Khalil Greene Goes To St. Louis

Another deal in the Hot Stove season, this time in a trade with the Padres dumping salary and also garnering some prospects. It looks like our role in the rumored three team trade with the Cubs and Padres has gone up in smoke with this development.

In a slow-moving market, the Cardinals are acting quickly. St. Louis answered the biggest question in its 2009 lineup on Thursday, trading for Padres shortstop Khalil Greene. A day earlier, the Cards signed reliever Trever Miller to a one-year contract.

The Redbirds announced the trade on Thursday evening after a day of reports and speculation. St. Louis will send relief prospect Mark Worrell and a player to be named later to San Diego.

It's the second deal consummated between the two teams in less than a year -- in December 2007, the Padres acquired Jim Edmonds for Minor League third baseman David Freese.

Greene will make $6.5 million in 2009, and thus far there are no indications as to how much, if any, of that salary the Padres would pick up. If St. Louis pays the entirety of Greene's 2009 salary, it would be left with approximately $10-15 million more in payroll room to find a second baseman and perhaps another starting pitcher and/or another left-handed reliever. Greene will be eligible for free agency after the 2009 season.

I don't know how this move makes the shortstop position for the Cardinals that much better; however, they only have Greene for one year, and if his numbers pick up, he's going to be line for a great pay day.

I'm not so sure he'd be good fit in Baltimore anyway aside from his power, and not much else in my mind to jump and say "sign him".

Meanwhile, the Orioles keep looking -- with Renteria signed with San Francisco and Furcal most likely rumored to sign with Oakland, could Cesar Izturis be our next shortstop?

Oriole Magic Comes Through Again; O’s Down Astros, 6-5 & Wild Bill

The spirit of 'Will" Bill Hagy stayed alive last night as the Orioles pulled yet another come-from-behind win last night as they beat the Houston Astronauts (ok, the Astros), 6-5. The nail for the coffin for Houston came in the 8th inning, as Melvin Mora came through in the clutch -- with two outs, nevertheless -- hitting a double in the gap that would bring the Orioles back from a 5-4 deficit.

Like with most games as of late, the Orioles chipped away at their opponent's lead throughout the game and they were helped greatly by home runs by Aubrey Huff and Nick Markakis. As well, the Baltimore bullpen came through again when it was needed by pitching well over four innings, and George Sherill came through with his 23rd save.

Jim Johnson -- the ever so-clutch pitcher -- got his second win of the season. Oriole starter Garrett Olson looked really off last night, as he pitched only 4 2/3 and was charged with four run -- all earned.

Of course, last night will be remembered for two reasons -- they being Miguel Tejada and "Wild" Bill Hagy.

Read More at Oriole Magic...

Thanks Armando! O's Win Two In A Row in Canada...

Thanks for the Present, Armando! Well, after a wretched series with the Boston Red Sox, the Orioles have won 3 out of their last 5; thus, continued the winning last night in Toronto, 6-5.

The offense continued its hot streak thanks to a big inning in the eighth. Adam Jones and Melvin Mora each hit a two-run home in the frame, and Kevin Millar belted a solo homer. As well, Nick Markakis went 4- for-4 with a double, run batted in and a run scored while Brian Roberts had two hits and scored a run.

Dennis Sarfate (3-1) only needed two pitches to earn the win in relief of Brian Burres, who allowed three runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. George Sherrill worked the ninth for his 21st save.

Shaun Marcum’s nice start went out the window as he held the Orioles to one run on seven hits in seven-plus frames; however, Brian Tallet and Armando Benitez – ah, that good old friend of ours who contributed many memorable moments in Oriole folklore – allowed the game to get out of hand!

Thanks again for the gift, Mr. Benitez. Too bad you were DFA’ed after the game.

And the Orioles won today 9-3, thanks to the offense busting out on A.J. Burnett, who usually dominates the Birds. Although the ninth inning got a little scary thanks to a few errors, and Trachsel on the mound, the troops rallied to finally win a quality start for Jeremy Guthrie.

A Few Words ... Five Questions with Oriole Legend Brooks Robinson...

The blog had the opportunity last year to have a brief chat with Hall of Famer and Oriole legend, Brooks Robinson. Well, I decided to catch up with Brooks a year later and see what he's been up to, plus ask about current issues in the game.

Throughout his career, he was known as "The Human Vacuum Cleaner," as he is known until this day as one of the greatest third baseman, much less infielders of all time. Robinson played 23 seasons, all for the Orioles, setting major league career records for games, putouts, assists, chances, double plays and fielding percentage for a third baseman.

Though known for this steady glove, he hit 268 career home runs, at one time an American League record for third basemen. Robinson earned the league's MVP Award in 1964 and the World Series MVP in 1970, when he hit .429 and made a collection of defensive gems.

Below are a few questions that I asked him. I hope you enjoy the interview, and feel free to send me feedback at mdguy2415@aol.com

Hope you all enjoy.

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OP: The Mitchell Report has affected the sport in a way no one ever thought it would; thus, what are your opinions about it? Do you think players should be punished for their past transgressions, their records wiped from the books, or should the game just “move on”?

BR: The Mitchell Report proved to be one of the best documents. It brought everything to the front and exposed it. If there were 70 players mentioned you believe that there were 4 times 70 players actually using steroids. I think baseball is riding a wave of popularity right now. This issue is now in the past. I think we should move on and not punish the players.

OP: You’ve been fairly busy within the last year, and you’re now an investor in four minor league teams. Can you tell us more about your new venture, as well what got you involved & what is the best and worst part about it?

BR: I love being part owner of Opening Day Partners which operates 4 minor league teams in the Independent League. We open a new stadium in Southern Maryland on May 2nd and I am thrilled.

OP: It goes without saying that the Orioles have struggled for the past decade or so. Do you still follow the team closely, and if so, what do you think of transition taking place in terms of the talent on the field?

BR: Yes, I do follow the Orioles. I do think they are on the right track now and they have the right person in Andy MacPhail. I don't think he would have taken the job unless he had total control. I think trading Tejada and Bedard had to be done. We need bodies!

OP: As a Hall of Famer, and fan of the game, who are the players today who impress you the most in terms of what they do on the field?

BR: Alex Rodriquez & Derek Jeter impress me the most.I have met Alex several times and and I don't personally know Derek Jeter but I think they are 2 of the best players in the game today. There are a lot of great players but they are my favorites.

OP: Finally, for us Oriole fans, what would consider your proudest moment to be in a Baltimore uniform?

BR: 1964 AL MVP. An also I am very proud that I played longer with one team than anyone in the history of the game (23 seasons) along with Carl Yastrzemski.

If Bedard Is Traded, Is Roberts Next?

Ah, since Sunday night, it seems that business has picked up for the Orioles. Now, take a look at what CNN/Sports Illustrated writer John Heyman wrote last night...

First, more news on what most fans know already:

There are signs the deal is getting closer -- such as Jones telling reporters that he's headed to Baltimore for a physical -- but late word Sunday night is there's still some internal debate in Baltimore over the deal. Club owner Peter Angelos is famous for nixing deals involving his best players.

Mariners GM Bill Bavasi said by phone Sunday night that it was not a done deal. "We're not there yet,'' Bavasi said. "I can't tell you anything.''

Meanwhile, Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail echoed that sentiment to the Baltimore Sun. "We do not have an agreement with the Mariners," MacPhail said.

Sources told SI.com that Jones (.314 with 25 homers at Triple-A Tacoma), reliever George Sherrill (2-0, 2.36 with Seattle), a strikeout artist who could bolster Baltimore's injury-ravaged bullpen, and minor-league pitcher Chris Tillman (6-7, 5.26 at Class-A High Desert), are among players who have been prominently mentioned in trade talks. Catcher Jeff Clement (.275 with 20 homers also at Tacoma) was discussed at one point, but it's believed the Mariners will hold onto him.

Here's what Heyman says thereafter about the Cubs possibly acquiring Roberts:

If the Orioles do complete the Bedard trade, word is they would likely then send All-Star second baseman Brian Roberts (.290, 12 HR, 57 RBIs, 50 SBs) to the Chicago Cubs for prospects, possibly outfielder Felix Pie and pitcher Sean Gallagher (3-1, 2.66 at Triple-A Iowa). Pie batted .362 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs at Triple-A Iowa but hit just .215 in 177 at-bats with the Cubs in 2007.

However, the Roberts deal appears to be waiting on completion of the Bedard deal.

It looks like one deal may come after the other; however, let's wait and see. As most Orioles fans know by what is written by our great scribes is not gospel, as things can change by the minute.

If all goes as rumored, the Orioles would have accomplished in greatly turning over their roster, and more importantly getting guys under their control for several years.

Yet, another tip of the hat to Ian of Sox & Dawgs for the info...

Woe is the Baltimore Orioles: Peter Schmuck's Say

If you want some interesting reading, check out what Peter Schmuck says in today's Baltimore Sun.

Here's a quote from the piece that pretty sums up how and I and lot of people feel about the Orioles' organization right now.

Alas, I applaud Peter for telling it like it is.

I'm still scratching my head over the club's decision to e-mail its reaction to the Mitchell Report to the media at 10:21 p.m. on a Saturday night, unless the people who are in charge of communications (the last time I looked, that would be John Angelos and director of communications Greg Bader) simply hoped everyone would be too deep into the Christmas eggnog to care.

Or maybe they were hoping it would seem like such old news by yesterday that no one would look too closely at the strange four paragraphs that first seem to applaud commissioner Bud Selig and Mitchell for their efforts to eradicate performance-enhancing drugs from baseball but then call into question the legitimacy of Mitchell's investigation.

It gets better, and read what he thinks of the team's announcement...

Say what? Maybe the Neo-Comms (that's my nickname for Bader and Mid-Atlantic Sports Network public-relations guy Todd Webster) knew what they were doing when they sent the thing out under the cover of darkness. I can't imagine Selig is going to be too happy to see that the Orioles - with 19 current or former players named in the report - are challenging the integrity of the 409-page document.

It's pretty obvious Peter Angelos got his back up when he saw that Brian Roberts was included in the report on admittedly scant evidence, and I would be applauding him right now if he had come forward immediately and taken a public stand for his player. Instead, team officials needed nearly 60 hours to formulate a four-paragraph statement and get approval to send it out, which says a lot about the way they still do things at the top of the organization.

Enough said.

And yes, for the high-dollar crowd, even more bad news.

After 10 losing seasons, declining attendance, and taking fans for a ride, guess what the Oriole have decided to do -- raise the price of season tickets in some sections! This is mainly for the field box seats, but what in the god damn world are they thinking?

The same goes for the sneaky price hike. The O's sent out season-ticket renewal mailers Dec. 13 that include a letter about the team's bright future from MacPhail and an unspecified increase in some prices.

The best field boxes cost $45 per seat if you bought a full plan last year. This year's full-season plan costs $3,888 per seat, which breaks down to $48 per ticket, though nowhere is that mentioned in the mailer. You have to get out your calculator to figure out the team is raising some prices at the same time it's drastically slashing payroll and being, as MacPhail likes to say, "brutally honest" with fans about the meager prospects for success in the near term.

And to close out...

Honestly, I thought the team - as part of this new era of good feelings - might slightly reduce all prices as a gesture to the fans who have remained faithful through a horrible decade. Of course, we all know I'm a gullible idiot, but I really thought there might be some discussion in the law office of throwing the public a bone this winter.

Instead, you get the same old song and dance, except you probably won't be dancing with any stars next season.

Ouch.

Erik Bedard Finally A Goner?

A big tip of the hat for Ian of Sox and Dawgs for emailing me this:

From ESPN: 2:56 p.m. ET, from Amy Nelson

"The Orioles and Dodgers may be close on a deal that will send left-hander Erik Bedard to Los Angeles, a baseball source said. The O's are in need of a center fielder and a closer who can play at the major league level, and the Dogders seem willing to part with outfielder Matt Kemp and reliever Jonathan Broxton, who could come in a close in lieu of Chris Ray, out for the year after Tommy John surgery. "They want Bedard bad," said the source."

Like I said, don't be surprised that MacPhail jumped on a chance to get some good youngsters who could contribute immediately. The Dodgers have a deep minor league system and a lot of prospects, so it is only prudent that the Orioles take advantage of it.

Now this:

From the ESPN Winter meetings blog: The Blue Jays continue to talk with the Orioles about left-hander Erik Bedard. Toronto probably has the young pitching to anchor a deal.

Ok, now I don't know if ESPN is just reporting chatting as a rumor, fact, or what; however, I will be surprised if Bedard is an Oriole still by the weekend.

The Baltimore Orioles: What To Expect At The Winter Meeetings...

The Baltimore Orioles after finishing worse in 2007 than they did in 2006 with a payroll above 90 million dollars are looking to rebuild after a decade of futility.

Chief Operating Officer, Andy MacPhail is looking to perhaps rebuild around youth, and is open to trading anyone on his roster if it improves the organization.

Much of the talk in Charm City has been centered on flipping Miguel Tejada for talent, as well left handed pitcher, Erik Bedard. If the Orioles could also find a way to unload bloated contracts such as those handed to Melvin Mora, Aubrey Huff, and Jay Gibbons, they’ll manage to do so.

The player most likely that Baltimore will deal is Miguel Tejada. He’s probably one of the better hitting shortstops in the game, but his range at the position has gone down in the past few seasons and most teams would find him to be an ideal third baseman.

The teams that have shown the most interest in Tejada are the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers. A good reason for him not being moved as of yet is that the situation with Miguel Cabrera must be settled before he is dealt, if at all.

For the teams that do not get Cabrera, Tejada is a great fallback option.

The Orioles are right now trying to determine what to do with Erik Bedard as he’s a valuable piece not only on the field, but as potential trade bait. The latest rumor being thrown out there is that Dodgers are looking at getting him, as well as the Mets.

From reports in the Baltimore media, Bedard has not show a willingness to stay in Baltimore or sign a long term extension. He's still under our control for two more seasons, thus, they do not have to trade him.

With Bedard, the O's have the upper hand -- they still have him for 2 years under their control. The team does not necessarily have to trade him; however, his value may not be higher than it is now, and if the team is looking to flip him for young prospects and major league ready talent to contribute for the years to come, this may be the time to move him.

The Orioles should be expected to use the trade market to bolster their roster as well the Rule 5 Draft.

Jose Guillen An Oriole?

I caught wind of this in a thread on Orioles Hangout and it was mentioned later this morning on Roch's blog, but it seems the organization has some interest in acquiring Jose Guillen.

Yes, the same guy who was found to have bought HGH recently from a pharmacy, has had problems in the past, and yes, has been with over nine organizations in his career.

Of course, this is all a rumor; however, if the Orioles for some reason sign him, I'll be scratching my head.

A while ago, the Seattle Mariners turned down a $9 million extension for Guillen and bought out his contract for $500,000.

The Kansas City Star has this posted:

"The Royals are dismissing reports from the Dominican Republic that say they are close to an agreement with free-agent outfielder Jose Guillen.

General manager Dayton Moore declined to comment on the matter, but indications suggest the Baltimore Orioles and at least one other team are showing strong interest in Guillen.

The reports linking Guillen to the Royals surfaced after he said he expected to join Licey of the Dominican Winter League in the near future after completing his contract negotiations."

and this is what Roch said on his blog earlier today:

"Jose Guillen is looking for $30 million over three years. He wears steroid allegations like a uniform jersey, with the hGH links a nice accessory. He’s been a headache for more than one manager because of his anger-management issues. He has a short fuse and a shorter shelf life. And ESPN Deportes has the Orioles in the running to sign him.

They must want him in left field – the same place where this rumor came from.

Don’t be shocked if it’s a figment of someone’s imagination.

Guillen, based only on his tools, would be a tremendous upgrade over Jay Payton. The guy hits for average and power, and he has a cannon for an arm. But it would take 27 bellhops to handle all his baggage, and they’d each have to make two trips.

This doesn’t sound like Andy MacPhail’s kind of guy, but it’s worth looking into. Nothing surprises me anymore."

Honestly, Jose Guillen is a good ballplayer, but is he what the Orioles need at this point? No.

From my time seeing him as a Washington National, he is good with the bat, and can definitely be an asset in the outfield, plus can hit for average and power.

The problem is that he's 32 and if the Orioles are serious about the rebuilding, the plan should focus their energy on finding the next star or youngster who can be part of the future, rather than signing a guy to fill a hole.

Guillen's checkered past does not bother me much - he's just not a good fit for the organization at the moment.

In addition, he wants $10 million per year and it's money I'd spend if I knew as GM my team isn't going to compete.

The Impact of the Torii Hunter Deal; An Overstocked Outfield and Miguel Tejada

With the signing of Torii Hunter by the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim, they finally have the protection that was sorely needed in the middle of the order for their slugger, Vladmir Guerrero.

Now that Hunter is in center field, Los Angeles now has a loaded outfield with Gary Matthews, Guerrero, Garrett Anderson, outstanding youngster Reggie Willits, and Gary Matthews, Jr.

However, what happens with all the players they have accumulated?

I say one of them gets traded --- perhaps Willits. Alas, this is where the Orioles come in.

As I mentioned a few day ago in a post, the Angels have targeted Miguel Tejada as part of potential solution to the left side of the infield for the past two seasons. With the trade of Orlando Cabrera earlier this week, it looks Los Angeles is setting itself up for a trade to get Marlins’ slugger Miguel Cabrera, or perhaps get Tejada as a second option.

That being said, if the Angels do go after Tejada, who do the Orioles go after?

With players such as Brandon Wood, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders and younger talent in their system, Baltimore may be well served to trade Tejada.

However, there may be another player now part of the puzzle – Reggie Willits.

Although Willilts is not the big slugger that we all want and lust over, he’s an incredibly resourceful and talented ballplayer who batted .293 in his rookie year and was an on-base machine in 2007. In addition to his solid numbers, he stole 27 bases and would make an excellent spark plug in the order.

Well, he’s young and right now, real cheap; alas, he’s what the Orioles need, some young, good, plays hard, and isn’t afraid to get dirty.

The downside to having Willits is that obvious he’s not the sexy player fans want as he only slugged .346, and didn’t hit any home runs.

I don’t know is he’s the first player I’d choose from the Angels in a trade as there are more players with upside, such as Wood, Santana, Saunders and other young talent; however, Willits could be a serviceable player who would be part if the organization for a long time and for the most part, he looks like he could be a reliable piece of the rebuilding puzzle.

I would obviously include Willits as part of a package, providing we get sold pieces in return whether it is a pitcher, or a good bat.

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Earl Weaver Goes Postal on An Umpire…

A classic Earl Weaver tirade (advisory: there is cursing in the video - a lot). Ah, they don't make 'em like they used to...

It's amazing the performance umpire and Weaver give; alas, the person who took this got a piece of priceless baseball video.

Whether we are better for it is another issue...

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A Cooked Bird: The Orioles Turkeys of 2007…

Well, being that we are in the holiday season, and Thanksgiving is around along corner with Black Friday, where everyday sane people go all psychotic for deals on toys and stuff that they will use for a week and forget about, the Baltimore Orioles have been a source of entertainment along with a lot of pain.

That being said, I want us all here to pick the 'Oriole Turkey' of the year. Yes, being that the organization was bad once again in 2007 and brought us infamous moments such as the Mother's Day Massacre, the 30-3 game, and the national press that our players have gotten (obviously for nothing good), we might was honor infamy and general badness.

Here are my eleven choices...

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Now, let's get started:

Our First Entry; Sam Perlozzo's Management Decisions and the Mother's Day Massacre: Yes, we all remember this day and there's no need to go over it.

Our Second Entry: Danys Baez, simply ineffective and a complete waste of money. He was just bad and now will probably miss 2008 due to elbow surgery.

Our Third Entry: Jay Gibbons. After a promising start to his career, he's forgotten how to hit. Um, steroids are supposed to make you better, aren't they?

Our Fourth Entry: The 30-3 Game. No need for the details. Furthermore, this happened on Dave Trembley's first day on the job...

Our Fifth Entry: Brian Roberts calling out the Oriole fans for not coming to Camden Yards and supporting the Orioles; Entry 5A:Peter Angelos welcoming Yankee & Red Sox fans to Baltimore...

Our Sixth Entry: Daniel Cabrera throwing at the Red Sox's Dustin Pedroia's head and nearly causing a brawl...

Our Seventh Entry: Melvin Mora for this statement: “I’m one of the best third basemen in the American League and in baseball. If you are going to move me, you have to make the team more competitive.”

Our Eighth Entry: Kevin Millar and his homerism of the Red Sox...

Our Ninth Entry: Aubrey Huff besmirching Baltimore, his love for porn stars, women, and his stupidity...

Our Tenth Entry: Our former two-head GM outfit for not realizing what we all knew -- this team is not good and is in trouble. Not to forget, spending $42 million on a BULLPEN!

Our Eleventh Entry, Just For A Cheap Pop: Peter Angelos and the Tenth Losing Season in Baltimore...

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Ok, so here are my eleven choices. Alas, I am probably missing a few more, but you all more than free to chime in and post whatever infamous moments or people we can think of.

The floor is yours.

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Aubrey Huff Continued...

I'm a grown man, and I don't care what Huff does in his free time; however, there are still kids, parents and fans who look up to these guys and someone like him really needs to use better judgment when he interacts with the media or goes on talk shows.

In the end, he does not come off as looking like a decent professional athlete, but a guy who has way too much time & money on his hands.

Obviously, his post game activities look like they affected his performance on the field. If you want to read some of what he said on the show, check out the WNST website - they have plenty to say. I agree with the sentiments of Drew Forrester of WNST, and they are just ripping apart the guy on their website, but in this case, Huff deserves it.

Roch Kubatko has more on this little scandal that is going on right now with this team ans yet another one of their athletes, and it's needless to say, I don't think the Orioles are impressed with Huff.

The Orioles seem to be a lot more enticing now than they do in the regular season, and that is not a good thing...

Millar, & Quick Hits...

Well, I greatly underestimated how upset people are at the whole thing. Again, I am not going to get emotional about Kevin Millar being a cheerleader for the Red Sox during the Baltimore Orioles offseason; however, both he and the Orioles might overlooked how the whole situation would look in the eyes of fans.

I have had readers leave a few comments, and email me about either agreeing with, or some cases, vehemently disagreeing with me.

It's fine, I love discourse. I think this whole affair says a lot about what the fanbase feels towards the team, and as well how the Orioles look in the eyes of many fans.

Simply, the last ten years, the 4th place finishes, the lack of starpower and the Orioles being looked upon as national joke came to a head this week. Now, if Kevin Millar, let's say played for the Houston Astros, no one here would care, and I don't think the Houston fan base would be up in arms.

However, he did with the Orioles and insulted a good portion of Baltimore, a city where a huge portion of the football crowd still harbors a lot of ill will towards the Irsay family for jettisoning the Colts out of the city (which is more than justified.)

In the end, perhaps the Orioles can learn from this and perhaps rebuild the bridge between the team and the fans. I don't know what the future will hold for Millar, but his stature among fans from what I have seen and read online has taken a big hit.

(Hear what Millar had to say on the Dan Patrick Show... Link)

Matt Palmer in a column on the Examiner's website basically thinks Millar went against the fans with his actions in Boston, and perhaps should be traded. I don't know if I so much agree with that; however, I do think the Orioles sorely need an upgrade over Kevin Millar, just for the fact I'd prefer a younger guy with a better bat at first base.

As well, ExamiNation, on the Baltimore Examiner website has a poll and a place where you can leave comments. Considering the amount of debate that has been expounded on the boards, blogs, and websites, this issue has touched at the nerve of Baltimore sports fans.

Bill Ordine thinks the reaction says a lot about the state of baseball in Baltimore.

Check out what Camden Chat, Orioles Hangout, and the other various forums online have to say about Millar...

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Meanwhile, Roch Kubatko in his blog spreads some good news for change, this time from the Arizona Fall League where some of the Orioles prospects are playing.

The Orioles.com Spencer Fordin looks at a myriad of topics in his latest mailbag including signing our good young players (Bedard, etc.) to long term deals, the starting pitching, Barry Bonds and Nick Markakis.

Press Box's Craig Heist interviews Leo Mazzone about losing his job and along with his time in Baltimore, as well as gets in a few words with new pitching coach, Rick Kranitz.

Stan Charles opines that things are not as bad as it may seem with the Orioles in terms of drawing talent and personnel -- personally, I beg to differ, as the numbers don't lie. However, he does make several great points in his article and it is very much worth reading.

Leo Mazzone Fired; Times Are Changing

Well, Andy MacPhail ia making his presence known, and as Tom Treblehorn alluded to, changes would be coming.

A half an hour ago, the Baltimore Sun reported that Leo Mazzone has been relieved of his duties as pitching coach of the Baltimore Orioles.

After two years as the Orioles pitching coach, Leo Mazzone has been fired with one year remaining on his deal.

The club made the announcement this afternoon in a news release.

"I spoke with Leo today and told him I appreciated his efforts here," said manager Dave Trembley in the release. "Moving forward, I felt that we would be better served with someone else working with our young staff and that it was in his best interests and our best interests to give him an opportunity to look elsewhere now."

I am at work, just out after a series of meetings at work. I'll have more on this later. Wow, the new regime is sure making it known that there will be a culture change.

Leo's magic in Atlanta failed to work in Baltimore, and it's sad to see.

Thanks to Doug Schekler of Our Book of Scrap for the note...

The Rundown, Orioles Stuff and Random Thoughts

Well, we are in day two of a long off-season for the Orioles and rather than wait, changes have already been ushered.

Jaret Wright and Victor Zambrano have been released from their contracts, and the news should not have come to any surprise for fans. Wright only lasted three starts before his shoulder injury flared up, and although he tried to come back in September, it was for nothing.

Victor Zambrano -- need we say anything? There's a reason why teams have dumped him. He's not good, and his performance against the Blue Jays and on against the Yankees on Sunday show that's he for the most part is washed up.

Rock Kubatko has more on the developments in his blog, Roch Around the Clock.

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Well, this offseason may be difficult for the Orioles considering the free agents that are available on the market and some of the contracts that the organization has given players. In an article on the Orioles MLB site, Spencer Fordin spoke to team Chief Operating Officer Andy MacPhail and he notes what the team is trying to accomplish in the off-season and what moves should be made.

Spencer Fordin has an Orioles Year in Review piece up. It's a nice little read; however, it does not tell us anything we do not already know.

The Baltimore Examiner reviews the Orioles' season, and columnists Sean Welsh and Matt Palmer argue who should be the team MVP - Markakis or Bedard...

The Orioles minor league system has made great strides over the past few years; however, it is still barren and a lot of their prospects are not ready for the big leagues as evidenced by the callups in September. As well, the Baltimore Sun looks at the organization's best and worst prospects.

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Pressbox Online has an interview with ESPN's Tim Kurkjian and he laments about the state of baseball in the Baltimore-Washington area. He's a bright man, and a great baseball mind and the series of quotes you see below describe Baltimore's baseball problem succinctly:

"I am discouraged about the Orioles for the Orioles’ sake. I really thought they had started to get things moved around, and maybe they have as far as developing young players, and now they have to keep them healthy for once. But just the way they have played in the last couple of months, they just don’t look as competitive as a major league team should look. I’m not sure anybody is to blame, and maybe everybody is to blame.

I worry about them for one very big reason. People in Baltimore don’t care as much as they used to. When I covered the Orioles in the mid-'80s, they were pretty bad and people really cared no matter what. Now they are pretty bad, and people don’t seem to care as much. They play in one of the great ballparks on the face of the earth, and I have been there some nights where it is really dead. To me, that is so discouraging for any Orioles fan to go in there and see 16,000 quiet people on a bad night, and that’s what they need to fix first, is to get people interested again. They need to go out and get some more players, and they need to get more athletic, well-rounded players."

I don't think anymore needs to be said.

As well, if you have a moment, check out Jim Henneman's piece on the site...

***

Random Thoughts:

• Anyone catch the Rockies-Padres game? Wow. Boy, can you count on old Jorge Julio or what. Considering his mind and focus has never been on the game, he imploded when the season was on the line and when everything counted! If not for Trevor Hoffman being that much worse than Julio, he would be a guy whose name would live in baseball infamy. Now, Julio's implosion will most likely just be forgotten.
  


• Yet another fool is implicated in the Signature Pharamacy probe, and this time it is New York Met reliever, Scott Schoenweis.
  
  According to the AP, "Relief pitcher Scott Schoeneweis received six shipments of steroids in 2003 and 2004 from the Florida pharmacy under investigation for illegal distribution of performance-enhancing drugs, ESPN.com reported yesterday."
  
  I have no idea if the Mets and their fans feel better about things considering they choked this weekend and lost the NL East pennant.
  
  Now Schoeneweis is denying he ever got steroids.
  
  From Fox Sports: "New York Mets reliever Scott Schoeneweis says he has never heard of Signature Pharmacy or received shipments from Florida in response to allegations that he got steroids from the company at the center of an investigation into illegal prescription drug sales.
  
  "I don't even know what that is," Schoeneweis told The Daily News in New York late Monday. "Steroids in Florida? I never received anything from Florida. I'm not going to comment. I never even heard of it."
  
  Good lord. If that's the case, when why were you hooked up with Signature Pharmacy and why is your name on the orders?
  
  Just say you did it.
  
  However, I am wondering about the timing of these announcements. Why was this not done earlier, and why do we hear about these things at the most convenient times (ala, the Mets imploding and the News coming out a few days later...)
  

The Drug Probe Hits Close to Home: Gibbons Implicated...

When it rains, it pours...

As if the Baltimore Orioles needed any more bad news on top of the losing & lack of fan support.

CNN and Sports Illustrated have reported that our own Jay Gibbons Gibbons received shipments of performance-enhancing steroids and human growth hormone from Signature Pharamcy based out of Orlando, Fl.

From CNNsi:

"In the ever-widening Signature Pharmacy scandal, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons is the latest pro athlete tied to an alleged illegal internet drug distribution network. According to information obtained by SI, Gibbons received shipments of performance-enhancing steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) from an Orlando-based compound pharmacy raided last spring as part of a multi-agency bust, even after both drugs were on Major League Baseball's banned substance list.

A source in Florida with knowledge of Signature Pharmacy's client list alleges that between October 2003 and July 2005, Gibbons received six separate shipments of Genotropin (a brand name for synthetic Human Growth Hormone), two shipments of testosterone and two shipments of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a hormone produced naturally during pregnancy, but taken by anabolic steroid users to stimulate the production of testosterone, which is suppressed as a result of steroid use. The information regarding Gibbons only pertains to receipt and not actual use of the drugs."

Lovely.

Who knows if this true; however, where there is smoke - there is often fire.

Remember, Jay Gibbons is presumed innocent before proven guilty, but the Orioles have been down this path before a few times. I think in this case, it's different as there's a major media outlet tying him to a sting.

Rest in Peace, "Wild" Bill...

I just got home and heard the terrible news of "Wild" Bill Hagy's passing on the Sports Talk 980 here in the Washington DC area.

Well, I am only 28, and really did not get to see him do his famous "O-R-I-O-L-E" cheer in the flesh during the glory days of the 70's and 80's; however, I eventually learned what he meant to the Baltimore community and his place in team history.

I had the opportunity to meet him in Feburary at Babe Ruth's Birthday Bash held at the Sports Legend's Museum at Camden Yards, and boy did he ever have a crowd around him.

The photo above is of him at a table during the event, as I snapped a quick photo. I spoke to him only briefly, but chatting with him was like talking to your buddy, or someone you knew.

I only got to see him do his world famous O-R-I-O-L-E-S in person at that event, but through the magic of videotape, he'll live on forever in Baltimore folklore.

"Wild" Bill was the epitomy of the word "fan" and love and devotion to his team was certainly unparalleled.

Too bad his passion is missing from the Camden Yards, and most of my generation never got to see him perform in section 34 of Memorial Stadium.

However, to be remembered for something is special within itself, and seeing the tributes online, on the Sun website and on other blogs, he brightened up a lot of lives and certainly made a small impact on those who crossed paths with him.

Thus, to have accomplished that is a wonderful thing.

Be well, Bill and rest in peace...

WildBillHagy
Uploaded by gatecitycanes

*thanks to garecitycanes for uploading the video onto Daily Motion for the world to see...

Videos: From Last Weekend, Red Sox Nation Takes Over...

You have to see this video to believe it; it's funny and made me snicker out real loud.

Play it and see you'll what I'm talking about. After the Red Sox invasion of Baltimore, I was quite glad to see this video.

Thanks to *ahorowit* for the video.

God bless Youtube, and God bless the Internet....







Again, if you were in Baltimore last weekend, Red Sox Nation took over.

I found a few videos from WNST's own Nestor Aparicio as he chronicles what the area of Camden Yards looked like when the Red Sox were in town.

Whatever you think of Mr. Aparicio and his radio network, what you see posted here is reality and should be enough to make any Oriole fan sick.

Like I implored in a post earlier this week, when both the Red Sox and Yankees come in town, let's put our feelings toward Peter Angelos and the organization's futility aside.

We need to really get out and support our boys in black and orange.

Just In: Bedard & Guthrie Are Good and ESPN Is Taking Notice...

This just in.

Erik Bedard and Jeremy Guthrie are good, and only now is the national media is starting to take notice.

The sometimes defacto Yankee-Red Sox network, ESPN has a great profile on Erik Bedard and his case for the Cy Young and a Video of Jeremy Guthrie on their website.

Bedard may be enigmatic and surly to the media; however, he is looking now as one of the best pitchers were have seen in recent memory. He had a shaky start to his career, but under the tutledge of Leo Mazzone, his changeup and a jolt of confidence, Erik's career is taking off.

And what can we say about Guthrie -- a great guy, pious, and he's got an incredible arm. The Orioles should be appreciative of every day he wears that uniform. I have chatted with Jeremy several times, and let's celebrate having him on the team because he is a class act.

Check it out!

Also, check out David Picker's article in the New York Times about Erik Bedard...