Photo Gallery: Seattle Mariners vs. Baltimore Orioles, April 6th; O's Beat Mariners, 3-2

Photo Gallery: Seattle Mariners vs. Baltimore Orioles, April 6th; Balto., Md - Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Today was a wonderful day at the Yard, as Luis Hernandez (yes, him), had a walk-off RBI single in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning to send Baltimore to victory as they beat the Mariners, 3-2.

Basically, the Orioles had their backs to the wall, as they were shut-out by young phenom, Felix Hernandez for eight innings, until the M's bullpen took over and things went haywire.

With J.J. Putz out on the DL, the Mariners turned things to Eric O'Flaherty. Let's just say he was awful.

The O's rally in the ninth would start off with Nick Markakis doubling to left; thereafter, Kevin Millar grounded out to move Markakis to third; the next batter, Aubrey Huff grounded out as well to drive him in.

Luke Scott came up after Huff, with two outs, and singled to right getting the ball past Seattle's Jose Vidro. Seattle manager John McLaren pulled the book on O'Flaherty and Mark Lowe came into the game to try to close it out.

However, Lowe was just as bad as O'Flaherty. Well, Jay Payton poked a single to right, and there were runners on first and third; thereafter, Lowe walked Ramon Hernandez and threw a wild pitch on ball four to score Adam Jones, who was pinch running for Luke Scott.

Then, Luis Hernandez did his thing and sent the crowd left at the Yard into a frenzy, despite the chilly conditions.

Baltimore starter, Jeremy Guthire had a solid outing; however, the offense could not muster up anything for him before the comeback in the ninth inning.

Seattle's runs were scored thanks to an Richie Sexson RBI in the third and Raul Ibanez home run in the sixth. Too bad the Mariners spoiled Hernandez's great outing; alas, this win gives the Orioles an air confidence as they go for the sweep on Monday.

Yes, we're in first place in the AL East and 4-1; very, very nice. Let's see if we can keep it up!

A Note About The Orioles vs. Mariners Monday Game (From The Orioles...)

A friendly note from the Baltimore Orioles about Monday's game, assuming you can play hooky from work or just want to take an early afternoon off...

"As a reminder, please be advised the game time for the Monday, April 7 Orioles vs. Mariners game has been changed to 3:05 P.M. Fans holding tickets showing the original 7:05 P.M. start time should still use these tickets for admission to the 3:05 game. If you have any questions, please call 888-848-BIRD to speak to a Fan Services Representative."

We're 3-1; Oriole Fans Complain; Bedard Scratched; Rundown: The View of the Blogosphere..

The red hot Orioles won against last night as they beat the Mariners, 6-4. Luke Scott had a big night as he went 3 for 3 with 2 RBI, Melvin Mora had 3 hits, & Matt Albers got the win in relief after Adam Loewen left in the fifth inning.

The Mariners homers, both two run shots from Jose Vidro and Jose Lopez; however, Baltimore took the lead in the fifth thanks to a base loaded walk and added another run in the seventh thanks to an Adam Jones sacrifice fly.

George Sherill got his third save of the season; meanwhile, Miguel Batista took the loss for Seattle.

***

Well, after going to York, Pa., this afternoon, a bunch of baseball fans & myself were talking about the occasion this afternoon, and then the talk turned to the Baltimore Orioles.

It was not good.

For the most part, a lot of people who I talked to followed the Orioles still, but had almost no interest in attending a game at Camden Yards these days. The reasons -- well, a lot of people are pissed at Peter Angelos (fairly, or unfairly) and also don't feel like making a trip down there for a losing team.

Can you blame them?

Scouring the internet, I was reading up on MASN Sports, and found this entry from the "Ultimate Sports Chick", ESPN 1300's own Anita Marks as she ponders what happened on Opening Day.

She says this:

An event... A happening... A day to take off work and enjoy America's favorite pastime... Baseball.

BUT...did you really enjoy it?

Did you enjoy the 6-2 loss... watching Jeremy struggle with his command... Mora commit an error that resulted in a run... Adam Jones going 0 for 3...???

Well...you may feel - this is a sign of what's to come this season - and you may be right...BUT!!!

Are you willing to ride out the rough times - so you don't have to call yourself a "BAND WAGONER" during the good times...?

That's really what it comes down to Baltimore.

The O's are rebuilding... They have young talent making their first start in the BIGS.

They have vets playing rolls to help keep this team united... but it may not be pretty this year or next... it might not be pretty for a while.

But are you willing to ride it out and support this team at their worst... BELIEVING - it will get better?

Are you willing to dance with the most unattractive girl on the dance floor...knowing she will eventually be the prom queen in a few years?

GROWING PAINS my friends!

Ask yourself...

I appreciate this post, as I attend games as a season ticket holder and enjoy a nice night at the ballpark watching the O's; however, I disagree with her part about bandwagon fans. Personally, I think Oriole fans still care by the activity seen on many websites, forums, and on the radio.

It's been a decade of losing, and honestly after all that I have seen, I would not blame fans for not wanting to put their emotional and financial investment into a product that's not viable. The Orioles may not be contenders for 2, 3, 4, 5 years; plus, there are few marquee players, some of players are unlikeable and make no effort to reach out fans, furthermore, some of the players are unknown to a lot of fans.

Now, if the Orioles were winning, all the problems above would not a big deal; however, they have not won for years and fans are just apathetic.

Maybe a nice winning streak would bump crowds up a bit; alas while Ms. Marks' enthusiasm is wonderful, fans will come back when a winning product comes back and there's more of a connection to the community.

***

WNST has had a lot of content up on their site pertaining the Orioles to kick off the season, & Vince Fiduccia has a post on their blog noting that the team should open up their TV and roadio broadcasts to fans after the games to criticize, praise, vent, or whatever. It's a good read, I agree with him and take a minute to check it out.

Rob Long questions Erik Bedard's heart and perhaps for good reason -- he's been scratched from his on start on Sunday. Again, I will state that I'm going to root for Bedard; however, for all his talents, you've got to wonder if he'll go into another gear if the Mariners are contenders in the AL West. One criticism of the lefty has been centered around his toughness and willingness to go deep into games, and this factor will be critical if Seattle wants to play in the post-season.

There's more on the situation with Bedard from the Washington Post. Amber Theoharis got a chance to chat with Erik Bedard.

Drew Forrester thinks the team is failing to reach to out the masses; Steve Melewski blogged live from the Orioles game tonight;

Tony Pente of Orioles Hangout has a rundown of what's going on the farm and also think we should start laying off Aubrey Huff; HRB of Dempsey's Army takes a look at some of the Oriole prospects; Ben of Oriole Central celebrates the O's 3-1 record; Camden Chat has a look at Brian Roberts' baserunning last night; the Wayward O has fun with a Yankee brochure; Orioles Insider has news on Matt Wieters; The Roar From 34 likes the view from the top of the AL, I'd like to see it last at least until the end of the week.

Charlton Heston Dead At 84...

Rest in Peace, Charlton.

From the Washington Post: "Charlton Heston, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar as the chariot-racing "Ben-Hur" and portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in movie epics of the '50s and '60s, has died. He was 84.

The actor died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers said.

Powers declined to comment on the cause of death or provide further details.

"Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. He was known for his chiseled jaw, broad shoulders and resonating voice, and, of course, for the roles he played," Heston's family said in a statement. "No one could ask for a fuller life than his. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession, and to his country."

Brooks Robinson Honored in York; The York Revolution Fan Fest

The day started off cloudy and chilly this afternoon; however, it became sunny and a lot warmer once Brooks Robinson took center stage in York, Pa., this afternoon at Sovereign Bank Stadium.

Today, Oriole legend and Hall of Famer was honored up north today as a statue of his likeness when he was in the minors as a member of the York White Roses was unveiled this afternoon.

The event kicked off the York Revolution Fan Fest, and it seemed like a large chunk of fans who came from nearby and also far away huddled around the stadium plaza to celebrate not only a great ballplayer, but an immaculate man as well.

Dignitaries who attended the event included Lorann Jacobs, Artist and creator of the statue, Peter Kirk, Chairman of Opening Day Partners, Jon Danos, President of Opening Day Partners, Joe Musso, York City Official and John Krout, Chair of YCIDA.

Before the statue was unveiled, there was proclamation of “Brooks Robinson Way” in front of the stadium by Joe Musso, then Brooks spoke to the crowd for a few minutes and saw the display for the first time. He looked moved and also pleasantly surprised by the quality and workmanship of Ms. Jacobs design.

Robinson spent a few minutes and talked about what the city of York meant to his career, thanked his peers and also the legion of fans that showed up. Finally, he gave a warm embrace to his family that was there in attendance to honor him, especially his wife, Connie, whom he publicly thanked in a simple, but touching embrace.

At the end of the event, he spent a good fifteen minutes interviewing with the media and posing for pictures; thereafter, spent he another fifteen to twenty minutes having a meet and greet with fans, as well as signing dozens upon dozens of autographs for those who wanted it.



Brooks Robinson Statue Unveiling: Sovereign Bank Stadium; April 5, 2008

After the statue unveiling, fans flocked into the Sovereign Bank Stadium to check out York Revolution Fan Fest. Here are some pictures of the event:



York Revolution Fan Fest: Sovereign Bank Stadium; April 5, 2008

Perlozzo & Bedard; Wieters Debuts & Impresses

Erik Bedard and Sam Perlozzo return to Baltimore this weekend for the four game series against the Seattle Mariners. Granted, Perlozzo's visit to Charm City may be bittersweet due to the circumstances of his firing (I think he was on watch after the Mother's Day Massacre); however, he was nothing but nice and gracious to the fans. He tried his best, but it didn't work out.

I think Bedard was a great talent and it was nice to see him develop in Baltimore; in retrospect, he needed to be traded for the good of the organization. He was not going to sign a long term deal here, and simply just wanted to be part of a winner.

Despite what has been said about him in the media, I'll always root for him, as he was a nice enough when I met him, and enjoyed seeing him on the mound.

Peter Schmuck has a great article in the Sun about Bedard & Perlozzo's return. Marc Carig of the Washington Post has more on the reunion, this time from the Orioles' side and as well has another piece on Sam Perlozzo, as does the Baltimore Examiner.

Before I forget, Erik Bedard will pitch against us on Sunday and it should obviously be interesting to see how he does.

Finally, The future of the Orioles may be here sooner as think. Matt Wieters hit two home runs as the Frederick Keys defeated Lynchburg, 7-3. Although there is plenty of baseball to play, he may be up in the big leagues by the end of the season if he can keep up his successful night through 2008.

Brooks Robinson Statue To Be Unveiled This Afternoon In York, Pa.

If any of you have the afternoon free, you may want to head up north on I-83 for a special event. Oriole legend and Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson is being honored with a statue in front of the home of the York Revolution, Sovereign Bank Stadium.

YORK REVOLUTION TO UNVEIL BROOKS ROBINSON STATUE

First Ever Statue of Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson to be Unveiled Saturday, April 5th at Sovereign Bank Stadium in York, Pennsylvania .

WHAT: Brooks Robinson Statue Dedication

WHO: National Baseball Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, Lorann Jacobs, Artist and creator of the statue, Peter Kirk, Chairman of Opening Day Partners, Jon Danos, President of Opening Day Partners, Joe Musso, York City Official and John Krout, Chair of YCIDA.

WHEN: Saturday, April 5th 1:30 p.m. – 2:10 p.m.

WHERE: York Revolution Sovereign Bank Stadium, 5 Brooks Robinson Way York, PA 17401

WHY: A statue of Brooks Robinson is set to unveil to kick-off the York Revolution Fan Fest. Though a baseball legend, Brooks Robinson has never had a statue of himself unveiled at any landmark.

It is open to the public as Brooks Robinson and his family witness this historic occasion. The ceremony will include the Statue dedication, a Proclamation of “Brooks Robinson Way” by City Official Joe Musso, unveiling of the statue and will conclude with comments by Brooks Robinson.

For more info check here: http://yorkrevolution.com/news.cfm?newsID=629

***

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Sun's Rick Mease wonders why the Orioles have not honored Brooks in the way that York has, and how the team could have possibly done more to immortalize the legend in Baltimore.

Video From the Baltimore Sun:

Photo Gallery: Orioles Beats Mariners, 7-4; Move to 2-1 On The Season...

Seattle Mariners vs. Baltimore Orioles; Camden Yards, Baltimore, Md. - April 4, 2008

The Orioles won 7-4 last night, thanks to timely hitting, pitching and making the most of their opportunities over the Seattle Mariners.

Veteran pitcher Steve Trachsel put in a solid effort, as he went a little over five innings and gave up two runs. Homers by Melvin Mora and Kevin Millar along with a big night by Ramon Hernandez made a huge difference.

Despite Seattle scoring two runs in the ninth and a potential for disaster, George Sherill came in and put things to rest.

Low Attendance in Baltimore

Well, in light of the record low attendance last night at Oriole Park, the Baltimore Sun asked the honest opinion some of the players & the Oriole brass...

Here's what the players said:

"You notice it, but it's early in the season, it's cold, it's the middle of the week. Hopefully it'll go up by the weekend. I think it all depends on how good we're playing. If we start winning games, I think people will come out."

Said first baseman Kevin Millar: "The bottom line is you have to win. They want a good product on the field. Also, you don't want to sit in the stands at 34 degrees. If it's 80 on Friday night or Saturday, it would be something to worry about. Plus, I've guaranteed a World Series this year. They'll be there for that."

Here's what the team said, if you believe this:

Team spokesman Greg Bader noted that April is historically the lowest attendance month across the majors, "and games the week after Opening Day are traditionally among the lowest of the season for all teams," he said.

"The club's fan-friendly policy of permitting our season-plan holders to exchange tickets for almost any game, combined with school being in session, poor weather, and other factors, all played a role. This is part of the rebuilding process, and we believe our fans are supportive of the new direction [team president] Andy MacPhail and [manager] Dave Trembley are leading us. By the end of the season, we fully expect our attendance numbers to be similar to what they have been in the recent past."

I see the what the Orioles are trying to say for public relations purposes, but the fact of the matter, the attendance has sunk because the team has not been competitive at all. It seems that the fans have given up on the team with exception of the hardcore fans.

The park has gone from 90% full, to 80%, to 40%, to 20% full at times and it seems that fans have stopped spending their dollars and coming out. Fans still care to an extent, as evidenced by chatter online, and on sports talk radio.

Like Kevin Millar said, the team just has to win and put out a viable product.

Game Postponed Tonight - Rays vs. Orioles

From the Orioles:

Today’s game between the Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays at Camden Yards has been postponed because of rain.

A make-up date will be announced at a later time. Fans are urged to hold all tickets and rain checks until the make-up date is announced.

Original ticket purchasers residing outside a 75-mile radius of Camden Yards may request a refund because of the postponement. Refund requests must be submitted in writing along with the original tickets and mailed via certified mail to:

Baltimore Orioles
Attention: April 3 Rainout
333 West Camden Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

Seeds Of Hope Vs. Despair - The Words of Amber Theoharis

For most who follow the team, it is a given the Orioles will probably finish under .500 and perhaps be in the cellar in the AL East.

However, that supposedly sad fact of reality is not stopping some in the media from proclaiming great things - imagined or otherwise when it comes to the Orioles.

Although the vast majority of Oriole bloggers and the national media have come to the consensus the team may be bad -- no horrible; some want to see things from a slant, or to put it blunt, with rose colored glasses.

This is best of them I found - from Pressbox/MASN/WHFS's Amber Theoharis, sideline reporter, columnist & TV maven. Camden Chat found this, Roar From 34 mentioned this to me, and I read before, but I needed to read it again...

(Amber Theoharis): "Trembley can’t predict what will happen -- not now, not in September. However, one thing you can bet all your Cadbury Eggs on is the O’s lineup will change. There will be trades, injuries and opportunities for younger players over the next six months. It will be a relatively short transformation considering the metamorphosis Easter has undergone over the past 2,000 years.

(the kicker...)Do you think Jesus was visited by a large bunny bearing chocolate on that fateful day years ago, or Mary Magdalene went in search of colorful eggs shortly before visiting Christ’s tomb? No, and nobody in Jesus’ time would have predicted those elements would work their way into the culture of Easter. But they did, and it works. So will the adjustments made to the Orioles' roster over the next six months."

WTH? I have no idea what to think of this, but to laugh out loud.

I'm usually positive along with fair and balanced, but I'm sorry, I had to point this out. She's one person who's not negative, and while I appreciate that; alas, that passage above makes me wonder just because you work for an entity that is part of the team you cover doesn't mean you should lie about them.

Men's Fitness Likes Camden Yards...

Despite the never-ending negativity about the Orioles in the media, someone likes us -- well, at least the park.

Men's Fitness in their last issue, chronicle ballparks that they like, and it should be to no one's surprise, Baltimore's Camden Yards made the list.

Here's what they say:

"Baltimore's Camden Yards set the bar for what a retro ballpark should be, paving the way for teams like Cleveland, Denver, and Pittsburgh to build modern throwbacks of their own. Camden Yards was designed in such a way that there's rarely a bad seat in the house, so don't feel that you have to spring for the high-priced seats to enjoy the game. Another fan-friendly aspect of Camden Yards is that visitors are allowed to bring their own snacks and beverages into the park (as long as you carry them in clear plastic containers). Baltimore's famous Inner Harbor is located right outside of the stadium, so arrive early and check out all the great specialty shops and mouthwatering restaurants nearby."

The others included:

New York's Yankee Stadium, Pittsburgh's PNC Park, Chicago's Wrigley Field, Boston's Fenway Park, Milwaukee's Miller Park, Seattle's Safeco Field, Denver's Coors Field, Cleveland's Progressive Field (formerly Jacobs Field), Washington D.C.'s Nationals Park...

A big tip of the hat for Evan Brunell from MVN.com for forwarding me this info...

Reality: Camden Yards Tonight

I, being a baseball nut, I watched both the Nationals and Orioles games on MLB.tv while working.

This evening, I saw a lot of green in the stands as it was probably open seating night -- I could not believe it, but then I saw this photo on ESPN.com.

There's no sugar coating this.

According to the box score, the paid attendance was 10,505 - the lowest in Camden Yards history, and people are staying away not only because of the weather and we're playing the Rays, but the team is bad and we have no marquee players at all (sans Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts). Yes, we've got 79 more home games to go, but this scene is a bad, bad omen.

As a fan, this is painful to see - really. Maybe things can change sooner rather than later.

God forbid what the attendance would be if the Yankees and Red Sox didn't come to town 18 times a year.

On the bright side, we won, 9-6, and perhaps Huff is starting to heat up in April.

2008 Orioles Fan Fest: The State of the Orioles With Andy MacPhail and Dave Trembley

The 2008 Fan Fest opened up with the 'State of the Orioles' conference/pseudo town-hall meeting held near the Orioles dugout in the crazy cold of Saturday.

They talked about various topics, and they are highlighted below.

MASN's Jim Hunter emceed the event.

• MacPhail said point blank that the Orioles had to rebuild and start by rebuilding the farm system, develop their own players, and start building up their international scouting.
• The Orioles need to start exploring all corners of the globe for talent, much like the Yankees and Red Sox are doing.
• MacPhail's focus in the off-season was spent rebuilding the farm system.
• Said the same 25 guys who start off on the Orioles during the season, may not necessarily be the same 25 who end the season with the team.
• Dave Trembley wants fans to "stay the course"; and said that Spring Training was a time to set a new direction as well as set and identity -- wants players to play hard from game one to game one-hundred and sixty-two.
• Dave put a lot of focus on the pitching staff; and for a team to be competitive, they have to get the fundamentals down.
• Both men stressed the importance of getting the major and minor league teams together, and it's a organizational weakness at the moment.
• Someone asked if Andy MacPhail had full reign over the Orioles -- i.e., the meddling of Angelos -- and he more or less said he's charge by mentioning the change of baseball philosophy, the moves made and accomplishments done.
• Someone asked if Luis Hernandez will be the starting shortstop -- Trembley says. "nothing etched in stone"...
• Trembley noted that he hopes a lot of the veterans stay -- "they help us win, and help in the clubhouse"...
• Andy MacPhail believes that the team should be built via development, trades and "from the ground up" --- he wants to work on rebuilding the infrastructure and wants to steer away from free agency.
• A fan asked about minor league players, specifically Matt Wieters, and MacPhail said "players will determine where they play..."
• For the record, Andy MacPhail has no objection to having 'Baltimore' on the road jersey.
• Someone asks about the weakness in the middle infield and MacPhail says that he'll try to rebuild via the draft & trades.
• A fan asks if the Orioles tried to unload veterans by acquiring others (ala Beckett/Lowell in the Ramirez trade) -- MacPhail said no.
• A fan asks in Roberts will be traded -- MacPhail said, "highly unlikely."
• Finally someone asks about Gibbons status (this was on Saturday, and we know he was released), but Trembley said, "we have to make a decision -- we need guys who play more than one position and are versatile". That was the nail in the coffin...

Cubs Fans, Let It Go: The Sage of Steve Bartman & Moises Alou

Over the past few years, I have wondered could the Cubs have won if Steve Bartman had not allegedly interfered with a foul ball during the 2003 NLCS?

As we know, the Cubs lost that game and the series thereafter. Of course, we also know the fan who supposedly interfered with that ball, Steve Bartman's life was changed forever.

Now, Moises Alou, the outfielder who attempted to get the foul ball said he had no chance at the ball.

From ESPN: Alou, now with the Mets, said he wouldn't have caught the now-infamous pop foul in the 2003 National League Championship Series that hit the heel of Bartman's hand in the eighth inning of Game 6, prolonging an inning in which the Marlins later rallied for the lead. Florida went on to win the series.

The Cubs were leading the Marlins three games to two in the 2003 NLCS, ahead 3-0 in the top of the eighth inning and five outs from returning to the World Series for the first time since 1945 when Florida's Luis Castillo lifted a foul down the line in left just past the bullpen.

Alou raced over, timed his jump perfectly, opened his glove wide -- and got beat to the ball by a 26-year-old youth baseball coach in Row 116, Seat 9 who didn't do anything more strenuous than stand up. The baseball hit the heel of Bartman's hand and caromed farther back into the stands. In the Marlins dugout, Game 7 pitcher Mark Redman turned to a teammate and said, "Let's make this kid famous."

They did, but only because a few pitches later, Cubs shortstop Alex Gonzalez made an equally ham-handed attempt on a grounder that should have been an inning-ending double play. Florida erupted for eight runs to win Game 6 and the only real suspense left was whether the kid would get out of Wrigley Field alive that night. The Marlins clinched the NLCS the night after.

"Everywhere I play, even now, people still yell, 'Bartman! Bartman!' I feel really bad for the kid," Alou told Associated Press columnist Jim Litke.

"You know what the funny thing is?" he added a moment later. "I wouldn't have caught it, anyway."

That stands in stark contrast to Alou's reaction at the time. After the play, he jumped up and down with his arms outstretched.

After the game, he said: "I timed it perfectly, I jumped perfectly. I'm almost 100 percent that I had a clean shot to catch the ball. All of a sudden, there's a hand on my glove."

He didn't have kind words for Bartman on that night either.

"Hopefully, he won't have to regret it for the rest of his life," he said.

I can understand the frustrations of Cubs fans; however, it is just a game -- they need to let this incident go and focus on this year.

Blame Alex Gonzalez and it's not like the Cubs won game seven.

Meanwhile, Bugs and Cranks have managed to hunt down Steve Bartman and get an interview with him...

The Roundup: Bedard, More Opening Day, News and the Blogosphere...

I'll be looking forward to Sunday, as Erik Bedard returns to face his old team -- the Baltimore Orioles. He looked okay in his first start against Texas, and got shelled in Spring Training but; however, on Sunday, I think he'll be all business against the Orioles.

Personally, I'll be rooting for Bedard (well not on Sunday). Not withstanding some of the media reports I have gotten about his surly behavior and whatever, I found him to be a little shy but quite polite at least when I crossed paths with him.

He's an exceptional talent, I'll be rooting for him to do well. Unlike Huff, who disrespected the city and Millar rooting for the Sox, Bedard never openly dissed the city or said anything negative.

Tonight, the Orioles play their second game of the season and let's hope Daniel Cabrera can kick things into gear.

***
Well, reading the various news sites and all this morning, there's one thing that's certain -- almost all the reports think the Orioles looked less than impressive on Monday.

Press Box has a wonderful gallery of the Opening Day events, Stan Charles laments on the Orioles possibly leaving South Florida, Allen McCallum thinks the Orioles getting rid of Gibbons was a good thing; Jim Henneman wants the contract of Dave Trembley extended (already?); and Rob Long wants to look towards the future.

The Sun has paragraphs and clippings from various media outlets and they are not looking rosy when it comes to the Orioles; meanwhile, the newest blog on the Sun, titled "The Life of Kings" is moderated by Kevin Van Valkenburg and allows fans to go back forth with him via emailed questions.

So far this blog may be the most interesting on their site...

David Steele thinks the Orioles are going to have a long season just based on the events from Monday; Peter Schmuck thinks that fans perhaps bought extra tickets for a game that was proclaimed to be sold out, although it didn't look that way. As well, Andy MacPhail is working on rebuilding the farm...

Meanwhile, O's fans are hoping Adam Jones becomes a star; Matt Palmer interviews Dave Trembley for the Baltimore Examiner; and if we didn't know already, the Orioles are rebuilding, and it only took them a decade to do so and Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post has a piece on the effort as well, but in the end, fans are happy for baseball to have returned to Baltimore.

Ben of Oriole Central has his thoughts on Opening Day; Random Reality Thoughts thinks it's going to be a long season for Oriole fans; Scott Hoffman of Orioles Hangout has a nice piece on Adam Jones; the Roar From 34 gives their thoughts on Opening Day; HRB of Demspey's Army scans the web for the Oriole stuff; and Camden Chat takes issue with Amber Theorharis' latest piece in Press Box & also takes a look at the minor league system.

Photo Gallery: Opening Day; Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles - March 31, 2008

Opening Day; Baltimore, Md.; Baltimore Orioles vs. Tampa Bay Rays

2008 Orioles Fan Fest: Photo Gallery, Capturing The Sights & Sounds...

Orioles Fan Fest; Camden Yards, Baltimore, Md.

Here are some photos of the events surrounding Fan Fest, as huge crowd showed up and it was festive and interesting as always. I focused more on the media events this year, so I did some walking around the Yard.

I missed the majority of the players in the workout in the early afternoon, but I did the best I could...

McNamee Going to The Internets To Make a Buck off Clemens...

Guess Brian McNamee is profiting off his association with Clemens and others in Major League Baseball anyway after having his life thrown through the ringer...

Brian McNamee is selling between 50 and 60 pieces of signed Roger Clemens memorabilia through a Boston-area dealer.

McNamee, who faces a defamation lawsuit from Clemens after testifying to Mitchell report investigators and Congress that he injected the seven-time Cy Young Award-winner with steroids and human growth hormone, has turned the items over to sports memorabilia dealer Phil Castinetti of Sportsworld in Saugus, Mass.

The story was first reported by the Boston Herald.

Items signed by Jose Canseco, Andy Pettitte and Jason Grimsley are also part of the sale.

Castinetti believes the items, including signed hats, jerseys, photographs and baseballs, could fetch as much as $75,000. He has already starting listing them on the Internet auction site eBay.

"He was going to throw this stuff away," Castinetti told the New York Daily News. "Because of the hard feelings between him and Clemens, he wanted nothing to do with it."

Ah, only in America...

Aubrey Huff and Opening Day

Morning everyone, I am going to have a writeup/rundown later today; however, since I missed work yesterday afternoon, I am trying to get caught up again with society. Add to that I had a weekend full of baseball, both for pleasure and work -- I'm trying to readjust.

Anyhow, there's a lot to talk about, but if you were not at the Yard yesterday, things really have changed from past Opening Day events.

The crowd was lively, but the crowd on Monday didn't have the feel of year's past, and it was almost like we as fans have been resigned to failure.

If you get a chance, read Dick Heller's column in the Washington Times today. Yes, I try to be a positive as I can, and still love the Orioles; however, there's no doubt what the author is saying is the absolute truth -- things are not the same anymore, and the Baltimore Orioles need to win and also reach out to their fans if they have any hope of reliving the glory days of 90's at the Yard.

Aubrey Huff: I'd really like to feel sorry for guy; however, I really don't. I have heard a few more stories about how he treated a few fans during spring training, and I personally revile the guy and hope he leaves.

In today's post on Roch's blog, "Roch Around the Clock", and he goes into the fray about the beleagured first/third baseman-DH.

Aubrey Huff was given “the treatment” tonight by fans who haven’t forgotten or forgiven his appearance on Bubba the Love Sponge’s show back in November. I’m hoping the booing was an Opening Day thing and will go the way of the Dodo bird because it’s going to get old real fast.

I can see letting Huff have it if he’s insisting that everything he said about Baltimore is true and the residents need to just get over it or he’ll also stop hitting Tampa Bay pitching this season. But he’s admitted his mistake numerous times. He can't erase the past, or the tapes from the show. It was fair to tear into him months ago, but it’s March 31 and the season’s started and it’s really time to move on.

The booing started to feel forced by the ninth inning, as if it mistakenly was still the cool thing to do. Meanwhile, Huff had a single, missed a long home run by a few feet and crushed a ball that first baseman Carlos Pena smothered with a lunging stop. In a game where quality at-bats were scarce, Huff had a few of them.
He gets the point. People are mad that he dissed the city and embarrassed himself and the organization with his conduct on the show – and we’re not just talking about the Baltimore rippage. But it’s done. Teammates are tired of it, though they had some fun at his expense earlier in the day because that’s what guys do. We pile on. And then we jump off and defend our friends. I’m not suggesting that fans unfurl banners supporting Huff on Wednesday. But I don’t see the need to make the jeering a nightly obsession. It’s already gotten tired.

Maybe we can find another cause.

Sadly, you cannot legislate stupidity; however as I told someone yesterday Aubrey Huff disrespecting Baltimore with his comments in the off-season would not be easily forgotten by a town that has a long memory.

Case in point - people are still miffed at the Irasys for leaving Baltimore in the early 80's; honestly, do you think people would forget about Huff?

People have the right too boo or cheer for who they want to. Besides, Huff made his bed when he issued those comments, now he has to lie in it.

If I were Huff, I'd sign every autograph I could and reach out to the fans, if he were serious or even cares about his reputation.