Saturday, June 30, 2007

Belated Quick Hits; The Game Last Night - O's Lose to the Angels 9-7, Huff Hits for the Cycle...

Sorry for the delay today, but I have been feeling sick all day.

Well, unless you were under a rock yesterday, you know the Orioles lost last night thanks to home run by Howie Kendrick last night served by Chris Ray.

The Angels ended up winning the game by a score of 9-7.

Aubrey Huff hit for the cycle last night, but the night is now remembered for yet another Oriole defeat in the hands of the bullpen, rather than the feat or a near-comeback by the black and orange.

Steve Trachsel got hit hard, but give credit to Rob Bell for keeping the Orioles in the game.

Folks, what do we do with Chris Ray? Is he meant to be a closer, or is he just in a funk?

The Orioles MLB site has more on Huff and his historic night.

***

If you didn’t hear, Steve Trachsel has been put on the DL – however, that’s news to him. He looked terrible last night, but is he hurt?

There’s more on the story from Roch Kubatko in his blog, Roch Around the Clock.

There’s a recap of the game last night from the Washington Post, and the Baltimore Examiner.

In light of the event of the controversy on Thursday considering the rain and the storms during the Yankee-Oriole game, Andy MacPhail believes that there’s a lot of blame to spread around and the team has to shoulder some of it. The Orioles MLB site has more on the situation and so does the Baltimore Examiner.

Dan Connolly reports on the inexperience of Dave Trembley and the precedent of him being a first time major league manager with no playing experience.

Peter Schmuck believes right now, there’s no manager employed or otherwise who is custom fit for the team right now under MacPhail…

Under Dave Trembley, the Orioles are more aggressive on the basepaths now

According to Matt Palmer, Bedard will be talking more – oh joy.

Photo Gallery, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Baltimore Orioles - June 29th, 2007



Los Angeles Angels vs. Baltimore Orioles; June 27th, 2007

More later...

Friday, June 29, 2007

Thoughts and Pictures from Daniel Cabrera at the ESPN Zone this Afternoon...



On a unseasonably cool summer & overcast afternoon, fans got to meet fireball ptcher Daniel Cabrers, as held a Q&A & autopgraph session at the ESPN Zone in Baltimore's Inner Harbor on Friday.

The place was packed as there was a standing room only crowd in the facility as Daniel Cabrera questions from fans about the Orioles and also off the field items.

Although he may be large, in charge and dominating on the mound throwing heat or at times throwing inside or towards a batter to intimidate; however, fans saw a far different side of Daniel than they are used to - a lighter, funny and very engaging one.

All in all, he is extremely likeable, and very personable. I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly suprised with his demeanor and the way he handled himself.

I walked away very impressed with him, and almost to the point where you felt like you knew him.

The Q&A portion went on for a good half-hour, and fans who were able to play hooky from work or visit the ESPN Zone during their lunch hour got to get their memorabilia signed and get some face time with Daniel.



Photo Gallery/Slideshow:




Daniel Cabrera at the ESPN Zone - June 29th, 2007

Suspended! Yankees Lead O's 8-6, Game to Resume July 27th; The Rundown...

Last night the Orioles didn’t win nor lose, neither did the Yankees.

Rather, a downpour and a fierce early summer storm last night resulted in the Orioles/Yankees game being postponed until July 27th, when the game will be continued!

Honestly, I would have liked to go to the Yard last night, but I had been to two Yankee games this week, and I didn’t want to get caught up in the elements last night.

I’m puzzled why this game was not stopped earlier from watching it via MASN, but I guess the umpires had their reasons.

The game got called in the top of the eighth inning as the Yankees sneaked ahead of the Orioles by a score of 8-6, as Derek Jeter drove in 2 runs thanks to a bases loaded single. In the drama, Melvin Mora got ejected for arguing the merits of Thursday’s game (basically, why the two teams were playing in a downpour.)

The bullpen, in a recurring theme, coughed up a 6-4 lead in the eighth inning.

Anyhow, Daniel Cabrera last night showed why he is one of the most promising pitchers in the game, while also being one of the more frustrating ones. He basically glided through the first few innings and looked amazing until he faced Andy Phillips.

Then Phillips hit a homer.

Then Daniel got inconsistent, lost his command, and gave up a few more hits while became two more runs.

The O’s got on the board with a 2-run shot by Brian Roberts. Jay Gibbons drove in 2 runs, and Kevin Millar drove in a run as well.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will be in Baltimore this weekend for a three game series.

***

The Baltimore Sun, and Washington Post have a recap of the game that was and was not…

Bill Ordine from the O, By the Way Blog on the Baltimore Sun has his thoughts on last night’s mess, as does Roch Kubatko.

Dave Trembley will be the Orioles manager for now, but he’s not changing his approach and doesn’t believe he’s trying out for the position. However, it will give players the chance to relax and focus on baseball for now.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that Dave Trembley is grateful for the opportunity.

Pitching is the foundation of any team, and David Ginsburg looks at four men who can lead the Orioles into the future and back into prominence.

Daniel Cabrera can be a force on the mound, only if he gets more consistent and learns a third pitch (needed!) & Spencer Fordin has more on this an article on the Orioles MLB site.


Thursday, June 28, 2007

Bedard Stymies the Bronx Bombers 4-0, Rundown

Last night, the O's defeated the Yankees 4-0, thanks to a masterful performance by Erik Bedard and the power of Aubrey Huff. On an ungodly humid night where the vast majority of fans rooted for the Yankees, O's fans are delighted to have beaten the Bronx Bombers for the 4th time in five opportunities this season.

The O's scored in the sixth inning as they teed off of Roger Clemens. Ramon Hernandez drove in a run to start the fun, and then Aubrey Huff (finally!) hit a three run homerun for the exclamation point on Wednesday night.

Roger got denied his 350th win, and while he got by on location, grit and determination for the first five innings, he looked like a middle-aged man when it came to the sixth inning.

Yet again, Roger was denied win number 350...

Erik Bedard looked great at his struck out and had a two hitter going into the eighth inning until he was yanked.

Tonight, it is Chien-Ming Wang versus Daniel Cabrera.

Seeing games in Yankee Stadium since the mid-1990's (I spent a lot of time in NYC), it is almost surreal to see the team struggling for the first time in a decade. I spoke a little to John Sterling when the game let out, and he like many Yankess fans believe that a wild card chase is possible if the offense and bullpen get into sync again.

Personally, I don't know if they can come back, although they have a roster built for prolonged win streaks, so we shall see...

***
There's more on the game from the Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun.

Baltimore Sun writer Roch Kutabko on his blog has more thoughts from last night.

David Steele has his thoughts from last night's pitching duel between Roger Clemens and Erik Bedard.

In light of the win, it looks like Dave Trembley may be the manager of the Orioles for a while (at least until the July 31st trade deadline) to show he belongs. MacPhail is taking a wait and see approach which is a good thing and Trembley deserves a shot to see what he can do, and so far the Orioles look like they are responding.

More from the Baltimore Examiner on this topic, as well as the Washington Post, and the Baltimore Sun.

It looks like the Orioles are fielding practice a lot earlier these days --- good.

Matt Palmer feels that the fans should have treated Miguel Tejada a lot better when he was acknowledged by the Orioles during a break in between innings for having the 5th longest consecutive game streak in history.

New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles, June 27th - Photo Gallery



New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles - June 27th, 2007

Report and thoughts in a bit...

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles, June 26th - Photo Gallery



New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles

Photos of the New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles - hope you enjoy!

Quick Hits: In Jeremy, We Trust; O's Win 3-2, the Rundown & More

It should be pretty unanaminous now that Jeremy Guthrie is ever so deserving of a spot on the All-Star team.

In steamy and sweatbox like conditions at the Yard last night, the O's beat the Yankees in the bottom of the 9th by a score of 3-2.

The Yankee bullpen (which I think has been the team's undoing and very weak) coughed the game up in the final frame as Scott Proctor loaded the bases and walked Ramon Hernandez in for the winning run.

If you saw the game, it looked like Proctor beaned Hernandez at the end, but umpire Rob Drake (who must have been paid by Steinbrenner, was sleeping, or *honestly* just missed the call) thought differently, but Ramon earned the walk anyway to win the game.

In a strong start, Andy Pettitte gave two runs and eight hits in seven innings; meanwhile, Jeremy Guthrie allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings, and looked magnificent in the first five innings, but got hit a bit in the sixth and seventh innings, as Johnny Damon homered off him.

The O's scored thanks to a Markakis RBI and Corey Patterson's RBI in the 4th (he was 3 for 3)!

The same two teams meet tonight, as Erik Bedard squares off against the ageless Roger Clemens.

It should be a heck of a game.

***
There's more from the game last night from the Washington Post, Baltimore Examiner, and the Baltimore Sun.

Bill Ordine in the O, by the Way Blog, on the Baltimore Sun's website has a recap of the game.

It looks like Miguel Tejada will be out a month (at least), and thus, unlikely untradable. I expect at this point to see him shopped around in the offseason, as this point, he's seen as a shortstop with declining range and offense. There's more on the Tejada situation from the Baltimore Examiner, the Orioles MLB site, and the Baltimore Sun. Now that Miguel is out, the spot for the reserve shortstp may be wide open...

Andy MacPhail started his new job with the Orioles yesterday; however former Oriole Cal Ripken is tired of changes and wants to see continutity with the organization.

As we know, Dave Trembley is the intertim manager of the Baltimore Orioles, and Phil Wood wonders if he'll be Earl Weaver and perhaps bring back the 'Oriole Way', or be a flash in the past...

In light of the Sam Perlozzo firing, Leo Mazzone plans to stay with the yeam until he retires...

Nick Markakis was a Red Sox fan growing up and is looking forward to facing Roger Clemens, his idol.
***

I spent the night at the Yard last night from the third inning on with the guys and gals from the Orioles Hangout website. It was cool sitting in the left field upper deck and hanging out with many of the members along with fellow Oriole fans in their "Take Back the Yard" night.

If you're an Oriole fan and can make it out to a game, stop on by the site for more details. I think there are two more, a Yankee and a Red Sox game.

It's quite the experience.

Before the game, I got to meet with Roy Firestone, who no doubt bleeds the black and orange, which was amazing to see.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Quick Hits; The Yankees are Coming to Town & Rundown...

The Baltimore Orioles take on the New Yankees, or the Evil Empire, or Spankees, Bronx Bombers, or M****r F******g Yankees, or whatever you want call them. Alas, the boys from New York are in a vastly unfamiliar position, as their record is at 36-37.

They got swept by Barry Bonds and the Giants out west, and they are seemingly a world away from the Red Sox right now.

The series should be interesting, nevertheless, as it is always a show when Jeter, A-Rod, and the big name talent of the Yankees come to town.

I would consider this series important to the Orioles as well as it could lengthen Trembley’s tenure as the manager of the team, or perhaps usher in his replacement sooner rather than later. Furthermore, this series along with the one with the Angels (this weekend) could cement the Orioles a team floundering or one that may be done for the season.

Jeremy Guthrie pitches tonight against Andy Pettitte, so that will be an interesting contest to take in.

Matt Palmer has an open letter to Yankee fans

***

Spencer Fordin of the Orioles MLB site has a Q&A with interim manager, Dave Trembley. He’s finally getting his chance to live out his dream in the big leagues in an article in today’s Sun by Roch Kubatko (a great piece and very much worth reading; alas, in the end, you want to support the guy).

In light of Dave Trembley managing the team for now, Andy MacPhail is putting together a list of candidates to manage the Baltimore Orioles. Honestly, let’s see how Trembley does before getting a replacement, like seeing how does at least until the All-Star break.

Peter Schmuck notes what we all know as Orioles fans that live in Maryland; the Yankees are coming to town…

Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post has a great piece on Jeremy Guthrie, and hearing him on the radio, on TV and interacting with him in person, he seems to be a humble, knowledge and down-to-earth person; something very rare in athletes today.

According to a report in the Washington Post, the Orioles are reconsidering trying to coax Joe Girardi into taking the managerial job with the team during the offseason. Why he would, I don’t know; however, it’s worth a shot.

Monday, June 25, 2007

"Cal Ripken, Jr.: Focus on a Hall of Fame Career; Photographs by Jerry Wachter"


Well, if you'll be around the Yard this week, or if you need yet another "Cal" fix, the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards currently has a photo exhibit on display that features about thirty or so photos from former O's team photographer, Jerry Wachter chronicling Cal Ripken's career.

The photos range from Cal's major league debut in 1981, to the historic 2131 game of 1995, to his final at-bat in 2001. Admission is free with regular museum admission.

More info here: http://www.baberuthmuseum.com/news/index2.cfm?label=calendar#

Quick Hits; The Game Yesterday, O's Lose 8-3, The Rundown

Well, last night the Orioles lost in the desert to the Arizona Diamondbacks by a score of 8-3.

Steve Trachsel, who had been the steadiest of the pitchers until recently, got lit up again as he allowed five runs and seven hits in four innings. He walked four and struck out three, but nearly half the runners he faced got on base.

For the Diamondbacks, Stephen Drew and Chad Tracy homered to start off the game and Eric Byrnes drove in two runs as the Snakes took the series from the Birds.

Jay Payton drove in a run for the Orioles; however, Brian Roberts homered (second of the series) and had four hits for the team on the Sunday, as his play this season should merit him some All-Star consideration. Melvin Mora also added his 11th homer.

The O's were 3-3 on this road trip, and the Yankees come to town for three games, and then the Angels thereafter.

***
The Baltimore Sun has a recap of Sunday's game as does the Orioles MLB site.

Roch Kubatko is his blog on the Baltimore Sun website notes the Orioles looked subpar on Sunday because of bad pitching and fielding...

Dave Trembley is trying to stay calm in light of the losing spell.

Jay Gibbons is now relaxing at the plate, and hitting again; meanwhile, there is news of another Freddie Bynum alteraction, this time with Juan Samuel. As well, Bedard seems to be fine and Parrish is in a groove right now.

Bill Ordine of the O' By the Way blog, gives his thoughts on the road trip for the the Orioles and the week ahead.

Matt Palmer of the Examiner his blog looks at who might stay on with the team and who might depart as the trading deadline approaches. As well, he gives praise to Jeremy Guthrie...

Susan Kelly of MVN.com belives that the firing of Sam Perlozzo will not do anything, and so far she may prove to be right...

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Orioles Win Streak Snapped, O's Lose 7-4 in the Desert...

After a three game winning streak, the Orioles got shot down last night in Arizona by a score of 7-4.

Brian Buress got yet another no decision in game where he struggled, and the Black and Orange coughed up a 4-0 lead and the game was lost in the fifth inning, as Eric Byrnes busted out with a very long homer off recent call-up Rob Bell.

The Oriole offense was awoken in the past few days, but could not muster a comeback on Saturday.

The Washington Post has a recap of the game last night.

**

It probably does not need to be repeated, but the Baltimore Orioles had a real dramatic week. The Baltimore Sun has a real interesting op-ed in today’s paper about the paper’s coverage of the events the past few days, and how the media covers that team in this state.

I found the piece real interesting and gives a reader further insight as to what the media really thinks about the escapades with the Orioles recently.

**

David Steele of the Baltimore Sun thinks that Miguel Tejada’s time in Baltimore has passed, and perhaps might need to be dealt for the future of the team. Furthermore, Mr. Steele believes that the Orioles have done a disservice to Tejada by not building a team centered on him and he’s paying for it.

As I mentioned in a post on my blog yesterday, in order to break Lou Gehrig’s record, Cal Ripken had some extraordinary luck and in an article in the Washington Post, he reflects on the “streak” and also feels tremendous empathy for Miguel Tejada.

Matt Palmer in his blog on the Baltimore Examine’s website has his thoughts on the O’s road trip and events of the past week.

Andy McPhail seemingly rooted for the Orioles as a kid, and now fans and everyone alike are looking for him to rebuild the franchise.

Peter Schmuck of the Sun gives Dave Trembley high marks, while realizing MacPhail has a lot of work to do.

Dan Connolly believes that Eric Byrnes could potentially fit into the outfield with the Baltimore Orioles in 2008, but will he come here? That is the question…

It looks like Erik Bedard will not miss a start, and Rick Dempsey wants an interview; however, former Twins manager does not want one.

The Orioles MLB site has more on Erik Bedard and his hamstring.

The Sun has a question with Jon Knott

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Orioles Win Again 7-1, Lose Tejada; The Rundown & More...

The Baltimore Orioles won easily last night in Arizona 7-1; however, Miguel Tejada is officially on the DL for the first time in his career, and the team may be very well power-deprived without him.

It just shows you how much luck and good fortune you'll need in your career to even come close to breaking Cal's record. Playing in every game for seven years is amazing, but it's even hard to fathom what Ripken did, and thus, "the Streak" even deserves more respect.

It didn't matter too much that Tejada was out, as the O's got a lot of help from a shaky Diamondback defense, and a commanding outing by Daniel Cabrera, who on this night showed while he can be real frustrating, he can also be downright brilliant and effective.

Brian Roberts helped the cause with a home run, and sparked a rally that would lead the O's to victory.

Meanwhile, Ramon Hernandez came off the DL, and batted fourth for the Birds. As well, Jon Knott (whom many have wanted up) is now on the roster, and will be probably off the bench, or will get the occasional spot start.

Also, Erik Bedard's status is unknown at this time, but he should be throwing a side session today and the team will know then if he's good to go, he'll skip a start, or end up on the DL.

***

The Washington Post has a recap of the game last night.

Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post has more on Miguel Tejada's streak coming to a close.

Spencer Fordin of the orioles.com has a piece on the end of Tejada's streak.

Matt Palmer in his blog via the Baltimore Examiner, talks about Tejada and how difficult breaking the consecutive game streak would be. I think he's in respect to the streak never being broken, as well as DiMaggio's hit record.

Andy MacPhail has a tough job ahead of him as new the COO in turning the Orioles' franchise around as Peter Schmuck chronicles an in article in today's Sun.

An ardent O's fan in Maryland whom I have been in touch with gives their thoughts on Andy MacPhail, Rick Maese's wonderful column in the Sun, and what it is like to be an O's fan via the blog, Mind Pinball...

Friday, June 22, 2007

Daniel Cabrera at the ESPN Zone; June 29th, 12-1 PM

Orioles starting pitcher Daniel Cabrera will be at ESPN Zone on Friday, June 29 to talk with fans and share his thoughts on the ball club, including the team’s search for a new manager and the recently hired chief operating officer. This lunchtime question-and-answer session offers fans a great opportunity to get personal, candid answers to all their baseball questions, while getting better acquainted with the Dominican right hander. After the Q&A portion of the event, Cabrera will sign autographs for ESPN Zone guests.

WHEN: Friday, June 29, 2007; 12 – 1 P.M.

WHERE: ESPN Zone; 601 E. Pratt St., Baltimore, MD 21202

Quick Hits: The Game Yesterday, Tejada and the Rundown...

Well, the Orioles have had a week to remember.

Perhaps it has only gotten worse.

In light of their second win, defeating the Padres, 6-3; things might have gotten even worse for the Orioles. However, the offense led the way with 13 hits, and Bedard pitched a strong game before going out with injury. In addition, Albert Castillo homered for the Birds.

In a week where Sam Perlozzo was fired, a new COO was hired, the Orioles were swooned and then rejected by Joe Girardi, and now slugger Miguel Tejada may be injured and put on the DL, thus perhaps ending his consecutive game streak.

However, if he plays tonight, his streak is intact in light of what happened yesterday.

Before I go on, my comments I made about Tejada both on this blog and on the radio were quite strong and perhaps out of anger, but I think was more more angry about seeing him bat once rather than give an attempt to play half a game injured. I got quite a few comments and emails about the topic and quite a few people brought about salient points with Gehrig, and a lot of the other rule breakers in the game.

I do think Tejada should have stayed in the game longer, or not played at all -- but there's just something about the whole thing that bothered me. HRB of Demspey's Army brings up salient point and also evidence you cannot dispute.

Maybe I am just 'old-school', and like things done a certain way - I don't know.

According to the Orioles MLB site, Miggy has been diagnosed with a distal radial fracture of the left wrist.

It is yet to be determined if he'll be put on the DL, but I'm betting he may have to sit out a game or two, or three, unless a miracle happens.

And now Erik Bedard is hurting. Roch Kubatko has more on both Bedard and Tejada.

There's more on the game from the Baltimore Examiner.


***

David Steele of the Washington Post has more on the terrible day with the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.

Bill Ordine of 'O, the By the Way' blog, has his thoughts on last night; yep, this is getting ridiculous with the Orioles. Well, everything bad comes in threes, right?

Now that Joe Girardi has said no to the Orioles, the team is heading back to the war room to come up with siutable candidates. A poster, Greta, brought up the point of leaving Dave Trembley in charge for the rest of the year; thus, at this point and the type of mess this team is in, let's see what we have got and more importantly, give the team some stability.

Matt Palmer of the Examiner echoes the same idea.

Rick Maese of the Baltimore Sun has a list of things that Andy MacPhail might want to considering changing with the organization once he gets comfortable...
***
What the Blogs Are Saying:


Oriole Magic gives us details of the Miguel Tejada injury, plus the series with Arizona out in the desert...

Camden Chat has had some great commentary concerning the week in Oriole-land.

Ben of Oriole Central gives his thoughts about Girardi and what the rejecion means for the Birds.

The Wayward Oriole laments on a week filled with drama, rejection and just things going flat out weird, as does Dempsey's Army.

The Oriole Report is not happy about this team, at all.

The Boys from Roar from 34 ponder why Girardi would even want the job of Oriole manager, and goes over the state of the organization.
The Orioles Insider illustrates what we all know -- he's waiting for the Yankee job, or much less anything better than the Oriole job.

My Baseball Bias has their take on Girardi.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

"The Streak" -- Miguel Tejada, Dave Trembley and Respectability, Plus the Sancitity of the Game...

Once again, the Baltimore Orioles will probably make the news, if they have not already, because of the stunt by the team this afternoon.

As "The Oriole Way" has gone the way of the dodo bird and Cal Ripken is retired and gone, the team has never been looked at the same way.

It WILL NOT change after today, in fact, it may be worse now...

Well, last night Miguel Tejada got drilled in the wrist thanks to a Doug Brocail pitch and was take to the hospital for a check-up. He was perhaps hurting today, but decided to play.

Since, Miguel Tejada's has the longest consecutive games streak in baseball right now, he felt he needed to protect it (although in the past he's not made a big deal out of it).

It's a big deal to him.

It's still alive as Miggy felt well enough to play. Except he only got one at bat, and the team slugger bunted!

After he attempted to bunt (?) and got on, he was removed for a pinch-runner not more than a second he got on to keep his streak alive.

Here are words of wisdom from Mr. Trembley: "We all know the importance of what's going on in baseball, and Miggy and the streak," said interim manager Dave Trembley. "I asked him last night before I left, and he asked me, 'Don't you do anything until you talk to me.' He's earned that, and I told him, 'You've already seen the lineup. I've already posted it for tomorrow.'

Well, Mr. Trembley, thanks for completely bastardizing the game.

To be quite honest, Miguel should HAVE PLAYED ALL NINE INNINGS, not just an at bat.

Yes, the O's won; however, we will once again be the butt of jokes and endless criticism by the media because we "so-called" needed to protect "the Streak"...

The Orioles MLB site gets some words from Trembley and tries to report on it objectively, while Roch Kubatko, Mike from Oriole Magic and East Coast Bias call the stunt for what it really was...

And now Bedard may possibly be injured (hamstring)???

It looks like Dusty Baker isn't interested in the manager's job, although he said:

"To me, the Orioles are a great organization and everything, and my passion is baseball," Baker said. "I want to get back into managing, but only if the right situation comes. Right now, it's a bit early for me. At this point, I would probably say it's not the right fit right now. I'd like to fulfill my commitment with ESPN."

Baker said out clauses in his ESPN contract would complicate matters, too. But if the Orioles did contact him more formally, he would not need to interview for the position, he said.

"For me to get into the interview, my interview was my last four years with the Cubs," Baker said. "Why should I get an interview when I was with the Cubs [under MacPhail]? We agreed upon that."

Asked how he would respond if the Orioles showed serious interest in him, Baker was unsure. "I don't know," Baker said. "I'm just living my life, enjoying what I'm doing. It'll work out the way God wants it to." (Washington Post)...

Boy, this team is screwed -- it's not good here at all. Does this organization just have a stench on it that's real hard to get off or what?

Joe Girardi Turns Down O's Offer...

According to ESPN, Joe Girardi today turned down the Orioles' offer to become their new manager...

After thinking he might join early this week, I had a feeling he'd turn it down because of the state of the team and as well the chance of other, more high profile jobs opening up. As well, I don't know if he was willing to uproot his family from the Midwest to come work in Baltimore...

I guess it leaves the possibility of Davey Johnson coming back.

Also on the docket may be Dusty Baker and Rick Dempsey.

At this point, considering how things have come about with the Orioles, anything can happen...

In Jeremy, We Trust; The Orioles Beat the Padres 7-1 to Snap the Losing Skid, The Rundown...

Finally, we win a game for the first time in two weeks! The amazing rookie, Jeremy Guthrie shut down San Diego on four hits over eight innings and the Black and Orange beat the Friars by a score of 7-1.

At this point, Guthrie should be put on the All-Star team…

More importantly, Dave Trembley picked up his first win, and I’m sure as well the players got a brief respite from the all problems that have besieged the team for at least a moment.

Also, the offense rallied to score seven runs and just about everyone contributed to the win last night.

The rubber match of the series is today as Erik Bedard takes on the ageless David Wells.

There’s more on the game from the Baltimore Examiner, and the Washington Post.


***

There was a scare in last night’s game – Miguel “Miggy” Tejada got hit on the wrist by relief pitcher Doug Brocail while batting in the eighth inning. While nothing was found to be broken initially, there will be more tests to be done to see if he may have to sit out; thus, put his consecutive game streak in jeopardy. Roch Kubatko, in his blog has some more details.

According to Jeff Zrebeic of the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles are still in talks with Joe Girardi. At this point, I am not sure if he’ll take the job, but as long as they are still talking, there’s a shot. The team must still interview a minority candidate, but this seems to be Girardi’s job for the taking. The Baltimore Examiner has more news on the development.

Bill Ordine has a recap of last night’s game, and also more on Joe Girardi.

The Orioles MLB site has a profile on new COO, Andy MacPhail. As well, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun has more on the new hire as does the Baltimore Examiner and Washington Post.

Also, ESPN 1300 has Andy MacPhail's press conference at the warehouse yesterday available for download. Baltimore's WNST.net also has some interviews available for download, and also various commentary on the Orioles available via their website.

Peter Schmuck has a commentary on Andy MacPhail. Will he be the knight on the white horse who’ll help bring the Orioles back to relevancy in baseball? We shall see; however, the Black and Orange could have done a lot worse. At this point, anyone who has a decent track record should be given a shot to right the ship.

Meanwhile, Jim Duquette, is unsure of this status. It’s very strange that he has not talked to MacPhail. It might be no big deal, but it does seem very, very unusual. The article also has input from several former Cubs and you hear glowing words about the new boss.

There’s more on the status of Jim Duquette and Mike Flanagan from the Baltimore Examiner. I’m expecting a wind of change with the Baltimore Orioles.

Veteran MLB pitcher Paul Shuey is back in the big leagues, and is just happy to have a job with someone…

With the changes going on in the Orioles’ organization, there are not too many people who should secure in their jobs, from the players to even the front office executives. Most likely, either Mike Flangan or Jim Duquette may be gone, or both. No doubt, things will change and David Steele has a piece in the Sun about it.

The Baltimore Sun has a question with Dave Trembley

The Ironbirds opened up their season up in Aberdeen last night, and Cal Ripken threw out the first pitch…

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

More O's Stuff: MacPhail, Ripken and More Rundown

Now that I have a mini-break in my ever so busy day here at the office, I am going to add more articles on the Perlozzo firing and the various opinions around those who cover the Black and Orange.

First off, FINALLY, the Orioles have introduced Andy MacPhail as COO, in a press conference today. Although the world had known he was hired since Monday; however, he was probably in the plans (not hired), much, much earlier.

In the same article, MacPhail denies an offer has been made to Girardi, which would contradict what ESPN said.

We shall see.

Bill Ordine in his blog, 'O, By The Way', notes the history of MacPhail and Angelos...

***

Phil Wood of the Baltimore Examiner brings up an important issue facing the Orioles and illustrates a reason why they may always be a second division team -- the team cannot attract the marquee free agents needed to compete.

I think the Orioles either need to go all out, or perhaps even more realistically, rebuild.

I found this passageimportant within the article:

A veteran baseball scribe told me over the weekend that beyond second baseman Brian Roberts, he didn't see anyone else in the Orioles' everyday lineup that would start ahead of his counterpart on the Red Sox, Yankees or Blue Jays. Nick Markakis might get a second look, but overall, I don't disagree.

Multiple big-league scouts this season have described the Orioles as a team of “second-division regulars,” another way of saying they're playing exactly the way they should be based on personnel. It's part of the culture of losing; with few exceptions, the premium free agents don't want to come to Baltimore, leaving a lot of second-tier players.

I do agree -- to an extent. We have a bunch of second and third tier players; however, the recent losing in 2007 is not so much about talent, but desire, doing the little things right, and executing. The Orioles have not been doing that at all this year.

***

The Baltimore Examiner has some more words from Perlozzo, and Jim Litke of the AP believes an older manager is needed for the Orioles (??), I get the notion he's half-joking.

Stan "The Fan" Charles of Press Box (a fine sports publication in the Baltimore area) has another theory on the MacPhail hiring and changes in the organization -- a legal case which Angelos' law firm is involved in. Mr. Charles thinks the plans for change within the organization (not so much with Perlozzo) started much, much earlier, perhaps in April-May.

Rob Long of WNST is lamenting that sports fans in Baltimore have nothing to cheer about this summer, especially the Orioles. However, football is around the corner...

Amber Theoharis thinks Kevin Millar would make a great clubhouse leader; however, I think it is too little, too late at this point.

In Jim Henneman's, 'Upon Further Review', he goes over all the potential managerial candidates for the Orioles, and also harks back to previous managers of the Orioles.

***


(photo from the Baltimore Sun)


As posted yesterday on the blog, Cal Ripken participated in a parade held in his honor in Bel Air, Md yesterday afternoon (click on the link to see the video by Bill Hughes). The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Examiner.

More photos of the event can be found via Bel Air Scene (belairscene.com)

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same … O’s Lose Out West to the Padres, 12-6

The Orioles lost 12-6 out in San Diego last night.

First off all, according to Roch Kubatko, the Orioles have extended an offer for Joe Girardi to manage the team based on an ESPN report. Of course, naturally, a team official denied it.

The way things have been going with the Orioles and the media, the denial sort of sounds like “Baghdad Bob” declaring the Americans were not coming in to take over Baghdad before it fell to the U.S. military and Saddam Hussein was toppled.

The rumor may have a lot of truth in it. Keep in mind; this is the same team that has not officially announced that Andy MacPhail is the COO of the Orioles, even THOUGH HE flew out with the team’s high-level brass to see Girardi.

Oh boy, some days I don’t know what to think anymore.


***

Anyhow, Dave Trembley got to manage the Orioles last night, and sadly, the same scene repeated itself – an Oriole loss; the ninth straight.

There’s more on the game from the Baltimore Examiner, the Washington Post, and the Orioles MLB site.

I am not going to go through the ugly details, but it will be unfortunate that Dave Trembley will only perhaps get his one and perhaps only chance to be a big league manager this week before he is replaced and sent back to his old spot.

Read the thoughts of SC of Camden Chat

Davis Steele has a great article on Trembley’s first day on the job in today’s edition of the Sun. It’s too late the players finally had an epiphany – they are a large part of the problem.

A culture change is needed, but at this point, rather than going for the sexy name to make waves, it think it would be fair to give Trembley a shot.

As the players realize what has hit them, a lot of them are tired of losing and are distracted due to the events during the past few days.

The Baltimore Examiner has more on the John Kruk comments that had Kevin Millar so angry on Tuesday.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

More Fear and Moaning: Perlozzo, The Padres and Girardi

Well, the Baltimore Orioles get back to business tonight in a few hours in sunny San Diego, as they take on the San Diego Padres.

Tonight, the Orioles have steady Steve Trachsel on the hill versus the ever so tough Jake Peavy of the San Diego Padres.

Today is officially Dave Trembley’s first day on the job, and the Sun’s Roch Kubatko has details and more on his blog, Roch Around the Clock. In addition to the post, John Kruk lambasted the Orioles’ and it has Millar upset.

Ray Frager has a little of what Kruk said on ESPN. Now, it looks like Millar has fired back...

However, John Kruk is absolutely right, and no one should be shocked by it.

Also, Roch reported earlier that James Hoey and Cory Doyne have been sent down, and Paul Shuey and Rob Bell have been brought up.

In the aftermath of the Perlozzo firing, he’s still in shock over the firing and is real candid in an interview with the Cumberland Times-News.

The Orioles interviewed Girardi today, and from the looks of things it went well. There’s more on the Girardi story from the Examiner and the Washington Post.

The Baltimore Sun has a roundup of what the national media is saying – it’s quite distressing.

Again, the WNST radio station is having a field day with the Orioles. They might be blunt over there and perhaps taking their licks at the team, but there is a lot of truth in what is being posted. Take a look through their posts, and whatever you may think of them, it's worth a read.

I’m sure there will be more on the firing as time goes along, and the local media will move on from it. However, I am still in awe how all this came about.

Personally, I think there is more to the story than the Orioles are telling us, and the Cumberland Times-News may be indicative of it. I think the MacPhail hiring was on the table for a while, (few days) and the plan to fire Perlozzo has been on the table.

The writing for Perlozzo was on the wall, but I think there was a lot of friction and problems in the clubhouse – a lot more than what is being let on.

Video of the Cal Ripken Parade, Today in Harford County, Maryland



In light of the all negativity with the Orioles, here's a video that would make any baseball fan proud. A reader, Bill Hughes, forwarded me a video of a parade held in honor of Cal Ripken today in Harford County, Md.

I could not make it to the parade today, because of commitments at work and the distance from where I reside, but thanks a million, Bill.

If anyone else got attend the parade, let me know your thoughts and how it went! I'm sure it was hot out, but it must have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a sight to behold.

Hope you all enjoy!

More on Perlozzo - From the Cumberland Times-News (Thanks to the Roar From 34 Blog)

Well, I’m going to give the boys at the Roar from 34 Blog credit for this post, as they they forwarded me this article from the Cumberland Times-News.

Matt, I cannot thank you enough.

How a paper of out of a small town in western Maryland could get this, and a paper like the Sun couldn’t, I don’t know.

Some of the quotes you’ll see here are in stark contrast in what you have seen so far from the media in Baltimore and Washington.

To be honest, I was quite surprised I read what I did.

Mike Burke in his article, “Orioles Fire Perlozzo”, has an exclusive interview with the former Orioles manager where he is nothing short of blunt with the state of the organization and the team.

Quotes:

· About his meeting with both Mike Flanagan and Jim Duquette, he says: "I didn't say a lot to them," he said, "although Jim Duquette said he had heard I felt (the front office) should have said more on my behalf, and I said, 'Well, now that you brought it up, let me get a couple of things off my chest.' – basically, he felt that considering his tenure with the team, he should have been told what was going on.

· About the lack of public support from the front office: "I told them they should have stepped up," he said. "When all this talk became public, and they didn't step up ... That would have resolved it. But they didn't step up, and no matter what, you don't do that to me. You don't do that to a guy who has been in the organization for 12 years and has done so many things for this organization."I told them they should have stepped up and said, 'Sam Perlozzo is our manager.' And then if they want to fire me two days later, fine. Just resolve it. But they didn't. You don't do that to me."

· When Sam asked about what he did wrong to the front office in the exit interview: "I asked them to be specific and tell me what I did wrong, and they couldn't do it."I told them I can go out and make every right move - which I believe I did - and still fail because we don't hit, or the bullpen breaks down, or whatever it may be. And in that instance, there are two things you can do:"One, the organization steps up and says, 'He's not the problem. He's got one-and-a-half years on his contract, so don't even ask because we're not talking about this again.' The problem is the players aren't producing."Or, you can say nothing. Because if you do say something, then you're going to take the heat for the players you signed.

· The statement that got me: "It doesn't matter how many right moves you make and it still doesn't work. The manager gets fired. But not with the Dodgers. They fire their hitting coach. Here, we keep reshuffling managers." (Brings up a very good point, what about Crowley?)

· About the signings and his role in it: "Not really," he said. "Walker, Bradford, Baez, Williamson, they never asked me. I told them not to sign Williams. But they went out and signed four guys without asking me."They asked me to go to lunch with Aubrey Huff (in December) to see what I thought of the guy. I told them, and they signed him. I told them Jay Payton would help us."We re-signed Kevin Millar right off the bat last winter, and they wanted Huff."

· The offensive problems: "Every night, we're dealing with a one-run deficit, and we're scoring four runs, three runs, three runs, four runs ... We score three runs in the first three innings and we're done for the night. You need to score more than four runs." … "Melvin Mora is hitting 40 points below his career average," Perlozzo said. "Miggy doesn't hit home runs or drive in runs anymore. Huff just started hitting and he has four home runs. … "Kevin Millar has a high on-base percentage, but doesn't hit home runs. Do you want me to start him on the bases? Check the on-base percentage and the runs scored. It doesn't jibe. We need three hits to get him in. You want me to start running Kevin Millar, Jay Gibbons and Aubrey Huff?” … "Plus, we're without (catcher) Ramon Hernandez for six weeks. You want me to rotate these guys, but they can't hit."

· The flaws in the team: "The flaw for me?" Perlozzo asked. "Baez going south and the offense. When Danys went bad it threw the team into the kilter, and we had to overexpose (other pitchers). The offense doesn't score enough to make up for any deficiencies. When you can't score five runs playing in the American League East, you've got problems.”

· About the status of Leo Mazzone: "I'm not sure," he said. "Leo and Eric were pretty emotional today. Leo told them if they want to talk about it to talk to his agent. Again, he was pretty emotional."

· The other quote that got me: "I knew what I was getting into. I just thought I would have more backing from some people."

Wow. I don’t know what to say.

From what I read, Sam was right on the money with the issues with the team and perhaps deep down feels angry, bitter and very sad what has gone on with the team. This team is in more trouble than what anyone ever thought.

To be quite honest, there’s enough blame to spread in this situation; however, it just shows how screwed up things are with the Baltimore Orioles organizationally.

No matter what happens, the Orioles have a lot of work, and I mean a lot work to do.

I think this team really needs to do an evaluation of 2007, and rebuild from there.

Giambi to Talk About 'Roid Use..



(photo from AP)

Jason Giambi has until Thursday to agree to a meeting with steroids investigator George Mitchell or else face possible discipline from baseball commissioner Bud Selig. It looks like Giambi may cooperate with Mitchell; however, will only answer questions about his personal use of performance-enhancing drugs and will not name names according to the NY Daily News.

I just think baseball needs to have a blanket amnesty -- at this point. I think this is the only way they'd have to perhaps find what they want about steroids, once and for all...

The Words and Thoughts of Sam Perlozzo...

I just read the Baltimore Examiner article by David Ginsburg (AP), “Perlozzo: I Thought I Could Help the Orioles”, and just wanted to give my two cents.

It was pretty obvious to me that Sam is an Oriole-lifer and had great affection for the organization. Although, most everyone wanted him gone as a manager (and it was for the best), the cards were stacked against him due to a bullpen that bombed, and second tier player additions (Huff, Millar) who never hit their stride.

With injuries to key players (Payton, Hernandez) to start off the season, and guys who are now out for the year (Wright, Loewen, Benson), it was not a good situation to be in.

Add to that players who seem to have no fire in them (Tejada, Mora) and those who just plain were underwhelming (Gibbons, Patterson); the writing was on the wall for Sam.

That being said, here’s what Perlozzo divulged in his interview with the AP.

Quotes:

"I'd been in the organization a long time, so I pretty much knew what I was getting into," Perlozzo said Tuesday. "I felt I could make a difference. I truly believed I was the guy that could do it."

Also…

"I'm sure I wasn't perfect," he said, "but I can't remember one time going home at night and thinking, 'Man, I blew that game.”

Also…

"I don't see me taking a year-and-a-half off," Perlozzo said. "I'm going to keep my eye on next year; see how the team does without me. When things settle down a bit, I might call Peter and ask him what he's got for me."

I can see Sam perhaps re-joining the Orioles in another capacity, but not right now.

This quote surprised me, however:

"I'm sure I wasn't perfect," he said, "but I can't remember one time going home at night and thinking, 'Man, I blew that game.”

Eh, some would beg to differ – however, when you have guys making several million dollars per season and cannot get anyone out, or get the key hit, it does not matter who is managing; you’re in trouble.

The Mother’s Day Massacre, which perhaps started the Sam Perlozzo’s journey out the door as the manager of the team, as bad as the decision was to give Guthrie the hook – the team needed two measly outs with a five run lead.

Bad luck and just horrific play on part of the various players of the Orioles lost Perlozzo his job.

Maybe Angelos and the front office as well...

The Day After...

Morning everyone! After a memorable day in Baltimore on Monday, the Black and Orange get back to business (read Heather Irvin's Oriole Magic preview); however, there's more to talk about with this team.

From the looks of things, MacPhail will be the man in charge and should have more autonomy than any person in his position ever has had. The question is, will Peter Angelos loosen the grip and let the people he hired to do their jobs?

As we know, Joe Girardi along with Davey Johnson and as well Dusty Baker may be candidates for the job. Personally, whomever comes in should realize the Baltimore Orioles need a lot of work, and while a lot of people like Joe Girardi, some like don't -- however, I believe at this point, the Orioles are in a severe change of culture.

The nice cop routine didn't work, you might as well try the bad one.

Whether it is Joe Girardi or Davey Johnson or Dusty Baker, work will have to be done with this organization, and the players, along with the front office will finally have to be accountable for their work done.

The Orioles are a lot better on paper than they look now, but the numbers don't lie (especially when it comes the bullpen and offense) -- the black and orange stink.

Meanwhile, the most salient part of the equation - the fans are not happy, and they are looking fot the day of yore when the team seemed to care and wanted to win.

For one of the elite franchises in sports known for winning and doing things the right way, to have fallen so far is galling.

***
You've got to read Tom Boswell's piece on the Orioles, as it is just galling the same script keeps playing itself with managerial firings with the organization, over and over again.

The Washington Times Thom Loverro pulls no punches with the Orioles, the organization is a mess. Phil Rogers of the Sun believes that the Orioles and Andy McPhail have made a good match.

From the looks of things, there will be a lot of changes to the team according to Dan Connolly of the Sun.

David Steele of the Sun thinks Joe Girardi would be a great fit
, if only more changes could be made in the roster. As we all know, the Orioles want Joe Girardi.

Jean Marbella finds ways we can deal with the problems with the Baltimore Orioles, and she recommends catching some minor league ball.

Matt Palmer of the Baltimore Examiner gives his thoughts on Sam Perlozzo.

Before I finish, I hope there is someone in the Oriole front office, or a player who reads this blog should really communicate to those in the organization how the fans feel. To be quite honest, fans are more depressed and angry with this team than I ever realized at any point in the last 10 years, and if they care about the future of the Orioles, this team will become evem more irrelevant to the eyes of people in Baltimore and their fans nationwide.

If things don't change, expect a lot, and I mean a lot of empty green seats at Camden Yards this summer.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Thumbing My Way - The Aftermath of the Firing of Perlozzo...

Well, if you are a Orioles' fan, today will not be a day forgotten for a while.

Today, now more than ever, I know for sure the Baltimore Orioles are more screwed up than I ever realized.

From the way the press conference this afternoon was held, to the way they treated the media covered the events at the Yard, to just the general mood of fans, things are not right with the team. From the looks of it, this team has no direction, no passion and seems to be completely lost.

A few of the players spoke out at the Yard today, but most ignored the press.

By the way, I watched the press conference again -- very surreal. It almost looked for a few moments that Mike Flanagan choked up and got emotional. It was even weirder that Dave Trombley was not even there to address the media.

Furthermore, you have to read this blurb by Roch Kubatko, as the Orioles closed access to the clubhouse and the reporters had to try to track down players in the parking lot!!!

"Meanwhile, the Orioles are keeping reporters outside the ballpark. We have to stand at the guard station on the ramp that leads to the players' parking lot. Take one step beyond that point and warning shots might be fired.

The way this team is going, I'm sure they'd be high and outside.

Heaven forbid the Orioles grant us access on such an important day. Are they worried that players will rip Perlozzo? More likely, they'll say all the right things. But who wants that?

A security guard rode up to us on his little cart and basically told us to stop bothering the players.

Has he been watching the games lately? I'm the one who's bothered."


Wow. No wonder this team is treated like a complete national joke. For an organization to not have allowed the media access to players for a breaking news story is just asinine.

As the Sam Perlozzo era came to a close today, The Sun's Jeff Zrebeic takes a look back at Sam Perlozzo's questionable moves in 2007.

While the club tries to court Joe Girardi, Rick Maese of the Sun believes the organization will not improve unless more happens -- I agree.

Baltimore Sun has confirmed that Andy MacPhail has been hired as the Orioles' COO, even though the news has been known, um, pretty much all day.

The Orioles MLB site got some fans to weigh in on the events of today.

Radio station WNST has way too many postings today on their blog to link to, but you have to give it all a read. They are just ripping the poor Baltimore Orioles and how they handled things today with the press conference -- badly.

Statement from Sam Perlozzo via Roch Around the Clock & More...

Roch Kubatko has a statement from Sam Perlozzo on his blog, Roch Around the Clock. I'm sure it has been tough day for Sam Perlozzo, but god speed to him and his family.

He was very nice and respectful when I chatted with him yesterday, and maybe somewhere down the road he can manage again. It's just too bad...

Be well, Sam.

It looks like all the coaches will stay in their positions for the time being. As well, more roster moves are being made, but at this time, I'm not sure who will be coming up, etc.

As well, Buster Olney reports a few members of the Oriole brass will try to convince Girardi to take the managing job with the team. Also, it looks like the team will give Andy MacPhail total control of team operations, which would be a plus.

At this point, anything that can be done to change the tide of this organization needs to be done.

If you have a moment, read Ken Rosenthal's view of the situation with the Orioles -- it's hard not to agree with him in his article.

The Perlozzo Press Conference and More Opinions...

Well, I watched a little of the Orioles’ press conference streaming on WBAL, and basically I learned absolutely nothing that I didn’t know already nor could find from various media outlets.

Not much info was said, besides the obvious – Sam Perlozzo is gone and Dave Trombley is the interim manager

Furthermore, nothing was said about Andy MacPhail being hired, or the process of finding a new manager. However, anyone with an internet connection or a radio knows that the Orioles have hired MacPhail and want Joe Girardi as manager, just that they have not made it public yet.

Blah, blah, blah. It sounded like a White House conference, in that you could not find out any real info.

Roch Kubatko, Matt Palmer and the scribes are working hard to let us know what is going on, however, it sounds like it is going to be a hard job.

When the scribes are left out of the ballpark, you have to figure there is a lot more that’s going on than meets the eye.

Working in corporate America, a lack of information by those in charge, is never a good thing.

There may be a lot going on in the works and the powers-that-be with the Orioles will let us know when they want the public and media to know.

Again, like I stated before, I think canning of Perlozzo was in the works for a few days, and also the placement of MacPhail as COO.

Here's the video of the press conference if anyone wants to see it -- Click Here

My Say - The Orioles As They Stand Right Now...

It’s late, but I wanted to post what I think of the organization. I don’t think at any point I have been more disgusted with the Baltimore Orioles than I am now. For team that was one of the elite franchises back a generation ago, the boys in orange and black are nothing more than a national joke and disgrace in the sports media.

I’d like to be positive, but after today I am now more convinced than ever this organization is more screwed up than I ever imagined.

It sucks that Sam was fired, but sometimes change is good. However, a good man was fired, and now more than ever, the players need to look in the mirror.

In my honest opinion, expect a lot of changes from now until next season. This team will be blown up and rebuilt.

Andy McPhail is the new COO, and will probably have a lot of say in baseball matters, considering he was president of the Cubs and had some success there; moreover, he spent many years in Minnesota in the mid-80’s and 90’s building up that team and winning.

I see him having a lot of control, and if he could get Girardi in town, how business is conducting within the Yard will change -- a lot.

This team needs a plan, and honestly needs to forget about contending for a year or two.

Kiss 2007 goodbye, and Mike Flanagan and Jim Duquette (who I really like) should be on watch.

I think Leo has done a lot of good with the starting pitching in light of the failures of the bullpen, and he may stay or go.

I see him possibly leaving considering the friendship with Sam Perlozzo and the lack of fire by his players.

Half the team needs to look in the mirror and ask themselves what role they had in getting Sam Perlozzo fired.

The free agents have been a bust for the most part, and the bullpen, well, -- that does not need any more explaining. After modest goals this season, the Orioles have just plain tanked and have not done anything in June.

Folks, the season is pretty much over unless the Orioles can tap into some Yankee magic; however, this team does not even have the talent to sustain a run like that.

If things get uglier, the fans may not come back – perhaps for an extended time. The Orioles also need to keep that in line as the fanbase is so disgusted with the team, a lot of people just plain didn’t react when the Orioles coughed up the lead in yesterday’s game.

People still care as evidenced by the activity on the Internet, but people will NOT spend their hard earned money on a product that stinks.

The media may have their own say, but the fans are speaking with their feet and dollars.

Perlozzo being canned was in the works for a few days from the looks of things, and the losing streak all but sealed his fate.

It's not good, and the Orioles again are once again a national joke.

Something had to happen.

Sam Perlozzo Fired (From the Examiner)

From the Examiner:

"A source has confirmed to The Examiner that the Orioles have notified manager Sam Perlozzo that he has been fired before the team embarks on a West Coast road trip. The team is expected to leave for San Diego later today.

Perlozzo went 122-164 during his tenure with the Orioles. During a five-year stint as a manager in the minor leagues, Perlozzo never had a losing season, going 364-263.The team issued a press release with no details of Perlozzo's firing or who would replace him.

Bullpen coach Dave Trembley is expected to take over on an interim basis until a long-term manager is hired.

The team did say it would have a news conference on the sixth floor of the warehouse at Oriole Park at Camden Yards at 1 p.m. today." (updated)

***

If you get a chance, read Oriole Magic's view on the situation and the release of Sam Perlozzo along with Mike Boehm's view on the losing streak.

I'll have my full thoughts later, but I have to work for a living...

Perlozzo to be Fired (according to the Sun)



From the Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly...

"The Orioles front office is meeting this morning with manager Sam Perlozzo and is expected to fire him, according to a club source.Perlozzo, 56, a Cumberland native who called managing the Orioles his dream job, will be removed about 2 1/2 months into his second full season leading the club..."

and..

"Bullpen coach Dave Trembley, a longtime minor league skipper who has occasionally subbed for bench coach Tom Trebelhorn this season, has been named interim manager while club executives begin the search for a long-term replacement.In addition, ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting that the club has hired Andy MacPhail, former Chicago Cubs president, as the Orioles' chief operating officer, presumably replacing Joe Foss, who left the Orioles earlier this season, and is in negotiations with former Florida Marlins manager Joe Girardi to replace Perlozzo."

Will Girardi be the man? Stay tuned.


If this is all true, I have a ton of empathy for Sam. In talking with him yesterday, he seemed to be a good guy and I know he tried his best; however, things need to turn around and sometimes a change can spark things for sure.


Girardi is a complete 180 from Sam Perlozzo, but this team sorely needs it.

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