We’re On Again, Off Again; Roberts and the Cubs, Lohse

(posted on Oriole Magic earlier this weekend...)

Like a guy or girl who you are smitten by, but don't want to commit to, the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago Cubs once again had chatter this week about Brian Roberts, but again it seems like the deal is on hold -- again.

From MLB Trade Rumors: SI.com's Jon Heyman wrote on Monday that the Cubs and Orioles had resumed talks for Brian Roberts. However, Cubs GM Jim Hendry came out on Wednesday and said he hadn't had any trade talks for five or six days. Tonight, the Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec chimes in, confirming Hendry's statement of inactivity.

Zrebiec was able to confirm from two sources that the Cubs offered Ronny Cedeno, Sean Gallagher, Donald Veal, and another unknown player for Roberts. The teams can't agree on the fourth player, and the O's may want a fifth too. The Orioles are said to like top Cubs' prospects like Jose Ceda, Felix Pie, and Tyler Colvin. Andy MacPhail is clearly demanding a high price for two years of his second baseman. Zrebiec also confirms that the Cubs and Orioles have talked about a scenario where outspoken veterans Jason Marquis and Jay Payton are in the deal.

For now, it appears that the Cubs will open the season without Roberts. I'm of the opinion the Cubs would be better off going with Mark DeRosa and Cedeno as their doubleplay combo over Roberts and Ryan Theriot.

Well, it seems like we have been hearing the same names over and over from the Cubs, and it looks like GM Jim Hendry right now does not want to make a move that may be seen as steep. Meanwhile, as we know Andy MacPhail is a patient man, and we know he will not move on a deal unless it is to his liking.

I'm sure a move will be contingent on how the situation with Mark DeRosa and the infield develops throughout Spring Training along with the first month or two of the season.

Will something happen? Who knows? I thought a deal would have been done this week, considering the circumstances with the Cubs, but it looks like Hendry is holding his cards for now.

***

As well, look who we are interested in:

Still considering adding a veteran to the back end of their rotation, the Orioles have had several discussions with Scott Boras, the agent for free-agent pitcher Kyle Lohse, 29. Lohse, a right-hander who is 63-74 with a 4.82 ERA over seven big league seasons, was originally seeking a five-year deal for approximately $50 million. However, his asking price has reportedly dropped significantly. The Orioles have yet to make an offer.

I'm surprised he's not been signed by anyone. I'm not sure if it's his asking price, or a case of weariness by some teams based on his talent; however, if the price is right and a deal could be worked out, he might not be bad for us. Granted, I don't see him as a plus pitcher, he's a decent arm with good stuff; alas, he's not been able to ever get a combination to become a winning pitcher.

For the short term, he might be a viable option for Baltimore, but if he wants a 3 or 4 year deal, I say pass.

Spring Training Photos - New York Mets Va. Baltimore Orioles; March 8th, 2008

Spring Training Photos - New York Mets Va. Baltimore Orioles; March 8th, 2008

The Long Journey Home

I'm heading home right now from Florida; thus, the vacation is over and I'm making the long trek back north. It's been an awesome ten days, but I have to return to reality.

I should be back sometime on Monday, but I'm going to stop in Atlanta, Ga., and see my sister.

Talk to you all soon!

A Side of Nick Markakis You Don't See; He Having Fun...

This is probably my favorite part of today. If you all remember the Tiger Woods commercial where he juggles a gold ball on a driver, Nick Markakis does something similar with a baseball and a bat. It was quite remarkable to see...

Perhaps MASN or the Orioles might want to shoot a promo of him and his skills with a ball and a bat...

Spring Training Photos - Boston Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, March 7th, 2008

Spring Training Photos - Boston Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, March 7th, 2008

A great win by Baltimore; I'll let the pictures tell the story!

Tommy Lasorda & Even More Dodgertown

Well, this afternoon, I decided to head back up to Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla. to work on a photo essay on the site while I was on my way to Viera, Florida to catch the Nationals and Mets play (it was promptly canceled due to heavy rain).

Anyhow, on my visit, I saw a familiar & colorful figure of my youth sitting in a golf caddy.

Folks, I got to see the legendary Tommy Lasorda in the flesh. I usually don't get excited over meeting celebs, but I was a like a little kid again seeing a brilliant baseball manager, while at the same time a comic figure with my own eyes. I don't know if I could say I admired him, but his presence in the game of baseball is one that you cannot deny.

That being said, since I had nothing on me at all to get an autograph with, a fellow fan directed me to pick a postcard from Vero Beach with the Dodgertown Facility overhead.

Needless to say, I took an opportunity to not get only get autograph, but a picture with him as well.

And yes, he can talk and talk, and talk. He'll be managing the Dodgers next week as there'll be split squads -- one contingent will be going to China, the other will be stateside.

In chatting with a few fans who flew out from California to Vero Beach, Mr. Lasorda has been quite the presence as the organization will most likely leave the facility after 50+ years there.

Again, if the Baltimore Orioles do decide to leave Ft. Lauderdale, they should jump all over the opportunity to take the site, as Ft. Lauderdale Stadium is nothing but inferior to Dodgertown.

What a day!
A special parting gift...

Slideshow:

Dodgertown

Memba Him?

Well, I got a chance to see the Astros-Yankees this weekend during spring training, and I decided to snap a few pictures of an old friend...

Oriole Legend and Hall Of Famer, Cal Ripken Releases New Online Video Game, Play Real Baseball!

We all admire him for his play on the field, an honored member of the Baltimore community and he was immortalized forever last year in the National Baseball Hall of Fame; however, Cal Ripken has moved to a new frontier -- the Internet.

Best of all, it costs nothing to do. Like we all know, there's nothing better than something for free and available anywhere online!

Baseball’s all-time “Iron Man” and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cal Ripken, Jr. is now the official spokesperson for Real Baseball, a free online video game and community for baseball enthusiasts, fans and gamers around the world.

Cal Ripken’s Real Baseball is the new name of the community/video game which was previously known as Ultimate Baseball Online or UBO.

The new URL is www.PlayRealBaseball.com.

His new game enables gamers to compete in a Massively Multiplayer Online Sport Game (MMOSG), meaning each position on the field is manned by a human player in a 3-D virtual stadium. Players can create their own characters and build their skill level (player stats) through successful play on the field against other real human players. Unlike current video games that aim to simulate professional sports, Real Baseball (RB) delivers a first-person perspective of a character, created and developed by the player, interacting online in real-time with teammates and opponents playing from numerous locations.

I joined, and played it a little while taking a break from doing some work down here in Florida. Have fun, and give Cal's new gaming website a spin...

Website: www.PlayRealBaseball.com.

Thanks to the folks at Maroon PR for giving us a heads up about Cal's new project.

The Orioles 1983 World Series Reunion at the ESPN Zone...

Hey ya'll, sorry I've been MIA for a while now - taking care of some personal stuff, and gearing up for my own trip down to Ft. Lauderdale for 10 days. But now that everything is settled, you should be hearing more from me.

But for now, better late than never, my account of the January Q&A with members of the 1983 Orioles.

***

Back in January, the Orioles hosted a 1983 Reunion at the ESPN zone, and I managed to head down to attend. According to Emcee Jim Hunter, this reunion is going to be one of many celebrating 25 years since the Orioles' last World Series win.

The players in attendance - Ken Singleton, Tippy Martinez, John Stefaro, Bill Swaggerty, Al Bumbry and Scott McGregor all had a great time answering questions from fans in the audience and reminiscing about the past, sharing inside stories and offering tips about present-day teams and how the fans effected the outcomes of games. Each story came with players passing the microphone around to allow each player to add in their two cents.

All the players agreed that the curtain call or standing ovation only made them play harder, because the recognition from the fans meant that much to them. They also commented that they wish they would see more of it in games today.

Laughing and insisting he was not complaining, Singleton recalled telling a reporter that the American League should be allowed to use their rules in American League stadiums, because at that time, the Designated Hitter was used every other year in the World Series, no matter what park the teams were in.

Tippy Martinez recounted his famous game in which he picked off three batters in extra innings, because the team wasn't positive how accurate the catcher's arm would be in throwing to second base. His candor and the side comments from the rest of the panel brought laughs to the crowd.

When comparing the 1983 team to any modern team, the players unanimously agreed "our team" would have won because of great pitching and defense - the outfielders knew who to throw to, and the great bullpen was there "just in case" and not overworked like the bullpens of today.

And how did they feel about winning the World Series, with 15 players returning from the 1979 team? "We finally did it," McGregor commented, adding that it was nice to sit back and realize that they were World Champions. Tippy recalled that the entire city of Baltimore was up and waiting for the team when they returned to Memorial Stadium.

By the end of the night, after all the questions and the players signing autographs for anyone who asked, they all agreed that baseball gets into their blood, and they all have games they'd like to relieve every day.

***

For Ken Singleton - Opening Day, especially the year when the day started at 75 degrees and ended in the snow.

For John Stefaro - his first Major League game, with the feeling of stepping onto the field for the first time.

For Al Bumbry - The playoffs against California, dropping a "shoestring" catch and not knowing how he did it until the next day. He promised to make the catch if he could repeat it.

For Scott McGregor - The final game of 1980, winning his 20th game of the season, and the 100th game for the team.

The night was full of laughter and reminiscing, and showed the city of Baltimore that we once held a great ball-club, and that there is promise in the future.

~B

The Hits Keep Coming… - Tonight at 7PM ET

Tune in tonight as bloggers from Ian from Sox & Dawgs and Jason of My Baseball Bias join me for our hour long baseball show called, “The Hits Keep Coming” on Blog Talk Radio. Every week at 7PM Eastern Time (6PM Central/ 5PM Mountain/ 4PM Western/Pacific) we chat, analyze and comment about the world of Major League Baseball.

This week: NL East Preview

If you’d like to call in, the phone number is 718-664-6564 or you can send us an instant message if you use AOL IM at hitskeepcoming20.

Please join us at : http://blogtalkradio.com/oriolepost - 7PM Eastern Time tonight!

Topics to be discussed this evening:

• NL Central Preview
• I will give my thoughts from Florida

See you all tonight!!!

Markakis Re-Ups With O's; The Right Fielder Not Happy...

Due to traveling, I had not known about this until last night, but Nick Markakis re-upped with the Baltimore Orioles in 2008 for only $455,000.

The news would not be anything worthy, but considering the caliber of player Markakis has become, his status on the team, and deals signed by some of his peers in their third year it seems fairly low.

Keep in mind, the Orioles have not done anything wrong - they offered a player the a little above minumum amount for his third year, and the contract was signed.

However, you have to really think long and hard if the Orioles are playing a game of chicken with arguably their best player. Granted, Baltimore does not need to just pay someone a lot of money for the sake of it, but considering the value of players these days, you would have thought the right fielder would have gotten more.

According to the Sun's Dan Connolly, Nick Markakis is not happy at all:

'Markakis isn't chirping publicly about the perceived inequity, the way Philadelphia's Cole Hamels or Milwaukee's Prince Fielder has in similar circumstances. Those close to him, however, say Markakis was angered by the end result and, in his understated way, he said it.

"That's just how the Orioles feel," he said. "I don't have much of a choice. I'm just going to have to deal with it."

It's a tough spot for the Orioles. Give Markakis more money and set a precedent for other, less talented players while potentially boosting his bottom line in arbitration.

The alternative is having an unhappy Markakis. One that feels disrespected. And bitterness festers -- that's been an Orioles' specialty over the years.'

Markakis is a quiet guy, and I don't really know of him griping in the public domain until now, but considering the entire rebuilding Baltimore plan, and his position on the team, it might be prudent to work on a long term deal for the youngster sooner rather than later.

As for the low salary, if the Orioles and he sit down at the table, gather some numbers, and get a deal done, all will be forgiven. However, considering the deal that Grady Sizemore received a few years ago, along with Troy Tulowitzki, and Chase Utley, one could easily understand Markakis' frustration.

If the Orioles blow their chances with Nick, (it is far too early to tell), it would be nothing but a full revolt by the fans in the region.

MacPhail knows what he's doing and did nothing wrong, but in this case, he and the organization better not misfire with Nick as this stuff has a way of festering for a long time.

Alas, at the same time though, Markakis will more than get his worth if he keeps up his stellar play.

Dodgertown

I'll need to post some pictures of the facility perhaps later, but I found Dodgertown to nothing but a beautiful place to watch baseball (far superior to what they have in Fort Lauderdale).

Granted, Dodgertown is up there in age, but every seat is up and close and you have an intimate feel -- so intimate, that there's no real dugout, and you can interact with the players and LITERALLY hear each and very conversation if you're close enough.

With no offense to Legend's Field (that kind of takes away from the wonderful feel of spring training), in Dodgertown you get that feeling.

If the Baltimore Orioles do decide to leave Fort Lauderdale, I for one would be all for them moving (although there's not a lot seeming to do there).

However, if I were a Dodger fan, I'd feel a little bit blue with the fact they'll be moving to Arizona in '09.

I'll say again, Dodgertown was wonderful.

Just to give you an idea how close I was, as I sat in the second row -- thus, keep in mind there's only a chain link fence and perhaps two feet separating the fans from the player's benches:

Spring Training Photo Gallery - Washington Nationals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers; March 4, 2008

Spring Training Photos - Washington Nationals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Hope you enjoy...

Spring Training Photo Gallery - St. Louis Cardinals Vs. Baltimore Orioles; March 4, 2008

Finally, here are some Oriole pictures...

Spring Training Photos - St. Louis Cardinals at Baltimore Orioles; March 4th, 2008

Alas, I got front row seat action, as today a fellow fan gave my friend and I a comp ticket as we were looking to purchase some for the action Tuesday afternoon.

Boy, did we get lucky today.

Anyhow, the fellow who gave us the tickets also sang a wonderful rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner and got the crowd to join in.

If have the opportunity to head down to Florida or Arizona for Spring Training - go. Whether you're staying for a few days, a week, or more, the atmosphere and fun of baseball before it all counts is a wonderful experience. For the most part, players are more open during this time of the year than any other.

Plus, at the ball games, you meet an eclectic group of people from all walks of life who share one thing in common - the love of baseball.

More in the morning - I'm beat after driving on god awful I-95 in Florida from Ft. Lauderdale to Vero Beach. Well, I'm at a Red Roof inn near Vero Beach and I'll be headed to Jupiter to catch the Nationals vs. Cardinals Wednesday afternoon.

For Oriole fans; I'll be in Ft. Lauderdale again on Friday (Red Sox) and Saturday (Mets).

The Roundup...

I'm headed to the game this afternoon at Ft. Lauderdale Stadium, as the Orioles will take on the Cardinals.

Tom Boswell of Washington Post thinks the Orioles have finally wised up and realized what everyone has thought for the last several seasons -- they suck and business as usual needed to change. On that note, the Orioles could possibly be leaving Ft. Lauderdale for Vero BEach, Fla and the Orioles.com and Baltimore Sun have more on the story.

Well, it looks like Troy Patton's season might be done, as his rumored arm problems is serious than indicated. According to Jeff Zrebiec, Patton will fly up north and will have his shoulder examined, as well may possibly have surgery.

Meanwhile, Chris Ray is confident on returning by August from Tommy John surgery. Brian Buress is competing a role in the starting rotation; Scott Moore is impressing those down in southern Florida with play and hustle.

Despite being lit up on Monday, Jeremy Guthrie is trying to get the kinks worked out and says he'll be ready for the season, and the same could be said for Adam Loewen.

Jamie Walker, at 36, is an obvious choice to be a leader in the Oriole clubhouse; alas, young Brandon Fahey is looking to make the major league squad. The status of Brian Roberts because of his trade situation, and a position for Jay Gibbons is sure making spring training compelling to say in the least.

Our former ace, Erik Bedard got hit hard in his first start of spring training; however, it's just exhibition season and I don't take much stock in it -- he'll be fine.

Allen McCallum of PressBox Online thinks the Orioles will be bad, but not horribly bad...

Spring Training - New York Yankees vs. Houston Astros

Spring Training - New York Yankees vs. Houston Astros

Here are photos of the Astros/Yankees game in Kissimmee, Florida this afternoon. After driving for a little more than three hours, I'm finally out of the car, an working on some stuff right now.

Well, I'll be spending the rest of my time here watching the both Orioles and Nationals battle until Saturday. Right now, I'm at some swanky hotel paying quite a bit of money because I didn't reserve a room online or whatever before coming here. Granted, I am only five minutes from the ballpark, but I paid far more than I wanted.

I'll be at the Cardinals vs. Orioles game Tuesday afternoon, and then the Nationals Dodgers game in the evening.

Lots of driving, but I'll have more for you all tomorrow night. I'm beat, so I'll talk to you in the morning before I head to the ballpark to catch baseball.

More Roberts News, With Payton Now Included...

I'm eating at some IHOP near the stadium right now, and we just got done watching the game and obviously I'll have some shots up later.

Once again, there's more chatter about Brian Roberts move, this time from Sports Illustrated's Paul Heyman.

From MLB Trade Rumors: According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Cubs and Orioles are talking Brian Roberts trade again. A source of Heyman's "indicated discussions were starting to get serious."

Heyman says one scenario has the O's sending Jay Payton along with Roberts to Chicago. Although he'd fill the Cubs' desire for a right-handed hitting fourth outfielder who can handle center, Payton has to have negative trade value with a $5MM salary for '08 and a .668 OPS last year. The Cubs could send Jason Marquis back, but his two years and $19.25MM might be overcompensating for Payton's bad contract.

Heyman names the usual suspects as possible Orioles targets: Sean Marshall, Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, and Ronny Cedeno. Murton could again be stuck as a fourth outfielder in Baltimore; blocked prospect Eric Patterson might make more sense.

Well, personally I think a trade will happen within a week, just because of the situation with Mark DeRosa. I'm thinking Andy MacPhail has the Cubs where he wants them -- sadly; however, they needed a second baseman and Roberts fits bill for Chicago well.

Payton would thrive in Chicago even in a reserve role, as he's a guy who's driven by winning and the situation in Baltimore is not conducive to him.

We shall see what happens.

Once again, thanks to the intrepid Ian of Sox and Dawgs for keeping me updated on the road...

Spring Training Update

Well, I am heading to see the Astros/Yankees in Kissimmee, Florida this morning. Not much else is going on, but hope you all enjoyed some of the photos put up last night.

2008 Spring Training Gallery: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees; Legends Field, Tampa, FL

Spring Training - Philadelphia Philles vs. New York Yankees: Legend Field, Tampa , Fl.

Greeting everyone! I went to Legends Field in Tampa today, and here are photos of some the action from this afternoon.

Hope you all enjoy. I'll be on the other side of the state starting on Tuesday as I'll be covering both the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals.

I'll be back later.

Florida, Angelos and Brian Roberts

Well, I am currently in Florida now, and I kind of did not do anything yesterday baseball related, as since I left the cold of Maryland, I more or less wanted to enjoy the warm weather here - so I went to the beach and caught the sites of the Tampa area.

Right now, I'm getting ready to head out to see the Yankees and Phillies at Legends Field in Tampa. I'll try to have pictures up as soon as I can tonight.

The intrepid Ian from Sox and Dawgs (who is kind of my eyes and ears when I have become busy or away) sent me this via email last night about some Oriole news, this time related to Pater Angelos and the Brian Roberts situation...

From MLB Trade Rumors:This morning it was reported that the Cubs had two scouts at the Orioles' spring game yesterday to watch Brian Roberts.

Now, several people have written in to let us now that Bruce Levine of ESPN 1000 is reporting that Peter Angelos has given Andy MacPhail the green light to trade Roberts. It has long been rumored that Angelos might have been holding up the trade to the Cubs because of his personal affection for Roberts. With Angelos' blessing, this deal may finally happen in the next few days.

With the unfortunate Mark DeRosa situation going on in Cub-land, could Chicago perhaps be in the midst of a move? I thought a little about this and obviously it would make more sense than ever now for the Cubs to trade for Roberts and the Orioles to really get what they want.

Take it for what it's worth, but if the Cubs want to trade for Roberts, this would be a prime time for Baltimore to take advantage. Also, with Angelos' supposed blessing, the Orioles can finally move forward in the team's rebuilding.

Of course, take the rumors for what it's worth and a grain of salt.