Any team that pays Holliday more than $10 million a year is going to regret it unless Albert Pujols is somehow included in the contract.

I couldn't agree more, Pete. Everyone has a down year, Ripken, for example, had more than a few, yet everyone here thinks he is God on earth.

If we do catch lightening in a bottle with Atkins, the team will be that much better off. It's fun to fantasize about A Gonz or Jason Bay or Holliday, but the reality is, we are likely going forward with Atkins, Wigginton and Aubrey to man the corner positions and we could do worse.

All I want to see in 2010 is improvement, more inspired play and no late season meltdown. Give me that, a solid foundation going into 2011, I'll be happy.

Of course, going into 2011, I would think expectations will be a lot different.

..........................................................................................
Pete's reply: I don't think Aubrey will be the starter at first base. They'll come up with one more corner infielder, hopefully with decent pop.

I still think that Delgado would be a good pick in the same vein. Subtract last year and he is a huge bat. Even last year when he was playing he hit a ton. And it doesn't seem like anyone is beating the door down to get to him, (maybe theres a reason) but he will likely be another bargain and he is a bopper.

While signing Holliday would defintiely make them a better offensive team and make a splash with the fans, 2010 is a year for further evaluation of what the O's have that "works" and what they will need outside their system to become contenders again. Plus, the OF seems set for a while unless they move Reimold to first, which seems unlikely from what they are saying. Maybe trading for an Uggla or Kouzmanoff isn't as exciting but it makes more sense right now.

Once the dust settles, 2011 is a better time to sign a missing piece for big money or trade for it. Prospects, even very promising ones like Bell, Tillman , Arrieta, etal, can disappoint or take longer to develop than is planned and this year will help determine their value.

Pete,

You are right again, and I must say on a roll. Of course, you can't really eliminate a season, but the O's are gambling on a bounce-back year, and it isn't a bad gamble at the price they paid. BUT he can't certainly be called a BIG BAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ORDER.

AM has some work to do to keep to his word! We the fans deserve more than this modest risk!

I like the move. I think at this point a player like Holliday would just be a great player on a bad team, a la Miguel Tejada. Is Adam Dunn helping the Nationals? Let's see what Atkins can do at 3d. I would also like to see what Michael Aubrey can do with a full season at first. The Orioles aren't ready to start printing playoff tickets yet. They should acquire a great player to make him the last piece of the puzzle, not just to add him to their roster before they're ready to compete.

No Holliday for the Holidays. But it is nice to read about baseball on the day after one the biggest snow storms Baltimore has ever seen. Thanks Peter. Happy Holidays to you and all the posters out there.

Pete I agree that a big stick would sure help, and I really believe the O's will open the vault to sign him, but my feeling is that they are going to wait until next years free agent crop, so they can verify that the young arms are what they think the will be, and one big bat may be all they need to contend..that way we don't deplete our blossoming minor lge system and we get a run producing masher we all so badly want!

Pete,

I'm with you. As fans, I think it is sometimes easy to forget that the owners money is real and is not monopoly money or Yankee money. Holliday is a nice player, but was just OK in Oakland, which concerns me. He's a nice ball player, but how many extra wins does he really get for the team?

I read your column yesterday and agree with you. However, I am struggling to figure out what the Orioles can do to make a splash and excite the fan base. I'm sure Adrian G, will require losing some of those quality young arms that are future depends. I suppose trying to get Cliff Lee would have made sense, but I just don't see what available player makes sense for us to pursue to help us win over the next 1-3 seasons.

Pete,
Fans who are knowledgable and looking closely at what is going on would not mind seeing how Aubrey can do at first withe current roster. He is supposed to be an excellent fielder and he did hit with some powere toward the end of next year.
Most fans like me don't need a big splash on a morginal or overpriced free agent to get excited about this coming season. We are excited because AM has put together an exciting youthful group of players. \
We are already looking forward to next year because of the following in no particular order.
Matusz
Tillman
Weiters
Reimold
Jones
Roberts
Bergesen and on and on
In spite of the few vocal naysayers.
Macphail has made one good move after another since he took over.
For those who like to blast him how about this, instead of saying all these things he hasn't done....name two or three that you WOULDN'T have done.....

Statistics are for losers.

Bill F.,

Agree with you 110%!!!

If the Orioles can't get Delgdo than I'd like to see them move Reimold to first and Pie to left. The big problem with this scenario is that the O's won't have a bona fide cleaup hitter. Matt Holliday isn't a cleanup hitter, but Jason Bay is. I'm no longer considering Adrian Gonzalez in the mix because Padres' asking price appears to be unacceptable to Mr, Macphail.

If healthy, Carlos Delgado is the man the O's need to sign to a one year contract with a team option. He can play a little firsbase and a lot of DH. With 600 ABs Delgado will hit between 25-30 HR and 90-100 RBI. Just the "big bopper" the club needs.

If healthy, Carlos Delgado is the man the O's need to sign to a one year contract with a team option. He can play a little firsbase and a lot of DH. With 600 ABs Delgado will hit between 25-30 HR and 90-100 RBI. Just the "big bopper" the club needs.

Forget a big bat this year. If you wanted an exciting trade this year then we should have been in on the cliff lee trade. We certainly had better prospects to land Lee than seattle did. After all we just got finished fleecing the Mariners for Beadard. Wouldn't it looked sweet with Lee in our rotation. As of now the only exciting news is MASN getting rid of that whinnnnnney Buck Martinez. Wait a year foe a big bat more free agents will be available next year.

What the Orioles need is a hitter (or two) like Adam Dunn - great power, excellent OBP, decent or better AVG. To heck with strikeouts - in almost all cases, they're just outs, and what matters is how often a hitter gets on base. It's beyond time the O's worried more about improving team OBP (and thus scoring opportunities), and less about whether hitters strike out after working the count to tire pitchers instead of popping out, grounding out, or flying out.

What the Orioles need is a hitter (or two) like Adam Dunn - great power, excellent OBP, decent or better AVG. To heck with strikeouts - in almost all cases, they're just outs, and what matters is how often a hitter gets on base. It's beyond time the O's worried more about improving team OBP (and thus scoring opportunities), and less about whether hitters strike out after working the count to tire pitchers instead of popping out, grounding out, or flying out early in at-bats to avoid the strikeout.

Delgado will be 38 years old next year. Outside of the heavily juiced Barry Bonds, there aren't too many MLB players who do well at that age. Plus, his 2008 fielding was below average. Two years older and a year off, it is likely he will not be a very good defender at 1B. Having below average defenders at the corners (Atkins is mediocre at best) is not a good way to build up the confidence of a young pitching staff.

OriAL,

''You're right Dunn would've been a good fit and his contract didnt break the bank. AM claimed his defense wasnt good enough, yet trotted Huff out to 1b every day--cant say dandy andy doesnt have a sense of humor

This yr, we wont get any elite talent because we arent ready to really "compete" . Nevermind that AM said he was going to judge Trembley by wins and losses this yr. Apparently, ol Andy is impervious to accountability

My questiion for the SChmuckenmiller is this:

If MAtusz,Tillman, Bergeson, and Arrieta turn into Riley, Penn, Loewen, Cabrera and Stephens et al. Will AM say that theres no point in investing in a strong Free Agent class next yr because then there will be "pitching" to address?. There surely will be no need to add offense if u are redoing the whole pitching staff. I cant help but envision more excuses next yr. Its all weve been getting--- to expect anything else is the definition of insanity

The fortunes of the Orioles has been dependent on this young pitching for some time.

What is plan B if they all lay and egg and/or arent healthy or are just low end of rotation pitchers?

Same excrement, different yr. Sometime after new yrs day, we will be welcoming some other aged retread to the podium at the warehouse. ol schuckmendorf will tell us how delgado is really better than tex anyway and implore us not to worry. After all, andy's way is the only way to bring winning baseball back to baltimore (even if he's never come close to doing it here and has failed 16 of 24 attempts at fielding a winning baseball team everywhere else)

There are plenty of ways for this team to get better, too bad none of them will actually happen.

How about Adam Laroche? He averages 25 homers a year, is young and seems attainable. I haven't heard him mentioned but I think he would be an excellent long-term fit at 1st. If Josh Bell and Brandon Snyder and Garret Atkins (again) all turn out to be stars in the next year or two, so what? We can trade someone or turn someone into a DH. Pete, have you heard what kind of a contract LaRoche is looking for?

I am amused by the throiwing out of the name of Carlos Delgado so frequently. Since I live in the NY area I would say that Delgado is a great way to ruin team chemistry especially if he is not going well. His stats look nice but to insert him in a young and developing team is a mistake. Carlos plays for himself and himself only.

If they sign one guy to a one year deal, that is zero risk, and I don't care if he plays for Joe Boo or Hitler if he hits 30/100. He'll only be here for one season, and one old enigma is not enough to ruin an entire young, bonded team. And if it is, pay him and release him if and when Bell is ready and Atkins can be shifted.

Why are most people against M. Aubrey?He'll probably be better all around than Atkins. GA's #s are highly questionable. MA is solid. I know he's no multi million dollar superstar but we don't get those guys anyway. Atkins wasn't wanted by the Rockies so a 98 loss team gets him. You don't know what you're going to get from Delgado or Atkins so why do you want both on the team. We know what we have in Mike.

Bill L -

You're among the few other people who have claimed that Carlos Delgado has a bad attitude without backing that up with any facts or even anecdotes.

It's my understanding, from reading interviews with Mets and Blue Jays players, that Delgado has always been very well-liked in the clubhouse. I also know, for a fact, that he's been nominated several times for the Roberto Clemente Award, which honors players for sportsmanship, as well as giving back to the community. Delgado won the Clemente Award in 2006.

So where's your evidence that's he's a clubhouse destroyer?

No to Holliday.

No to Atkins...well, too late.

BILL SCHMEDRICK!!!!!!

Pete,

I know Mike Aubrey is not the sexy choice at 1B, he's not the big power hitter so many crave, but if it were to come down to a choice between Delgado and Aubrey, I would have to choose Aubrey. Carlos is 38 and at best is a one year rental with no future stake in the team. I don't understand why people would want him here, other than for the same reason those same people are bemoaning the Atkins acquisition, the remote possibility he might bounce back. I think there's more of a chance of that happening with Atkins than Delgado.

Now if it were between Aubrey and Adam LaRouche or AGonz, then yes, I would go with those guys. But Aubrey is a professional hitter and outstanding on defense and unless a clear upgrade is available, which Delgado is not, not at this point in his career, then you gotta go with Mr. Aubrey.

As for if Mr. MacPhail will or will not pay for Gonzales, I don't think anyone really wants to pay what San Diego wants.

The Red Sox apparently can already have had Gonzo if they want to give up a ton in return. But if the reports of what SD is asking are true, it's exorbitant. The Padres are in a position of not really wanting to trade him, so if you want him, you have to make an offer they can't refuse that doesn't include a horse's head in bed.

Holliday may not be Mark Teixiera, but take a look at next year's free agent class before you dismiss this year's as being weak. You've got an incredibly strong class at catcher, and... that's it. Lance Berkman and Paul Konerko are possibilities, but they'll be 35. If Aramis Ramirez doesn't re-up, he'll be out there, but presumably that spot is reserved for Josh Bell, in the hopes he doesn't disappoint this season. In the outfield there's Carl Crawford, who isn't exactly 3-5 hitter material, and would raise the question of what to do with Reimold and Pie. Don't get me wrong, we could still do quite well next offseason, if we made a few big additions (one of the aforementioned hitters, and either Brandon Webb or Cliff Lee). But why not take advantage of the fact that the Yankees aren't players in the big names this offseason, and go for a guy in Holliday who, while he may not be a perfect fit (Teixeira) , is still about as good if not better than any of the options next season? Sure, it may be a year ahead of schedule, but you can't be sure you're going to land all the free agents you want next season, no matter how much money you throw at them.

It is so funny listening to you people... Don't you get it? All the O's do is bandage area's and you all just feed it some more with the "we should sign old man Delgado" and more.

Atkins is a good pickup if they signed him for more than one year and don't tell me they want to move Bell into that spot because other than Roberts, Markakis and Bedard what other minor leaguers that the O's talked highly about have amounted to anything? Bedard (Injuries), Cabrera, Ponson, Gil?????

If they are going to do anything then trade for a YOUNG Gonzalez for 1st or sign a YOUNG LaRoche! Millwood will be traded at the trade deadline just you watch and for MORE prospects..

It just goes on and on and on, for 12+ years the same old garbage... AND YOU ALL BUY IT.

jason in the south of florida, comments like yours I don't understand. Why do people like you insist on comparing Matusz, Tillman, Arrieta, Bergeson et al to Loewen, Penn, Cabrera et al? Just because the earlier class didn't work out means the current crop will also bomb? I'm sorry, but I don't understand your logic.

By all accounts, if there was ever a group of can't misses, our group is it. It's not just me or the Orioles saying it, it is the consensus of people in the know. Baseball America rates the O's big three in the top 16 prospects in the game. Prospectus, TSN, ESPN and everyone else is very high on the Orioles future, all except you and your followers.

Would you give up on a pitcher whose stats for his first year were 6-14, 5.61 ERA or a guy 7-17, 4.56 or another 7-13, 4.82, to name three? You probably would which means you would have given up on Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Randy Johnson. I certainly hope you don't think the Orioles big three are failures because they don't each win 20 their first year.

How many times do I have to say it? People, building a winning team takes time and patience and the Orioles are on the right road. Be patient, as much as it hurts.

As I said on another post, the Orioles of 2010 will not be a bunch of has beens or never wasses, the new guys are young, hungry and eager to prove they belong. They will take their lumps but will also play much more exciting baseball then some past teams.

Dog, you are so sure of yourself, aren't you? You are so consumed with negativity that no matter what happens it's not good enough and will automatically end in disaster.

Don't you understand? This is not the same old garbage. This is a new team with new people in charge doing the right things yet you just cannot believe it. Well, more power to you. Believe what you want, I'll take the high road and stay the course.

Ken, you're right. Atkins isn't a big bopper. CASE CLOSED! O's top three prospects are rated in the top 167(?) Where in the top 16? So, trade a couple of the other ten along with Aubrey to get a big bopper. McTurtle just lost a medium bopper in Nick Johnson with his "we'll wait till later to get back in the market". Way to go McFail!. SIGN Gonzales at ALL COST. I can't believe that McNothing himself believes that it would take the breaking up of the future of the O's to get Gonzales. WAKE UP, or get a GM who knows how to play the game.
Boy Pete, after its all over with the off-season, PLEASE print out a list of the players that the O's might have had a chance of signing but waited too long to get serious. It might hurt but it sure would let some of the guys in the blog line above me realize what could have been.
Oh, and by the way Ken, let's see how those top 3 out of 16 fare this season after it is all over.

yeah Pete, whats happening with LaRouche? I've never been high on him, but he's something.

I'll take a team of 20 hr 80 RBI guys (Jones, Markakis, Atkins, and prob Reimold and Weiters and Laroche if they go after him)... thats basically what the Red Sox are (Cameron, Yooks, Drew, Lowell) w/o ManRam and Papi together.

Ken, New team, new people in charge????

You mean like the new people that were in charge the previous times?

GM's like:
Wren?
Thrift?
Flanagan?
Flanagan/Beattie?

Or Mangers like:
Miller?
Hargrove?
Mazilli?
Perlozzo?
Trembley?

Now look at that list and tell me which of those people inspired you to think the O's were going to be good?

And thats just the last 12 years.... Wasn't it like you say " This is a new team with new people in charge doing the right things yet you just cannot believe it", at those times also?

I'm consumed with negativity? Because I see and realize that the O's are not putting a good team on the field and keep fixing the team with bandages? Yeah, ok, you just keep wasting your money on them.

And you wouldn't believe it but I am an Oriole fan but out of 1 to 10 with 10 the highest I am down to level 1.

I just see them for what they are while you drink the orange Koolaid...

Pete, Don't I remember some mention toward the end of the season that Matsui and Uehara were good buds in Japan and that Matsui would therefore POSSIBLY be inclined to consider an offer from the O's. Did you hear ANYTHING that would indicate that the O's even talked to Matsui's agent about coming to Balt?

...take the team to the next level a year or two early...

2 years early? That implies we are now greater than 2 years, so it is was actually greater than 5+ years when McPhail inherited the job.

So no longer 2010 (as it was it 2008), 2011 or 2012. Is the ever moving timeling now 2013?

...take the team to the next level a year or two early...

2 years early? That implies we are now greater than 2 years, so it is was actually greater than 5+ years when McPhail inherited the job.

So no longer 2010 (as it was it 2008), 2011 or 2012. Is the ever moving timeline now 2013?

...take the team to the next level a year or two early...

2 years early? That implies we are now greater than 2 years, so it is was actually greater than 5+ years when McPhail inherited the job.

So no longer 2010 (as it was it 2008), 2011 or 2012. Is the ever moving timeline now 2013?

Not Brooks,

I also live in the NY area and I have to back up Bill L's assessment on Delgado. There have been many rumors that he has been a dividing force in the locker room, polarizing the latin and non-latin players. Anyway, I don't think he's the answer as a player either.

ml

Boy the things some of you guys write (and I'm not just referring to you, Pete). One guy's thoughts are that we should just forget about getting a big bat this year; when then? This year was supposed to be the getting-it- all-together year for the big push upward in '11. At the BEGINNING of the off-season (maybe earlier), the GM said he was looking for a power hitter or two for the corner positions. Well he hasn't acquired even one, unless you consider a guy who's going to replicate Weiters'/Scotts'/Reimod's year in 2009. Come on, admit that McFail hasn't got a clue how to wheel and deal. His idea, as he says, is, now that he has solved(?) two problems, to rest up a bit and wait out the mover and shakers so he can gobble up a low-cost once-was or maybe-will-be. He did the same thing last year and, when things were finally over he had Itzuris (he'll go down in O's history for that MAGNIFICENT move) , Hendrickson (same there but for a different reason) and some low-middle relievers. Oh, I forgot he signed a guy who spent the previous two seasons as a reliever in the JAPANESE league as the O's #2 starter. Man, was that a colossal signing. When are O's fans going to show their anger by staying away for a year or so. Peter A will find out he can lose more money through low attendence than through signing a BIG-MONEY ballplayer. He was spoiled when Cal stayed with the team even though he could have made MUCH more with plenty of other teams. Mr. A, you've got to spend money to make money. Even those corporations who bolster your income by buying season tickets won't keep doing it for very long. Attendence has been going down for the past several years and MASN will be losing ad fees also if this doesn't turn around. Won't someone wake up the O's administration!
By the way, Pete S., anything on Bedard? At least he won't cost McT one of his precious "prospects".

I say sign Bedard, LaRouche or DelGado and go with what you have. We are building and can get these guys for nothing to fill in until Bell, Snyder, and a couple of young pitchers are ready. That way we don't ruin our young crop of future stars(?) . Atkins ,Gonzalez and 2 of the above 3 will keep us respectable until the kids come and, who knows, one of them may just turn out to be a winner. I think a lot of our young guys will blossom this year and with these acquisitions we could have an interesting season. But then, I'm the eternal optomist.

Hey, Ken, for every Glavine, Maddux & Johnson you come up with I can name ten guys who have had steller first years, many of them O's pitchers. Thing is that McFail thinks that ALL of his pitchers are untouchable. As one other writer above mentioned we could have presented Philly with a much better threesome than Seattle and STILL without tearing 2010's potential apart. Lee probably would have made Millwood an above-average pitcher and sure would have made the rest of the staff miles better. That's what GOOD pitchers do to a staff and that's what Seattle is thinking will happen. Think also what a big-bopper in the middle of the order would do for Roberts, Jones, etc., etc. BUILDING, that's the sole thing that McFail is supposed to do. He hasn't done it in five years now, and he promised we fans that "the purse strings have been loosened this year. Where's the evidence?
Another 70-92 year, DEFINITELY NOT an 81-81 year which we fans were led to believe would be 2010's target.

Pete,

You're actually trying to find justification in Atkins? I know you don't really believe what you're typing, right?

And others, Aubrey at 1B.....that's what you're really selling?

Let me ask.... Does winning matter at all? If it doesn't, that's ok. I'm just asking!

Is the point to just have the best young talent in the league? To go from the 9th rated farm system to the 3rd? Is that winning? I'm just asking.

Is it ok to have the 26th out of 30 payroll? No, we're not NY, but do you realize Baltimore isn't a small market?

If the O's win 74 games in 2010, is everyone going to be gloating about a 10 game improvement?

So really.... you're talking about having a corner combo of Atkins and Aubrey, with a little Wiggy mixed in? Really? No, really?

Ok, was just asking...

Dog, yes you are so much consumed by negativity that you wallow in it. I see what's going on, I'm sorry that you don't. You want to keep living in the past, go right ahead. The people you mentioned, yesterday's news.
How in God's name can you compare what's going on now with what has happened in the past?

I say again, for the umpteenth time, building a winner takes time and patience. No one is saying don't try to win, but this is not the year. There are no guarantees in life but the kids have to be given time to develop and frankly, whether you like it or not, the big pieces we all want aren't out there this year. The Padres want too much, I'm sorry, I am not willing to mortgage the future just so you can feel better about yourselves.

As for Aubrey, Wigginton, Atkins, that's what we go with until an upgrade is available. I would love it if they signed LaRouche, he's young, powerful and has a swing tailored for the Yards. He could be the answer for the next five to ten years. Delgado certainly isn't.

Aubrey is a hitter in the Grace mold, and there was nothing wrong with Mark Grace. Atkins/Wiggy are more of a gamble, but right now, this team is in a position to take a few gambles.

You people act like the world will end if the Baltimore Orioles don't win 95 games this year. Well, very few teams win 95 games and this GM is trying to put the club in the position of being contenders for years to come. To do that, you need to draft and develop young players, and while some will not pan out, many more will. That's how you build a winner, that's what Andy MacPhail is trying to do here, that's why the Minnesota Twins continue to be competitive year in and year out, because of policies put in place by Andy MacPhail twenty years ago. Yet you people refuse to believe it. I don't understand your logic, I really don't. Wake up, open your eyes, see what is happening here.

Forget about the past 12 years, it's over, done with, a new day is going on. Give it a chance. If we're in the same position next year with no improvement then I might agree with you, but right now what we have to do as fans is support what's going on and support the youngsters on the field. You people are ready to throw in the towel already and we're not even past Christmas yet. You are ready to call some of the game's best young players of the past 20 years failures before they've even had a chance to start a career. Reminds me of the guy last year who watched Chris Tillman's first two starts and declared him to be done, as in finished, no career, no possible chance of success. And you people expect me to take you seriously?

You wonder why I say Dog, and Wayne and Jaycee and the rest are negative?

I just don't get it. After 12 losing seasons in a row can someone please tell me what is wrong with the roster that we would put on the field if the season started today?

I'll agree that Millwood and Guthrie aren't your playoff caliber 1 & 2 starters but, Brian Matusz doesn't interest you at all? Chris Tillman not doing anything for you? How about Brad Bergesen?

Our young lineup with Markakis, Jones, Riemold, Weiters and one of the best leadoff men in the game doesn't interest anyone in the least?

Sure let's go out and sign everyone and go from 98 losses to the world series. It doesn't work like that. Of course everyone wants to win but if you can't find excitement in the youth movement that is upon us then what would excite you? Don't answer that! Seriously, think about it. Yankee and Sox fans while surely revelling in the glory of their wins (old hat), probably won't have the intrigue that we will at OPACY this year.

As mentioned before by many posters, this season is the make or break season of the near future for this franchise. It's not about 2011 or 12 or 13, almost all the studs are here. If our young pitching and lineup can show any kind of realization of their talent, then our missing pieces can be filled a year from now (via free agency or trade) while we'll have a more seasoned team to go along with a still more loaded than ever farm system.

More specifically, the difference between Lowen, Cabrera, Penn, etc.. and Matusz, Tillman, Arietta, Britton will be night and day. All of the new class have proven they belong at every step of the way, and none were asked or forced into a situation they weren't ready for.

The only thing that should be in question is Dave Trembley and his staff. If these guys are remotely capable big league coaches then the 2010 Orioles will finish with 79+ wins and use their loaded minor league system or cash to make big improvements (i.e. competitive in the AL East) next winter.

It's not optimism or hope when it's written all over the walls.

Amen, djph. Amen.

The name of the game is to WIN! Win the WORLD SERIES!

The Orioles remind me of that team in the movie "Semi-Pro", the "Flint Tropics" who played for "4th Place". In fact there mantra was "4th Place, 4th Place".

The O's are happy if they finish higher than the Blue Jays then they think they had a good year.

If you want to win you don't keep siging cheap guys to manage, like 1st year managers, Perlozzo, Trembley, Mazzilli...

Show of hands, how many people think Trembley will be here next year? Ahhh, let me count.... one.... Ken...

Dog,

I disagree with one thing.....it's not about a world series, at least not anytime soon.

To me, it's just about winning more than we lose. That's it.... 82 wins!

You see Dog, others love to throw out the names.....ahh, the names. Tillman, Synder, Bell, Arrieta....it goes on and on.

To them, that's winning. It was similar to back in the Bedard era (when he was a young pup).

They'll also say stop looking at the past. But, the recent past did equal 64 wins (one of their worst years ever), right?

This year what - 73 wins perhaps? The positive posters will be dancing in the street.

Then however, it will be 13 straight losing seasons AND when they see we're not that close, they'll say it's all about 2012. You know that will happen.

And so it goes, and will continue to go until AM keeps his promises.

Imagine 2010 with corners consisting of Atkins and Aubrey, with some Wiggy thrown in? Imagine what our 4 and 5 hitters will look like?

But that's ok.......we'll still have all the young names who will be fighting O so hard for the baltimore fans.

We can call it the Baby Bird Era. That was used earlier in the decade? Sorry!

This difference between now and the past with the (as wayne puts it) "Prospects" is that our "prospects" are actually pretty decent and nationally recognized...

Its not like we're fawning over Garrett Olson, DCab, Luis Matos, Jerry Hairston, Larry Bigbie or Hayden Penn (who I'm convinced was a prospect only because he had a cool name) anymore. Many of the young talent has appeared at the ML level, but to afford to be able to start trading them away to teams (who nobody on here knows for sure even want them) they need to be stocked with 3x's as many.

Everyone needs to chill out on the screw the farm system talk, win now stuff. And no one goes around bragging how great the farm system is in spite of winning.

Built to last, not built to win a few years and flame out and fire everyone and rebuild again. In a year or so at the AS break when they really need a guy for the playoff run they can't get him because there is nothing left in the system.

Its like the Ravens, develop the young talent to plug it in when players leave due to Free Agency. Built to Last.