Great news!

I remember his voice being there when I was a kid giving me the O's play by play. Sometimes I'll watch Sunday Night Baseball just to listen to him. For me, Miller is THE voice of baseball.

Totally well deserved!! He was by far the 2nd best broadcaster to ever grace the airwaves in Baltimore. I was devastated when the O's let him leave. Back in those days, when not all games were televised, radio was a necessity and Jon painted such a vivid portrait of what was happening that you didn't hardly miss the video. Plus his wit was second to none.

I truly believe the reason he wasn't kept on was his honest criticism of the team. When he left, as well as the forceout of Davey Johnson (another one too opinionated for Angelos), the downward spiral was in full gear.

Sometimes I've thought that the best thing for the Orioles would be for the AL to be realigned so that the wealthy franchises would be in a division by themselves. But maybe a better solution would be a realignment that created a separate division for teams owned by incompetents.

I do remember Jon himself saying in '96 on WBAL radio that his honest criticism was the reason he was leaving. I believe his exact words were that then-O's president Joe Foss said to him "Jon, there are times when you have to lie!"

As a former broadcast partner (Tom Marr) once said, "Jon knows more about baseball than some of the players."

Remember the days when you wanted the radio on even when the game was on TV? His departure is linked in in our minds to the ensuing downfall of the O's. At least we get to hear him on the ESPN broadcasts.

Great news for Miller.

Now, if only he could lose Joe Morgan on those Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts...

Azz,

Little did we know when it all went down, that PA was showing Baltimore his true colors, as well as his azz.

I was in SF last summer and happened across his voice on the radio. Not only did it send a chill down my spine, it reminded me of the shills this organization has forced on the fans of Baltimore since.

Little did Jon know at the time, leaving Baltimore was the best thing
that ever happened in his career!

John Miller is one of the best, if not the best, announcers ever to call a game. Great insights, very entertaining and a terrific voice. Angelos is such a chowderhead for letting him go. And not only Miller, but the great tv combo of Mel Proctor and John Lowenstein was let go too. You don't even have to look any further than the broadcast booth to see how detrimental to Orioles baseball the Angelos years have been.

Wayne - I actually agree with you for a change. Hopefully though, PA learned his lesson. I still believe they are going in the right direction. The farm system was run into the ground and is finally starting to bear fruit again, but we shall see if the old PA resurfaces as they get closer to respectability.

Dave...I forgot all about the Mel/John situation. Brother Lo was too opinionated for PA as well. There is definitely a common thread with the Miller, Davey and Mel/John departures.

p.s. I can't stomach a radio broadcast any more. Angel was ok with Miller but he is awful now.

This organization has been blessed with some great talents in the booth and Miller was one of the best. I'm still angry about PA chasing him out.
Congratulations Jon, The fans knew we had a great one in the booth even though the Orioles didn't.
You are a credit to the profession.

Ugh... I can't stand Joe Angel...

"Put this one in the WIN column!"

But then I think about those poor White Sox fans who have to deal with Hawk Harrelson and Darrin Jackson...

When the White Sox hit a home run:

"Get up, ball! Stretch!"

"You can put it on the boooaaaard! YES!"

When the other team hits a home run:

"[dead air...]"

I remember watching an O's/White Sox game on WGN a few years back. Some Sox player hit a double into the gap and Paul Konerko was trying to score from first. The whole time Konerko was running, Hawk and DJ were screaming and yelling like drunk bleacher bums. "GO PAULIE! GO PAULIE!" When Konerko was out by about 30 feet, they went dead silent for a full minute.

It. Was. Awesome.

Pete. Is there any chance at all that Miller would someday return to Baltimore? How in the hell Angelos could let this guy get away is beyond me. When he left it was almost as bad as the Colts leaving. And I agree with the guy that said now if he could only get rid of Joe Morgan as a partner on Sunday nights. How in the world that idiot keeps his job is beyond me.

I am so glad for him! And yes, he is still loved in Baltimore. Well done Mr. Miller!
(In your face Unawarehouse)

I moved to the Bay Area from Baltimore 5 years ago and one of the highlights of my new address is listening to Jon Miller on radio and TV along with David B. Fleming, John Krukow and Duane Kuiper. The Giants have the best broadcast team I've ever heard, while the Orioles have been lost for quality announcers since Miller's departure. I mark the year I stopped being a passionate Orioles fan with the events of Dave Johnson's firing and Jon Miller's departure. Much like the Raiders our here in Oakland, nothing will ever change with the Orioles until ownership changes.

Wayne - You nailed it!

I will never forgive PA for not re-signing Mike Musina or Jon Miller. Terrible judgment.

Now please, please get rid of Joe Angel! He's truly awful.

At least AM was a good hire.

I hope he goes in wearing an O's hat on his plaque. ;-)

Jon Miller could even make these Orioles worth listening to...

Jon Miller could even make these Orioles worth listening to...

Jon Miller could even make these Orioles worth listening to...

I miss Jon Miller. He made listening to the Orioles on the radio so enjoyable. This award is well deserved.

The highlight of my baseball-fan career was listening to Jon Miller call the O's on the radio in 1989. Especially when Greg Olson would get out of some impossible jam with that awesome curve ball; Miller made it seem like the ball went from over the batter's head to below his knees. As much as any of the players, Miller made that season for me. Thanks Jon, and congratulations.

Of all of the arrogant blunders of the Peter Angelos regime, this was by far his worst transgression. "Little Napoleon" couldn't stand to be either upstaged or criticized, so he had to get rid of Miller. Thank you, PA, for taking something away that had been so very special to so many of us in Baltimore.

Jon Miller, you're a class act, and you are so deserving of this great honor!

Adam--you're right, the memories from '89 with Olson still give me the chills. Just hearing him call it: "CURVE BALL, GOT HIM SWINGING!"

Jon Miller's voice is the closest thing to heaven only after Chuck Thompson.
Both were great Oriole broadcasters with whom the City of Baltimore was truly blessed.

But he Miller was never "chased" out of Baltimore by anyone.
If he thought his contract renewal was taking too long, that's HIS perspective.

Frankly, I think his dream was always to return to his home city of San Francisco and broadcast the games of his boyhood heroes, the Giants.

Already nationally recognized from his work on ESPN, he bolted there when his contract here was up only after making a seriously inflated request for renewal with the Orioles which anyone in his right mind would have to mull over for awhile.
I think his success went to his head a bit.
He was in a win-win situation, so he took a shot at really big money and Angelos didn't go for it.

Miller was and is one of the all-time great baseball announcers..... but he chose his own time to go back home and did so.
Stop trying to pin everything on Angelos.

A great talent?
One of the greatest.

But a"class act" ???
Not extraordinarily so..

The worst moment of O's baseball that I can ever remember is letting Jon Miller go. His voice and personality were my bedtime story growing up. Baseball on the radio hasn't been the same since Jon Miller left. If I had to choose between the O's winning a world series and getting him back, I'd choos the ol' Round Mound of Profound anyday. Way to go, Jon!

it is a real shame that the orioles let him get away. it is a real treat to hear jon when he is doing a espn game. glad to see him get the frick award

Bear,

That pretty much sealed it for me when it comes to your post.

PA can do absolutely no wrong in your book, even in this case. This ONE person has made the Baltimore Orioles one of the worst franchises in sports, yet you apologize for him at every turn.

I'm not talking about PA the charitable giver (because he does good things). I am however, talking PA the baseball owner.

You define what we call a 'warehouser' around here, and you've now become impossible to debate (even for a warehouser).

The only question is how many names you likely go by......

You have a tough gig dude!

John Miller's awkward separation from the Orioles was a harbinger of things to come. Peter Angelos is not used to blowback from employees and requested on several occasions that Miller should tone down his objectivity.

His integrity challenged, John Miller did not submit. People who post otherwise on this blog have an agenda. I think you have already seen one.

Congratulations John. Glad you are not here anymore, You would have had to compromise your integrity.

Geez Wayne...twice in one night I agree with you. :)

But, I'm still buying into THE PLAN. (for now)

Peter,
Any word as to who MASN will be adding to its broadcast team for the 2010 season.

well deserved honor. congrats jon. on another note, pete, i was looking at the april schedule for the O's. it.'s brutal. a west coast trip in between series with the red sox and yankees.we should learn something about this team that first month.

Bear the Birdfan - You need to know what really has gone on in the warehouse.

Angelos is directly responsible for losing people Miller, Johnson, Cope, Steinberg, Wagner, Luchino, Aylward...
These names might not mean anything to you, but they were part of the best front office in baseball. They were replaced by people like John Angelos, Joe Foss, and many others that have shown their incompetence. You can think what you want, but you certainly can point the decline of this franchise to the onwenership of Angelos.

Think about it. If Angleos sold the team tomorrow, what would be the era of his ownership be in Orioles history? He would have owned the team for a period where they have had the worst on-field performance in Oriole history. The largest attendance decline and a negative connotation by almost all true Oriole fans.

Oh by the way, the decision to leave WBAL was because The Orioles wanted creative control of all pre- and post-game programming. That worked out well, with show, talent and signal of 105.7.

From 1996:
"You have the detached observer, but that's the role of the journalist," Angelos said the day before Miller announced his departure. "I don't think that's the status of a team broadcaster. They should be an advocate for the team. They've got to bleed a little bit for the Orioles."

Thanks Bob F.... I think!

Great announcer.

Great person.

Great loss when he left. It saddens me to this day he's not the voice of the Orioles.

Congratulations, Jon!

Bear, Jon Miller continued to live in Baltimore long after landing the SF gig which was after losing the Oriole gig.

I don't care if you think Peter the Grate should have a statue next to the Babe at the Greek Ruins at Camden Yards, but get your facts straight before you dole out a stupid sentenced that begins with "I think ..." Apparently, you don't.

Of all the ones that Angelos let get away, Jon Miller is the one I miss the most! Congratulations, Jon! I miss you every time I turn on the radio to catch the O's.

What hurt so much is that he was replaced by a zero like Hunter. He is an embarrassment .

Bill O'Donnell and Chuck Thompson were the greatest Oriole announcers. O'Donnell was a gem, a resonant voice with outstanding baseball knowledge and a command of words and timing.

Here's Bill: "Palmer staring into Hendricks for the sign. He's going to two-two Tovar."

"Two-two Tovar." Wow. Making the count an action verb and kicking in some alliteration too.

Bill O'Donnell was a complete gentleman. A good guy who died young from cancer. As much as I loved Chuck, Bill, so under recognized, will always be my favorite Baltimore Oriole broadcaster.

Jon Miller has always had timing and knows how to entertain. I appreciate his years in the booth with the Birds. For me, though, what separates Bill and Chuck from Jon is the heart. In Chuck we heard "Go to War, Miss Agnes" ..."Ain't the beer cold?"..."FOB: full of Birds"..."the umpires in the stands" and we heard passion for Baltimore. In Bill we heard a voice that could beautifully lift with the occasion. And a signature sign off that was straight out of the Land of Pleasant Living. When the Orioles lost, Bill would sign off "Good night, everybody." And when Baltimore won, Bill would cheer us with "It's been a good night, everybody."

With Jon, his voice would rise in a stylized way: "SAAAAAAFE!" But it sounded like theater, a button pressed. Jon sounded like a fellow who had studied the great announcers --what a wonderful impersonation of Vin Scully he can do--but the authenticity of the emotion in listening to Jon was often problematical for me.

He could perform. But did he feel like Bill and Chuck?

Can't wait to when the Baltimore Orioles start to win regularly again, and we can end each wrap up with with the beautiful words "It's been a good night everybody."

God Bless you, Bill O'Donnell.

I'm not an Angelos defender and you don't have to believe Bear but Bruce Cunningham has told essentially the same story (without the character assassination) on his radio show more than once. You may think that Cunningham's also a shill for the warehouse but not every sportswriter or TV sports reader is in Angelos' back pocket. I personally think that none of them are, but maybe I'm naive.
Anyway, congrats to Jon Miller, 2nd best baseball voice to ever work in my hometown. Chuck Thompson, #1, Jon Miller, #2, Bill O'Donnell, a close #3. The rest don't even come close.

Just in case you missed it:
From 1996:
"You have the detached observer, but that's the role of the journalist," Angelos said the day before Miller announced his departure. "I don't think that's the status of a team broadcaster. They should be an advocate for the team. They've got to bleed a little bit for the Orioles."

243 days left

Miller is a class act! I truly believe he was a once in a franchise type announcer and unfortunately, the O's let him go.

Most announcers are for the team they cover, but when a guy like Jim Hunter is on the air and doesn't say one thing negative, it's hard for me to take anything else he has to say very seriously. The only time in recent memory that he said anything negative about a player was after Juan and DT not only threw Felix under the bus, but ran his a$$ over with it. He rarely if ever calls out a player for making a blunder, as it's always if this would've happened or that happened, the O's would've won. I am sorry, but Bonnie Hunter has to be related to PA. Hunter shouldn't be allowed to announce the specials at Schmucks' favorite restaurant.

JON MILLER WAS THE ABSOLUTE BEST BASEBALL BROADCASTER EVER TO WORK IN BALTIMORE. CHUCK THOMPSON (the best football announcer ever) AND ERNIE HARWELL WERE GREAT BUT MILLER IS NUMBER ONE!

Yeah,Miller became a huge critic on the on the field pay of the o's beforehe got canned. i couldn't take hm any more myself with his constant nitpicking over this and that play. Palmer's probably ben called on the carpet for the same time. Otoh,Hunter and Dempsey are too big a homer. I wish Flanny would come back in the booth but they crapped all over him on his way out.McPhail mishandled the whole Flanny thing.

THE BEST EVER. PERIOD.

Schmuck is right: "one of the early organizational missteps that would lead to the club's precipitous drop in fan interest and attendance". I used to be a die-hard O's fan, listening/watching/going to probably 160 out of the 162 games every year. Miller had the magical touch of making you want to keep listening when the O's were down by 8 in the 4th inning. Losing his voice, for me, was the start of the slippery slope that has pushed me away from baseball. Angelos is the main culprit, but I might have stuck with them if I had Miller's golden pipes to listen to all summer long.

In Jon Miller's book, where he describes his departure from Baltimore, he says he very much wanted to stay and felt hurt by Angelos's treatment. And he continued to live in Baltimore. The argument that he wanted to leave flies in the face of everything I've ever seen or read about the man. Clearly Angelos wanted him gone and by letting him dangle got his wish. What he didn't realize was the enmity he would earn from the fan base. Sad to think that PA thought he was promoting the Orioles by letting someone like Jon Miller go. So far, PA has let Andy try to turn things around, so maybe he's learned from his many grievous mistakes.

I loved Chuck and hold him in high esteem professionally, but in my opinion Jon Miller is the very best. Well deserved congratulations to you, Mr. Miller. Thank you for your years of excellent service. All these years later we still miss you!

PS We're also sorry you're stuck with a meathead like Joe Morgan.

Jon Miller, the best baseball announcer ever in Baltimore. Grew up with and loved Chuck, Bill, 'there is a deep fly ball to 2nd base", O'Donnell was hard to listen to. Jon was as eloquent as any storyteller and fluent in describing the action of all phases of the game. He was able to draw the fan to the ballpark, because he made you feel that you were part of the action. I haven't listened to a whole game since his departure.
Congratulations Jon, well deserved.

John,

One can only deduct that you were being sarcastic.

Maybe not though since you actually preferred Flanagan. Kind of ruins your credibility right there.

Th worst annoncer the Orioles ever had was Jack Dunn. Occasionally they would let him do some innings on the radio back in the late 50's and 60's. I'll never forget one memorable call. Chuck Essegian was batting for the Indians{or maybe it was the White Sox} Dunn said "Here's the pitch"{pause}"And there is that horrible sound, that horrible sound".{long pause}"Yes that horrible sound"{Pause}"and Essegian has homered into the second deck".

Why they ever let him near the mike is beyond me. Must have been nepotism.

Peter,

Thank you for recognizing one of the greats from Baltimore's past. Please know however that your plausible conclusion was not necessary, and was an obvious attempt to steer critics slightly away from the obvious criticism headed the owners way when Millers HOF appointment was announced.

It's one of the oldest tricks of journalism, but as you can see from the comments, people aren't buying it this time. Fans are very upset how this legend was treated, and they're starting to connect the dots that have led to the complete dismantling of one of baseballs franchises.

Maybe a blog about Jon's induction alone would have been appropriate, without the attempt to spin Angelos as less the villain.

And just for the record, people should go back and listen to some of Jons old broadcast. The man absolutely rooted for the Orioles, very enthusiastically. He did from time to time however, call the game like he saw it, and Peter Angelos didn't like that.

Since Jon's departure, Angelos has gotten what he desires. Problem is, he'll never care to connect the dots as to why every broadcaster since, has been despised. He won't connect the dots, because he doesn't care.

Bear the Birdfan summed it up best. Jon Miller is one of the all time greats, no doubt about it.

I thought he made a great broadcasting team with Tom Marr back on WFBR. The 2 styles complimented each other well, with Miller's straight laced play-by-play along with Marr's enthusiam and local insight.

Guys like Fred Manfra, Joe Angel, and Jim Hunter never really grew on me, IMO. They were all out of towners (I think Manfra grew up here, but hadn't much radio work here) Miller was too, but his broadcasting talent far exceeded those other three, so it realy didn't matter that he wasn't local.

But Chuck will always be #1, primarily because he wasn;t just the voice of the O's, but the Colts too, and in a golden era of Baltimore sports history.

As a kid growing up the DC metro area, I had the pleasure to Listen to Jon Miller, Chuck Thompson and Joe Angel. They were by far the best trio in radio for baseball. I have since relocated to the west coast to live, and I once again get to listen Jon Miller call San Francisco Giants games on KNBR. Still a class act and the best baseball announcer in the last 30 years. Way to go Jon!!!!!

If Angelos wanted his broadcaster to be an "advocate" for the team, he certainly found him in Jim Hunter. The problem is that Hunter is so over the top (biased) in his "pro Orioles perspective" that he has lost his objectivity and, with it, his journalistic integrity. I sometimes think he actually believes we haven't just witnessed what he is describing on the post game show. I remember one game last season after (I believe) David Hernandez had gotten pummeled by the Yankees. Hunter actually said something along the lines of...."that besides those 5-6 pitches that Hernandez would like to have back, he pitched a pretty good game. He completely ignored the fact that those 5-6 pitches resulted in 7-8 runs for NY.

It's one think for the home announcer to want the team to win. It's quite another when the microphone is used to insult the intelligence of the listening fan.

Jon Miller single-handedly made the '88 season fun.

My dream team: Miller and Vin Scully!

Miller's firing is why Hunter kisses so much hiney. Hunter is no where near as good as Miller, so he always says the O's are doing great, no matter how bad they stink

Jim Hunter is the Baghdad Bob of the Outhouse

Can u imagine Miller suffering through the last 12 yrs ?

Then again, maybe with someone holding the Os accountable, ithe losing streak might not have lasted 13 yrs

why was Jon not brought back? here's why:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovtOvW0iug0&feature=autofb

Dear Wayne:

I'm not sure just who you think you are, but I began skipping over YOUR posts some time ago when I realized that I, like most reasonable people, simply aren't interested in your petty issues, rude demeanor, and badly-executed pseudo-intellectualism.

However, since your post was directed at me, I am responding this one time.

First of all, I can't ever remember particularly defending Angelos even on any individual instances, much less the frequency with which you have accused me.
As shown in my first paragraph in THIS post, I am pretty much in the habit of calling a spade a spade. If the official Oriole policy on a certain issue seems reasonable to me, then I will say so.
If I think it it's out of line, I will say so as well.

Your conclusions about me are not only unreasonable, crudely determined, and sophomorically expressed, but for the most part, not even accurate.

I suggest you get a real life, "dude", and stick to discussing the issues brought about here and refrain from the obligatory character assasination.

If you have an issue with something someone says or thinks, then discuss the issue..... don't attack the poster.
That's usually an indication of someone who perceives no adequacy in himself, and therefore has to achieve elevation by virtue of attempting to tear down others.
I see you and some of your interactors doing that with legendary and infamous frequency and I'm quite sure a great deal of posters here are quite weary of it.

Do not attempt to draw me in as one of your sparring partners.
I'm not interested.... and believe me, YOU aren't interested, either.

Have a nice day, Wayne.

Dear waspman:

Apparently, as regards your assumptions about me, you have no idea what you're talking about.
Thanks for the mention.

Dear JPRicciardi:

No one is responsible for their actions except those executing those actions.
Miller thought he could re-write the rules concerning his job description because of his delusions concerning his own popularity.
Same thing with Johnson.
I'm not well-versed on the rest of the names you mentioned.
Try going to YOUR job tomorrow and walking into your boss's office and dictating to him YOUR new job description.
I'm not saying Miller wasn't an entertaining announcer with a beautifully gifted speaking voice.
The issue was that he didn't like being called out by his boss for exceeding his particular role as Oriole broadcaster.
Therefore he saw the impending struggle and in his own heart and mind, resolved to follow Angelo's wishes provided he was rewarded with enough money to satisfy his own ego.
Therefore he was NOT such an unbending crusader for autonomy and free speech as some here have described him.
Therefore, he was NOT such a "class act".
A truly "class act" and such a "crusader" would have refused to change for ANY amount of money.
Miller did no such thing.
Miller had a price.
And Miller would have compromised his own self for that price.
He's again.... one of the greatest..... but he's no "class act" and he's no hero.

The same can be said for Johnson.

By the way......
I really enjoy Joe Angel.

If you listen.... REALLY listen...... his style and vocal color are quite similar to his former partner, Jon Miller.

All you Miller-mourners should embrace Joe Angel. He's the closest we'll get to Miller for quite some time.

Why WOULDN't you want a team broadcaster who pulled for your team?
Why is that a problem?

Don't YOU overtly root for your Orioles?
When you do, are YOU kissing Angelos' ass?

What an absolutely absurd concept.

"If you're broadcasting a game, you should tell it the way it really is, but keep your opinions to yourself."

So, apparently, if you announce for the Orioles, you should tell the truth, but if the truth isn't very good, you shouldn't tell the truth.

"You're not hired to give opinions. You're hired to give a play-by-play recitation to the people who are listening to the broadcast."

Also, it seems as though Angelos doesn't understand the concept of the color commentator. If baseball announcing is only about a "play-by-play recitation", why not just hire Monty from Major League? "Fly ball. Caught."

Bear -

I don't want my team's announcers to root against my team, but I do want them to be honest about my team. If my team is a steaming pile of garbage, I don't want the jimhunters... oops, I mean announcers, telling me that everything is peachy keen.

Have you ever watched an O's/White Sox game on WGN? Those White Sox announcers are what you get when you don't have any objectivity in the booth.

I love Jon Miller as an announcer. His ability to imitate the other veteran broadcasters was hilarious. His ability to describe the game, made us turn into him on the radio. His wisdom and knowledge of the game was endless. Yes, at the end he was a bit bitter, and it was time for him to move on. Since it was apparent to most of us, that the Orioles were content to be what they were.

Dear not brooks:

You made an interesting statement.
""So, apparently, if you announce for the Orioles, you should tell the truth, but if the truth isn't very good, you shouldn't tell the truth."
And, of course, you're paraphrasing Angelos here.
But I don't agree with that interpretation.
Here's what I think Angelos meant:

not brooks, imagine yourself married to a really lovely and faithful spouse.
However, the spouse has a bit of a tainted past..... let's say the spouse had at one point been convicted of a crime and served time in prison.
So you have lunch with a friend who has never met, but is very curious about your spouse.
Not wanting to prejudice the friend towards your spouse by saying anything negative, you just avoid the whole prison issue and tell the friend about your spouse's childhood, education, and how well you get along.
Why?
Because your spouse is now part of your FAMILY..... and it isn't necessary to bring up negative points.
The important thing is that you love your spouse and accept your spouse without prejudice.
You're still telling the truth...... but do you really have to include negative things?
Leave out certain negative things and what you tell is still the truth, isn't it?

I think Angelos believes that a team broadcaster is part of the Oriole "family" and doesn't need to expose flaws in that family. Further, he believes that it's not his job to do that.... and I have to agree with him.

I grew up listening to Bob Elson, one of the best announcers baseball had back then. It seems a station where I grew up carried all the White Sox games on the radio. His partner was Milo Hamilton, who later moved on to the Astros and Braves.

Ken Harrelson and his various partners through the years are not any more demonstrative about their rooting for the Sox than was Elson.

Does that make him an "ass-kisser" of the owner of the Sox?
Was Bob Elson Bill Veek's "ass-kisser" ?
Of course not.

But if want non-partisan analysis of a game, I'll only watch Fox or ESPN.

My very reason for tuning in to Oriole broadcasts and telecasts is to join those other members of my Oriole extended FAMILY in rooting for my team.

If I were the Oriole broadcaster, I'd very well express my feelings as an Oriole FAN all during the broadcast.
Especially if I knew that's what the boss wanted me to do.
Being a lifelong fan, that would be esay.
I'd try to find positive things to say and for the most part anyway, leave the negative things alone.
Just like the person protecting a family member.
Is that not telling the truth?
I don't think so.
I think it's showing hope and positivity for something you believe in and of which you consider yourself a part.

Bear,

i can't imagine a bigger moron. You make zero sense and you're loyalty to Angelos is borderline sick, even if you are an employee. You're obviously in the minority, and really need to take your long winded 'get a life' books, elsewhere.

"(Miller) moved on to the San Francisco Giants after the Orioles moved too slowly to renew his contrac>"

Oh, come on Peter.

Everyone knows that Angelos dumped Miller, because he didn't "bleed orange and black."

One of the most pathetic and sad moves of the Angelos Era - - - and there have been a lot of sad and pathetic moves.

Letting go of Miller was one of the worst.

I remember growing up listening to Chuck Thompson, who not only taught me how to score a game but also how to love it. And when Chuck started to wind down, we got the joy of listening to Jon Miller. He did impersonations and a bunch of other schtick. But did you ever notice how he did it way more often when the teams were bad and not so much when they were good? That's how he earned his keep. He could be entertaining even when the game was not. But he didn't just tolerate bad baseball. I remember when there were three Oriole runners on third base. He said "this is NOT major league baseball." Then he also knows when the situation calls for extra emphasis and excitement. Jon would do the emphatic "SAAAAAFE!" - when it was important, not at every close call. We were lucky to have had Chuck and then Jon. It may not ever get that good again.

Pete,

Do you think Jon knows how much he is still loved here in B-more? Just look at these emails!

There was a time where Jon worked with Joe Angel. Those two were great together. Often times, they were funny as hell. I remember a game against Cleveland where the Indians had 2 pitchers warming up in the bullpen by the names of Will Dunn and Rich Yett. You can just imagine the field day they had with that. Damn near as good as the old "Who's on first" routine!

Congratulations, Jon!

Bear -

The big difference between the O's and the spouse in your analogy is that announcers are offering commentary on what's happening in the present.

A better analogy would be that you're out with your friend and your spouse is currently in prison. If your friend asks what your spouse is up to and you say anything other than "He's/She's in prison", you're lying.

Look, Bear, I don't want announcers to constantly bash the teams they announce for. I just want them to do what Peter Angelos says. I want them to tell it like it is. Anyone can root for a team while being realistic about the team's current situation. Sugarcoating things and ignoring the negative is insulting the fans' intelligence. Do you really appreciate that?

Refer to my 7:00PM post from February 1st for my thoughts on Hawk Harrelson. I never heard Bob Elson, but I know from personal experience that Harrelson is a complete joke. If I want to hear a homer freaking out about his team and ignoring the other team, I'll go to a sports bar.

Guys like Bear show their true colors with subjects such as this. When it comes to the development of the Orioles, I really believe it's split down the middle, leaning more negative as the losing seasons mount.

But when you hit on a subject like this, where fans are overwhelmingly on one side of the debate, then you really get to see what people are all about.

Bear knows he's out there alone on this one. It's not like Wayne, Gil, Jim66, Jason, not brooks, etc, who share the same opinions as many, whichever side they're on. Bear is out there alone, and when you're that guy, it's tough not to come off looking biased and ridiculous.

Maybe Bear has benefited from one of Angelos's charities. Or, maybe he is in fact an employee of some kind. Either way, he's that lone voice in a sea opposite opinion.

Siding with Angelos when it comes to the growth of the team is fine, even if it's an incredible reach. Siding with him when it goes against all rational thinking however, is something people like Bear thrive on.

In any case, it makes the subject a little more interesting.

Here's a link to a Hal Bodley article on MLB.com: http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100201&content_id=8007408&vkey=news_bal&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal

It's nice that the O's are getting national attention and that it seems like there's a bit of a buzz about them throughout the game.

But some of the crap in this article just makes me sick.

First off, what the heck is a ".500 juggernaut"? Since when is a team that only wins half of its games considered a "juggernaut"? Or is Bodley saying that the O's might be able to achieve a .500 record, defeating the juggernaut they've been fighting against for more than a decade? If that's the case, he needs to work on the wording a bit.

Second, you can't miss the quote from Peter Angelos about three quarters of the way through the article. Bodley asked Angelos what went wrong after 1997 and Greedy Petey instantly shifted the blame, basically saying that other teams started spending a lot of money and the O's couldn't keep up. As if the O's, fresh off two straight trips to the ALCS and back to back years of well over 3.5 million fans, couldn't spend a few bucks on a nice free agent or two.

Angelos goes on to say that the Orioles "cannot remain competitive" because they're "unable to generate huge revenues". Um, what about the Twins, Peter? The Athletics? The Rays? All three of those teams generate less revenue than the O's, and all three of those teams have made the playoffs within the past four seasons.

I can't believe MLB.com let Bodley print this garbage...

Jon Miller if it were up to Peter the Grate: "Todd Zeile takes the relay and his throw is ... just a fraction short on a truly wonderful effort that just ran into the headwind of a little bad luck."

Does anyone else remember Zeile's ten-foot spike?

Anyway, as good as Miller was at anticipating a play as it was happening, it's a shame he couldn't anticipate Peter the Grate. Actually, that's not true. A neutered Jon Miller would have been as bad as the neutered Baltimore Oriole product we get to witness summer in and summer out at the Greek Ruins at Camden Yards.

The funny thing is I never got the idea Miller was ever blasting the team. Sure, he would point out base-running blunders, missed relay throws, or alternative strategic possibilities. But I never heard him saying anything that truly criticized the team.

And I will be happy to go fact-to-fact with anyone who disputes my earlier post.

wow nb,

That is truly unbelievable!

It's not often one gets a glimpse inside of PA's brain. We can see the constant poor product on the field, but every once in a while he allows us to see how much he doesn't care (something most of us have known).

To him, it's about being right, period! if he went out and spent adequately, thus was able to mix the developing players with productive veterans, the O's may actually compete. HE CAN'T HAVE THAT!

It's nice to get a glimpse (however small) of the man who has destroyed baseball in the city of Baltimore.

Just his comments are a story the SUN should be jumping all over. The headline could be something like......

OVER BEFORE IT BEGINS - ANGELO'S THROWS IN TOWELL EARLY - AGAIN!

Go ahead Warehousers..... Spin away!

My dream team: Miller and Vin Scully!
Posted by: John from Kensington

miller does a great impression of scully calling a game in japanese.

Not Brooks,

I read the Bodley article earlier and quickly identified it as a "puff" piece" of imitation journalism, and a paid advertisement. It is the same kind of kneepad authored coverage that you get from Spencer Fordin on the Official Orioles website. Jon Miller would have bent over laughing at such Angelos adulation thinly disguised as analysis.

It was a perfect example of trying to put lipstick on a pig.

Miller is an All Star announcer, but let's get serious, how much can a broadcaster do to improve or make a team worse? He can't hit, run, pitch, or manage (even though some of these guys think they could do a better job running the team than management). We should concentrate on what really matters with the O's and that sure as hell is not the guy that does the radio.

i like Jon Miller
I like Peter Angelos...
can't we all just get along?

Bear the Birdfan -
Oriole "family"? You are delusional. This was about power and control. You don't know the other people I mentioned, part of the "family", who left because Angelos would not let them do their jobs. Jobs that made the Orioles the envy of most teams. Under his control, the team has declined on the field and off. The community relations dept is all but non-exisistent, attendance is at a 20 year low, fans relations are at a low ebb.

You have probably never met Jon Miller. I have and can say that he is more a reliable source than Angelos.

Your arguement about undivided loyalties is joke. He was loyal, fair and honest. When a ball went through a players' legs, he wouldn't blame it on the infield, or the salary cap, or the Yankees, as would Hunter. He would simply say that was a play that should have been made.

The Orioles are very similar to the Redskins when it comes to media mattters. They have no front office spokesman. No one that that represents them except for Andy MacPhail, who is responsible for baseball operations. The Redskins control their media with on air talent like Larry Michaels. The Orioles have Jim Hunter and Tom Davis. That's their prerogative, but most fans see through that and want reality.

'I'M DELIGHTED IN THE RESULTS HE'S GETTING'

That has to be one of PA's all time great quotes. Let's see, 2 years under AM, the O's have won less than 70 games, with last year being one of the worst in team history. This year, they're not expected to be a 500 club yet again,

YET..........

He's 'delighted' in the results he's getting.

Imagine if this team EVER wins 82 games. If that happens, get ready for the parade!

Chuck Thompson, Jon Miller, Harry Kalas, then everyone else. Ernie Harwell too. These are the legends and its nice to "hear" that Jon is getting what we knew would come about, a HOF nod. I still get to regularly hear his call and truly one of kind anecdotes because I live in the Bay Area, but its not the same, I am still a diehard O's fan afterall. Angelos will forever be remembered for running a great MLB franchise completely into the ground, this much we know history has recorded, but letting Jon Miller get away, even more than Moose to the Yanks with nothing in return, letting the golden voice of the O's, still in his prime as a broadcaster, letting him leave was real insight into the arrogance and gluttony of the dirty little lawyer that flushed our civic pride in the Chesapeake, and I'll forever hold him in contempt!

It's sad that no Orioles fan would be present here to recognize the talent and contributions of Bill O'Donnell as a Baltimore Oriole broadcaster.

I thought in this forum I had friends who had heard Bill's words on WBAL and watched him on TV and treasured him as a voice of the Baltimore Orioles.

I have the tapes of those beautiful times and the gift of correspondence and conversations with Bill. Perhaps most of you here are too young to know the Oriole broadcaster Bill O'Donnell?

Pete, please do me a favor. Right now on the Sun web page, in a special section, there are 17 photos of Oriole broadcasters. There is no picture of Bill O'Donnell. Please correct that.

"It's been a good night, everybody."

Jon Miller was awesome. I saw him at Denver International while in transit a few months ago and I just could not resist going up and saying hello. He was really nice and even took 30 seconds to talk to me, which was very kind of him. Jon Miller rocks.

I just posted the below story about Jon Miller at Denver International a second ago, but I FORGOT TO TYPE MY NAME! I know there is a poster "named" anonymous who i guess wants to fire Trembley, but I also wonder if maybe a lot of the posts where we think it's "him" (or her), its just someone who pulled a boneheaded oversight like I just did. Anyway, here is my Miller post.

I just posted the below story about Jon Miller at Denver International a second ago, but I FORGOT TO TYPE MY NAME! I know there is a poster "named" anonymous who i guess wants to fire Trembley, but I also wonder if maybe a lot of the posts where we think it's "him" (or her), its just someone who pulled a boneheaded oversight like I just did. Anyway, here is my Miller post.

Jon Miller was awesome. I saw him at Denver International while in transit a few months ago and I just could not resist going up and saying hello. He was really nice and even took 30 seconds to talk to me, which was very kind of him. Jon Miller rocks.

not brooks

Thanks for the link. I don't see what there is about Bodley's "500 juggernaut" comment to get excited about. A joke that fell flat obviously. You're right. He needs to work on his lines.

As far as the quote you give from something PA said, "cannot remain competitive", you really don't do justice to it by truncating it that way.

The clip you give came from this.

Bodley said: "He believes franchises such as the Orioles -- unable to generate huge revenues -- cannot remain competitive, or at least stay even with teams such as the Yankees and Red Sox."

To which PA is quoted; "Once in a while" "but it cannot be sustained year-to-year. It's an old story: How much money do you have? We're in that kind of economic system and those rules apply."

So PA didn't say the Orioles simply can't be competitive at all as your truncated quote implies, but rather they could here and there but not on a consistent year in year out basis given the financial inequities of playing in the same division as the Bosox and Yanks.

I have to think that I would find little disagreement about that on this board from either the pessimists or optimists, if I can call them that without getting into trouble. What's your problem with it. Do you think we can.

Dear not brooks:

Thanks for the civil exchange.
You and I obviously still disagree, but we do so without insulting one another.

Then we have doug, waspman, and JPRiccardi, who still make incorrect assumptions, not only about my opinions in general, but also about the details of my personality which lead to those opinions.

I have no "loyalty" to Peter Angelos.
I simply have no hatred for him as so many here apparently do.

Hatred is a powerful thing.
One cannot persistently carry hatred around everywhere one goes without it sooner or later becoming the focal point of every journey one takes, rather than the destination of that journey.
It weighs one down.

What I AM is an ORIOLE loyalist.
A real true blue fan of the team.

When Angelos & Co. bought the team, the Orioles were not exactly on top of the baseball world.
But for the 1989 season, they had already experienced a decade of mediocrity which began in 1984.

Under the ownership of Angelos, they brought some pretty reputable people onboard and finally, after an absence of THIRTEEN YEARS, returned to post-season play for two seasons in a row.

I never grew to hate E Bennett Williams or Jerry Hoffberger.
However, it was under THEIR watch that the decline of the Orioles truly began.

Ask Eddie Murray.
Talk about getting banished for speaking your mind.....
Eddie saw what was happening way back in 1985 when the Orioles began to part from what had become the modus operendi so successful that it had been dubbed "The Oriole Way" by the rest of the industry.
He criticized the organization for becoming too involved in free agency instead of maintaining a first-rate farm system.
The front office became so obsessed with getting rid of this all-time great future Hall-of-Famer that they traded him to LA for practically NOTHING.

They also panicked and booted out one of the most loyal Orioles of all, Cal Ripken Sr. when the lousy teams they put together for him failed to achieve anything except one year and 21 days of losing.

Talk about lack of loyalty and patience.

Then Frank Robinson was brought in and he kicked the collective butts of the cast of clowns they recruited for him for the '89 season and they ALMOST went to post season play...... then faltered in 1990, so FRobby was quickly fired in favor of another mediocrity specialist, Johnny Oates, who achieved absolutely nothing for the team during HIS 4 years.

Keep in mind.... all of the crap I have written about above was PRE-ANGELOS.

It was under Angelos & Co. that the Orioles began to turn it around.

Phil Regan managed in the strike-shortened season of 1995 and though he was not popular among fans, the Orioles finished strongly, having acquired Scott Erickson and Bobby Bonilla just past mid-season, and throwing five consecutive shutouts at season's end.

So what did Angelos do then?
He brought in Pat Gillick, who brought in Davey Johnson and Roberto Alomar.

And for the following two seasons, the Orioles enjoyed success in the field, going to the playoffs both years and winning the Division Title the second of those years.

But it all went to Johnson's head.
Johnson clashed with certain players and wanted to get rid of them.
Alomar, Wells, and Bonilla, to name the more well-known cases.
Even Cal Ripken got moved to 3B one day without warning.... wasn't happy about it..... and when asked, told everyone so.
Kinda reminds me of the Melvin Mora situation last year.
So does anyone think Cal was a mal-content? A clubhouse "cancer"?
Cal simply thought the same thing as Mora did..... that he was being disrespected. Cal just didn't use that particular term.
When he didn't get his way, he simply quit.... turning his back on everyone in the Oriole family.... not just the owner.

I certainly do not defend Angelos for the 13 years of mediocrity that have followed all that.
But I damned sure don't blame him for it either.
As so many here are quick to point out about other people in other instances, Angelos doesn't field, pitch, or hit.
I think several people have let the team down during his tenure as owner.
But two facts remain..... he was STILL the owner the last time the Orioles were a successful team..... and they were NOT a successful team and had not been successful except for one season in the previous ten seasons preceeding when he took over.

That's why I don't hate him and don't blame everything on him.

QUICK NOTE: The "he" in the above sentence "When "he" didn't get his way...." refers to Johnson, not Ripken.

The Orioles never had more than 3 losing seasons in a row before Angelos got here

Nice try there

Angelos has done more damage than any owner in history and all the spin in the world cant change that, its insulting to implicate otherwise

In no other time during my lifetime were the Orioles out of it before the season even started like they have been the past several seasons and this season too, delusional optimism notwithstanding (If u really think we can overtake the Skanks,Sux and Rays, you shouldnt be allowed to operate a motor vehicle)

Angelos has WAY MORE RESOURCES than any other owner (memorial stadium was a financial handicap) and has its own network (given to him for free by MLB as nats settlement)

Orioles top 3 in profitibaility from 2002-2007

Top 5 in profits for 2008

Greedy Petey is guaranteed a 200 million dollar profit when he sells the team

If Petey cant figure out a way to stay competitive than he should sell the team

He acts like my beloved Orioles are a birthright and heaven help us if his son takes over, we'll never see the WS in our lifetimes

Peter Angelos is a legendary class action attorney.

Peter Angelos is a generous local philanthropist

Peter Angelos is an absolute disaster as a baseball owner and is recognized as the worst owner in baseball by Sports Illustrated.

Peter Angelos should be as philanthropic towards Oriole fans and sell the team. The community would be greatful for his generous donation.

MLB channel just talked about PECOTA ratings and the O's were predicted (this year, with this line up and rotation) to go 80-82.

fire Andy....the O's weren't predicted to win the World Series. He has failed. Let's bring in another GM who can make the O's a WS winner in a year, and if not, fire him and bring another guy in...and if not him repeat hire/fire cycle every year until the Championship.

Bear:

thanks for the perspective on the O's and the Angelos. It's nice to see dispassionate analysis verses the constant stream of knee-jerk hyperbolic negativity that references sweeping generalizations. Angelos isn't great...but he's not AS bad as most seem to think.

jason c.:

profitability is your issue huh? The O's have been spending above average for the Majority of the PA era and your thinking "keep doing it"? How'd the O's get to this point...it wasn't because they sat on the sidelines with check book in hand.

Is a $20 item at 50% profitability better than a $200 dollar item with 40% profitability? The profitability thing seems removed from Baseball performance.

And I'm Still waiting for the "should have gotten better Free Agents" crowd to identify the better free agents that would make the O's a Yankee killer. Seriously...maybe it's me, but I don't see how any of the available free agents were making the O's title contenders.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/ben_reiter/02/01/baltimore.orioles/index.html

yeap...just waiting on #5. but 1-4 done pretty well.

I hate all those national media "warehouse" Peter Angelos paid guys. :)

Paulie,

That post of your was a little disingenuos. You have participtaed in most if not all of the discussions on the board that involved potential free agents and trades. I don't know anybody, including myself, Not Brooks, Waspman, Wayne, Jason C. in florida and many others who claimed that offseason moves could be made that would enable the Orioles to overtake the Yankees and the Red Sox this year.

The FA signing and trade suggestions that were made centered around giving the team a chance to have a winning record in 2010, not 98 wins and the pennant.

The Orioles ended getting warm bodies and a Tejada panic signing. Macphail could have done much better. You know what many of us proposed as the the offseason began:

Two bonafide and experienced starters, A big right handed bat, two top level corner infielders and two outstanding relievers.

Bear -

While I agree with you that Angelos' tenure as owner started off pretty well - no one can argue that back to back LCS appearances just three years after he bought the team isn't impressive - I think there are plenty of reasons to resent Peter Angelos. I use the word resent because I, personally, don't hate him. How could I possibly hate someone I've never met?

But anyways... the resentment is justified. If you aren't going to blame Angelos for the past 12 years, who are you blaming? Syd Thrift? Sam Perlozzo? Marty Cordova? If you're going to credit Angelos for bringing in Pat Gillick, Davey Johnson and Roberto Alomar, you've got to credit him for bringing in Thrift, Perlozzo and Cordova, along with countless other Yes Men GM's and managers as well as past their prime/never even had a prime, overpaid free agents.

The fact of the matter is that Angelos got too involved in the baseball operations of this team. He believed that he knew better than the people that he hired. And that's why he hired Thrift and Jim Beattie and Mike Flanagan. Tell me: How in the world was Mike Flanagan qualified to be a General Manager? Flanny was a pitching coach and an announcer prior to being hired to run baseball operations. He had zero front office experience. Zero qualifications. A Yes Man. A talking head. A mouthpiece for King Peter. Flanny's hiring as GM (or whatever the O's call it) proved, once and for all, that Peter Angelos was the King of the Orioles. No one else had any say in the organization. And that's not what an owner is supposed to do.

So I blame Peter Angelos. Because, while I praise him for bringing in some good people and building a winning ballclub in the mid '90's, I berate him for believing that he knew it all and for destroying a once proud franchise.

Miller is now nothing more than a Yankees a$$kisser. If they ever brought back Gilligan, he could play the Skipper!

Gil,

true, I was being a little disingenuous.

but, I'm not convinced that the list of needs matched with the available free agent talent; kinda like forcing the square peg in the triangle hole.

nor am I convinced that any Major additions to the club results in drastic Wins improvements more than the natural development of the younger core can provide.

Tejada a panic signing? I dunno, too me it seemed like he "dropped" to the O's. imho.

paulie -

I also don't buy into the theory that Tejada was a panic signing.

I think that Andy is pretty confident that Josh Bell is going to be ready by late August or early September (not sure why he believes that, as Bell can't hit lefties), so he didn't want to spend too much on a third baseman.

That said, I believe that Andy was ready to either sign Joe Crede or just put Atkins at third and Aubrey at first. Then, as you said, Miggy just "dropped" to the O's as his price went way down.

In short, I don't think Andy MacPhail has ever panicked. He's way too methodical and organized to let his emotions get a hold him when it comes to player acquisitions.

One more thought on Josh Bell (and switch hitters in general): Since he can't hit lefties as a righty, why not have him give up switch hitting? Have him stay on the left side of the plate for a few months and see if that changes anything.

The Orioles never had more than 3 losing seasons in a row before Angelos got here."
-jason c in south florida

So I'm guessing that by your standards, it's perfectly all right to oversee a decade of mediocrity (1984-1993) as long as the team never performs at below a .500 percentage more than 3 times in succession. Is that your argument ?

Mediocrity is mediocrity.... and in the decade immediately preceeding the arrival of Angelos & Co. the Orioles did nothing except decline and let their franchise plunge from legends to losers.
Even 1989 that Oriole team was nothing more than a classic fluke. No one saw it coming, and no one was surprised when it got smaller and smaller in the rear-view mirror.
At least during the 96-97 seasons, we had truly great teams. And it was under the Angelos-led ownership that we had them.

not brooks,

yeah, agree on Andy characterization--pretty organized and deliberate.

and also agree on Josh Bell: not sure why, but they seem pretty high on him. But I wouldn't be surprised if he's kept down the whole year...between the Big club doing something very good and Bell maybe not "obviously" ready for the call, he could be down all year.

un-switching switch hittters...hum...seems reasonable.

Not Brooks,

I do think that Macphail painted himself into a corner as available third baseman came off the board. Sure, he probably would have signed Crede which we all agreed would have been a PR disaster, not that he cares about PR witness"The Plan" and 98 losses last year.

Tejada is not a third baseman, and everyone is asssuming that he will adapt well to the position. I think you will see a lot of "Ole!" plays out of Tejajda on hard hit balls.

Bell is not the long term answer at third anyhow and I think then eOrioles recognize that Bell's long term future is at First base and DH, due to his limited range.

GROUNDHOG DAY - O's STYLE!

While the O's obviously won't compete for the pennant every year (even when things do turn around - if in fact they do), it is the responsibility of the organization to put a product on the field worthy of the fans dollars.

They have not done that for over a decade, and they certainly haven't done it the last 2 years.

Oh sure, it was worth the money spent when Weiters took the field for the first time, but those moments were very, very few.

To say this team couldn't have brought in legitimate, proven veterans to surround the developing players, is simply mind boggling. One doesn't have to be a genius to realize who some of those players were.

Instead, AM brought in 'fillers' to hold down the spots for prospects who may or may not ever pan out.

Now, as usual, we're left with the marketing plan of 'come see the kids play'. We're again being hyped and told that what we're watching is the future of something magical.

We're being led to believe that a double digit increase in wins would be something to cheer about, even it it still means a losing record.

Meanwhile, we were told similar last year (the apologist never want to admit such), yet the club and AM got a complete pass for what was a disastrous season... one of the worst in O's history!

Now we have to 'Re-Boot'! We have to do the whole 'it's not about this year' scenario all over again.....

Anyone seen the movie Groundhog Day? The difference with the Orioles is, the movie never ends......

'ok campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties, cause it's coooooold out there today'

Gil -

The third base market is pretty ugly next year as well:

Garrett Atkins (31) - $8.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Adrian Beltre (32) - $5MM player option with a $1MM buyout. Option reaches $10MM with 640 PAs in 2010.
Wilson Betemit (29)
Geoff Blum (38) - $1.65MM mutual option
Jorge Cantu (29)
Eric Chavez (33) - $12.5MM club option with a $3MM buyout
Craig Counsell (40)
Pedro Feliz (36)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (35)
Bill Hall (31) - $9.25MM club option with a $500K buyout
Wes Helms (35)
Brandon Inge (34)
Mike Lowell (37)
Melvin Mora (39)
Jhonny Peralta (29) - $7MM club option with a $250K buyout
Aramis Ramirez (33) - $14.6MM player option
Miguel Tejada (37)
Juan Uribe (31)
Ty Wigginton (33)

Peralta would be nice, but the only way the Cleveland turns down his option is if he's horrible in 2010. With the Indians in rebuilding mode though, Peralta, who can also play short, might be on the market at the trade deadline.

Cantu's a solid hitter as well, but he's miserable at third.

My guess for the O's: Tejada or Brandon Inge

"To say this team couldn't have brought in legitimate, proven veterans to surround the developing players, is simply mind boggling. One doesn't have to be a genius to realize who some of those players were."

wayne | February 3, 2010 12:58 PM

a. The team did bring in vets to surround the youth. Miggy, Millwood.

b. mind boggling that you don't realize that.

c. ah-ha, you must be referring to LaRoach and Figgins again. Neither hits lefties...still. genius.

Not Brooks,

Thanks for the look into the future. I wish I could look that far ahead but my calendar doesn't have anything on it past Friday. I think Kouzmanoff would have been perfect if the Orioles had been able to pull the trigger. He was the best all around third baseman out there, teriffic in the field.

If Tejada can make the transition defensively he should be good for a couple years at third, and/or until Bell is ready. Bell's inability to hit lefties is a concern as he moves up, because if he can't hit then in AA it's not going to get any easier.

I am very anxious to see him, especailly defensively because the variuos reports are all over the map. Some indicate he may be the second coming of Brooks Robinson, others that he generally catches most of what he gets to, as long as he doesn't have to move right or left. I don't expect that a 6'3" 235 lb. third baseman is going to move like a ballet dancer, but more like a linebacker.

The only difference between Andy's retreads and previous GM's retreads is that Andy only signs them for 1 year contracts to fool the fanbase into thinking that activity = accomplishment

Andy's been here for 3 yrs and waht long term solutions has he brought in ? WE know he wont commit to FA

He hasnt brought in any young players since the Bedard and Tejada trades in Jan 08 except Bell

What exactly are we waiting for ?

Oh yeah, theres no one out there thats better than a last place team that hasnt won in over a dozen yrs, LOL

Gil -

I'm most interested to see how Bell adjusts to the park in Norfolk.

He didn't hit for much power in A+ ball with Inland Empire, and I've heard the stadium out there is a pretty decent pitcher's park.

Gil,

Kevin may be available again if Eric Chavez is healthy.

oh yeah, never mind. Eric Chaves healthy...that's pretty funny.

paulie -

I'm an A's fan as well. That stings...

Especially since Chavez has made $32.5M over the past three seasons while playing in just 121 games and hitting .233/.293/.415 with 17 home runs.

Ugh... I just threw up a little...

jason c,

"The only difference between Andy's retreads and previous GM's retreads is that Andy only signs them for 1 year contracts to fool the fanbase into thinking that activity = accomplishment

Andy's been here for 3 yrs and waht long term solutions has he brought in ? WE know he wont commit to FA."

so, are you looking for more FA's or youth? kinda at different odds. but as far as youth goes...only getting 12 additional prospects in 2.5 years is poor? Is there another team that has reloaded the farm system more than the O's? I mean, there's been plenty of complaints about Andy, but you'd like More youth...

not brooks:

sorry about the vomit.

as for liking the A's...well...as an O's fan there's not much to say...

"[MacPhail] hasnt brought in any young players since the Bedard and Tejada trades in Jan 08 except Bell"

What about Brandon Waring, Justin Turner, Felix Pie, Rhyne Hughes and Brett Jacobson?

They don't count?

not brooks

SHoulda stipulated that has a good chance of being a long term solution in the big leagues

I like Pie, but Im highly skeptical any of those other names being a long term solution here or anywhere else

Paulie,

believe it or not, but good teams can take advantage of free agency and still develop players in the minors. I know taht you're more interested in a team with a low payroll than a winning record so I understand how that seems odd to you.

Justify KC outspending us again. That was funny

jason c,

the only thing that seems odd to me is that you think the O's haven't improved through Free Agency. Last I checked, the O's did exactly that...

and again, the O's spent and spent in the past...for nothing.

there are many teams in the past 10 years that had a low payroll and won the World Series. I don't see the connection between payroll and wins. There are examples of low-payroll teams winning and high pay-roll teams loosing.

there is no consistant relationship between payroll and wins.

jason -

Waring is a slugger in the mold of Mark Reynolds. He'll strike out a lot, but he'll hit some bombs in the process. Waring's got a .522 SLG% and 67 home runs in 1200 minor league at bats.

A full season at Bowie is the next step for Waring, and if he continues to succeed, I wouldn't be surprised if he was our starting first baseman in 2011.

Turner projects as a utility infielder, and he can play second, third and short.

Hughes is my dark horse for first base in 2010. A strong season at Norfolk could earn him an extended cameo with the O's in August/September. I admit that I don't know anything about his fielding abilities and that he's quite one-dimensional at the plate, but he's got a ton of pop.

I wouldn't pass over Jacobson too quickly either. I'd like to see what he can do in AA first, but he could be a solid bullpen piece in a year or two.

The Os have "improved" but it be damn near impossible not to improve over 64 wins, sorry Im not giddy over 75 wins, LOL

The Os are not even remotely close to contending for the division, but if they spent money on elite players, they might be. Since I want my team to win, Id rather them spend more money than pocket the money. Seems reasonable

Its a problem that the Os dont ahve a legit ace or a legit clean up hitter

No matter how u try to spin it, the reason is because they REFUSE to spend the money needed to acquire them. An old excuse the apoligists use it that they Os cant spend with the Yanks Sux but you're telling me that they cant compete with the mariners and astros ???

The Os couldve gotten 1 each of Bay/Holliday and 1 of Lackey/sheets and still had a payroll similar to their own of 07. They couldve sigNed any 1 of the 4 and been well below league average

The O's put profits before performance and it disgusts me

The Os ineptitude is inexcusbale and could be avoided

DOnt u think that the team should put wins b4 profits ?

Y is a lower payroill more important to u than a winnning team ?

Y do u prefer retreads as opposed to elite players in their prime

Would u really rather ahve Atkins than Tex ?

Oh thats right ML players stopped caring aboout money and "just wouldnt come here"

The more things change.....

not brooks

I think turner may be a scrappy utility type

I need to see more from Waring b4 I pencil him in as Mark Reynolds

I remember plenty of prospects in the minors who hit hr's who never spent any significant time in the Majors

I need to see more b4 I pencil him in a ML line up in 2011 and it certainly wouldnt stop me from grabbing proven Major leaguers.

If he works out, then u have trade bait from either waring or whatever MLer u get in the meantime. It seems to work for Beane

jason -

Turner's got super-sub written all over him. He's even played a bit of outfield in the minors. And that .300 average and .370 OBP look pretty good from where I'm standing.

I'd be more than pleased if Turner surprises in camp and heads north with the O's as the utility infielder. I'd take him over Andino any day of the week.

But anyways...

I'm with you on acquiring big league talent.

Since Wieters is in the bigs, the O's don't have any prospects that they need to worry about blocking. Sure, Arrieta, Britton and Erbe all look nice, but no team should ever worry about blocking a pitching prospect. And the only way Bell would be an "unblockable" prospect is if he figures out how to hit lefties.

Anyways, I was just trying to point out that MacPhail should be praised for the development and acquisition of young players. As Gil always says, Andy deserves an A+ in the scouting/player development column.