who cares schmuck ?

Pete, you're opening yourself up for a range of smart comments on your scores. Hope you're enjoying the weather down there. I know you've probably mentioned this before, but who're your picks for making the bench? Thanks.

Pete,

Go play Bridgewater in Lakeland since the O's are playing the Tigers today. Hardest course in central Florida.

Angel won't break 80...

"Hard to brag when you shoot your IQ."

You shot a 93?

That's not a bad score, but it's not a brag-worthy IQ.

"Hard to brag when you shoot your IQ."

You shot a 93?

That's not a bad score, but it's not a brag-worthy IQ.

Sounds like it was fun though Pete. And for those complaining..... guys, Pete's allowed at least one day off per week.... right?

Anyway Pete,

Any chance you can comment on Ken R's observation about the O's international efforts, and how AM's only response is 'we have to do better in that area'.....while he's obviously blowing smoke?

In the game of MLB, I would think this is a HUGE subject to cover. When you look around the league, how is it not glaring to the local media whom only choose to give it a glancing reference?

Sure, there are a few international players on the O's... It's literally impossible not to have some. But if everyone is honest with themselves, wouldn't/shouldn't it be better as we get close to AM's 4th anniversary?

Or was Ken R simply being too negative?

Watch out for them gators Pete, or you'll end up like Chubbs in Happy Gilmore.

MacPhail complains about the buscones taking young players out of game situations and running them through more combine-like activities.

The solution then would be to hire scouts who can recognize what talents will lead to success in those situations and what talents are useless.

Maybe that seems too simple, but the current state of international signings is shameful. It didn't take Ken Rosenthal to state as much. It's been obvious for a while.

Like Rob Neyer said, the $8 million spent on Vlad could have bought A LOT of Dominican prospects. (not that spending that $8 mil or getting prospects should be an either/or proposition)

I think MacPhail has done a decent job in some areas (getting an actual ST facility, increasing spending on the draft, not signing underwhelming vets to long term contracts), but the international front has been pretty much neglected and now is the time to fix it (if only because we can't fix it "then" at this point).

Pete--Has your turtle paid you a visit?

Amusing story. Sounds like the "alligator birdie" was the highlight of your outing. B/t/w, Joe Angel shot a 71? Wow! I enjoy Joe and his occasionally smart a$$ style on the radio. I can just imagine how unmerciful he was with you on the course.

Double-U, would you consider Pete's silence a big fat NO, or are you going to keep hounding the poor guy until he's dead and buried, perhaps eaten by an alligator.

What were you like as kid? Mommy, can I have that bike? Mommy can I have that bike? Mommy can I have that bike? And did Mommy give in?

How about this:The current state of affairs- of signing these players, their treatment and exploitation by all involved, and their futures after 97% of them are tossed to the curb by the teams is far more deplorable than the Os track record of signing any of these kids.

Just for kicks, somebody print out the Red Sox lineup/25 man roster.Let's see how enlightened they are. Just for kicks.

Boston Red Sox Active Roster
Boston Red Sox Active Roster # Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
91 Alfredo Aceves R-R 6'3" 220 Dec 8, 1982
32 Matt Albers L-R 6'0" 205 Jan 20, 1983
48 Scott Atchison R-R 6'2" 200 Mar 29, 1976
51 Daniel Bard R-R 6'4" 200 Jun 25, 1985
19 Josh Beckett R-R 6'5" 225 May 15, 1980
64 Michael Bowden R-R 6'3" 215 Sep 9, 1986
11 Clay Buchholz L-R 6'3" 190 Aug 14, 1984
61 Felix Doubront L-L 6'2" 165 Oct 23, 1987
52 Bobby Jenks R-R 6'4" 275 Mar 14, 1981
41 John Lackey R-R 6'6" 245 Oct 23, 1978
31 Jon Lester L-L 6'4" 240 Jan 7, 1984
18 Daisuke Matsuzaka R-R 6'0" 185 Sep 13, 1980
37 Hideki Okajima L-L 6'1" 195 Dec 25, 1975
58 Jonathan Papelbon R-R 6'4" 225 Nov 23, 1980
74 Stolmy Pimentel R-R 6'3" 185 Feb 1, 1990
63 Junichi Tazawa R-R 5'11" 180 Jun 6, 1986
49 Tim Wakefield R-R 6'2" 210 Aug 2, 1966
36 Dan Wheeler R-R 6'3" 220 Dec 10, 1977
# Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
92 Luis Exposito R-R 6'3" 210 Jan 20, 1987
39 Jarrod Saltalamacchia S-R 6'4" 235 May 2, 1985
33 Jason Varitek S-R 6'2" 230 Apr 11, 1972
81 Mark Wagner R-R 6'1" 205 Jun 11, 1984
# Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB
78 Lars Anderson L-L 6'4" 215 Sep 25, 1987
28 Adrian Gonzalez L-L 6'2" 225 May 8, 1982
76 Jose Iglesias R-R 5'11" 175 Jan 5, 1990
12 Jed Lowrie S-R 6'0" 180 Apr 17, 1984
72 Yamaico Navarro R-R 5'11" 170 Oct 31, 1987
15 Dustin Pedroia R-R 5'9" 180 Aug 17, 1983
16 Marco Scutaro R-R 5'10" 185 Oct 30, 1975
84 Oscar Tejeda R-R 6'1" 175 Dec 26, 1989
20 Kevin Youkilis R-R 6'1" 220 Mar 15, 1979
# Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB
23 Mike Cameron R-R 6'2" 205 Jan 8, 1973
13 Carl Crawford L-L 6'2" 215 Aug 5, 1981
7 J.D. Drew L-R 6'1" 200 Nov 20, 1975
2 Jacoby Ellsbury L-L 6'1" 185 Sep 11, 1983
55 Ryan Kalish L-L 6'1" 205 Mar 28, 1988
54 Darnell McDonald R-R 5'11" 205 Nov 17, 1978
60 Daniel Nava S-L 5'10" 200 Feb 22, 1983
68 Josh Reddick L-R 6'2" 180 Feb 19, 1987
# Designated Hitter B/T Ht Wt DOB
34 David Ortiz L-L 6'4" 230 Nov 18, 1975

Offseason In Review: Baltimore Orioles
By Tim Dierkes [March 1, 2011 at 11:30pm CST]
The Orioles are next in our Offseason In Review series.

Major League/International Signings

•Kevin Gregg, RP: two years, $10MM. Includes $6MM vesting option for 2013.
•Vladimir Guerrero, DH: one year, $8MM. $3MM of salary deferred without interest, paid 2016-17.
•Derrek Lee, 1B: one year, $7.25MM.
•Koji Uehara, RP: one year, $3MM. Includes vesting option for 2012.
•Cesar Izturis, SS: one year, $1.5MM.
•Jeremy Accardo, RP: one year, $1.08MM. Can be controlled for 2012 as an arbitration eligible player.
•Justin Duchscherer, SP: one year, $700K.
•Total spend: $31.53MM.
Notable Minor League Signings

•Mark Hendrickson, David Riske, Randy Winn, Josh Rupe, Nick Green, Nick Bierbrodt, Jeff Fiorentino, Ryan Drese
Trades and Claims

•Acquired 3B Mark Reynolds and a player to be named later or cash considerations from Diamondbacks for RP David Hernandez and RP Kam Mickolio
•Acquired SS J.J. Hardy, IF Brendan Harris, and $500K from Twins for RP Jim Hoey and RP Brett Jacobson
•Claimed RP Adrian Rosario from Brewers in Rule 5 draft
Notable Losses

•Ty Wigginton, Kevin Millwood, Matt Albers, David Hernandez, Kam Mickolio, Jim Hoey, Brett Jacobson, Corey Patterson, Cla Meredith, Julio Lugo, Scott Moore, Luis Montanez,
Summary

A year ago, the Orioles committed over $30MM to short-term veteran acquisitions while also surrendering the 53rd overall draft pick to the Braves. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail took a similar approach this offseason, adding more to the payroll but keeping his draft picks. Is the Orioles' strategy good for the long-term health of the franchise?

MacPhail's dealings mostly improved the team for 2011, though Reynolds, Gregg, and Accardo will be under control for the 2012 season. The big question is, why is MacPhail trying so hard to improve the 2011 Orioles? Is it an attempt to energize the fan base? I'm not sure these players will increase attendance significantly. Is it for the veteran leadership? That can be acquired more affordably. Is it because MacPhail truly views the Orioles as contenders? The O's don't have nearly enough starting pitching to make contention seem realistic.

One school of thought is that the money spent this offseason would be better put toward the draft and Latin America, as ESPN's Keith Law suggested in a discussion with MASN's Steve Melewski. In the team's defense, they already rank fourth in MLB in draft spending over the last three years. They haven't been aggressive in Latin America, but a lower big league payroll might not change that.

The signings of Gregg, Uehara, and Accardo may at least help the Orioles' young pitching staff. Only the Gregg signing could be considered excessive. The Blue Jays valued one draft pick more than having Gregg (or his trade value) at one year and $4.5MM or two years and $8.75MM. The Orioles again took the plunge on a pricey reliever, even with Mike Gonzalez still on the roster as a reminder. All multiyear free agent reliever deals are risky, but the gamble makes more sense for contending teams. MacPhail may have felt the need to bolster the bullpen after the subtraction of David Hernandez, who was excellent in relief last year and under team control through 2015.

The Orioles' offense is looking strong with the additions of Reynolds, Hardy, Lee, and Guerrero, assuming they stay healthy. Of course, the bar is extremely low given last year's output of 3.78 runs per game. The price for these four players was far from franchise-crippling, but there is concern the veterans will take at-bats from younger guys. Nolan Reimold and Josh Bell have something to prove in Triple-A, however, and I think the Orioles will make room if they start raking.

You'd like to see a few of the newly-added veterans flipped for interesting prospects at the trade deadline, though MacPhail wasn't able to cash in Garrett Atkins, Kevin Millwood, and Ty Wigginton last year. He's added superior players for 2011, so I think there's a better chance this time around.

This is an improved Orioles team, but to what end? Some need to see a tangible benefit before endorsing significant short-term veteran commitments for a rebuilding club. The Orioles might argue, what's the downside? If the short-term additions don't adversely affect the farm system or the development of young players, the Orioles' strategy can at least be considered neutral for the long-term health of the franchise regardless of the team's record in 2011. I expect to hear a lot of intangibles as support for MacPhail's offseason, while the more analytically-minded will focus on whether the Orioles are able to trade veterans for prospects in July.

Jim, nice of you to post the roster of the 2nd or 3rd place team this year..
nice name too

Pete,

I'm going to your defense against those carping about you posting something about your golf outing with Dorf.

In my book, you get a mulligan, if for no other reason than your great "freaking dinosaur lizard got one more birdie than me" line.

It does bring up the insanity of south Florida golf courses. Next time you and Joe had better be careful not to wear Oriole orange and black, lest a dinosaur lizard mistakes you for Birdie meals!

well jim65, would it be fair to say that the Red Sox, one of the best teams in baseball, hasn't exactly cornered the market on some of the best international talent?

I'm thinking that there is not a GM of any major league team who worries or even thinks about what Rob Neyer or Ken Rosenthal has to say about anything, good or bad.

jim66,

Given that Rob Neyer has worked with/under Bill James and Bill James is an adviser to the Red Sox, I'm sure that Theo Epstein probably thinks about the things Rob Neyer says on a regular basis.

Chris, do i have to be a statistical guru to go sign crawford and gonzalez? and they signed lackey last yr who had a putrid season at 18mm. Theo blaming Neyer?
what did rob think of that?

@anonymous,

I'm not sure what copying and pasting an entire blog post does. Do you have a point? Or are we supposed to reflect on what the author wrote? In any event I will indulge:

I don't think MacPhail is banking on these veterans taking the O's to the promise land. As painful as it is to me and other O's fans, the rebuild starts this year. MacPhail didn't have a plan, and that's why he failed in his first 4 years.

I believe he was told by Angelos to develop a plan. It started with Buck Showalter. Buck will has a big say in what goes in the laundry list.

I believe the O's made some one year deals, hoping they can dangle these veterans as trade bait, while their young pitching develops. Buck also wants to evaluate how his young hitters like Markakis, Jones and others, would develop with some legitimate protection around them.

Also in the short term, they draw fan interest and fill some seats. This is all great on paper if it works.

I don't particularly think this is a flawed theory; however I think it is 4 years too late. This is why I think MacPhail should not get a second chance next year. I have a hard time picturing how a man who was clueless for 4 years, all of a sudden will execute a successful plan. Only time will tell. I've personally come to peace with the fact that the O's won't contend for another 5 years. After 13 years, Angelos still doesn't take the big risks that return big dividends. I don't think he will change his ways at his old age.

"This is all great on paper if it works."
excerpted fromThe Meso Meister's Barrel Full of Wits
Published on Pete's Blog 2011

It is going to take me days to digest this profound statement above but wouldn't it be really working if it really works.....and ...uh... nevermind.
and you are correct.. it's all 4 years too late
we should have promoted Matusz after his sophmore year at college.
We should have signed Derrick lee and Vlad while they was still under contract to other teams.
We should have signed Weiters after his Freshman year of college and just stuck him back there.
we should have traded for Jones during his first year of single A.
Arrietta should have jumped straight into the rotation.
You really should be a GM.

I don't care what

Ken Rosenthal
Rob Neyer
Keith Law
Or writers of their ilk think

I am tired of them!

@Chris in Hawaii
I don't care if the Orioles have very little presence with international scouting and your comment about Neyer

Like Rob Neyer said, the $8 million spent on Vlad could have bought A LOT of Dominican prospects. (not that spending that $8 mil or getting prospects should be an either/or proposition) 1st of all that comment is ridiculous by Neyer and 2nd if this comment is true why aren't the Rangers going out and signing Dominican prospects or even the Angels for that matter. Vlad is still a good hitter and I look forward to watching him play for the Baltimore Orioles in 2011! In fact, I will be down next week to watch the O's for myself. I am determined to see "The Plan" unfold =). The O's next move should be talking to the Twins about Liriano. Not talking to Law, Neyer or Rosenthal. Are these guys looking/politicing for a job with the O's or something.

@anonymous,

I'm not sure what copying and pasting an entire blog post does. Do you have a point? Or are we supposed to reflect on what the author wrote?
Posted by: Keyboard Killa | March 4, 2011 9:52 PM

If you're so confused, why write 47 paragraphs in response?

If I had a point Beavis, I would have added it. Some people like to read analysis from sources other than the Butthole Boys(you make the list, keyboard killa) that think they know it all. Not everyone goes on MLBTR.

Oh yeah, I'm very sorry that I didn't include a link or credit or royalties to the posting site in the original plagaristic attempt at posting something that I thought was interesting.

Oh one other thing, I thought this was an interesting photo, I found it when I was
perusing SI.com. I am still trying for you Tyler! Although. I don't think I have that much power if any around here =P. At least you made SI.com. So you have that going for you!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1103/did-you-see-that-0304/content.4.html

@anonymous,

You obviously found the article interesting, otherwise you wouldn't post it. Tell us what your thoughts are and why you think we ought to read it. You obviously have a point to make or at least something that you want us to consider. There is no shame in that. Just come out of your shell and let's talk baseball. Don't worry, we won't be judgmental of your writing skills.

@smitty,

You're attempt at being a smart ass are lame and laughable, and I'm just being kind.

Let me break it down for you. Bringing pitching prospects to a team with an anemic offense does very little for their confidence and development. It actually puts an immense pressure on them. So it stands to reason that the power bats should have been brought here years ago.

According to your rationale, we've been waiting for Guerrero, Lee and others to become free agents. As if other free agents weren't available for the past 4 years? Do you want me to name them all?

Also bringing in experienced hitters would have made the young hitters better. Do you agree with my points?

@Chris in Hawaii,

I have mixed feelings about international scouting. On one hand, there is clear evidence that there is real talent in Latin America, but on the other hand baseball is synonymous with America. I find it hard to believe that we can't find talent here. To me it's like Brazilian soccer teams scouting American MLS or Europen soccer players. Just makes no sense. But I can understand there is a business aspect to it as well. Latin players may be cheaper (I'm guessing).

Don't worry about the little weasel RODENTthal! He's still pissed about being fired by Angelos

Meso,

What would the blog be without smitty? Seriously....

The fact that he is so absurd and out of the loop, actually makes him a good read.

Each season, the guy is so wrong, so ridiculously flawed in his thinking and analysis... yet he keeps coming back as if the previous year never existed. If you want a real laugh... If you want some real good reading material, go back to his post from last season and the season before. It's amazing stuff....

Yet here he is....... not even blinking. Not caring that inaccuracies are irrelevant.

He's got a niche Meso..... and he's really, really good at it. What would we do without him?

Meso,

You have a good point, one I have been thinking every time I read comments concerning the lack of international scouting. I understand it's good to look elsewhere for talent. There have been many, many players born outside the US making an impact in the league for many years. Would it be good if we had a bigger part in that area? Sure. But, to your point, we should be able to find just as much talent here in this country.

The argument, for some people anyways, reminds me of discussions concerning "Affirmative Action" hiring requirements. Or the so-called "Rooney Rule" in football coaching employment. Somehow, we MUST have a strong presence in the international market, or we're doomed to failure. I wonder how much money it costs other teams who have that strong presence to maintain it, and how often do their efforts succeed and fail. There are plenty of international players on other teams, but how many of those were originally signed/developed by that team.

I'm not against scouting international talent, I just think it's silly to overly criticize management if they feel they could spend THEIR money elsewhere.

Thoughts?

No one is against signing American talent. But the fact is you have to draft American born players, you don't have to wait for other teams to pass on international players to sign them. So it's not the same thing.

A good percentage of players are coming out of Latin America. Why shut yourself off to any avenue your organization may have to improve?

Scouting American and Latin American talent does not have to be mutually exclusive. Most ball clubs do both. Why be the last team to recognize the value in a potential goldmine?

I am very impressed that Schmuck can drop a few random remarks about Joe Angel and Alligators and it can spawn heated debates about baseball.

Chris,

I don't disagree with you. And, perhaps you misunderstood me. I think the Orioles should be involved in developing talent wherever they can. However, I was questioning the disparaging remarks made by some with regards to the Orioles' presence in the market. I'm also wondering how much it costs to develop and operate. It's extremely difficult for me to wrap my mind around the vast quantity of money that's involved in operating a MLB franchise. Sometimes, I think people forget whose money it is or it's like playing with Monopoly money.

'Like Rob Neyer said, the $8 million spent on Vlad could have bought A LOT of Dominican prospects. (not that spending that $8 mil or getting prospects should be an either/or proposition) '

or the entire $31 mil spend in the offseason could have signed a Cuban set-up man that hits 109 on the Radar gun. Good thing the Reds got the 7th or 8th inning on lock down. That is until the kids arm snaps off ala Strasburg throwing that silly stuff.

@Shamrock,

Those flamethrowers are sure fun to watch, but their arms sure do fall off. You mentioned Strasburg. Kerry Wood was another former flame thrower who could have been great if he learned how to pitch smart and not hard.

'Each season, the guy is so wrong, so ridiculously flawed in his thinking and analysis'

Well... if that is not Lindsay Lohan calling Charlie Sheen an addict.

At least Smitty has tiger blood. Something that a troll like you does not have! (among other things, including but not limited to: a porn room, Goddesses, millions in the bank, Naked pics of the old housekeeper in 2.5 men, Jon Cryer's number in his cell phone... etc etc etc...)