My old buddy Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports is reporting that Melvin Mora has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Colorado Rockies. You can check out Kenny's story right here.

Mora is expected to fill a Tony Phillips-type role with the Rockies, which is not a foreign concept to the 38-year-old former O's third baseman. Melvin played several positions for the New York Mets before settling in at the hot corner for the Orioles, who recently re-signed Miguel Tejada to take his place at third. Of course, the O's also signed former Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins earlier this winter to play first base.

I know Melvin's career with the Orioles came to a rocky end, but I'm hoping he can revive his career at Coors Field. Mora was a good soldier here and gave the Orioles the best of his ability for a long time. He also immersed himself and his family in the community here and has been a terrific citizen of Maryland. I hope that's how he's remembered.

In other ex-Orioles news, former O's outfielder Eric Byrnes has signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Mariners. The M's only have to pay him $400,000 since he's still got $11 million remaining from the ludicrous three-year, $30 million deal he got from the Arizona Diamondbacks a couple of years ago.

Getty Images

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (45)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The countdown to spring training took on new meaning this morning when I woke up and realized that those five inches of snow were not just a bad dream. Can't wait to report to Sarasota and start wearing blousy clothes that cover up my six-pack abs and well-cut biceps. I really don't like showing up the athletes.

While we're waiting, however, you can take a look at Dan Connolly's centerpiece in the print edition, which ponders the question of whether the Orioles are really improved enough over last year to be any kind of factor in the AL East. Dan checks in with some familiar baseball commentators (Tim Kurkjian, Ken Rosenthal, Jeff Passan of YahooSports! and Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus) for their opinions on the improvements that Andy MacPhail has made. You can also check it out here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (129)
Categories: Just baseball
        

When I signed up for the Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Maryland, I didn't know they actually held the event at the North Pole. I could have sworn I saw one of Santa's cute little elves dashing through the heavy show that fell on Sandy Point State Park this morning and afternoon, but it turned out to be 98 Rock's Mickey Cucchiella.

Thousands of hearty plungers jumped into the icy -- and snowy -- Chesapeake to help our Special Olympics athletes. It's one of those events that brings together Marylanders of every stripe, which was reflected in the WBAL "Week in Review" team that featured me, Clarence Mitchell IV and Jimmy Mathis and was bankrolled by friends of the show, most notably top fundraisers Jamie and Kevin Courtney. I want to thank everyone who made a donation to ours or any group of plungers and encourage anyone who still wants to do that to go to WBAL.com and click on the MSP Polar Bear Plunge icon.

If you want proof that we took the plunge, you can take a look at Rob Roblin's report on WBAL-TV right here.

Overall, about 25,000 participated in the 1 p.m. plunge, but the 3 p.m. plunge had to be cancelled because of the blizzard conditions that dropped five inches of snow on the area.

The event makes strange bedfellows. It was interesting to see former governor Robert L. Erhlich Jr. doing his WBAL radio show just a few feet from the 98 Rock FM crew. Cucchiella teamed with Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco on a special VIP plunge that raised more than $100,000.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Schmuck being Schmuck
        

I'm headed over to Sandy Point State Park to take part in the 14th Annual Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Maryland, and this might be the coldest one yet.

No problem. I have a special fat layer that protects me from the icy water and makes me attractive to certain species of seals. I just hope Captain Ahab isn't out sportfishing today.

If you're not going to be there, you can go to WBAL.com and click on the Plunge icon to contribute to the "Week in Review" team.

More pluggery: My Saturday "News item" column is up on the Web site. Check it out right here and tell me what you think.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Schmuck being Schmuck
        

If you saw the Jayson Stark report on ESPN.com that the Orioles are still talking to the agent for Erik Bedard, that shouldn't surprise you. Andy MacPhail has never denied his ongoing interest in bringing Bedard back, and the O's seem satisfied with the medical information they've been given on his surgically repaired left shoulder.

So, what has changed? I checked with our beat guys and they say that there has been some recent contact between the Orioles and agent Mark Pieper, but there has been no real movement toward an agreement.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (170)
Categories: Just baseball
        

I'm sure a lot of fans are scratching their heads over the Orioles' decision not to include a group of former Orioles as guest coaches at spring training this year, since there was so much talk the past few years about reconnecting with the organization's storied past.

There is some logic, however. Team officials claim they made the decision because the O's are moving into a new facility and want to feel the situation out in Sarasota before expanding the coaching staff. I guess that makes sense, but I think a better argument -- which wasn't really stressed by team officials -- is that the Orioles will have an expanded instructional staff at training camp this year and, well, there's only so many ways to skin a cat.

If you've got, say, a Mike Bordick in camp working with players on certain fundamentals, then there isn't a lot of point having another former player coming at the same things from a different direction. The ceremonial aspect of bringing in former O's is nice, but the guys who are brought in need to play a specific role in the shaping of the team, and the club felt more comfortable starting out with the existing major and minor league staff this year. Don't know if I can really argue with that.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (41)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Bet that headline caught your attention. Injured pitcher Chien-Ming Wang probably won't be ready to come back from shoulder surgery until a couple months into the season, but his agent says that four or five teams have shown interest in signing him. Here's the story from ESPN.com.

The Orioles are not believed to be one of those teams, but I'd like them to reconsider. Not for any competitive reason, but because he obviously would be a perfect addition to the cast of characters featured at The Schmuck Stops Here. I was hoping for J.J. Putz, too, but Andy MacPhail obviously doesn't see the value in fielding his own All-Ridiculous-Surname team at Camden Yards.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (94)
Categories: Just baseball
        

If you just can get enough 40-man roster speculation, I'm pretty sure that right-hander Armando Gabino will be the next to be designated for assignment when the Orioles have to make room for veteran Mark Hendrickson.

Gabino seemed to be a likely choice when the O's needed room for Miguel Tejada, but the front office DFA'd fellow right-handed reliever Dennis Sarfate, who would have been out of options this spring. Now, he looks like the odd man out in a bullpen still heavy with right-handed middle relief candidates -- including Matt Albers, Cla Meredith, Kam Mickolio, Koji Uehara and perhaps David Hernandez and/or Jason Berken.

Gabino, 26, was claimed on waivers in early November from the Minnesota Twins after a solid season in the bullpen at Triple-A Rochester (6-4, 2.94 ERA). He made a brief appearance in the majors last season and was shown the door early by the Orioles in his only major league start. If he clears waivers, he could still end up pitching at Norfolk.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (40)
Categories: Just baseball
        

It has come to my attention that my comments about the impromptu announcement of Mark Hendrickson's new contract were construed as (a) a shot at York, PA, or (b) a shot at Hanover, PA. Nothing could be further from the truth, but I want to apologize to the Hanoverians for misrepresenting the location of the Rotary Club Sports Night that was the site of Hendrickson's revelation and I want to apologize to the Yorkies on general principles. I like those Pepperment Patties as much as anybody.

To the reader who chided me that -- based on my appearance -- I probably had never used one of your famous York barbells, that would have been a cheap shot if it wasn't true.

Really, I didn't mean to insult York or Hanover by saying sarcastically that I should have spent my night off in those fine towns. I didn't mean to diss the Rotary Club either. I was basically trying to make the point that it is impossible to attend every local event every night, though I have shown up for my share. What I should have done was give the Hanover Evening Sun a little credit for breaking an Orioles story on the big guys.

Do I think people from York or Hanover are yokels? Of course not, though the fact that Dan Connolly lives there makes you wonder sometimes.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (51)
Categories: Schmuck being Schmuck
        

So, I wake up at the crack of noon and find out that the Mark Hendrickson story is already out there. He let the contract out of the bag at a public appearance in York that he had agreed to terms with the Orioles pending a physical.

I guess my instincts are better than my timing and attentiveness, but since I wasn't at the event I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I mean, obviously I'm kicking myself for not spending my night off at the York Rotary Club Sports Night, but some things can't be helped.

If you want the particulars, Dan Connolly has all the contract information and you can read it in his story right here. .

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (29)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Don't have any hard information, but I've got to think the Mark Hendrickson situation gets resolved pretty quick -- perhaps by the weekend. The fact that right-hander Dennis Sarfate was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Miguel Tejada seemed like a hint that the Orioles are getting ready to add at least one left-hander to the bullpen.

That would be no surprise. The Hendrickson situation has been on hold for weeks, but his return has always been a very strong possibility and he might not be the last lefty Andy MacPhail adds to the pitching staff before spring training.

Editor's note: Dan Connolly wrote an article overnight saying the deal is done pending a physical.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Orioles have invited six more non-roster players to major league spring training. They are catchers Luis Bernardo and Adam Donachie, infielders Miguel Abreu and Blake Davis, outfielder Matt Angle and infielder/outfielder Jonathan Tucker.

In the same announcement, the Orioles confirmed that reliever Dennis Sarfate has been designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man for Miguel Tejada.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (38)
Categories: Just baseball
        

If you haven't already, check out my column about the potential impact of Miguel Tejada on the Orioles chances of being competitive this year. There's also video of Tuesday's news conference accompanying the column on the Web site.

Dan Connolly speculated in his article on the Tejada signing that reliever Dennis Sarfate may be designated for assignment to make room for Miggy on the 40-man roster. Sarfate pitched in the Mexican League this winter and looked like he was in great shape at FanFest on Saturday. If he's going to be outrighted, it probably would indicate that the Orioles feel that they have a surplus of right-handed middle guys, but there are some fringe players on the roster that I'd drop before Sarfate.

That is, unless the Orioles know something about the condition of Sarfate's arm that I don't.

Sorry for the soft blog action today, but I'm over on the Eastern Shore studying to be a lumberjack. Had a large tree fall in the forest and no one was listening, but it made a lot more than a sound.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (80)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Andy MacPhail and Miguel Tejada took questions in a news conference this afternoon at the Warehouse after Tejada passed his physical and signed his contract. Miggy said all the right things. He predicted the Orioles are going to win and said that he feels confident that he'll be able to master third base, since he's already taking ground balls there and has nearly six weeks to learn the position in Florida.

“I’ve been playing baseball for a long time,’’ Tejada said. “I know it’s a different position. I think I’m going to have more than a month to work out in spring training to learn how to be in that position. I know it’s not an easy thing to do, but I know I’m going to have a lot of time to work with the coaches and try to do my job.”

The most impressive thing, however, was hearing Tejada talk about his experience in Haiti, where he went with a truckload of supplies soon after the devastating earthquake. He talked about seeing kids begging for help in the streets and compared it to his childhood in the Domincan Republic and reminded everyone -- including himself -- not to take our good fortune for granted.

"That could happen to anyone, anywhere,'' he said. "It was hard to see people in the street, to see people screaming for help in the street."

MacPhail said that the negotiations with Tejada had to be put on hold for several days while he was helping in Haiti, and said it was the best reason ever for a free agent negotiation to grind to a temporary halt.

"I was hoping to do this before now," MacPhail said, "but we lost a couple days there when while we were sort of in the height of our negotiation because Miguel was unavailable because he was over in Haiti, which he took upon himself to go from Florida...and while it served to back up our negotiations two or three days it certainly was one of the most worthwhile two or three days off that I can imagine anybody taking, so I certainly appreciate the effort that he showed in that very important area."

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (103)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Ravens did not comment last night when news leaked out that they had hired former Patriots defensive coordinator Dean Pees to replace Vic Fangio as John Harbaugh's new linebackers coach, but the team just put out a release officially announcing the move.

Here's a quick excerpt from the news release:

“I’ve know Dean for 27 years, and he’s our type of coach – energetic, hard-working and innovative,” Harbaugh stated. “He has worked with all three levels of defense – defensive line, linebackers and secondary. His experience and wealth of knowledge speak for themselves. Dean has also earned respect from his players and fellow coaches because he has been a coordinator. He’ll help our linebackers complement the guys up front and in the back end. He’ll fit in with us well, and we’re excited to get him.”

The Patriots’ defense allowed less than 20 points per game in every season under Pees’ guidance. In 2009, New England ranked 11th in the NFL in total defense (320.2 yards per game) and fifth in scoring defense (17.8 points per game). In 2008, the Patriots surrendered 19.3 points per game and earned an 11-5 record despite using 22 different starters on defense. Pees' 2008 unit ranked second in the NFL, allowing just 309.9 yards a contest.

The release also said that Fangio was no longer in the organization and would have an announcement about his future in football soon.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Just football
        

The Orioles have scheduled a press conference for 3 p.m., presumably to officially announce the signing of Miguel Tejada to a one-year contract worth $6 million. Andy MacPhail usually likes to have the player sign the deal in front of the media, which makes for a nice photo opportunity.

I suppose it's possible the Orioles just want to announce that they're going to pledge $1 million in my name to the Special Olympics for Saturday's Polar Bear Plunge, but I heard the donation would be contingent on my agreeing to stay under water -- without artificial breathing apparatus -- for at least 15 minutes.

The media conference will be carried live on MASN, if they can position a camera so my huge head does not block your view of Tejada and MacPhail.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge is this Saturday at Sandy Point State Park, and I'll be jumping into the icy Chesapeake Bay with a few thousand of my friends to raise money for Maryland Special Olympics.

If you want to contribute to the WBAL Plunge Team, you can click right here to make a donation. I will show my gratitude by not taking off my shirt when the time comes to immerse in the icy water.

If you're worried that my plunge will cause an unsafe rise in the water level of the bay, you can help my friend Tom Sedlacek of the Bowie Baysox, who will be wearing his Baysox jersey (and, hopefully, some kind of pants) when he risks a mild case of hypothermia to help Special Olympics athletes from Maryland. Tom's plunge link is right here.

If you want to get involved and actually take the plunge yourself, there's still time to sign up. I've done it the last four years and always have a great time.

But I know what a lot of you are thinking. You're saying to yourself, "Why would I jump into 35-degree water on my Saturday off when I can just sit in my warm basement like Wayne and rip the Orioles all day." That's certainly a fair question, but I'm pretty sure you'll have a great time if you decide to make a splash for a great charity.

If you want to know what it's like, you can take a look at this WBALTV/YouTube video of me and WBAL producer Jared Ruderman taking the plunge last year.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Schmuck being Schmuck
        

The Miguel Tejada deal will not be official until he successfully completes a physical tomorrow and signs his new one-year contract. Presumably, the O's will hold some kind of media conference so we can hear more from Miggy about his return to Baltimore and his upcoming switch to third base.

His arrival certainly alters the chemistry of the offensive attack, depending on whether Dave Trembley bats him second or fourth. That probably will depend on whether Garrett Atkins can get things figured out at the plate this spring. Either way, last year's National League leader in doubles (Tejada) will have a big impact.

I see some posters putting up their prospective starting lineups, so I might as well join in. I think Miguel will start out hitting fourth to put Adam Jones and Nick Markakis in the best possible position to get off to a great start. There are plenty of possibilities, of course, depending on how Luke Scott and Atkins swing the bat early. Here goes:

Brian Roberts 2B -- There's a shocker.
Adam Jones CF -- Tough call, but hitting second might force him to lay off some bad pitches.
Nick Markakis RF -- He won't have to move around this year.
Miguel Tejada 3B -- Should pile up some RBI early.
Luke Scott DH -- Could move up or back depending on opposing pitcher,
Garrett Atkins 1B -- Will have to come out swinging to stay in front of Reimold.
Nolan Reimold LF -- Will climb if he picks up where he left off last year.
Matt Wieters C -- Middle of the order can wait, but will move around based on opposing pitcher.
Cesar Izturis SS -- Right where he should be in a decent lineup.

Of course, this is a generic lineup that does not take into account right/left and statistical matchups. Dave Trembley may be in a position to go with a fairly set lineup every day, but I suspect he'll push the usual buttons to mold the batting order to the competition.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (134)
Categories: Just baseball
        

This is one of those rare days when you're forced to endure a double dose of Schmuck. I already had written my News Item column -- which you can read right here -- when the news broke that Miguel Tejada was headed back to Baltimore.

So, being the good Baltimore Sun employee that I am, and because I want to continue receiving regular checks with Baltimore Sun written on them, I accepted an invitation to double up and write a column about Miggy (Some call him Miggi, I call it a slingblade) for today's print edition.

If you want to read that one, you can check out the great FanFest package in the print edition, which includes the terrific coverage from Jeff Zrebiec, or just keep the focus exclusively on me right here. I'll understand. There also is some great video from the Fest included with my column, which will help you feel like you were there even if you decided to stay home with Wayne yesterday and watch cartoons.

By the way, I have to tip my cap to the O's for putting FanFest back in the Convention Center and putting on a pretty good show. I never would have imagined that more than 12,000 fans would come out just to see me and Roch.

Obviously, you can't really see all 12,000 people crowded around us in the accompanying photo, but we felt the love and Roch wanted me to pass along how much he appreciated it, too. Frankly, I thought he was a little taller in real life.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)
Categories: Schmuck being Schmuck
        

Nick Markakis just passed through the VIP area at FanFest and joined in the positive reaction to the news that Miguel Tejada has agreed to terms with the Orioles. Technically, the deal is not official, but even Andy MacPhail all but announced it from the stage during his second fan forum a few minutes ago.

"If there's anybody in baseball you want on your team, it's him,'' said Markakis. "He's a high-energy guy who wants to be out there every day, and you want a guy like that on your team."

I asked Nick if the addition of Tejada would give the Orioles a "top-to-bottom" lineup and he corrected me.

"As much as I love Miggy and am happy he's back, I think we already had a very good lineup,'' Markakis said, "but adding Miggy just makes us that much better."

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (246)
Categories: Just baseball
        

If any of you still have any lingering doubts about the depth of feeling local fans have for the Orioles -- even during these difficult times for the organization -- you should get over to the Baltimore Convention Center. FanFest has drawn a very large crowd, validating the club's decision to move the event back into January.

The club announced that attendance exceeded 10,000 by early afternoon and fans were still coming in. And that was without anyone knowing that the team had come to terms on a one-year deal to bring back Miguel Tejada.

That may not translate into an increase in attendance this year, but it's a sign that the fans will come back in droves if the club succeeds in staging a major turnaround over the next two years. I know that's a giant if -- and I'm not holding my breath -- but a turnaround season and a big uptick in attendance could produce a reverse snowball effect by boosting revenues and encouraging ownership to do what ever else it takes to be a contender again.

We can dream, can't we?

Four o'clock update: With two hours to go and fans still coming across from the parking lots, the Orioles have reported that attendance at FanFest has surpassed 12,000.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Can't imagine that anything else that happens today is going to overshadow the news that Miguel Tejada is coming back to the Orioles, but I'm going to weigh in on that subject in much more depth later in the day in my column.

Right now, the Orioles are continuing to march their players through the press area and onto the stage to take questions from the fans. Brian Roberts just stopped in and couldn't stop talking about how excited he is to be getting Tejada back.

"I don't think you could find anybody who has every played with him who didn't enjoy him as a teammate,'' Roberts said. "Why wouldn't you want a guy who potentially can give you 200 hits and 100 RBI?"

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Jeff Zrebiec just confirmed with Orioles sources that Miguel Tejada has agreed to terms on a one-year deal, pending a physical. That means that he'll start at third base for the Orioles and Garrett Atkins will be the starter at first base. Atkins seemed pretty sure of his role with the O's when he got here today, which should have been a clue.

Obviously, Orioles fans have some mixed feelings about Tejada from his first go-round with the club, but no one can deny that he injects a significant amount of offensive potential into the Orioles batting order.

There are some fair questions to ponder about his ability to play third base at a high level, but that's what spring training is for.

This must be a special occasion. Adam Jones just arrived in a tux.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (71)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Frankly, we've given Andy MacPhail every possible opportunity to steer us away from Miguel Tejada today, and he has done nothing but leave us with a greater impression that the club is very close to agreeing to terms with the former O's shortstop -- if they don't already have a deal in place.

Stay tuned.

The O's probably won't announce anything at Fanfest because of the required physical, but O's beat writer Jeff Zrebiec is all over this and it appears to be happening this weekend.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Just baseball
        

FanFest is under way, and Andy MacPhail and Dave Trembley are on stage addressing the season ticket holders. Nothing earth-shattering, but Andy again hinted that he's very close to adding the second corner infielder of the offseason.

"I'm confident we'll get something done in the not-to-distant future,'' MacPhail said.

Considering MacPhail's legendary reluctance to commit himself before a deal is a deal, it sounds to me that he's got something brewing that could pop at just about any moment. The O's probably won't announce anything today, since any deal would require the completion of a physical, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's something more definitive floating around by Monday.

Will it be Miguel Tejada? I think the chances have improved steadily over the past couple of weeks, and listening to MacPhail on the radio on Friday night talking about Joe Crede's injury history seemed kind of telling to me. There are other possibilities out there (Russell Branyan), but when I listen to Andy and try to read between the lines, I keep coming back to Miggy.

A fan just asked Andy to put a percentage on the likelihood that there would be one more starting player added to the lineup by spring training. His answer didn't change my opinion of the situation.

"About as close to 100 percent as I can get,'' MacPhail said.

Haitian relief: The Orioles are holding a silent auction here today to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. If you can think of a better reason to overpay for a piece of Orioles memorabilia, I'm all ears.

Wayne update: The MacPhail/Trembley question and answer session is just about over, and I'm still waiting for Wayne to pop up and call out Andy on the slow progress of the rebuilding program.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Andy MacPhail appeared on the Hot Stove Show on 105.7 tonight with Roch Kubatko and Jim Hunter and said that there would be no free agent surprise at FanFest on Saturday.

"If you're dealing with a free agent, an announcement would mean a player passed a physical,'' MacPhail said. "I don't see that being in the offing. I'd say the chances of us having somebody jump out from behind a curtain tomorrow is about zero."

MacPhail did say that he's still hopeful of picking up a corner infielder and a left-handed pitcher in the next week or so. It's still possible the third baseman could be Miguel Tejada and the Orioles have never denied their interest in bringing back Erik Bedard, but -- obviously -- we'll have to wait and see how it plays out.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (41)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Schmuck and Cowherd talk Orioles in this video:

Posted by Baltimore Sun sports at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Just baseball
        

I used to always get suspicious that the O's were close to making some kind of move in the days leading up to FanFest -- back when it was in January every year -- so maybe I'm just living in the past, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Orioles signed their free agent third baseman in the next couple of days.

That said, most people I talk to don't believe Andy MacPhail would be particularly inclined to time a significant move for public relations purposes. And, after the recent ticket-price announcement, it would be hard to make a case that anybody on the business side is making fan satisfaction a huge priority.

Still, if you run into Miguel Tejada or Joe Crede at the Convention Center on Saturday (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.), you sort of heard it here first.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (145)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Orioles officially announced their non-roster spring training invitations today, so try to control your excitement:

Pitchers: Chris George, Mike Hinckley, Jake Arrieta, Frank Mata, Josh Perrault, Alfredo Simon and Josh Wolf.

Catchers: Chad Moeller, Caleb Joseph and Michel Hernandez.

Outfielder: Jeff Salazar.

Infielder: Scott Moore.

Now that the Orioles are training in Sarasota, they don't have to bloat their major league camp with minor league players, since the Twin Lakes Park minor league facility is just 15 minutes from the major league complex.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (82)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Two schools of thought have emerged from the revelation a few days ago that the Orioles might be seriously considering bringing Miguel Tejada back as a third baseman, and neither defies logic.

First, of course, is that they actually want him back. Tejada, for all the controversy that engulfed him when he was here, was well-liked by Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis and did not make a particularly bitter exit. In fact, he said all the right things the last time he appeared at Fort Lauderdale Stadium after the trade that sent him to Houston.

The other possibility is that Andy MacPhail allowed the story to gain some momentum as either a bargaining ploy to hold down the price of Joe Crede or as a trial balloon to gauge fan reaction to the concept of Tejada coming back.

If Andy wants some data on that, the poll on The Sun's Web site (which is not scientific) has sentiment running 60-40 in favor of bringing Tejada back with nearly 1800 responses. It also shows fans would pick Tejada over Crede by a margin of 61 percent to 39 percent.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (140)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Orioles front office dispensed with another small piece of offseason business, re-signing outfielder/DH Luke Scott to a one-year, $4.05 million deal and avoiding arbitration. Here's the whole story by Jeff and Dan.

This is no great surprise, of course, and the decision to get his salary locked in doesn't change anything. He still could be traded if necessary, but probably will get 65 percent of the DH at-bats this year.

Update: The Orioles also exchanged arbitration numbers with Jeremy Guthrie, who will ask for a salary of $3.65 million for the 2010 season. The Orioles filed a figure of $2.3 million. Guthrie made $650,000 last year after the O's made the controversial decision to cut his salary because it well exceeded the slotting for a player with his service time.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (60)
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Former Orioles executive Frank Cashen and former Orioles manager Davey Johnson will join Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry in the this year's class of inductees for the New York Mets Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on Aug. 1 at Citi Field.

Old-time O's fans remember Cashen fondly as one of the architects of the great Orioles teams of the late 1960s, and lots of current fans wax nostalgic for Johnson's brief tenure in Baltimore (1996-97), which featured the Orioles' only two playoff appearances since 1983.

Frank's son, Brian, forwarded me a copy of today's announcement, but you can take a look at it on the Mets' Web site right here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Just baseball
        

During his season-ending media conference today, John Harbaugh conceded the possibility that Matt Stover could be back in a Ravens uniform next season.

"Matt coming back?" Harbaugh said. "Sure, that's a possibility."

What he was saying, however, was that the Ravens would not be so stubborn as to rule that out if Stover turned out to be the team's best option at placekicker next year. He stood by the original decision to move past Stover and go with a single kickoff/field goal specialist this past season.

Still, it could be quite a reunion year in Baltimore if the Ravens bring back Stover and the Orioles bring back Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard. I'm getting all misty just thinking about it.

Sun file photo by Lloyd Fox

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Just football
        

There appears to be a growing possibility that former Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada might end up being the answer at third base, an interesting possibility that I imagine will receive a mixed reaction from O's fans. Take a look here for Jeff Zrebiec's story on the club's interest in either Tejada or Joe Crede.

Tejada would not have been my first choice at the beginning of the offseason, but he might be the best option left. I can't get excited about Crede, so I would be all for it, regardless of the problematic nature of bringing a guy back who was right in the middle of the Orioles wing of baseball's performance-enhancing drug scandal.

He'll never be able to completely regain his good name, but he did something this past week that certainly will help -- sending a truckload of food, water and medical supplies to earthquake victims in Haiti and traveling to the ravaged country to help on the ground.

I've always liked Miggy personally, so it would be nice to see him in an Orioles uniform this spring. I think a few of his former (and potentially future) teammates would agree, but there's still the small matter of agreeing on a contract that makes sense for everyone involved.

So, let's hear it. Do you think it would be a good idea?

Baltimore Sun photo

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (141)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Now that the Ravens are left to focus on the 2010 season, it's becoming pretty obvious that Ozzie Newsome has one of his more problematic offseasons ahead. The uncertain receiver situation -- just about everybody is a free agent of some kind -- and the uncertain labor situation could combine to make it very difficult to significantly upgrade the offense and the secondary.

Of course, all that was just a preamble to another column plug. I weigh in on the Ravens upcoming "Season of Uncertainty" in today's column in the print edition. Or you can read it right here right now.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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Spent a big chunk of the day over at The Castle, where the Ravens were cleaning out their lockers and heading home for the offseason. Most of the players had something to say on the way out the door, and you can check out the Web site for all the stories and blog entries that Jamison Hensley, Ken Murray and Ed Lee generated over the course of the day.

Sometime tonight, you can also get my take on the somewhat somber morning. I talked to Joe Flacco, Mark Clayton and Dominique Foxworth for my column, which will appear in tomorrow's print edition.

Everybody wants to know whether Derrick Mason and Ed Reed will be back for training camp in late July, but no firm answer was forthcoming from either player. Lardarius Webb was in locker room and said he'll be around the whole offseason rehabbing to get ready for 2010. But it was too early for anybody to feel much like talking about next year. There's obviously plenty of time for that.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (30)
Categories: Just football
        

First off, let's stipulate that the Ravens had a very successful season and that the John Harbaugh/Joe Flacco era is off to a real good start. That way, I can do a little bit of nit-picking about last night's extremely disappointing playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

The Ravens got beaten pretty handily. The Colts had an answer for pretty much everything they wanted to do, but it might have been a different game if the Ravens had been able to stay within one score at the end of the first half. The reason they didn't was because they took only about 20 seconds off the clock when they got the ball back inside the two-minute warning.

When they needed to force the Colts to -- at the very least -- use their remaining timeouts, Flacco threw a pair of incompletions that gave Peyton Manning way too much time to double the Colts' lead at intermission. Guess I don't have to tell you that clock management is something that has been an issue at several junctures this season.

I'm not going to harp about the pass interference penalties, though I thought the first one should have been called illegal contact. The second one, which negated Ed Reed's second interception and a big runback that might have helped the Ravens get back in the game, was legit, but it wasn't unforgiveable because it came when the Ravens had to start gambling at a time Manning was pretty much doing whatever he wanted in the short and intermediate routes.

Tough night, but it illustrated again what the Ravens need to do to be the Colts. They still need a slam-dunk wideout and a lot of help in the secondary. They're also going to need to beef up the pass rush. None of that is breaking news.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (63)
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Billy Beane has reportedly stolen Kevin Kouzmanoff from the San Diego Padres for outfielders Scott Hairston and Aaron Cunningham, which has some posters buzzing about another opportunity missed by the Orioles for no apparent reason.

Can't disagree, though we'll have to wait and see what Andy MacPhail has to say about the situation. I predicted at the Winter Meetings that Kouzmanoff would be the starting third baseman for the Orioles on Opening Day, and I don't have a clue why he won't be after seeing what the A's gave up to get him.

Maybe the Padres were holding out for one of the Orioles top prospects, or maybe Andy is so completely sold on Josh Bell that he didn't to muddy up the third base picture, but that doesn't make a lot of sense to me. There are a lot of worse things than arriving in 2011 with two good third basemen.

Kouzmanoff isn't a be-all player. He put up good offensive numbers last year and set an NL record for fielding percentage at third base, but he's known more for his terrific hands and unorthodox fielding mechanics than his range, which is limited. But he would have been a huge upgrade for the Orioles and he would have allowed them to play Garrett Atkins at first base, which apparently is what they want to do.

Still, before you get all riled up, we better wait and see exactly what MacPhail ends up doing to address the other corner infield opening. He has been so quiet recently (in part, because he's been at the owners meetings in Arizona) that a lot of people are wondering if he has something up his sleeve.

Radio, radio: I'm heading over to WBAL to join Pete Gilbert at one during the special five-hour playoff edition of Sportsline. We'll be ramping up to tonight's game and you can join in the conversation at WBAL (1090AM) or online at WBAL.com.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (179)
        

I think the Orioles are doing you a favor by raising their ticket prices if you buy them on game days. Whenever you have an unexpected free night during the season this year, you won't have to agonize over whether to go to the ballpark or go to a movie. Can't wait for the Ironman sequel.

The only thing I'll give the O's credit for on this one is the timing. Revealing it a day or two before the Ravens play the Colts in the Divisional Round of the playoffs assures that it won't be the hottest sports topic today -- except here.

There are logical reasons for charging walk-up fans more than advance ticket buyers. Just ask the airlines. But I'm guessing Delta would have to charge a lot less if you knew before you got on the plane that you had a 39 percent chance of getting where you want to go. (God, I love that analogy.)

The team wants you to believe that they are just trying to encourage you to plan ahead -- and they are -- but I don't like this policy for a reason that a lot of you probably haven't had time to digest. It's the same reason that your bank keeps bugging you to do business on the internet or at an ATM.

They want to have fewer employees. If you buy more of your tickets at Ticketmaster or through the mail, they won't have to pay as many people to man the ticket windows.

(Just an aside, but whenever a teller at my bank asks me why I don't use internet banking, I say it's because I enjoy seeing him or her once a week.)

I suspect this is also an indication that advance sales are going very poorly, which wouldn't come as a shocking development after 12 straight losing seasons and no superstar acquisition this offsesason.

Maybe you can make a case that this is a kinder, gentler way to raise ticket prices, since it gives fans the opportunity to avoid the increase if they plan ahead, but I don't see how the O's can justify any increase until the on-field product is noticably improved. It's not like the franchise is losing money with that payroll.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (118)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Don't know about everybody, but some readers have been unable to access the 260-plus comments under my post about the fans getting impatient with the inactivity in the Orioles front office. I don't know why that happened, but after I went through and deleted a lot of duplicate posts (which might be the fault of the software), it seems to be working again. For some computers, however, it may take longer for the page to load since all of the comments are on one scroll.

Anyway, I appreciate the activity here, even at a time when there is little activity in the Warehouse, but I would like everyone to show each other a little more love. This is supposed to be a place where you have fun talking Orioles, not asking each other to go out to the parking lot.

For the guy who wondered how I could get 260 posts for an entry about shopping for Tommy Bahama shirts, well, you obviously don't appreciate a good floral print. I only bought one, by the way, so the spring training fashion search continues.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (45)
Categories: Just baseball
        

If you haven't already, check out Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec's story in today's print edition or on the web site. Dan did a great job getting hold of Felix Pie to ask him about his extended family in Haiti.

Jeff also includes an update on the hunt for a first or third baseman, which seems to focus on either Hank Blalock or Joe Crede, depending on whether the Orioles decide to play Garrett Atkins at third base or first base. Or maybe they'll just go with whoever is cheaper.

Take a look right here and let the discussion continue.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Just baseball
        

...and so am I. Just stopped by the Tommy Bahama Outlet Store yesterday to work on my spring training wardrobe. I'm going to step up my game this year, which is another way of saying my BJ's Wholesale Club membership has expired.

I've noticed by the tenor of the comments here that your patience is wearing thin. In fact, somebody told me that if the Orioles don't make a significant move by Oct. 20, Wayne is going to start going negative.

Everybody knows that this is the point in the offseason that Andy MacPhail plays chicken with the agents for the remaining players on the open market and waits for somebody to get desperate for some regular playing time. It's like a game of musical chairs in reverse that will probably end when Carlos Delgado shows up in Sarasota with a sign that says "Will DH And Play First Base For Food."

The countdown: Jeff Zrebiec and I report to spring training in 32 days -- or eight days after the Ravens win the Super Bowl.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (276)
Categories: Just baseball
        

While the Orioles have re-signed a couple of their players from last year to minor league deals, it does not appear that Rich Hill will be one of them. Earlier this offseason, the Orioles offered the left-handed starter a minor league pact with an invite to spring training, but it looks like Hill is poised to accept another offer. There has been very little talk between the two sides in recent days and Hill has other minor league offers that are available to him.

It should come as no surprise that Hill likely won't return. It probably will benefit him to get out of the American League East and return to the National League. His chances of making the Orioles' Opening Day rotation were slim after the Kevin Millwood trade gave the Orioles some starting pitching depth.

Even though Hill went 3-3 with a 7.80 ERA in 14 appearances (13 starts) before his season ended due to a shoulder injury, his acquisition was a risk worth taking. The Orioles sent only a small amount of cash to the Chicago Cubs for a starter. HIll had a couple of good outings, but was never able to develop any consistency and his shoulder injury may have been a big factor in that.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (110)
Categories: Just baseball
        

If you're so inclined, you can read my column on Colts quarterback Peyton Manning in tomorrow's print edition or look at it right here and get bonus footage of John Harbaugh's 5:30 p.m. podium session on the same Web page.

Let me know what you think.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Just football
        

A lot of people have asked or emailed about the Orioles’ minor league invites so I figured it would be a good time to list the players who have signed minor league deals with big-league spring training invites so far.

Starting pitchers: Chris George, Alfredo Simon.

Relievers: Mike Hinckley, Frank Mata, Josh Perrault, Ross Wolf.

Infielders: Scott Moore.

Catchers: Michel Hernandez, Chad Moeller.

All of them, except Hinckley, Mata and Hernandez were with the Orioles’ organization last season. With so many major league free agents still remaining, I think there’s a good chance that the above list will grow a little bit. However, now that the Orioles major and minor league facilities are so close, the organization won’t need to bring so many players to big-league spring training. And team officials have said that they don’t want to block some of the organization’s younger players and their chance to impress in big-league camp.

Obviously, all the players on the Orioles’ 40-man roster will also be at big-league camp, including infield prospects Josh Bell and Brandon Snyder; and pitching prospects Brandon Erbe, Troy Patton, Wilfrido Perez and Chorye Spoone. Both Erbe and Spoone are now healthy, as is Perez, who had surgery in July to remove bone chips from his left elbow. Perez, a left-handed reliever, has already started his throwing program at the team’s Sarasota complex.

There were also be a handful of non-roster invitees in big-league camp. That list will likely include pitching prospects Jake Arrieta, Zach Britton and catcher Caleb Joseph.

- Jeff Zrebiec

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (69)
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This day was probably too long in coming for Mark McGwire, who finally has admitted what everybody pretty much had figured out by the time he made that uncomfortable appearance before the congressional committee (right) investigating steroid use in baseball. We all knew he had bulked up on steroids -- it was too obvious (below) -- but we needed to hear him admit it and not say it happened just once during a weak moment.

Does this mean they'll throw open the doors to the Hall of Fame for him? I doubt that, but I think the admission is sincere and I think it will improve his chances of eventually reaching Cooperstown. I don't know if he'll get there during his 15 years on the BBWAA ballot, but there are a lot of ballots left and I suspect his percentages will improve gradually until he has a chance. I'm guessing that time will take the edge off the steroid era and allow the voters -- and the fans -- to forgive, if not forget the many players who used performance-enhancing drugs.

Don't know what I'll do the next time I vote. I don't even know when that will be, since The Sun has a policy that does not allow its employees to vote for the major sports awards or participate in any Hall of Fame election. I am a qualified voter who receives a ballot every year and suspect I'll resume voting at some point during McGwire's period of eligibility, but I haven't digested this completely yet and I've got plenty of time to figure it out.

If you read me regularly, you know I'm not a particularly self-righteous guy, and I don't expect perfect behavior from the athletes I have covered. I liked McGwire during his early years in baseball, but didn't like him very much during the time he was the reigning home run king. He was so introverted that he became surly with the media and -- frankly -- I didn't understand how he could resent all the attention at the same time he was using PED's to gain the stature that made that attention inevitable.

That said, I've never met a teammate who didn't love the guy (except maybe Jose Canseco), so I'll balance that against whatever disapproval I'm allowed as a person who is far from perfect himself. Someday, I'll probably vote for him because he's still a better guy than a lot of guys who have been inducted.

Tell me why I'm crazy.

Associated Press photos

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (98)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Give Tom Brady credit. He didn't blame anybody else for the way the Patriots performed against the Ravens, today, and he gave the Ravens their due for coming up here and getting the job done.

He even gave the Gillette Stadium crowd a pass for booing him and the team as the Pats collapsed in the first quarter.

"I'd have been booing us, too, the way we played. "That's their right. We just didn't play well and you've got to give those guys a lot of credit. They played well in all phases and really took it to us."

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 7:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)
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I've got my faults, but I'm no liar. I said that if I was wrong with my prediction that the New England Patriots would defeat the Ravens today, I'd publicly scourge myself and beg for your forgiveness.

Of course, I was always banking on you being in a forgiving mood, since everybody (who is over 21) is probably all liquored up after that resounding Ravens victory. I'm happy to see the Ravens move on for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that this is a very dead time to be a Baltimore sports columnist if there is no local involvement in the NFL postseason.

Now, I've got a dilemma. Considering that I picked the Ravens to beat the Steelers and they lost, then picked the Ravens to lose today and they won, I'm thinking I almost have to pick the Colts next week or risk being viewed as a jinx. I'm going to have to conjure on that one for awhile.

Any advice?

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (36)
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This game has never been close, but the Ravens have had so much trouble finishing in big games against elite teams, that Willis McGahee's touchdown with 10:32 left in the fourth quarter had to evoke a huge sigh of relief for Ravens fans watching here and at home.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
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The Ravens spent way too much time in the final minutes of the second quarter trying to reinstill hope in the Patriots, who were beaten and on the verge of giving up when they got that gift touchdown.

Of course, the Ravens have gotten several gifts, so you can't complain, but you still had to sweat out the final minute or two of the half with them getting the ball inside the 10-yard line. So far, however, the offensive line has done a great job of creating an environment where Ray Rice, Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain can grind out first downs -- particularly the two that grinded the last two minutes off the clock.

It would be a whole different game at 24-14 with the Patriots getting the ball to start the second half, but Tom Brady has had very little success moving the Pats offense to this point.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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The Ravens gave the ball back to the Patriots on a botched punt return and Tom Brady has hooked up with Julian Edelman on a six-yard touchdown pass to make it 24-7, but the Ravens may be second-guessing themselves twice on the offending play. The punt glanced off the back of Tom Zbikowski and appeared to be recovered on the run by Kyle Arrington as he was knocked out of bounds.

Trouble was, Arrington never had complete possession of the ball and coughed it up when he landed out of bounds, but the Ravens did not challenge the play. The replays showed that the ball was never completely secure in Arrington's hands even before he went out of bounds.

The lack of a challenge was reminiscent of another missed opportunity earlier this year at Heinz Field -- the apparent touchdown pass to Derrick Mason that was ruled incomplete and also went unchallenged because it happened so far away from the Ravens coaching staff.

Now, the Ravens have turned the ball over again, so I guess we'll have some suspense before this is over.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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This is borderline surreal. Chris Carr's interception has set up a third touchdown. The six-play, 25-yard drive culminating with a one-yard touchdown run by Ray Rice. Don't know if 21 points win the game, but the Ravens are hitting every hole and they have hammered Tom Brady several times.

Instant update: Sorry, I can't keep up anymore. Ed Reed just intercepted Brady and teamed up with Dawan Landry on a long return that set up a quick 27-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff. Yes, we're still in the first quarter and it's 24-0.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Guess we're going to find out how well the Ravens play from ahead. LeRon McClain's one-yard touchdown run gave the Ravens a 14-0 lead and Ray Lewis just dropped Tom Brady hard for the Ravens' second sack in the first five minutes of the game.

Get this:At 8:58 of the first quarter -- after Chris Carr returned a punt to the Patriots 42-yard line -- the sellout crowd has started to boo the Patriots.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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See what happens when you have the ball first. The Ravens accepted the opening kickoff for only the third time in 17 games and started on offense for only the second time this year, and they were up a touchdown before Joe Flacco could say "My hip is starting to feel better."

Ray Rice took the first handoff of the game and sprinted 83 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest run of his career and the second-longest run from scrimmage in NFL playoff history. The record is held by Fred Taylor, who had a 90-yard run for Jacksonville against the Miami Dolphins in 1999.

Instant update: Tom Brady was just sacked by Terrell Suggs and fumbled the ball at the 17 yard line. Suggs also recovered the ball for the Ravens.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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If you're wondering and don't know how to get to weather.com, the temperature right now at Gillette Stadium is 20 degrees with a wind chill that makes it feel like eight degrees. In other words, it's wicked cold by Baltimore standards.

Of course, it's a balmy 68 degrees in the press box, so I don't think the weather will be a factor for Team Sun, which includes Jamison Hensley, Mike Preston, Ken Murray, Brent Jones and yours truly. I'm sure our photographers -- Gene Sweeney, Jr. and Lloyd Fox -- might have a different opinion of the working conditions, but they were the ones who decided to become photographers instead of good-looking, erudite sportswriters, so I have little sympathy for them.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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For all of you who were either concerned about or upset with my decision to pick the Patriots to win tomorrow's game at Gillette Stadium, I have some good news. I was absolutely certain the Cincinnati Bengals would handle the New York Jets today, and I'm now 0-1 in my Wild Card picks.

Hey, if I could pick football games, I'd be in Vegas lying next to one of those fancy swimming pools on The Strip letting supermodels feed me fresh fruit. So, maybe I'm on a reverse role and the Ravens will have no trouble with Tom Brady and the Pats.

Congrats to Rex Ryan, who tried to tell everyone how good his team was, and Mark Sanchez, who played a near-perfect game to knock the AFC North champions out of the playoffs. I feel bad for Marvin Lewis, but both Rex and Marvin are good guys and one of them was going to be disappointed.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 7:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
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If you read the headline on today's column -- which you can read right here -- you probably think I'm totally dismissing the possibility that the Ravens will be playing the Colts next week in the second round of the NFL playoffs.

I'm not really that negative about their chances of beating Tom Brady and the Patriots tomorrow. I did pick the Patriots to win, because I think that's what is most likely to happen, but the path to a victory for the Ravens is pretty simple. Put pressure on Brady and play mistake-free football. That's quite possible, but I still think the odds are slightly against them.

Just got into Providence and the weather is pretty similar to what I left in Baltimore. It might be a few degrees colder in Foxboro than in Baltimore, but I don't think the weather will be a deciding factor. If anything, it might be an advantage for the Ravens, if you can imagine what it might feel like to be stiff-armed by Willis McGahee on a 20-degree afternoon.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
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If you checked out our staff predictions on the Web site or in today's print edition, you'll probably notice that I picked the Patriots to win Sunday's playoff game at Gillette Stadium, but don't take it personally.

The betting line has been narrowing gradually and New England is now only a three-point favorite to advance into a Divisional Round game against the Indianapolis Colts. That means the Ravens and Patriots are pretty much equal from a talent standpoint, so it's probably going to come down to whether the Ravens can keep their heads about them in that pressure-packed environment.

If they do, I'll happily admit my poor judgment in picking against them, but I'm going to need more proof than the Raiders victory to believe that the Ravens have solved their on-field discipline issues.

I'm heading north to see for myself. Talk amongst yourselves.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)
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Several major league teams have dropped out of contention to sign Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, and the Orioles appear to be among them, though there has been no official announcement to that effect.

Orioles beat reporter Jeff Zrebiec tells me that agents Alan and Randy Hendricks have not gotten back to Andy MacPhail since the Orioles apprised them of how the organization valued the hard-throwing left-hander. Club officials view that as a sign that the Hendricks brothers already have offers that far surpass the level of the Orioles interest. Sounds like a pretty good assumption when you're competing with the Red Sox and Angels.

It's possible that could change before Chapman signs, but the fact that he changed to higher-powered agents in the middle of the process means that this is going to come down to how big a contract he can squeeze out of a big-market team. No surprise there, of course, but the Orioles were probably hoping he held them in some extra esteem for coming to Cuba during his youth.

Once again, a situation comes down to a question of value at a time when a lot of fans think the Orioles have saved enough money over the past few years to splurge on somebody who might emerge quickly as a strong member of the pitching staff. I feel your pain, but the track record of some of the other Cuban pitchers who have reached the majors does not necessarily suggest that money should be no object.

Since I have to go on the radio soon -- Sportsline starts at six on WBAL and WBAL.com -- I'll let you take the discussion from here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (415)
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Slugging outfielder Andre Dawson (left) slipped into the Hall of Fame today by a narrow margin, but not quite as narrow as the margins that will keep both Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven waiting until at least next year.

Dawson, who was known as "The Hawk" during 21 seasons with the Expos, Cubs, Red Sox and Marlins, was named on 77.9 percent of the ballots after a career that featured 438 home runs and 1,591 RBI. He played 21 seasons and won eight Gold Gloves and four Silver Slugger Awards. Blyleven missed by just five votes (74.2 percent). Alomar came the closest of any candidate who has come up short in his first year on the ballot.

I've got no quarrel with Dawson's induction, but I'm disappointed -- particularly for Blyleven. He only has a couple more shots and I can't believe he wasn't inducted years ago. Alomar's vote total raises the question of how much his infamous spitting incident in 1996 affected his chances, since he also missed the 75 percent threshold by just a handful of votes (73.7 percent). I suspect he'll cruise in next year.

Dawson will join former manager Whitey Herzog, former umpire Doug Harvey and New York Daily News baseball writer Bill Madden at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony July 25 in Cooperstown, NY.

Associated Press file photo

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (53)
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The National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Baseball Writers Association of America will announce the latest Hall of Fame inductees today at 2 p.m. (EST) -- if there are any. Roberto Alomar heads the list of possible candidates that need to have been named on 75 percent of the BBWAA ballots that were distributed in November.

For the record, I am an eligible Hall of Fame voter, but am prohibited by the newspaper from voting in the Hall of Fame election or for the major baseball awards.

If I could have, I would have checked several names on the ballot, but am pulling hardest for Alomar and Bert Blyleven.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Read a full transcript of today's live Orioles chat with Baltimore Sun reporter Jeff Zrebiec. Jeff answered reader questions about trade rumors, Felix Pie's role in 2010, whether the club may pursue former Oriole Miguel Tejada and more.

Posted by Baltimore Sun sports at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
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The Orioles will officially announce their minor league staffs in the next day or two and some of the info has already leaked out. It's already out there that Mike Bordick is the team's new minor league offensive coordinator (replacing Jim Fassel) and former O's center fielder Mike Devereaux is going to coach at the Class-A level. There are not a lot of major changes elsewhere, but I'm hearing that Orlando Gomez, last year's manager at Delmarva, will manage the Frederick Keys and Richie Hebner will move from Frederick into a field coach position in Norfolk. Hebner will replace hitting coach Dallas Williams, who has left the organization.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (86)
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Here's Dan Connolly's latest report on the Mark Hendrickson situation:

The Orioles and left-hander Mark Hendrickson are still interested in continuing their partnership, but there hasn’t been a whole lot of movement on that front.

“It’s really status quo,” Hendrickson said Monday. “The market is playing itself out. There is still interest in both sides, obviously.”

Hendrickson’s agent, Joe Urbon, and the Orioles have “had some talks, but it is nothing more than that right now.”

Hendrickson, who lives in York, Pa., and got married this winter, has said repeatedly that he’d like to come back to the Orioles if a deal can be reached, but he’s also studying his options elsewhere.

“I have been a little reluctant to say, in the past, where I wanted to be. But I like Baltimore, I like the direction the team is going in and I think Andy (MacPhail) did a great job with his signings this offseason to increase our competitive level,” said Hendrickson, who was 6-5 with a 4.37 ERA in 53 games, including 11 starts, in 2009. “But yeah, there is other interest out there and that’s how the process is. As much as the Orioles may like me and I like them, this is part of the process you have to work through.”

He said his expects his 2010 picture to get clearer soon. Meanwhile, he said he didn’t think the signings of starter Kevin Millwood and lefty closer Mike Gonzalez should affect his standing with the club, since he can fill a variety of roles.

Hendrickson has never played with the Orioles three new additions, but he pitched against former Colorado Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins while he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“I know what he did in Colorado first hand,” Hendrickson said of Atkins. “And he was a very dangerous bat. He could be one of those pickups that could be a steal if he comes around to form.”

My take: I love it when Danno does all my work for me. How about you?

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (104)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Here's an Orioles update from Dan Connolly:

Melvin Mora’s 10-season stint with the Orioles is over, but it’s still not known what is next for the 37-year-old third baseman.

Mora’s agent, Eric Goldschmidt, said Monday that “three teams have a fair amount of interest in Melvin. It’s a matter of balancing playing time with the competitive nature of the club and salary.”

Goldschmidt wouldn’t specify the teams involved, but two are in the National League and one in the AL. The Colorado Rockies reportedly were interested in December.

None of the teams that have expressed interested is in the AL East or NL East, which is where Mora originally had hoped to land so he could stay close to his wife and kids in Bel Air.

Goldschmidt said region isn’t as important to Mora as playing time or going to a contender. Basically, Mora is in a holding pattern because he wants to see where he’ll get the best opportunity to play. And with so many free agents still available, many rosters aren’t set yet.

“He wants to be on a good team but he also wants to contribute on that team,” Goldschmidt said. “He doesn’t have to play every day. He knows he probably won’t play every day. But he wants a complimentary type of role.”

So it’s a waiting game, one that could drag on throughout this month.

“There has to be a good balance, to be in a pennant race and maybe give him 300-something at-bats,” his agent said. “And that’s what I am trying to find.”

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (34)
Categories: Just baseball
        

During today's John Harbaugh news conference, I asked the coach whether he was concerned that the officials will do even more to protect Patriots quarterback Tom Brady this week, considering the reports that he's playing with three broken ribs. Here's his answer:

"I can't imagine the officials are going to take anything like that into account,'' he said. "We're going to play by the rules."

Harbaugh also answered a question -- posed by another media member -- about the way the Ravens might approach Brady knowing he is not 100 percent.

"We're not going to target a guy's injuries, per se, but we're going to try and hit the quarterback,'' Harbaugh said. "Our guys are just going to try and get to him and sack him."

I don't share Harbaugh's confidence that there won't be a big halo around Brady on Sunday. Why would this game be any different than any other? Along that line, I thought you might enjoy the accompanying doctored photo, which is going around the internet right now.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Just football
        

During one of the halftime shows yesterday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell talked about the importance of "integrity" and his desire to come up with a way to "incentivize" teams to play hard in late-season games that may have more meaning to an opponent or a team waiting elsewhere for the outcome of a the playoff seeding.

It was some nice lip service, but all you had to do was watch the first half of last night's Sunday Night Football broadcast to see how shamelessly a team can manipulate the playoff picture.

The Cincinnati Bengals insisted they would play to win last night, but they didn't even show up. There were so many missed tackles and dropped passes that you had to wonder if they were doing it on purpose. The Bengals players clearly avoided contact in some situations, particularly on one "wildcat" play by the Jets in which a Cincinnati defensive back all but backed away from a hit as Jets wide receiver Brad Smith passed by. On a third-quarter punt return, some Bengals special teams players simply stood and watched the Jets return man run between them.

It might not seem like a big deal, but there's a team in Houston that played pretty hard to overcome a 14-point deficit to beat the Patriots and keep their playoff hopes alive on Sunday. I think their fans have a right to expect that every NFL team makes a legitimate attempt to defeat its opponent. Otherwise, all that nice talk about integrity is just a bunch of corporate nonsense.

If you're willing to give the Bengals the benefit of the doubt here, you might consider the difference in time of possession in the first half -- 24:50 for the Jets and 5:10 for the Bengals. That doesn't happen by accident.

I think you'll have a better sense of what I'm talking about when the Jets and Bengals play next week and the Bengals win easily. Just a hunch.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 7:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (57)
Categories: Just football
        

The Ravens and their fans obviously will take that 21-13 victory over the Oakland Raiders, which was workmanlike and did not feature a lot of stupid mistakes, so you have to consider it progress. There was one pass interference penalty on Chris Carr, but you couldn't fault his effort on the bang-bang play. I've seen a lot worse not called against the guys who have been trying to beat up Derrick Mason all season.

If Job One was to win the game and Job Two was to avoid those self-destructive penalties, mission accomplished.

That said, it was far from an impressive victory in a game the Ravens had to win to reach the playoffs and needed to win cleanly and convincingly to carry any momentum into the postseason. They have gotten it done against losing teams throughout the John Harbaugh era, but this was a lot more suspenseful than it should have been.

Flacco did not look particularly sharp and the Ravens clearly were forced to refocus on the running game to grind out this must-win victory. Now, it's off to New England, where they came up just short in a regular-season game at Gillette Stadium in October.

Clearly, the Ravens secondary remains suspect, which means there will be a lot of focus on whether Wes Welker will be able to play for the Patriots next week.

"We're in the dance,'' Ray Lewis could be seen telling his teammates on the sidelines as the final minute wound down.

That's true, but the Ravens probably will need to make more strides this week if they want to put on their dancing shoes more than once this month.

Bottom line: Harbaugh and Flacco have reached the playoffs in their first two seasons with the Ravens, so it's not like anybody has a right to complain about where the team is at this point. But it's fair to wonder if the Ravens' inability to dominate the Raiders -- even on the road -- is a bad sign as they head out on the road in the playoffs.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 7:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (62)
Categories: Just football
        

It took a catalytic moment from the Ravens defense to get the Ravens moving back in the right direction after being shut out in the third quarter. Dannell Ellerbe's interception and long return gave Joe Flacco a short field and led to Willis McGahee's third touchdown of the game.

The Ravens still are having trouble covering the Raiders receivers, but Jarret Johnson hit JeMarcus Russell right as he was throwing the pass that was picked off. The McAfee Coliseum crowd has begun booing Russell, who Raider Nation feels has cost the team a chance to be in the playoffs.

It certainly didn't help his standing with Raiders fans that coach Tom Cable endorsed that concept during a news conference last week.

Instant update: Ellerbe just recovered a fumble by Russell to end a promising Raiders drive.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
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Maybe I'm imagining things, but Joe Flacco doesn't look right to me. I don't know if the Raiders have put together a great scheme against him or what, but he doesn't seem to have much of a feel for the offense -- or the ball -- though the early minutes of the third quarter. I thought there would be some suspense, but I think the Ravens need to get something established on their next possession or there are going to be some tight players in the fourth quarter.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Just football
        

The Ravens get the ball first in the third quarter and they are the best team in the NFL coming out of intermission, but this game should not be this close, and that missed field goal at the end of the half gave me a shiver.

Of course, after watching East Carolina lose a bowl game on Saturday in which the Pirates kicker missed three straight field goals in the final minutes of the game -- all under 40 yards -- I guess anything's possible.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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The good news is, the Ravens defensive line is getting good push and putting pressure on Raiders quarterback Charlie Frye. The bad news is, the Ravens secondary seems determined to leave him at least one open receiver if he can keep his feet long enough to release the ball for a short or intermediate gain.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Just football
        

I've been using the same word all week to describe what kind of performance the Ravens need to win today and head into the playoffs with both momentum and the feeling that they can overcome their penalty problems.

That word is workmanlike.

So far, so good.

The Ravens didn't do much with their first possession, but they stopped the Raiders twice and just plowed through the Oakland defense on an 80-yard drive to take the early lead on a short run by Willis McGahee.

Long way to go, but the Ravens seem to have their heads screwed on straight today, which is a very good sign.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Just football
        

This is one time I had no problem with the Ravens' decision to defer after winning the coin flip. The Raiders are playing with a journeyman backup quarterback, so you want to pin them back and take your chances with your defense.

To the Raiders' credit, they did move the ball well enough to set the Ravens back at their own 20 yard line for their first possession.

Interesting stat that may not mean a thing: The Ravens offensive unit has only taken the field first in one out of their 16 regular season games. They received the opening kickoff twice, but fumbled it away against the Patriots in New England.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Just football
        

Well, I do, but the final week of the NFL regular season brings together a lot of teams with a lot of different motivations. Some teams are motivated to end on a strong note. Some are motivated to go home for a long vacation. Some are just trying to get into the postseason without anybody important getting hurt.

Commissioner Roger Goodell was just interviewed on the CBS broadcast and said he is looking at ways to add incentive for teams to be more competitive in the final weeks of the season when it might make more sense to call off your dogs to call off your dogs. Don't know how you would do that, but I'm all for it.

Gotta give the Dolphins and Steelers credit. They both look very motivated, even though it'll take quite a few strange bounces around the rest of the AFC to get either of those teams intos the playoffs.

I'll be blogging football throughout the day, particularly during the Ravens' late-afternoon game against the Oakland Raiders. Hope you'll join in the conversation. I'll try to answer a few baseball posts, too, but this is a pretty important day for local football fans, so the Ravens obviously will be my major focus.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
Categories: Just football
        

OK, enough of this idle speculation. It's time for the Orioles front office to shift back into gear this week and make some progress in the quest to add another corner infielder and one of the quality injured pitchers floating around in the free agent pool.

Most major league teams lay low the last week of the old year, so business should pick up considerably over the next week or so. I'm guessing Matt Holliday signs in short order, but I'm pretty sure it won't be with the Orioles. If I'm wrong, I'll be happy that I'm wrong. The O's need a big bat and there's no guarantee there'll be somebody better available in next year's free agent market.

Of course, there's also the midseason trading period, and our old friend Buster Olney is speculating on ESPN.com that the Padres will eventually give up on extending the contract of slugger Adrian Gonzalez and actively shop him in June and July. If you want to dream, you can dream the Orioles play way over their heads for the first couple months of the 2010 season and create a reason to beef up the batting order this summer.

Wouldn't hurt to have somebody like Erik Bedard rounding into shape at midseason either.

Today's self-serving shout: While you're waiting for the final slate of NFL games to start today, you can take a look at my latest Ravens column in the print edition or right here at baltimoresun.com.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (93)
Categories: Just baseball
        

If you haven't already, you can check out my latest "News item" column by clicking here. I'm pretty confident the Ravens will beat the Raiders to advance into the postseason on Sunday, and so are the oddsmakers who have made them a 10 1/2 point favorite, but I'll be back soon with a Sunday column that explains why winning really isn't the only thing that matters this weekend.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
Categories: Just football, Schmuck being Schmuck
        

I'm sure there are a lot of Orioles fans who are surprised to hear that reliever Danys Baez reportedly has signed a two-year deal with the two-time defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies.

Baez got a lot of money from the Orioles three years ago and delivered just one decent season in middle relief. But he obviously showed enough promise during his comeback season last year to convince the Phillies he can be a top-flight setup guy for them in 2010.

That wouldn't surprise me. The guy has good stuff and he'll be another year removed from the serious arm injury that cost him the 2008 season. He was hard to watch here, but it'll be even more galling to watch him help the Phillies win another division title.

Radio, radio: If you just can't take another college bowl game -- I mean, there are only 34 of them this year -- tune in to WBAL (1090 AM) or WBAL.com at noon to The Week in Review with me, Kendel Ehrlich and Clarence Mitchell IV.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (219)
Categories: Just baseball