FORGOT ONE PETE.....

Duch, Just the latest Andy MacPhail flyer not to pan out.

Baltimore in need of an experienced body in their starting rotation, chose someone with not one, not two, but three significant issues. Duch, who hasn't been a factor the past two season, is already on the shelf before Grapefruit action even begins. Sources claim many Oriole fans are upset since the 'When will Duch go down' pool had yet to become official.

Oriole brass apparently are scheduling a press conference to remind fans that the 'When will JJ go down' pool remains in play for JJ Hardy. Word is, MacPhails team will also be announcing two brand new games... The 'Who will be traded first - Derrek or Vlad' contest, and the 'Reynolds - over or under' contest.

Updates to follow....

Hey Pete...

Let me just say in person you look much taller than you appear on the Internet.

I was down in Sarasota for the Friday practice and wanted to share some feedback. I had a day to kill down in FLA so I thought I would stop down from St Pete to check out ST and try to snag a few autographs for my brother's scholarship fund silent auction (to preface the main point of this post, let me emphasize here that I am not an autograph hound in the least). The practice facility has a pretty neat 'in-the-round' set up for watching BP, etc. They desperately need a hotdog cart and to get the bathrooms fixed.

My biggest gripe was player interaction. There were maybe 200 people there... a mixture of retirees talking baseball, autograph hounds, homeless people and kids. Maybe a quarter of that number were there for autographs. There were literally just enough people that any one of the bigger players could have spent a few minutes in between hitting rotations to sign.

Brandon Snyder, Duchscherer, Buck and Andy MacPhail stopped to chat and sign for fans.

- Buck signed about 15 more items even after he said he had to 'get back to work'. He also assured me that contrary to Vlad participating in bunting practice, that he 'sure hoped' we wouldn't see him do so in a live game (ha!)

- Snyder came back to the fence as promised after putting his gear down and joked about not knowing what number he was this year.

- Duch was pretty cool and signed for a little while.

- MacPhail signed a few things and was polite in telling me that the O's were not in the market for a 31 year old 9th string righty long man specialist who tops off at 74mph.

My wife made a great point- your team stinks, how about hanging out to sign a few balls and chat with the fans? Tell the guys with binders full of cards to hit the road (anyone that has a page full of Duchscherer A's cards to be signed needs to get a life, I mean really, are you there everyday watching batting practice to get autographs? If you got a job, you would make more money than you could selling Justin Duchscherer autographed cards... even though Duch signed all of them and even made small talk for a few minutes.)

I suppose they all had better things to do (beach bars, golf, XBox, etc) than to spend 15 minutes signing a few things. Scott told the kids to meet him in the parking lot (which is a solid walk around the entire facility), Markakis kept telling the kids 'after he got his work in', only to avoid the public by walking off through the outfield and not past the fence. In other words, who do these guys think they are? Your manager stopped to sign while 'he was at work' and the others can't?

I thought this would have been a pretty cool experience, but it turned into a bust.
I was really hoping that it would be easy to get a few balls signed for the shelf in my office and a few to auction off this summer.

I am not waiting in line at fan fest or paying $20 Bob's card shop to get a ball signed or getting to a game when the gates open to try for autographs down by the field.

The Ravens can take time to sign for the kids at training camp, why can't the O's? I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but after further thought, I am just annoyed.

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Pete's reply: They could be more organized, but it's kind of a Catch-22. If all the guys ran over and signed for the kids during the workout, they wouldn't be able to have cohesive workouts. And keep in mind that you'll never get a Ravens autograph during the season. Lots of O's players sign during the season on the way in and out of the park.

'Duch, Just the latest Andy MacPhail flyer not to pan out.'

Wayne, you are a retard. If he doesn't throw a pitch on Orange and Black, he will only cost $700k. $700k isn't a bust. I think only in your mind he was a major signing/upgrade.

As in anything, what were the alternatives? Who do you think the O's should/could have signed other than him? Not too many SP's out there this year. Plus, you have multiple young arms that he would block anyway.

Its easy to throw stones without offering an alternative. Like idiots that complain about society/economy'politics and offer no solutions.

But that is the way you roll. Bitch bitch bitch. Get a life.

SHAM, how dare you talk to wayne like that? He's just a child, after all, he knows not what he does. I mean, to call him a retard insults retards. Besides, there are better, more politically correct terms you cold have chosen. Mentally deficient, immature, obtuse, a bore, nutty, or any combination of the above would have worked.

Please, SHAM, I thought you were above such nonsense.

Fire Wayne!

Holy cow you're such a lightning rod wayne. But I have to admit, that was one of the funniest Blog Post I've ever read.

And the thing is, I agree with you. Yes, as SHAMROCK says, there were few alternatives. But isn't that what we always say around here when it comes to the Orioles? Hasn't the term 'who were we suppose to get' become a natural cop out for this organization over the years?

Yes, Duch was a low risk cheap signing. But who actually felt he would turn all his problems around so quickly? I don't know baseball as well as many of you, but I didn't. This guy has just been a waste of time, ink and thought process, for both the fans and the organization. I always wondered where people were coming from when they said they liked this signing.

Sure seems we say the same stuff around here every year. If wayne is correct, and Hardy goes down as well, does everyone just say 'what choice did Andy have with the lack of shortstops this year?' It's just becoming so predictable.

I don't get where you come off being so mean SHAMROCK. To me it looks like wayne hit a nerve. The guy was making a point and was hilarious in doing so. But then you come back and tell him to get a life. Maybe you're the one who needs to check yourself. Maybe you should lighten up just a little bit.

sounds like going to white sox camp wearing your bobby jenks jersey and asking guillen for an autograph might be a fun thing to do this spring .

Anyone who can't admit what Wayne wrote was funny is simply jealous. You can agree or disagree with him, but it's better than the same old weather report type posting we see every day. I don't even know if you're an oriole fan Wayne. But please don't let these guys stop you. And for people like shamrock and ken who used the word 'retard', you should be ashamed. I'm embarrassed for you.

Thanks for the post SHAM... glad it struck a chord with you.

ken, I love ya my man, but until you agree to pay your bet, maybe you just shouldn't address me? Just makes you come across as a sore loser.

About those new contest the O's will be announcing all. The 'When will JJ go down', the 'Reynolds - Over/Under', and 'Who will be traded first - Derrek or Vlad'..... anyone hear when the press conference announcing the particulars will be?

wayne, Is the Reynolds over-under for batting average or strike outs? If it's average, I say put it at 210. If it's strike outs, 225 could be a good number. Hilarious!

wayne,

I think JJ will go down by June. I don't think people really understand how much in decline this guy has been in the past 2 seasons. Injury's certainly played a role, but looking closely, you see that it's more than just injury's. Pitchers adjusted to this guy, and he never could counter and get anywhere near the hitter he was in 2008.

So even if injury's aren't his downfall, I predict Izzy will take over by June. He's a better fielder and we'll soon find out pretty close as a hitter.

how about a reynolds over/under using HRs and RBIs, a few numbers that matter for a team that could not score 5 runs without getting 27 hits in a game? I don't hear anyone here claiming that reynolds is going to hit 275 and strike out 150 times or less.So whats the point?

Steve,

I think those #'s are pretty close. I do think his BA will increase a tad (it can't get lower, can it?), although I'm sure his K's will increase due to being unfamiliar with the pitchers.

It'll be interesting to see what the O's come up with at the press conference.

The point Jim?

It's about moving a runner over from 2nd with no outs.

It's about getting an rbi with a man on third by making contact.

It's about making the defense make a play.

Anyone who claims that K's are just like any other out just don't understand the game of baseball. There's a huge difference between 150k's and 225. There's a reason Reynolds K's are historic over 3 years.

Again though, by himself, Reynolds wasn't a bad move. Combined with duch, jj and the one year rentals though, we're simply spinning our wheels.

Dennis,

I agree. Most have focused on JJ's injury's. But it's more than injury's why Minny was willing to give up so easily on a player who had such a good season 3 years ago, and will only be 28. If anyone has noticed, Minny knows what they're doing.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-j-j-hardy-trade-minnesotas-side/

here, read about hardy from people without a bias

Pete,

Did you take those headlines right off the wire? ESPN? Maybe CBSSports?

How does Scott look in LF? Is Pie PO'd that he doesn't have a position? Instead of how he plays Pong, how does Hardy look in the field? Does Wieters seem to be taking more a a take charge role now that he's more experienced? Maybe it's me, but it sure seems like there's allot more us fans would like to know about the orioles.

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Pete's reply: BF, if you don't like the blog, move on. We have an ORIOLES INSIDER blog for just what you're talking about. Have your mom show you where it is.

Just looked up "wayne" in the thesaurus. It said "loser."

Hey Dougie fresh,

Thanks my man. Not only was that original, but it was so incredibly witty. You really hit a nerve with that one....

Jim,

Come on 66, that's the link of preference? Maybe you should go to the Minny blogs from months back and see what their fans were saying. But I guess they were biased, right?

Have a god day y'all. If anyone hears when the O's press conf will be (concerning the pools, etc....), please post it so we know when to tune in.

I believe Vlad and Lee will go at the deadline. Would that be a push? Hardy will be benched by the all star break. And Reynolds will be over the 210 average, but under 225 strike outs.

@ jim66 -- Great link. If he stays healthy, I predict J.J.'s going to be good for 20+ homers, which won't be too bad for a bottom-third-of-the-lineup guy. MacPhail gets kudos for getting Hardy for a couple of minor league pitchers who probably had no future with the Orioles anyway.

@ wayne -- Let's see. The O's haven't even played their first intrasquad game and you're writing off Duchscherer as a bust?

I really hope you're kidding, because if you're not I have sincere concerns about your judgment.

Pete, I think you're going to have to change the name of your blog to include the name "Wayne". Every time I get on here to read this thing somebody is directing something at Wayne..... I mean no disrespect to you at all, Wayne, whatever you're doing is obviously effective and gets people talking which is the point here, but sometimes I come on here and think you get more attention than the actual teams that this blog represents do lol.

With that being said, I completely agree with your point on Reynolds. If he projects to hit in the middle of the batting order his HR numbers help, but the key like you've said is run production. Forcing the defense to make plays, or making a sacrifice play at a crucial point in the game is much more important. I'm glad we got a guy who can hit HR's, but if he's not going to produce in clutch situations, then we're looking at the same team give or take a few runs.

It's a hit or miss move, just like the rest of the guys/rentals they signed are. That is the point though right? Put players out there who might be able to help your young core of players become better and hope they mesh well enough to win a title. I just wish the vets that they signed were more of the A-Rod, Pujols, Prince Fielder variety, not talking about salary, but something long-term versus players that we're just renting for a season to try and be more competitive.

For this season, like so many others, we could be optimistic and hope that he's learned something after setting historic strike out records over the past few years, but the truth is he's probably just the opposite of Vlad. Vlad doesn't strike out much, Reynolds constantly strikes out. I'm going to go with 175 strikeouts for Reynolds, although he could go as high as 250 in my opinion because some of the best pitching is in the AL East, and he has to make an adjustment to the league.

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Pete's reply: Hey, just so you know Joe, this is a blog. It's not my primary occupation, so if Wayne wants to post to his heart's content, I have no problem with that. If I spent as much time here as Wayne, I would have to give up eating and sleeping. I might be willing to give up a little sleep, but anything that infringes on my appetite is strictly off limits.

Boy that Ozzie Guillen is a class act....

Here's an over under for you mr. antagonist
When the O's are 10 games over .500 for the first time whether that's in April or May how bout you you take that many days off?
And if they ever fall 10 games below 500 I'll take a month off. See you only have to go away for 10 days to my 30.
But you can't post as all the other names you keep using like steve and a couple others in this page alone.
Actually, it would be impossible to do with you cause you post as too many people...

nevermind

http://puckettspond.com/2010/12/09/twins-trade-jj-hardy-could-quietly-kill-2011-season/

Hey Wayne

Pretty much they all hated it....That is what you were saying right?

last i checked, not too many 27 year old 30 hr/90 rbi/85 walk guys looking for work.

I bet I can find lots of guys without those numbers who may be adept at moving a guy from 4-5 playing other places than the major leagues.

and yea, fangraphs isn't a bad spot to get some unbiased info on some players.

Here's another nomination for "Post of the Year", Pete...

"Maybe you should go to the Minny blogs from months back and see what their fans were saying. But I guess they were biased, right?"

Posted by: wayne | February 27, 2011 12:52 PM

Apparently, wayne thinks that the best place to go for unbiased journalism about J.J. Hardy is... (drum roll please) a Minnesota blog full of Twins fans!

Either old wayner hit his head when he got knocked over by the breeze from a Mark Reynolds strikeout, or he's unsure of the definition of the word "biased".

I really think we have a winner here...

nb,

Thanks for the props my man.. To think that may be 'Post of The Year' is beyond special. Keep in mind though, the year's still young.

Yes, most Minny fans loved unloading JJ (i know... what a shock). Not only couldn't he stay on the field, but his production has been in very steady decline since pitchers adjusted to his '08 season. And again, I'll take Minny's front office judgement over the O's every day of the week, month and year.
Wouldn't you nb?

Hey smit ole boy,

Here ya go, I'll respond to you - since no one else ever does. So I'm Steve now? Excellent for him... Where's that Beaner post smit?

Joe,

No thanks sir.... This is Pete's blog, and although we have a love/hate relationship, his job is much too difficult for me to ever get credit of any kind.

I do want to be like Pete when I retire though..... many weeks of vacation, winter months covering ST til mid afternoon, adoring fans in the O's front office..... where does one sign up?

Jack Meoff,

I don't have anything to say.... just wanted to write your name.

Ken Francis,

I wrote duch off? Actually, I thought his not one, not two, but three issues wrote him off.... And oh, he's already hurting before the first game? I know, I know.... he only cost 700k.... which defines 'you get what you pay for' folks....

jc,

Nah, they're not jealous.... just misunderstood.. Aren't we all?

Hmmm, Do real men watch the Oscars?

And nb,

I noticed on another post you said 'if we're talking just Duch, I'll take that risk every time'... or something like that....

Like I've said over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.... and since you obviously only comprehend what you choose..... If we were only talking Duch, of course you take the chance.

But we're not just talking Duch, are we now?

We're talking also about a SS who can't stay on the field, two one year rentals, one with a current injury concern, a 3B who hit 198 with historic K's, a relief pitcher who hardly pitched in '09... I mean it goes on and on.

Any one of these guys ALONE is a fine acquisition. Collectively though, it's a mess... It's embarrassing.

If Ozzie Guillen really wants to rip Bobby Jenks' throat out, he must make sure that the big guy is wearing a Red Sox uniform. Then it would be justified.

wayne -

Anyone who claims that K's are just like any other out just don't understand the game of baseball.

A strikeout is just an out. And I understand the game of baseball.

Just like a groundball or a fly ball is just an out. A strikeout doesn't speed the process of the game, it's part of it. Other than the hope of an error, it really doesn't matter. Maybe Showalter should give Reynolds the "take" sign on strike 2 more often, or give him a bunt sign now and then.

I mean, do you REALLY think Reynolds will hit .198 again? I know you know better then that. Other than pointing out the K's, Reynolds was never really that bad of a hitter, even before the 2010 season.

C'mon, wayne. Either you really believe he's THAT bad, or you're just trying to blow smoke up some peoples arse.

ummm, the twins traded bartlett and garza for delmon young

what did they get for santana?During 2007–2008 off-season, Santana was traded from the Twins to the New York Mets, for Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey.

oops, the twins don't always make the best moves

jeez, this is easy

Whats the over/under for when Wayne stops posting here and goes to some other cities site to agitate them. I hear the Pirates could really use you this year Wayne. I wonder if you hate their GM as much as Andy?

Number of games over .500 for O's
5- 50-1
10- 20-1
15- 10-1
20 even money

I'm going with once we are 10 games over he will disappear at 20-1.

Agitators go to where it's easiest to stir up trouble.

wayne -

I would have taken Terry Ryan over Andy any day of the week, but I'm not sure about Bill Smith.

Smith and the Twins, in their apparent infinite wisdom, have decided to gamble on Alexi Casilla, owner of a .633 career OPS in parts of five seasons, as their starting shortstop for the 2011 season.

Casilla doesn't hit for average, doesn't hit for power, doesn't get on base much and doesn't steal many bases (probably because he doesn't get on base much). He hasn't played enough shortstop (about 230 innings) for us to accurately judge his fielding ability.

This is the guy that the Twins gave up on J.J. Hardy for. If these are the kind of decisions they're making in the Bill Smith era (along with the horrific Santana trade and the Wilson Ramos for Matt Capps head-scratcher last season), I'm really not sure that I'd take the Twins front office over the O's.

Moving on...

According to you, J.J. Hardy has been figured out. He was one of the better hitting shortstops in baseball in 2007 and 2008, and then, all of a sudden, pitchers found a hole in his swing. It wasn't at all that he got hurt, then demoted, then traded to a new league. It's that pitchers now know how to pitch to him.

Well wait... What happened last year, wayne, when Hardy finally started to get healthy? Did pitchers un-figure him out? Is that how he hit .304/.363/.442 after the All Star break through the end of the season?

Look, wayne. It's obvious that J.J. Hardy wouldn't be everyone's first choice to play shortstop for the Orioles, but where we are right now, here in 2011, how about you tell me who would have been a better choice. Heck, in Andy's entire tenure as Orioles GM, how about you tell me who would have been a better choice. Because, last I checked, the shortstop market has been pretty barren over the past three years or so. Honestly, the only decent shortstop I can think of who has been a free agent during Andy's tenure with the O's is Rafael Furcal. And I can't think of a single solid shortstop who has been on the trade market during that time. Unless you're in love with Jason Bartlett.

But whatever. I know that all you're going to respond with is, "It's not just about Hardy, is it nb?" Of course it's not just about Hardy, wayne, but if you can start to vouch for the parts, the team as a whole starts to look at little less hopeless.

Anyway, just so we're on the same page, I'm not arguing for Andy MacPhail. He's had his chances, and I think he should be gone after 2011 regardless of whether or not the O's put up a winning record.

I'm arguing that we give some of these guys a shot. But no!!! Hardy's been hurt over the past two seasons! And Reynolds strikes out every 10 seconds! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, wayne, but last I checked, here in 2011, J.J. Hardy and Mark Reynolds were probably the best options available at third and short for the Baltimore Orioles. And before I whine and complain myself to death, I'm going to give each of these guys at least a few weeks in an Oriole uniform before I condemn them as part of the failed 2011 Orioles who haven't played a single game yet. The same goes for Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero. This is 2011, and in hopes of seeing an entertaining baseball team, I'm hoping that these guys can put their injuries and their down years behind them. Hey, even Justin Duchscherer gets a shot in my book.

And this is not about Andy MacPhail. I'm done with Andy MacPhail. But I'm still an Orioles fan, and I've got a little bit of hope left for my team.

That is all.

Dave,

I'm surprised in you. Of course making contact is better than a K.

What happens when one grounds to second base with a man on 2nd and no outs?

What happens when one flies to center with a man on 3rd with less than 2 outs?

What would have happened if the ball wasn't grounded to Billy Buckner?

I could go on and on Dave. Even when one hits into a double play, they're making the defense make a play.... anything can happen.

Dave, I hope Reynolds hits 250 and goes yard 40+. But the guy batted 198 and knew most of the pitchers he faced.

Imagine what O's fans would be saying about him if he played for the Yanks... He'd be slaughtered. In Baltimore though, he's the cream of AM's crop.

Shamrock,

Hey man, you don't find it a little hypocritical of yourself to complain that these guys didn't autograph some of your baseballs so you could turn around and auction them off later?

SHAMROCK,

You really auction off baseballs, complaining when you don't get who you desire as David in Baghdad says?

Instead of Shamrock, it should be Shameful

'Pete's reply: They could be more organized, but it's kind of a Catch-22. If all the guys ran over and signed for the kids during the workout, they wouldn't be able to have cohesive workouts. And keep in mind that you'll never get a Ravens autograph during the season. Lots of O's players sign during the season on the way in and out of the park.'

Didn't need everyone to come over... someone would have been nice. I did not think the crowd was all that big that it would have caused a huge rush to the fence. They had time, especially during bunting practice. Seriously, it would have been safer for Vlad to sign a few autographs than to attempt to bunt. Same goes with Scott, Markakis, Jones... if those guys bunt more than 10 times combined all year, something is wrong.

I think there is a different pregame dynamic between football and baseball. Baseball warm ups involve a lot of standing around, whereas football they're running drills, etc. The problem with the pregame autograph set up is the rush of people. I did not get the sense that would happen Friday if Adam Jones or another big name stopped by for a few minutes.

Shamrock,

Hey man, you don't find it a little hypocritical of yourself to complain that these guys didn't autograph some of your baseballs so you could turn around and auction them off later?

Posted by: David in Baghdad
****

Thanks for reading (same to you BF). I guess you missed the part where I specified that the auction was for a scholarship fund. I did not elaborate on details of the it, but those are not important. If you are interested in making a contribution, feel free to email Pete for my email address.

Yes, I chose to stand around in a field, getting sunburned watching non-roster invitee Randy Winn practice bunting, trying to score a few autographs (thinking it would be easier to get during spring) to put into a silent auction for my late brother's scholarship fund.

Guess that makes me a hypocrite?

Do you even know what hypocrite means? To be a hypocrite in this situation, I would have to not do the same thing I was complaining about not being done. (ie- complaining about people that speed, yet speeding myself.)

If you really are in Baghdad, I thank you for your service and ask that you stick to your day job of keeping our country safe from terrorists.

'I don't get where you come off being so mean SHAMROCK. To me it looks like wayne hit a nerve. The guy was making a point and was hilarious in doing so.'

steve-

Hitting a nerve requires something personal. Aside from being a lifelong Duchscherer and alleged Warehouse Secret agent, nothing of what wayne says personally offends me. I simply like making trolls feel trolly-ier and pointing out the flaws in their thinking.

No, it really wasn't funny, it was just wayne being negative about everything. There were better jokes tonight during the Oscars (yes wayne... real 'married' men watch the Oscars. Others just watch for the outfits and to try to make funnies about it on the baseball blog). A few fewer sports fans on the Hater-ade makes for better conversation.

Ken-

How about 'intelligence deficient'?

'Jim Joyce-esque'?

'Dullest piece of sandpaper in Gaylord Perry's hat'

'Hollower than Sammy Sosa's bat sans the cork'

'Dumber than Larry Walker that time he flipped the second out into the crowd'

nb,

We'll have to give them a shot. After all, what choice do we have?

When it comes to 3B and SS, it's not just who was avail this year. Can't it be about '09 and '10 as well? You see, if you don't think a stiff like Bell is the answer, you don't wait until you're desperate to fill one of the hot corners at the last moment.

Speaking of corners.... I guess there hasn't been anyone worth getting the last 2 or 3 years at 1B either. Oh, that's right... Snyder was the answer.

And at SS, let's wait until Izzy's contract runs out so we can again attempt to fill a key position at the very last second.

It's called having a plan... Just as AM has no plan for the future at 2B, there was no plan at 3B, SS, 1B, etc....

Here's how it happens in Baltimore under AM.....

Wait until there's a desperate need, then get who who can... followed by the media and some fans saying 'well who else were we suppose to get'....

It's become an annual ritual.

So basically, we're screwed no matter what we do. Hindsight a sonabitch

Hardy will be benched by the all star break JC?! Replaced by whom? Not one of the worst full time players of all time, little Cesar, who can't hit his way out of a paper bag!

@wayne:

From the comment section for the "O's: FanFest in the rear view" post ("The Schmuck Stops Here", January 30, 2011):

As a Boston fan who lives in Baltimore, it's fascinating how almost every poster last season was lobbying for AGon. But when he finally ended up with the Sox, you don't see anything ever posted.

It's like Baltimore fans just always give in to the fact that you'll sign nothing but players that no other teams want.

You all say it's tough to be competitive in the AL East. I agree with you - it is. Markets like Boston and NY simply have more dollars to spend. But what I never hear is how you guys get beat up by teams in the other divisions as well. In other words, the AL East argument only comes into play when your team could become competitive in another division.

Look at the Detroit payroll compared to yours. You're not even competitive with Detroit. And how did you guys do with the AL East teams with low payrolls? How'd you do against Toronto? How about Tampa?

You consistently roll over and accept the players you keep getting. None of your acquisitions are ever mentioned on Sportscenter, accept for a simple blurb announcing where a player may be headed. Like the Pirates of the National League, fans across the country look at the Orioles as a complete joke.

The good news for Beantowners like me is, I get great seats every time the boys come to town. And as a Bonus, I'm always assured that I'll be surrounded by fans wearing nothing but Red Sox gear.

It's going to be a good year. Sorry you didn't get Agon. Too bad you're not sorry as well.

Posted by: Beaner | January 31, 2011 1:33 PM

wayne, I've already said I would pay the bet, but the thing is, I'd have to meet you. Truth be told, I don't want to meet you. I prefer you being a figment of my imagination. So, if it's all the same to you, you stay on your side of OPACY and I'll stay on mine. Of course, if you have to have your Gary Cooper moment, we can do it right at the pitcher's mound, I'll be the one carrying the big bat.

You're absolutely, 100% correct about Andy MacPhail and the fact that he hasn't had a plan, wayne.

But as I've said before, I'm done arguing about Andy MacPhail. For me, there's no point any more. Even if the O's win 82 games in 2011, Andy deserves to be fired. He's had his chances to turn this team into an annual contender, and, in my opinion, he's failed miserably. Maybe it's all his fault. Maybe it's Peter Angelos's fault. Maybe it's Beattie and Flanagan's fault. Maybe it's Syd Thrift's fault. Maybe it's Mark Teixeira's fault.

Whatever. I don't care. Who is running this team doesn't matter right now. Now that the moves have been made weeks and months ago, and Spring Training has started, it's all about the players.

And as I've said before, I'm for giving the players a shot. You can say you are all you want, wayne, but it's plain as day that it's not true. The first time I said we should give Reynolds a shot, you basically laughed at me and said ".198" four hundred times. You're dead set on Lee and Vlad being traded by the July deadline if they're both playing well (although it appears that it hasn't occured to you that if both of those guys are playing well, the O's could be playing well). You're ready to place bets on when J.J. Hardy is going to get hurt (real classy move, by the way). You're so intent on hating Andy MacPhail (and rightfully so, in my opinion), that you've already decided that the O's are going to be a disaster this year.

Well, to each his own, buddy. You can be as negative as you want as much as you want. That's your right. But, keep in mind that it's my right to be hopeful.

(I'm on the lookout for the expected patronizing response. Don't let me down, buddy!)

@not brooks and wayne,

I can see where both you guys are coming from, and you both have valid points that support your point of view.

Wayne is looking for significant changes that at least on paper will represent some sort of blueprint for success. I agree with him that the off-season acquisitions were like buying a bunch of lottery tickets and hoping for a miracle. Because certainly they do very little in rebuilding or contending.

Not brooks: If I'm not mistaken, you're taking the point of view of let's see what happens. There is always a possibility this roster can succeed. I agree there. But what is the probability? I'm all for giving guys a chance as well, but at some point you've got to wonder: What is the probability that all clicks? I have a feeling too many if and buts will come out at the end of this MacPhail experiment on the last year of his contract. I certainly hope everything clicks and they suprise the heck out of us. But at this point, I'm somewhere in the middle between Wayne and you. I agree that no matter what MacPhail does, he has already failed. But I also believe that Guerrero and Lee will have a good year. The pitching will come around, and Markakis and Jones will finally be the hitters they are supposed to be.

nb,

So you always think I'm going to give you some kind of patronizing response. Not true.... While you often disrespect my post, I rarely go at you personally (although there have been exceptions).

We agree that AM has failed. We disagree however, on whether it's cool to continue making points about his incompetence as the leader of this team.

Personally, I believe the guy is going to get a new contract.... Yes, I think PA is that out of touch in understanding anything about the game of baseball.

Believing such to be true, I think it's important that all real baseball fans in this market hold the front office responsible, especially since the media won't do it for us.

Will it matter? Likely not.... But it's the right of every poster to act in a way they feel is appropriate as it relates to the O's.....

even of it's me...

Wayne, I disagree with you here.

Yes, I think PA is that out of touch in understanding anything about the game of baseball.

I don't think that's the case. If he were truly out of touch. They wouldn't have signed Vlad Guerrero. I do think the front office listened to us or at the very least something around here was a catalyst to get that going and finalized.

Also, Wayne, the Orioles could be the Texas Rangers of 2010. If the Orioles can somehow trade for Francisco Liriano. The Orioles could contend for a wild card. I do think they have enough in the tank to make a go of it!

I am done blogging for tonight.

wayne -

You're throwing up some classics lately, fella.

"But it's the right of every poster to act in a way they feel is appropriate as it relates to the O's....."

This is coming from the guy who calls smitty "dumdum" and for what? Because smitty's too optimistic?

Keep 'em coming, wayne. This new-found irony really suits you.