Tuesday, June 26, 2007

YES!

Despite the umpire's best attempts, the Orioles WIN! Courtesy of 3 walks in the bottom of the ninth, the last one to Ramon Hernandez with the bases loaded. O's win 3-2.

Yankees fans go home pissed and bitter. Hopefully we can do it to them two more times.

Being an Orioles fan....

...Or, the 162 Days of Night.

In the graphic novel, 30 days of night. A town in Alaska is tormented by a sect of zombie-like vampires during a night that lasts 30 days. Well being an Orioles fan is a lot like that. Our vampires? Yankee fans. And once again the summer-long night will continue in Baltimore as the hordes of soul-sucking troglodytes descend upon Camden Yards to gloat, rub-it-in and perform all sorts of douchebaggery.

Looking back to January, there was so much promise. Our chief concern was how bad Steve Trachsel would be. We never thought that the offense would be as thin and anemic as Nichole Richie on day 3 of a 6 day bender. We never thought that the retooled bullpen would be giving it up like Nichole Richie on day 4 of a 6 day bender. We never
thought that Miguel Tejada would go down like...well you see where I'm going with this.

Oh, about Miguel, look at this picture, see it? Good because that is the last time you will see Tejada in an Orioles uniform until August. According to the Baltimore Sun.

As we approach the mid point of the season the Orioles are left in a rather unique area. They need to be sellers, but there is no one on the roster that is performing at a high enough level TO trade. You hear the usual suspects. Bedard, Cabrera and Ray. Gibbons and Patterson were prime trade bait thoughts in January, but they are playing so poorly that we would get little if anything useful for them. In a fit of delicious irony Trachsel is probably one of the more tradeable pieces we have.

Someone has a real sick sense of humor in the world.

So far, O's fans, its been pretty dark. But when the night is darkest, the stars shine brighter. Jeremy Guthrie IS that star. His performance has been beyond exemplary thus far. And tonight he goes up against a Yankee squad whom, despite their slack-jawed fan's boasts, is only a torrid 10 day period better than the O's. The Yanks sit a game under .500, a virtual dozen games off the pace, a steroid scandal in their laps and a patchwork pitching staff that is relying on the middle-aged arms and legs of a twice retired Roger Clemens to carry them the rest of the way. The Orioles will send their three best pitchers against them in these games attempting to put some orange-colored nails in the pinstriper's coffin.

It will take an out-right sweep of the Yankees to bring any life to the Orioles and their fans, which are in the middle of yet another summer-long suckerpunch. But through all the gloom I say one last thing: Go Birds!

Friday, June 22, 2007

On the Radio

Hey O's fans, catch your's truly on the radio tonight at 6PM on WNST 1570 AM...WNST.net online. I'm sure we will be talking Tejada, and all sorts of stuff re-hashing this really weird week in Orioles baseball.

Call in and say hey.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Girardi says No.

Apparently taking the advice of every sportscaenter pundit, former Florida Marlins manager of the year Joe Girardi has turned down the Orioles job.

GIVE DAVE A CHANCE!

A week to remember

Well, it certainly was a busy week.

Monday, beleaguered Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo is fired, Dave Trembley is named interm
. The Orioles are currently in ongoing negotiations with last year's National league manager of the year Joe Girardi to take over. In the meantime Trembley has certainly made a name for himself. The team has been playing with much more fire and enthusiasm the last two games, He has shuffled the lineup managed the bullpen much better, executed necessary switches and replacements. I really like Trembley. Girardi is a long term solution, and would be a GREAT addition. The Orioles definitely need blood from outside this organization, without the loyalties that have killed this team over the last 3 years.

And if there is one thing that this team is it's loyal, to a fault. A very big fault. Loyalty is great, but sometimes it can get in the way of you making tough decisions that would benefit the team. Trembley doesn't seem to have this problem and Girardi certainly wouldn't.

But the biggest, most EARTH-SHATTERINGLY good news to come out of this week was the Orioles hiring of Andy MacPhail as President of Baseball Operations. Why is that a big deal you ask? Well, look at the transcript of the press conference here, thanks to the wonderful editors of Orioles Hangout.

The most important part:

(There’s been a lot of criticism over the years about the ownership being too involved in baseball decisions. There is a lot of speculation that Andy MacPhail, with all that he’s accomplished would not have taken this job unless he got full control and final say over baseball decisions. Did you get any guarantee from Peter Angelos that you’re the guy calling the shots and you’re making the decisions):

If I didn’t feel that way, what you outlined, I wouldn't be here. It’s just that simple. Any owner of any team has a prerogative of owning the team and I outlined to Peter, where I think those lines are. He’s very comfortable with it; I’m very comfortable with it.


The even MORE important part:

(Is Peter Angelos holding back with his involvement in the ball club):


Peter Angelos is the owner of the team who has entrusted me to run his baseball operations. That’s the best way I can answer that.

It appears that Peter is making Andy MacPhail, a true blue baseball man, the new decider in the organization. Baseball's history is dotted with MacPhails. Andy's father Lee was President of the Orioles from 1958-1965. He is a baseball man with a baseball mind now taking over control of this beaten and battered organization. This is the biggest news to come out of the Warehouse since the signing of Miguel Tejada and a great day to be an Orioles fan.


Also, Jeremy Guthrie continues to have an amazing season as he went 8IP 1ER 9K performance last night against the Padres as the Birds broke an absolutely hellacious 9 game losing streak with a 7-1 win. Everything clicked last night, the offense defense and pitching was all exemplary. Hopefully this is a new beginning for the Orioles. The whole they have dug themselves in is mighty deep, but what would the game be without second-half teams?

Thursday, June 14, 2007

I'm Back

Long break, but my day job called.

What a couple weeks, the roller coaster of the season continues and I come to you in the deepest valley of the year. What a horrible homestand. Lost two to the Rockies, now dropping two in heartbreaking fashion to the Nationals!

Sorry Anthony but I'm pissed.

Hear more of my thoughts tonight around 7ish on WNST 1570AM (WNST.net) as I will be live in studio to entertain you all with my wacky shenanigans.

Do any of you out there still BELIEVE?

I do, yeah I know but I'm a sucker for a lost cause.

A big sucker.


PS.

Sam Perlozzo needs to be fired, more on that later.