Hey Pete,

At least it gets you out of the office, or your basement - even though the story is beyond old now. So Oriole like!

Here you go everyone........

The phrase most appropriate for the 2010 season is..... 'Hail Mary'!

The suggestion came from Doug and he even threw in the bonus of having Doug Flutie appear on opening day (can you imagine him being shown on the screen?). Pete, you'd have to do a story so everyone would get it.

Well, even if the Flute man doesn't show up, the phrase certainly is appropriate. Sure as hell beats 'rebuilding'.... a word the Orioles should retire forever!

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

'The 2010 Birds - Catch a Game or Maybe Even a 'Hail Mary'!!

Hey Schmuck, Any thoughts about doing the plunge in the snow storm on Saturday?

............................................................................................
Pete's reply: I have no problem with that at all. I'll give you a little plunge-related trade secret. The colder it is outside the water, the better if feels when you jump in, though that's a relative concept you can only appreciate if you do this kind of thing several times.

Haven't we been down this street before? At least this horrible experiment will only be on the table for a year. MIggy isn't going to vault us into the 80 win slot. He surely isn't a cleanup hitter, unless we have a masher behind him. Then again, if we did have that "masher", MIggy wouldn't be hitting 4th. All we can muster is Luke Scott, and IMHO, he should have been gone a long time ago, along with Wiggy. I say let the kids play, see what is what.

Rob
Jones
Markakis
Reimold (DH)
Wieters
Bell
Pie
Atkins
Iztuis

Haven't we been down this street before? At least this horrible experiment will only be on the table for a year. MIggy isn't going to vault us into the 80 win slot. He surely isn't a cleanup hitter, unless we have a masher behind him. Then again, if we did have that "masher", MIggy wouldn't be hitting 4th. All we can muster is Luke Scott, and IMHO, he should have been gone a long time ago, along with Wiggy. I say let the kids play, see what is what.

Roberts
Jones
Markakis
Reimold (DH)
Wieters
Bell
Pie
Atkins
Iztuis

Wayne,

Maybe someone can get Flutie to do an o's cheer on top of the dugout. He's probably a sox fan though. In any case, it would be so funny.

Some how, I don't think Andy would appreciate it. Even though a hail mary is the only chance the orioles have of winning anytime soon.

In your redux article, you state the players are happy he is coming back but you are not sure of the fan reaction. Well, according to the poll, as of right now, the fans overwhelimingly support the signing as helping the Os this year, at 80%. I am wondering why there is not a club option for a second year, as is the case with most contracts?? Bell may not materialize this year as MLB ready.

Well, Miggy won't hurt the lineup but unless one thinks Atkins is the long term solution at first we'll be no closer to competing with the Yanks and Sox. My predicition is Atkins will be much more the Atkins of last year than previous years.

Frankly, I'd put Weiters in the four hole and hit Miggy at 5.

Sure, it would be great to add an Adrian Gonzalez. There weren't a lot of opportunities to do that this offseason, so at least the Orioles avoided awarding a stupid multi-year contract to, say, Carlos Delgado, or Tejada for that matter.

Having said that, this team WILL be much better than last year's, and here's why: The pitching will be 100 runs better. You, fellow commenters, may not be in love with a rotation of Millwood, Matusz, Tillman, Guthrie, Bergesen. But last year saw Berken (6.54), Hernandez (5.42), Hill (7.80), Eaton (8.56), and Hendrickson (5.40 as a starter), so we're talking about 75 starts that were, on average, awful. SEVENTY FIVE.

Sure Guthrie (5.04) and Tillman (5.40) weren't great last year. Sure, Bergesen probably won't repeat his performance, no matter how much as I like the guy. But there are positives - Guthrie is a decent bet for a rebound, Tillman and Matusz should improve, and Millwood should be good for something better than league average (4.75). Hernandez may improve and is a nice swingman to have around if he doesn't win a rotation spot outright.

And the bullpen should be better, too, IMO:

*Gonzalez
Johnson
Uehara
*Hendrickson
Mickolio
Hernandez
Meredith
(Albers, Sarfate, Berken, etc...)

On the offense...frankly, nobody had an "upside surprise" year except Reimold, so there's no reason to expect the offense to be worse, and some reason to expect it to be better as Wieters and Jones improve.

The team will be much better (but that still means 75-80 wins, in the toughest division in baseball). Still aiming for competing in 2011/12, and that's the right decision.

Ok, Mr Hail Mary, where did you come up with the 10m for figgins number and scenario?The guy signed for 36m/3 yrs(thats 12m a year for you that are math challenged) 2 days after the FA signing period, staying on the west coast where he's played his entire career.
Really,explain it to me. I'm for once anxious to hear the details surrounding this one.

Pasadena Nick, A "horrible experiment" to sign a player who last season was eighth in hitting in the NL, named to the All-Star team and led the league in doubles? Get real, dude.

At this point in their respective careers, Tejada is far better than Bell. That could change down the road, but Bell's not going to force Miggy to the bench this year; it's just not happening. No manager in his right mind benches a .300 hitter.

Bell??? As 'Anonymous' points out, "At this point in their respective careers, Tejada is far better than Bell." And that's with Tejada in MLB and Bell in Double-A. Tejada: 8th in hitting, first in doubles, and an all-star in the National League. Bell, if you translate his split-season into the Eastern League, would have been 30th in hitting, third (nice!) in homers, 8th in rbi, etc. Very impressive (despite some real fundamental defensive problems), but two immense steps below the majors, and the historical odds are greatly against Bell ever contributing in MLB. I personally think Bell has got 'it' and will be a serviceable major-leaguer, but I admit that this is enthusiasm, not reason. But gee, bringing a guy from his position into the majors would be like strapping me into a Formula One race car. Wheeeeeee-Bang!

*Cameo Alert*

jim - Figgins signed for 4/$36, good for $9M per.

Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4725678

Everyone - Ben Sheets is off the market. Just signed with those big spenders in... Oakland...?

If Oakland can commit $10M to a guy who didn't pitch in 2009, the O's sure as heck should be able to commit semi-big FA $$ to a Josh Beckett or a Carlos Peña. Those opportunities are still a year away, but I'm not very hopeful.

Prove me wrong Andy!

*Back into hiding...*

Well Jim Hunter just declared the Orioles-Tejada match a perfect reunion. I withdraw all reservations.

Say what you will about Bell vs. Tejada, but neither has played 3B at the major-league level yet!

Miggy on the rebound. Let's hope this pans out better than some of the O's previous aging-vets-on-the-rebound: Albert Belle, Sosa, Raffy, etc.

you think sheets signing with the As was because his numbers should be held down because of the park? He's pitching for his next contract.

not brooks: I'm very impressed you got the tilde on Pena! How does that work. (Sorry all, but I'm a professional editor who apparently can't let it go, even on a baseball board.)

jim66,

First - How you doing? You ok? I ask because you just seem like a bitter person Jim. Just a little concerned....

Second - Thanks for the Mr. Hail Mary, but the credit goes to Doug. The more you think about it, the term really fits the AM plan overall.

Last - Ummm Jim, the Figster signed a 4 year deal for 36 mil..... not a 3 year deal sir. I came up with 10 mil per year thinking it would cost the o's more to bring him east, and to a bad team.

But hey, we all make mistakes Jim. I'm not going to be like you and call you out, I'm not going to be hating on you, I'm not going to call you names. You simply made a mistake. You weren't nice about it, but hey --- that's what makes you jim66.

not brooks,

I know you don't like me much, but you're missed. Often, your knowledge brings a perspective that fun to debate (one way or the other).

Danny,

Youu reallly nead too givve the editar thang a resst. Wee gett it! Yourre da smartist perrson on dis hear board.

Everyone,

This is the last place you have to worry about grammar and spelling. Everyone's jobs are likely stressful enough without having to worry some geek (no offense) will correct you at every turn.

I stand corrected. I still don't think Figgins was a 4 yr answer here. I won't pretend that having him in the No 2 hole would not have made a nice 1-2 punch. But at the end of the day the O's are going to need some Hrs from the corners. No, I'm not pretending that Tejada is all of a sudden going to revert to 30/100.He'll fill the spot,be a professional and a good teammate, and be an upgrade over Mora.

Wayne, I'm not bitter at all.
I just don't share your negativity, and yep, sometimes it is just over the top.
I have no problem with the direction of the team. I think that when it comes time to sign the young difference makers on this team, they will step up and do the right thing. You don't think they will. I agree that the last thing you want to do is let your young marquee players walk. Only time will tell.

I don't think my summarization of the rants was so far off base. You know what I was getting at. I don't believe that if someone predicts less than 81 wins while remaining positive about the future of the team that it makes them someone who accepts losing. Why do you feel it is imperative that you call them out, that you question their pride? What does their pride have to do with their view of the team at this point in time? You don't actually believe that a realistic view of this team by anyone that sees them finishing below 500 makes that person a loser, do you?In the same vein, I don't believe that if someone figures more than 81, they are some pie-in-the-sky dreamer.

Wayne, otherwise known as the pot calling the kettle black for oh, at least a couple of months now. You're getting close to your welcome to the blog party if you just stick it out a bit longer.

It's pretty funny how you value your own self importance. Silly, silly attention hooker you really crack me up. Also, I hope you're having a good day.

jim,

No need to stand corrected..... it happens!

I guess it just seems to me, and many others, that losing has become accepted by quite a few O's fans. Year in and year out, the hope is that the team 'may' reach 500, while year in and year out, it's always about 'next year'.

All I'm suggesting is that, once and for all, everyone demand that this baseball team wins. even if it's one more win than losses...... just win.

74 wins, in my opinion, is losing...and losing badly! 82 wins, while only 8 more, would simply get people out of the 12 year funk. I just think the perception of a winning year (now) is important to this town.

People aren't going to games anymore Jim, and the TV and Radio ratings pretty much hit rock bottom last year. Something needs to give, and I think 82 wins will go a long way in winning back a lot of fans.

I just believe AM missed many an opportunity to win fans back this season. While still being less than middle of the pack in payroll, he could have fielded a team to really be excited about in 2010.

Just my opinion!

bms,

Thanks man, I hope you're having a good day as well!

Trade, reassign, or release Izturis, Johnson, Hernandez, Andino, Berken, and Albers.

Reacquire Sherrill.

Sign Bedard. We need a veteran lefty in the rotation.

Move Jones back to shortstop where he will be less injury-prone and have a chance at an actual career.

Put Pie in CF and leave him there.

Reimold, Scott, Atkins, and Wigginton share and rotate between LF and DH.

Move Guthrie to the bullpen where he excelled initially with the O's.

SW Roberts 2B
L Pie CF
R Jones SS
L Markakis RF
R Tejada 3B
L Aubrey 1B
R Reimold LF
SW Weiters C
R Atkins DH

RHSP Bergesen
LHSP Bedard
RHSP Millwood
LHSP Matusz
RHSP Tillman

Gonzalez L closer
Guthrie RH setup
Sherrill LH setup
Uehara all-purpose RH
Hendrickson all-purpose LH
Mickolio all-purpose RH
Meredith all-purpose RH

L Scott DH LF
R Wigginton DH 3B 2B 1B LF RF SS
R Turner 3B SS 2B 1B LF CF RF
R Moeller C

Then we can start to win.