Christopher,

Please reprint your last post and put it on this thread for everyone to see......

You are a funny guy. You prove there are actually people who have their heads up the azzes who have their heads up the azzes who have their heads up the azzes.

Pete,

Bad teams lose close games..... It's been true as long as there has been baseball.

Close games don't mean you're 'close' to the other team. Close losses in baseball are simply losses....

The O's have given away hundreds of games they should have won over the last 13 years. The fact that they've lost the last couple, is simply more of the same.

They're the same old Orioles. Nothing changes...... Well, some things do I guess. The apologist are ok with 'close' to being 500.

That's a change in this once proud baseball town. People have come to accept a losing mentality.

That's what execs like AM are able to do.... they come in with a track record of losing (more losing than anyone over the past 20 years) and convince people that the team is heading in the right direction...

...even if the team (overall) remains garbage.

Gonzo DEFINES the garbage talent evaluation that is headed by AM and his nephew.

How about an article on the list put out by Agent Orange Pete?

We can dream......

I was reading post from the interview with Texiera. Oriole fans were just horrible. The guy gave a great interview to a Baltimore reporter and fans trash the guy. It's as if he owed Baltimore anything. There was also an ignorant poster from St Joe, who must have skipped english class. It's sad, but Baltimore has become the East Coast version of Cleveland.

Absolutely unacceptable loss last night. The O's had a chance to win it in literally every extra inning, and no one could get it done. What a joke...

And, once again, the wasting of this talented starting rotation continues.

Britton goes seven, allowing zero earned runs, lowering his ERA to 2.14, and neither he nor the team gets a win.

Britton's got a 1.32 ERA through 27 innings in May, and he's got one win to show for it. And the O's have won only two of his four May starts.

Oh well. At least Britton's helping my fantasy team.

Where the O's go from here will tell us a lot about the talent and character of this team. Will they fold in upon themselves and drop to 10 or 15 games back in the next three weeks or so? That's what a Trembley team would have done. Or will someone finally step up, say "enough is enough" and get the offense going?

A couple more items:

- It's well past time to cut Michael Gonzalez and eat his salary. There's absolutely no place on a major league roster for a lefty reliever who can't get lefties out and has zero control. Bring up Troy Patton to take Gonzalez's spot in the bullpen.

- If Brandon Snyder is going to be up with the O's, he needs to be playing. Luke Scott isn't a first baseman (especially when he's playing with only one good arm) and neither is Jake Fox. Snyder should get every start at first base until Lee is ready to return.

Answer:

Mounting injuries, lack of depth on the roster, little help available from the minor leagues.

Question:

What is a typical Oriole season since 1997?

Answer:

Left over broken down free agents that nobody else wants.

Question:

What type of free agent players has Andy Macphail typically signed in his career? {List too long to post}

Answer:

Independent Leagues.

Question:

Where do Andy Macphail's free agent signings usually end up?

Answer:

Lee Macphail IV, Director of Professional Scouting, Baltimore Orioles.

Question:

Can you name a nephew of Andy Macphail who has been fired from the front office of two other major league teams?

Geez Pete!

Sounds to me like Wayne has gotten to you. We're supposed to do the complaining not you. You're supposed to be the voice of reason. I don't even know what to do with myself when you agree with me. I want something I can fight you on. Sheesh!

P.S: How's that Tex article coming?

jc,

Well said. While Teixeira may only be paying lip service to NY with his comments about growing up a Yankees fan, it's a bit much to expect players to want to play on their hometown teams no matter what.

Where's the ire towards Gavin Floyd? I doubt he's said anything about growing up a White Sox fan, but he's a Mt. St. Joe grad, too.

Also, when a player not from Baltimore becomes an Oriole do we trash him for betraying his hometown team?

I was reading post from the interview with Texiera. Oriole fans were just horrible. The guy gave a great interview to a Baltimore reporter and fans trash the guy. It's as if he owed Baltimore anything. There was also an ignorant poster from St Joe, who must have skipped english class. It's sad, but Baltimore has become the East Coast version of Cleveland.

Posted by: jc | May 19, 2011 12:18 PM

Off topic, but can someone please tell Brian Roberts to stop sliding into first base.

The reason you slide into a base is to SLOW DOWN to avoid overrunning the base (and its ok to overrun 1st base), or to avoid a tag (which rarely happens at 1st base).

In other words: you get there faster if you keep running. That's why sprinters are taught to run through the finish line - its the fastest way to get there.

MNE,

My interpretation of sliding to first:

Guys will slide to first in anticipation of an off-base throw, in order to avoid getting tagged by the first baseman.

Question:

Can you name the Manager that has been fired from 3 teams?

Answer:

Buck Schowalter.

Question:

What do O's fans think with every L?

Answer:

That Andy is trying to loose. That Peter told Andy to loose.

Question:

What do the last 13 seasons have in common?

Answer:

Everything. Each season is an identical mirror of each other. Identical. 100% the same.

I can't believe that some of you are getting on the fans for getting on Tex.

It's baseball, and every fan base has a villain. And yes, some people are ignorant... ignore them. I, however, will continue to boo the heck out of that guy every time I get the chance. Don't sit at your news conference and tell me you rooted for the Yankees growing up. That was BS. I also don't like players who play dirty, which he has been known to do. If you don't think so, go ahead and check out his obliteration of a defenseless catcher making his first major league start last April 24. All because he thought he got hit on purpose. Running over a catcher in your way is one thing. Going out of your way to blindside a catcher who is giving you the plate is dirty.

Deal with it.

Also,

Not sure why Wayne thinks this is all AMs fault. The guy has indeed made this club better in many aspects. It isn't his fault that he can't spend money because his boss won't allow it.

This losing mentality that has ruined this franchise is courtesy of Mr. Angelos alone. The guy does great things for the city with his philanthropy, but he has also beat down a once proud fan base while making millions and refusing to spend it.

MacPhail is just another GM along the way who has done more than any other in the past 10 years. Adam Jones, Tillman, Britton, Wieters, Hardy, Scott, etc. are upgrades over what we've had in the past decade plus. Yes, he has some terrible signings as well, but that is mostly on Angelos in my opinion.
Is any GM going to land top talent in Baltimore? Not until Angelos opens his wallet and overpays, because that is what it takes when no one wants to play on your team.

Answer:

L-O-S-E

Question:

How is the word "lose" spelled?

Sorry, whoever you are. Just had to do that...

By the by, there's a big difference between a manager getting fired and a scouting director getting fired. Managers are held accountable for the performance of players. If the players don't perform, the manager gets canned. It's a public position, and the firings are usually the result of a public outcry.

Lee MacPhail IV has been fired from his post as scouting director by the Orioles, Indians and Nationals. Then when his Uncle Andy got the GM job he Baltimore, the younger Lee was re-hired to a higher position in the organization.

Answer:

It doesn't. That's old-school nepotism at its worst.

Question:

How does that make any sense?

Answer:

I don't know. It doesn't make any sense to me.

Question:

Why do some people get so angry at those of us who get frustrated when the Orioles lose?

One more thing: I know you were being sarcastic, but you're absolutely 100% spot on in your last Q & A. The Orioles have been doing the same thing for the past dozen years. The Andy MacPhail Era has been no different from the Beattie/Flanagan Era or the Syd Thrift Era:

- Zero international scouting
- Questionable amateur draft picks
- Overpaying mediocre relievers
- Balking at prices for top-of-the-line free agents
- Short-term deals for band-aid free agents

You're absolutely right, Anonymous. Regardless of the GM regime, the O's approach hasn't changed over the past decade or so. "Let's see if we can patch together some old guys with this decent young core. We'll take the next step when the time is right."

Problem is, with that approach, the time is never right.

Not Brooks and Anonymous,

I second anonymous' opinion that the problem is no other than the common denominator, Peter Angelos.

I'm not saying MacPhail is just a victim. No, far from it. He is a joke; however that is the problem with Angelos. He will only hire people who are tools, servants at his will. He will never empower his people to do what they are hired to do. He will never give them the resources they need to succeed. Therefore, he will continue to hire tools like MacPhail and his predecessors, who are nothing more than yes men who lack self respect, and only care about a paycheck every two weeks.

Pete:

I agree with your comments and add to it a comment. I think this year's additiions of players no other teams wanted as free agents and trades to get nothing. ly Hardy and Vlaid are the only two players added this year to acutally perform. The off season was a CON to try to sell more tickets and MASN Ads orchestrated by Peter the Great and A McFail. They spent a little money on nothig to make it seem we added value to the team. In fact, very little value was added. We have a D Lee noone wanted and he will be a DL queen and a Reynolds who can't hit a baseball consitstantly and is not hitting for power. We bullpen additions that are not worth a ......

This is a bad team and not better than last year. The sad part is we do not have any talent to fill in the gaps for the next 2 or 3 years. Losing another two or three years is not acceptable. If Peter the Great does not what to compete, he and his congolmortate should sell the team to a group that wants to win,

All the high drafts over the last 13 years has led nothing or two average players in Roberts and Nick M.

The big STING or the fans are deceived again but this time a big CON JOB.

This team will not win more than the 60 to 66 games or same as last year!!

Pete:

I agree with your comments and add to it a comment. I think this year's additiions of players no other teams wanted as free agents and trades to get nothing. ly Hardy and Vlaid are the only two players added this year to acutally perform. The off season was a CON to try to sell more tickets and MASN Ads orchestrated by Peter the Great and A McFail. They spent a little money on nothig to make it seem we added value to the team. In fact, very little value was added. We have a D Lee noone wanted and he will be a DL queen and a Reynolds who can't hit a baseball consitstantly and is not hitting for power. We bullpen additions that are not worth a ......

This is a bad team and not better than last year. The sad part is we do not have any talent to fill in the gaps for the next 2 or 3 years. Losing another two or three years is not acceptable. If Peter the Great does not what to compete, he and his congolmortate should sell the team to a group that wants to win,

All the high drafts over the last 13 years has led nothing or two average players in Roberts and Nick M.

The big STING or the fans are deceived again but this time a big CON JOB.

This team will not win more than the 60 to 66 games or same as last year!!

I've got to agree with you there, Meso.

It's just that it's easier to take it out on MacPhail because he's the more public figure.

AGeorge -

I've got to disagree with you on one thing:

This is a bad team, but they're much better than last year, if only because of the improvement we've seen from Arrieta and the excellent rookie season we're seeing from Britton.

I've said a hundred times that this 2011 Orioles team would live and die by its pitching. Of course, I didn't expect that a horrific offense would lead to so many wasted pitching performances.

Fun Fact of the Day: Take out that disastrous start against Texas, and Arrieta's 5-0 with a 2.81 ERA.

Another Fun Fact: Nine starts into 2010, Arrieta had struck out 21 while walking 28 in 48.1 innings. This year, he's got 46 strikeouts to 21 walks in 51.1 innings.

We're watching this guy develop into a damn fine young pitcher.

Agreed AGeorge; however let's not give Angelos that much credit. A con job? Has he fooled anyone? I think not. More like an [in your face, I wipe my behind with this town and I don't give a rat's behind about what fans think] act of defiance. Angelos and his sons consider Baltimore to be lucky to have a baseball team. They look at fans like an undeserving bunch of people. That is why, as long as Peter Angelos owns the team, I will never support his old crusty arse, and the trust funds of his undeserving sons.

NB,

If you take a look at the Orioles front office, it appears to operate at it's dysfunctional worst and has done so for a long time. It is a conglommeration of good old boys with an owner and son at the top that are absolutely cluess about baseball but continue to meddle.

Peter Angelos is the Chairman of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer. Enough said.

John Angelos, his son, is the Executive Vice President and nothing, I MEAN NOTHING gets to PA without going through John. Oriole Employees would rather not even throw an idea in John's direction lest they get trampled on. All that John knows about Baseball is the bank deposit and the budget

Andy Macphail is the President of Baseball Operations.

Lee Macphail IV is the Director of Professional Scouting and was obviously part of the deal with Angelos when Andy was hired.

The Stockstill brothers, David and John are the Director of International Scouting and Director of Player development respectively. They have been with the organization for years and John worked with Andy when he was with the Cubs.

Joe Jordan, another tenured employee is the Director of Amateur Scouting.

Of the 15 executive positions on the Org chart, all are white males save for one female, Janet Marie Smith, Vice President of Planning and Development. No Hispanics. No Blacks. Just the good old boys and a token white female.

Now I'm not advocating an affirmative action program for the Orioles front office. But what this group is doing and has been doing for years simply is not working. That's why every year seems to look the same. It's the same people on the same page making the same decisions, getting the same results and can't figure out why.

These entrenched people represent the template and the structure of the organization and until they are changed, nothing else will.

NB,

I love Zach Britton. I have a man crush on him. Is anybody pitching better than he is in the entire MLB? He is a rookie for crying out loud. With some respectable run support, we could be looking at a Cy Young candidate in his rookie year. The guy's plain philthy.

Arrietta has turned the corner and is pitching like he belongs. I believe his best is yet to come. If they can get Matusz to where he's supposed to be, these guys can be on their way to becoming the new era Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz.

"All I know is what my eyes see and my ears hear. " (Charlie Eckman)
For 13+ years the same scenario, retread free agents and young "phenoms" that aren't. It all boils down to a guy named E. B. Williams, the worst owner ever, who decimated a solid scouting system, and subsequent owners who would not hire baseball people who could effectively assess talent. This club needs a complete overhaul of the talent finding departments, from scouting to player development.

I can understand the fan angst, but there is nothing we can do. The O's have what looks like some decent starting pitching. Grow the arms may be working.

The fans have been sold a bill of goods on the rest of the roster. As for the free agents, MacPhail is no different than Flanny/Beattie/Duquette. Problem is, the 2011 free agents are precisely what he meant by 'buy the bats'. Look for more of this next off season. I don't know who scouts relievers, but they should be considering a new line of work.

The only thing a fan can do is stop watching for a while, until the disgust subsides. Then go back for another dose if you are so inclined. But do try to catch Britton's starts during those times you need to ignore the O's.

I would say the talent gap between the O's and Yanks is as small as its been in over a decade. Look at the Yanks' starting pitchers and the O's...who would you rather have? NY also has an aging Jeter, A-Rod and mediocre players like Gardner, Swisher and an ancient Posada. Why can't the O's beat them is the question? Seems to me this team still shrinks as the sight of the Yankees and it's been that way for a very long time. I thought Buck would change that but he hasn't so now it's up to Jones, Markakis, Wieters, the core of this team, to prove they are winners and not losers, which really is all they've been so far in their careers. We have won one season series against NY since 1989. How is that even possible?

Jon,

You had me at "talent gap" :-) .

Really?! The O's are closing the talent gap with the Yankees? Hilarious dude. You made me laugh so hard.

Back to being serious:

Who would I rather have? I wouldn't ask for much. I'd sent the entire O's roster including the manager and coaching staff in exchange for A-Rod, Texeira, CC and Cano. In addition, I would call everyone up from Norfolk. That team would actually make the playoffs, and New York Orioles won't.

If it had been any Orioles manager other than than Showalter last night, he would have been raked over the coals. One of the worst jobs managing a pitching staff in a game in a long time.

Jon's question was which teams SP's would you rather have?

meso, you did just say that Britton, Arrieta and Matusz "can be on their way to becoming the new era Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz"

So now I am confused by your reply to his question. Are they worthless or future hall of famers?

Peter -

When you express frustration at some of the posters on your blog, well, let me just say it’s not a good look.

Even though they post the same things over and over and over (what’s up wayne?) and have extremely varied reactions depending on the outcome of that day’s game (pretty much everyone else), I thought you were above that.

Everyone makes mistakes Peter, no worries.

I love this blog.

Go O’s

..............................................................................................
Pete's reply: JJ, I appreciate the note, but this has gotten a little ridiculous. I have spent the past two years listening to one particular poster question my integrity, question my judgment, question my opinion and deride me incessantly because I refuse to join in his horribly jaundiced view of the world. The guy, whoever he or she is, has been given carte blanche by me to do that for a long, long time, and I finally got tired of it. I do this blog on my own time and I'm a fairly busy guy with a family that loses time with me because of it. The notion that I should quietly accept the classless rantings of someone of such high self-opinion and apparent low character is unacceptable. We're all human here and I'm tired of being pounded on for -- essentially -- doing this sad fellow a favor by giving him a forum to vent his ugly spleen. If that means I'm not "above it all," I'm not. I try to interact with the readers here and O's fans on every level -- personal, social media, you name it -- so I'm going to react when someone constantly spits in my face for it. Sorry. I do appreciate the support.

NB,

Further, how can you change the culture of an oranization, any organization, if you don't change the people responsible for the problems? The only significant change Andy made when he took over was to hire his nephew as Director of Professional Scouting. That does not appear to have been a positive change. All of the other people who were involved with scouting and player development are still here. When it comes to the terms "Scouting" and "Player Development", the words become oxymorons when used to describe the Orioles' efforts in those areas.

Since the owner won't fire himself or his son, you ostensibly have the same culture of losing firmly embedded. Angelos is known to like the Stockstills and Joe Jordan, so all they do is keep their heads down and say yes to Andy who says yes to John and PA on budget and personnel issues. Moreover, many of these people know they will be here long after Andy and his nephew move on, so they are not going to make waves.

Andy is not dynamic in any fashion and he is not a tree shaker. He is a plodder with no defined qualitative or quantitative goals. "Grow the arms and buy the bats" is not a goal, it is a cheap slogan.

All of the above is a recipe for continued losing, which is the one unspoken goal for which Andy has achieved a "far exceeds" on his review.

not brooks,

Wow, if you really believe that Andy is the same GM as his predecessors, well...I dunno, I thought you were more analytical than knee-jerk reactionary. (the last person to write that same statement is the same person that's called you an a**hole 5 times since the beginning of the season...)

There are similarities, but the differences are much more pronounced.

JJ

Good point on the outcome of games. Lose = "waaa waaa waaa" Win = "It's a win, BUT... this, that, and the other."

What has Andy done differently, paulie?

Sure, I guess he's made a good trade or two, but aside from that, I'm not seeing it.

How are Ty Wigginton, Derrek Lee and Adam Eaton any different from Kevin Millar, Rafael Palmeiro (Part 2) and, I don't know... Bruce Chen?

The minor league system wasn't much to talk about four years ago, and it still isn't much to talk about now.

International scouting was a joke four years ago, and it's even more of a joke now.

If it was 2007 or 2008 and I was claiming that Andy was the same as his predecessors, then you could call me "knee-jerk reactionary", but this is 2011. Andy MacPhail was hired almost four years ago. These thoughts that I'm throwing out there aren't based on a few weeks of watching a couple of games. They're based on four years of watching this organization take a step forward and then four steps back.

And you know what the worst part about it all is, paulie? Like I said before, a decent core is developing here. And to see that happening, while knowing in the back of my mind that this GM isn't going to do a damn thing to put this team over the top (if they ever get close to it, that is), is just flat out depressing.

So is this game over already? Down 2-0 and an offense facing CC that gets shut down by the likes of Chen, Vargas, Harrison and Hector Noesi.

Now it's over. 0-6 vs. the Yanks.

We'll all be waiting with bated breath for wayne's victory post after the Orioles lose...

Raise your hand if you're sick and tired of Brad Bergesen.

If I said it once, I've said it a thousand times: Bergesen doesn't have the stuff to get away with anything. If he's not "on", he's an absolute disaster. It's a good thing Jakubauskus (or however you spell it) and Patton are up tonight. This is going to be a looooooong game.

Enjoy it, if you can, fellas.

5-0, Buck. What in the world were you thinking last night by using Guthrie?

I've said it many times, with his stuff, Bergesen's only role in the majors is in long relief and even that is iffy. The shutout vs. Tampa was pretty amazing when you consider his season. A friend of mine who had never seen him pitch before (Mets fan) just commented, "How does he get anyone out with those pitches?" My answer: He usually doesn't.

Captain Obvious here:
When Matusz comes back, Bergesen needs to be sent down. I think we've all seen enough 5 runs in 4 innings on 110 pitches outings.

Gonzalez needs to be gone. Just...gone I wouldn't even like him in Norfolk taking up space. He's a lot like Bergy. One good outing out of five keeps a glimmer of hope alive. My favorite thing about him is the second round pick he cost.

not brooks,

Flanny/Beattie/Duquette all dipped into the Free Agent market as the basis of building the team, and Andy has used Free Agent market for "projects" and values.

The regimes might have similarities in results and the fill in players, but their usages of free agency are not the same.

Flanny/Beattie/Duquette would have gone after Prince Fielders, Jayson Werth's, Jason Bay's.

Drafting...Wieters, Matusz, Machado, Hobgod vs. Rowell, Snyder, Townsend, Markakis, Lowen. Call me crazy, but I think Andy, even with Hobgood, still has a better track record of draft/develop/promote.

On international scouting...you dead right. It's an obvious flaw. Same as it ever is. Dreadful.

Just to be clear here...

Bergensen down

Tillman stays up? The guy with 5 QS out of his 8 starts? The guy that Andy got...

No no. Bergensen must stay up. Andy is wrong. And bad. And eat's children. And practices voo-doo on the elderly.

well, 40 games in and i've seen enough of one-third of the roster already. I can only imagine what must be going thru Buck's mind right now. I would imagine, Jeez, we suck is probably in there somewhere.

I think it's even money the guy does not make 3 years here. This year should pretty much set the stage for pissing enough people off to the point where the empire builder might have to ask him to leave.

This is embarrassing stuff, and he knows better. He's been around winning, and it looks nothing like this train wreck.

paulie,

No regime under PA has been allowed to spend big money on a FA since Albert Belle was signed. The Flanny/Duquette regime would at least have had the balls to go to PA and try to get Prince Fielder or Adrian Gonzalez signed.

PA knows that Andy won't put him in that position. That is why Andy is still here. That is why the Orioles are still where they are. Last.

well the way i look at it, they need a left fielder, a third baseman, a second baseman, a first baseman, and a starting pitcher or 2, a lefty out of the pen. I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

That's not too much.

Really now, 9-0, and 0-7 against the Yanks? The Yanks are 4 games over 500. They should erect a statue of AM in their locker room. I mean, he should get a playoff share. I hope Dope #1 is enjoying the game tonite.

that's the funniest part of this, this Yankees team isn't all that good. They are en extremely flawed team for the first time in a while. They're old, have no rotation depth at all and their corner outfielders are mediocre at best. Still, beating the O's is never a problem. Those machups are like guaranteed wins. Would anyone be shocked if the O's went 0-18 in the season series?

Too bad there is not a mercy rule in MLB. In High School it is 10 runs ahead after 5, 15 runs after 3.

Good fortune brings an equally inept NL team into town for 3.

Look at the July schedule and guess how many games the Orioles will be out by August 1. I say 20.

so fox can start against CC, but can't pinch hit against boone logan...got it

My iPod now needs Peggy Lee.

Andy waits for children to become old and past their prime when nobody else wants them, and then eats them. After they're on the disabled list. Because they're easier to deal with when they constantly swing and miss.

A census taker once tried to test Andy. He ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

if things play out true to form, a 2-9 stretch should result from that improbable loss to the Sox on Monday.
Good work fellas!

Gil,

Well, Belle didn't help, but Miggy got paid.

If one's to believe the stories, PA let AM exceed budget for Vlad. Yeah, I know, that's weak sauce...moving on....

I guess we just disagree about Payroll uses. I could care less about the A-/B+ free agents not being signed for A++ money. I want a core of youth signed up. Save the money spent on Prince and lock up 2 arms and 2 bats the O's have. Minnesota has a big payroll because they signed their own players in Mauer and Mornoeu. I want the big money spent on the home grown talent we have...adding the Holliday's and Beltre's mean the talent the O's acquired will walk due to budgetary constraints.

Just saying. I do believe the talent on this team could be asking for big money soon. Matt Wieters and Adam Jones and Brian Matusz are extension discussions this off-season...if this "trend" of theirs continues this year.

how does anyone explain a team like the rays, that signs no free agents to speak of, let's 2 all stars walk, trades arguably their best pitcher, half the bullpen leaves, yet hey sit at 25-18 atop the division?
Is anyone moaning and groaning in tampa
(i guess if anyone cared) about free agents
woe is me we need free agents? Well?

I'm really tired of who ain't here talk.

the orioles don't owe their horrific franchise to not spending money on free agents. they owe it all to being one of the worst managed franchises in recent baseball,
from top to bottom, and side to side.
It's not so complicated.

how about Vlad, one of the few Oriole entrants in the Look Ma I Can Hit Major League Pitching sweepstakes at 305.

You'd think some of it would rub off.

Pretty sad, as Mark Reynolds takes strike 3.

The O's have become very hard to watch.

I've learned over time that teams e.g Yankees, choose to pluck Nick Markakis because he is the biggest p**** on the team. Does this dude have a pulse? WTF do you have to lose? Start a freaking brawl and put a couple Yankees out of commission for a while. Old timers like Rick Dempsey must be embarrassed of the current Orioles not defending their honor and pride in their own park. Shame!

Jon, what were you saying about the talent gap with the Yankees again? Didn't mean to single you out, but you put it on the tee for me.

JJ,

I said they can be, I didn't say they are. Big difference.

Paulie,

Not only do the O's not pay money to acquire good talent, but even the little money they spend, is not spent wisely. Do you want me to list the long list of busts under MacPhail alone? Those who don't have money can't spend it. But those who have it and are serious about winning, never let the money be the reason for their failures. In which category do you think the O's fall?

Neither Bergesen or Tillman deserve to pitch in MLB. Only the O's and Pirates would start those two.

Paulie ... For someone who seems like an intelligent guy, you raise a lot of questions about yourself when you try to defend what Andy's own family couldn't possibly defend. Just my $0.02. It's not like you do a good job at defending him either.

My point was mostly about the starting piching and also this Orioles team (on paper) is better than Orioles teams of the last decade, thats what I was saying about the talent level. That and this Yankees team isn't as good as the teams they've had in that time as well.

Two horribly embarrassing losses. I really don't know what else to say. I get to see maybe 20 O's games a year on TV here in NY and to sit through these two droll ejectamenta is beyond frustrating. And people wonder why i drink.

Wow...this team has no sack...Markakis gets pegged and we just roll over and get stomped in our own house....lame

Well maybe Markakis getting hit will wake him up but probably not..He's likely content just collecting his 11 Mill pay cheque and putting forth a half-hearted effort.
Besides, Baltimore started things with Gonzalez beaning one of the Yanks, although who knows if it was intentional as he's so wild. Time to send him and Bergeson packing ASAP, hasn't Buck seen enough of these 2? I mean the season is already 25% gone, does he think they will suddenly find it?
It seems like every year a melt-down loss like blowing that 6-0 lead against Boston is then followed by a long losing streak. After that, the inevitable string of injuries, tanking by many players and then excuses...
The only way to stop the bleeding is for Buck to lay down the law-cut some deadwood and start living up to his reputation as a thorough-no-nonsense manager.

We'll be getting a look at Ryan Adams shortly. Hopefully he makes Roberts expendable and the team can trade him while there's a little value.

I've always been a Roberts fan, but it's time to move on while we can maybe get something out of him. It's plain for all of us to see that he's in decline.

I'm not going to make any assumptions about steroids. I'll just go off of the performance of the last two years. It's time, Andy, it's time.

Orioles won't get anything for Roberts. He's injury-prone, is owed $20 million over the next two years and he can block trades to certain teams. Stuck with him.

Yeah. Oh well. Considering the contract, he'll be hard to sit, too.

As Jeff Z. pointed out on the Insider, the upcoming Orioles/Nats series will not exactly be riviting TV on MASN. The Nats are scoreless in the last 19 innings, while the Orioles have scored 3 runs in their last 26 innings. zzzzzzzzzzz

Of Andy's mayo clinic pickups this offseason, only Reynolds and Guerrero have not hit the DL...yet. and in Reynolds case, who cares.

My wife and I went to last night's Os game . After the game , we were happy on one part , disgusted on the other . We were enjoying ourselves chatting with deaf Os fans . That was fun for us .

what happened on the field made us sick . Have these Os players have any fight left in them ? That was the disgusted part of evening . My fellow deaf friends werent too happy either .

As for those Yankees fans ? .......I cant blame them for their reaction/behavior / mocking or whatever term you like . No i wont blame the Yankee fans . I blame the gutless group of players masquerading as ML team , sitting in the Os dugout .

And the beatings contiunes.............

Gil

Andy's mayo clinic pick ups this offseason .....................Good one !!

Wayne

Perhaps you might want tell these Os players to GET PUMPED ? Maybe thats the missing ingedient for them ?

As an O's fan, nothing pisses me off more than seen Nick F. Swisher on second base after a base clearing double, smiling ear to ear for what it seemed like two minutes. Why wasn't Swisher drilled in the head is beyond me. Why didn't the gutless O's clear the bench when Markakis was hit, is beyond me. It's time like that when it hurts more to be an O's fan for me. Even more so than losing 95+ games a season. In our F-ing park mind you.

People NOW want to trade Roberts? I wanted to trade him when he got that extension, when he was still good, when other teams needed a second baseman, when other teams would have wanted him.

Oh, no, shouted the masses. We have no one else who can lead off, who dash and dive anywhere and everywhere, who can visit hospitals and sign autographs that little cutie.

What a total lack of vision ...

Meso, could not agree more. I was just saying the same thing to a Yankee fan friend of mine at work, who couldn't understand why swisher was acting that way. You think the guy just doubled off of bob gibson. i mean the ball went off of pie's glove to boot. I told him bergeson should have drilled him next time up. He agreed.

Patton should replace Gonzalez as the lefty in the bullpen. He is not great, but better then Gonzalez.

Meso: I agree with you about Swisher. An arrogant snot. Another roider who got a hit because of poor managing. Pie was overplaying the pull. Otherwise it is an easy catch.

Which brings up yet again Showalters' poor managing. He is not getting kudos from this corner. He has failed miserably to this point. He is trying to hit too many buttons. Gonzalez in the 6th against Boston was bad. Not pinch hitting is bad in game one against the Yankees.

And there have been a couple others to date.

This game defined not only the past, but the future.

I think I can feel comfortable now saying this - The O's are done this year.

Now many will say "oh, you thought the O's would contend, or the O's would win, with what Andy did...hahaha"

No, it's not that. It's that in 3 games, they've defined themselves very clearly - ahead by 6 - blow it; hang tough in a 1-run ballgame, tie it up, and then implodel; cap it off with a stereotypical O's domination.

And what do all 3 games have in common?

Buck Showalter.

He kept Gonzo in far too long against Boston; he again lets Gonzo pitch the next day and then uses Guthrie; as a result of using Guthrie, he hands the ball to Bergesen who proceeds to show why he'll not succeed at the mlb level.

3 big games, 3 managerial screwups.

So why does this define our future? Because Buck's here to stay, and if this is how he plans to manage, then forget all the hoopla, all the videos, all of Wayne's "In Buck we trust".

Because now, the current roster of Orioles are simply another round of guys who don't believe they can change the way things have gone. If Buck was ever going to turn the corner with these guys, I don't see how they do that now.

Baseball is a funny game.
The season lasts for many months.
We have one of the top (if not the top) young group of starting pitchers in all of baseball
We have one of top young catchers in baseball.
We have one of top young center fielders in baseball.
We have one of the top Right fielders in baseball.
We have one of the top shortstops in baseball (not to mention the top prospect at the postion not far behind)
We have one of the best GM's and managers in baseball.

It's a long season.
We've had some tough losses.
We've lost 8 straight at one point.
We've been without our top pitcher for the whole year.
The bats haven't heated up yet....

and yet...and yet....

WE ARE 5 GAMES OUT OF FIRST PLACE ON MAY 20th IN THE TOUGHEST DIVISION IN BASEBALL.

a little perspective is required in times like these

PeteyPablo,

First let me say I've been wrong in assessing Dave Trembley. I owe him a big apology.

Second: MacPhail brought in Gonzo and Angelos paid good money for the bum. So both MacPhail and Angelos are inclined to "make him work for the money"

Buck has no choice but to play the bum. Contrary to popular belief, Buck doesn't have much more leverage than Trembley had.

Lastly: last night's game showed all you needed to know. A manager is helpless in professional sports when he has players who have no pulse. A bunch of losers with no desire to win. With no fire burning inside them. No self respect or any kind of ego required to hold your own against your peers. They get run over and crapped on in their own home. They are not men. They are a bunch of .

Have you seen the fire that little Dustin Pedroia plays with? Have you seen any Oriole player come even close to that?

oh great PP now it's the managers fault...psst...hey Petey....it's the players

As in past years with the Orioles, the DL will soon become a popular and populated place for disinterested players to go to hide and wait out the season. Hypochondriacs like Roberts and Lee, true cripples like Dutch, the fragile like Matusz are just the beginning. Hardy will make another run or two as will Pie. Scott will decide his shoulder needs surgery now. Funny thing, Luke didn't throw any better before his arm was hurt.

Pitchers on our great staff of the future version IV will start to wince and pull up lame. By August the roster will look like a who's who from the Independent Leagues.

And Lee Macphail IV will be busy on his Droid 2 playing fantasy baseball looking for prospects in Carroll Park, in his office next to Uncle Andy.

Andy pokes his head in and says" Ready for lunch kid? it's been a tough day already. The old man's kid wants to cut our per diem a little, attendance being down and all that. We may have to cut back the limits on the corporate cards. The Stockstills are coming with us. John cut back their travel budget so they can't scout south of Virginia or North of Pennsylvania. But they do have a consultant down in the Dominican. Juan the local SPCA guy gets around a lot picking up strays. They get lots of good tips from him. We call Juan our Latin American scouting bureau."

"Buck wants to dump Gonzo, but the old man said we paid good money for him, so live with it. He said we already spent part of the 2012 budget. Man am I glad the old man didn't pin me down to committing when we might win when he hired me. From that aspect, I am a genius."

Meso, Smitty,

So you would have kept Gonzo in the game to face all 5 of those batters in the Boston game? Pull him after Drew gets on! Why leave him in for 4 more baserunners, and then pull him after his 1st out of the innning? That's insane.

And then, he uses Guthrie for 1 inning knowing Bergesen will have to start against the Yankees? Is he looking at Brad's numbers?

Not to mention, leaving Luke in against Logan with bases loaded. Lefties hit .252, righties .315 in his career. PH Fox for Luke? Nope. Leave Luke in for a strikeout.

These players DID lay down the past 2 nights - agreed. But Buck could have made several decisions - like NOT starting Bergesen by using Guthrie the night before. 1st inning, down 5 zip, we KNOW these players will surrender. Buck may as well just have forfeited the game before it started.

Gentleman doesn't all this get tiresome.I know that i am the biggest critic of this team,but seriously how can you all continue to come on here day after day after day and say the same thing. I am worn out people completely worn out. If it was up to me i would release brian roberts yesterday and eat the rest of his contract. He has turned out to be soft and so broken down it's pitful. he should in all reality be ashamed to take his paycheack.But i just can't stand watching and talking about this team anymore. We all know how andy destroyed this franchise but we can't do one singe thing about it. I just don't know how you have the energy must less the desire to kepp this going.

blancione,

As NB said when he quoted Einstein: "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

That's what the O's ownership and front office are: insane.

Same goes for us: we come here say the same thing over and over again and expect different results from these O's. We are insane. :-)

You know, for a few minutes, I thought this team was different than the teams of the past decade.

I thought they had enough guts to bounce back from such ugly losses like the Boston Massacre and the 14-inning shutout against New York. But, nope. Everything looks the same.

And the worst thing about it is that it looks like Buck doesn't have the guts to stand up to Uncle Andy and Peter the Great.

Oh, this season will be a bit different, for sure, because this team has more talent than any O's team of the past decade. Jones and Wieters are starting to look like ballplayers, Hardy and Vlad are professional hitters, Luke can still hit a bit with one arm, and the starting rotation is better than it's been since 1997 (save for the weak links at the end. I can't wait for Matusz to get back...). But there's not going to be any consistency. Ugly losses like the past three we've seen are going to continue to lead to ugly stretches where wins are difficult to come by. Then we'll come up against teams that are just about as bad as we are, and we'll string off a few wins, playing with some confidence until we run into one of the big boys again.

And, as we've already seen, the offense has too many holes to consistently put up enough runs to win. How many times have we seen a fantastic start by Guthrie or Britton or Arrieta ruined by a pathetic showing from the offense?

And how about that bullpen? No lead is safe! Especially since Buck, who is supposedly "more interested in the win rule" can't seem to give anyone but Kevin Gregg the chance to close a game.

But don't worry, fellas. This wasn't the year anyway. The house is only half built. The core is developing. Andy's so much different from his predecessors. And don't worry about signing a big bat to power up this offense. We need to save that money to sign Jones, Wieters, Matusz and Britton four, five and six years from now.

2015, here we come!

to whom it may concern...
i don't believe that anyone on this blog thinks that the Os will have turned anything around if they beat the Nats 2 out of 3. Stop it,.
I think that about now, the chance that the Os lose 2 out of 3 isn't far fetched at all. Hey, there are even the practical ones on here that are not at all averse to blowing half the thing up right now. We might get our wish as the DL expands almost every day and whoever isn't hitting 217 in Norfolk gets a shot at it.

Not Brooks,

I am not excited about the starting pitching at all. I feel bad for them, as you do. Yes, they're freaking awesome those guys Britton, Arrietta, Guthrie, and perhaps Matusz when he gets back to form. But why should I be excited? I watch pitching gems being flushed down the freaking toilet. These are careers that will be destroyed as long as Peter Angelos owns the team. The only thing that saved Mussina's career were the Yankees, I'm sad to say.

not brooks,

You've got it right.

Spend on the Biggest Free Agents (giving up top draft picks in so doing...since the Minor Leagues are bursting with talent).

Bloat the budget with 31 year olds on 7-10 year deals.

Let the homegrown talent hit free agency at 26/27 to re-aqiure the draft picks lost to the 31 year old's...

Flawless. World Series here we come!!!

((dark side been gripping you strongly these days huh??))

Who's the home grown talent you speak of Paulie? Weiters, Matusz and Britton? They haven't gotten their feet wet yet.

Or are you talking about Markakis, Jones (hardly homegrown) and Roberts? Because I would have traded and not renewed all three of them if it meant that Cliff Lee and Adrian Gonzales were Oirioles today.

After 22 home dates the Orioles are on a pace to draw a little over 1,600,000 fans this year. That would be another decrease from the 1,733,000 last year which was down 1,900,000 in 2009...... and would be the lowest paid attendance since 1982 at old Memorial Stadium.

At what point does the owner decide to invest in his asset in order to draw new fans and the old fans back? The fans are clearly voting with their feet and it is far too late for marketing to try to hype some of the truly excting young players on the team with the old "Come see the kids play" theme. The Orioles have tried every aspect of smoke and mirrors for the last decade except winning. Their willing foils in the local press have aided and abetted this awful regime but now there is no place to hide. I am embarassed to watch Tom Davis and the MASN crew shill for this awful team. Have they no shame?

paulie -

You know that it's possible to spend on free agents without giving 7-10 year deals to 31-year-olds, right?

Prince Fielder will be 28 at the start of the 2012 season. You go ahead and tell me all about his weight issues and how you're sure he'll be out of baseball by the time he's 32. I'll just respond with this: .281/.395/.549, 40 home runs, 100 walks, 133 strikeouts. That's his average stat line since 2007.

Jose Reyes will be 29 at the start of the 2012 season. What's wrong with him?

Those are the kind of players I want this team to sign, paulie. I don't want the Jayson Werths and Jason Bays of the world. Never have, never will. I just want this organization to grow a pair and take a risk on a stud free agent in his prime who can team with Jones, Wieters, Markakis, Britton, Arrieta and Matusz to put the Orioles back in the playoffs. Why does that make you so upset?

Also, you know that it's possible to spend a bit on a big free agent while keeping our home-grown players, right? Hell, the A's, who actually do have financial problems, have already signed Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill to extensions, and they're talking about doing the same for Gio Gonzalez and Daric Barton. And they still found a little bit to pay Josh Willingham and Hideki Matsui.

But the Orioles aren't the Oakland A's. They're not the Rays. They're not a small market team. They can afford a big free agent splash while keeping their homegrown players. Heck, if they invested a little money in some real ballplayers and starting putting up a winning record, maybe that would bring some more fans to the ballpark, and then they could, GASP!, spend even more money!

To expand on my previous posting , i once thought that i knew more then everybody and that what i posted on here was absolute right on. See gil i also coached baseball from as low as tee ball all the way up to the american legion level. I was a very demanding coach who practiced way more then any other coach. I had kids beg there parents to make sure they could play for me. The greatest reward that i could ever receive was when i coached a kid and he actually contacted me to tell me thanks for all that i did. I was successful at every level, softball teams for my daughter, basketball as well. But what i have recently realized about myself is that i actually started hoping that the players that i harped on all the time would fail so that i could say that i was right. If everybody on here was honest they probably have done the same thing at one time. I quess outside of letting off steam why do this to ourselves when we don't have any control over the situation. This team is bad and will always be bad until some young energized Gm gets the job. Andy is so far out of touch it's not even funny

Blancione,

That's what fans do. They bitch when things go wrong, and they cheer when they go right. You're just taking this to an extreme.

What do you want to talk about? Why don't you steer the discussion. I'd love to change the subject. I'm spent just as you are, but someone has to hear it. Perhaps the warehousers are reading this. You know they are.

I say we all agree to discuss one other team than the O's.

I say we adopt the Reds - decent team, got some excitement, and the city of Cincinnati can always use extra fans. Here goes...

Volquez's walks are hurting him a lot this year. Then again, our whole team walsk a ton. If our starters improve, we could go far this year.

I'll take the A's. I like my pitching.

And Billy Beane's always got the balls to at least try to acquire a big bat, even if he's not sure the acquisition will work out perfectly.

The O's have a Yankee problem.

They are 19-23, 0-6 vs. the Yanks.

That means they are 19-17 vs. the rest of the league. Something to think about it.

The posts today are some of the best yet. Funny stuff.

Prediction: The O's will NOT go winless vs. the Yanks this year.

Meso - nice to avoid the question.

Things are going to turn around soon.

Go O's

Don't be surprised if some Florida professional sports teams begin to try to relocate in the next few years. The Tampa Bay Rays are first in the AL East but ranked 25th in attendance so far. They are even behind the Orioles and the Nats, who are 22nd and 23rd respectively. The Florida Marlins are ranked 28th in MLB attendance.

The Tampa Bay Bucs were 10 and 6 last year but 31st in attendance, and the Jacksonville Jaguars were ranked 24th in NFL attendance despite nearly making the playoffs....

The NFL just couldn't wait to get into Jacksonville, which has always been largely a college town. Now they probably can't can't wait to get out.

bob, does that change the subject?

Thanks for noticing JJ!

Problem solved! If we're not playing the Yankees we're playoff bound.

The O's have a Yankee problem.
They have a left handed pitching problem.
They have a bad defense problem.
They have a closer problem.
They have a lefty out of the bullpen problem.
They have a hitting problem.
And last but not least they have a lack of balls problem.

Gil, i would have expected a little more from you, i can understand the rest of the posters on here being sarcastic but i thought you above anybody would understand just what i was trying to say. Oh well life goes on.

This forum is getting a bit too up tight for me. Everyone, including me needs to take a step back. I'll talk to you all in a week or so. I need a break.

bob,

Sorry, I wasn't trying to be sarcastic. I understand exactly what you are saying. I coached and managed at the high school and college level form many years, and my American Legion 14 to 20 team starts play next week. This is my last year coaching. I strained my oblique hitting infield the other night :)

Incidentally, the whole High Scool, College and amateur game is going to change drastically next year with the introduction of the new aluminum bats. They have been designed to act like wood with a smaller sweet spot and far less life. Teams that now play for the big inning are going to have to figure out how to play little ball again. A friend of mine who coaches for a college in the southeast brought me one a a month ago as a gift at a reunion. They are already using them in several collge divisions and home runs and runs in general are way down.

I let the high school team use it in batting practice and not one kid could hit one out with it in batting practice. They usually hit a couple dozen out with the present composite aluminum bats in practice.

Up to now it has been hard for the pro scouts to guage how these high school and college kids will hit with wood. Now they will get a much better idea as to who has real power.

meso - speak for yourself.

Also, your replies directly to me are confusing. Taking a pretty big leap there on that last one.

Take two weeks for that matter, enjoy your break.

Gil -

Very interesting regarding the new bats – it is about time a change was made in my opinion. Why not just change to wood bats at all levels? Who would object besides companies that make aluminum bats?

Not only does hitting with a wood bat require more skill, it also much safer (relatively speaking).

Your comments are confusing, JJ.

In the last three games, the O's...

...blew a 5-0 lead, allowing a walk-off two-run double in a 8-7 loss.

...were held scoreless in 14 innings of a 15 inning game, basically refusing to take an extra-inning win that was being handed to them on a silver platter (by a pitcher making his major league debut, no less).

...were held scoreless for another eight innings on the way to get clobbered in a 13-2 loss.

And those three games were against two of the teams they're going to have to at least compete against if they're ever going to go anywhere in this division.

Yet, "things are going to turn around soon"? How's that, JJ?

JJ,

They had to make a change for safety purposes. High School pitchers were being seriously injured and in some cases killed by the velocity that the bats generate. Also, the game itself was changing from real baseall to jailai. I have seen 135 lb kids hit balls 400 feet with the composite bats. The outfielders play so deep there is little chance to throw a runner out trying to score from second on a single. Very few teams bunted or tried to move the runners along. If you have four or five strong kids on the team it's just bombs away.

I don't know about other States, but here in Pennsylvania, the local school taxing taxing agency sets the "school taxes",{property taxes} rates, from which the schools get most of theuir money to operate. Because of the recession, revenues are down and all of the school disrticts are laying off teachers and employees to try to cut expenses and balance the budget. I asked the athletic director at the high school the same question you posed..."what about wood next year with the new rules?" He said the high school could only afford to buy three new aluminum bats next year as they cost about $400 a piece. They count on the fact that most of the parents buy their own kid a bat. The wood bats are not as expensive but he said the kids would break too many wood bats and the high school could not replace them. I think that is probably why colleges and high schools went to aluminum years ago.

nb -

Let me try to clear it up for you. First, I disagree when you say my comments are confusing. They might have confused you, but there is nothing I can do about that.

Tough losses happen – correct? Especially for a team that is going to need a lot to go right to be .500 or a little better. I am hoping for improvement as the season goes along. After all, I am a fan.

My expectation for this team was 82 wins. What was yours? Looking at the schedule and at the starting pitching, yeah, I think things are going to turn around soon. Sorry I am not as negative as you.

Please let me know if you are still confused.

Gil –

Good stuff. You are right, I did not consider breakage. Unfortunately, it always comes down to cash as opposed to what seems the right thing to do.

Good luck with your American Legion squad this season coach.

When I played high school ball, these "composite" bats were at least few years off. Either that or they were just coming around and they cost something like $800.

The aluminum "team bats" that we used must have been from the 70's. If any of them ever had a coating or a logo, it had worn off years ago. I'm talking about the kind of bat that left your hands vibrating for the rest of the game if you hit a ball off the handle, which was covered with either athletic tape or the remnants of an old rubber grip.

After I stopped playing, I was shocked at the kind of bats kids were starting to hit with: composite bats with flexible handles that literally sling-shot the ball off the barrel, 30-inch "minus 10" bats that weighed just 20 ounces. Then I started hearing, as I'm sure some of you have, that these new composite bats were being built with such a brittle metal that they could shatter upon impact with an 80-mph fastball. Yikes.

I'm all for going back to wood at all levels. The last time I bought a wood bat, I'm pretty sure it was about 19 bucks. Teach kids how to hit properly with a wood bat, buy 20 wood bats for the price of one composite bat, and you're at least set for a season.

The Orioles are "only" five games behind in the toughest division in baseball.

Or.

The Orioles are four games under .500 in a division that is 10 games over .500 (which includes the four games the Orioles themselves are under).

Or.

The Orioles are 15 games behind just seven weeks into the season -- 5 behind TBR, 4 behind NYY, 3.5 behind BOS, and 2.5 behind TOR.

And.

The Orioles are 0-6 versus NYY, 19-17 versus everyone else. Therefore the Orioles have a Yankee problem.

Or.

The Orioles are 6-1 versus CWS and SEA, 13-22 versus everyone else. Therefore, the Orioles have an everyone else problem.

Oh, by the way.

19-17 is .528 -- good enough to being not good enough.

But.

I would accept any of the above if the team were heading in the right direction. If this team is heading in any direction, I am now convinced it isn't the right one.

And. One more thing.

I'm not bashing Showalter. I'll save my reasoning for another time. I've got a lawn that needs cutting. But my defense of him goes beyond what he's been dealt and the shackles of this organization.

NB,

I played with wood back in the 60's in high school. Our team didn't break that many bats, but they were not as light as today's 34 inch, 31 ounce maple models. Back then, the weight usually equaled the length. I swung a 34/34 adirondack made of mahogany.

nice to see Ryan get the start tonite. Nothing like getting thrown into the action, and it's not like Andino is lighting it up, or Roberts for that matter, who just has not even been a shadow of himself this year, and it's anybody's guess why that is. At some point this season, these guys were going to get a chance. I'm glad it's now. What's the worst that can happen? That's a rhetorical question.

The new slogan-It Just Doesn't Matter.

Everybody now...It Just Doesn't Matter.

now c'mon, fess up
everybody is quick to gloat when they're right about anything
who wanted to give laroche his 2 year deal?

So we have a dreadful collpase in Boston, ridiculous losses to the Yankees and now does this team slide into oblivion? Why do I feel like that's what's gonna happen?

Walk a few more guys. What the hell.

jon, mostly because this is a really bad team with the energy level of a 40 watt lightbulb.
Riddle me this: why do the oriole pitchers have such a difficult time getting guys out when they got the hitter in a hole? You know why? Because they screw around.
They must think they get paid by the pitch.

Hey Jake, don't watch Guthrie. Watch Bartolo Colon.

Nationals entered with 4 runs in their last 27 innings. They have 3 runs in 2 innings against the O's. At least our offense looks really good so far.

now why did it take arrietta that long to stop screwing around? I think Britton is the only one who doesn't think he's facing the '27 yankees when he takes the mound, and if he was, he wouldn't care. How do you figure that kid for a 2 era?

nice, hr and a triple to a guy hitting 195

And there's your daily Felix Pie baserunning blunder. Not an Orioles game without one.

Well, looks like the downward trend continues. Even the Nats are kicking our a**** and it's not as if they are the an offensive juggernaut by any means!
I suppose that as O's fnas are only choice is to take it on the chin for the rest of the season and pray that somehow everything clicks in by 2012 or beyond.
And forget about the O's ever making a major splash in the free agent pool. I guess you can make the argument that Baltimore is a big market team based on it's TV revenue/sweet deal re: Wash. but do the players really see Balt. as a prime destination? I highly doubt it so those who think that free agents are even going to come here, even at inflated prices are delusional.
The Jason Werths are few and far between. We have difficulty even attracting the likes of Derek Lee and Valmmir Guerrerro, never mind a boni-fide hitter in his prime.
The only way the O's compete any time soon is if the starters all pitch like Britton, Koji has a few twins to help out in the 'pen and the offense turns it up in a real hurry.
In all likelihood, however, as Gil astutely pointed out, we will see a glogged up DL and a roster full of guys who basically quits. In the meantime, what is Buck doing to show that this year is any different than the last 13????

smitty, paulie, JJ, Petey, and others, How come you never feel stupid? Your thoughts are so far fetch, so banana's, so crazy, that you must just feel stupid every year.

Guess what JJ? The Orioles do lay the Yankee's. Guess what smitty? Nothing you say ever makes sense. Best GM in baseball? Are you on drugs? I just wish there was another word stronger than 'stupid'. Because in your case, that word would fit.

And how about that gold glover in CF? Turned a double into a triple, and turned an out into a HR. Bravo.

Let the boo birds exhale.

nice job by berken...

hey tim you idiot, how far did jones have to go to even get a glove on the ball? Are you really that stupid? Yea, stupid.
i wish there was another word stronger than stupid.

The Nationals are using the Orioles as a confidence builder. The Nationals will never draw, never have. But this team has a better chance of building something than the Orioles ever will under Angelos.

I live in Mont Co and have been a long time Oriole fan. No longer though. While the Nats remain the doormat of the East, at least there is hope for the future. No one in Baltimore can say there's hope in Baltimore.

I'm actually shocked to read what some people have said on this blog. Are you watching the same team other human beings are? Of course the Orioles have some good players. All teams in the majors have some good players. Some good players or not however, the Orioles continue to be consistently bad.

I know some will say 'have fun being a Nat fan'. You know what though? It is more fun being a Nat fan. They are beating the Orioles tonight like they're a minor league club, which many say they are.
Of course some like to use injury's as a reason for bad play. All teams suffer injury's, and the players you have injured weren't producing anyway.

Since I became a Nats fan, some of my colleagues said I'd be back. SInce then, 2 have become Nat fans, and 2 more are thinking about it. Anyone who doesn't think it's possible, just look at the Oriole attendance. And again, the Nats will never draw like they should, but the difference is, the organization will keep trying to do what they can to put a solid product on the field.

I feel bad for Oriole fans. You have zero reason for hope.

So true. So true. I can't even see this team having a winning season in my lifetime, never mind winning a World Series. We have some solid and very young starting pitchers...and nothing else and not any help in the minors either.

Hey Jim66, Please allow me to add you to the names above. He's suppose to be a gold glover. The ball hit his glove without him jumping, and the ball hits off his glove and goes over the fence? Freakin idiot

Congratulation. I didn't think it possible, but you made Smitty look smart.

Have to agree with Tim. That will likely end up on espn's blooper reel. A major league center fielder can't let that happen. It would have been a real nice catch, but one he has to make. If anything, he doesn't let it hit his glove and go over the fence. How bad is this team turning out to be?

I hear you Jon. I was where you are a few years ago. I just couldn't take it any more. Living closer to Washington, I decided what the hell? At least it's a team not owned by Peter Angelos. That alone gives the Nats a brighter future.

This game is so bad by the way, it's hard not to feel completely sorry for Baltimore fans. I just don't know how you can stay with them. It's been so long, and they're as bad as ever.

Now people are defending Orioles when they run after a ball, get to the ball, reach up for the ball, it hits their mitt, and the ball lands over the fence.

Just because the team has hit rock bottom doesn't mean the fans should follow.

some guys don't even get to that ball was my point

please, they guy has played a damn good centerfield this year

the pitching staff is getting walloped, and that's the complaint?

Adam Jones should be your biggest complaint. He's one of the few I'd keep.