Pees...jeez that a worse last name than Schmuck.

wasn't fangio harbaugh's eye in the sky for challenging plays? if so, could that be a big part of fangio's release. i remember seeing harbaugh gesture up to the box out of frustration during the playoff game vs indy.

Peter-

I just don't understand what everyone has against, (and it is a very few percentage, i'd say 7 out of 10 are in favor of this deal).

Josh Bell, according to many many many scouts is FAR from being a can't miss player.
The O's needed a 3b for the season. They needed a RH bat for it as well.

What other 3b Free Agents were there?
What ones are BETTER than Miggy?

Beltre signed for 9. Yes, better glove, maybe, we haven't seen Miggy play with less ground to cover, but assume Beltre is better on the field. He is terribly streaky, and hit 265 with 8 hr. Wow. Total offensive bust.

Figgins got 4 years. Aside from not wanting to block 3rd for 4 years, he again is a streaky hitter, and not at all the type the O's need. We don't need a 285 hitter, that has ZERO power but can steal 35 bases.

Glaus, and others a total injury risks.

Miggy is a 195+ hit guy every year. He never gets hurt. He carries a name that can help protect players ahead of him. He can stil drive in runs a plenty. And he still hits enough HR that it isn't a non-starter. Remember, Millar hit CLEAN-UP for us 2 years hitting just 15 HR and 18HR. Miggy will be hitting like 6th or 7th.

I don't see how this is an experiment. I don't see how this wasn't worth the money. I don't see a down side to this what-so-ever. Maybe the off field issues, but they all are pretty much in the past.
Fans are way too finnicky.

The MOST important thing this signing does is, it GETS OUR PLAYERS EXCITED AND PUMPED UP TO COMPETE. AND, at 3 out of 4 fans wanting this, it shows that our front office cares about what most of us, us with brains anyways, want and feel about how our team is put together.

Sometimes you see something so crazy that you have to come out of hiding to comment on it...

Ryan -

- Beltre absolutely has a better glove than Tejada. I don't care if I haven't seen Tejada play third base. Beltre's in the discussion for the 2nd best defensive third baseman of all time (no one can challenge #1 - you should all know who he is). There's absolutely no chance that, in his first attempt to play the position, Tejada's defensive work at third could even come close to Beltre's

- Why are you looking at one injury prone year to judge Beltre's offense? Sure, he was ugly last year, but he was playing with a bum shoulder. In his first three seasons in Seattle, where he played half of his games in a pitcher's park, Beltre averaged 25 home runs and a .793 OPS. Not bad for a third baseman with a terrific glove.

- We do need a #2 hitter, and Figgins would have been an excellent addition. Imagine having Roberts and Figgins in front of Markakis, Reimold and Weiters! That would have been insane!

- Glaus is an injury risk, but he cost Atlanta about two million bucks! That's not much of a risk for a guy with serious power.

- Tejada has five 195+ hit seasons in his thirteen year career. And only one in the last three seasons.

For the record, I do agree with the Tejada signing. I definitely think that he was a good addition. I just think that most of the points your brought up are plain ridiculous.

*End rant. Restart sabbatical*

Pete -

Was Pees forced out of NE? The way I remember his leaving was that it seemed on his own accord. I ask this because if he did leave on his own, why is he taking 2 steps back? I would think we'd want a guy who's hungry for the job, on his way up versus on his way out, especially as LB coach when after Ray, there are many young guys or question marks.

Thoughts?

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Pete's reply: I really don't know the story there, but I wondered the same thing about his departure as you did.