Are the Birds Leaving Ft. Lauderdale for a New Spring Training Home in Sarasota?

If the news is true, it's going to suck as a fan to see the Orioles leave their Spring Training home in Fort Lauderdale for Sarasota; however, the move is a no-brainer considering the circumstances.

Sarasota County officials say they've reached a tentative agreement that would bring the Baltimore Orioles to the area for spring training in 2010.

Officials released a statement Tuesday saying they would send the agreement to the county commission for approval. The Sarasota City Commission will also have to approve parts of the deal. Both boards are scheduled to vote Wednesday.

The 30-year agreement calls for the renovation and expansion of Ed Smith Stadium at an estimated cost of $31.2 million.

Some of the funding would include local tourism tax revenue and more than $7 million in state money.

If the deal is approved, the Orioles would leave their current spring training facility in Fort Lauderdale.

Well, the facility in Fort Lauderdale is antiquated and in need of upgrading -- which I assume would cost millions to do, and in this economy, I cannot imagine it being done. Furthermore, the Orioles' minor camp is in Sarasota, and one would think it would make sense for the minor and major league teams to train with one another. From what I know as well, the Orioles have a site ready for them to use, and it will be expanded; plus, I'm sure there will be some incentives and additional projects thrown in as well.

Again, as a fan I bemoan the fact that the may be team moving from the Ft. Lauderdale-Miami area to across the state, but as a business move, it makes perfect sense.

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Big Ben Roethlisberger Potentially in Legal Hot Water...

As if the world needed any more bad news about athletes, especially one with an image as pristine as Ben Roethlisberger. Obviously, we have no idea how these guys are off the field, but knowing what I have seen of the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback, I hope this story is not true.

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O's Lose in the Bronx Late, Salazar Traded for Meredith, Pie

After losing two out of three this past weekend to the White Sox, the Orioles headed up north to the Bronx to take on the Evil Empire in a three game series in what has been -- as thought -- a very tough road trip.

Last night, the Orioles fought long and hard against the Yankees, but in the end, the Bombers got the best of them a Hideki Matsui broke open a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the ninth with his 15th homer that sailed over the right field wall. The Yankees earned a 2-1 victory, and Jim Johnson -- who was on the mound in relief for Baltimore -- took the loss as served up a pitch on a 2-2 count that Matsui absolutely crushed.

Of course, the Orioles ran themselves out of potential scoring opportunities and that killed them. Seriously.

All the runs in the game came via the longball -- which the new Yankee Stadium has become renowned for -- as Nick Markakis hit a solo home run for Baltimore in the 1st (his 10th), and Eric Hinske hit a solo shot of his own in the second inning. Otherwise than that, the game featured solid pitching by David Hernandez for the Orioles, and Andy Pettitte -- who owns the Orioles with a 25-6 record -- for the Yankees.

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Talking Baseball and the O's on Capitol Hill...

The Baltimore Orioles may have not have gotten a lot of respect in the past decade because of their win-loss record; however, the team and their immaculate home -- Oriole Park at Camden Yards -- became a topic of conversation during the sometimes-heated-but-done-for-show Sonia Sotomayor hearings in Washington D.C. to become the nect Supreme Court justice.

A transcript:

Cardin: "You are a hero to the Baltimore baseball fans. Let me explain. [During] the Major League Baseball strike [of 1994-95], you allowed the season to continue [without the use of replacement players] so Cal Ripken could become the Iron Man of baseall in September 1995. We just want to invite you, as a baseball fan, to an Oriole game, and we promise it will not be when the Yankees are playing, so you can root for the Baltimore Orioles."

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The Second Half is Upon Us...

The second half of the season for the Baltimore Orioles kicks off today as they head out to the Windy City to face the White Sox, but right now, we are in the All-Star break.

That being said, the Orioles are 40-48, and miles away from contending. As fans, what do we expect from Baltimore in the second half? Another second half swoon? Who stays, who goes? Who do you want to see come up from the minors (Tillman, Arrieta)? Does Trembley stick around for 2010?

Finally, do you like the job Andy MacPhail has done so far? Well, in my opinion, the Orioles are exactly where they should be; however, some guys have been pulling their weight, and some have really not.

I'm still all for Andy MacPhail's plan -- the organization is a lot better from the top of the bottom, the young talent are finally getting their due, and the Orioles are staying away from costly motakes (big contracts to guys over the hill) that would cripple them for years to come.

We start the second half off away from the comfy confines of Camden Yards against the White Sox, then the Yankees, and the road trip ends in Baltimore's personal hell -- Boston. How the Orioles finish this trip will say a lot about how the team will finish in 2008 and should tell us if reinforcements are needed from the farm. So, far with the Orioles there a some positives, and negatives.

Positives: Right now, Adam Jones is having himself a solid year (although I think he's regressed some from his blistering start), Luke Scott is hitting like an All-Star at the plate, Bergesen is getting guys out, and the duo of Jim Johnson along with George Sherrill are closing out games.

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Adam Jones Shines in Midsummer Classic; The Roundup...

Baltimore's own Adam Jones held his own with the plethora of All-Stars as he drove in the winning run to lead the American League over the National League, in yet another close Midsummer Classic, 4-3. He carried himself like a true pro on Tuesday, and although he didn't get a hit, he made quite the showing. Watching a little bit of the replay on mlb.tv, although the announcers -- Tim McCarver and Joe Buck -- didn't go too much into detail about Jones, they gave the young man his props.

The American League has won their 12th contest in a row, and Carl Crawford from Tampa Bay was chosen as the game's MVP after robbing Colorado's Brad Hawpe of a sure home run (which would put the NL in the lead) to center in the seventh inning of the game.

I don't know if Adam Jones or we fans should feel disrespected, but why was he not given an interview of some sort after the game? For some people who root for the Orioles, the All-Star game must have ever that much sweeter as 'Baltimore' was on the road uniform for the first time in nearly four decades. In addition, on the sports talk radio shows, his Facebook page, and on TV, he spoke about loving the city and having the name of it adorned on his chest -- which was nice to hear, whether it was a PR move, or straight from his heart.

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Business is About to Pick Up in Philadelphia; Pedro Martinez Signs With Phils...

Interesting...

From CNN: Pedro Martinez and the Phillies have agreed to a deal on Tuesday and an announcement is expected on Wednesday, SI.com has learned.

The Phillies scouted Martinez twice recently and the right-hander passed a physical in Philadelphia on Tuesday, according to Yahoo! Sports. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that it is a one-year deal worth $1 million and includes $1.5 million in incentives.

Other teams interested in Martinez included the Diamondbacks, Indians, Pirates, Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs and Rays.

I can imagine every start featuring Pedro from here on out will be must-see-TV just to see how Philadelphia reacts...

Prince Fielder Wins The Derby; Adam Jones in STL

Brewers' First Baseman Prince Fielder won the Home Run Derby last night in St. Louis by besting the Rangers' Nelson Cruz in the final round, 6-5. I'll say this year's event was kind of, um, lacking in excitement, as it didn't have the star power of year's past and sadly, despite Fielder's heroics, it was actually a tad boring. The National League had a formidable lineup with some of the premier first baseman and sluggers in the game -- the American League, um, not so much; however, Nelson Cruz can hit bombs with the best of them.

If you've never been to a Home Run Derby -- I have been to one every year since 2003 -- it's a slickly produced TV event with also a lot of dead time between breaks. It felt at times that a three hour event dragged on and became six; plus, sitting in the seating area, it can be kind of hard to see what's going on with the photographers, media, players and baseball officials around.

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Bergesen Delivers Again; 2110 Eutaw St Review...

The Baltimore Orioles finished their last game before all the All-Star break with a victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, 4-2, thanks to a nice outing by youngster Brad Bergesen and two RBI's by Brian Roberts. George Sherrill -- who perhaps deserved some All-Star consideration this year -- earned his 20th save of the season.

Bergesen is 6-3, and one has to think considering where he started, plus what he's done in the majors, one has to think he's the potential ace of the staff. It's nothing short of amazing what he's done in the majors, and one has to think he's definitely here to stay. Bergesen may not the be the best pitcher in the stable of the much-hyped youngsters -- but he throws strikes, pitches to contact, and actually goes fairly deep into games, something that every team looks for out of a hurler. He's definitely someone we should look for to get Rookie of the Year consideration.

Baltimore took a 2-0 lead thanks to a RBI-double by Brian Roberts and an RBI-single by Nick Markakis. They look a 3-0 lead in the sixth inning off a solo home run by Oscar Salazar -- his second of the season. Toronto came within one of the lead, 3-2, in the seventh inning as Dave Delucci and Marco Scutaro drove in runs and knocked Bergesen out of the game.

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B.J. Ryan and "Doc" Halladay

In other news, former Oriole reliever B.J. Ryan, who went for the big bucks (a 5 year, 47 million plus contract with Toronto) was released yesterday. Ryan had Tommy John surgery a few years ago, and has not even been close to the same pitcher was before the procedure. Too bad, he seemed to be one hell of a reliever when he was at the top of the game.

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Steve McNair and Hero Worship

I've been hearing a lot about Steve McNair on Cable TV and sports talk radio, plus have read quite a bit about him in the Internet since the news of his untimely death at the hands of his girlfriend -- Sahel Kazemi -- in a murder-suicide, according to police.

Well, there's been a lot of talk about him as a "hero", "role model", "great athlete" and what not as well as talk about him as person whose choices in life led to his death. Really, I am not a fan of the Ravens, nor of the Titans -- where McNair played for yeas before he came to Baltimore -- however, I did respect him as an athlete, and an incredible competitor.

That's where my admiration for him ends. I didn't know McNair, never met him, nor really follow him that closely, and there are many people who say, "don't judge the man"; however, the tragic circumstances of his death will lead many to question his judgment.

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O's Take Series in Seattle After Implosion; Orioles Cook-Off...

The Baltimore Orioles got lucky last night -- literally. They scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth, thanks to RBI's by Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, and two by Ty Wigginton along with two assists -- er, errors -- by Mariners' second Jose Lopez helped the Orioles win, 5-3.

Baltimore with the win on Wednesday afternoon, took two out of three from Seattle, and ended their West Coast excursion with a 3-4 record after a shockingly bad series in Anaheim. Brian Bass got the win in relief, and George Sherrill got the win in relief. I don't know if the win on was one of the better comebacks I have seen this season, but they sure got a huge, huge gift.

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O's Win in Seattle, Guthrie & Do We Really Want to Trade Luke Scott?

The Orioles finally snapped out of their funk and got a well deserved 12-4 win over the Seattle Mariners last night in the Emerald City. Well, Tuesday's contest seemed to be a tale of two game, as Baltimore jumped on starter and former teammate Erik Bedard for two runs in the first before he figured himself out and shut them down. However, once Bedard left, the Orioles offense took over and when all was said and done, Luke Scott ended the day with seven RBI -- a career high that included a two-run single in the first and a three-run homer in the seventh.

Baltimore used a six-run seventh inning to put the game away for good, and helped Mark Hendrickson (who came into the game relieving Jeremy Guthrie) earn his fourth win of the season. Adam Jones and Nolan Reimold had two hits in the brigade.

Overall, it was a good game for Baltimore; however, you've have to be concerned about Guthrie. Last night, it looked to be Guthrie might have been injured, but upon further review and a few statements from the purported ace, it seems to be that he was ill.

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The Same Old Story & ESPN Profiles the Orioles...

There's really not much to say about last night, the Orioles were flat-out dominated by the Seattle Mariners and Jarrod Washburn, therefore, in the end lost 5-0 as they mustered only a single hit. Well, Brad Beregsen lost for the first time in a month, Baltimore was hamstrung, and it has been the same old story for the past few days, but Monday night was far, far, far worse.

In light of the struggles last night, ESPN has two nice pieces on the team -- one from Jerry Crasnick and the other from Baseball Prospectus -- centers on the young outfield and the arms (or as Dave Trembley has referred to as the 'calvary'.)

I don't know if the Orioles will ever find themselves in a World Series anytime soon, or if they'll be much less in the playoffs, but we've got an exciting team to watch for years to come.

A Wasted Weekend in Anaheim; The Halfway Point & Adam Jones

There's really not to talk a lot about the games this past weekend. Aside from David Hernandez's performance on Friday, the Orioles were nothing short of bad on the left coast against the Angels.

Baltimore should have won three out of the four games in the series, but instead only won one -- on Friday. The inability of our pitchers to go deep (notably, on Saturday and Sunday), poor defense (Saturday with the colossal Markakis/Roberts flyball), and the ghastly bullpen performances, one has to wonder if the swoon for the Orioles is already here.

Despite some strong play in the Interleague portion of the schedule, it is looking like the same old Orioles that we have come to know as the calendar has turned to July.

Obviously, contention for a playoff spot has been long out of the question; therefore, where do we go from here? Well, are we enthused for the second half, or are some of us waiting for football?

Are you all impressed with the season so far? Do you think the criticism of Roberts by some in the media and on the radio is fair? What deals do you think should be made? Does the rotation need to be revamped again? Finally, is Dave Trembley the man to lead Baltimore into the future, or he will be gone before the rebuilding project is done?

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Hernandez Leads the Way, Huff Homers, O's Win Against Angels, 6-4

The Orioles snapped a two game skid as they won against the Angels, 6-4, out in Anaheim last night. Rookie David Hernandez showed himself to be major-league worthy as he kept the Los Angeles lineup -- one of the better in baseball -- at bay as he went 6 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits. Hernandez was not perfect in any sense of the word, but his teammates gave up a him comfortable lead and he did his job by keeping runs off the board along with preserving the lead for Baltimore. George Sherill got the save -- his 18th of the season.

The Baltimore offense came alive on Friday they took advantage of a shaky Ervin Santana -- who started the game for Los Angeles -- and did all their scoring before the fifth inning. Luke Scott had a two-RBI double in the 1st inning, and the Aubrey Huff had a three run homer in the third inning (his 11th) to put Baltimore up 5-0. Nick Marakis raised the score 6-0 after a RBI-single that plated Brian Roberts.

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O's Lose on the Left Coast to Angels, 5-2: Trembley's Decision on Bergesen in Red Sox Loss...

After their brutal extra-inning loss to the Red Sox on Wednesday, the Orioles flew out to the left coast to face another tough customer -- the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Baltimore offense sputtered, and the pitching staff was victimized by Bobby Abreu -- who had two home runs and 4 RBI's -- along with a huge fifth inning, and they lost to Los Angeles, 5-2.

The Angels' John Lackey (3-3) went eight innings for the victory, and Brian Fuentes got his 23rd save.

Jeremy Guthrie (6-8) took the loss on Thursday as he lasted seven innings and gave up five runs. He gave up a solo home run to Bobby Abreu in the fourth inning, but the Angels got to him in the fifth inning as he allowed Macier Izturis to reach base on a triple, then walked Mike Napoli, thereafter, Chone Figgins plated Izturis and Los Angeles took the lead, 2-1. Moments later, Abreu stepped up to the plate and took Guthrie deep again to give the Angels a 5-2 lead.

Guthrie was not terrible in his outing, but it took a few bad pitches and a big inning to put the nail in the coffin for Baltimore. However, his offense didn't help him much out at all as they only mustered five hits, and the big three in the lineup -- Brian Roberts, Adam Jones & Nick Markakis -- went for 0-for-12.

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Uehara On The Shelf For a While...

It looks like Koji Uehara will be on the shelf for a while, as he's going on the disabled list with a partly torn elbow tendon. It's too bad what he's had to go through in his transition from the Japanese professional league to the majors, but he seems to have not been in the best of physical condition at all whatsoever.

Manager Dave Trembley announced Wednesday morning that Uehara will be shut down for up to five weeks, then embark on a throwing program that could extend his absence up to eight weeks or more. It's possible that Uehara won't return this season.

"Koji is going to be out for awhile," Trembley said. "He has a partial tear in his elbow and will rest for three to five weeks. Surgery is not required. ... It could be seven or eight weeks before he's in a game again. He's going to get a second opinion, which everyone does now, but Dr. [John] Wilckens and Dr. [Andrew] Cosgarea are confident that's what it is."

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The Red Sox Can Comeback Too...

What a fun, draining and disappointing day. The Baltimore Orioles had the Red Sox where they wanted them -- down 5-1 in the top of the ninth inning; however, the Red Sox decided to flip the script and show that they could do a comeback as well.

Not only would the Orioles blow a four-run lead, thanks to four walks by the relief corps -- mainly, Jim Johnson and George Sherrill -- plus a two-run shot by Kevin Youkilis and giving up bases load single to ex-Ray Rocco Baldelli to the the game. The pesky Red Sox would decide the game in the 11th as Julio Lugo plated in the winning run off reliever Danys Baez, and they would steal one from the Orioles, 6-5.

Amazingly, Sherril struck out two Boston batters -- Jason Bay and David Ortiz -- for two outs in the frame; however, after giving up a single to Jacoby Ellsbury and a walk to Jeff Bailey, Jason Varitek earned a contoversial walk and then the flood gates opened thanks to Baldelli's single.

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About Last Night, The O's Comeback Against the Evil Empire 1A, The Red Sox...

I was so busy this morning with car repairs and other stuff, that I didn't even get to the amazing comeback last night against the Red Sox. Pretty much we all know what happened, Nick Markakis had the go-ahead, two-RBI triple in the bottom of the eighth inning, the bullpen delivered, and Jonathan Papelbon blew his first save ever against Baltimore.

We won in a crazy game, 11-10, which might as well have been two games in one with a rain delay, Boston taking what was an insurmountable lead at one point, hits, a great rally by Baltimore, and more ups and downs than we can count.

For us Oriole fans, yes, Tuesday night is only one game, but it comes to show you have play every single out and battle. Now, Baltimore may never have a game like this again, but as a fan, it's a beautiful thing to have seen this team come back and fight against their powerful rival for one night -- especially after a decade plus of losing.

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