gandhi

fkterp -

Enough of referring to the Rockies in this stupid "It's Trembley's fault!" battle. Colorado is a completely different team in a completely different situation. Sure, the Rockies got a lot better when Jim Tracy took over for Clint Hurdle, but didn't Clint Hurdle manage almost the exact same team (the only difference being Matt Holliday) in 2007? Yup.

Anyways, there's enormous different between the Rockies and the Orioles: PITCHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ubaldo Jimenez (3.36 ERA, 1.21 WHIP), Jason Marquis (3.47, 1.27), Aaron Cook (4.47, 1.47), Jorge de la Rosa (4.76, 1.40) and Jason Hammel (4.43, 1.50) are better than any rotation the O's could even dream of putting together (until about 2011).

I'm not saying that Jim Tracy didn't light a fire under the Rockies. Maybe he had a closed door meeting that left the guys feeling much better about the team. Who knows what happened. All I know about the Rockies is that they're a good group of ballplayers and they've got a good pitching staff.

And when it comes to the Orioles, all I know is that I'm sick and tired of people talking like bringing Davey Johnson back will turn this group of Orioles into a contender.

And one more thing about Jim Tracy:

His record as a manager before he took over in Colorado was 562-572.

I'm going to go ahead and say that there's something more to the Rockies than Jim Tracy's managerial awesomeness.

Thought everyone would like to see this from MSN sports.

Matt Wieters
The Orioles' rookie catcher was -- we were assured -- on an unswerving course for immediate glory. Instead, Wieters has scuttled since his promotion to the highest level. The list of future Hall of Famers who struggled early is long indeed, so don't abandon Wieters. He's still likely to be a great player, but expectations were a bit out of whack. Don't be surprised if Wieters is much more consistent and productive in 2010.

i can't believe that we're asking our best hitter to bunt in a completely meaningless game. i trust him to get a single more than i do to move a runner over a base.

yay perspective!

OHMYGOD!!!! All the crap that is going on with this team and we sit here blogging about weather our best hitter should bunt or not with a man on second..........who cares???

Thats like sitting in an ocean front room during a level 5 hurricane and your wife turns to you and says....."honey, did you put the car windows up"?

Thats like saying..."sure we are in last place, but we have the best last place record"!

Come on now......snap back to reality.

I want to hear some solutions to real problems.

I agree with Gil 100%.......we need some people to get in here and change the culture.

We dont need to blow up the team.....but we do need some leadership.
1- Manager
2- Coaches
3- A pitcher or two who can teach the kids how to win.
4- Guys at the corners.

And, by the way, the answer to Mr. Schmucks question is....HELL NO, you do not have Markakis bunt . He is your best hitter, show some faith in him.

And on a personal note.....i think it is good for all the kids on this years team to go thru such a miserable season. They have been winners all their life, they are use to winning, and an experience like this should motivate each and every player not to let it happen again.

They should be pissed off and as soon as the season is over they should get together and vow that this will never happen again.

If however they end the season with their tail between their legs, winning and pouting........then we really have nothing to look forward to next year but more of the same.

Here we go again...
After watching the Twins bringing a tough lefthander yesterday vs Nick and Scott, Trembley does it again...
Baseball is such a great game, if the game is alive after the 6th, you'll see them fail again vs the reliever...

Pete

ORLY?!

You do not bunt with your top hitter in a situation like that.

Case in point about the Rangers "LACK" of pitch counts. The last 5 games, pitches by starter = 83, 95, 95, 113, 107.

So WHAT exactly is Texas doing different?? NOTHING.

My gosh this just was about a bunt, what happened?

"The ability to handle pressure and execute strategy comes from within."

What do you mean by that, Pete? I can understand the "execute strategy" part, I think, but what is this "ability to handle pressure"? I know you have seen 10,000 more games live than I have, but I am confident that the notion that there is an "ability to handle pressure" is false. Outcomes in particular situations are random. Take a look at Melvin Mora, for example. This year, he's hitting .500 with the bases loaded. Great clutch hitter! He has "the ability to handle pressure." He's also hitting .239, with a .289 SLG, with runners on base. So he doesn't have "the ability to handle pressure." But the variations are all just random fluctuations in reality. When you look at the larger picture, players don't really have a magical "ability to handle pressure." Over his career, Mora has hit .279 with runners in scoring position, and .278 overall.

The Orioles score 4.6 runs per game, about the same as the Tigers and White Sox, and they have about the same OPS as the Tigers and White Sox. They are considerably better offensively than the Mariners, Royals, and A's, and considerably worse than everyone else. They score the fourth-least runs in the league because there are only two teams in the league with fewer home runs, three teams with fewer walks, and they are not helped by the fact that they have the worst base-stealing percentage in the league. The fact that they have the fewest bunts in the league is meaningless. The team leading the league in bunts, after all, is Seattle, the worst offensive team in the league.

and the 4 games prior to those pitch counts for texas = 2 games over 100 (113, 101) and the other games less than 100. So please stop bitching about pitch counts. EVERY TEAM DOES THIS.

Gene Mauch would have bunted the '27 Yankees into third place. The Orioles play half of their games at Camden Yards and nearly all of them against AL opponents. The team lacks a difference-maker at the plate as well as in the rotation, and difference-makers are called upon to bunt.

Markakis is the closest thing the O's have to a difference-maker ( and he would really blossom if he were surrounded by genuine talent. Whatever, he should not be bunting except in the most extreme of circumstances, and even then that would be questionable.

It would be nice if some players had bunting as part of their skillset, but when bunting is the difference between the Orioles achieving the next level or not achieving the next level, they are most likely playing .600 ball on a season by season basis already.

Interesting if Pie was doing a straight steal as it would explain not taking a peak the the thrown pitch and the subsequent contact. Whatever happened up to that point, Pie did look at the 3B coach's box. It was then he started to head back to 1B for a couple of steps.

I believe Pie deserves the benefit of the doubt over the coach at this point. Pie has improved in many areas over the last three months. Coaching at third has not (and that ain't Cal, Sr. or Billy Hunter over there).

Too bad for Mickolio. He has shown nice progress, too. He needs some subtle improvement against lefties, and a second out pitch. However, he has a bright future and I hope it remains in Orange.

I forgot to compliment Bo n Crabs for his post. Well done.

Pie reminds me of some kids I coached who had ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). They tried real hard, but just couldn't focus. I wonder if the O's have had him checked for that.

preacherman