Golly...fundamental baseball...what a concept.

My only criteria for judging Trembley this season is how well this team plays fundamental baseball. That's his job, and if this team doesn't do that then he is at fault.

Dave, I hope you also added "How to run the bases properly" to this year's advanced training regimen. At this rate we might even get in a session on "Hitting the cutoff man." You are taking this to a whole new level this Spring. I hope you're not throwing too much at them at once.

Yes, by all means, focus on fundamentals. But not bunting. If Markakis is asked to sacrifice bunt this season, MacPhail should fire Trembley immediately.

Base running fundamentals PLEASE!! And with 12 losing seasons and counting, EVERYONE needs to do any and everything they can to scratch out wins including bunting, taking the extra base, flooding the visitors dug out, etc.

Like it will matter...I just want to see some improvement...I need some improvement to continue watching.

Baseball fundamentals? When I was a kid we were taught those in Little League. Some of us were lucky enough to be sons of ballplayers, or in my case the grandson of a former major leaguer and then minor league manager.

ALL hitters need to to be able to bunt, if only because all hitters have slumps. One extra hit per week because of bunting will add 50 points to a player's season batting average. And if you get one bunt hit a week, the infield will of necessity play shallower for you, thus allowing some ground balls to get through the infield.

Infielders need to know where they should be at all times in case of a base hit, or where to be in case a throw from the outfield is cut off. They all need to know that the SS is in charge, and popup he calls is his. The 2B is the top dog if he and the 1B both call for a popup. And ANY infielder gives way to the OF if the outfielder calls for a shallow fly ball.

Outfielders need to know which base they should throw to in the event of a fly ball to them, a base hit to them, or a ball that goes to the wall. All outfielders need to know that they give way to the CF if both call for a fly ball. And outfielders need to know how to align themselves when catching a fly ball so that their momentum is in the direction of the base where they need to throw the ball.

Catchers need to know what base to back up after a ball is hit, and if the C backs up 1B or 3B,and infielders need to know where they should be if the C is backing up a base.

Pitchers need to instinctively break without hesitation for 1B on any ground ball hit to the right side. They need to know how to hold runners on base, and what constitutes a balk. They also need to know what to do immediately if they field a comebacker with runners on base.

Fundamentals? I've seen Little Leaguers even today who have more solid baseball fundamentals than some major leaguers (Pie, for example). And a team with excellent fundamentals will win a lot of games because they score an additional run and/or keep the other team from scoring a run.

Truthfully, nobody should get out of the minors unless they are skilled at fundamentals.

Peter, good to hear!
Millionaire ballplayers who can't bunt are just plain disgusting to watch.

I actually chatted up the Skipper at Fan Fest and asked him to work on their bunting! He had a huge grin, and promised.

Fundamentals are just one of many things Trembley should be held accountable for this season.

This team has promise but also many question marks. No proven big bat, uncertainty on the infield corners, 3 young starters, an iffy bullpen, etc.

Good decision-making by Trembley will be crucial in order for this team to win close games. Choices for the line-up, use of the bullpen, base-running decisions, etc. will have greater consequences for a team with no history of winning.

He's going to 'ask their cooperation'??

How about if he DEMANDS their cooperation? I assume he 'asked' last year and it didnt go too well, right?

Trembley will be fired by July...

More taking of pitches, not getting thrown out on the basepaths, getting our pitchers to throw strikes... Those are the fundamentals I'd like to see this team focus on. No sacrifice bunting, please, unless your name is Izturis or Andino.

AngelOs, The fan base will not accept another POINTLESS round of Managerial Carousel as an answer to the team's deficiencies.

The pressure is not on Trembley, it's on MacPhail to field a BETTER PRODUCT.

That's the bottom line, really.

...how fustrating it was last season to watch in disbelief that professional hitters couldn't execute a simple sacrifice bunt!

The Orioles Have a Lousy Manager
- http://bit.ly/avrOvX

I think Trembley is a lame, second-rate hack. But, I hope he proves me wrong.

No matter what I think of Trembley, I think it's fair to blame him for the straight out stupid judgments veteran players made running the base paths last year--including Brian Roberts. At one point it seemed every single Oriole hitter invoke his right to made a blatantly stupid mind fart error at a critical time.

What I do blame Trembley for is his ineffective response--whatever it was, assuming he did react, it didn't work worth a damn.

I intended to write "I don't think its fair..............."

He should have planted his foot square the veteran players assess instead of jumping all over Pie. To Trembley: That was a punk move.

I agree, 100%, with comments by Wayne U. above.

And already Trembley is talking about the difficulty ahead in getting ab's for Wigginton and Pie. This team won 60 some games last year. Why should it be at all difficult to tell a guy "you're taking a day off"

To revisit, last year Trembley made out lineups 3 and 4 days in advance so as not to upset anyone. I've never heard of such silliness. It seemed pretty lame and second rate to me, too.