Oriole Central

I am GOOONE!

2006-07-19T20:58:00.000-04:00

Don't worry, I'm just moving the site. My new site is here. I'll still have my patented sense of humor, plenty of links, and of course, ton of Orioles stuff. Update your bookmarks and links and come on by. Got some GOOD STUFF going here in the coming days. You'll thank me later!

Bobby O-breu

2006-07-19T19:05:00.000-04:00

The O's front office's crush on Bobby Abreu continues. Getting Abreu or Pat Burrell for Rodrigo Lopez and a middle of the road prospect on the surface would a steal. Lopez isn't the future for the O's and Abreu/Burrell would provide protection in the line-up for Miggy. This seems completely unlikely. The Phils could get a lot more for Abreu than Rodrigo and a double A kid. I think this is more rumor than fact. If this deal was the table, I’m sure it’d be done already. . From the Sun:

Abreu, a 32-year-old right fielder and two-time All-Star, is in the third season of a five-year, $64 million deal. He is making $13 million this year, with $15 million due in 2007 and a $16 million club option in 2008 ($2 million buyout). Another source, however, said the club has received no indication that the left-handed-hitting Abreu would waive the clause -- especially without receiving a contract extension or a guarantee on the 2008 option).

Burrell is owed 32 million dollars and has a no trade clause. Apparently, he isn't eager to waive it to come to Baltimore, which doesn't upset me much. If we get Abreu, does this usher in a higher payroll team? Or will it be adding a big name to appease the fans? Give me some AAA kids (I doubt Lopez would net you a top prospect....but it depends on the market) will high upset and can be a foundation for this team. I won't be upset if we somehow get Abreu, but I think we need to get younger, not older. For the record, I don't think this deal will happen. Watch Rodrigo go to the Rangers or the Mets. Even as I type this, ESPN is saying that the Tigers are making a big push for Abreu. So I don't think we'll see Abreu in Orange and Black. "Hi, My name is Eddy Rodriguez. My control last night made Daniel Cabrera look like Greg Maddux." I disagreed with Perlozzo putting Eddy in after rain delay. Taking Ortiz out after the delay was not a bad move. In fact, I applaude it. But Rodriguez hasn't pitched in ten days and pitching him in the third isn't exactly to spot to pitch him at. What about Birkins for a couple innings. At least he didn't put Chen in.

"What's round, white, and can travel 450 ft?"

2006-07-18T12:24:00.000-04:00

A ball thrown by Bruce Chen. Feel free to use it today, Bruce. I'm running out of room, dude. Seriously, what does this guy have to do to be released? He's stunk all season, though stunk is certainly not a strong enough word. I've composed a list of things that is amply titled... Things Bruce Chen has done and still not been released for: -Bringing his pet ferret,Ernesto, into the locker room -Throwing chin music to the kids at the kids game -Putting Flintstone Vitamins in with Miggy's B-12 -Regularly wearing a Sammy Sosa jersey during warm-ups -Experimenting with switch pitching during a game -Pitching underhanded -Text messaging Jason Grimsley -Proclaiming that he's using pitching techniques taught to him by Jim Brower -Telling lame jokes last and not least... -Giving up 22 homers in 68.1 innings -and not winning a single game Another win last night, I missed it..but looks like Loewen did his best Daniel Cabrera impression. IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA 5.0 1 2 2 6 5 0 6.62 92 pitches, with 48 for strikes and a balk. It's a promising start....with that nice one hit. But just got ahead and insert everything I've said about Daniel Cabrera in here and that's my thoughts on Loewen. I'm staying in tonight and I get to see a clash of titans on the mound tonight... Esteban Loaiza vs. Russ Ortiz. Loaiza has not given up less than 4 runs in any start this season. Oritz has once. Even though it was only 2.1 inngs over the Giants with 3 walks. I'm predicting an offensive firework show tonight that'll rival your Fourth of July celebration. Anyone catch A-rod's show last night? 0-4 and 3 errors. Kind of funny when bad things happy to obscenely rich Yankees.

Ranger's/O's series thoughts

2006-07-16T19:08:00.000-04:00

It's funny how the Orioles play with my emotions. I missed Thursday's game because I was out with some friends and I'm glad I did. When I saw the score, I was disgusted. 15-1. That's when I was thinking this team is horrible. I'm still completely befuddled...yes, BEFUDDLED by Daniel Cabrera (I hope some time in Triple-A gets his control and his head right). When I saw that Bruce Chen gave up 3 Homeruns, I was not surprised. But I am stunned he's still an Oriole. What does he have to do to be released? Friday's game was a heartbreaker. I got home to listen to the last 5 innings on XM. Kris Benson pitched his guts out, but for the second straight night the offense was DOA and that's when I was convinced an axe needed to be taken to this team. Pitching beats good hitting nine times out of ten, but when there's NO hitting for the team that has the good pitching, well...that's a tough loss to take. I was stuck at work all day Saturday and all of today, so I missed the two wins. Bedard was lights out again in an 8-1. I was down on Bedard at the end of last season and I was too upset when his name was mentioned in trade rumors. Could you image how things would have been if a Tejada/Bedard for Prior/Pie/Cedeno trade happened? It would be truly dark days for the O's...and us. Our offense would be as weak as a wet paperbag full of pennies and Kris Benson would be the lone bright spot of our rotation. from MLB.com

During his six-game win streak, Bedard has a 1.07 ERA. He's given up 23 hits and walked nine over the 42-inning span, striking out 44. When Bedard began the win streak, his ERA was 5.60; it dropped to 4.02 after Saturday's victory.

Crazy good sick numbers. Today Rodrigo Lopez upped his traded value going 5 and 2/3 scoreless innings as the O's topped the Rangers 4-0. Tejada and Markakis hit homers today. Hate that I missed these the last two games. I'm getting excited about Markakis. He's struggled alot, but he's starting to really find his own now, batting .274. Although, if I see that Rodrigo is pitching, it's usually a green light to see what any of my friends are up to that day (though I do watch or listen to as many games as possible). So the series ends this weekend with a split, that was plenty ugly and plenty fine. This team's Jekyll and Hyde thing is wearing on me though. For a game or two they can't hit the water if they fell out of a boat and then the next night they'll crank out the hits. It's a very uneven...or rather inconsistent team. I really think this team could be a really good team if it addresses a few holes, as it stands now though, they could be .500 if a lot things go right. Hey, Former-Oriole Luis Matos is now a member of the Washington Nationals. No matter what he does there I'll never miss him because I know if he stayed an O, he'd bat .190 and stink it up if he stayed in Baltimore. Adam Loewen starts tomorrow against the A's. Should be an interesting watch. I'm watching the Mets and Cubs on ESPN and I have one question... DOES ANYONE CARE ABOUT THE ESPYS?

Ottawa or Bust

2006-07-14T18:59:00.000-04:00

Big news today Daniel Cabrera and Sendy Rleal go to Ottawa and Adam Loewen and Eddy Rodriguez get called up. I think this is great move. Cabrera needs to get his head right and pitching in the minors would allow him to. Maybe he can get his control down and get his change up down. Loewen's pitched great in Triple-A, 2-0 and 1.27 ERA in 3 starts. Some other moves I think the O's should make 1. Release Bruce Chen. 2. Plug in Ortiz in the mop-up role 3. Trade Rodrigo Lopez. The Mets need a starter or two, so how about Diaz for Lopez? 4. Re-sign Brian Roberts 5. Keep Todd Williams on a short lease, and if he continues to give up runs, release him. 6. Wait on any Miggy trade til the off-season. 7. Trade Javy Lopez, LaTroy Hawkins, Jeff Conine, and Kevin Millar. 8. Trade for Ryan Shealy or another 1st base talent 9. Call up Hayden Penn as soon as he's healthy. 10.Shop Kris Benson around. You don't HAVE to trade him...but at this point the O's need to get younger and build w/ young talent. I missed last night's game and I'm glad I did.

Carlos Lee or Soriano

2006-07-13T15:08:00.000-04:00

I LOVE the Sports Illustrated Truth and Rumors.

The Orioles have strong interest in free-agents-to-be Carlos Lee of the Brewers and the Nationals' Alfonso Soriano, but it's uncertain whether either of them will have interest in Baltimore. -- Washington Post

Here's the article. I don't know if this means if we are interested in trading for them or waiting til after the season and going after them. For the sake of what I'm writing, I'm going with via trade route. Carlos Lee in an Orioles uniform would make me a happy happy guy. BUT what are we going to trade for him? Are we going to mortgage the future for a couple months of Lee or Soriano? If a deal could get done, that's awesome. But if Lee or Soriano don't resign with the O's in the offseason, then we have nothing to show for it. Will they ever want to come here? Do I think it's likely? No. Loewen would HAVE to be a part of deal involving Lee or Soriano. If it could net either of these two and they could resign them, then I'd do it a heartbeat. The Nats and the Brewers want young players, so Rodrigo Lopez, Bruce Chen, and Javy Lopez wouldn't get them to pick up their phone. I think Soriano is a bit of a headcase, but after that horrible fiasco in Washington to start Spring Training, he's done and said the right things. Left Field for the O's has been a void for years. A Carlos Lee or Alfonso Soriano would be a Godsend. An unlikey one, but there's always a chance. Here's what our batting order would look like if this fantasy trade could somehow come true (I CAN NOT STRESS HOW UNLIKELY I THINK THIS IS TOO HAPPEN) and the Ryan Shealy trade. 2B Brian Roberts 3B Melvin Mora SS Miguel Tejada LF Carlos Lee C Ramon Hernandez DH Jay Gibbons 1B Ryan Shealy CF Corey Patterson RF Nick Markakis *In case of Soriano, I'd bat him second and move Mora and Tejada down a spot. Bench Fahey, Conine/Millar(whoever's left),Gomez (if not traded for spare parts),Terrero and whoever our back-up catcher is going to be once Javy Lopez is gone. That is a dream. Here's your obligatory Tejada rumor.

The Angels have made no secret of their interest in supplementing the offense with a powerful veteran hitter, with Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee, Miguel Tejada and Bobby Abreu among the candidates. To get one, though, Stoneman probably would have to surrender several top prospects. -- Los Angeles Times

If a trade(or fat contract in the offseason is waiting for) for Lee or Soriano is being tossed around, I say a Tejada trade would never happen. Carlos Lee or Soriano would be acquired to get Miggy happy.

Rebuffed in attempts to trade Sidney Ponson, the Cardinals are expected to officially part ways today with the pitcher. Ponson has attracted significant interest from the Yankees and Red Sox and could accept a bid from either club if he clears waivers. -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Sir Sid on the Yankees or the Red Sox? I hope it happens. I hope whoever signs him gets Matos too. I could hate them more.

Some members of the national media have speculated that Sam Perlozzo could be on the hot seat, but several high-ranking Orioles officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the rookie manager has grown into his job and done nothing to put it in jeopardy. Orioles players also say they are firmly behind Perlozzo. -- Baltimore Sun

Perlozzo is safe. I'm sure for several reasons. 1) No Sam, then no Leo Mazzone. 2) If Perlozzo gets canned this quick, what manager in their right mind would want to come here? 3) Sam hasn't even managed a full season.

Why the Royals Stink

2006-07-12T16:35:00.000-04:00

Went to the Drive game today. I love a day game. The Asheville Tourists and their crazy manager were in town. No outbursts happened. But it was an offensive show. The Drive won 11-5. In his first game for the Drive, infielder Mickey Hall homered twice and had another that was almost number three. Nice debut. If he keeps that up, he won't be in Greenvile long. The All-Star game was OK last night. I worked a long day yesterday and decided to watch it. I thought the score would have been higher, but it was a good game. Brad Penny, who I was surprised was starting, was impressive striking out the side to start the game. Chin music to Jeter at 99 mph? priceless. The Trade Deadline is coming soon and the Huff to the Astros trade for prospects happened today. Good deal for the Astros. I'm sure Huff will help their anemic offense. The D-Rays got prospects, and I'm sure the Rays made sure they got some talent. I'm sure the O's are looking to make some deals, some involving young prospects. It's a crapshoot sometimes with prospects, some pan out, some don't. Look at the case of the Royals. They had Jermaine Dye, Johnny Damon, and Carlos Beltran. What did they get for him? Nothing much. Of course, the Royals have a front office that makes the Orioles front office look like geniuses. An outfield of Damon, Beltran, and Dye and you can't get a single star for them? Embarassing. What did the Royals get for these three All-Stars? For Beltran, Mike Wood, Mark Teahen, John Buck and Cash For Dye, Neifi Perez For Damon, Angel Berroa, Roberto Hernandez, and AJ Hinch AJ Hinch played 2 forgettable seasons in KC. So unforgettable that I haven't heard of him until today. Here's proof that he did play in KC Berroa is still with the Royals. Five seasons, .272 average. Hernandez recorded 54 saves over 2 seasons with the Royals before hightailing it out of there. Neifi Perez is not a good player. His glove has gotten him by over the years. Over a season and 1/3rd Perez batted .238 for the Royals. John Buck is still with the Royals. I don't know much about Buck, but he's batting a collective .239 over the past two seasons. He's a catcher, so maybe he's a good defensive catcher. I'd hope so at least. Mike Wood is still with the Royals. But his numbers definately didn't floor me. Teahen is still in the minors. Batting a robust .380 in Omaha. You want to know why the Royals are bad? Stuff like that.

Let me clean the blood from ears...

2006-07-10T20:14:00.000-04:00

I HATE BIG AND RICH. What is this? A clown in a stupid hat and some other idiots who can't sing? What a coup snapping these guys up. I can not believe they were available. Where the Rembrandts booked already?

Mid-Term Report Card

2006-07-10T14:43:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's sloppy 5-4 win over the Indians marked the half-way mark for the season. The O's now sit at 41-49 at the All-Star break. Injuries have taken their toll on the Orioles. Brian Roberts, Jay Gibbons, Daniel Cabrera, Javy Lopez, Todd Williams, Chris Gomez, and David Newhan are the most notable on the O's DL this season. Outfield- Corey Patterson has been a surprise in center. When we got him for Single A spare parts, I thought it was a nice low-risk pick-up. Then the season started and he got off to a wretched start, part of which was due to being glued to the bench. With injuries to David Newhan and Former Oriole Luis Matos (How nice it is to type those words), Patterson got playing time by default and ran with it. With the exception of yesterday, he plays great defense. He's made several spectacular catches this season. He's been a nice surprise, but I want to see how the second half of his season goes before I get too excited. Nick Markakis has finally found his groove in Right. His average has jumped to .268 over the course of the last few weeks. I think his strong spring rushed him to the O's when maybe he should have started the season in Ottawa, but that's too late now and it looks like he's gonna be ok. So where does Nick play when Jay Gibbons comes back? Jay's been plagued by injuries since that crash into Anahiem's outfield wall. I like Jay's bat (10 HR and 29 RBI in 48 games), but his defense is average at very best. I hope the second half ushers in the era of Jay Gibbons-DH or 1st baseman. Nick looks like he's found his groove in Right Field and that's where he should stay. Left field is a revolving door with Jeff Conine, Ed Rodgers (who was thankfully sent back to Ottawa today), Brandon Fahey, the ex-Oriole Luis Matos, Luis Terrero, and Kevin Millar have played there this season. Conine's defense scares me. Ed Rodgers can be an error waiting to happen. Terrero is 0-17 so far. Fahey, I like. Outfield is not his position, but anyway to get him in the line-up, I'm in favor of. the former Luis Matos? Good luck in KC, Pittsburgh, or wherever you end up. Grades- LF- D CF- B RF- w/ Markakis Incomplete w/ Gibbons- B- DH Javy Lopez has been a disappointment this season. The great first base experiment ended abruptly and has been the primary DH, except when he catches for his bro Rodrigo. A recent a surge has him at a .280 average with only 7 dingers and 29 RBI. Javy has been on the DL for a stint and won't be an O much longer if the front office can find any takers. I've been a fan of Javy since his Braves days, but I think his stint as an Oriole has been less than memorable. When and if he gets traded I'll delve into this more. Grade- C- (the Cleveland series kept him from getting a D) Kevin Millar has DHed when Javy hasn't. a .248 average w/ 6 HR and 33 RBI isn't impressive, but I like Millar. He's second behind Brian Roberts (31) for walks with his 30. Say what you will about his average, Millar can work a count. Besides, this was a CLUBHOUSE PRESENCE signing. Anything else is supposed to be gravy. Grade- C 1st It's been first base by commitee. Javy Lopez was supposed to be the first baseman this season, but that didn't work out in spring training. So it's been the two-headed monster of Conine and Millar or better known as Conlar. Conlar is an aging two headed monster at first. I remember the epic depths Conine started the season with. With a .050 batting average and an eye for a pop-out, I seethed at the meer mention of the name of Jeff Conine. BUT Conine has fared well of late. I hope this ups his trade value and he'll be able to fetch the O's some spare parts at the deadline. Millar's defense at first has been a little spotty. Conlar is a stop-gap for the fact that we have no other solution at first. Grade- C 2nd Brian Roberts so far has a .298 average with 1 HR and 33 RBI (and 22 games missed) has put in another fine season. There's no one else I'd rather have batting lead-off and playing second base. Roberts has 22 stolen bases (second to Corey's 31) has shown that he's healed from his injury. Grade- A SS Will he be traded? Is there a Grimsley link? Is he hurt? I'm tired of all the Tejada questions. Tejada has been great on offense with a .315 average 17 HR and 61 RBI, his defense has been lacking. His range has suddenly become limited. I wonder if there's an injury that he's not talking about. Why would his range so suddenly shrink? There's not much hustle either. He runs about as fast to first sometimes like he's got a piano tied to his back. The next few weeks should be interesting. Grade- B 3rd Good old reliable Melvin Mora. Maybe the contract extension was a year too much, but hey, it's Melvin. He plays good defense at 3rd and swings a pretty good bat. He's been a little more prone to the slump lately, but he's still on pace for 22 HR and 88 RBI, which would equal last year's total of RBI. Grade- B C Well to Baltimore, Ramon Hernandez. Ramon's been a welcomed addition to the Orioles. Not really known for his offense, he's heading towards a career year in all offensive catagories. He's got a cannon for an arm, throwing out 28 of 56 steal attempts. He's going to have career highs in errors and passed balls, but that's the price you pay for working with Daniel Cabrera. Grade-A Tomorrow or Wednesday I'll run down the pitching.

My Mascot is a Sleazeball

2006-07-07T16:59:00.000-04:00

The Greenville Drive's Mascot, the Reedy Rip-It, got arrested for getting..eh..a little too friendly with a female fan. Hey, Sports Illustrated has it on the front page The Greenville News has the mugshot. Disgusting. The News tonight said he's suspended with pay, but this happened in April, and until the woman filed the complaint with the police...they had this sleazebag working still. Nice. But now that the story's out, they suspended him and I'm sure he'll get fired. But this should have happened in the first place, once the team investigated the inicident. Mascots are stupid looking by nature. They're for kids and usually, like this one, designed by kids.If the guy underneath the suit is a felon or a perv...well, that's no good at all. I tired to find a picture of this stupid looking frog but I couldn't. That's good I suppose. Anyway, I've hated the frog before and now I'll hate him more.

Rejoice Rejoice beleagured O's fans

2006-07-06T17:58:00.000-04:00

Luis Matos is getting DESIGNATED! This makes me very happy...too happy. I'm all but sure this will lead to an outright release. This is a really happy day. No more 2 on, 2 out pop outs No more 6 at bat strike out streaks No more .207 batting average No more smug Luis Matos pictures Happy happy day. Luis Terrero has to fill the mighty shoes of Luis Matos. Terrero didn't exactly dazzle me in his first stint, but I'm more than willingly to overlook that if it means Matos is gone. The O's and top draft pick Billy Rowell agreed to terms today too. Good news EVERYWHERE, huh? Oh and about last night....the closest the O's getting to be clutch right now is if their driving a stick. Javy Lopez and his wretchedly ugly tatoo (saw it on the pre-game puff piece at Turner Field) killed me with that pinch hit strike out. One thing Javy can do it make some wind. I'm not going to post with my usual regularlity for the next couple days because I am a tired tired boy. If I go a day or two without then just take comfort in the fact that I'm sleeping and will come back with some quality posts.

Mr.Perfection gets shelled

2006-07-05T09:55:00.000-04:00

IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Lopez, R (L, 5-10) 2.2 10 9 9 1 0 1 6.92 Not exactly perfection yesteday. sigh. Bruce Chen coughed up homer number 19 this season. Bad news though...with his move to the pen, Chen's lost his major league lead in HR allowed. Bruce is still a solid 4th But he doesn't even lead the O's at this point, that honor goes to Mr.Perfection. The biggest joke of the week has to be Mark Redman being named an All-Star. The whole business about every team having to have an All-Star is ridicilous anyway. It a team like the Royals stink, then there's not really an All-Star there usually. Sometimes you might get lucky and have one player surrounded by medicority or youth, but that's not the case in KC. Look at these numbers. SEASON TEAM W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV SVO IP H R ER HR HBP BB SO 1999 Minnesota Twins 1 0 8.53 5 1 0 0 0 0 12.2 17 13 12 3 1 7 11 2000 Minnesota Twins 12 9 4.76 32 24 0 0 0 0 151.1 168 81 80 22 3 45 117 2001 Detroit Tigers 0 2 6.00 2 2 0 0 0 0 9.0 11 6 6 1 1 4 4 2001 Minnesota Twins 2 4 4.22 9 9 0 0 0 0 49.0 57 26 23 6 0 19 29 2002 Detroit Tigers 8 15 4.21 30 30 3 0 0 0 203.0 211 107 95 15 6 51 109 2003 Florida Marlins 14 9 3.59 29 29 3 0 0 0 190.2 172 82 76 16 5 61 151 2004 Oakland Athletics 11 12 4.71 32 32 2 0 0 0 191.0 218 110 100 28 6 68 102 2005 Pittsburgh Pirates 5 15 4.90 30 30 2 1 0 0 178.1 188 100 97 18 2 56 101 2006 Kansas City Royals 5 4 5.59 13 13 0 0 0 0 74.0 82 46 46 10 2 30 30 Career Totals 58 70 4.55 182 170 10 1 0 0 1059.0 1124 571 535 119 26 341 654 Stellar numbers there...if you were pitching on a church league team. I'm all flash and no substance today. Let's hope good Cabrera shows up tonight.

A few more pictures...

2006-07-02T19:47:00.000-04:00

If I had known that the pictures would have turned out as they did (if you click on them that is) I would have taken more. I'll remember this since I'm planning on going to a couple more Braves game plus I might be making a trip up in August...but nothing's set yet, so I don't want to get my hopes up There's Buck Martinez interviewing Sam Perlozzo before the game. Talking about how medicore Luis Matos is likely. That's the site of the dump formerly known as Fulton-County Stadium. That's where Aaron broke the Babe's record right now. When I go back later this month, I'm gonna go earlier and get some better and more pictures...It looks like the Mets at the Braves. I forgot to mention this earlier and hate myself for it. During BP one of the O's benchwarmers who I've never seen before...He was number 14, which is Chris Gomez's number, but he's on the DL...regardless though, he hit a foul line drive down the first baseline, took a hop, and ricocheted off a security guy's head. It was a moment of greatness because I was looking at it when it happened, the guy was ok and worked the game....I'm sure he's sore. But it was a priceless moment. If only I had on tape.

Orioles win and I'm there to see it

2006-07-02T16:10:00.000-04:00

I picked the wrong day to go to the right game. Originally the plan was to go to today's game, but I made a mistake and got tickets for Saturday. The problem with tickets for Saturday was that we had to work. I had to go work early....really early, 4 am to be exact..and yes, I may have a new job at months end...and of course with a call-out and being shorthanded I had to scrape it together and kill myself to get out at 12:30. After running home, grabbing a shower, and getting myself together I picked up Chris and we hit the road. My caffefine high was still in effect at this point, but nowhere near the peak I had earlier. Traffic in Atlanta was nowhere near the hassle I had last year. Granted traffic in Atlanta is NEVER easy, but it kept moving and there were gaps this time. Every time I think Greenville's a big city, I think Atlanta and it makes G'ville look like po-dunk Mayberry. We found the ramp for Turner Field and go off. I then took a wrong turn and ended up in a part of town that I'd make sure to lock my car in...in fact, I'd never leave my car in this part of Atlanta because I'd never have business there. My favorite business in Atlanta was a hair salon called "Oh, My Nappy Hair!" On to the game... The seats were great. Had a great view, we had seats 1 and 2...which is great usually except for the people in 3 thru 6 having the bladders the size of pennies and apparently appettites like crazed hyenas having to go out every inning. Russ Ortiz...eh..didn't digust me, but didn't impress me either...with his pitching anyways. He went 2-2 with 2 RBI and a run scored, so if he flops as a pitcher maybe he can DH. Russ threw a LOT of balls. Granted the guy hasn't pitched in 3 or 4 weeks and didn't get a start in Ottawa or anything to get his stuff back. He didn't look impressive, but he pitched good enough not to lose. Tim Hudson though looked BAD. The O's tossed him around and threw him out after 2.2 innings to a chorus of cheers and boos from the crowd. I gave him a cheer because I apprectiated his contribution to the game. Tejada looked good. He had 2 K's, a hit, and got hit by a Chris Retisma pitch AND he had two really good defensive plays. Speaking of defensive plays, Andruw Jones made a terrific catch to rob Jeff Conine. Jones is such an amazing player. Markakis had another good night too. I was surprised to see the number of O's fans there. It wasn't a sea of Orange and Black by any means, but we were there and we were happy. It's always good to be around O's fans since I'm one of the few around in SC. I do have pictures, most of which are too far back. I'm not good with the zoom on the camera. My view was better than the pictures turned out. I'll get to those later. LaTroy Hawkins scared me pitching 2...yes 2 innings of tightrope walking daredevil baseball. The attempt tagout/late throw on Chipper Jones was horrible...after which he loaded up the bases, which no runs scored...but that's your typical LaTroy Hawkins outing. I love Turner Field. Going to try to get down to a couple more games. Going down in September to see the Cubs as the agreement went between Chris...He sees the O's, I see the Cubs. Probably going down at the end of the month and see the Mets and Braves play. I can boo the Mets. Chris Ray pitched the ninth, though it was not a save situation. Chipper homered off him to bring the Braves one run closer, but that was it and the O's ended up with a win. Which made a 2 and a half hour drive home easier, though the effects of my exhaustion were slightly more apparent. I got home by 2 am and after being up for 23 hours, I slept easy. If we had ended up going to today's game though it'd be a different story. Here's a photos... Turner Field has an awesome HD Jumbotron. BP before the game. Millar's down the in the warmup...I think he was eatting a piece of fried chicken. Indisputable photographic evidence of the start of the Russ Ortiz Oriole era. Despite a giant hat blocking his line of vision Brian Roberts hit a triple, though he tagged out when he overslid.

Robert's wrong number

2006-06-30T15:23:00.000-04:00

Raffy speaks! This is sad. Personally, I think Raffy knew what he was going and he's sticking with his story to the bitter end. It's also sad that the entire team hates his apparently, but throwing your teammates under the bus like he did will do that to you.

Palmeiro said the only former Orioles teammate he has spoken to recently is second baseman Brian Roberts, whom Palmeiro called last weekend after Roberts had inadvertently text messaged Palmeiro instead of another friend. "It was like a two-minute conversation," Roberts said. "But it was good to see how he was doing."

I wonder how that conversation went. "Hey there, You looked hot tonight. Whatcha doing, sexy?." "What?!? Who is this? Why can't I be left alone?" "Uh...oh...hey...Raffy...how's it.er..going?" "Oh, Brian..it's you. I'm doing All right." "So...you get any calls to play?" "An independent league team offered me a try out, but I'm not fooling around with that...only Major League ball." "I heard that." Akward silence "I've really taken a shine to whittling." "What?" "You know, with a knife and a piece of wood. I whittled a tiger yesterday." "that's...awesome." "I do a lot gardening too." "Well, I hate to do this..but I gotta run. We all miss you, big guy. We got an early flight tomorrow." "Trust me, I know how it is. Tell them all I said hi." "I will." "Bye." "Goodbye." Click. "I really need to clean out my phonebook." Rick Maese isn't giddy about the O's second half prospects. Killjoy. This is the negativity I hate. Yeah, the O's aren't the best team and yeah we're not not going to win the division this year...but geez, this stuff gets me ill. -The Benson, Patterson, Hernandez acquistions were good, but they haven't translated into wins. -The farm system turnaround is a myth. -More Tejada talk -Fan apathy Reading that was like hitting myself in the face with a hammer. Thanks Rick. He does have some good points, but just the sheer "our team stinks" air of it ruins it all. btw, I think I think this team would be a lot worse without Benson, Patterson, and Ramon and I think our farm system is vastly improved....but don't reap the rewards overnight. Jose Canseco will not fade away. Pitching and DHing? I wonder how long this lasts a week...maybe 2? Canseco is a car wreck that's wrapped in a trainwreck and covered with a chemical spill. Keep on driving, folks...the only things left to see here is tragedy and arrogance. I have no pity for Jay Mariotti. I just do not like this guy. Ozzie Gullien needs to use his words more carefully, if you pick someone to call somebody some kind of name, well...Jay's probably your guy. I got a kick out of this part...

he could have gone looking for Guillen in the clubhouse. He thought about it. “But what would have happened? He could have hit me. He could have choked me. He could have just screamed at me—best-case scenario. What exactly does that serve? I refuse to be part of this flying circus. If he wants to call and meet like a man and not in front of his frat house, I’m available. But not in that circus. That’s the jock mentality, and I don’t buy into it.”

That whole bit about St.Jay not going to the clubhouse out of fear, I think it's more out of arrogrance. Ozzie Guillen is an ass I'm sure...but I bet Mariotti is an even bigger one. In fact, I'm sure of it. At least Guillen doesn't have those creepy waxed eyebrows. That's it, I'll be back Sunday. Hope the O's can extend the Braves' woes and Russ Ortiz can prove me wrong.

Slick Nick hits BIG

2006-06-29T15:26:00.000-04:00

I love doubleheaders. Nick Markakis loves them more, I'm sure. Nick went a combine 5-7 in yesterday's 2 games and he looked good. He looked a pro. I'm backing of my earlier stance that I thought he should spend a couple weeks in Ottawa. At this point, he should start everyday. The only way he's going to keep improving is to play him everyday and PLAY him against lefties. My ideal scenario is to put him in right, move Gibbons to DH (once Javy is traded...that'll happen) or maybe first base, and then start Newhan there after the break or trade for someone. No Luis Matos. PLEASE. Since 1954 is a good new O's blog. Drop on by. Did anyone watch the NBA Draft? Back in the day before the High Schoolers(who are now ineligible) and International players got involved, I loved the NBA Draft. That was also when I used to love the NBA. I knew the players and new the teams. In case anyone possibly cares...here's the top ten. 1 Raptors PF Andrea Bargnani Benetton Treviso (Italy) Who? Jurrasic Park is early 1990's...how about updating that name? Are there Raptors in Toronto? If so...well, don't advertise it you chumps. 2 Bulls PF LaMarcus Aldridge Texas I have absolutely no opinion of the Bulls. none. nada. nothing. 3 Bobcats SF Adam Morrison Gonzaga Great. The Weeper is coming to the Carolinas. Hope he leaves the lame mustache behind. If he puts on a flannel shirt, dirty jeans, and an old cap, he'll fit right in. I miss the Hornets. 4 Blazers PF Tyrus Thomas LSU I wonder what Isiah Rider is doing now. Is he drinking beer and playing dice? Is he sending text messages on stolen cell phones? Is he finding better uses for Sprite cans? Babysitting for Shawn Kemp? 5 Hawks PF Shelden Williams Duke One thing hasn't changed since I stopped watching the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks are a bad team. I'm sure all ten of their fans agree with me. 6 T-Wolves SG Brandon Roy Washington Is that a good pick? I have no idea. 7 Celtics SG Randy Foye Villanova Too bad Roy and Foye couldn't be on the same team...Roy and Foye. 8 Rockets SF Rudy Gay Connecticut He took a drop. 9 Warriors C Patrick O'Bryant Bradley I can't comment on every pick when I've never seen Patrick O'Bryant from Bradley play. I regret that now. 10 Sonics C Saer Sene Pepinster (Belgium) Saer Sene from Pepinster? That sounds like acid fiction. I'm down on the NBA in case you couldn't tell. THE Stephen A. Smith getting heckled at the NBA Draft. Saw this on Deadspin and laughed til I stopped. Probably the best bit of television from the NBA Draft in years. And for the record, I'm eatting Cheese Dooooodles right now. That's the most attention I'll ever give to the NBA here. One more against the Phils and the sweep is complete and then it's on to Atlanta.

Mazzone Effect?

2006-06-28T18:59:00.000-04:00

The O's won game 1 of the double header. Erik Bedard has really turned it on. 3 straight wins and a 1.29 ERA over that span. He also hasn't allowed a run over the last 16 innings. Maybe Mazzone's finally having an effect...because lately a lot of our pitchers have been having a lot of quality starts. June Total: Bedard W L ERA G GS IP H R ER HR BB SO NP-S G O-AO 3 2 3.09 6 6 35.0 28 13 12 2 10 39 599-397 40-26 Benson W L ERA G GS IP H R ER HR BB SO NP-S GO-AO 2 1 2.65 5 5 34.0 29 11 10 4 10 14 520-327 39-46 My boy...the engima known as Daniel Cabrera W L ERA G GS IP H R ER HR BB SO NP-S GO-AO 2 3 4.94 5 5 27.1 26 15 15 4 21 32 533-315 23-26 Lopez W L ERA G GS IP H R ER HR BB SO NP-S GO-AO 2 1 5.18 4 4 24.1 28 14 14 4 8 16 388-242 30-26 Guess who's June line this is? W L ERA G GS IP H R ER HR BB SO NP-S GO-AO 0 1 2.45 6 0 11.0 13 3 3 1 2 5 171-103 7-19 Bruce Chen...surprise surprise. If he can keep those numbers, then if looks like he could be answer to our 6th and 7th innings. I'm gonna wait out June, July and August though before I make that statement on the record. Not really a great month for Cabrera, but he's streaky...up and down...and unpredictable. Once he gets better control though, he'll be lights out. I wonder how Russ Ortiz's numbers will look. All in all, it looks like June has been a great month for our pitchers. Get well soon Peter Gammons. The National Post article about Tejada has made a big flap. I discount a lot of stuff for the Post because....because they care more about the Nats than the O's. But the fact remains that Tejada is getting fined. That's not good leadership from someone who's supposed to be our team leader. As for these trade rumors, Peter Angelos said today: "The Orioles have no interest in trading Miguel Tejada ," said Orioles principal owner Peter Angelos. "He is an exciting and exceptional athlete and a great baseball player." Geez, well that increases the chances he gets traded if Pete says that. For the record, I'm not one of the O's fans who are saying "Trade Tejada, Trade Tejada," I just think if an offer that comes our way where we can get three players that will make us a better all around team...then I think we should seriously think about it. If we can get a 1 or 2 starter, a real everyday first baseman, and another young player, the Front Office would be fools not to consider that. Ramon Hernandez just got hit by a pitch the for the second time today, taking the Plunked Award from the battered grasp of Melvin Mora. I don't think that's an accident. Have I mentioned that I don't think Charlie Manuel is a good manager? Commercials I am sick of Rico Copiers (I get it...you're a procrastinator) Red Roof Inn (Multitask somewhere else) Taylor Hicks/Ford (Do me a favor and fade away quickly) Geico Caveman (It's not funny after the millionth time) Geico Lizard (You think you're witty lizard...but you're not) Man, I love double headers.

Shoeless Joe and another Tejada Trade Rumor

2006-06-27T14:46:00.000-04:00

There's not much business with the O's right now...a little but I'll get to that later. I was reading Buster Olney's blog on ESPN.com and he mentions a new book about Shoeless Joe. Since I needed something to post about, I figured this was a golden opportunity to talk about Shoeless Joe. Joe in his playing days. I really liked this. Joe in his later days at his liquor store. There's a new book out that might clear Shoeless Joe Jackson. Jackson was born a few towns away from me in Pickens and he would die in Greenville, so the debate on whether Jackson should on shouldn't be in Cooperstown is rather one-sided here. I'll definately have to read this book. It's been my opinion that he should be in. He was accused of taking money to fix the series....but if you look at his numbers for the 1919 World Series, he batted .375 with 1 HR and 6 RBI. That's not numbers of someone trying to rig a series. Management and ownership of baseball were more corrupt than the players were back then. The contracts were horrible towards players and guys like Kenesaw Mountain Landis were in bed with the owners. Jackson never got a hearing...just the boot from baseball. I know you can say guilt by association, but I don't think he's guilty. He might have been backed into a corner by the mob, his teammates, whoever...but he obviosuly didn't go along with it in the end. I'm not just giving him the benefit of the doubt because he's a hometown boy.. I think it's cool that he's from my hometown, but I don't get my jollies out of it. Unlike the city of Greenville does. I'm glad they've embraced a tragic historical figure....sometimes though, they seem to overdo it. Before we got the name "Greenville Drive," the city and ownership were going to go with the "Greenville Joes." I would have rather have had that than the drive...but baseball didn't go for the name, since he has the ban and all. Here's the statue downtown...which is a classy touch. Here's the Jackson house. It's new home is by the ballpark where it's being turned into a Shoeless Joe mueseum. It's not opened yet, but when it does I'll post some pictures. For everything you've ever wanted to know about Shoeless go here. On to the O's and trade rumors. The Washington National Post says the O's are willing to trade Tejada partially because he's always shows up late and won't pay the fines he's levied for being late. That's the first I've heard of this, but if it's true...that's not good. I really think this is his last season as an O. I hate it...but I'm moving more towards the trade Tejada camp. If we were a player away from being a contender, then I'd be against. But we're several players away...sad thing is we might could get those players by trading him. Here's the follow up chat to the article. I'll just post spectualtion and we'll see if what happens. If anything does, I'll bet it's to the Angels. And further more.... From FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal

The Orioles stopped entertaining offers for Miguel Tejada after the shortstop rescinded his trade request last off-season, but they almost certainly would listen if teams inquired again. A ninth consecutive losing season, which appears inevitable, should be enough for Orioles owner Peter Angelos to figure out that his team won't improve until it trades Tejada for players who could fill multiple holes. Frankly, it might have been a good idea for the Orioles to also move third baseman Melvin Mora and right fielder Jay Gibbons rather than sign them long-term. It certainly wasn't a good idea to grant Mora a no-trade clause. The Orioles are less likely to trade Tejada before July 31 than they are during the off-season, when they could market him to a greater number of clubs. At that point, Tejada will have three years and $38 million left on his contract

. Asheville Tourists manager Joe Mikulik got his penalty for his awesome tirade. Ending on a positive note, I got the Brian Roberts jersey today and it rocks.

Hilarious beyond words

2006-06-26T13:54:00.000-04:00

Was going to take the day off, but I must...I am required to share this video. The Asheville Tourists were playing the Lexington Legends. Tourist Manger Joe Mikulik went out to dispute a call. Lexington's Koby Clemens was leading off on second base after hitting an RBI double when Asheville pitcher Brandon Durden tried to pick him off. Umpire Andy Russell called Clemens safe, sending Mikulik barging out of the dugout like a drunken boar and then came an epic performance that would make Earl Weaver jealous. You MUST..YOU HAVE to see this!!!! That's it for the day.

Lucky me....

2006-06-25T17:31:00.000-04:00

From Yahoo Sports: Before the game, Baltimore signed RHP Russ Ortiz, who had been cut by Arizona, which still owes him almost $22 million. Ortiz will start July 1 in place of LHP Adam Loewen, who was optioned to Triple-A Ottawa. I will be able to see Russ Ortiz's first start for the Orioles...in person. Lady luck has smiled on me and planted a wet on my face. I had thought I'd be seeing Cabrera, but I guess my figuring was off by a day. In retrospect, I should have waited on the buying the jersey. How cool would an Oriole Russ Ortiz jersey be? But I had to buy a Brian Roberts jersey... Sometimes I hate myself. All sarcasm aside... Here's the details. It's for the minimum...so there's no big investment in this guy. Classic buy low situation. The guy did great with Mazzone in Atlanta, maybe by being reunited they'll rekindle that old magic. If he pans out though, we better start saying our goodbyes to Rodrigo Lopez. I think the mouthing off about the skipped start sealed his fate. If Ortiz gives up 6 runs in the first Saturday though, I'll have no mercy on this guy. I'll be there and I know how to boo. Did you notice in the Post article where it mentions that the O's and Rowell are at stalemate over 100 k on the signing bonus? The O's offer 2 mil and he wants 2.1 mil. We got til August to work that out...as silly as it looks. If you have John Rocker backing you... do you need anyone else? The O's took 2 out 3 from the Nats this weekend. Good job, boys.

Russ O-rtiz?

2006-06-24T16:37:00.000-04:00

John Boggs, agent for Russ Ortiz, told ESPN that the O's are the leaders for the services of Ortiz. Ortiz's numbers those don't factor in this season's numbers Look at these babies.... GM W L BB K ERA 6 0 5 22 21 7.54 AARGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! If those numbers were an animal, they'd be road kill. ugly ugly roadkill. Those are ugly numbers. With those numbers you could combine Russ and Chen and make a ultra-super bad pitcher. I shouldn't call him bad yet. I'll like him if he signs with the O's until he ruffles my feathers with some bad games. Arizona owes him a lot of money....22 million bucks to be exact. So Ortiz can be signed for the pro-rated portion of the major-league minimum salary of $327,000. He flourish under Mazzone's system, so I don't have a problem with this. If the Orioles do sign him, one of two things happen. 1) Rodrigo Lopez gets traded. to the Rockies for Ryan Shealy? I can only hope. 2) Adam Loewen goes back to the minors. I don't have a huge problem with this either. Another month or two in the minors for the kid would probably do him a lot of good. But if Ortiz comes in and Browers it up, they'd better cut the cord quickly. It could be another of thoese Patterson/Benson low risk/high reward moves. He could turn to be a nice pick up that translates into a good 4 or 5 pitcher, decent tradebait (if he puts up some good numbers), or he could just stink. I have no exceptations for him if he WERE to sign. By the way, great game last night. Good job by Rodrigo and good to see Chris Ray get three quick outs for the save after bloody Thursday. A week from today at this time I'll be in Atlanta gearing up for the O's and Braves!

Let the "Rivalry" resume

2006-06-23T20:56:00.000-04:00

I want to hate you...but you're so dang jolly. Events that would make the Nats and O's a real rivalry *Earl Weaver attacks Screech the Eagle with a Louisville Slugger *Todd Williams hits Alfonso Soriano (who's in the dugout) while trying to intentionally walk Ryan Zimmerman. *Sammy Sosa comes to bat amid a cloud of smoke and sparks for the Nats in a pinch hit situtation in the bottom of the ninth. Chances are he'd strike out or hit a ball towards the warning track. *Matt LeCroy beans a Baltimore ballgirl while trying to throw out Patterson on a steal attempt for second. *Ed Rodgers comes to bat and the bases loaded.The ball disappears. All three runners score on what is thought to be a very very wild pitch. It would turn out later that Rodgers hid the ball in his jersey. *The Nats steal Brandon Fahey's lunch money and lock him in his locker after giving him a wedgie. *Jim Bowden and his girlfriend drive into the front of Camden Yards after "a couple drinks." *Luis Matos was Screech the Eagle's long lost son. *Peter Angelos eggs and rolls RFK with some Angel Soft. *Jeffrey Maier starts in Right Field tonight.

DISGRACEFUL

2006-06-23T16:29:00.000-04:00

From MLB.com

Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez led off the 10th with a bunt single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. With first base open, the Orioles decided to intentionally walk cleanup hitter Miguel Cabrera -- but were unable to. Reliever Todd Williams, who normally throws from the side and not directly over the top, has trouble trying to throw intentional walks. He softly tossed the first pitch of the sequence too close to home plate, and Cabrera alertly swung and hit an RBI single into center field, giving the Marlins the lead. "He has a little trouble with his intentional walks," manager Sam Perlozzo said. "It's something that shouldn't happen

." I don't know what to say about last night's game. Chris Ray blew the save, but you know what...I'm fine with that. A closer will blow saves sometimes. It stinks...but it was going to happen at somepoint. I think Perlozzo warming up Ray 3 seperate times didn't do the kid any favors. But Todd Williams? How can anyone have a problem throwing an intentional walk? If he's having a problem walking someone...maybe you shouldn't put him in. Maybe if Williams has trouble giving up a walk, Cabrera can give him some pointers. I like Williams, I'm not calling for his head. But I want to see less of him... a lot less. This was an embrassment. an absolute joke. We snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Maybe this is the apex of the last 8 years. In the span of a week we had Ed Rodgers have a ball in play go into a jersey and now we have Todd Williams giving up a hit on an intentional walk. I fell asleep during the cursed tenth and I awoke to "Williams blew the walk." Too bad I woke up. This is brutal. At this point, maybe it's time to bring up the same question... Is it time to trade Tejada? I say yes. The front office would be stupid not to be putting out feelers. Who'd we be talking to? The Angels for starters. The team we have now could be .500 if the breaks went their way, but let's not kid ourselves and say this is a playoff team. There's a void at first. LF is a black hole. Jay Gibbons is a DH, not a RF. There is not a 1 or 2 in the rotation. (But the starters have improved in June) Tejada can help us more at this point by being traded. His value is only going to go down because of his declining defense and B-12 connections. A lot of teams can use him, but he'd serve a contending team better than he would the O's. At this point, I say make this team younger and do an actual rebuilding. Not a patchwork job like we've had the past 8 years. No Sosas. No Raffys. No Conines. Just commit to the youth and get it over with. Here's one deal that needs to happen. Ryan Shealy is drawing interest from the O's Would Javy and a pitching prospect do? Buyers and Sellers? Let's just call it rebuilding. I guess that's it. The Nats are in town...maybe tonight will be a shame free night or maybe Luis Matos will give up an RBI by accidently swallowing a baseball that took a bad hop.

Bedard toils with my emotions again?

2006-06-22T14:46:00.000-04:00

8 innings 2 hits 0 BB 1 HBP and 12 K's. Great game to watch, but Bedard has been Jekyll and Hyde this season. From the ESPN recap:

"It was just tremendous performance against a hot team that had won nine straight," Orioles pitching coach Leo Mazzone said. "I give all the credit to Bedard. He had the courage to go to a new changeup in the middle of a major league championship season. This was his third time out with it, and tonight he really threw it exceptionally well." "He located in such a way that there was really no way you could hit it," Perlozzo said. "That changeup he's been working on, I think that was a big part of his game tonight. When you have to look for three pitches instead of two, it makes a difference."

The pitching has been much improved this month. I think we might finally be starting to see the Mazzone effect. I don't want to declare it just yet, but I knew it was going to take time and it might be getting through now. A moment of silence and a stale pound cake for... Left-hander John Halama, who was designated for assignment Friday by the team, cleared waivers and refused an assignment to Triple-A Ottawa, and was given his outright release. Here's some O's odds and ends. Halama was 3-1 with a 5.02 ERA in 16 games with the Orioles this year. This move was long overdue. Halama gave me plenty of headaches and heartaches though he did give me one glorious performance, that start against the Mariners. Sadly, that was the apex of his Oriole career. Hey John, I hear they're hiring in KC. I'm going to the O's/Braves July 1st...so this bit of news is a huge relief and I ordered the Brian Roberts Jersey Tuesday.

hGH, Matos, and Ozzie

2006-06-21T16:43:00.000-04:00

Been busy since I got back. Got stuff working 8 straight days at work and stayed out too late last night to top it off, so my posting will be varied for the next week, week and a half. Here's a few things I looked at today. David Seugi wants to be the hGH poster boy. Just when I thought I was rid of you, David Seugi, you come back again. Schmuck has a good column about all this. Good article on roommates Markakis and Loewen. Luis Matos isn't going away yet. I wish he'd go away. With a change of scenery he'd probably turn into Andruw Jones and then I'd dislike him more. Smoltz getting traded? It could happen. The Braves are 30-41. LAST in the East. East W L Pct GB Mets 44 26 .629 -- Phillies 35 36 .493 9.5 Marlins 30 37 .448 12.5 Nationals 32 41 .438 13.5 Braves 30 41 .423 14.5 I think the streak might end this season. I can't picture Smoltz in another uniform. I hope he retires a Brave. Speaking of the Braves, I'll be in Atlanta July 1st for the O's and Braves game. During which game I'll be wearing my Brian Roberts jersey which should be here in a few days. I am really looking forward to it. Ozzie Guillen's act is wearing thin. At first, I liked Ozzie. I thought he was a breath of fresh air. Now his ranting, name calling, and obnoxiousness is getting old. Hey, I think Jay Marrotti and his waxed eyebrows are horribly pompous. I don't care for him. If Ozzie wants to say whatever he wants to say about Marrotti, do it behind closed doors, not to a pack of reporters who are looking for a good quote.

Guillen was still talking about it Tuesday, getting defensive about a column written by Ron Cook in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Cook wrote that Guillen, "has become the biggest creep in baseball -- at least on the days Barry Bonds takes off.

I get sick of his "that's how we do things back home" or "that's how we greet friends back home." You've lived in America 25 years, dude. You should have some social common sense. If that's how you talk to your friends....I'd turn down the invitation to the Guillen Cookout. I'm officially tired of Ozzie. I'm sure he'll just get a slap on the wrist for this, but I think he should sit out a couple games to make a point to this knucklehead.