Guess you didn't get to watch any of the Bob Costas Make Viewers Cry Hour from 430-530 this afternoon?

They must have drugged Calvin Borel, because you could actually understand him. Talked slow, wasn't hopping around like a leprechaun, didn't kiss anyone... it was weird.

One last thing- any reason a network like ESPN2 doesn't pick up all of the day's races? For all the Triple Crown. Has to be better than showing HS Cheerleading and Pool all day.

the alfredo simon show was due for failure sooner rather than later.

though bottom 5 in payroll seems out of place, don'tcha think?

Posted by: AsbestelO's | May 14, 2010 11:53 PM

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dude, you can't even get your hate correct. The O's are 17th overall in Payroll for 2010. Not the 5th. Not the Bottom 3rd. 17th.

http://content.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/salaries/totalpayroll.aspx?year=2010

haters LOVE to overstate the cheapness of team, penny pinching Angelos etc. But look back over the years of PA and look at the rankings of O's Payroll. Cheap has not been the motif of the PA era.

...that's not to say it's been wisely invested, or the investments paid anything close to the expected return.

joe,

too right.

really, 8 runs!!!!

I mean really?!?!??!!

and cla meredith would not be outdone!!!

wow
someone have simon on their fantasy team?

Paulie you can't add. The O's salary of the O's is 62 million. Get yourself a caluculator and add it up. They are not 17th more like 27th.

Again DT screws up the bullpen. WHY does he have to play a matchup and waste pitchers on one batter? Someone needs to get hired who knows hom to manage a team that is not filled with reat players. Albers gets an out..leave him alone...stop using a pitcher a batter. I don't blame Simon..he shouldn't have been there iin the first place , DT MUST GO

Whether or not DT screwed around with so many pitchers in the 8th, he was going to bring in Simon to F up the 9th.

only Simon's mother could have predicted that he'd be closing games for the Os this year.

oh boy roy...

Subtract 3 mil from Millwood and 9 for lugo and you get about 69 mil. which puts them in just behind the Royals, who tied up $24mil in Gil Meche and Jose Guillen.

and the Reds who have $36 mil tied up in Arroyo, Harang and Cordero.

Is that the kind of spending people want?

Note all the teams with winning records in the bottom of spending

Toronto, TB, Was, Tex, A's, Pads, FLA... its about talent, not how much you can spend for the last time.

I get that Simon is a good story. But wouldn't he be a good story getting outs in the 7th and 8th inning also?
Wouldn't it make more sense to have Koji saving games since he's actually done it in the past?
Oh I forgot...Koji only throws about 88-90 miles per hour.... but at least he knows where the balls going going..
and what's up with the never ending match ups constantly?
We could get a stinkin computer to do that.
Righty righty lefty lefty... I get it... I also get that you keep running guys out for one batter someone is bound to be "off"
I like you dave I really do, but man your handling of the bullpen just drives me nuts

Also,
One of two things
Matuzs should not have even come out for the 7th...or
He should have been lifted after walking the first batter..then he couldn't have gotten the loss...
I realize it turned out OK, but I still didn't like it.
Simon or Albers for the 8th...If they are lights out leave them in...if not Koji for the 9th..
next man up Koji please

First off, given what we have, Simon is the best option at closer right now. Maybe Mickolio or Koji or a FA will be the closer, but he is the best we have. Rivera and Gagne both blew saves from time to time. So did Dennis Eckersly. I'd take Sherill and a good handful of other people over Simon. Gonzo is not on that list, but he is the best we had.

Bad managering (is that a word) lost us this game. He brought in Ohman with a big lead last night instead of Albers and Meredith who needed work. He had 3 pitchers go in the 8th tonight, including 2 of our best right now, leaving us with nobody to come in when Simon fell apart, which was due to happen.
Our offense has been much better lately and i'm going to give a scenario that might put this in perspective to more people.
Compare having a runner on 2nd with no outs to being in debt. Being down 1 run is like being $200 in debt, being down 6 runs is like being $10000 in debt.
Being $200 in debt you carpool to work and avoid going out to dinner once a week. Being $10000 in debt you play the lottery freak out.
I don't care if you have Babe Ruth hitting, in a 1 run game with a runner on 2nd in the bottom of the 9th YOU BUNT.
Had we had Koji or Ohman available, you can save a pitcher and probably get out of the 9th down 3-2.
We have the talent and the ability to be a .500 team. Trembley and especially Crowley need to go, because the only thing that will get PGA to consider a sale or retirement will be one good season.

Pete said, "Congratulations to Lookin at Lucky, who helped the city of Baltimore stick it to New York for the 33rd straight year. No Triple Crown intrigue for the upcoming Belmont Stakes, though I guess they're used to that by now."

Oops.

Sorry, Pete, while there hasn't been a triple crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 and there can't be one this year, there were eleven (11) Derby/Preakness winners since then.

Folks,

As someone with considerable experience managing baseball games, my decision to pull a pitcher was decided only after I asked myself do I really have someone better in the pen. Further, you have to factor in not what the relievers best performance would look like, but based on their past performance how confident are you in what your about to get.

DT may have been guilty of a little over managing, but anytime you pull pitchers and get beat after having a lead, you'll be accused of over-managing. Once he made the decision to pull Matusz for Albers (a move I wouldn't have made) and then Albers looked really good, he should have stuck with him. Guys get into grooves and even your best guy has games when he has nothing, go with the hot hand. Ultimately, you were going to see Simon, because he is now slotted as the Closer, so we are who we thought we were.

As I said before, enjoy the wins, they will be few and far between.

I told you so!

The truth will set you free!

Pete i think you should stick to covering the horses.

Paulie,

Not so fast my friend!, We are paying Lugo the major league minimum, Boston is eating his $9.2M and Texas is picking up a portion of Millwood. Now the decision to pay Atkins $4M and Gonzo $6M and Koji $5M, those three signings should earn Mcfail the quick exit stage right! So subtract the mistakes, and the salaries other teams are paying and get a realistic view of what PA is paying out. Further, I'm sure your familiar with the old saying, you get what you pay for? It applies, when you wait til all the GOOD players are gone and even if you only pay the bottom of the barrell player 1/2 of what the GOOD players get, most of the time, you get the bottom of the barrell results!

Your numbers as presented are both deceiving and erroneous coupled with more Warehousing!

I told you so!

The truth will set you free!

Hey Pete,

Just as you give all the positive posters something to cheer for by putting up a new Blog subject up after a win, so should you when there's another miserable loss.

Afterall, the naysayers should get the same attention, right?

Seriously, I didn't and wouldn't have come on to gloat about another terrible loss. Why? Because it hurts when the O's lose, and I simply refuse to get used to it.

Besides, it's just too easy to gloat after a win. The O's, especially since AM has been here, have given fans so many chances to practice, it just gets redundant after awhile.

Last nights game is hardy even worth commenting about. I did think about asking SHAMROCK how another 'almost win' was working for him.... but again, that's just too easy.

I do miss however, the smitty, paulie and mean anonymous post though. If the O's won last night, they'd be all over my ass... Or should I say - he'd be all over my ass.

Problem is, I would have loved a win. Hell, I picked up Simon on my Fantasy team a few weeks ago, and although the 5 saves have been great, he killed my era and whip last night. Was worth the shot though. Hopefully he'll get a chance to quickly redeem himself today.

Hey SHAM, I didn't get a chance to drive South last night after the game, but I'll be here for a few days and will attempt to check out your recommendation. Thanks for the tip....

hey pete-

can I pitch AMWAY on everyone here? its only fare if the Nigerian Money Scammers get to...

better not catch you wearing Ed Hardy or Gucci Shades working out to PX90 at the ballpark!

Keith,

Totally forgot that you subtract the salaries of players who you Don't Like/AM signed to get the Actual payroll.

That's the Truth huh?

Payroll and Talent are not mutually exclusive. Look at the M's...or hell, look at the O's from early 90's-mid 2000's.

What Keith is trying to get you to understand is..... The article you posted does not take into account the O's discounted salary's. Do you understand now paulie? Or will you just spin things your way again? Not that it matters if you do.

And you know what? How about showing the mid market teams that do spend wisely? Do you know who they are? Oh sure, there are some dud signings from time to time. But even you realize you must keep playing in order to win, right?

Funny,

I can vividly see all those post about how Hughes was going to be the guy at 1B.

And how about Arrieta's command in the minors? There's a reason his prospect rating took a dive last year. He walks way too many... at the AAA level no less. Imagine how it would be in the Bigs?

How about the 3, 4 and 5 rotation dudes in AAA? Anyone have those stats? Nah, nevermind. You'll just be called 'negative' if you post them.

Is Bell up to 250 yet? What's his OPS?

While you're looking up Bell, what about Synder?

Come on... I need an update damn it. I mean since the O's have the worst record in baseball still, it's the minors that have everyone excited, right?

That's what AM brought us, correct?

Good... thought so!

Whoa, did "Buzzkill Wayne" actually just try to pass himself off as a caring O's fan?

Everyone on here knows you don't give a crap about the O's wayne. As has been stated previously, you simply have no life, and your joy comes from trying to provoke the agitated fans of a bad team.

I'm sure the reason Pete doesn't post a new blog entry after games like this is so he doesn't give blowhards like you more of a forum to try and incite people.

EVERY team in the majors suffers the odd fluke collapse. As was said earlier...even the great closers have blown leads and had the occasional collapse.

Is Simon a great closer? No, but the point is, last night's loss was a fluke, though everyone knows you and the naysayers will come on and talk about how it was DT's fault, or it's a sign that the O's suck, etc., etc.

They missed a few opportunities on offense again last night (as usual), but Matusz battled and pitched effectively, the bullpen got it done in the 8th and then we turned a two run lead over to our closer, who had yet to allow a run this season.

Are the O's a great team? No, but last night's loss was a fluke that happens to every team now and then...it can't be used as an indication of what kind of team this is.

But I'm sure we'll hear more from wayne, since he's in love with the sound of his own voice.

Besides, it's just too easy to gloat after a win. The O's, especially since AM has been here, have given fans so many chances to practice, it just gets redundant after awhile.
Posted by: wayne | May 16, 2010 11:56 AM

Besides, it's just too easy to see you're an idiot who, after so many chances to practice, fails at making the point you're shooting for.

Way to contradict yourself yet again.

lol... That's it? That's what you got?

Hey chris, I've supported the O's more the past decade than you ever will in your lifetime. Hell, make that the last year.. Fact!

Good fans scream when the team has been pathetic for this long. Bad fans allow other teams fans to take over your home park all while saying 'everything will be fine'.

And if you read my post chris ole boy, I NEVER complained about the collapse last night. Not once. And I was very easy on Simon, even though I have him on my fantasy team... Maybe you'll want to read the past again handsome.... Why would I ever blame Simon anyway? None of this is his fault.

And I'm not making my point mean anonymous/smit-man? Come on bro, of course I am. or you wouldn't get so damn defensive and upset....

Anyway, here's to a win today. I'm not in town (damn, I should have given you my tix chris), but I'll be rooting from afar.

Now see Keiths and Gils sign offs......

Bye bye

wayne,

Keith's "math" included both reducing the payroll by players the O's are paying.

That's Spin.

Being the 5th lowest in payroll, also Spin.

PA being a notorious spend thrift, also Spin.

Why so up in arms over Truth?

Do you get my point?

Payroll as an indicator of success, or lack there of, is Not a always Directly Related? As an O's fan, wayne, I'd think you'd know that.

Can somebody please explain to me the reason why a batter would slide into 1st base on a ground ball? Doesn't that slow the momentum?

I'm just asking because Tejada slided into 1B and was out by a mile. Withholding the sarcasm, this seems like stupid baserunning because 1) it's a force out, and 2) 1B is the only base a hitter can overrun.

I see that all too often by other teams as well and I can never understand it.

I appreciate the compliments wayne, but I'm not into dudes...especially unemployed ones living in their parents' basement.

wayne, and ALL...

I'm in many Fantasy Leagues, and would be happy to volunteer useless banter, and slighted opinion on those topics too.

If anyone has ideas on a SP waiver-wire types, I'd be grateful. Watched Latos, Bailey, Ely, Holland, and Masterson go in a matter of 24 hours and wrecked me. too early for Tillman...yikes.

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Dave in GB,

yeah, that gets me too. Maybe Gil or CB, or someone have a reasoning.

I'll gladly help in any way I can. Fantasy baseball drives ya nuts, but it can be a wild ride, especially when your home team gives you nothing to root for.

Oh, and if Super Saver had won you can bet that same Pimlico track official would have told you that he knew Super Saver was going to win because Cal Borel was riding, he was #8, and Cal Ripken was playing him.

I'm sure the same track official also knew that 23-1 First Dude would run second because he had a dream where he heard the question "How's that exacta thing working out for ya?"