The 2012 baseball Hall of Fame ballot was sent to voters this week, and one former great who won't be agonizing over the balloting is Rafael Palmeiro.

Under ordinary circumstances, Palmeiro, 47, would be a shoo-in for the Hall. But he knows he has no shot of getting in this year -- and maybe not for years to come.

Over a brilliant 20-year career -- including seven seasons with the Orioles -- Palmeiro amassed 569 homers, 3,020 hits and 1,835 RBIs and won three Gold Gloves as a slick-fielding first baseman.

But late in the 2005 season, just days after he got his 3,000th hit and six months after he'd famously wagged his finger in front of a Congressional sub-committee and denied using steroids, news broke that he'd tested positive for stanozolol.

 Palmeiro insisted the positive test was a result of a tainted B-12 shot given to him by teammate Miguel Tejada. But no one really believed him. And after a 10-game suspension, Palmeiro retired from the game in disgrace and went back to Texas, bitter and depressed about the damage done to his reputation.

I caught up with him a couple of months ago, when he was in town to do a big sports memorabilia show at the Hilton Hotel in Pikesville.

Palmeiro spoke openly about testing positive for a banned substance and the emotional pain it caused him. And he still maintains it was a tainted B-12 shot that caused his downfall.

 But he won't be surprised if Hall voters still don't believe him and fail to put him on their ballots this year. And he said he wasn't surprised he was snubbed last year, when he received just 11 percent of the vote, far shy of the 75 percent needed for induction.

"Honestly, I didn't expect [to get in] because of what had happened to Mark McGwire the year before," Palmeiro told me in October, referring to a similar snub by Hall voters of the former A's and Cardinals slugger. "So I was thinking: 'It's not going to happen.' I thought I'd get more votes. I thought 11 percent was low. But it is what it is.

"I didn't worry too much about it. It was painful, but I never played baseball to be a Hall of Famer."

 Still, whether self-inflicted or not, it's a sad footnote to a terrific major league career.

 When the Hall balloting is concluded, Palmeiro won't be sitting by the phone, anxiously awaiting one of the happiest calls of his life.

 He probably won't be in Cooperstown anytime soon. And he lives with that depressing reality every day of his life.

AP photo 2005

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 12:50 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Can it get any more embarrassing for the once-mighty Boston Red Sox this offseason?

Beer-drinking and fried-chicken-eating in the clubhouse during games? Video-game playing, too? Players publicly dogging the now-fired manager by saying he was too loose with the troops, a pushover for the high-priced slackers on the roster?

Oh, my.

 Even the sad-sack Orioles never sank that low. No matter how badly they played, at least they had more respect for the game.

Red Sox starter Jon Lester defended the Red Sox's sordid frat-boy hi-jinks the other day by saying he and others were doing all that beer-guzzling and Popeye's-ordering even when the team was going good.

He told the Boston Globe and other media outlets that none of that behavior really contributed to the downfall of the 2011 Sox. Boston just played bad baseball in September, he said, adding "We stunk."

Plus, he said, those were actually "ninth-inning rally beers" that he and John Lackey and Josh Beckett were guzzling in the clubhouse as the rest of the Sox were out on the field trying to win games.

Oh, so it was sort of like: this Bud's for you, fellas? Go get 'em?

 Say, that really is team spirit!

 Actually, the more Lester talked in these interviews, the more spoiled and selfish -- and clueless -- he and the 2011 Red Sox looked.

 "I should have been on the bench more than I was," Lester said to the Globe, admitting that the beer-drinking during games "was the wrong thing to do."

But that was the closest thing to contrition that Red Sox fans heard out of Lester's mouth. And this isn't the last we're going to hear about the goings-on in the Boston clubhouse, either.

Over the next few weeks, look for more juicy details to emerge as other Red Sox players come forward with their versions of the events that took place during the worst late-season collapse in baseball history.

For the Red Sox, now without both a field manager and general manager, it's a PR nightmare that doesn't figure to end anytime soon.

Only the Popeye's chain comes out a winner in this one.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 9:19 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

When Mike Flanagan departed this life Wednesday, the Orioles lost one of the all-time good guys in their long, once-proud history.

For those of us who covered the Orioles from the mid-70's to the mid-80's, Flanny, the 1979 Cy Young Award winner, was the go-to guy for thoughtful, intelligent analysis of the game.

Equally important to a young columnist for The Evening Sun new to Baltimore, the young left-hander was an endless source of sardonic humor in the clubhouse, a guy who enjoyed firing off one-liners with his deadpan delivery as much as he enjoyed being an integral cog on some great Orioles teams.

"He's calm and invisible and lays back. And then for about 10 seconds, he's hilarious," former teammmate Ken Singleton once said of Flanagan.

Even in this train-wreck of a season for the Orioles, while he worked as a color analyst for MASN, Flanny's wit was as sharp as ever.

It's hard to be funny when you're covering a team as bad as the Orioles, but somehow Flanny and play-by-play guy Gary Thorne managed to do it.

Their banter --  it seemed Flanny could make Thorne cackle just by reading the out-of-town scoreboard -- ranged from the sublime to the inane.

 But it was a welcome relief on those nights when the Orioles were getting pounded in the early innings and you knew the rest of the game would be another grim, tedious slog toward an inevitable defeat.

I'll miss him. So will Orioles fans everywhere.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 9:26 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

What a mess the Orioles are right now.

They finished the month of July with just seven wins and 20 losses. They finished with another bloody drubbing in their personal hellhole, the Bronx, losing three of four to the New York Yankees. And that included a horrendous 17-3 beatdown in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, a game the O's seemed out of about a half-hour after their bus pulled up to Yankee Stadium.

There seems to be no relief in sight for Orioles fans, either.

The starting pitching is in shambles. The bullpen looked like a MASH unit Sunday with both Michael Gonzalez and Mark Hendrickson unavailable because of various injuries sustained when -- you gota love this -- they were hit by line drives rocketing off the bats of the Yankees the night before.

And the roster keeps changing every five minutes. Is Pedro Viola up or down this week? And what about Mike Ballard? Jason Berken was shuffled off to Triple A Norfolk again. The way he got tattooed the other night in that 17-run fiasco with the Yankees, we might never see him again.

If it wasn't so sad, it would be like a sitcom, watching this team day in and day out.

I have no problem with the Orioles dealing reliever Koji Uehara to the Texas Rangers, no matter how effective he was this year or how popular he was in the clubhouse. Same thing with the team jettisoning Derrek Lee, another disappointment this season.

 In fact, I have no problem with the Orioles dealing ANY of their players, save for a precious few (Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Nick Markakis.) This is a team with such huge problems, there can be no sacred cows on the roster.

What I can't understand is that righty starter Jeremy Guthrie is still on this team. I like Guthrie a lot, but what's the point of hanging on to this guy?

 I know president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said he was underwhelmed by the offers for Guthrie. But this is clearly a pitcher who needs to move on, for both his sake and the team's sake.

 Watching Guthrie struggle this season and get tagged with loss after loss is painful. The guy's body language on the mound looks worse and worse. His shell-shocked demeanor and self-lacerating introspection in post-game interviews is awful to watch.

The Orioles have done themselves -- and Guthrie -- no favors by keeping him here.

Now the only thing keeping Orioles fans going is the faint hope that the O's can finish strong as they did last season, when manager Buck Showalter first took over the club.

I wouldn't count on it. Not with a starting rotation in such shambles. Not with a 14th straight losing season wearing on even the most gung-ho players in the Orioles clubhouse.

It looks like another long, hot summer for Orioles fans. At least the Ravens have started training camp. It couldn't have come at a better time.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 12:43 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

Some losses hurt more than others. Some losses just crush the soul and leave major league ballplayers shaken and disspirited and in need of many, many post-game beers. For the Orioles, the ugly 15-10 pummeling they took from the Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards Monday night qualified as one of those nightmare losses.

How do you explain a team scoring 10 runs -- five in the fifth inning after they trailed by four -- and still kicking the game away?

How do you explain O's starter Brad Bergesen looking so good for the first two innings and then getting lit up for six runs (four earned) on eight hits with that batting practice fastball?

How do you explain a bullpen so ineffective that it gives up eight runs in the eighth inning, with Michael Gonzalez, Mark Worrell and Chris Jakubauskas blowing up like a refinery fire in their -- you'll pardon the expression -- relief roles?

Wasted was yet another homer by the red-hot Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy, who drove in three runs on the day he inked a new three-year contract extension. (You wonder if Hardy didn't watch that eighth-inning carnage and wonder if it was too late to be traded to a team with a brighter future. Like, say, the Houston Astros.)

Wasted were Nick Markakis, Derrek Lee and Nolan Reimold driving in two runs apiece.

No wonder Buck Showalter's hair has turned an even whiter shade of white. This is what happens when you manage the Orioles -- the stress and futility makes you age faster than the president of the United States.

It was another long, depressing night at the ballpark. And unless the Orioles get some pitching help in a hurry, we're likely to see quite a few more nights like this before the season is (mercifully) over.

Baltimore Sun photo of Buck Showalter by Algerina Perna / July 18, 2011

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 10:23 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

This is how good Mark Reynolds is going at the plate now: the Orioles are talking about how different his bat sounds coming through the strike zone.

If you've ever come early enough to Camden Yards for batting practice, you know how different it sounds when certain Orioles sluggers are blasting balls into the stands.

Luke Scott's home run swings have always stood out -- the sound of bat pulverizing ball has an intensity and crispness distinct from his teammates. Now the Orioles are saying the same thing about Reynolds' clouts.

With seven homers and 12 RBI in his last eight games, the O's third baseman is in a wonderful groove and loving life right now.

He's got 20 homers and 49 RBI with six games left before the All-Star break. (And his batting average is even up to a sky-high -- for him -- .233.) Watch him at the plate now and the bat isn't just gliding through the strike zone, it's ripping through it with a ferocity we weren't seeing earlier in the year.

No wonder he wants to enter the All Star Game's home run derby -- the guy is so locked in with his timing and his stroke that it's scary, at least for opposing pitchers.

Too bad Reynolds isn't fielding his position nearly as well -- his 20 errors lead the major leagues. And too bad the Orioles are going so poorly now that Reynolds' slugging isn't receiving the attention it deserves.

But if you're an Orioles fan -- or a baseball fan in general -- he's been fun to watch.

 I might have been the first Baltimore media person to interview Reynolds at last January's Fan Fest when he first came to the Orioles in the trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. And one of the first things he said was: "I'm here to hit to home runs and help the team. That's the main thing."

The Orioles will gladly take what he's given them in that department -- even with the 20 errors. And no one on the team -- not Adam Jones or J.J. Hardy or Nick Markakis or even All-Star Matt Wieters -- seems to be having more fun playing the game right now.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 2:15 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Move over Mario Mendoza! The former major leaguer, whose name has been synonymous with futility at the plate for almost 30 years, could have some company in his ignominy in the form of Orioles third baseman Mark Reynolds.

 Interesting stat from USA Today: if Reynolds, who homered in the O's 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners Sunday, but is hitting just .198, continues to flail miserably at the plate, he could join John Gochnauer of the 1902-03 Cleveland Indians as the only major leaguers in history to hit below .200 in consecutive years in which they had at least 300 at-bats. (As we all know, Reynolds hit .198 last year for the Arizona Diamondbacks.)

Reynolds has hit a team-high seven homers. And his 24 RBI rank him third on the O's behind Adam Jones (29) and Matt Wieters (26.) But way more times than not, Reynolds looks like a guy who's beating a rug at the plate and still trying to figure out American League pitching.

"I hope they don't pick on (Reynolds) like they did me," said Mendoza. "It's tough to deal with."

He should know. Despite playing in the big leagues from 1974 to 1982 for Pittsburgh, Seattle and Texas, the former shortstop and third baseman batted under .200 in five of those seasons.

From this legacy came the enduring term the "Mendoza line," referring to a hitter struggling to bat .200.

On the other hand, Mendoza, who now coaches in the Mexican League, did finish his career with a .215 batting average.

Which, some would say, looks positively robust compared to .198.

Still, Reynolds has plenty of company. According to USA Today, there were 18 players with enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title hitting below .215, including five under .200.

So no fair calling it the "Reynolds line" just yet.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 9:57 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Buck Showalter has a dry sense of humor Orioles fans don't always get to see during the season -- or even in the off-season, for that matter. But it flashed during the manager's post-game remarks  Sunday following his team's 2-1 win over the Washington Nationals.

At one point, Showalter was asked about enjoying today's off-day after his team ended a nightmare week by taking two of three games from the Nationals over the weekend.

"Very seldom do you have an off-day at home where you can actually have an off-day," he began. "And when I let them know we're having an off-day tomorrow, they probably won't be too happy."

Pause for dramatic effect.

 Tiniest hint of a smile begins to form at the corners of his lips.

 Then comes the shake of the head.

"No, we're not, we're not," he continued. "They can come in if they want to, but I won't be here. Well, I will. But we won't be on the field."

Yeah, good luck getting a workaholic, detail-obsessed manager like Showalter to take a full day off during the season.

But after a week that included a blown 6-0 lead and an eventual 8-7 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, a 13-2 shellacking by the Yankees at Camden Yards and a horror-show 17-5 loss to the Nationals, also at home, even Showalter planned to savor the two latest wins today. 

"Without a doubt, over a long season, you don't get many days where you can feel good about what went on the last couple of days . . . and take it home with the people you want to take it home with," he said.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 12:42 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

You gotta love Earl Weaver. The Orioles Hall of Fame manager was always a step or two ahead of every other manager during his 17-year major league career. Now, at 80 years old, he's even a couple of steps ahead of the Grim Reaper.

How else to explain his decision to sell off all his baseball memorabilia -- which might be worth as much as $150,000 -- so he can divide the cash up equally and give it to his four kids?

"Not all of my things are worth the same, so how would it be distributed to my four children?" he told The Sun's Mike Klingaman. (You can read Klingaman's terrific story on Weaver's memorabilia sale here.) "They might all want the same piece, and I don't want them to get distrubed or mad.

"The smartest thing I can do is sell (the memorabilia), take the money and divide it equally, so they can do what they want -- whether it's to set up a college fund for a grandchild, or take a trip around the world. That way I'll get to watch them enjoy the money, too."

Smart man. No wonder the guy won more games than any other O's manager.

As Weaver knows, family squabbles over inheritances can be ugly affairs.

Why take the chance on an internecine brawl breaking out over the rights to, say, his 1966 World Series ring (estimated to sell for between $15,000 and $20,000) when he can turn all his stuff into cash and make his children equally happy?

And the idea that he gets to enjoy seeing what his kids -- they range in age from 52-60 --  do with the loot is a stroke of genius, too. Not to mention an extremely generous gesture.

The good news is that even though Weaver looked frail at the Orioles home opener in April when he threw out the first pitch, he's still feisty and funny and probably isn't leaving this mortal coil anytime soon.

Which is the best gift he can give O's fans everywhere.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 11:30 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Orioles Village is in a state of despair. Panic is in the air. The talk shows are filled with angry calls to bench this player, move that player down in the batting order, take this player out behind Camden Yards and beat him with sticks.

 Looking at the Orioles lineup, it's tempting to say never have so many looked so lost at the plate. Except we've seen this act before -- many, many times over the past 13 seasons.

First baseman Derrek Lee is hitting just .233 with four homers and nine RBI. Right fielder Nick Markakis is batting .227. Third baseman Mark Reynolds is batting .187.

Pitchers are struggling, too. On the mound, right-hander Brad Bergesen is 0-4 with a 5.57 ERA, and the Orioles have lost nine straight games in which he started. Starter Chris Tillman is 1-3 with a 7.16 ERA. The bullpen is up one day, down the next.

And now we're starting to see some bad body language from the O's during games and comments from the post-game clubhouse that reflect how puzzled and irritated the players are that this team is not playing better.

And yet . . . it could be much worse for the Orioles in the standings. Sure, they're in last place in the AL East and 5 1/2 games out. But no one's tearing up the division yet. If the Orioles start hitting and get a couple of their pitchers straightened out, they'd be competitive -- and entertaining -- again, which is basically all their fans were hoping to see this season.

The Buck-Showalter-as-savior vibe sure died down in a hurry. But to his credit, the Orioles manager continues to exude confidence -- at least outwardly -- that his team will start turning things around any day now.

Nevertheless, my colleague Jeff Zrebiec speculates in the Orioles Insider blog -- you can read it here -- that Showalter, with the team having a day off today, may be on the verge of shaking up the lineup and possibly making a couple of roster moves, too.

That could only be a good thing at this point. Something has to be done to shake this team out of its doldrums.

And those moves can't come soon enough for Orioles Village, which has seen this act for too many springs now and is sick and tired of it.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 11:09 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

OK, now I'm starting to worry about Luke Scott. Next he's going to want proof that the Earth is round.

So the Orioles outfielder still doesn't believe President Barack Obama was born in the U.S? Even with the release of the prez's birth certificate last week? In long form? With every i clearly dotted and every t crossed for all to see?

Nope, apparently Scott remains unconvinced, telling the Kansas City Star recently that Obama's birth certificate "has yet to be validated."

"If they can counterfeit $100 bills, I think it's a million times easier to counterfeit a birth certificate, if you ask me," Scott is quoted as saying. "So all it is, let's just see if it's real. Anybody can produce a document, so let's check it out."

 Hoo, boy. And you wonder why the president says releasing those death photos of Osama bin Laden won't quiet the skeptics who still believe the terrorist leader is still alive?

Luke, let it go. Stick to hitting baseballs. And catching them. This nonsense about Obama's birth is starting to make you sound crazy.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 10:51 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (48)
        

Given the momentous news of Osama bin Laden's death late last night, it's almost hard to concentrate on sports as details trickle in about the military operation that killed the mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Nevertheless, sports is our job here at The Toy Department. And so a few words now about the resurgent Orioles (13-13), who beat the Chicago White Sox, 6-4 yesterday in the Windy City for their third straight win and their fifth win in their last six games.

For the fans who didn't totally abandon the team during its recent struggles -- and you know who you are -- there is hope again that this team will be far more productive and interesting to watch than the Orioles teams of the past 13 seasons.

Promising story lines abound. Rookie lefty Zack Britton runs his record to 5-1 with a 2.63 ERA, showing other-worldy composure in the process.

Catcher Matt Wieters seems to be almost a completely different ballplayer this spring. Behind the plate, he conjures the image of another Johnny Bench, having vastly improved his release to throw out 6-of-12 would-be base stealers. Not only that, but he's driven in 16 runs (second on the team) and is gushed over daily by manager Buck Showalter and the Orioles pitchers for the way he calls games.

And Robert Andino, seemingly an after-thought in the organization last season, is batting .333 and playing sensationally at times at shortstop in the absence of injured starter J.J. Hardy.

All of that, and more, has the Orioles in third place in the AL East. It's enough to make Orioles Village smile -- even the most cynical and jaded in that once-shrinking community.

Now we'll see how that translates into fans and noise at Camden Yards when the team begins a six-game homestand against the Tampa Bay Rays Friday night. 

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 12:18 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

That was an ugly sight for Orioles fans: watching right-hander Chris Tillman getting cuffed around badly in the swirling mist of Yankee Stadium last night.

Tillman is young -- he turns 23 tomorrow -- and better days are probably ahead for him. But he looked lost on this wet and dreary night in the Bronx.

It looked like he didn't trust his stuff at all. And it looked like he came unglued early against the Yankees powerful lineup. That's what happens to a young pitcher when he allows hits to the first three batters he faces before Alex Rodriguez clubs an opposite-field homer to make it 3-0 before Yankee fans have even settled in their seats and begun jeering in earnest.

It was interesting -- and a little perplexing -- to hear Tillman tell MASN broadcaster Gary Thorne in the post-game interview that he thought his fastball and curveball were working well, and that his undoing was mainly a matter of poor pitch location.

But in his own post-game remarks, O's manager Buck Showalter was more succinct -- and on point -- when he summed up Tillman's performance: "Not good."

Too bad for the Orioles. They need to make a statement to their fans. They need to show everyone that they're no longer the punchless, listless losers of years past. And a good way to do that is to put a beating on the mighty Yankees in their own house, to demonstrate that this Orioles team is no longer the perennial patsy of the American League East.

Orioles fans -- and baseball fans in general -- will still define the 2011 Orioles by how they do against the big boys in their division, the Yankees and Red Sox, especially with the Tampa Bay Rays seemingly headed for a tough year.

Maybe the Orioles can rebound tonight in the second game of this series. Maybe Jake Arrieta can battle and keep them in the game long enough for the lineup to get to Yankees starter Phil Hughes, who has looked absolutely awful (16.50 ERA) thus far.

We'll see. But these are the games the Orioles have to win to make believers of their fans -- and to ultimately fill the seats at Camden Yards, too.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 9:25 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

It's amazing what a decent start can do for a baseball team. As the Orioles continue to get national recognition for their 6-3 record going into tonight's series opener with the New York Yankees, the New York Daily News lists them No. 4 in the first installment of its MLB power rankings.

"Bucks boys bucking AL East trends" it says of Buck Showalter's team, ranking the Orioles behind only the 9-1 Texas Rangers, the powerful Philadelphia Phillies and the somewhat surprising Cincinnati Reds.

Worst team in the MLB power rankings, according to the News? It's the struggling Tampa Bay Rays.

"Welcome to our time machine," the newspaper says of the Rays. "First stop, back to the days when the Rays were horrible."

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 10:14 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

If you buy into the concept that the Orioles are playing with a new attitude -- and how can you argue that, given their 6-3 start versus the 2-16 disaster of last season? -- there also seemed to be a new attitude among the fans at Camden Yards during the team's just-concluded opening home-stand. 

In fact, the cheering from the stands seemed more intense and spirited than it has in years -- even when the crowds were small. (More on that in a moment.)

During the Orioles 3-0 loss to the Texas Rangers Sunday, the fans even seemed to have a collective chip on their shoulders, which was nice to see.

After both Adrian Beltre's solo homer in the fourth inning and Ian Kinsler's two-run shot in the seventh landed in the left-field stands, chants of "Throw it back! Throw it back!" were heard. And both balls were soon disdainfully thrown back on the field. (One fan must have had a cannon for an arm -- his throw rolled almost to second base.)

Except for a brief outbreak of the Wave -- and when will this stupid thing go away once and for all? -- the cheering from the crowd of 36,243 was high-energy for all nine innings.

As for the attendance figures at Camden Yards so far, it's best not to read too much into them this early in the season.

Opening Day was a sell-out, naturally, with an announced crowd of 46,593 that included standing-room-only tickets on hand for the Orioles 5-1 win over the Detroit Tigers Monday.

Attendance the next two nights dipped to 12,451 for the Orioles' 7-3 loss to the Tigers Wednesday night and 11,648 for their 9-5 win over Detroit Thursday night.

And while some observers were alarmed at those two figures, it's important to remember two things.

No. 1, the Tigers aren't a big draw, even if they're expected to be a contender for the American League Central title.

And no. 2, the Orioles traditionally don't draw big weekday crowds until school is out in June and parents start bringing their kids to the ballpark again.

All in all, there was a great atmosphere at the ballpark for all six games.

If you're an Orioles fan -- or even just a fan of baseball -- you just hope it continues.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 10:08 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

It would be wise, I suppose, to exercise caution. To remain skeptical and to not forget what's happened over the last 13 years. That would be the prudent choice. That would be rational and realistic.

But I don't want to be prudent. I want to believe. 

I was thinking about that a lot as I walked to Camden Yards today for the Orioles home opener. I was running late and I thought momentarily about flagging down a cab, just to make sure I arrived appropriately ahead of the first pitch, but something talked me out of it.

The walk through downtown Baltimore, and through the Inner Harbor, has always been one of the prettiest walks in all of sports, especially on sunny days. There's just something about the way the light bounces off the buildings that makes me fall in love with Baltimore all over again every time I make that walk, even if I know I'll be watching bad baseball when I reach my destination. When people come to visit me from back home, and they want to watch a baseball game, I always feel a weird sense of pride on the walk to the stadium.

I grew up out west, in a valley where the sky is vast and large mountains loom on every horizon, so there is an intimacy, at least for me, about urban architecture. You feel close to other people when you walk the streets. And when everyone is moving in the direction of the stadium, when everyone is anticipating an afternoon at the ballpark, that energy is magnified.

I've always wanted to take that walk when the Orioles were good, ever since I moved here 10 years ago. There's just something exciting about a city when a baseball team grabs a hold of it. It's different than football. Baseball, when it's good, keeps reinventing itself. It's like reading a short story every day.

You can say whatever you want about how trivial sports truly are, and if you step back and look at the big picture, you'd be right. Baltimore, as a city, has a lot of problems. Improving the baseball team, which has been a perennial loser for more than a decade, would be pretty far down on your wish list if you could start fixing things. But at the same time, it's not trivial. A good baseball team is something that, day after day, drives conversations between strangers. Ever walk past someone in an airport or super market, see them wearing an Orioles hat, and exchange a nod that says more than words ever could? It makes you feel a little hopeful. It makes you want to brag about being from here.

You could pick up on some that vibe on the way to Camden Yards today. I've been to opening days in the past, when everyone wanted be optimistic, but deep down, you could tell they were sort of going through the motions. Opening day was about tradition, not anticipation, and the cynics and the realists were already steeling themselves against the inevitable.  

But something felt a little different this year. The Orioles are undefeated, and it's impossible to dismiss that.  It means something. What, I'm not sure yet. But it's definitely something. You could see people outside The Pratt Street Ale House (still the Wharf Rat in my mind) getting excited and trying not to spill their beers as they talked just a little too loudly about the O's young pitching staff. In front of Pickles Pub and Sliders, the crowd was a bee hive of orange and black. You could buy T-shirts from college kids that poked fun at the free-spending Yankees, while at the same time praising the O's veteran manager: "Who needs $200 million? All we need is one Buck." The majority of scalpers were looking for tickets, not selling them. 

It's a little foolish to get sentimental about opening day. It's naive and cliched. It's like ordering a hackneyed sundae, and and covering it with hot melted schmaltz. There is a good chance this team will take its lumps, just like so many Orioles squads that came before it. Buck Showalter is not a wizard. He can perform no miracles.

But I'm not sure I care right now. We have a saying in sports journalism that we don't root for results, we root for a good story. After 13 years of disappointment, I'm convinced the best story would be for the Orioles to be good once again. To grab a hold of this city for the summer, and refuse to let go.

Maybe getting your hopes up only leads to greater disappointment. Maybe this will end badly. But maybe it won't. Maybe this is real. I know this: When Brian Roberts crushed that 3-run home run in the fifth inning today, I swear, Oriole Park was as loud as it's been in years. Ricky Porcello had to throw two pitches to Nick Markakis before the cheering finally subsided. 

You could hear the roar -- that glorious roar -- bouncing off the stadium walls, maybe even off the downtown buildings in the distance. The sky was impossibly blue, and for a second, you wanted to believe it could stay that way forever.

Sun Photos: Gene Sweeney Jr. 

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 6:51 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

Generally speaking, I don't believe in baseball curses.

I don't believe it was the fabled "Curse of the Bambino" that kept the Boston Red Sox from winning the World Series between 1918 and 2004. I just thought they stunk.

And I don't believe the legendary "Billy Goat Curse" is responsible for the Chicago Cubs not being in a World Series since 1945. I know the Cubs stink.

But what are we to make of Orioles lefty Brian Matusz getting nailed in the left arm by a line drive in a simulated spring training game Monday?

Especially since it happened only three days after O's righty Brad Bergesen was struck in the right forearm by a line drive in a game against the Minnesota Twins?

That's a little too much of a coincidence, isn't it? And it's exactly what the Orioles didn't need after the rotation's uneven (to say the least) performance in the Grapefruit League thus far.

Bergeson, heck, he might be cursed. What else can happen to the guy in an Orioles uniform?

He took a line drive off his left shin in a game against the Kansas City Royals in July of 2009 that ended his season.

And in February of 2010, he strained his right shoulder throwing at game-speed while filming a Birdland commercial.

Who gets hurt filming a stupid commercial? Only the Orioles have these kinds of things happen.

So now manager Buck Showalter and his coaches are waiting to see how Matusz's arm feels in the next day or two, and whether he can pitch in the Orioles second game of the regular season.

And they're waiting to see whether Bergesen's forearm responds to treatment so he can pitch in the O's third game.

It's not exactly the way you want to start the season -- not with so many fans hoping this is the year the Orioles finally turn things around and become competitive again.

Still, a curse might be over-stating it -- at least right now.

We'll see what happens in the next few days.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 10:49 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

If you operate on the theory that anything bad for the Yankees is good for the Orioles, then  Hank Steinbrenner's latest ill-advised remarks were music to your ears.

The Yankees outspoken chairman -- I know that's a shock, a Steinbrenner who's vocal -- told reporters Monday that the Bronx Bombers may have celebrated their 2009 World Series win a little too long -- all the way into the 2010 season, in fact.

No one blinked an eyeball at that. But then Steinbrenner picked up the metaphorical luger, loaded it, and shot himself in the foot.

"Some of the players were too busy building mansions and doing other things and not concentrating on winning," Steinbrenner continued. "I have no problem saying that."

Since the only Yankee engaged last year in building a mansion -- actually, it's reportedly more like a 30,000-square-foot, 7-bedroom palace in Tampa -- was Derek Jeter, reporters interpreted this as a direct shot at the Captain.

Steinbrenner said no, he wasn't singling out any one player.

Right.

Now it'll be interesting to see how Jeter responds to this latest salvo from the front office. He's already steaming about how the Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman dragged out his contract negotiations last year and allowed them to go public.

 Why Steinbrenner would want to further enrage the Yankees captain is a total mystery. But this certainly isn't the first time a Steinbrenner shot off his mouth before thinking -- often to the detriment of his team.

And if this becomes an issue in the Yankees clubhouse, or a distraction of any kind on the field, the rest of the AL East will feel terrible. Absolutely terrible.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 10:28 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Mega-weird Lady Gaga arrived at last night's Grammy Awards in some sort of giant plastic egg and sang her new hit single "Born This Way," which was disturbing to hear on so many levels.

But as I watched her -- oh, yeah, I'm big on the Grammys; loved that new guy, Bob Dylan -- all I could think of was: Just keep Gaga away from the Orioles. They don't need her Category-5 level of distraction down in Sarasota, Fla.

You may recall that Ms. Gaga has a rather turbulent record when it comes to her attendance at major league baseball games.

Last June, for instance, she talked her way past security and showed up in the New York Yankees clubhouse after their loss to the Mets, reportedly decked out in a half-buttoned Yankees jersey and bikini bottom.

I know it will shock you to know she was also reportedly intoxicated, swigging from a bottle of whiskey and fondling her chest.

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner apparently went thermonuclear when he heard about Gaga's shenanigans and permanently banned her from the team's clubhouse.

A couple of weeks earlier, the eccentric entertainer had endeared herself to Mets' fans at Citi Field by giving them the finger during a Mets-Padres game.

With the baseball season just around the corner, there's no telling where Gaga could show up next to make a spectacle of herself.

I hope it's not at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota.

Unless she gives me a heads-up so I can watch the whole thing.

Getty Images photo by Kevin Winter

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 1:02 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Robby Alomar's induction into the Hall of Fame means Cooperstown now has a spitter who wasn't a pitcher.

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 12:10 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Orioles fans, that beep-beep-beep sound you just heard was the Boston Red Sox backing up a Wells Fargo truck to Carl Crawford's mansion and possibly locking up the AL East title in the process.

Do you believe these Red Sox? Buck Showalter must be having nightmares. And his first full season as Orioles manager is still a few months away.

On the heels of their stunning trade with San Diego for three-time All Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, the Red Sox ink Crawford, the great Tampa Bay Rays outfielder, to a seven-year, $142 million deal.

And they'll have a healthy Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury back this season, along with a killer starting rotation anchored by John Lackey, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Bucholtz.

Good luck against that team, Orioles.

And to make matter worse, the New York Yankees are on the verge of cracking open their vault and signing ace lefty Cliff Lee.

You talk about the rich getting richer. In the AL East, the Rays, Blue Jays and Orioles are all officially playing for third place -- if they weren't doing that already.

Any minute now, the Yankees will sign Lee.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 11:55 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (50)
        

This much is clear: the Mark Reynolds trade hasn't exactly dazzled Orioles Village.

And you can certainly understand why. The slugging third baseman is definitely not without his flaws. There's the .198 batting average last year. The 200-plus strikeouts in each of the last three seasons. The rep as an average fielder at best.

But I'll take this deal -- at least for its potential -- because the Orioles are so desperate for some pop in the middle of their batting order.

The bottom line for me: the guy his 104 home runs and drove in 284 runs the past three seasons. That's an average of 35 homers and 95 RBI over that span. If he hits those numbers or better over the next three years, it's a good deal for the O's -- the batting average and strikeouts be damned.

So I'm OK with the trade -- and giving up relievers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio -- even if a lot of fans seem ambivalent over it.

Where I really think the Orioles dropped the ball was in letting Ty Wigginton get away to the Colorado Rockies.

The guy is only 33, can play anywhere for you, still has pop in his bat (22 homers and a club-leading 76 RBI last season) and is a tremendous presence in the clubhouse.

Even if the Reynolds signing meant Wiggy wouldn't be playing third -- and even if the club intends to sign a slugging first baseman as rumored (I know, I know . . . you'll believe it when you see it) -- Wiggington would have been a valuable asset for Buck Showalter's team next season.

Good luck in Colorado, Wiggy. I think your old team in Baltimore is really going to miss you.  

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 11:37 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

So the Orioles are exploring the idea of adding bars and restaurants in Camden yards that will allow fans to drink and dine while still catching all the action on the field? (Read Orioles beat writer Jeff Zrebiec's story here.)

And this is supposed to enhance the fan experience at the stadium? And possibly draw more fans after another lackluster year attendance-wise?

Please.

Hey, Orioles, want to really enhance the fan experience at the Yards? Want to really draw crowds? 

Go out and sign a legitimate home run hitter or two this off-season.

Then go sign a veteran starting pitcher who can be your no. 1 or no. 2 guy in the rotation and give you at least 15 wins. (Nice-guy Kevin Millwood tried, it just didn't work out for him here in Crabtown.)

Those two moves will go way further toward enhancing the fan experience at the stadium, believe me.

Winning cures all ills -- well, unless you're the Tampa Bay Rays -- when it comes to boosting attendance figures.

It sure beats a leafy patio fern bar and watery Margaritas in the left-field stands.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 12:39 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

Terrific story by Orioles beat writer Jeff Zrebiec on Dave Trembley in today's Sun -- you can read it here -- as the former O's manager finally granted an interview three months after he was fired.

Predictably, Trembley, always a classy guy, takes no shots at the organization that gave him his first major league managing job after a lifetime of minor-league managing.

But Zrebiec's piece also revealed a stunning naivete on the part of Trembley concerning all the storm clouds that were gathering around him in his last days as O's manager.

Trembley admits he had heard lots of rumors that he was on the hot seat.

Still, referring to his final game as O's manager  -- a 6-3 loss to the Yankees June 3 in New York -- he told Zreibiec: ". . .(T)hat was a tough day. In New York, there was a lot of people talking to you and wishing you well. You're looking at them like, what the heck are they talking about, and you're kind of piecing it together. That was a tough day."

Wow. Even in retrospect, it's amazing to think Trembley didn't suspect he was about to be fired as soon as the Orioles charter touched down in Baltimore and he arrived back at the Warehouse.

The Sun had been reporting it was a fait accompli for days. So had a number of other local media outlets. And it could even be argued the Orioles were playing even worse than they had during the team's disastrous 2-16 start.

And Trembley didn't have an inkling he was about to be fired?

Amazing.

Still, here's wishing him well in the future. He's a baseball guy through and through and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has asked him to consider remaining with the organization.

Whether he does that or moves on to another team, he can hold his head high. He did the best job he could under very difficult circumstances with the Orioles. He fought the good fight all the way.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 12:27 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Well, that didn't take long at all.

Have you seen the new Orioles "Birdland" ads? There's one running on the back page of The Baltimore Sun today. And guess who's the focus of the ad?

Here's a hint: short guy, fifty-ish, white hair, no. 26 on your roster.

Yes, to absolutely no one's surprise, new manager Buck Showalter stars in the new ads.

 In the one running today, he's shown with an intense look on his face and an out-stretched left arm, as if pleading his case to a disbelieving umpire who's just blown a call.

"THIS IS OUR NEW LEADER," the ad says, as if announcing a regime change in North Korea. "THIS IS BIRDLAND."

 And who can blame the Orioles for making Showalter the big cheese of their new ads?

The team is 9-4 since he took over. It's playing with new life and a new sense of urgency.

 Coincidence? Maybe.

 But no matter how much or how little you want to credit Showalter with the team's success, this much is undeniable: a lot of fans who were turned off by the O's woeful play the first four months of the season are suddenly paying attention again.

"THIS IS OUR NEW LEADER."

 Has a catchy ring, doesn't it?

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 10:41 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

The Orioles newest manager lived up to his reputation, arriving for his first meeting with the Baltimore media prepared and candid about the formidable task that awaits him in trying to rebuild a once-proud franchise.

Buck Showalter, 54, who bears a slight resemblance to a younger Earl Weaver, admitted the Orioles -- 32-73 and about to post their 13th straight losing season --  "haven't been exposed to a winning-type environment."

And he flatly admitted: "We need an identity as a franchise."

Right now, the identity of the Orioles can best be summed up thusly: they're the creampuffs in the tough American League East.

Showalter said he's heard all sorts of rumors in the past of tinkering with Major League Baseball and realigning the divisions.

But unless and until that happens, he said, the Orioles have to find a way to beat the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays and Blue Jays and get into the post-season, no matter what it takes.

"You're looking for 25 nuggets" on the Orioles roster, he said. "When you have 25 nuggets, you get to play in October." 

 Showalter also said he doesn't think the Orioles are as bad as a lot of people think.

 "Because a club has struggled for so long, everyone thinks everything there is bad," he said. "That's not the case here. There are a lot of good things, and I've done my homework."

 Showalter will manage his first game for the O's tomorrow night, when the team begins a seven-game homestand at Camden Yards with a three-game series against the Los Angels Angels.

 But he said he had no particular message for long-suffering Orioles fans who "have heard it all."

"Right now it's just words," he said.

Until the team starts winning, the fans probably wouldn't listen anyway.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 1:57 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

As most fans know, Brian Roberts, the Orioles veteran second baseman, is testing his cranky back with a series of rehab games for the Double-A Bowie Baysox.

And I was impressed with his remarks to Sun Orioles beat writer Jeff Zrebiec -- you can read the story here -- about not wanting to shut it down, even though he could risk another injury with just  two months left in another lost season for the O's.

After all, Roberts hasn't played since April 9 when he aggravated the herniated disk in his back stealing second base.

But he left no doubt that he wants to get back on the field as soon as possible, even with his team cratering and on the verge of ringing up its 13th consecutive losing season.

"That's what I get paid to do and what (Orioles owner Peter Angelos) has signed me to do," Roberts told Zrebiec.

And he hinted that he needed to play again this season for his own peace of mind, to ensure himself that his back is healed and he can play all-out once again.

But as Zrebiec noted in the article, Roberts hasn't attempted one of his hard head-first slides into second base, like the one that landed him on the disabled list.

And until he does -- and pops up with no ill effects -- he probably won't fully believe that his back has healed.

If he doesn't attempt one with Bowie, Orioles fans will probably be holding their breath when he finally does his first head-first slide with the parent club.

But you can't tell Brian Roberts to take it easy and slide feet-first for the rest of the season.

That's not how the guy plays. He plays full-bore, with his foot stomping the accelerator, and the head-first slide is his signature move.

Asking him not to do it is like asking Kobe Bryant not to go so hard to the hole. It's like asking  Tiger Woods to lay up on a short par-4.

You just don't do it.

Good luck with that first slide, B-Rob.

 We'll all be watching. And keeping our fingers crossed.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 12:06 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Another day, another report that Buck Showalter will be named the Orioles new manager -- and soon.

Today mlb.fanhouse is reporting that a source familiar with the organization says Showalter is expected to take over as the new manager of the Orioles Saturday or Sunday.

On the other hand, the report also quotes another unnamed source as saying "nothing is imminent."

Showalter has managed the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers and is 882-833 in those stints, a winning percentage of .514.

The Orioles have also interviewed Bobby Valentine, Eric Wedge and popular broadcaster Rick Dempsey to fill the job.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 11:05 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

The recent four-game sweep of the Texas Rangers notwithstanding, it's hard to watch the Orioles on MASN. Now it's even harder to watch the commercials.

The one that's really driving me insane now is the new Luna commercial.

Let's face it, every commercial for Luna, the carpet and flooring behemoth, is annoying. I thought the one with the bald guy dancing with a flooring sample atop his head was the absolute low point in the history of commercial advertising.

But I was wrong.

 The absolute low point is the current Luna commercial that features a young, punked-out guy turning on a light switch and shouting "We got fluorescent lights! Make the carpet really pop!" 

Then he shines the light in the face of Little Miss Luna, or whoever she is, the cheery, earnest brunette spokesperson who pretends to be blinded with permanent cornea damage.

Please, MASN. Make this commercial go away. Or if that's not possible, at least play it a few hundred times less during each Orioles broadcast.

Hard on the heels of the Luna spot for most annoying is the Southwest commercial featuring two pilots -- I'm going out on a limb here and saying they're brothers -- standing in the center aisle of a plane, yapping to everyone around them about how great non-stop travel.

 Me, I'd pay $500 extra for a flight if MASN could guarantee that we never see that commercial again during an O's game.

On the other hand, one of the funniest new commercials during Orioles broadcasts is the GEICO spot  that asks "Does a former drill sergeant make a terrible therapist?"

If you haven't seen this yet -- you can watch it here -- it's absolutely hysterical. As a patient lies on his coach spouting whiny pronouncements like "And that's why yellow always makes me sad, I think," the drill-sergeant-turned-shrink explodes.

"YOU KNOW WHAT MAKE ME SAD? YOU DO! MAYBE WE SHOULD CHUG ON OVER TO NAMY-PAMBY LAND WHERE WE CAN GET SOME SELF-CONFIDENCE FOR YOU, YOU JACK-WAGON!"

When his startled patient looks as if he's about to cry, the DI-shrink holds out a box of Kleenex and says gently: "Tissue?"

Except then he tosses the tissue across the room and calls the guy: "Crybaby."

Now that one I could watch for nine innings in a row -- at least until I get sick of it in a few days.

Compared to the Luna and Southwest spots, though, it's high art.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 11:45 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (46)
        

This is how bad it's gotten for the Orioles: apparently Felix Pie is now being looked upon as some sort of savior.

 And so is Koji Uehara.

 And Jim Johnson.

 And Michael Gonzalez.

 "Help on the way for Orioles?" reads the headline in today's Baltimore Sun atop a story in which O's president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail reveals that all four of those injured players could be ready to return to the club by the end of the month.

"All those guys will be welcome here," interim manager Juan Samuel is quoted as saying. "We do need some help."

 OK, fine. But a little perspective is in order here. It's not like these guys were tearing up the league before they were sidelined.

 Pie had just 20 at-bats before going on the DL in mid-April with a torn back muscle. (Yes, he had five hits. But, still. Only 20 at-bats.)

Uehara had pitched just five inning before straining his right forearm and being shut down.

Jim Johnson had pitched just 9.2 innings (to a 6.52 ERA) before right elbow inflammation landed him on the DL.

And Michael Gonzalez, the heralded new closer, had gotten rocked and pitched all of two innings (18.00 ERA) before ending up on the DL in early April.

 So it's not exactly the cavalry coming to rescue the Orioles.

 Sigh. Yet this is what passes for good news on this team these days.

Meanwhile, the injured player the Orioles need most of all, lead-off hitter and former All-Star second baseman Brian Roberts, is still in a holding pattern, according to the club.

His herniated disk is not responding to treatment. The Orioles don't know when he'll be back. He hasn't been able to do any baseball activities.

 The possibility of season-ending back surgery looms.

And a once-proud franchise flounders as never before.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 11:25 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

With Stephen Strasburg Mania sweeping the country, the stark differences in the baseball cultures of Baltimore and Washington have been dramatically underscored in recent days.

 In Baltimore, another Lost Summer unfolds at Camden Yards. The Orioles are 16-43. They've lost 10 of their last 11 games. They've become awful to watch. And not many are watching.

A paltry crowd of 16,451 turned out to watch the Yankees beat the O's 4-2 in the rain last night. Apparently even the Yankees fans find going to an Orioles game too depressing -- there was so little life in the stadium that the whole scene was heartbreaking.

But 30 miles to the south, it's different.

With Strasburg Mania in full swing, the Washington Nationals fan base is hopeful and energized as never before in the club's short 5 1/2-year history.

A sellout crowd of 40,315 watched the 21-year-old righthander put on a dazzling show in his major league debut the other night, a 5-2 Nationals win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

With his sizzling fastball routinely clocking near 100 mph and a curveball that seemed to paralyze the Pirates all night, he struck out 14, didn't walk a batter and surrendered just four hits.

It was a sensational showing by the humble hurler with the wispy beard, especially considering all the hype the kid has lived with for months and months. 

And now the whole country seems fascinated with Strasburg, with AOL's homepage blaring a headline today that asks that ever-so-important question: "Is Stephen Strasburg Married?"

I don't know. And I don't care.

All I know is that the kid they're calling "the Chosen One" has breathed new life into a franchise that desperately needed it.

Meanwhile, 30 miles to the north, in the most beautiful ballpark in all the land, a team flounders hopelessly, seemingly without direction, as the losses mount and the fans are turned off in droves.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 11:25 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

Ladies and gentlemen, Orioles Village in is an uproar.

E-mail to the Baltimore Sun from self-professed O's fans is running hot and heavy this week, with the majority of the e-mails I've received sounding some variation of the theme: fire Dave Trembley.

The messages that don't call for the O's manager's head tend to say this: fire Andy MacPhail. (Except five out of 10 times, the writer cleverly spells the O's general manager's name Andy MacFail.)

And the e-mails that call for neither Trembley nor MacPhail to get the axe generally call for hitting coach Terry Crowley or pitching coach Rick Kranitz to be fired.

The point is: Orioles fans are mad as hell.

They're mad as hell about the team's disastrous 15-36 record. They're mad as hell about the lifeless, bloodless, inept way the team is playing.

They're mad as hell that nothing's being done to turn things around and stop the free-fall.

And now they're calling for their pound of flesh.

Somebody has to take the blame for this train-wreck of a season so far. Someone has to get whacked.

Until that happens, the howling from the masses won't stop.

At times, you wonder if anyone in the Warehouse is listening.

They better be.

In 29 years of being around this team, I've never seen the fan base this angry and disillusioned.

If the Orioles don't want to see the last of their fans throw up their hands in frustration and walk away from this team, they better do something to give the fans hope.

And they better do it fast.

Mr. Angelos, are you listening?

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 11:01 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (73)
        

Good to see Orioles manager Dave Trembley is making it a priority to get Brian Matusz straightened out.

The young lefty looks confused out on the mound, never more so than in the first inning of the Orioles 6-1 loss to the Oakland A's Wednesday.

He gave up four runs in that inning -- including Adam Rosales' three-run homer -- marking the second straight time he's been roughed up in the first inning.

And he's starting to take on that bewildered look that Brad Bergesen wore a few weeks ago when nothing he did was working.

Watching Matusz mow down opposing batters with his great stuff was supposed to be a highlight of this season for Orioles fans.

But he's just 2-5 with a 5.76 ERA after 10 starts, and you don't want to see him get in a negative mind-set this early in his career.

 There's enough negativity surrounding this team -- you don't need your most promising young pitcher getting caught up in it, too.

That's why it was good to hear Trembley's post-game remarks in which he said about Matusz: "We've all got to find a way to get him more in line and be consistent right from the very beginning. The first inning tonight wasn't him and it cost us."

 "I am just in a bad groove," Matusz told reporters after the game.

 The truth is, there are a lot of players in that clubhouse in a bad groove right now.

 But the Orioles can't afford to have Matusz stuck in that groove for too long.

Not if he's one of their building blocks for the future.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 11:03 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

There's a great posting on the Orioles Insider blog, which you can read here, about something more professional athletes should be doing.

It's a brief about Orioles designated hitter Luke Scott, who spent the off-day Monday fishing with a lucky man and the man's son on the Chesapeake Bay.

Scott is an avid outdoorsman and tries to go fishing and hunting whenever he can. On Monday he was out with an Annapolis man and his son, who were winners of the World Fishing Network's "Fish with Luke" contest.

Check out the photo that accompanies the blog posting and look at the expression on the 9-year-old kid's face as Scott shows off the 10-pound, 28-inch rockfish he caught, which was the largest catch of the day.

Again, more pro athletes should be doing stuff like this. It's a great way to connect with their fan base.

 I know some of the Orioles -- and some of the Ravens, too -- do a lot of charity work and get to meet fans that way, too.

But doing fun things with fans and mingling with them on a one-on-one basis helps humanize these players. It's a simple way for these athletes to say they care about the people who buy tickets to watch them play.

Think that kid will ever forget he went fishing with Luke Scott? And his dad will never forget the experience, either.

For the other Orioles, the possibilities are endless.

Duck hunting with Nick Markakis. Bowling with Kevin Millwood. Sailing with Matt Wieters. Make it a contest and sell tickets and give the proceeds to charity.

That way you're raising money for a worthy cause and providing the fans with special moments in the company of their heroes -- not to mention memories that will last a lifetime.

Congratulations to Luke Scott. There's one pro athlete who gets it.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 12:56 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Two things in particular were hard to watch during the Orioles 4-3 loss to the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark last night.

One was reliever Koji Uehara's sideburns.

He's a nice guy, but those might be the ugliest sideburns in the history of facial hair. It looks like he glued a couple of garden stakes to the sides of his head.

Speaking of Koji, isn't it about time baseball comes up with a new rule about how many times you're allowed to take off your hat to wipe your head while pitching?

MASN broadcaster Gary Thorne pointed out how often Koji was doing this last night. And once you started paying attention to it, it drove you crazy.

Then there was Adam Jones' ugly throw following Nelson Cruz's sacrifice fly in the ninth inning that scored Michael Young and gave the Rangers the win.

Sure, Young has some wheels. Even a perfect throw might not have nailed him.

But we'll never know, since Jones' throw was high and way up the third base line.

So instead of having a slim chance of cutting down Young, the Orioles had no chance.

And what followed was the predictable camera shot of the downcast Orioles gathering up their equipment and filing out of the dugout.

It's a shot we've seen way to many times this season.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 10:09 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Dave Trembley's post-game remarks after the Orioles 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals last night might have set a club record for brevity.

And the marked uneasiness of his exchange with the media, as captured by the MASN TV cameras and microphones, might have set some sort of record, too.

But the Orioles manager was right to keep his comments brief.

 What more could he say after another miserable loss, on another miserable rainy night, with hardly anyone in the stands?

(The club announced attendance at 9,299, the second smallest crowd in Camden Yards history. But the number of people actually in the seats was probably less than a third of that.)

If the Orioles lose tonight -- and it's a distinct possibility since they face Royals ace Zach Greinke, 1-4 but with a 2.73 ERA -- Trembley's post-game presser figures to be even briefer.

The embattled O's manager is a class act, always willing to answer the tough questions about his team's horrible play.

But, really, what more is there to say when the team keeps playing so poorly, making fielding mistakes and base-running errors and failing to hit in the clutch?

As the great Earl Weaver once growled after a terrible Orioles loss back in the day: "You saw it. Write it."

And that was the end of his remarks.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 8:58 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Nolan Reimold, much as I like him, is the very definition of a ballplayer who's pressing so much his head's about to explode.

The Orioles leftfielder looks lost at the plate. He's batting .205 after last night's 5-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

 And watching him butcher Rob Johnson's RBI single to left in the fifth inning just made you cringe.

 First he bobbled the ball at his feet, then he couldn't find it as he frantically felt around for it and another run scored.

 Maybe it was the wet, dreary night, maybe it was all the empty seats in Camden Yards, maybe it was the Orioles taking another beating in this nightmare of a season so far.

 But seeing Reimold kick that ball around, a look of utter frustration on his face, was one of the saddest sights you'll ever see at the ballpark.

 Expect the Orioles to make a roster move or two real soon. I'll be shocked if Reimold isn't sent down to Triple A Norfolk.

Right now it would be the best thing in the world for him.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 11:27 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

Question: Who needs a double-latte from Starbucks more than Ken Griffey Jr.?

Answer: Apparently no one.

 Just in time for the Orioles' three-game series with the Seattle Mariners that starts tonight at Camden Yards comes word that the aging M's superstar was asleep in the clubhouse during a recent game when he was needed as a pinch-hitter.

Don Wakamatsu, the Mariners manager, reportedly was vague about the incident last week when asked why he didn't use Griffey to pinch-hit for Rob Johnson late in a game.

But according to a blog by Larry LaRue in the Tacoma News-Tribune, two young Mariners players, who asked not to be named, confirmed Griffey was asleep in the chair in front of his locker when Wakamatsu needed another bat.

Griffey is said to have had sleep issues for years, and reportedly doesn't sleep well at night when he's away from his family.

With no home runs this season and just five RBIs, Griffey's bat is apparently sleeping more soundly than he is.

Speaking of sleeping bats, there have been no confirmed reports thus far of any Orioles hitters being asleep in the clubhouse when they were needed to pinch-hit.

On the other hand, the season is still young...

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 10:56 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

What's the old baseball adage? Good pitching beats good hitting every time?

Ever wonder how good pitching does against lousy hitting?

To find out, all you had to do was watch the Orioles the past two nights at Yankee Stadium, where they lost two straight games by identical 4-1 scores while not hitting a lick against quality pitchers C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

Last night, a throwing error by pitcher Brian Matusz and Adam Jones' shaky decision to try for a diving catch on a line drive by Francisco Cervelli contributed to the carnage -- sloppy defense is becoming another trademark of this O's team.

But it's weak hitting that's really been killing this team all season, especially hitting in the clutch. No surprise, then, that the Orioles were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position last night.

Luke Scott went 0-for-4 to drop his batting average to .177. Adam Jones went 0-for-4 to lower his average to .225. Matt Wieters had been hitting well, but he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and hit into a double-play.

This is getting beyond ugly now, this hitting malaise.

And it doesn't get any easier for the O's tonight when they face the Yankees' Andy Pettitte to close out the series.

 Pettite's only 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA this season.

 So what does good pitching versus lousy hitting look like?

There's your answer: The Yankees are 18-8 and in second place in the AL East.

The Orioles are 7-20 and in last place.

It really is that simple. 

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 8:42 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Wondering what's wrong with Luke Scott? So's Luke Scott. In fact, no offense, but he's probably a little more worried about this slump he's in than you are.

If you read Jeff Zrebiec's Orioles notebook in today's Baltimore Sun, you get a real sense of how frustrated Scott is and the desperate measures major league ballplayers go to claw their way out of slumps.

As Zrebiec points out, Scott, who's been a streaky hitter throughout his big-league career, is batting just .187 (14-for-25) with three homers and eight RBIs.

Equally disturbing is the fact he's batting just .203 since the All-Star break last year.

Yes, he led the team in homers last season with 25. But it's clear his production dropped off dramatically during the last two months of the season, with the slump continuing through this April.

It's not for lack of effort that Scott isn't producing.

At Camden Yards last weekend, as the Orioles were in the process of sweeping three games from the Red Sox with little help from their struggling DH, you could look at Scott's hands and see a mass of ugly calluses from all the extra hitting he's been doing in the cage and batting practice.

I've seen him watching video of his swing at all hours. I've seen him talking to hitting coach Terry Crowley before and after games, looking for answers.

The guy's trying everything he can to break out of this thing. And it's not working.

So now the question is: how long do the Orioles stick with him? Scott himself seems to sense the team's patience with him is running out.

When he's hot, Scott can go on a home run tear that practically carries the Orioles' offense. He's easily got the most pop in his bat of anyone else on the team -- his titanic clouts in batting practice often leave his teammates shaking their heads in awe. 

But on a struggling team that lost 4-1 last night to start a three-game series with the Yankees, Scott may not have the luxury of time to dig himself out of this slump.

He wasn't in the lineup last night against the Yankees. But that was no upset, since their left-handed ace, CC Sabbathia, was on the mound -- not exactly the guy you want to face when you're clueless at the plate.

But if he keeps going as he is, Scott will be losing at-bats no matter who's pitching for the other team.

And that can only hurt the Orioles, who failed to sign a big slugger in the offseason, and now need every home-run bat they can cram in their batting order.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 9:35 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Brad Bergesen's meltdown in the third inning of the Orioles 8-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners Monday night was one of the saddest sights you'll ever see on a baseball diamond.

As the Mariners' hitters smacked him around endlessly en route to a 7-0 lead at Safeco Field, Bergesen was a picture of anguish on the mound.

He muttered to himself, hung his head, stomped around, slammed the ball into his glove and set the major league record for most tugs on a cap in a single inning.

His forehead glistening with flop-sweat, he looked utterly lost and confused.

And when manager Dave Trembley finally took the ball from him, the TV cameras lingered on Bergesen as he took the long walk off the mound and through the dugout to the clubhouse, his face reflecting complete dejection.

Last season he was one of the few bright spots (7-5 record, 3.43 ERA) in the Orioles rotation.

 Now, with an 0-2 record and 12.19 ERA,  he's a mess. And he's been sent down to Triple-A Norfolk to straighten out his pitching mechanics and get his head on straight.

Whatever the reason for his struggles -- and you have to blame both the batted ball he took off his shin that sidelined him last season and the strained shoulder he suffered filming a "This is Birdland" commercial over the winter -- Bergesen looks hurried with his delivery and awkward with his arm slot.

He's a good kid. I hope he gets his act together soon.

But in what has started out as another lost season for the Orioles, the downfall of Brad Bergesen has been the most painful thing to watch so far.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 9:04 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Dave Trembley's gag about the Orioles starting their "pennant drive" after the team's 8-3 win over Oakland Sunday snapped a 9-game losing streak got a lot of play on the sports talk shows and Internet message boards.

 Me, I was just happy to see the Orioles manager could still joke -- about anything -- after the horrible start his team is off to this April.

 During the Orioles six straight losses at Camden Yards to Toronto and Tampa Bay, Trembley was starting to look like he did when the team floundered so disastrously late last September.

 At times, he looked weary and beaten-down and thoroughly puzzled by his team's listless performance -- and here we were in the very first homestand of the new season!

When I asked him during a pre-game session with the media whether the Orioles base-running mistakes -- something they had vowed to fix in the off-season and work on in spring training -- was especially frustrating, he sighed.

"Sometimes I wish you'd . . . ask them that on the other side," he said, his voice trailing off.

By the other side, we assumed he meant the other side of the clubhouse -- in other words, the players.

But for a proud man like Trembley, who never throws his players under the bus to the media, it was a sign that his frustration levels were red-lining.

Losing three straight to the Oakland A's on the beginning of a 10-game road trip surely didn't make things easier for the team -- or Trembley.

That's why it was good to see him enjoy the win yesterday and crack a few jokes.

 No matter what you think of him as a manager, he's a decent man going through a tough time with a team whose lack of fire can be absolutely exasperating to witness.

 You better have a sense of humor if you're going to manage this bunch -- at least the way they're playing now.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 10:47 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

If the Orioles continue to play this dreadfully and lose this regularly, it's only a matter of time before Andy MacPhail starts feeling the heat.

Already there's a feeling in some quarters that the Orioles president of baseball operations has gotten a pass from the media and fans on the team's horrendous 1-8 start.

This far, it's mainly manager Dave Trembley who's taking most of the heat on the message boards and sports-talk shows.

 And that comes with the territory when you're a major league manager and your team is going down the tubes. Trembley's a big boy. He can handle it.

 But the Orioles are struggling so badly that you wonder if even a big-name skipper like Tony LaRussa or Joe Torre would make a difference with this team.

Which is why the heat will come down on MacPhail if this April melt-down continues much longer.

MacPhail's much-ballyhood "plan" for reviving the Orioles seems to make sense -- on paper.

He's put all the pieces in place, cultivated the right young players from the farm system, acquired savvy veterans to plug the rest of the lineup holes.

But so far it isn't translating into more wins, which is the criteria he says the team must be judged on this year.

Heck, it's not even translating into a respectable level of play so far.

When a team continues to founder like this, eventually the mobs with the pitchforks and flaming torches show up at the front office and demand change.

Andy MacPhail knows this -- he's been around the game all his life.

Unless the Orioles turn things around, look for his seat to get warmer by the minute.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 10:34 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (61)
        

Think the natives at Camden Yards are getting a tad restless with the nifty 1-6 start the Orioles have going?

Well, they are. And apparently they're getting thirsty, too.

 At least the ones who bother to show up. (The crowd of 9,129 for Monday night's 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays was the lowest in Camden yards' 19-year history.)

 A well-orchestrated chant in the terrace box seats the other night turned the traditional bugle call over the PA system into -- you can't make this stuff up -- a plea for more equitable beverage pricing. 

Instead of just yelling "CHARGE! after the bugle call, a half-dozen of these folks were yelling: CHARGE! LESS FOR BEER!"

They almost made it seem like a human rights issue. It was so moving, it almost brought tears to your eyes.

What, charging $6 or $7 for a beer at a ballgame is highway robbery? Well, sure, of course it is.

But look at the great baseball the fans get to watch.

Um, OK, never mind 

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 8:15 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

I wish I could do my best Allen Iverson impersonation here, the one where the former NBA All-Star goes off in a news conference on: "Practice? We're talking about PRACTICE?!"

Only mine would go: "Backup catcher? We're talking about the BACKUP CATCHER?"

Only on the Orioles, only in Baltimore, would this be a controversy. Today it's being treated around here like it's a matter of national security. (You can read Peter Schmuck's column on the subject here and Dan Connolly's blog here).

If you've been out of the country, here's the recap: young Craig Tatum, with 26 major league games under his belt, beat out veteran Chad Moeller for the Orioles backup catcher job.

The club went with Tatum's strong arm and catching prowess over Moeller's steadying influence with the pitchers and popularity in the clubhouse.

Big deal.

The backup catcher plays, what, once or twice a week?

Doesn't the club have lots of other issues to address that are far more important?

Don't Orioles fans have a lot more to worry about with this team than who'll be the backup catcher?

As the wonderfully-erratic AI said to conclude his "practice" rant: "I mean, how silly is that?!"

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 10:32 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

How's this deal sound to you?

A team signs a 34-year-old pitcher with a lot of wear and tear in his arm -- and the rest of his body -- to a two-year, $10 million contract.

And in a little over a year with his new club, the pitcher goes on the disabled list three times. In fact, he can't even start his second season with the team because he's back on the DL.

Think the team isn't kicking itself? Think it doesn't have visions of 10 million bucks being flushed down the toilet every time it sees this pitcher limp into the trainer's room?

Welcome to the Koji Uehara Story, now playing in Sarasota, a real horror story for the Orioles if you want to know the truth.

Now he's sidelined with a strained left hamstring that has him out of the lineup until . . . well, who knows? Good-bye season opener, that's for sure.

Privately, club officials wonder if Koji is really as brittle as he seems and whether he exaggerates the extent of his injuries.

Not that there's a whole lot they can do about it now.

He hasn't pitched since March 18. And when he'll pitch again is anybody's guess, which means the club is scrambling for another right-hander for the bullpen.

You wonder how this long, frustrating saga will end for both Koji and the Orioles.

Not well, I'm guessing -- at least not for the O's.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 9:43 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

An acquaintance of mine has season tickets at Camden Yards, two seats a few rows back from the on-deck circle near the Orioles dugout.

Over the years, I've sat in those seats a number of times. Great place to watch a ballgame. It's also a great place to die when a foul ball off a right-handed batter comes whizzing at your head at 100 mph. In fact, that's what we called it, the "Death Zone."

I only had two near-death experiences in those seats. One foul ball smashed into a seat two down from me after the occupant ducked frantically like something out of the Three Stooges.

The other ball hit the base of the wall in front of our seats and caromed 30 feet in the air. If it had hit anyone, they'd have been taking that person either to the ER or the coroner's office, believe me.

What brings this up today is long-time "ballboy" Ernie Tyler's decision to hang 'em up after 50 years of dedicated service. Part of the reason he's leaving has to do with those vicious foul balls.

For years, I worried about Ernie being able to duck out of the way of those balls when they'd come slicing back to his seat near the Orioles dugout.

The man is 85 years old, about to turn 86, which means I've watched him work for the Orioles since he was in his mid-50's.

As O's hitting coach Terry Crowley pointed out to Ernie, it's hard enough for 25-year-olds in the Orioles dugout to get out of the way of those foul balls, never mind an octogenarian.

In any event, Tyler isn't leaving the Orioles all together. He'll stay on to manage the umpires room and prepare the balls before each game.

But at least he'll be out of harm's way once the game starts.

Good move, Ernie. Much as we hate to see you go.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 10:24 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The panicky e-mails are rolling in already.

 "The Orioles have lost 5 of 6 spring training games!" one wailed. "Andy MacPhail should be looking for another job . . ."

Hoo, boy. What can you do with these people, except to tell 'em to calm down and try a yoga class?

 Hey, people, it's spring training. It's a time for ballplayers to get ready for the new season -- and that's all it is. Most of the time, the games mean absolutely nothing.

 Pitchers are working on certain things, hitters are working on certain things -- the final score is almost an after-thought.

 We've all seen teams go out and kill during the Grapefruit League season and end up being a bust when the games really count.

 And we've all seen teams look lost in their spring training games and go on to have terrific regular seasons.

 It's only March 9, people.

 Chill with the gloom-and-doom obsessing over the Orioles right now.

Save that stuff for the regular season. 

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 11:10 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Let me get this straight: Brad Bergesen hurt his shoulder filming a Birdland commercial?

The guy who was one of the few bright spots for the Orioles in 2009 (7-5, 3.43 ERA in 19 starts)  now misses at least 10 days work in spring training because he cut loose doing a promotional spot for the team?

You gotta be kidding me.

But, no, that's the word from the Orioles, who have to be wondering if the term snake-bitten wasn't invented just for them.

To recap, Bergesen said he was trying to throw at game speed for the commercial. "I was trying to be as realistic as possible with it," he told the Sun.

But this is guy who took a nasty line drive off his shin last July 30 and was shut down by the team for the rest of the year.

 This is a guy who didn't pitch for months after the injury, as he and the club wanted to be sure everything was healed before he started planting the foot again and airing out his fastball.

And he's making like Nolan Ryan for a Birdland shoot?

 He's throwing gas for the TV cameras? (You can see the commercial here.)

What's the guy thinking?

Look, people are going to rip the Orioles for not having someone monitor Bergesen during the filming. And maybe they should take some heat for that.

But doesn't Bergesen deserve some blame, too?

He's not a kid anymore.

 Sure, he's human. And maybe he got caught up in the whole thing, wanting to please the production company, wanting it to look like he's pumped and ready for the season.

 But you simply can't do that when you're that valuable to your team and you're coming off a serious injury.

 If the strained shoulder heals quickly and Bergesen only misses 10 days and rounds back into form after that, all will be forgotten.

But if he doesn't . . . well, let's just say it could be one of the more embarrassing chapters in Orioles history.

Come to Birdland and end up on the DL -- now that's catchy.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 5:55 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

If you follow baseball at all, you've known for years that Jon Miller is a special talent. Me, I'd listen to the guy read the contents of a soup can. Now Miller, the luminous voice of the San Francisco Giants and ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball who spent 14 seasons as the play-by-play announcer for the Orioles, has been honored as the 2010 winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for his major contributions to baseball broadcasting.

I still remember the moment the guy won me over. This was back in the late 80s. It was April and a freak snow shower was pelting Baltimore as I drove up the JFX, listening to Miller call another O's game on the radio.

Then I heard it:

 "Warming up in the bullpen for the Orioles, that's Donner the right-hander and Blitzen the lefty," Miller intoned.

I laughed so hard, I almost drove off the road. It was the perfect line for a surreal scene. And that was Jon Miller behind the microphone: knowledgeable and respectful of the game, but witty and irreverent, too, always eager to have fun when the situation presented itself.

Luckily, it presented itself often during his 14 seasons here. Veteran radio guys speak in awe of Miller's dulcet voice -- one of his old play-by-play partners once said Miller had "the best set of pipes God ever gave an announcer.

Continue reading "Jon Miller: the voice that got away" »

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 7:52 AM in Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (39)
        

We’re going to recycle a little bit today.

Never say this place isn’t good for the environment.

A few months ago we talked about Melvin Mora and his place in history with the Orioles, because we knew he wouldn’t be back.

But now it is official. Mora agreed to terms – a one-year deal worth $1.3 million with the Colorado Rockies – on Sunday.

Mora finishes top 10 in most of the franchise’s offensive categories, including hits, homers, doubles, RBIs, runs scored and at-bats.

He also led the club in speaking his mind; usually good for one or two critical outbursts a season. He’d rip teammates and club personnel if he felt it were necessary. At times, that endeared him to fans while rankling teammates and/or club officials.

Mora was an enigma. He could pout and lose focus and act like the typical privileged athlete of this generation. And he could also show support and compassion for his community that is so rare these days. He chose to live in the Baltimore area year-round, which got him a whole lot of points around here.

I’ll tell you this much: No professional athlete I have covered supplied me with more humorous, head-shaking moments (most of which I couldn’t print) than Melvin, who said some genuinely hilarious things, some of which weren’t even meant to be funny.

Here’s a quick one. Melvin was once up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth of a tied game when an errant pitch headed right for his back. Instinctively, Melvin shot to the ground – even though if the pitch had hit him, it would have won the game.

A few pitches later, Melvin walked and the Orioles won anyway. Afterward, we interviewed Jerry Hairston, one of the more loquacious players I have covered. Hairston joked that the next day the team was going to send Melvin out for early hit-by-pitch practice.

When the quip was relayed to Mora, he half-smiled and simply said, “Jerry Hairston talk too much.”

For the next year, every time Hairston was being interviewed, one of the guys in the press box would say, “Jerry Hairston talk too much.” And then we’d all laugh.

There is so much to remember about Mora’s days here, but I think I will remember most the crazy things he said when we were just shooting the bull.

What will you remember? Will it be good, bad or a little of both?

Daily Think Special: What will you remember most about Melvin Mora’s Orioles’ career?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:08 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (71)
        

I like Jeremy Guthrie. The Orioles right-hander is a serious, inquisitive and thoughtful guy. He didn't end up at Stanford because he lacks brainpower.

But as he struggled through a 10-17 season with a 5.04 ERA in 2009, there were times when he looked totally lost on the mound, and in the clubhouse, too.

Reading his comments in Tuesday's Baltimore Sun story by Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec, you get the feeling he's putting a lot of pressure on himself to do well in 2010 and rebound from last season's disaster. A whole lot of pressure. And it's only January.

Continue reading "Guthrie in need of a confidence booster?" »

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 8:08 AM in Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Miguel Tejada was one of the top shortstops in MLB over the past 13 years. Now the Orioles have signed him to a one-year, $6 million deal and asked him to switch to third base. And if you know anything about Miggy at all, you know this: he can get a little moody when things don't go well.

Orioles fans saw this quality on full display the last time he played for the team, particularly in the 2007 season. And if he gets off to a rocky start with this transition to a new position, they could see it again.

There's no question that moving to third will be a big challenge for Tejada. The ball comes at you quicker, your footwork is different, the throw to first is different. Miggy's a proud guy and if he botches a few plays and the fans and media get on him, you could see a major case of sulking.

The Orioles will be patient with him, though. Anyone who's played the game realizes how tough the short-to-third switch can be. Manager Dave Trembley will be patient and the Orioles coaches will be patient, and his teammates will have his back.

But they better be ready to step in with some confidence-boosting psychological triage if it takes him a while to adjust to third.

They need his bat in the lineup. But in order to get that, they need to keep his head in the game, too.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 12:24 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

I like both the Mike Gonzalez and Garrett Atkins deals pulled off by Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail.

But now he should go out and get another Gonzalez if he REALLY wants to help this team and excite the fans.

As I wrote in Wednesday's column, the Orioles desperately need a quality first baseman and big home run hitter for the middle of their lineup. And Adrian Gonzalez, the 27-year-old superstar first baseman with the San Diego Padres, is said to be available and would fill both those needs perfectly.

Sure, Atkins, who'll play third and bats right, has some pop in his bat -- he hit 29 homers and drove in 120 runs four years ago for the Colorado Rockies. But his homer numbers declined steadily after that, and he managed only nine homers and 48 RBI in just 354 at-bats last year.

And there's speculation that some of his homers came courtesy of hitter-friendly Coors Field, where batted balls tends to fly like missiles in the thin atmosphere of the Rocky Mountains.

No, the Orioles still need Adrian Gonzalez in the worst way. He hit 40 homers and drove in 99 runs last year. Over the past four seasons, he has hit 130 homers and driven in 400 runs. He's a two-time Gold Glove winner at first.

And judging by the e-mail I received in response to yesterday's column, he's the big gun fans are dying to see in an Orioles uniform.

Pull the trigger, Andy. Make a trade for A-Gon.

You won't regret it. 

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 8:18 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (53)
        

We’re switching back to baseball today. Write what you know.

Or at least what I think I know.

As this offseason has progressed, the New York Yankees have traded for Curtis Granderson and the Boston Red Sox reportedly have added John Lackey as well as Mike Cameron and Marco Scutaro.

The Tampa Bay Rays solidified their bullpen with closer Rafael Soriano and the Toronto Blue Jays, God bless them, apparently are dealing away ace Roy Halladay.

The Orioles, meanwhile, added innings-eater Kevin Millwood to the top of the rotation. That’s not a bad move, but it certainly isn’t the same as grabbing Lackey.

Now this is where you, as fans, can help me out. Intellectually, I understand that the Orioles cannot compete with the Yankees and Red Sox this offseason. Partially it’s a money thing, but primarily it’s a reality thing. The Orioles haven’t competed with that duo for more than a decade on the field, so they aren’t going to be able to do it off the field. Certainly not now, and perhaps not ever.

So it doesn’t bother me that the Orioles haven’t answered the Granderson or Lackey moves. It’s a chicken or the egg concept. The Orioles can’t improve unless they get better players. And they can’t buy better players until they show they can be more competitive on the field. And in the 2009 standings, the Orioles actually went backward.

What needs to happen is the Orioles’ young nucleus must take another step forward, and serve notice it can be counted on. Then it will be easier – and more justified – to add big names for big money (or expendable prospects).

This is what President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail said recently when I brought up the subject of the player movement within the AL East.

“We watch it, of course, like everyone does,” MacPhail said. “But it really doesn’t dictate what we do. We make decisions that we think make sense for us. We have been pretty upfront about what it is we are trying to do. And those things stay the same despite what swirls around us.”

Again, I understand that intellectually, especially since this free-agent market is utterly underwhelming. But as a fan, are you buying this? Because I know it’s what has been sold here for 10-plus years.

Daily Think Special: Should the Orioles try to keep spending pace with their AL East rivals this offseason?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:01 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

It was an interesting day at the bar on Wednesday.

Lots of good discussion about the Orioles’ current defensive outfield situation.

And a few silly comments thrown in there, too. Everyone’s entitled to an opinion, but I am going to have to call a cab for some of you.

For the record, and in case it didn’t get spelled out Wednesday, I am happy for Adam Jones that he won a Gold Glove. I never questioned whether he is deserving; I simply said I was a bit surprised because I think he had a better defensive year in 2008.

And I do believe, at this point in their careers, Nick Markakis is a slightly better defensive outfielder, though Jones has the potential to be better as his career unfolds. Plus Jones plays center field, and that does mean something.

The important thing for beleaguered Orioles fans is that you have both of them for a long time. Enjoy that.

The overall discussion – and some of the rants about the Gold Glove going mostly to center fielders – got me thinking.

If you were to use the current Gold Glove rules – that is, choose three overall outfielders, not necessarily one each from left, right and center – to represent the Orioles’ all-time best defensive outfield, who would be in it?

As much as I don’t like the “three center fielders approach” that the Gold Glove committee uses, it’s true that when I think of the best defensive outfielders in O’s history, I immediately think of center fielders, before I shift to the left and right.

So here’s the task at hand today: If you were to give out Gold Gloves to three Orioles outfielders throughout the years, who would win?

There’s no question Paul Blair is one answer. Even if you never saw him play – and I don’t have clear memories of him in Baltimore – he probably should be on your list. Everything I have ever heard from players and fans is that Blair was the best defensive outfielder to ever wear an Orioles uniform. And he has eight Gold Gloves to prove it.

So he gets my first award. I think I have to give the second to Al Bumbry, who was the guy I watched growing up, and that little guy had serious hops before we ever referred to jumping ability as serious hops. Plus, he had his share of outfield assists.

The third is tricky. Mike Devereaux is probably my ultimate answer, but that leaves Jones (the only other Orioles outfielder with a Gold Glove) off the list. That also would deny Nick Markakis, Brady Anderson, Steve Finley, Frank Robinson and Jackie Brandt, among others, the award.

There is no wrong answer here. Pick three outfielders (yes, it can be all center fielders) to receive the Orioles’ all-time Gold Glove. I’d love to hear the reasoning behind your choices.

Daily Think Special: Who are the three best defensive outfielders in Orioles history?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:23 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (72)
        

I know it is football season, but we’re going to talk baseball today.

We are going to talk baseball lots of days, no matter what the temperature is outside. We won’t abandon the Ravens, but I have to stick with my so-called expertise on occasion.

And that’s baseball, and those battered and beaten birds of Baltimore.

Before I get to them, though, a quick scouting report on the Jason Isbell concert for those that care (and based on the e-mails I’ve gotten about my lack of music discussion recently, some of you, a vocal/typing portion anyway, do).

Isbell put on a heck of a show, one that would make all Drive-By Truckers fans proud. He played for about two hours, did several of his most recent solo tunes as well as covers of The Talking Heads and Tom Petty and mixed in some of his Truckers stuff (“Outfit,” “The Day John Henry Died,” “Decoration Day.”) There were some technical difficulties at the venue, but Isbell and his band, the 400 Unit, fought through it and sounded great.

The only disappointment was the size of the crowd. I wasn’t expecting a Truckers’ audience, but thought there’d be more people out. Of course, as an old guy, I’m much more comfortable with gatherings versus crowds these days.

Two Baltimore notes from that night: The opener was Charm City’s own J Roddy Walston and the Business, a fun band that’s energy is only matched by its volume of hair. The drummer is Steve Colmus, who is one of the Warning Track Power guys that created “How Bout Dem O’s?” which we have featured here before. Steve came up and re-introduced himself to me before his gig, which was cool.

Also, I discovered after Isbell’s show that one of the guys in his band, keyboardist Derry deBorja, is from Towson. He’s a McDonogh grad, and this old Calvert Hall guy didn’t hold it against him. I swear.

So, yeah, Baltimore’s music scene was well represented in Pa. last week. Good to see.

OK, back to something you care more about: the Orioles.

As I wrote today, Dave Trembley has brought back all of his coaches except bench coach Dave Jauss. I guess that’s somewhat of a surprise from a team that lost 98 games in 2009. But if you believe that Trembley deserved to return despite the record, the same can probably be said about his staff.

The fact that the only one to get the ax was the bench coach isn’t surprising. The manager and the bench coach have to have a special relationship and if that doesn’t develop – or if it slips some over time -- it’s an easy spot to make a change. Don’t worry about Jauss, who has been in the game forever. He’ll surely find a job somewhere else.

I know some were disappointed that Juan Samuel stayed. A bad team’s third base coach is always a target for fans. It’s by far the easiest coaching position to criticize and, in the time I have covered this club, fans wanted the heads of Sam Perlozzo and Tom Trebelhorn, too. Yes, Samuel made some mistakes in 2009. But a third base coach is only noticed when he makes a questionable decision. The other 700-plus times when the team scores, no one gives him any credit for waving his arm.

Here’s what you need to know about Samuel: He is arguably the most respected person in the Orioles' clubhouse – players and coaches alike. A former all-star, he’s unafraid to tell a player when he did something wrong or isn’t acting professionally. And, at 48, he’s still has the muscle (and resume) to back it up. I would have kept him, too.

In fact, I’m OK with the returning of these coaches; there is something to be said for continuity, But are you?

Daily Think Special: Should the Orioles have brought back most of their coaching staff?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:26 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

This is not an official poll. The results are haphazard and arguably meaningless.

What did you expect? I mean, it’s not even a real bar. But if you are truly disappointed, then I will return your cover charge.

Anyway, I tallied Wednesday’s comments for and against keeping Orioles manager Dave Trembley for 2010.

It was 32 against him, 25 for him and a bunch that commented around the specific question without giving a definite answer (I’m cool with that, too. We don’t judge at Connolly’s).

The point is it was close. An argument can be made each way.

I guess my contention is that those who criticize Trembley’s in-game moves are missing the big picture. Oftentimes, he is replacing one reliever who shouldn’t be in the majors with another reliever who shouldn’t be in the majors.

He is pinch-hitting a kid who won’t be in the big leagues in two years with a veteran who won’t be in the big leagues in two years.

OK, I’m exaggerating a bit, but the guy doesn’t have enough quality personnel to allow us to properly evaluate his managerial skills on a daily basis. Are there things he has done I disagree with? Absolutely. But are his mistakes so rampant that it proves he can’t manage at this level? Nope.

I keep him for 2010. And one of the reasons is I don’t know who should be his replacement. Or, I should say, what kind of manager should replace him.

Today I don’t want to get into the names of potential replacements. Trembley still has his job, and it would be disrespectful to start clamoring for another candidate.

But I want to know this: What type of manager should lead the Orioles in 2010?

What’s funny is that the Orioles have tried all kinds of prototypes in the past decade: There was the veteran who would force accountability onto the players (Ray Miller), the proven winner (Mike Hargrove), the fresh-faced hot commodity (Lee Mazzilli), the players’ manager (Sam Perlozzo) and the nurturing development guy (Trembley).

How did those work out?

What’s left is the hard-(nosed) disciplinarian -- which is usually a disaster for young teams. No doubt some Orioles could use a good benching when they don’t give 100 percent. But let’s see how that disciplinarian keeps the clubhouse when this team is losing 90 in 2010 and the veteran leaders are grousing about being treated like rookies. (Remember, the 2009 player is much different than the ones Earl Weaver terrorized in 1970.)

Again, I think it is a lot more about the personnel than the manager right now.

But I want to hear what personality type you want in your next manager. And I want to see how that differs from what Trembley brings to the table. Or what Sammy P brought. Or Mazz or Grover or Rabbit.

Daily Think Special: What type of manager do the Orioles need for 2010?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:22 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (89)
        

We have officially made it to the last week of the Orioles season.

And I am ready to address the elephant in the barroom.

It’s really a two-headed pachyderm.

Will Orioles manager Dave Trembley be fired at season’s end?

Should he be?

My colleagues at The Sun, columnists Peter “The Promised Land’s Ugly American” Schmuck and Kevin “Cat Hater” Cowherd give their differing opinions in Wednesday’s edition. If I were you, I’d check it out.

Now, I am weighing in as well.

I have been waffling on the first question during the past month, and now, as the Orioles are hideously stumbling to the finish line, I’m leaning toward the belief that Trembley will be fired. It’s tough to survive a 100-loss season (or something real close).

The second question I have answered consistently all year: No, Trembley shouldn’t be fired. He didn’t put this team together. He didn’t assemble the bullpen. He didn’t ask for several of his best veteran players to be dealt away or shelved with injuries.

Trembley did what he could with this mess of a roster. Like those before him -- Sam Perlozzo, Lee Mazzilli, Mike Hargrove -- he was handcuffed the moment he said, ‘I do.”

You can make the argument that Trembley has done a better job than those mentioned above. Because, collectively, he probably had less talent to work with, and, for the most part, the players haven’t openly turned against him.

Sure, Trembley made some lineup and pitching moves that could be questioned. But that’s the beauty of baseball. None of us is under the same pressure as the manager and yet we can second-guess his decisions.

The biggest criticism of Trembley is that his players failed miserably when it came to mastering the fundamentals. Yet Trembley’s teams practiced fundamentals more during the season than any other group I have covered. Whose fault is that?

Some of Trembley’s biggest critics within the clubhouse are the same guys who failed to do their job this year. But as the old adage goes, "You can’t fire 25 players."

The only reason to can Trembley now is to change the ever-present “culture of losing.” Yet whoever takes over almost certainly will have to suffer through another terrible season next year. And then that person will be caught in the undercurrent of losing as well. And the cycle, the criticism will continue.

That is until the club has enough horses to compete with the big boys in the AL East. That could be coming, but it isn’t here yet. And won’t arrive next year.

So until then, it doesn’t matter who the manager is. Therefore, it seems unfair to ship out Trembley now to pay for the sins of past regimes.

That’s my $2.02. Give me yours.

Daily Think Special: Would you fire Dave Trembley? Why or why not?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:37 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (78)
        

I am finishing up at Rogers Centre – I can call it Skydome in a blog, thankfully -- after the Orioles were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays in an amazingly forgettable three-game series.

There is truly only one highlight from this series.

Matt Wieters hit an absolute bomb against Scott Richmond that hit the façade just under the club-level seating in right field. They don’t give estimates in Toronto – and I am not smart enough to do the conversion anyway – but trust me, it was crushed.

There was so much buzz about Wieters when he arrived that his slow start at the plate and behind it made it seem like he was a disappointment.

But the kid has heated up in a big way.

After two hits Wednesday, he now is batting .290 with eight homers and 38 RBIs. He’s also made some great throws to second recently.

He has hit safely in 15 of the 19 games he has played in September and is batting .367 in the month.

He is hitting an outrageous 12-for-22 (.545) since being moved to the third spot in the lineup five games ago.

So I am impressed.

This kid has become a major league hitter before our eyes. Yes, he could exhibit more consistent power, but for a guy in his second pro season it’s a matter of time.

But I know some of you wanted more from Wieters early on. Has your perception changed in the past month or so?

Daily Think Special: What are your impressions of Matt Wieters now?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:17 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (66)
        

Thursday was an off day for the Orioles, but baseball writers still have to come up with stories.

That and the fact that baseball players make roughly 600 times what we earn in a year are really what separates the professions.

Oh, and the groupies. And the fact we can’t hit curveballs. And don’t have shoe or sunglasses deals.

OK, there is plenty.

Apparently, some of you believe there isn’t much that separates Yankees’ fans and Red Sox fans. It was another interesting debate at the bar Thursday. Some great points and very little name-calling, I like that.

Back to off-day stories. The one I wrote for Friday’s paper is about the possibility that the Orioles could lose 100 games in a season for just the third time in their history.

They did it in 1954 – the first year of the modern-day franchise here – and in 1988, when the club lost 21 straight to begin the season.

And now this year it could happen again. The Orioles (54-80) would have to go 9-19 in their final 28 games to stave off 100 losses. Coincidentally, they were 9-19 in their past 28 games.

So they’ll have to dip a notch below their current scuffling pace, but with a tough final schedule, the loss of center fielder Adam Jones to injury and the eventual shutdown of starters Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz, it’s within reach.

But does it matter? Do you want to see the Orioles avoid 100 losses, or is it just another number in a rough season?

Daily Think Special: Is losing 100 games a big deal to you?

Bonus Think Special: Will the Orioles lose 100?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:40 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (50)
        

OK people, the Yankees fans have gone. It’s safe to come out now.

They have taken their swollen pride and their “Hip, Hip Jor-Heys” and headed back up Interstate 95 for another year.

You only have to suffer through three more Red Sox games at home this month before you can reclaim Camden Yards.

Yeah, that Blue Jays series in October is going to be rocking.

Three-quarters of the park this week was filled with Yankees fans – par for the course these days. They did their thing, too, cheering everything pinstripe. But I’ll stay on record that Yankee fans are much more tolerable in 2009 than Red Sox fans. Not even close.

We’ve done this topic before, and most of you agree with me.

But here’s my question for today: The Yankees and Red Sox are, again, clearly among the best teams in the American League. They’ll both likely make the playoffs, meaning there’s a 50 percent chance one will get to the World Series.

I want to know which is the lesser of the two evils. Right now. In 2009.

Would you rather have the Yankees, who last won a world championship in 2000 but have 26 overall, get to the World Series?

Or would you still rather see it be the Red Sox, who have won two since 2004?

You don’t get an alternative option of swallowing cyanide in late October.

It’s a simple question. Two choices. One painful answer. If you had to choose – and I am making you – who would you rather see win the 2009 World Series?

Daily Think Special: Yankees or Red Sox?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:40 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (71)
        

This week, I’ve been at Tropicana Field, home of the inspiring Tampa Bay Rays and the annoying cowbell.

That’s what these fans in St. Pete do when they want their boys to rally. They shake their cowbells.

Who would have thought there would be such a thing as too much cowbell?

It’s not the most annoying cheer (or cheering apparatus) in baseball, however. The tomahawk chop in Atlanta is pretty irritating, and it didn’t even start with the Braves. So it’s stolen and annoying.

I actually think the rally monkey in Anaheim is somewhat entertaining. And I guess I can deal with the “Let’s Go Red Sox” and “Let’s Go Yankees” chants, even when they are in Camden Yards.

The wave, however, I can absolutely do without. I’d rather take a Justin Verlander fastball in the noggin than participate in the wave. If the Orioles want me out of the press box, all they have to do is institute a mandatory wave, and I am history.

The wave, to me, is the worst fan act/cheer in all of sports. Hate it.

There I’ve gotten that off my chest.

Now, more cowbell.

Daily Think Special: What is the most annoying fan cheer/act in sports?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:41 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (66)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ... "  Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With  ... "

It has been 30 years since he starred on the mound, a master of comic relief for the Orioles. Was there ever a closer like Don Stanhouse, the big righthander with the Harpo Marx hair, the wacky demeanor and a knack for making every save an adventure?

The stopper for Baltimore’s 1979 American League champions, Stanhouse won 7 of 10 games, saved 21 more and compiled a 2.85 earned run average. But it was the way he pitched – creating a jam, then escaping it – that drove Orioles manager Earl Weaver nuts.

"He (Weaver) would bring me in, then disappear down the tunnel and start chain-smoking his Raleighs," recalled Stanhouse, who was nicknamed "Fullpack" for that reason.

In the AL playoffs, with the Orioles enjoying a 9-4 lead over California, Weaver summoned his frizzy-haired All-Star in the ninth. Stanhouse promptly surrendered four runs before ending the game with the bases full.

Later, asked why he hadn’t yanked Stanhouse, Weaver replied, "I still had three cigarettes left."

Acquired in 1978, Stanhouse perked up the Orioles’ clubhouse with his quirky looks, offbeat antics and a panache right out of Woodstock.

"I’m pretty on the inside," he’d say. "When they took X-rays of my head, they found flowers."

Continue reading "Catching Up With . . . former Oriole Don Stanhouse" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Aubrey Huff is no longer an Oriole.

We knew it would happen eventually, but now it won’t drag into the offseason.

Huff was the club’s MVP in 2008, which was one of the more tumultuous seasons a player has had in an Orioles uniform (not including the disaster known as 2005).

From his offseason radio antics and “Baltimore is a horse---- town” comments to being booed on Opening Day to becoming the club’s best hitter in 2008, it was a whirlwind for Huff.

Honestly, I appreciated the way Huff handled himself last year – no pun intended – and he became one of the best Orioles to deal with. He’s funny and never took himself or the game too seriously. So, yeah, he’ll definitely be missed within the clubhouse.

That said, I think trading him for a relief prospect – right-hander Brett Jacobson, the Detroit Tigers’ fourth-rounder last year out of Vanderbilt University – makes sense.

Huff turns 33 in December, is a free agent and isn’t part of the club’s future. The only way the Orioles would have gotten compensatory draft picks for him would have been to offer arbitration this offseason.

And given Huff’s production this year coupled with the uncertain effect of a down economy on free agency, it was possible Huff would have accepted arbitration. And that would have stuck the Orioles with an $8 million-plus first baseman, who potentially would be blocking prospect Brandon Snyder.

So give the Orioles and club president Andy MacPhail credit for being proactive and getting something for Huff.

And here’s hoping Huff gets to the playoffs for the first time in his career and does well. He deserves it.

That’s my take. What’s yours?

Daily Think Special: What’s your take on the Aubrey Huff trade?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:30 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (55)
        

The Orioles have dropped two of three at home to the perpetually rebuilding, financially challenged Oakland A’s.

The Ravens start their exhibition season today against their Redskins.

I’m thinking it’s bad timing for the Orioles to continue another August swoon (they are 3-9 this month).

Of course, it’s been bad timing for more than a decade.

But we will persevere here with the Orioles at Connolly’s, at least until the regular NFL season starts.

Because I really don’t care if Troy Smith or Ray Rice looks good in August.

Instead, I want to know what’s bothering you the most about the Orioles right now. The good news is that there is plenty to choose from.

The baserunning continues to be embarrassing. The starting pitching is young and susceptible to ugly innings. The relief corps is dragging from overuse. The defense is solid but unspectacular.

And the offense, you know, the strength of this team, has been on summer vacation. In their past eight games, the Orioles have scored more than three runs once.

Sure, it can be deflating when you are in a big hole early. But this is an offense fronted by some big-salaried players. And it hasn’t been good since the first two months of the season.

Still, some of you may be so angered by the baserunning that nothing can top it for your disdain. What’s the worst of the worst?

Daily Think Special: Which facet of the Orioles’ performance bothers you the most?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:13 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (148)
        

Posted by Ron Fritz at 12:43 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (76)
        

This one is going to take some deep soul searching.

You are going to have to be honest with yourself and your fellow Connolly patrons.

The Orioles have had some seriously anticipated big league debuts this year.

There was Koji Uehara and then Brad Bergesen. Nolan Reimold followed, and then it was Jason Berken, David Hernandez and Matt Wieters.

Chris Tillman’s turn came Wednesday and now it looks like Brian Matusz’s shot is Tuesday in Detroit. I’ll be there, and I’ll make sure we chat about my/your observations on that one.

I don’t think I have covered as many anticipated Orioles debuts in the past eight years as I have this season.

For the record, according to Baseball America, the Orioles’ first (Wieters), second (Tillman), third (Matusz), fifth (Reimold), 10th (Kam Mickolio) 16th (Hernandez), 17th (Berken), and 18th (Bergesen) prospects are up in the majors.

It’s funny, given what we have seen, that Bergesen is the lowest-rated among the group heading into this year. But his debut had some hype around it, too, since he was the organization’s Pitcher of the Year in 2008.

I am wondering who you were most excited to see this year.

I’m assuming the answer is Wieters, simply because of the hype throughout baseball surrounding him.

But there was definitely a whole lot of buzz around Koji’s and Tillman’s debuts. And Matusz’s has some cache since it was the most unexpected, given that this is his first year as a pro.

I want to know the top three Orioles debuts you were/are most excited about in 2009.

Daily Think Special: Whose Orioles debut excited you the most? Rank your top three.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (29)
        

I’m back, a day after leaving you high, and more important, dry for a day.

Sorry, things have gotten a little out of control the past couple days. I was hoping to check out Pete Yorn down at the Ram’s Head this week, but duty called. (If there is anyone out there who saw him, let me know how it went. I’m a musical sucker for singer/songwriters from New Jersey).

I’ve been pretty busy with the news that the Orioles are leaving Fort Lauderdale and moving to Sarasota for the upcoming spring (and the 29 after that).

I’ve only been to Sarasota once and it was for a Josh Hamilton press conference and a game. So I wasn’t exactly hanging out at the beach or anything. I hear it’s a nice area – and I also hear it’s not Lauderdale.

From a selfish standpoint, I am sort of torn. I have spent parts of the past nine winters/springs in Lauderdale, and I knew the place pretty well.

I had my favorite restaurant, favorite dive bar, favorite pizza place and a joint where I could get my hair cut. I was all set. But the flip side is that there were no other teams close to Lauderdale. So we spent a huge chunk of our time driving up Interstate 95 or across Alligator Alley, and I won’t miss that.

From Sarasota, you can reach about six parks in the time it takes to get from Lauderdale to Fort Myers. And that will be great.

From an organizational standpoint, this is something the Orioles had to do. They’ll basically be getting a state-of-the-art facility after one year at Ed Smith Stadium. An easy penance considering the dump they played in back in Lauderdale. And they won’t have to pay any of the primary start-up costs for the new place.

More important, they’ll have their minor-league and major-league camps located in one town. That is a huge improvement over the three-hour drive between the two camps. Now, veterans can go over to the minors if they need some extra work and the youngsters can come over to get a taste of big-league camp.

So overall, it’s a great move for the Orioles, even if part of me will miss my favorite blackened mahi mahi sandwich in Lauderdale.

But I wonder if you, Orioles fans, care. I know those of you in Florida do, but what about the rest of you? Did you go to spring training? Will you again now that it isn’t based in Lauderdale? Does the season start for you only when the club comes north?

Daily Think Special: Do you care that the Orioles are leaving Lauderdale? Why or why not?

Bonus Think Special: For those of you that know Florida, what’s Sarasota like?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:30 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (49)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

Forty-five years ago, he was baseball’s boy wonder, a pitching phenom who, as a teenager, nearly fetched the 1964 Orioles a pennant.

Then Wally Bunker was gone. Overnight, or so it seemed, he vanished, done in by a bum right arm that finished his career almost as quickly as it had begun. The Orioles’ stopper at 19, he quit the game at 26.

Bitter? Not Bunker.

"No complaints," he said from his home in Ridgeland, S.C. "Playing baseball was magnificent, a dream come true. I was definitely really good, with a great sinker, but ... what can you do? I walked away in 1971, entered the real world and never touched a ball again."

1968 Baltimore Sun file photo by Paul Hutchins

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Oriole Wally Bunker" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 9:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

I am flying back to the bar Monday afternoon, and I am hoping I recognize the place.

I’m sure the “In Oscar We Trust” banner is no longer hanging over the bar.

I’m curious to get your thoughts on Sunday’s Oscar Salazar trade to the San Diego Padres for reliever Cla Meredith.

Basically, this is my take on the minor deal: Salazar is a tremendous guy, perhaps one of the nicest in the Orioles’ 2009 clubhouse (and there is a bunch of good guys in there).

He is a great story. He played in Italy, Mexico, etc., and never gave up his big-league dream. And he can flat-out hit.

But a 31-year-old pinch hitter/DH with limited defensive skills is not a good fit for a rebuilding club that’s jammed at the corners.

It’s possible he goes to San Diego – or somewhere else – gets a full-time chance and succeeds. I couldn’t be happier for the guy if that happens.

He just didn’t have a spot here. Like it or not, Melvin Mora is the Orioles’ third baseman for now. He has a no-trade clause and is still owed millions for this season. Cutting him outright with two months on his contract to find a spot for Salazar, who may not be able to play third effectively, seems like a harsh end for your most tenured Oriole.

Cutting Felix Pie, who is just 24 --younger than Nolan Reimold, for instance – also doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

So dealing Salazar – a guy who anyone could have had for free this winter – for a 26-year-old major-league reliever with a minor-league option was about as good as the Orioles could have done.

Meredith’s presence in the bullpen also makes it a little easier to deal Danys Baez or even George Sherrill this month. Think of Meredith as a poor (and young) man’s version of Chad Bradford.

Yes, it’s a very minor deal. But if Meredith ends up being a solid member of the bullpen for a couple years, it will be a solid, understated move. I wish Salazar luck, and I give Andy MacPhail credit for getting some value for Salazar.

Daily Think Special: What’s your take on the Oscar Salazar deal?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:41 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

At 81, Stu Miller has finally reached the age where his changeup is slower than when he pitched for the Orioles.

Has anyone ever thrown such lazy lobs with such success? Miller’s soft offerings baffled hitters for 16 years and made him one of the top relief pitchers in Orioles’ history.

A wisp of a player, Miller was already 35 when Baltimore acquired him from San Francisco in 1963. For the next five years, the 5-foot-9 righthander flummoxed American League sluggers and anchored a bullpen which ranked among the best.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Oriole Stu Miller" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With  ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

He still has the wild, shaggy locks that once swept beneath his Orioles cap, except the hair is now streaked with gray. And he hasn’t gained a pound in 30 years, though age has caused some seismic shifts.

"My weight is proportionately different from when I played," said Gary Roenicke, 54. "Gravity takes over."

Has it been three decades since Roenicke’s bat and glove helped the Orioles to an American League flag in 1979 and, four years later, to a World Series title? The man known as "Rhino" hit 106 home runs for Baltimore, played stellar defense and accepted his position as a role player – though he sure didn’t like it.

Roenicke still works for the club, as a full-time scout. And, no, he doesn’t share the job with John Lowenstein, the left fielder with whom Roenicke platooned for much of his eight years in Baltimore.

That two-headed monster, the brainstorm of Orioles manager Earl Weaver, blossomed in 1982 when the right-handed Roenicke and Lowenstein, a lefty, combined for 45 homers and 140 RBI, while batting .292.

Publicly, Roenicke shrugged off his part-time role.

"How can you argue when you’re winning?" he said. "But if I could change anything, I probably would have asked why I didn’t play a little more."   

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Oriole Gary Roenicke" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 7:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

The Boston Red Sox have left town. I saw the bandwagon lights heading up I-95.

We can joke all we want, but even after that incredible comeback Tuesday, the Orioles are just 1-6 against the Red Sox this season. And so it goes in this Groundhog’s Day at Camden Yards.

At least I can try to serve you a little spirit-lifter today.

Let’s talk about the Orioles who have played well this first half.

On Sunday, the All-Star rosters will be announced. The Orioles will get one representative, like they have in seven of the last eight years. It likely will be either center fielder Adam Jones or closer George Sherrill.

Both are fine choices – despite Sherrill’s rough outing Wednesday. Don’t forget the guy had only allowed one run in his past 21 innings before his Red Sox meltdown.

Given how tough it is to juggle All-Star rosters, outfield and the pitching staff are logical spots that need to be filled.  So that’s probably where Tampa’s Joe Maddon will go.

But is that who you would select? What about setup man Jim Johnson or DH Luke Scott or right fielder Nick Markakis?

Remember, this is regardless of position. Choose the Oriole who is most deserving.

Daily Think Special: Which Oriole most deserves to be an All-Star?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:05 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

This is when a bar owner gets into trouble.

This is when you have to worry that the liquor license might get revoked.

Can you imagine how loud it was in the bar Tuesday night when the Orioles rallied for the greatest comeback in their 55-year history?

You people woke up the Sleeping Baby Sallys in the Toy Department.

The cops came twice, and eventually gave up crowd control after the eighth.

I now have to suspend the backup bartenders for letting you all stay well past 2.

Heck, maybe it was worth it.

To be honest, I had another entry prepared for today. It wasn’t particularly positive, either. But I tossed it away. Sort of like the Red Sox bullpen Tuesday night.

So this one will be short and sweet – for you Orioles fans anyway.

This is primarily for those of you who stayed up to watch the Orioles rally from a 10-1 deficit in the seventh to beat Boston 11-10. But we won’t ignore the rest of you who went to sleep either. Some people have real jobs.

For those that stuck it out:

Daily Think Special: When did you believe the Orioles actually had a chance?

And for the rest of you:

Bonus Think Special: Where does Tuesday night rank among the best regular season wins in Orioles’ history?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:48 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (42)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

It happens every time Double-A Bowie hosts New Britain (Conn.) in an Eastern League game. Someone in the stands points out the visitors’ stubby hitting coach and the cry goes up.

"Hey there, Sugar Bear!"

Floyd Rayford smiles, saunters over and signs autographs.

More than 20 years after he last played for Baltimore, Rayford remains a crowd favorite.

"Orioles fans never forget," he said.

How could they? In the 1980s, few players won more hearts over than Rayford, the roly-poly, self-effacing utility player who looked like he’d never met a push-up. Yet he stuck in the big leagues for seven years, six of them with the Orioles, who could plug him into four positions – first base, second, third and catcher – without missing a beat.

Floyd Rayford doing a commercial for the Baltimore Symphony in 1984. (Baltimore Sun file photo by Irving H. Phillips)

"I never had a great body, but it was suitable to play everywhere," said Rayford. "I liked catching best. I was too busy back there to be nervous. It wasn’t like playing third base. There’s no time to get butterflies when you’re catching."

His hitting was unremarkable, save for 1985 when he hit 18 home runs and batted .306.

The reason?

"I got divorced in mid-season," Rayford said. "I thought, ‘Hell, I’ve got to pay her every month so I better start hitting.’ Alimony can be a tremendous motivator."

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Oriole Floyd Rayford" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 8:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

I am writing this from Fenway Park at Camden Yards, where 36,000 Red Sox fans and 548 Orioles fans converged for a baseball game.

You have to give credit to the Red Sox for traveling so well. But goodness gracious is this getting out of hand.

It seemed like there were more Red Sox fans watching batting practice than there were Orioles fans attending the game.

So, I figured it’s time for you guys to strike back. Even in a fictional way.

If you could steal one Red Sox player and put him on the Orioles, who would it be?

That has to be hard for many of you, since Boston stars like Kevin Youkilis, Josh Beckett, Jonathan Papelbon and Dustin Pedroia aren’t exactly loved by opposing fans (many of you have voiced that opinion before).

The catch is it has to be someone that fits on the Orioles team. So it probably wouldn’t make sense to grab a center fielder, right fielder or catcher.

Lefty Jon Lester is a solid choice, since he is young and absolutely destroys the Orioles. Papelbon, Beckett and Youkilis are excellent ones as well. Especially Youkilis, who could play either first or third next year for the Birds and bat third or fourth.

I’ll go with left fielder Jason Bay, but that means finding playing time for Nolan Reimold or Luke Scott. It’s worth it to get Bay’s bat – and attitude -- I think.

Daily Think Special: Which Red Sox player would you steal for the Orioles?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:53 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (51)
        

Nationals slugger Adam Dunn's fourth-inning bomb against Orioles rookie David Hernandez Sunday was the 50th homer to land on Eutaw Street in Camden Yards' 18-season history. Dunn's blast traveled 442 feet and hit the B&O Warehouse on a bounce.

Click here to view a complete list of all the Eutaw Street homers (and distances), courtesy of the Orioles. Thirty opposing players have hit the ball onto Eutaw Street and 20 Orioles have accomplished the feat.

So, the question is, which Orioles player do you think will be the next Eutaw slugger?

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 4:07 PM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

I had a great weekend, or at least an incredibly strong Saturday.

Went to my favorite annual book sale on Saturday afternoon and picked up about 30 titles for roughly $40. Nice haul.

I got some novels I had been eyeing and a few sports books, including compilations by Red Smith and Shirley Povich.

Then, in the evening, my wife and several of my journalism buddies saw my favorite band, the Old 97s, at the Recher Theatre. Love those guys (the Old 97s, not my journalism buddies).

Sunday, though, it was back to work at the old ballpark. And let’s just say my Saturday was a whole lot better than Orioles catcher Matt Wieters' Sunday.

The phenom went hitless in three at-bats, made his third throwing error in four games and dropped a ball to wipe out what would have been a sure out at the plate.

Afterward, Wieters was typically calm -- saying he’s working on his defense, and he’s not worried about a bad game.

This kid really is the whole package.

But, here’s the funny thing: The way things are going right now, Wieters (.234 average, two homers, six RBIs) is not the Orioles’ best candidate for Rookie of the Year. Outfielder Nolan Reimold (.286, 9 homers, 20 RBIs) is, with pitcher Brad Bergesen (5-2, 3.76 ERA) also ahead of the backstop.

The BBWAA doesn’t vote until the end of the season, however, and Wieters will eventually catch fire at the plate. Count on that.

So here is my question: When the dust settles on 2009, who will be the Orioles’ leading Rookie of the Year votegetter?

Will Wieters make a surge? Will Reimold or Bergesen falter?

Get your prognostication caps on people.

Daily Think Special: Which Oriole will finish highest in AL Rookie of the Year voting?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:10 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

Orioles first-round draft pick Matt Hobgood, 18, a hard-throwing right-hander out of Norco High in suburban Los Angeles, signed his contract and was introduced at a news conference tonight at Camden Yards. Hobgood, the fifth overall pick in the draft, received a signing bonus of $2.42 million and will report to Rookie-level Bluefield tomorrow. Here are some things you ought to know about him:

•  Hobgood hates to lose. At anything.

"I get competitive playing a game of Monopoly," he said. "When my (younger) sisters and I play this auto racing game on PlayStation 2, I let them get ahead and then I crush ‘em.

"I like to mess with people, let them think they’re beating me and then go after them. Sometimes in baseball I’ll get a little wild, walk a couple of guys and then tell myself, ‘You’ve got to get it done.’ Then I’ll strike out three people."

•  Hobgood likes to eat. Almost anything.

"I’ve seen him take fourth and fifth servings at a buffet," said D.J. Wood, his best friend from high school. "Matt is a big dude and he can freakin’ eat.

"Once, while hanging out at my house, he said, ‘Dude, I’m hungry.’ So he opened a family-sized box of Fruity Pebbles and had a bowl. Then we went upstairs to watch TV.

"A while later, Matt went back downstairs to get a glass of water. When he didn’t come back, I went down to find the cereal box in the trash and the gallon of milk almost empty. He’d scarfed down the whole thing in five minutes."

Continue reading "Five fun facts about Matt Hobgood" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 4:00 PM in Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

Brooks Robinson’s expression is matched by that of his four-year-old son, Brooks David, during the Orioles’ annual Father and Son game at Memorial Stadium in 1965. The youngster went on the play baseball at Loyola High and is now an investment banker living in La Grange, Ga. His dad’s likeness hangs in Cooperstown.

Sun file photo by Paul Hutchins

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 9:00 AM in Orioles, Through The Looking Glass | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

It’s September 11, 1970 and the Orioles are a cinch to win the American League East -- much to the chagrin of the New York Yankees, their opponent that night. Some weeks earlier, New York outfielder Curt Blefary had told his teammates that they could still catch Baltimore because the Orioles weren’t supermen. Here, Orioles slugger Frank Robinson suggests otherwise, ripping open his shirt as Blefary roars with laughter.

The Orioles won 108 games that season, swept Minnesota to win the American League flag and then defeated Cincinnati, four games to one, to win their second World Series.

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 9:10 AM in Orioles, Through The Looking Glass | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's going on in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ..."

He won 209 games in the big leagues, pitched one no-hitter and played in two All-Star Games as an Oriole. Yet Milt Pappas’ legacy will always be the part he played in the biggest trade in team history -- the one that brought Frank Robinson to Baltimore.

Never mind that in nine years here, Pappas never had a losing season. Or that he won 25 games for the Orioles before his 21st birthday. That Pappas was the bait that hooked F. Robby from Cincinnati in 1965 is what baseball fans remember.

Nearly half a century later, Pappas shrugs it off.

"That doesn’t bother me," the 70-year-old right-hander said of the deal. "There’s nothing I could have done to prevent it. What frosted me was that, two days before I was sent to the Reds, the Orioles told me I wouldn’t be traded. It rained that day, so I took my wife to the movies."

The feature? The Cincinnati Kid.

"I should’ve known," Pappas said.

Robinson led the Orioles to a world championship in 1966. Pappas won 12 games for the seventh-place Reds.

"That season was hard," he said.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... Milt Pappas" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 5:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

When the Orioles dealt for Luis Aparicio in 1963, they sealed the left side of their infield for years to come. Few balls got past future Hall of Famers Aparicio, the go-go shortstop, or unerring Brooks Robinson at third. For five seasons here, the airborne Venezuelan turned double plays like this one, against Cleveland (and base runner Max Alvis) in 1967.

Aparicio had perhaps his best year in Baltimore in 1966, when he had hitting streaks of 17 and 14 games. Three times that summer, he hammered five hits in one game to help the Orioles to a World Series championship.

"I disappointed vice president, though," he said afterward. "(Hubert) Humphrey told me to hit home run for him and I didn’t."

Now 75, Aparicio resides in his native land.

Sun file photo

Also see: Through the Looking Glass archive

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 12:50 PM in Orioles, Through The Looking Glass, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

AP photo

Pancakes. Orioles Hall of Famer Jim Palmer had to have them for breakfast every time he took the mound. Here, the 20-year-old right-hander digs into a stack of 41 (by our count) flapjacks prior to pitching Game 2 of the 1966 World Series. When Palmer defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-0, for his first big-league shutout, his nickname was for keeps -- Jockey shorts or no.

***

Through the Looking Glass archive

View more photos of Jim Palmer

View more photos of Orioles Hall of Famers

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 12:30 PM in Orioles, Through The Looking Glass | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

I love Sam Zell, owner of the Tribune, guardian of my career.

Direct. Funny. Articulate in his own way.

Born to Jewish immigrant parents who fled Poland before the Nazi invasion. Worked his way to the top.

Blah, blah, blah.

That's the sound of an employee with lips to boss's cheeks. Doesn't sound much different than former Oriole Brady Anderson's defense of Peter Angelos in yesterday's Baltimore Sun.

Anderson, major league heartthrob and one of the rocks on which the 1996-97 playoff teams were built, took exception to a recent Sports Illustrated piece that named Angelos the worst owner in baseball.

"He is the son of Greek immigrants who came to America with little more than their aspirations for a better life," wrote Anderson, as if that has anything to do with fielding a franchise with a record of 11 consecutive losing seasons.

What a head scratcher. If Anderson is mad at SI, why is he writing to The Sun? That's like complaining about a bad Domino's pizza to Papa John.  

Continue reading "Brady's Bunch" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (35)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's going on in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ..." Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ..."

The Oriole hitter with the hurricane swing turns 75 on Wednesday.

Happy birthday, Diamond Jim. What’s the best gift for someone your age?

"To live to be 76," Jim Gentile said.

In the early 1960s, he was Baltimore’s tempestuous slugger, a fiery first baseman with a whip-like cut that battered the air and roused the crowds, contact or no. Watching Gentile flail was as entertaining as seeing his home runs soar out of Memorial Stadium. Strikeouts begat tantrums, broken bats, smashed water coolers and ejections. But if Gentile’s ire prepared the city for the coming of Earl Weaver, his muscle lay the groundwork for Frank Robinson’s arrival.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... ex-Oriole Jim Gentile" »