Some things never change. Death, Taxes, and another loss to the Evil Empire!

If the pitchers continue to pitch up in the zone there will be many more outcomes like this one. Down in the zone.

It was nice that Sabathia was getting the strike 6 inches on the outside. Our pitchers were not going there (why not?).

This homestand does not look to be very prosperous at this point. Originally it was a ten game set. Knocked down to 9 the team will be fortunate to be 4-5. I fear worse. 2-7 is a very real possibility. And after a 6-1 start that would leave the team at 2-14 since the hot start...Reminds me of last years start. Does this mean that it is not the manager, but the way the team is built?

Very well put, Mr. Schmuck,
I watched the game on TV. I know Camera Angles have a chance of not showing the right view of the Pitch, all I have to say is that the home plate umpire must have been watching the pitches from the Camera angle.
Really TERRIBLE

Very well put, Mr. Schmuck,
I watched the game on TV. I know Camera Angles have a chance of not showing the right view of the Pitch, all I have to say is that the home plate umpire must have been watching the pitches from the Camera angle.
Really TERRIBLE

Well said, Peter. I was impressed with the way Bergesen handled himself after that first inning shelling. I think he did a good job especially in light of the lack of support from the line up.

The Yankees are a solid club, the best in baseball at this point, and you can only hold the "tiger" at bay for a certain period of time with pitching. To compete with them you have to score runs. My biggest concern, at this point, is the lack of real time adjustments to opponents' pitchers and pitches by some Oriole batters.

Then again, at least last night, even the home plate ump kept getting fooled by Sabathia, especially his fading screwball, when it came to the outside edge of the strike zone on right handed batters.

Happy Easter everyone.When i watched all the yankee's fans in the seats last night it made me forget all about last years 34 and 23 finish. See as much as we want to believe things will be different we are just kidding ourseleves. Sure the players are different but has the culture really changed , i will let you make up your own mind about that. Pete as you know i was the biggest opponent of Dave T and when buck was hired it didn't matter what happened in terms of wins and losses i was just happy to get somebody i thought the players respected.I understand that 19 games doesn't make a season and since Buck is so sure that these players have a Track Record to fall back on we shouldn't be that worried or should we.

Last year at this time we had atkins playing 3rd base and about this time we were already shouting out loud about releasing him, now we have a guy named reynolds playing 3rd base who is batting 177 and hasn't even come close to getting a hit in his last 23 AB's and i haven't heard a word about anything.Is that because he is BUCK'S player or is it because he has a track record, which is it. See reynolds will be hard pressed to even reach what ty winnington accomplished last year 22 hr's and 78 rbi's but the orioles didn't feel a need to keep him.See gentleman in the real world this team might be worse then the one we had last year and if the orioles are 20 games out around the all star break these players with this so called track record will be auctioned off to teams with highest bid.

I am a Yankee fan. I was surprised from the 1st inning at the strikes called by the ump and thought the O's were not getting a fair shake. However as the game went on the Unp called strikes consistently against the Yankees. Maybe it was the camera angle but I don't think so. I also did not like the way the Ump delayed in calling strikes. Bottom line he called balls and strikes the same for both teams.

All the hope and enthusiasm of that first week is gone. I certainly didn't expect the team to continue with it's torrid winning pace, but neither did I expect them to instantly revert to the completely helpless, lackluster team that you can safely turn off the radio on if they're down by a run or two after the 6th inning.
All I wanted this year, and what I thought we might finally have, was a team that you could go into each game feeling like they have a good chance. It's only three weeks into the season and already my heart just sinks at the thought of another game against the Yankees followed by three against the Sox. I know it's still early, but it's awfully hard to look at the O's batters up and down the lineup flailing helplessly against every pitcher they face ( who knew there were a dozen Cy Youngs in the league now) and keep any kind of hope alive that they might actually compete against the good teams.
In Florida the talk was about how this new revamped lineup for the O's was a solid one top to bottom. It's a solid block of easy outs right now.

Yankee pitcher was given a huge strike zone while he squeezed the O's pitcher...same old same old.

Yep..... We lost because of the strike zone last night. Of course we did...

Yep..... Bergy rebounded great. He only gave up 6 runs in 6 innings. Terrible for a major league pitcher. Good for some Oriole fans though.

Yep..... It's all about that dreaded AL East. The Indians are in the AL East, right?

Yep..... It's all about the 200+ payroll of the Yanks. Anyone know what Clevelands payroll is?

Yep.... This is the year AM's PLAN will finally come together. Gotta love that Plan of the mans,

Yep.... The comfort of being in last place...... It's like going home again.....

I should be obvious that the Orioles in no way can compete with the Yankees -- unless Mr. McPhail's terrible acquisitions actually can play some -- no evidence of that, yet ... even if they can .. playing the Yankees is like watching a AA team against a major league team ... painful.... made worse by the sea of Yankee fans in Camden Yards -- must be hard for the Oriole players to hear r that ...

@wayne,

I hope that 200 mill remark wasn't directed at me. You know how I feel about Angelos not spending money.

@blancione,

Attitude without talent = BS. Buck came in won some games and thought he could keep the O's going on laughing gas. Give me a break! They don't have the talent it takes to compete in the AL East. I'm couldn't stand Trembley either and have been a vocal "hater" of his; however I am going to eat my words should this pain an mimicry continue.

Buck rhetoric at the beginning of the season makes him sound so full of $#!% right about now.

@baltimore bob,

About Bergy: Lay off the koolaid dude. Please! For the love of God! Were you watching the same game?!

@Yankee fan,

Good teams get calls their way, in any sport. That's a fact. Bad teams bitch about bad calls.

"In this case, a loss is a loss".

Have to disagree here. This was a tone setter as the Orioles clearly set their success on beating the YAnkees. That is a problem they need to over come as they need to worry about beating Cleveland, Toronto, etc, as much as they do the Yankees.

The new era was Buck showed how things are stil the same to a large degree. Yankees dominate Orioles in front of their own crowd. Where were the Orile fans of opening day? Buck was clearly fuming on the bench and ebven got into a verbal sparing match from the bench in the 8th with the umpire to vent his frustration. When Martin was given his cheap shot and Gardner follwed up with a HR, it put an exclamation point on things.

Trembley was watching with a smile on his face.

"In this case, a loss is a loss".

Have to disagree here. This was a tone setter as the Orioles clearly set their success on beating the YAnkees. That is a problem they need to over come as they need to worry about beating Cleveland, Toronto, etc, as much as they do the Yankees.

The new era was Buck showed how things are stil the same to a large degree. Yankees dominate Orioles in front of their own crowd. Where were the Orile fans of opening day? Buck was clearly fuming on the bench and ebven got into a verbal sparing match from the bench in the 8th with the umpire to vent his frustration. When Martin was given his cheap shot and Gardner follwed up with a HR, it put an exclamation point on things.

Trembley was watching with a smile on his face.

pardon the spelling errors.

First Happy Easter, Peter S!

Ok, I am going to break down some quotes that I read here today.

Then again, at least last night, even the home plate ump kept getting fooled by Sabathia, especially his fading screwball, when it came to the outside edge of the strike zone on right handed batters.

Look, I am baffled as to why CC got such a wide strike zone. I know Cliff Lee didn't get an expanded strike zone when he was pitching against the Yankees late in the season. The umpire squeezed him and Lee could not finish the game. Rangers still won though.

Also, Carl Pavano in the playoffs in 2010 vs the Yankees, he did not get an expanded strike zone. In fact, Pavano thought he finished off one of the Yankee hitters and the ump simply did not give it to him. Gardenhire got tossed out of the game because he argued a lil too passionately arguing that pitch. Opposing pitchers are always made to get the Yankees striking out swinging, not looking. There was even the Koji incident last year. He didn't get the call, then A Rod took him deep. The umpires really need to step-up and call a consistent game and they don't.
PS- Did the inconsistentcy coast us the game last night, No! The Orioles lack of hitting and pitching really was at the core of that loss last night.

Wayne's comment,

Yep..... It's all about the 200+ payroll of the Yanks. Anyone know what Clevelands payroll is?

Yes, the Yankees are the best (bought) team in baseball, by far. To me that is not fun though, what is fun is if you build your team through the draft and make savy trades. The Orioles really haven't done that and that is wy we suffer. Oh sure, here and there we got the best of it, but overall absolutely not!

And the second part of your quote Wayne. How the Indians are doing? They are doing pretty well actually, Orlando Cabrera has looked pretty darn good. We'll see if he stays healthy, that will be the biggest thing. He looked terrible in the playoffs against the Phillies in 2010, terrible!

Also, the trades that the Indians did
Cliff Lee, Victor M, CC and so on are finally reaping some benefits. That is why they are doing fairly well. They got rid of all their dead wood. The Orioles want to hold onto everyone till they finally implode and then it's too late.
As for the pitching situation, it's ugly.
There's really only two choices left for the O's, sign Pedro M or trade for Blanton. I doubt any team is going to trade their best pitcher or if they do. I am sure he's going to be more expensive then Blanton. As for Blanton has pitched well twice in a row. Didn't get the win last night, but he pitched well. The Insider keeps on screaming he's a 4th or 5th in any rotation in the AL East. He is, since when? He would be at least a number 2 on this current O's team. And so what if we have to trade some prospects to get him. Pat Gillick traded some prospects to get him on the Phillies. That shouldn't be the hang-up in the deal, the hang-up should be can Joe Blanton help this ball club and I say yes, because he could actually take the field right now and pitch. The "Duke" can't exactly do that and I am almost quite certain, that he never will.

Meso... It wasn't.

Random Thoughts:

Sooner or later someone is bound to throw one where Mark Reynolds is swinging...Don't ya think?

If the Orioles really intend to contend this year, then when are they going to start playing like it?

Robert Andino is a little punk. He initiated the contact with Texiera by trying to push him back down and hold him down. Texiera showed remarkable restraint.

Derrick Lee appears to be toast. Bust him inside and he sits back down.

Pete actually posted two threads. I'll bet he is exhausted. Time for another vacation.

The Orioles need to take three of the next four or risk ending April about 7 games out of first...already.

How many stolen bases do we have this year? NB or paulie, jump in here.

Happy Easter to all of Pete's bloggers. Try to eat before the game today.

Gil, I am in a chatty mood this morning...I didn't think I would be, but I am. Anyway, I don't agree with this.

Robert Andino is a little punk. He initiated the contact with Texiera by trying to push him back down and hold him down. Texiera showed remarkable restraint.

Andino is not a punk, I felt Tex slid late and tried to clip Andino. Andino is a good athlete and quick rabbit like reflexes, the guy dances out there. I like him! I like his spunk, and I don't agree with your take on the situation. To be honest, Andino showed passion. So did Bergy with his final defensive play for the night. He showed he still had some competitive spirit! We need more of that. I wish Tex took a swing at him, I think you would have seen a better fight then you would have originally thought. I have no problem with Andino. If you all are into hockey and you want to see some chippiness on your Easter Sunday watch the Flyers/Sabres game today. I am pretty sure you will see a lot of aggresive play. Bottom line is, I want to see more passion and for the most part the Orioles aren't showing much of anything as of late.

Many thanks to the Washington Capitals for keeping me out of Baseball Purgatory for at least another few weeks.

Many thanks to the Washington Capitals for keeping me out of Baseball Purgatory for at least another few weeks.

Squirrel,

Middle infielders get slid into. Texiera's slide was not dirty. You are taught to slide hard. Andino's play was bush league. He better be really quick and spunky because one of the Yankees is going to try to cut him in half before the year is out. I played a little of this game at a competitive level and coached it as well, and still do. There was no reason for Andino to try to push Texiera back down, unless, of he can back it up. If he is going to react that way every time someone makes a hard slide into him, he will get punched in the mouth. Did you ever see Frank Robinson or Don Baylor go into second base? I understand that you want to see the Orioles show some life. So do I. I just thought Andino's play was over the top.

Gil couldn't agree more with what you just said. It was bush league for andino to push him in the back.Gil on another note i get what buck is trying to get the orioles to do with the mental part of this game, but i truly don't believe he has the players to do it with. 2 of the long term veterans on this team, Brian Roberts, and Nick M has totally been exposed to losing. In Addition both are laid back players that don't show any type of emotion. All kidding aside gil i don't think Nick M has fun playing this game other then the financial rewards that it brings. I am not saying that he is a selfish player in any way but he just doesn't exibit the emotion that buck is probably looking for out of those 2 type players. What do you think about my last statement.

Many can't admit it, but Jones is more valuable to this team than Markakis. If both Jones and Markakis were on the open market, more teams would line up for Jones.

He hits for power, can steal you bases, plays a good center field, and he's younger than Nick. Looking at everything, there is simply more upside to Jones, not to mention he's increasing in value while Markakis is decreasing.

No one wants to go here, but maybe it's a black/white thing in this town. Otherwise, it's hard to explain why people are always so hard on Jones while giving the older player the benefit of the doubt at every turn.

Jones has much growing to do, and he doesn't come across as cool at Markakis. When it comes to the better all around player though, we're seeing who has now become more valuable as a major league ballplayer.

Sure, James. It's about race.

It's not about the fact that Markakis has been, without a doubt, the better player over the past three years.

It's not about the fact that Jones has a fatal flaw (plate discipline) that hasn't changed a bit since the first day he put on an Oriole uniform.

But sure, buddy. Go ahead and make it about race.

Back to reality...

I would say that Jones has the chance to become a better player, and you're probably right that he would fetch more than Markakis on the trade market. But it's not because he's a better player right now. It's because he's two years younger and he has a higher ceiling. I really don't think anyone would debate that. What is debatable is whether or not Jones will be able to overcome his faults (plate discipline, plate discipline and plate discipline) and be able to realize his potential.

By the by...

We're getting shut out by Freddy Garcia.

What year is this? 2001?

Well not brooks, I'm just basing things on how people treat Jones in this town. Rarely is there anything positive, and when it is, people act surprised when he does something well.

We agree on half of my points. He likely has more upside than Markakis and he would get more on the open market. I don't believe we agree on how the two players are perceived though. The truth is, this town is always ready to jump all over Jones when he swings at a low outside pitch. Yet when Markakis looks pathetic yet again at the plate, it's 'Nick will come around'.

But I look at the stats, and I see that Nick only had a slightly better year last season than a 24 year old who's still learning. Yet, when you read blogs, you would think Markakis is the golden boy while Jones is defined by not having plate discipline. It just doesn't seem right.

It's true that Jones doesn't always have the best body language, but Markakis often looks dazed and confused at the plate. It just seems that Jones gets a very raw deal while Markakis is someone many Oriole fans would rather pull for.

Is it me or does Roberts jog to first base often? I know most players do when it's a grounder to the pitcher, but Roberts does it with grounders to 2nd as well. Only when it looks like it may be a grounder in the hole on the left side does it ever seem like he goes full tilt. But I guess that's part of the Oriole Way, especially in such a great line up.

Jones is defined by his lack of plate discipline, James.

Do you realize how much better he would be if he could lay off those low and away breaking balls? The last six or seven games have been a good example of that.

And the fact that you're comparing Jones to "worst slump of his life" Markakis instead of ".825 career OPS" Markakis is just plain ridiculous.

James C i know you don't agree with anything that i write in these blogs but thats ok.On your last post i have to agree with everything that you have written, You know my feelings on Nick,i think he is a good ball player not great like most people in this town think. James what i am about to say has to be unpopular but in order to truly go forward need to trade both roberts and nick in order to get new players here that haven't experienced the losing that they have.

Well that's your opinion not brooks. Besides, I'm not comparing careers. I'm looking at today's value, performance and upside. But you can call me ridiculous if you want.

Blancione, Why would you say I never agree with you? To your point of trading Brian and Markakis. Why not? My concern would be that we would get less for both than we think we would. One now has a history of a bad back, and the other is falling in value. But again, why not? What does this team have to lose? They might as well.

wayne talks about scouting a great deal. I think we're seeing a prime example of what he's talking about. Why didn't the Orioles go after Garcia? He only makes 1.5 million and the Yankee scouts saw enough in him to give him a shot at making the rotation. That's great scouting. Instead, the Orioles went out and got Duchsherer. Was it the money? Did they not want to pay 800,000 more on a player with far less risk? I guess I'm just being ridiculous.

Almost. Too bad almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

"Yet when Markakis looks pathetic yet again at the plate, it's 'Nick will come around'."

Wow. A guy with 5 of the most consistent years in the majors. Did you start watching Orioles baseball this year?

James, OTHER THAN this year (all 3 weeks of it...), Nick has been consistent and clutch. Every statistical number out there supports that.

As far as Jones and Nick on an open market I'll split the difference here.

Any contending team would want Nick over Adam. Any rebuilding team would want Adam over Nick. I don't know how you can begin to quantify "upside", but BOTH players offer tremendous possibility.

1 week of good AB's from Adam do not trump Nicks 5 years. Sorry.

I do LOVE Adam. I like the bubble-gum, I LOVE the HR love to Maryland, I love the swing (when the pitch is in the zone), I love the glove, I love his attitude (I know he wants it...I know he's trying to be amazing). But Adam is not quite there...but he has taken steps every single year.

Why does appreciating one guy mean hating on the other? Can't they both be loved for different reasons? But I guess it's that ol' OPS/SLG thing...AVG w/ RISP is a dumb category to be good at.

*(not brooks, I know you're talking OPS and that's OBP and SLG...but that's my point on Nick. SLG is one category (which is then used in OPS)...thusly, SLG is being used against him too....anyway...another time...)

Ball four to Jones was strike three to Reynolds.

Weird...

Boy, Andino's got to pull a better slide than that with Martin having to go away from the plate to get the ball.

Go head first or slide away from the plate and reach back with your hand. Something other than a standard foot-first slide right into the catcher's mitt. Especially when you're trying to score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Oh well... That was much better than I expected against Mo. Let's see if we can win it in extras.

bob,

"You know my feelings on Nick,i think he is a good ball player not great like most people in this town think."

I'm not disagreeing with you just to be disagreeable, (honestly)

But I got pretty laid out for my strident position. I'd say most folks don't see him as great (at least on this board).

Maybe Mes and not brooks seemed to think of him as above average, but only possibly great....I pretty sure I stand alone...

{{are you kidding me with that throw at the plate...killer...}}

I reserve the term "great" for a select few.

I'm pretty sure I've generally used "very good" or "fine" to describe Nick. He's a nice ballplayer, but he is, by no means, a great ballplayer. Maybe he'll deserve that term by the end of his career, but that remains to be seen, obviously.

Anyway...

JONES AND WIETERS!!! HOLY COW!!!!!!!

Speaking of Adam Jones...and Golden Wheat. Nasty throw..nasty blocking...

This game could have a "Natural" feeling with Adam Jones in the rain bottom of the 11th...lol...would be funny...

is there a team with less talent and upside than the Orioles, and if so, who?

I'd rather be an O's fan than a Pirates fan, jim.

PS - Four posts by Pete over at O's Insider during the game. Looks like things are winding down here.

No say it ain't so brooksie!
This is the only place where you can post right away.

I am furious that Andino didn't start this game furious! I want to know whose decision is was to sit Andino and play Izzy. I didn't watch the whole game, but when I heard Izzy fouled up bases loaded, I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs.
Plus my Sabres lost in OT
Bad day for the Squirrel, I am not happy

bob,

Some great players have have been low key but have performed exceptionally well on the field. I always think of baseball as a Gentelman's game. I have always taught my players to act like you have been there when they make a great defensive play or get a big hit. Don't show up the other team. Run on and off the field with your head down, if you hit a home run, RUN it out, don't jog and no fist pumping. A player can be animated without making an a**hole of himself. Roger Maris was a very good player who showed very little emotion. So was Frank Robinson. They took it out on the other team between the lines. There is too much showboating in MLB. Respect the game.

As far as Nick Markakis is concerned, I sense something is wrong with him physically. His swings lack his usual bat speed and he keeps fiddling a little with his stance from AB to AB. He is a good player but not a great player and I think we have seen his best offensive years. Brian Roberts gets a little too nonchalant for me in the field at times. Maybe both Nick and Brian would be much better in a winning organization. Unfortunately, they are not and have played their entire careers having never seen a winning season, and probably never will unless they get traded to contender.

As I said when the home stand started, the team needed to go 6 and 4 or at the very least get a split. At this point the Red Sox are hot. If we take 2 of 3 from the Bosox we can still go 4 and 5. Right now the Orioles are getting blown out, or playing just well enough to lose. I would make two changes to the lineup for the Red Sox series. Play Felix Pie for awhile and leave Itzuris at Shortsop. Andino is erratic and does not have a very strong arm.

Boy Gil, we don't agree at all about Andino. Not even a little bit. Andino is erratic and does not have a very strong arm. We have two different ways of scouting players or at least determining their ability.

Now grant it this was 2005, but according to Baseball America:

Best Defensive Infielder Robert Andino
Best Infield Arm Robert Andino

Now I am not going to argue the Andino is better then Henley Ramirez, that's crazy. Andino can hold his own, but better. No!
To say he has no arm is ridiculous. I thought Andino still nailed Cano, despite being unbalanced after Wieters pick off. Ok enuff about Andino, I am really upset that he didn't start today.
PS one more thing, ok so I lied about being enough about Andino. Izzy gives us no chance to win a ball game, he simply can't hit!

@ Not Brooks,
I didn't see the play originally (Andino's play at the plate, but I saw the Replay on Baseball tonight and the ball got there 10 to 20 feet before Andino got to the plate. John Russell has no sense of the outfielder's or relay man's arm. None. If the ball beats the runner typically the umpire will call the runner out, unless there was a special reason. Andino was out, I thought maybe it was more of a bang bang play and it really wasn't. It was just a good defensive play by the Yankees.

the pirates. ok.
that's one. any others?

how do you go scoreless against freddy garcia?

Wayne: Please go over your comment about the Cleveland Indians...they are in the AL Central, not the AL East....am I missing your point???

Well, it's OFFICIAL.....

On good authority at the game today, I learned that The Schmuck Stops Here will be ending by the second week in May.

The reasons are for everything Gil and I have been saying for a while now. The owners and AM do not like how the SUN allows posters to freely speak negatively about the team. They want the SUN to control which post are shown and which aren't.

In the meantime, Pete is NOT allowed to respond to posters speaking the truth about the O's. At the same time, he is to post regularly on the Insider Blog.

What that means is........

Unless we kiss up and lie about the O's, posters like Meso, Gil, Bob and myself will never be be heard from at the Insider.

Those of you on the fence will get in some of the time, but only when you're positive or display stats, etc about the team or baseball in general.

Other posters like smitty and paulie will be regulars if they so choose.

Peter S and I may disagree at times, but I think he's a really good guy. The fact that he has to give up the most popular Blog the Sun has (as attested by the # of post) surely must aggravate him to no end.

But don't be upset at Pete...... He's only trying to keep his job.

The reason for waiting until may is so it looks like a seamless transition. They will promote the Insider more and more, and Pete will eventually only post there.

In return, the O's will guarantee additional advertising (at the Insider).

This is your Baltimore Orioles at their finest ladies and gentleman.

There ya have it.......

..............................................................................................
Pete's reply: Wayno, where do you get this stuff? Do you just make it up or are you hearing voices? And, do you even know what the word "official" means? I started posting on Orioles Insider several months ago, so I guess the transition was really seamless. Let me ask you something that will require you to use logic. If we didn't want you to post negative stuff on the blog, why isn't the blog filtered? I opened it up so you could post faster. Very few other blogs are like that, yet you imagine someone is trying to stifle you. Quite the opposite. I have to admit that you're amazing negativity generates blog clicks, so thanks, I guess. Why would you imagine there is some conspiracy to silence you after letting you vent your spleen for the last two years. I fear your ego has really run away with your common sense on this. Can't wait to hear your explanation when the blog is still running in June.

Squirrel,

I know what I see. Andino is a short armer and cannot make the play from deep in the hole. I have already seen several plays he failed to make from deep in the hole this season. I have seen him play and I have seen him take infield before games. He has a second baseman's arm, in my opinion. I don't know about the Baseball America reports but that was 6 years ago. I didn't say he had no arm. I said he has a weak arm in my opinion. He displayed his erratic side by diving to stop a ball in the hole and then throwing it into right field. Get atleast one. He got none. Itzuris would also have made a better throw to third when the runner was picked off at second. Sure, he was moving to his right, but a SS with a strong arm makes that play. Hardy probably makes that play. Andino rushed it. That showed how weak his arm is. He "pushed" the throw. In my opinion. As you may have guessed by now, I am not very high on Andino and when Hardy comes off the DL, Andino will be back at Norfolk. With all of the offensive firepower you know who supposedly acquired over the winter, we should be able to carry Itzuris until Hardy gets back. If he ever does. But, as you said, enough about Andino. The Orioles lost because they failed to score enough runs in 9 innings. Markakis and Lee are stinking up the place right now.

Chuck, Yes..... you missed the point. But that's ok.

Squirrel,

I know what I see. Andino is a short armer and cannot make the play from deep in the hole. I have already seen several plays he failed to make from deep in the hole this season. I have seen him play and I have seen him take infield before games. He has a second baseman's arm, in my opinion. I don't know about the Baseball America reports but that was 6 years ago. I didn't say he had no arm. I said he has a weak arm in my opinion. He displayed his erratic side by diving to stop a ball in the hole and then throwing it into right field. Get atleast one. He got none. Itzuris would also have made a better throw to third when the runner was picked off at second. Sure, he was moving to his right, but a SS with a strong arm makes that play. Hardy probably makes that play. Andino rushed it. That showed how weak his arm is. He "pushed" the throw. In my opinion. As you may have guessed by now, I am not very high on Andino and when Hardy comes off the DL, Andino will be back at Norfolk. With all of the offensive firepower you know who supposedly acquired over the winter, we should be able to carry Itzuris until Hardy gets back. If he ever does. But, as you said, enough about Andino. The Orioles lost because they failed to score enough runs in 9 innings. Markakis and Lee are stinking up the place right now.

Wow wayne. Wow

..............................................................................................
Pete's reply: Yes, wow. Imagine my surprise when I found out that Wayne is cancelling my blog. Isn't making life miserable for the long-suffering Orioles fans here enough?

I totally agree with Gil.
Hardy needs to get back and quick.
If Markakis and Lee don't start hitting soon 2011 will not be good and This team needs to beat the Red Sox but I'm not liking what is going on.
So much for the manager being the difference maker...
Sure wish Andy would have gotten Wedge at this point, huh?

Nice try on the Insider nb,

Steve blatantly and deliberately danced like coward with his response.....

Because he is a coward.

Believe it or not, I posted very, very vanilla items on the Insider, just to see if they would show them. They didn't.

The SUN is all about censorship. Imagine that... an American Newspaper in a medium market city, does not believe in free speech on a blog.

We all know what that makes both Steve and the SUN.

Squirrel,

I don't mean to pi** down your leg about Robert Andino. I could be wrong. In fact, my wife tells me I am wrong 99% of the time. I think he is destined to be a journeyman utility middle infielder who will be up and down between AAA and the majors. If the Marlins thought he was their shortstop of the future, they would not have traded him to us for Hayden Penn. He has limited AB's at the major league level and has a .599 OPS and a .231 lifetime average in 432 AB's. He has hit 6 career Homeruns, and is projected to hit 5 a year based on experience so far. He will be 27 years old tomorrow. I know there are a lot of Andino fans on here, but that's how I see it.

I feel like I am getting very close to that 2-8 homestand minus a rainout game. The Red Sox are heating up and the O's are stinking up the joint. It is the end of there season and they are holding down last place. No hitting, no fielding and no bullpen. This team was supposed to be better with Buck Showalter. They are a DISGRACE!!!

Don't ever say Dave T. was the problem. This team has no talent in the batting lineup. I am ready for Machado to learn at the MLB level, let Snyder learn up here and let Mahoney learn up here. The season is over the way it is right now.

Hey O's: Show up with HEART if there is one.

My response to Steve at the Insider, in case it doesn't go up there:

So why the change between this year and last year, Steve?

Orioles Insider started up in April of last year, but Pete still posted a ton of new entries on "The Schmuck" blog. Also, Schmuck didn't post a single entry on O's Insider in April of 2010. And fans were encouraged to continue visiting Schmuck's blog despite having the new blog as an O's resource as well.

If Schmuck's blog isn't going down, why are his posts there so limited and why is he posting here more?

..............................................................................................
Pete's reply: NB, I appreciate your concern, but if you haven't already, find my response to Ferg DeLuxe on this subject. To be honest, I've been less active on the blog this year because I've had to take a bunch of vacation before a collective bargaining deadline and -- quite frankly -- I got burned out on the blog for awhile. I've been doing it for three years and, unlike the readers and posters, I have a ton of other writing I have to do in the course of my work week. I hope to jack it up over the next couple of months, but I simply have a lot more going on right now than I did a year ago on several levels. I hope you guys understand and don't read anything nefarious into it. I'll admit that it was a lot easier to fill when I got all the Orioles news and notes, but the success of Orioles Insider and Ravens Insider dictated that we funnel the news to those two blogs so you have one-stop shopping and there would be no confusion about who was doing what..

Ok a few things.

If anyone cares Edinson Vloquez was pitching a great game till Yadier Molina took him yard and now it's 3 to 0 cards.. blech. I like the Reds better.

@Gil,

Jeff Z said Izzy had problems in the field today too. He also messed up a bases loaded. I see Izzy as being too deliberate in the field, no longer fluid, like Andino is or it's at least my opinion that he is. I don't see where the upside is with Izzy. He makes Mark Belanger look like a power hitter. Izzy would not be here if it weren't for Andy MacPhail.
There was no earthly reason for Izzy to play today over Andino. I am sticking by it!

I was going to post a bunch of numbers about how ugly things look right now, but what's the point?

Things are real ugly right now.

Something drastic needs to happen right now so this organization doesn't flush another season down the toilet.

8-12 is absolutely unacceptable.

Moving forward, anything less than two out of three against the Red Sox is unacceptable. I'll pencil in a loss for Thursday with Brad "Here's A Six Run Head Start For You" Bergesen throwing against Jon "Destroyer of Orioles" Lester. But with Guthrie and Britton throwing the first two games, there's no excuse if they don't win both of them.

10-13 after the Red Sox series, and heading into seven games against the White Sox and Royals should put this team in a position to gain some ground.

If we're any worse than 15-15 heading into Tampa on May 6, we're done.

Squirrel,

I don't go over to the other blogs, but Itzuris is a superior fielder to Andino, and has the career record to prove it. Ask Tony Larussa about itzuris. Niether of them are ever going to hit enough to be other than a utility infielder, however Itzuris has a sronger arm. I watched Mark belanger take over from Luis Aparicio and I can tell you that neither of the aformentioned can hold Mark's jock. May he rest in piece. Izzy has no upside offensively, but with a game on the line I'll take him over Andino defensively any day of the week. Soon we won't be able have these conversations because this blog will be shutting down. The SUN has decided that they are going to filter all comments through their "Insider" blogs. Comments that directly criticize the owner and or the GM will not be published. It was fun while it lasted, wasn't it? I won't be posting on censored blogs so let's have fun while we still can.

This is stupid.

If the Sun wanted to end a blog, why would they wait until May? I've thought the blog was nearing the end too, but I'm not delusional.

Seriously, some people have some great imagination. What ever you're taking (or not taking), keep doing it.

BTW, I have an inside source that officially says Dave Trembley will be taking over the blog in June...

dave,

I actually like that idea. Trembley taking over the Blog would be hilarious.....only if he could speak his mind though.

Can you imagine what he must be thinking..... what he could offer?

'I sure wish I had a Vlad in the 4-hole'

'Even Lee is better than what I had at 1B'

'Would have been nice to have had BRob the 1st half of last season'

'Yeah, I saw what Britton was about and wanted to bring him up last year'

'I would have loved to have worked with a young pitching staff that was a year more experienced'

'Yeah, Reynolds isn't much of a ballplayer, but I had Miggy playing out of position at 3B'

'Seems like there were more Yankee fans at the park then when I coached the team'

'Gregg and Gonzo may both be terrible, but at least there's a choice. I only had a hurt Gonzo then had to make Simon the closer'

'I told Andy Eaton wasn't a quality major league pitcher'

'I told Andy Hill wasn't a qualtiy major league pitcher'

'I told Andy there was no way Koji could hold up being a SP in this league'

'I told Andy scouts were saying Millwoods '09 season was a mirage - that he would revert back to his previous 2 seasons'

'I told Andy Tillman was too immature to come up and that his fastball had little movement'

'I told Andy that the hitting wasn't Crow's fault'

'Sure everyone could see that Atkins had nothing. We could see it in ST. But I was forced to put him in the line-up'

'With Vlad, BRob and Britton, our '10 start could have been 8-12 as well'

'Scapegoat? Me? I'll let others make that call'

Pete,

Interesting..... You and Steve are dancing so well that perhaps you'll get a call for the next Dancing With The Stars.

We've got your back....

Someone please wake me up when the Os are competitive again. I am going to take a nap . . .

'revert back '

Redundancy squared, so to speak.

Darling, you are a raging buffoon. I really mean it. I told the tablemates that the sound that the floor makes when you traipse your way to the 'griping table for one' isn't a squeak at all, but more like planks of oak actually crying out for help. I thought putting you in the corner facing the mirror would help us all, but alas, nothing short of a horse hoof to the flapping trap would adequately do the job.
Well love, continue on. Wouldn't want to miss a second of your diatribe. Do me one giant favor though, could you? Raise your chin to the ceiling when you speak. The floor has obviously had enough.

Thanks for the response, Pete.

I've never bought any of wayne's "official" rumors, but a few things that have been going on here seemed to point to the end of this blog.

Anyway, it's good to know you won't be leaving us!