Orioles give it up in extras - Trembley may be fired

The Orioles lost in extras to a Josh Willingham homerun falling 4-3 spoiling a nice ninth-inning comeback for the downtrodden team. Btu the real news is coming from Baltimore Sun columnist Kevin Cowherd. In an article posted tonight he reports that "whispers" are saying Orioles manager Dave Trembley could be fired as early as tomorrow.

I have been one of Dave's biggest supporters - but this needs to happen. Last year I wrote that "if the team is struggling by the All-Star Break" you need to make a move. Well this team has had a first-half thus far that will rank as one of mankind's greatest crimes. How much of that is Dave's fault? That is up for debate. Baseball is not like football, Dave isn't calling plays like a football coach all he can really do is set the pieces and let the game play out and react to what happens. Dave can't call for a three-run homer or tell the pitcher to get a double play. Success in baseball, unlike almost any other team sport, is truly in the hands of the players. But still, you can't fire the players so the manager goes.

What has Dave Trembley done to keep his job? Well I think he has done a good job of keeping this team together and not imploding. I think he has done a good job and handled a very tough season with a sense of class and professionalism. I think that ideal has filtered down through the players as well. There have been no outbursts in the media, there has been no finger-pointing. When you listen to the team talk, even candidly, you still get the sense that they are playing for one another. Take today for example, they did not play like a defeated team. Even Julio Lugo, who was nearly run out on a rail for loafing after a short grounder, gutted out a single with two outs to score the game-tying-run and send the game into the bottom of the ninth.

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