Peter - I appreciated the more newsy posts under your byline over on Orioles Insider the last week or so.

Here's wishing you a quick recovery from your arduous tour of duty in FL.

Enviously, from the gray north wet...

Yea pete i sincerely hope you recover from your stressful trip down in sunny fla.I know playing golf and hanging out must have taken a heavy toll on you. I am hoping that your next 3 week vacation helps you get ready for that 162 game schedule that you have to face. It seems to me that maybe to help you get through all of this you should consider dropping this blog because you don't seem to respond back to any postings anyway. But then that is just my opinion and you know how much weight that carries.

Bob,

Pete's simply disenchanted. He's actually been reporting honestly about the team lately, and in return, he's been called 'negative' and such.

I know...... how horrid......

Both Pete and Ken Rosenthal have joined the whiny, negative, troll, live in the basement with your mom club.

It's a fun club in fact.... Fun because we get to tell the truth, while giving fair and accurate info and outlooks about the O's.

Keep in mind though Bob.... Pete can only go so far. One of the reasons he rarely responds to posters anymore is because 1) he doesn't want to agree with the apologist, and 2) he can't side with the realist.

A silly troll that Pete.....

Off to the OC (the real OC folks, Orange County, CA) huh? Have an In-n Out burger for me!

So the Schmuck stops here.

we get to tell the truth, while giving fair and accurate info and outlooks about the O's.

Keep telling yourself that. Be sure you're not outside when you say it. Lightning will strike.

Keep telling everyone Pete's reasons for everything. It's fun to watch him b!tch-slap you about once a week.

it is remarkable how much time you get off Pete. If you're doing more work now, based on everyone at newspapers having to fill in for others, I can't imagine how little time you spent on the job before.

I'm not being critical, although I am very jealous. Most people would kill for your gig, but I also believe most would try to do a little better job on their own blog. You basically just type something every couple days, then rarely respond to anyone. You used to give us much more during spring training. Not so much anymore.

Thanks for the info you did give us though. Yes, we do get info on the Insider, but it's not the same. The SUN is truly a biased newspaper towards the orioles, and at least your blog seemed to approach both sides from time to time.

Have a good trip

great to have more than one computer hey W (bf)?
No it's not obvious at all who you are ....hehehe

I don't dislike Peter and the newspaper business is tough but it is obvious that it has gotten to him. He seems like he is just biding his time until retirement or losing the job.

Kind of sad to see but that is what I've observed over the years.

And I hadn't read any saving a turtle story this spring. That was my favorite post from you Pete. Your forever a hero to us and that lucky turtle.

smitty, you know I don't have other names. But if you want me to be bf, then I'll be anyone you want me to be.

I actually ran into someone who knows who you are. That said, I will no longer pick on you smitty. I actually feel really bad.

Just keep rooting for the O's smit my man. I admire your optimism and consistency. I hope your optimism finally pays off in 2011. You deserve for this team to come through for you.

Oh man, Wayne has been talking to the Macpahils...
you found me out huh?...
bummer...

are you sure you know exactly which nephew of Andy's I am?...

No smitty.... none of that actually.

Seriously though bro, all is good. Keep up the good faith. Here's to a great season... for you.

Thanks Dude, and I hope your Sox are at least competitive as well.

See, we can get along just fine. You are a gentleman and I think you would have handled Trembley's firing way better than you know who..

All is good smitty... seriously. I do feel bad, but here's to moving forward.

I do love the city of Boston, but I don't like the Sox and I further dislike their fans. In fact I'll take the Yanks and their fans over the Sox any day.

And yes, I can honestly say there's a 100% chance I would have handled DT's firing better. In fact, I feel any decent person would have done the same.

You would have handled it better as well smitty. You know you would have.

As this spring moves on the news out of camp gets more and more postive. Ryan Adams seems to have the stuff to be a ML hitter. Looks like the O's have to determine his best defensive position and hone his defensive skills, but man that kid can rake it!

Mahoney has looked like a real ML prospect, signing Lee to give him another year, or two, to develop his talents. Nice smooth swing and he can really move for a big guy. But he hasn't looked over matched in his first spring.

Neither guy will make this year's club, Mahoney will probably even start the year at Bowie, but they're two new faces in ML camp that have impressed.

Some more familar O's prospects have played well this spring. Brandon Snyder has picked up the "tools of ignorance" again and has enhanced his value as a future bench player. He's also hitting the ball very well and seems to have impressed Buck.

Josh Bell came into camp in great shape and has also added another glove to his bag and has played well at both 1st and 3rd base. His average doesn't show it but the ball has been screaming off his bat.
He learns to lay off of pitches out of the strike zone, and we'll see him back in Baltimore.

Real eye opener is the pitching depth, 45 well pitched innings in three days, that tells you a lot right there. The O's made some unheralded signings that look really good right now. Accardo, Rapada, and Drese are all names that wouldn't have raised an eyebrow when they were signed. All three are pushing for roster spots, and could very well gain them.

Good time to be an Oriole fan, I'm willing to bet that by next spring the O's farm system is back in the top ten for prospects.

Pete, enjoyed the up dates and the humor from spring training. Keep up the good work.

@mountainfan,

I want to see the O's win, so I see why they went and got veterans, but at the same time, I don't want to see another two years of Josh Bell where we say that we're evaluating him and he is progressing. I'd rather him be an every day player until the all-star break, even if it means we're losing games. If he doesn't solidify himself, you move on. I'm not a big fan of long term projects. You get your shot and you should shine. If not, next man up. I think Bell would benefit greatly from playing daily. I don't see him developing into an answer for O's needs when he is being blocked from veterans.

@Meso,

Bell came to us when he was 22, and played at AA in 09. Last year was his first time at AAA, where he was average. Let him start the year at Norfolk, work on playing 1B, improving his glove at 3rd, and becoming consistent at the plate. Call him up when there's an injury and he can play every day at the major league level.

He just turned 24 in November. I think he deserves more than a shot or you're out.

Pete,

I've largely given up on the comments section of your blog, but every now and then I'm compelled to write.

I, for one, appreciate the blog, and am happy to read your thoughts on the O's and everything else that pops up. Keep up the good work -- you have a lot more fans than the detractors that post here.

PeteyPablo,

Markakis and Jones were 22 when they played their first year with the O's. Brian Roberts was 23. I don't think they were the exception or some kind of superstars when they started. I'm not saying he needs to be a superstar by the age of 24. But he has to be a serviceable player with some promise at the very least. He is none of that right now. I feel the same way about Reymold. The O's are not the Yankees or the Redsox who have veterans signed to long term contracts. They need to rely on guys less than 25 years old to contribute to this team. From what I've seen from Bell this far, we'd be lucky if he developed into a less than average player.

I think the age argument holds more water with pitchers. The pitching craft is harder to learn, but I still don't consider 24 year old players young when 25-26 should be the peak of their prime. Maybe that's just me.

Meso;

I went back to last years Bosox roster and this is what I found as to the ages some of their guys were when they started getting full time duty. I excluded September cup of coffees and part season of 100 or 200 ABs or so.

Lowell a half season at 25, full time at 26

Varitek a half season at 26. Full time at age 27.

Youkilis 27 years old in first full time season.

That's a lot of All Star games, Silver slugger and Gold glove awards that wouldn't have happened for the Bosox if you'd been the GM.

Meso;

A ps to my last post, while Youkilis played well in 06 and 07, he didn't become the power hitting All Star we know him as until 2008 when he was 29.

Yep,

Now we're comparing Bell to All Stars.....That's really happening.

Only O's fans can come up with 'but look what (fill name in here) did when he was 24, and look at him now'.

Rarely does a rose colored glasses O's fan say 'yeah, they kept giving (name here) a shot, and he just never got it. What a waste'.

AM will shove Bell on Buck until.... well until most of you apologize for the move.

QUESTION:

When Roberts misses extensive time in 2011.

When Lee misses extensive time in 2011.

When Hardy misses extensive time in 2011.

When Duch misses extensive time in 2011.

When Accardo misses extensive time in 2011.

When Koji misses extensive time in 2011.

Will posters come on here and say 'damn Oriole luck. We just keep getting hit with the injury bug'?

Or

Will posters come on and say 'Didn't we know the probability was VERY likely that each of these players would be out for long stretches going into this season? And if we knew this, why didn't the organization'?

Not hating everyone..... Just asking......

Hi gangg, long time no talk. ecellennt question wayne. problem is, no one has the boohonkers to aswer, because everyone knows MacFail does this every year. Then people are surpised. helllo

wayne,

I'm glad you did not mention Andy Macphail in your post because that brings the Macphail family siblings out with knives in their fingers on the keyboard. All comity is lost and they try to rip anyone who questions any move the great one has made since he has compounded the losing streak with confounding personnel moves while ignoring the International scouting efforts for Latin talent, as Ken Rosenthal pointed out.

But rememeber wayne, Andy inherited such a horrible situation four years ago that it has taken four years for him to try to put together a strategy. Now we know the strategy. Live off the Bedard trade, flush 2008, 2009, and 2010 down the drain, then sign a bunch of injury riddled players to complement a roster of injury riddled players and try to look busy.

Competitive, wayne, that is Andy's goal. Not winning. Competitive. As the stands at Camden yards continue to empty.

Don't question Andy. It brings out the worst among his 10 or so fans.

The key word as long as Andy keeps the payroll down for PA is to try and become" competitive." Winning is not the goal.

Gil,

What some don't get is..... we want to O's to be successful... very successful in fact. If AM was somehow able to change his stripes and build a legitimate winner, you'd see me jumping on the bandwagon faster than the eye can see.

But my goodness, how can people not see what's happening right before their own eyes?

I honestly believe Pete is disenchanted because I bet he's getting flak from the SUN and the O's. He has dared to be honest about the O's in recent weeks. Not negative mind you, but simply reporting what he's seeing with his own eyes.

There's no question that folks have asked Pete to step back a bit. Instead of simply sucking up to the O's like most others in the media, I believe Pete has just become quiet.

Let me ask..... Do you think it's normal for Pete (who covers the O's) to not only leave ST, but to go 'away' in the middle of something he usually loves to cover?

Pete's a big boy and can take care of himself.... but this is tough to watch...

Anyway, I do believe Buck will get the most out of the team this year... possibly helping the team to 81 wins or so. But like some have said, then what?

The minors are very, very far from helping out, the international effort remains laughable, the one year (or less) rentals will be gone, there has been no plans made for Brob's eventual replacement... it goes on and on and on.

Most alarming though Gil, what happens to the young pitching staff should they falter? If ever a team needed to sure up its rotation with a qualified innings eater, the O's were it. And who does AM go out and get?

A SP with 3 huge issues... someone who hasn't really pitched since 2008. Instead of throwing that money out the window, why not put the 700k into international scouting?

Again, we're looking at another year with very young guys at the back end of the rotation. They'll struggle, thus overworking the pen... then they'll be shut down.

And as much as I like Matusz, the guy's being thrust into the #2 slot. That's too much pressure, not to mention too many innings to place on a young developing starter.

It's simply maddening..... maddening because we know this is AM's style. It's been his MO for over 2 decades now.

Oh well......

I was 38 years old and squatting 400 lbs with a herniated disc in my back. Suck it up.little man!

Bell will start the year at Norfolk, I see no harm in him playing there and seeing how he developes. He's not a particularly old player for a AAA guy, and unless the O's have determined 3rd base is Adams best position, he's not blocking anyone and isn't being blocked either.

What we do know about Bell is that he has played well up to AA ball displaying good power, and that he wasn't ready for prime time last year after about a 1/2 year of AAA experience.

Speaking of Adams, I hope the O's coaches are working overtime with him in his first big league camp. They need to determine what his best position is and give him the instructional time needed to get his defense up to ML standards. He's hit at every step up the ladder and is swinging a nice bat in his first ML ST'ing.

He could well be needed this year if Roberts' back turns into another season long problem. But I'm sure Wayne is about to tell us what's wrong with Adams too...

Brian Roberts career is over.The Orioles need to move on.Find another second baseman.

MacPhail's reaction to the latest news on Roberts is mind-boggling.

"It’s March 11. You just don’t know how they are going to unfold... There’s no sense fretting about what it could be..."

Um, seriously, Andy? There's no sense fretting about what it could be? Doesn't this sound familiar to you at all, sir?

This is the sort of thing that bothers me the most about Andy MacPhail. The guy never has a backup plan.

What are we going to do if Brian Roberts plays only 60 games in 2011? Who's our backup second baseman? Past Izturis and his .600 OPS, I can't think of anyone. Who's the next best option in the leadoff spot?

The only thing I can think of for the leadoff spot is to get unconventional.

Option 1:

1. Markakis, rf
2. Hardy, ss
3. Lee, 1b
4. Vlad. dh
5. Scott, lf
6. Reynolds, 3b
7. Jones, cf
8. Wieters, c
9. Izturis, 2b

Option 2:

Trade Luke Scott for a second baseman. But that subtracts the only lefty power bat we have from the lineup. And unless said second baseman can lead off, we still have a problem there.

Option 3:

Hope that Nolan Reimold continues his strong spring and trade him for a second baseman. Hope that said second baseman can lead off.

That's all I've got. Anyone else?

Nope, can't trade Scott. I'm already on record for predicting he hits the first ball off the warehouse on the fly during a regular season game; off of Stephen Strasburg when the Nads are here for interleague play. Don't mess with my dream.

Re: AM. I work for a company that if you don't have a "Plan B and C" for every decision and plan, you ain't going to be employed for long.

not brooks;

Why do you think that because AM doesn't want to go into all the details of the numerous discussions that he and Buck absolutely would have had in the offseason about Roberts that it therefore means that those discussions didn't take place?

Do you think it possible that getting Harris along with Hardy was part of their plans? Do you think that resigning Izzy might have been at least partly motivated by potential recurring problems with Roberts? Is it possible that others teams have asked about the availability of Andino and the O's have turned them down precisely because of this potential situation.

Do you think it possible that AM and Buck have looked around this offseason at the rosters of other teams and tried to identify possible replacements for Roberts and possible trade packages they might be able to put together that might make another team want to part with such a guy?

To automaticly presume that such thinking and discussion didn't take place between Buck and AM just because they haven't decided to bring you and I into their confidence is pretty presumptuous don't you think?

Dan qz,

Andy could have reacted much differently than he did. He could have said 'we knew that Brian's back could be an issue and Buck and I have discussed several possible options should Brian be out for an extended time'. Normally, words are semantics, but in Andy's case, it's more of a mindset/approach.

I would tend to agree with Not Brooks, that Andy does not have a viable backup plan, unless we think Izturis, Harris, or Andino would be adequate. None of them are the leadoff threat that Brian is. More than the need for a second baseman, we need a leadoff hitter.

NB, I would guess that Nick leads off and Andino is called up. Not ideal, but becoming quite a possibility.

dan,

nb will speak for himself... But fpr me... No, I don't believe AM gave it real thought.

But lets say (for fun) that he did.... Harris? The guy is an embarrassment. Izzy? We really could have Hardy and Izzy up the middle. That really could happen.

So I'm not sure which would be worse dan. That AM didn't give it any thought.... Or if he did, Izzy and Harris were his back up plan.

I see the real possibility of Izzy at SS, Harris at 2B, and Bell at 1B.

When that happens, some posters will say we're just snake bitten with injury's..... Most fans however, knew that Roberts and company were a huge risk coming into this season.

And there's also this dan......... AM is obviously easy to fool. Think of Gonzo and Roberts last ST... Now remember what Roberts said just prior to this seasons ST. Everything felt great... right?

Do you think Roberts was basing his update on rigorous offseason training? Or do you think he wanted to tell the club what they wanted to hear, thus they wouldn't come up with a 'real' plan B at 2B? Something to think about.

nb, I feel your frustration. Even though I knew this was a real possibility, and even though I already knew AM would have no back up plan, I too feel frustrated.

Even when prepared for AM's incompetence, it still catches me off guard at times.

To answer your first question: Because this same exact thing happened last year and Andy didn't do a damn thing about it.

Moving on...

I just don't see any of those guys as viable options, dan.

Brendan Harris is 30 years old and he put up an OPS south of .500 in 43 games last year. When he was a semi-regular player from '07-'09, he posted a .728 OPS. His lifetime OBP is .318. He has no power and no speed to speak of. If he fills in (poorly) at second, who leads off?

We all complained about Cesar Izturis last year. Do you really want him in the lineup on a regular basis again? Since his All Star year in 2005, Izturis has a .250 batting average and .297 OBP. And he's the same as Harris. He doesn't hit for power and he doesn't steal enough bases to make up for the rest of his offensive deficiencies.

And before you bring up Cesar's glove, remember that he would be playing second base and that he hasn't played more than one game at second base in a season since his rookie year in 2001.

Andino's a possibility, I guess, but I wouldn't count on him. I've never been much of a fan.

Besides, if any of those three do pan out as a decent fill in, who's hitting leadoff?

In my book, having a backup plan is more than gambling on a couple of journeymen who can't hit or a 27-year-old prospect to fill in adequately. Especially since we've been dealing with uncertainty about Brian Roberts for the past year.

Wow,

This really is happening (again)....

I'm with you guys on this. I don't know if Andy and Buck are even aware of how dire this situation is. They should be reading this blog more.
There's no excuse for not having an all-star caliber 2nd baseman ready to replace our all star caliber 2nd baseman with back issues.
This is a crime (not against humanity, mind you) but it's still a crime against us fans. I demand backup all stars at every position and I demand it now!!!!

and another thing...

"wait to see how things unfold"

can Andy be serious?
I expect him and Buck to panic immediately and trade for a starting 2nd baseman and then if Roberts turns out ok we can try to trade Roberts or just release him outright (in case it happens again).

I'm totally off the Andy bandwagon with the way he's handling this.
I'm down to 95 wins now.

not brooks;

I guess you've noticed what is happening with Philly and Chase Utley. He missed about 60 games last year with a variety of ailments including his knee.

Well here we are in 2011 and Utley hasn't played yet because of his knee, and is taking rehab and cortisone shots for it to try and forestall season ending knee surgery.

And what replacements did Amaro and special advisor Pat Gillick have in place to address this possible eventuality.

1/ A kid named Hernandez with no ML experience at all

2/ Barfield who is 29 and a career 264/295/375 hitter with a 670 OPS

3/ Orr a 32 year old hitter 260/287/335 with a 622 OPS

4/ Valdez a 33 year old 240/289/326 hitter with a 625 OPS.

Smitty;

I'm totally with you, and if in order to have a All Star backup at 2nd we have to deal Britton, Tillman and Klein then so be it. You can never be too prepared.

"Re: AM. I work for a company that if you don't have a "Plan B and C" for every decision and plan, you ain't going to be employed for long."

John boy That is true but the reason plan B and C are not as good as plan A is what exactly?
Yeah, then we would have backup plans that were all "A" which of course strains all credulity.

Yeah dan trade whoever we need to to address this right now.
I would think inviting like 12 middle infielders to spring training is sort of a sign they were not too sure about Roberts....but that's giving AM and Buck the benenfit of the doubt which I no longer will..

My new motto is

BUASAEP!

Back-up all stars at every position!...

NOW!

Careful though if you say this in a ethnic restaurant you won't want to eat what they bring out.

dan and smitty,

No one has said AM should have planned for this with an all star replacement at 2B. In fact, no one came close to suggesting such.

You must admit though, one of AM's many shortcomings is continually being caught off guard. Who around here actually believed Brob would be fine after suffering such a back injury?

But as nb has noted guys, this isn't so much about 2B, this is about having a backup lead off hitter.

No guys.... not an all star.. but Harris? Izzy?

Come on guys... You didn't have to distort what has been said in order to make your points. Instead, why can't you ever just admit that somethings just not quite right?

Anyway, and again smitty..... I admire your positive outlook, especially since I now know more about you.

I'm guessing you know more about me than about building World Championship teams..I'll give you that.....

I almost forgot

BUASAEP!

NOW!
Well.....if not "right now" than at least by the All star break or Andy has to go

Markakis career OB% 368
Roberts career OB% 355

Nick is our lead off hitter. Problem solved.

Not bad dan,

I mean he has little power... But oh wait, he has no speed as well.

Yeah, I guess that's the back up plan.

Cool

dan -

Good point about Utley the Phils. They're in trouble there too. But what argument are you trying to make? In my book the "Hey, the Phillies haven't found a serviceable backup second baseman either, so Andy's off the hook" argument doesn't hold water.

I couldn't care less about what the Phillies are going to do without Chase Utley. All I care about is why the Orioles haven't done anything about Brian Roberts.

Phillies, Schmillies, dan. What do they have to do with our current predicament? It should have been very telling that you had absolutely nothing to say in response to my criticism of the Orioles backup middle infielders.

And since we're on the topic...

What are the Orioles going to do if Derrek Lee goes down?

What are they going to do if Roberts starts the year on the DL and then Hardy misses time?

What are they going to do if one of the starting pitchers has to miss a few turns?

What happens if Reynolds turns an ankle?

I'm with you that this team is insanely improved and that they're going to be much better in 2011 than they were in any of the previous MacPhail years if everything shakes out right. But our Orioles have absolutely no depth. And if things don't shake out right, they're going to be in a lot of trouble.

smitty -

Don't be an ass.

No one is asking for All Star backups. Just backups who can hit their way out of a paper bag while playing solid defense.

nb Thanks for the input.

What if the whole team contracts the measles at the same time?

I mean show me the teams that have really super backup options at positions where all stars play?

Good luck on that.
It's a ridiculous argument...We finally have a much better roster and now all the focus is on worst case scenarios. You guys should all word for Disaster Prep. dept.

Here's an astounding thought.

Back ups are back ups because they are not as good as regulars....
see 2010 Red Sox

I get it nb..
you don't like andino
you dont like Izrturis
you don't like whoever else we have...
They are backups and that's what you get my friend.
see 2010 Red Sox

who should we have picked up this off season that could bat leadoff and play 2nd and who was willing to come in as insurance for Roberts?

Worst case scenerio's? Who said that?

How about the following reality...

1B - Lee still not playing, coming off surgery.

2B - Forgetaboutit

SS - See '09 & '10

LF - If Scott moves to 1B - Reimy and Pie coming off serious injury's

CF - Has he finished a season on the field?

SP - Duch (oh my)

RP - Accardo (oh my), Koi (oh my)

DH - WIll Vlad stay healthy, or will it be like '09?

And these are the obvious concerns... The one's that would be surprising if they didn't play out the way most fans are preparing for.

I love you smitty, especially now.... but even you have to sit back at times and say 'wow, this is going to be brutal'.

All I ask smitty is this... When the above plays out, will you promise not to say how we were hit by the injury bug? WIll you promise not to use injury's as an excuse again, especially knowing what we know going into this year?

not brooks;

The point I'm trying to make in raising the Philly situation is to show how a known good management team, including advice from a Hall of Famer like Gillick, handled a virtually identical situation as faced us.

Maybe what you need to do is pause for a bit and ask yourself, if Pat Gillick handled the situation the same way AM did, maybe I should rethink things. It's one thing to question AM but if you really think you know more about running a team than Gillick does, there isn't much more I can say to you that could possibly make an impression.

I say this with sincere respect. You're a smart guy and loaded with common sense 99% of the time. Each of us though have our 1% where we're seriously of the rails. This is your time.

Thanks for providing evidence for my point there Wayne.

wayne,

I want the team to win. Now. Period. Sound familiar? Said that starting in 2007.Macphail has openly admitted the franchise cannot spend with the Yankees and the Red Sox and he has no intention of trying. Ownership is not willing to expend the assetts necessary to make a run at it. So we have this endless limbo of trying to thread the eye through the needle and with a tremendous amount of luck, and attempt to play meaninful games in September.

I know Andy's relatives are weary of the same old same old...but as long as Angelos owns the team, and is guarding his fortune, the Orioles will never spend the money necessary to win in the AL East. And by the looks of the farm system, that is the only way they can possibly do it. As I have said before, if PA doesn't want to play with the big boys, give someone else a chance. Another owner may hire a younger and more dynamic GM who could give the franchise a makeover. I would be willing to wait for that.

Sadly Gil, that truly is our only hope as Oriole fans. To me, it wouldn't matter who PA sold the team to as literally anyone would be a huge improvement.

Isn't that terrible when you think about it.... that literally anyone would be a step up from what we've had...

It's obvious Roberts won't be playing Gil, and it's looking like Lee will likely be another bust acquisition. We may actually have an infield consisting of Reynolds, Izzy, Harris and Bell.

Can you imagine what this town would do if PA sold the team Gil?

Season tickets would go in bunches...... before anyone even knew who the new owner was.

@not brooks,

My take on Roberts and MacPhail:

MacPhail tried to shop around B-Rob when he came to Baltimore. He asked way too much for him and nobody took a chance. He tried to fleece the Cubs and they didn't bite. B-Rob got hurt, hence MacPhail's gamble didn't pay off. Hindsight is 20-20 here.

HOWEVER - once the gamble didn't pay off, MacPhail should have moved on to plan B. Planning doesn't appear to be MacPhail's forte.

For the record: penciling Izturis on the starting line is an insult to the game of baseball. Automatic out anyone?!

My hunch is Angelos forced MacPhail to get his monies worth by using B-Rob as long as they could.

I also have to question what the doctors have been telling MacPhail. I don't know of too many people that can play sports at a high level with bulging disks on their back, without taking substantial time off. Guys usually retire when that happens.

B-Rob may have also not been up front with the doctors and trainers as to the extent of the injury.

The truth is: the O's lack depth at virtually every position. If Markakis goes down, who exactly going to fill his spot? Pie? Please! Who's going to fill in at 3rd? Josh Bell? Double please!

It's not shocking for a bad team like the O's to lack depth. You don't suck for 13 years because you have guys you can plug-in when starters get hurt.

Folks,

Duch is DONE........ PERIOD...

You can NOT be a pitcher in the major leagues with a chronic bad hip.... CAN'T DO IT.

Put on top of it, two additional serious issues and guess what?

The 700k could have been spent on international efforts... OR just more scouts in general.

This team NEEDED a SP to take pressure of the young guys. What did AM do?

He brought in Duch......

This is simply moronic and once again shows how this guy has absolutely zero feel when it comes to player acquisition....

@Wayne,

The Duch situation sure doesn't seem promising, but the excuses MacPhail will make is that this was a low risk move. Which I'm not sure what in the heck that means with regards to winning.

And by the way everyone.....

Who doesn't think Tampa is going to pick up Vlad? You see, a team like that won't lowball him like the O's, and they'll figure out a way to make it all work.

I'm not saying he's going there.... but you really think he's coming to Baltimore? Seriously? Really?

He's why Vlad isn't coming here people........

One reason...

He doesn't need to put '10 behind him.... thus not AM's kind of guy - SEE RECAP ABOVE.

Posted by: wayne | February 2, 2011 4:45 PM

Meso,

That's exactly what he has and will continue to say.... I also hear people say it was worth the risk because it was only 700K.

I get the risk if he had one issue. But he didn't.... He has 3 major issues.

And since the O's lag behind real contending teams in the scouting department, that's money that could have been spent more wisely. Instead, it's 700K that had zero chance of having any kind of a return.....

Duch - Out

Roberts - Out

Lee - Out

Koji - Out

Accardo - Just a matter of time

Hardy - We'll be lucky to get 100 games

Depth - ?

To I'm always right... Thanks for re-posting that post. Everyone knows (as the Baltimore media have reported) that Vlad was a PA move, thus I nailed that one.

No, I'm certainly not always right.... But when it comes to AM, being correct most of the time isn't difficult at all. Thanks again...

wayne,

The lack of urgency is what frustrates me the most about MacPhail. Sure good things take time. But how long? 13 more years? It's been 4 years. I have a hard time buying that 13 years of bad baseball cannot be undone in 4 years. In my mind this is the year the O's should have been ready to compete for the 1 or 2 spot on AL East. Heck, Japan will rebuild faster after that disaster than any led MacPhail team.

wayne -

To be fair...

1. Accardo has actually pitched over 100 innings in the past two seasons combined. It's just that 70 of those innings were in the minors.

2. Even with all of his health issues, Hardy played over 100 games in each of the past two seasons.

I know you won't agree with me, but the fact that we've made it through a few weeks of spring training without hearing any injury reports on J.J. Hardy is very encouraging.

smitty -

The Red Sox played without Jacoby Ellsbury for most of the 2010 season. They also saw guys like Victor Martinez, Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia and Josh Beckett miss significant time

Those Sox still won 89 games.

Bad example there, fella.

dan -

The old "this team did the same thing, so it's cool if Andy does it" excuse, eh? Sorry, but I don't buy it.

Gillick, scmillick. Who cares if he's a HOF GM? As we can see from the Phillies situation with Utley, Gillick and Amaro aren't flawless. Despite their success, they're still in the same tough spot without any backup plan.

nb,

That's why I used 100 games as the benchmark. For two straight years, little does 2/3's of season cut it at the SS position.

As for Accardo, we'll see.... It's just very difficult to half faith that he'll be putting in the major league innings.

And when it comes to the Phillies, they can afford to not have a backup plan at 2B. Unlike the O's, they're stacked elsewhere. Losing Utley hurts, but I'll take their situation every day of the week.

dan,

Putting AM and Gillick in the same conversation is simply embarrassing. I know you're trying to make a point, but reaching that far is just silly.

Meso,

Sense of urgency and AM will never be dance partners.

AM has no timeline... And without a timeline (any timeline), you can't have a real Plan.

Any legitimate business lays out a Plan.... especially when someone new takes over. The only Plan AM has stated is 'grow the arms, buy the bats'. Meanwhile, our minors are ranked #21 and the international efforts are non existent.

AM will never tell us when his so called Plan will show some promise. To him, 4 years is no time at all. After all, he had almost 10 in Chitown.

He almost went there last year when he said 'this is the best team he's brought north'. He didn't say 'wins', but it was the closest he comes to letting people feel good about the product.

Good luck hearing him ever say such again though..... I think the embarrassment even gets to him sometimes.

not brooks;

Alright, so AM and Gillick both got caught napping this offseason and failed to have comparable replacements for Roberts and Utley if either had recurring problems from the injuries they had last year. Surely there must be another GM we can look at who came much better prepared.

How about Theo Epstein in Boston? How well has he done having a comparable standby for Kevin Youkilis in case he still has problems? For the record, a lot of people are wondering if the wrist injury he had might affect his power due to the unorthodox batting stance he uses. Currently, he's hitting 160/192/200 this spring with no HRs.

The principal standby seems to be Navarro who in all of 42 ABs in the ML is a 143/174/143 hitter with a 317 OPS. Next up are Middlebrooks, Khoury and Almanzar each of whom have no ML record what so ever. I suppose Lowrie can slide over to 3rd, but wait, Pedroia is also coming back off injury so you can't do that.

Gee not so good, but I'm sure he must have done a much better job in terms of having a ready fill in for Ellsbury. Ah, well, check that. Go to the stat page yourself and see. Apparently Epstein didn't give much that to that either.

Okay, maybe we can forgive Epstein for these oversights since he probably spent most of his time acquiring comparable replacements for Beckett and Matsuzaka who were limited to 153 and 127 innings pitched last year respectively.

So, over to USA Today to check which starters he signed. Gasp!!!! Epstein didn't pick up even one starting pitcher let alone two.

God is Epstein ever an idiot. How he, AM and Gillick managed to win 7 World Series titles between them completely baffles me.

dan -

I'm still not understanding your argument.

First off, the failures of other General Managers do not justify the failures of our General Manager.

If you stole a few big screen televisions from Best Buy, would you say, "Well, that guy over there stole a bunch of TV's too, so it's ok"?

Other guys failures do not justify Andy's failures. End of story.

Second, even if the "this guy failed, so it's ok if Andy fails" held any water, you're comparing Andy MacPhail and the Orioles to Amaro/Gillick and the Phillies and Eptein and the Red Sox.

The Phillies and Red Sox consistently do what needs to be done to win. Sure, Chase Utley's a big question mark this year, but the Phillies bolstered their starting rotation and they've still got Victorino, Polanco, Rollins, Howard and company to score some runs. The Red Sox have a bunch of question marks too, but they also acquired Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. And sure, Beckett and Matsuzaka are question marks, but Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and John Lackey aren't really chumps are they?

You're comparing a perennial last place team that consistently fills holes with prospects and past-their-prime stop-gaps to two teams that are always near the top of their division because they acquire top-of-the-line players on a regular basis. Any time you do that, you're facing an uphill battle.

Comparing Gillicks and Epsteins titles to AM's is like comparing Lady Gaga to Whitney Houston. Sure, Whitney sold records at one time, but she's old news and while she's tried recently, she can't measure up with what's happening today.

AM's success was prior to the internet. Since then, he hasn't been able to keep up with today's game. That's not my opinion... his record proves it.

Meanwhile, Gillick has adjusted time and time again, while Epstein represents the young guns of the business.

I'm surprised you don't see it dan.

UH OH.......

Looks like we have another 'Troll'.... another 'must live in his mom's basement'.... another hater.... another whiner....

Keith Law from ESPN.

Ok guys.... go ahead and discredit him now. It's always fun to watch.

not brooks;

The point I'm trying to make is this. Teams do not go out and try to acquire comparable players (another high quality starting second baseman in the O's case)for those they already have who are questionable from a health standpoint unless they have a reason to believe that their own starter is done.

In the case of Roberts, he came back healthy for the last couple of months of 2010, reported throughout the offseason that he felt fine and came to camp saying he felt better than he has in two years.

Given all that, the O's were not about to go out and deal off a number of quality minor league arms, which is what it would have taken to get another quality starting second baseman, only to have Roberts show up and play healthy in 2011 and have the guy they traded for sit on the end of the bench and get splinters in his ass.

Ah you might say, they could have traded one of them. What do you think they would get for Roberts with another team looking at the possibility of an injury reoccurance? If they traded the guy they just traded for, what if Roberts went down a month or two after they dealt the other guy away? They'd have sure looked pretty stupid if that happened.

The proper response that the O's took was to stock up on potential fill-ins (signing Izzy, not trading Andino and acquiring Harris and Green) so that they'd have someone to step in if Roberts (or Hardy) health went south either in ST or during the regular season.

The reason I pointed to Philly and Boston as having done the same as the O's did was to make the point that that is about all you can do. No team can afford to have comparable players sitting on the bench in case one of their high quality starters goes down. How much would you have to pay, and how much would you have to trade away to have Kevin Youkilis B sitting on the bench in case Kevin Youkilis A doesn't come back healthy the way you thought and hoped he would?

With sincere respect, you allowed your dislike of AM to lead you to say something that was not one of the most well thought out things you've ever said. You say a whole lot of very smart things, sincerely, but that wasn't one of them.

@not brooks,

"You're comparing a perennial last place team that consistently fills holes with prospects and past-their-prime stop-gaps to two teams that are always near the top of their division because they acquire top-of-the-line players on a regular basis."

I couldn't agree more with that statement. I've been beaten that argument to death.

@dan,

The Roberts situation was a ticking bomb. He wasn't exactly healthy when he came back last year. He could play through pain and cortisone shots, but to say he was healthy, that's a stretch. So MacPhail had ample time to come up with plan B for second base. I don't think you can replace a second baseman of B-Rob's caliber that easily; however you can't seriously tell me that Izturis is the best option baseball has to offer.

I think you can criticize someone like me for being biased against MacPhail; however Not Brooks has been "fair and balanced" in his assessment of MacPhail. All of us long time posters here, know that.

You also allow your liking of MacPhail to take you to arguments that cannot be won in face of reality, past and present.

I don't think there is anything wrong with that. You have your points of view and we respect them. You're civil about it, and we have interesting conversations.

Meso;

Point by point:

1/ Roberts came back and played well. He claimed throughout the offseason and when he came into camp that he felt better than at any time in the last two years. Did Roberts misrepresent that? Who knows but he wouldn't be the first player who did. Nonetheless, that"s all a GM can go on.

2/ Was there a better alternative to Izzy available at an acceptable price in terms of what we'd have to give up to get him? Honest answer is I don't know, but to be fair, neither do you. Buck was quoted at the time Izzy was re-signed that he recommended it to AM so he seems happy with him. I'm not going to argue the point with him. He knows a wee bit more about baseball than I do. We all know that Buck prizes defence so I'm not surprised.
Did AM spend time in the offseason discussing the availability of other potential players? Of course he did. That's what GM's do. Add to that the time it took for AM to settle on Izzy and it's pretty obvious that Am was looking around.

3/ I know full well that NB has said fair things about AM. At the same time, when he heard PA's statement that AM wasn't going anywhere, he responded with a one line post that said words to the effect, "I heard PA's comment about AM and thought Oh no." I don't think I'm being unfair or giving away any secrets in saying he generally doesn't like him. Not on a personal level, but as a GM.

4/ As far as you saying, "You also allow your liking of MacPhail to take you to arguments that cannot be won in face of reality, past and present", I haven't a clue what you're referring to. You'll have to put a little meat on that bone before I can answer you.

Do I like AM? He's done an okay job as far as I'm concerned. I'd give him a C on his report card. He's done good things like acquiring Jones, Pie, Hardy etc. Has he done some bad things? To be sure. How he tried to fill in at 1st and 3rd last year was awful. Our batting order is imbalanced as far as I'm concerned. We only have 1 left handed power hitter. I'd have rather seen him give Laroche what he was looking for on a two year deal so we could have 2. I disagree with drafting Hobgood, not because I have anything against him in particular, but because college age guys are going to be able to step up and help the major league club a lot the quicker than high schoolers. We need the help as soon as we can get it, not 4 to 6 years down the road that it takes before most high schoolers are going to be ready. I can give you more examples but I think I make my point.

Thank you for noting that I'm courteous. I try, although I'm not always as successful as I'd like to be.

@dan,

Good points. We all have something to offer to the discussion and I like the way we've been going back and forth. I think it's a healthy debate. We all love the O's and that's what makes this great. Some of use are more emotional than others, and it will show once the season starts.

We don't know what goes on behind closed doors with Buck, MacPhail and Angelos. They have a business to run on top of other things. Frankly, I'm not as sore as NB is about not finding an answer to the B-Rob issue, because I didn't expect otherwise. This team has bigger issues than that. But I support his rationale.

As I said before, I don't see a sense of urgency to compete. I see mediocre moves. I don't see the aggressivness that it takes to win championships. I believe the O's have above par in house talent. All they had to do was make a couple of big splashes, as every other contending team does, and they would have been contending as well. That's just my way of thinking.

People really should read the Keith Law interview in the SUN.... Yes, I'm advertising for the SUN now.

The fact that it was printed is remarkable to me, but I have to tell you, Matt V is doing good stuff for the SUN right now. His interviews and digging is very much a breath of fresh air around here....

Back to Keith Law.....

Now I know he'll be discredited around here, the same way Ken Rosenthal has been lately, but try to be open minded and comprehend what he's saying...

dan, you mention Jones, and I give AM that one..... But dan, we're still talking about a trade from almost 4 years ago. Jones is a nice young player who will hopefully develop into a star. But Pie and Hardy?

Pie's been here more than a minute and look at his body of work..... Simply put, he's just not a productive major league player. Sure, he has shown spurts, but spurts don't make an acquisition successful. And there comes a time when injury's are no longer a valid excuse.

Hardy? Please see what Law says about JJ. I honestly can't say it better. And this is one of the players you think AM has done well by bringing in?

The fact that you mentioned those 3 players dan, really exemplifies how horrid AM's time in Baltimore has been.

I just don't see how the guy can get anything better than an 'F'. Even the national media is seeing it now.....

He's lost more games than Beattie/Flanny (and that's only as a reference point).

His minor league system is ranked #21.

The international effort remains embarrassing.

Key players (who were a risk coming into the season) are dropping like flies.

Accept for Jones and Matusz, most of the promising young players were from a previous regime.

Only the ST facility keeps AM from getting an 'F-' in my opinion.... But even in that situation, the O's had no choice. FL practically begged them to leave when the airport tacked on the huge fee. Still, AM was in the right place at the right time, thus deserves some credit.

Beyond that though, I can't see one other thing the man has done to give Baltimore fans hope....

... and now the national media is finally seeing it.

Regarding the Roberts situation, does anyone think we should've made more of an effort to keep Wiggington? (I know, hindsight is 20/20)

@My name is Earl,

Excellent point. Wiggy was actually a very capable replacement and clutch with the bat I must say. If I recall correctly, he pretty much carried the team for a while. Wiggy is the ultimate utility player in my eyes. He could have played 3rd as well.

@Wayne,

Yes, Law and Rosenthal are a breath of fresh air when you talk about perspective. It takes cojones to go against Angelos and MacPhail.

Those who aren't openminded will nail these guys to the wall, for sure.

When I look at Angelos and MacPhail, I think of a dictatorship. That's the only way I can explain how the Baltimore media continues to give them a pass. They are afraid! These guys have the power to make or break careers. Going against them is like being a dissident in a totalitarian regime. You won't find much support. Instead you will be attacked by shills, paid by the Angelos and MacPhail regime.

So we're supposed to think that Rosenthal et al are geniuses now that they've written columns panning the Orioles?

I'm sorry, but writing a column questioning a team on the brink of entering possibly it's 14th straight losing season, with a starting staff of rookies, almost rookies, and a journeyman veteran seems less like "genius" and more like "obvious".

Oh hey, Ken Rosenthal says the O's may not break .500 this year. I'M SHOCKED! SHOCKED, I SAY!

In my opinion, the columns written by Law and Rosenthal, and every other writer out there could have been written about the Orioles at any time in the last 10 years. Those columns could have been talking about the 2001 team, the 2003 team, the 2006 team, or the 2010 team, because they all had similar problems.

But there is one striking and important difference -- even those most down on the Orioles have grudgingly admitted that they are getting better, and taking small steps in the right direction.

And that just irritates the crap out of the Debbie Downers and trolls around here.

Makes me laugh. :-D

@Ferg,

13 years and the O's are taking small steps. That is precisely the point most of us make. Small steps won't make you a contender.

You are right that Law and Rosenthal are not writing about anything new. But ask yourself as to why the Baltimore media doesn't talk about those issues, but instead they are so far up Angelos' and MacPhail's ass? Why do they continue to give them a pass, after all these years?

When someone points the obvious, you're quick to react. But when someone blows smoke up your ass with how MacPhail and Angelos are doing so many great things, you're willing to listen and eat the BS you're being fed?

Ah... good ole Ferg Deluxe, The trouble maker (of many names) is back. Keep your kids indoors everyone.

'small steps in the right direction'... Interesting, I don't see people saying that.

What part of having the #21 ranked minors with continued backwards international efforts, with one year rentals (who are being counted on), with key players injured (players we knew would be injured), with the national media saying the O's will 'easily' be the worst team in the division....... is taking small steps?

And by the way..... no where did you see Meso or I say that writers like Rosenthal and Law were genius's. That's you putting words in our mouths. But isn't it funny how posters like you are the first to recognize the national media when something good is said about the O's.

Makes me laugh :-D

When you break it down, AM aquired 4 injury prone players to fill 4 key roles. That doesn't make me feel too optimistic, especially with the Roberts situation and Lee and Duchscherer. even with the improvments, the O's need a lot of good luck for a .500 season.

Very frustrating Dave. I'm with you, it's pretty hard to feel very optimistic, not just for this season but next. It just never seems to end.

I agree with wayne. Who will they bring up when the injury's hit, since most of the guys they brought in get hurt all the time?

It's the middle of ST, and the O's best columnist has been awol.

Never before has Pete 1) left ST way early, and 2) taken a vaca during ST.

Just because he was a little bit critical of the O's... nothing over the top mind you, but simply reporting what he's witnessing... he obviously was asked to take a break by the O's and the SUN....

Remember when such happened to Jim Palmer a couple seasons ago? Just because he was critical of the O's during consecutive masn telecast, ole Jim mysteriously went awol for a lengthly bit of time... The reason he was gone became the worst kept secret in town.

This is really what we have with the current O's ownership everyone. How many times to you need to see it ccur before saying wtf?

Come back strong Pete..... Come back strong.....

..............................................................................................
Pete's reply: Stand down buddy. Thanks for the concern, but this is not the first time I've left spring training in the middle. Did it also three years ago. We only are able to have two people at ST at a time this year, and Dan Connolly deserves to go, too. I was scheduled to come home on the 10th of March in January, when I made my plane reservations. No conspiracy here, but I'm glad you miss me. I'll be back up and running in a few days, but still on vacation.

i think pete took a break from wayne's 21 responses to this week old blog....

@wayne,

Yeah I remember how Jim Palmer ripped them a new one, and all of a sudden he was forced into exile. It went as far as some "real fans" throwing the Hall of Famer under the bus, for voicing his frustration with the MacPhail train wreck.

They don't want to hear it from the past O's greats. They know these guys are bitter for seeing their beloved team transform into bottom feeders. Why doesn't Angelos and MacPhail engage former Orioles greats to help the team?

As Ken Rosenthal asked last year:

"Why isn’t Ripken already working for the Orioles?

Why isn’t Brooks Robinson involved with the team? Why isn’t Frank Robinson?"

I think it was a good step to get BJ and Brady involved, but this team needs the presence of Hall of Famers to teach them a thing or two about winning.

I have to admit that I think wayne's right about Pete. SOmething definitely happened for Pete to go away like he has, in the middle of spring training. Even when Pete goes on vacation, he checks in from time to time.

If it is true that the Sun and the Orioles have played a hand in Pete having to back away simply due to presenting views not consistent with the front office, then shame on them. But would anyone really be surprised?

..............................................................................................
Pete's reply: Nothing sinister here, friends. I was always scheduled to come home on the 10th so Dan Connolly could take over for a few weeks. We only have two people at ST at a time and Jeff is there for the duration. I had some vacation I needed to burn and I'm going to be fairly quiet for another week. Sorry, but my sanity -- what little is left -- demands it.

The one game when the team played most of their A's against most of the Yankee's A's was very telling. A 10-0 whipping with Vlad getting the only hit. And we didn't face CeCe. If the Schmuck was around, I think he would have talked about it. I agree with Wayne that the club put a muzzle on him. Not sure how it couldn't be more obvious now.

interesting things to read about a variety of subjects, but I manage to include your blog among my reads every day because you have interesting