Hey Pete,
I'm going to the O's-Phils game in Clearwater on Friday night. Any idea who might be pitching in that game for the O's? Looking forward to it, I've never been to a spring training game before! Thanks.

Hey Pete,

I realize it's ST, but shouldn't teams be obligated to field a semblance of a major league line-up to start a game? I know every team does it but I don't recall any team fielding as weak a team as the O's are sending to Ft Myers.

People do pay good money for these games after all. I'm not saying they should start 6 regulars, but today's line-up is absolutely ridiculous... spring training or not.

I believe the requirement is that they have to send at least 3 people who will make their opening day roster, which they have with Moeller, Andino, Scott, and Reimold.

In addition, it's over a 2 hour drive from Ft. Lauderdale to Ft. Myers, so it's a pretty safe bet that the people there don't care about the O's and are only going to be interested in the Twins.

I know that if I'm going to see a game at Camden Yards, I don't care if we're playing the Yankme's or the Pirates, nor do I care if they pull all of their regulars and play their triple A team. It also doesn't matter to me if I've spent money on field level seats or nose-bleed central. The money may be good money, but I personally think it's well spent regardless.

Wayne,

Continuing on with your proud tradition of no-value postings I see.

Obviously you have no grasp on the concept of spring training.

Please just go away.
Paul

IMO, Wayne, they're obligated to evaluate talent and prepare for the season as best they can, and have no obligation to ST fans.

And that lineup (sadly) contains two regulars, one guy (andino) who'd be starting if this was the regular season, and one guy who'll start at least one game each week (Moeller).

Ha! clearly Paul and Tim are front office employees. What else could explain their attitude that the team shouldn't care about the fans. That's straight from the O's playbook!!!

John & Paul...THANKS !

Hey Wayne, get a clue !!!

Ha! clearly Paul and Tim are front office employees. What else could explain their attitude that the team shouldn't care about the fans. That's straight from the O's playbook!!!

Hey Wayne, what's the beef about not starting a major league lineup in Spring Training?

Didn't seem to bother anybody all last summer.

Dag,do O's fans complain about everything? Really? Next we're going to hear complaints about Matusz not going 9 innings. Its spring training, its used to evaluate and get people ready for the regular season, which happens to be 162 games long!!! If players get rests during the season when the games actually counts, what makes you think everyone would play everyday. Not to mention there was an intrasquad game today as well right?

The best thing for us fans, the way to show us that they care is by doing everything possible to get the team ready for May, and for October. Thats how I want the O's to show me that they care!

Dennis,

Good form! That may have been the best post so far this year.

To the rest,

Lol... I know what ST is all about guys. I know 'exactly' what goes on.

I was simply making a point that I believe all clubs should make a better effort of putting on a little bit of a show for the paying fans.

Seriously, some of you make ST sound like these guys need to learn how to play catch again.

Dennis... Again, that was classic! And so true!

100Ls it cannot be avoided... like Moss getting killed in no country...

I agree wayne. These are major league baseball players. This is what they do for a living. So many people treat March like these guys need to learn how to hit all over again. I get that pitchers need to get back into game shape. And I understand the overall usefullness of Spring Training. But come on fans and media, gain some perspective.

Do some research and see how March was for players in the 60's or even the 70's and 80's. Players then were never as babied as they are today. And guess what? There were far fewer hammy's and alike.

So I'm with you wayne. They don't have to field anywhere near the starting nine. They can however, put a better product on the field than what they're doing today. And yes, anytime fans are forking over dollars, it is a product.

There's an easy solution to avoid paying to watch a team lose. Lots of Orioles fans have figured it out, as the attendance figures indicate. There's really no reason to gripe about the rest who haven't figured it out.

Some like to just go to the ballpark and take in the atmosphere. I'll accept that. In my case, the last time I went with my kids, the players obviously didn't care to be there. They were just going through the motions. I told my kids that's exactly how I don't want them behaving at their games. The 'atmosphere' no longer does it for me.

Um, are the outcomes from Spring Training games used in any way to determine which teams go to the post-season? I don't ever recall any team popping the corks off champagne bottles after a Spring Training win.

While some people may be skeptical about how motivated the Orioles front office is to have a winning team, it's hard to imagine that Dave Trembley isn't trying to do everything he can to put together the best team he can. So I doubt the Spring Training games are nothing more than a Dog and Pony show for him.

Now whether Trembley can effectively manage whatever team he assembles is another matter.

Wayne is, once again, wrong. Spring Training was never intended as entertainment for the fans; do college football teams go full blast with all starters and win-at-all-costs attitudes for the "Blue and White Spring Game"? Of course not. MLB spring training is "practice. We're talkin' 'bout practice." Coaches, managers, et.al. have no obligation whatsoever to "entertain" the fans during this time. It's the fans themselves who have discovered spring training and tried to make it a competitive endeavor. It isn't. Get over it. The sun, the pretty girls in the stands, the warm weather: those are the entertainments.

Colorado,

1) You missed the point, and

2) Did you really just compare ST baseball to the Blue and White Spring Game?

Wowser's