Some links...more fitness and mechanics

A few quick links. First, Roch describes Luke Scott's winter fitness program. It seems to involve growing a beard, living on a farm in Oklahoma and doing things like whacking up oak trees with an axe in the snow. Oak is a very hard wood, BTW. Does that not seem perfectly Luke Scott? Again, there don't seem to be firm rules when it comes to baseball players and fitness, so why not carry cords of firewood around? Rocky put a serious ass-whopping on Ivan Drago using that same workout.

Also, I stuck a blog on my link list but never said anything about it. Shawn Haviland's Ivy League to MLB is about a former Harvard pitcher's attempt to move through the A's organization to the majors. As you might expect from a recent Harvard grad, he does not utilize the Luke Scott Lumberjack workout. Haviland is spending his winter consulting with trainers and nutritionists from Cressey Performance. His last handful of entries discuss his workouts and the time he spends breaking down his pitching motion using video. Interesting stuff.

Lastly, somebody on a comment board somewhere posted a link to this article that claims Rich Hill's problems in '08 are strictly mechanical. I have no idea who the author is. He goes by the pen name "Illinois Baseball," so I don't know if his analysis is authoritative or if he is some armchair coach spouting off. It seems to me that if Hill's problems were so easily explained and defined that some coach in one of Hill's many minor league stops last year would have picked it up. Since rumor has it the Orioles will scoop Hill up next week, I hope it is this easy. One point the writer makes that seems factual and indisputable is that Hill had his best years while coached by Rick Kranitz. If the two work well together and all the Cubs want is a PTBNL, why not?

All Time ASBB Team

I really enjoyed writing yesterday's post about differing approaches to conditioning in baseball. I liked doing the Fat Guy research. I've always enjoyed it that guys with really bad bodies can play a professional sport and be successful. I think the first fat guy I was aware of in baseball was Willie Stargell who came to my attention when he kicked the holy crap out of the Orioles in the '79 World Series. Here was a fat guy with gray hair racing around the outfield and hitting the ball hard. It took me a few years to appreciate his performance, but once I got over that Series loss, I did. After writing yesterday's post, I started to wonder if I could make a Hall of Fame Fat Guy team. Turns out I couldn't. I had problems with the middle infield and with relief pitchers. Also, I couldn't find enough fat Orioles in the Hall for my tastes. I went ahead and made an All-Star Bad Body (ASBB) team anyway. Some are in because they are great players with bellies. Some are in because they are OK players with huge bellies. Some are in because of their local connections. My standards aren't very clear, even to me. With this kind of team, there is always room for debate (and Jello!) so if I left a good one off, let me know.

C--Roy Campanella--Campy came into the league at 5'8" 200 lbs, so he was never a thin guy. When he first came up, a lot of that weight was muscle in his chest, shoulders, and arms. As time passed though, either he got heavier or his chest started sliding downhill. Pudge Rodriguez will back Big Roy up. There are lots of pudgy catchers to choose from. Mike Lavalliere got serious consideration from the ASBB selection committee. Pudge has the nickname though and a great bat. The ASBB team can BOP BABY!

1B--Boog Powell--First base is another position where you can find some great players with bad bodies. I went with BBQ Boog because I am an unapologetic homer. One of the Fielders can back him up. I couldn't decide which.

2B--Ronnie Belliard--Another local guy. I think there are more bad bodies with Nationals connections than with any other team. I had a little trouble finding chubby middle infielders, but Belliard fits the bill. I have no idea how big he really is. I found him listed at 5'8", 180 and also at 5'10", 215. It may be that he is more undermuscled than overweight. Not exactly a future HOFer, but like I said, pickings are "slim" in the middle infield positions.

SS--Jhonny Peralta--I found an Indians blog that refers to him only as "Fat Shortstop." He can hit pretty well and he is called Fat Shortstop? Sign him up!

INF--Terry Pendleton--He actually never played a game in the middle infield but TP will have to in order to make this team. I remember him as a pretty good defensive third baseman. He'll adapt. Its not like great defense is going to be the ASBB team hallmark anyway. Pendleton will be a good bat off the bench and a team leader.

RF--Kirby Puckett--Did I just pick on my team's defense? My outfielders can move for a bunch of chubby buddies. Puckett was solid in the field, a great clutch hitter, and an all-around good guy.

CF--Tony Gwynn--Tony was a multiple Gold Glove winner. As he aged and expanded he lost a few steps but I believe him to be the best of my ASBB defenders anyway. He is also the closest thing to a lead off hitter I have.

LF--Willie Stargell--I had to have a place for the We Are Family Pirates' Grandad! His career stretched from '62 to '82. When he started, he was a lean, strong athlete. By the end though...

OF--John Kruk--With Puckett, Gwynn, and Stargell starting, I'm not sure if Kruk gets many ABs, but he has a place on the team for being a consistent hitter and for uttering the all time best bad body baseball quote. "I'm not an athlete, I'm a baseball player!"

SP/DH--Babe Ruth--The classic rotund ballplayer, Babe can go to the mound every fifth day and rest up as a DH the rest of the time. Naturally, my ASBB team plays in the AL where they can have a DH.

SP--Fernando Valenzuela--So many fat pitchers to choose from! I know that having a ground ball pitcher with my infield defense is asking for trouble, but I couldn't leave Fernando off.

SP--CC Sabathia--Here is a power pitcher so my defenders can catch their collective breath. He is listed at 290, giving him the highest official weight on the team.

SP--Mickey Lolich--Baseball Reference says he was 6'0", 210. Ha! Not if they closed every donut shop in Detroit for the entire 1968 season. Mickey was a great clutch pitcher though, best known for out dueling Bob Gibson in Game 7 of the '68 World Series on two days rest. He was 3-0 in that Series, winning the MVP award. No way I leave him off my ASBB team.

SP--Sid Fernandez--Sid is remembered as a failure by Orioles fans, with good reason. He signed a three-year contract with the '94 O's and stunk (27 HRs allowed in just 115 innings). The O's management blamed his weight and pressured him into losing 37 lbs. over the winter. Skinny El Sid was even worse in '95 and the Orioles cut him, eating the rest of his contract. I couldn't find a pic of Sid in an Orioles uni to post here. I believe they have all been destroyed. Before the Orioles debacle though, Sid was one of the most reliable lefties in the game. He is my fifth starter because I want Orioles on this team. Don't even tell me about Sidney Ponson. I'm not putting him on any All Star team.

RP--David Wells--I couldn't find any old-time great fat relievers, so I have a pen made up of modern guys or converted starters. The bullpen won't be a strength of this team, but with my starters and offense I don't think it will matter much. I thought about starting Wells, but he and Fernandez both had some really good years and some bad ones so I couldn't decide. They can compete in spring training.

RP--Bartolo Colon--Another converted starter, Colon will have to come out of the pen for this team. He'll like it there. We have hot dogs!

RP--Rich Garces--El Guapo actually had a bobble-belly doll made for him by one of his minor league teams.

RP--Ray King--Baltimore fans are probably most familiar with King's struggles with the Nats, but he was a very productive reliever early in his career with the Brewers, Cards and Braves. Also, I hear he can grill an All-Star cheeseburger!

RP--Bob Wickman--Wickman's career was so long, he played for the Brewers when they were in the AL. He got a little bigger every year and before he knew it he was on the ASBB team.

Set-up--Bobby Jenks--Bobby can bring it and I seriously considered making him the closer, but...

CL--Rod Beck--Big Rod Beck was dominating for years with the Giants. He gets extra points for having the tragic Belushi-like fat guy death. More than anything though, Beck closes because he had a terrific fat baseball player quote that I want to finish with. Explaining his good health, he proudly proclaimed "No one has ever gone on the DL for pulled fat." Thanks Rod. That's why my team wins pennants.

I'm not an athlete, I'm a baseball player

John Kruk used to say "I'm not an athlete..." in defense of his lumpy physique. And he had a point. Some of the gods of the game looked like the guy sitting next to you at the Applebees bar, eating a double order of mozzarella sticks and drinking a Brewtus. Babe Ruth is the most famous example of baseball rotundity. Buffet Babe never met a meal or a drink that he didn't like. Fellow Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx once reported to camp so heavy it was said that he had "double chins to go with his double X's." Once, when Ozzie Guillen wanted Bobby Jenks from the pen, he made a "wide" signal with his hands instead of the traditional "righty" signal. Kirby Puckett, Tony Gwynn, Boog Powell, Fernando Valenzuela, Mickey Lolich, Sidney Ponson, Boomer Wells; not every baseball player has a professional athlete's body. I think that's one of the reasons why people like baseball. Watch a Wizards game and it is immediately obvious why you aren't an NBA player. You don't have the genes to play in the NFL either but any reasonably healthy male has an MLB body. They look like us and we can easily imagine ourselves in their place.

This winter has provided Orioles fans with an interesting contrast when it comes to bodies and training. Young Adam Jones says he has spent the winter at the Athletes Performance Institute with Brian Roberts, working like a Trojan to strengthen himself. He has put on 25 pounds of muscle and is looking for a breakout year. On the other hand, Aubrey Huff has spent lots of time looking into building his dream house in Colorado. He is doing some stretching and cardio and plans on starting a "light lifting" program in February. He won't swing a bat until spring training.

I'm an endurance jock. I hike long distance and run middle distance (three to thirteen mile races) for fun. Those sports require constant training. Show me a professional runner who hasn't trained for three months and get him to race against another pro who has been training hard and I can tell you who will win every time. Adam Jones' approach appeals to my experience and mind-set. My athletic experience tells me that when you work hard you get better. It tells me that Jones will have a big year, doubling or tripling his home run numbers. Huff hasn't worked hard. Despite that, if you made me guess who is more likely to have a huge season...a .300/30 HR/100 RBI type season...I would pick Huff. He did it last year on the same "training" regimen.

People talk about five-tool players, but I think they name the wrong tools. The real five tools in baseball are a keen eye, good hand-eye coordination, quick reflexes with hands and feet, foot speed and strength. Strength might be the least important. Hank Aaron wasn't imposing at 6'0", 180 lbs., but he reputedly generated unprecedented bat speed with quick hands and strong wrists. Most of Adam Jones' 25 pounds of muscle will be in his shoulders, arms and chest. Looked at in a certain way, it just means more weight for him to drag around center field as he chases slicing line drives. Who wants a 235 pound center fielder?

Baseball is strange game, frustrating to those of us acclimated to the idea that hard training produces better results. I'm not sure how to summarize my thinking on training and baseball bodies. Should Adam Jones drop the dumbbells and relax until spring training? No. If he thinks he can develop his power and explosiveness through his workout plan, then he should try. Should Aubrey Huff hit the gym until his muscles quiver and sweat puddles at his feet? Not if he is having success with his MUCH lighter training schedule. Baseball players are individuals and no single plan is going to work for everybody. They should engage in some trial and error experimenting and stick to what works for as long as it works. I hope both Huff and Jones have great years with their differing approaches. Since I found no certainty on this topic, I'll leave the final word to sixteen year MLB reliever Terry "Fat Tub of Goo" Forster, who once said "A waist is a terrible thing to mind."

'Tell All' books

If you have followed this blog through the off season you know that I enjoy baseball literature and I have spent some time reading up lately. I'm not too good to turn my nose up at the 'tell all' genre. There are a couple of good ones on the way. Mark McGwire's brother decided to pay the bills by throwing Big Mac under the bus for steroid abuse. Thanks for the news flash; I wasn't sure. Joe Torre ruined his chances of being invited to Yankee's Old Timer Day by detailing the rifts in the recent Bronx championship teams. I probably won't bother with McGwire's thing but I'll give the Torre expose a chance. The early reviews say he is plain poisonous towards A-Rod. I can't wait.

I hope that one day I find an academic work detailing the evolution of baseball's 'tell alls'. I'd like to know when it started. Is there a Gay 90's version of the tell all? If so, I'm in. I want to know what Buttons Briggs had to say about manager and teammate Cap Anson. If you had asked me a few months ago I would have said that Jim Bouton started the 'tell all' craze in 1969 with Ball Four. Mostly I thought that because that is what Bouton claims in his Foreword. Recently though, I read The Long Season by Jim Brosnan, published in 1960. There is a clear evolution from TLS to Ball Four. Bouton's book is a little better written and more entertaining. Also Bouton writes about the foibles of Mantle's New York Yankees while Brosnan is revealing the activities of little known Cardinals and Reds of the late 1950s. There are reasons why Bouton's book is so famous and The Long Season is nearly forgotten.

I have to give Brosnan credit for setting the stage for Bouton's Ball Four. Brosnan shows readers how black players of the late 50s were still working on integrating the game, most overtly after he is traded to the Reds and teamed with Frank Robinson. Bouton's chapter on his contract negotiation is a regurgitation of Brosnan's chapter on the same subject. Brosnan's teammates drank and used binoculars to check out young women in the front row just like Bouton's Yankees and Pilots did nine years later. The bottom line is that I no longer think Bouton wrote the first of the modern 'tell alls'. In fact, I'm upset with Bouton for not crediting Brosnan for inspiring Ball Four. We can all see where the 'tell all' has gone though. We can draw a straight line from Brosnan and Bouton to the spectacular take down efforts by Canseco and McGwire's brother. Gaylord Perry remains a personal favorite for writing a 'tell all' about himself, entitled Me and the Spitter.

I'm looking forward to Torre's book to see where he takes the genre. The stereotype is that players write tell alls while the manager screams "What happens in here, stays in here!" No more.

Drifting off topic, there was a tidbit in The Long Season that I thought was fascinating (page 53). Brosnan says that back then, teams carried 28 players on opening day, then cut down in mid-May. I wonder why we don't do that anymore. Payroll costs? Option rules? I'd like to know more about that.

Happy Trails Kevin

One of the side effects of the Pie trade is that Kevin Millar is almost certainly out of the Orioles' plans. Aubrey Huff will take first base and Luke Scott will be the primary DH. Given a three man bench, there aren't at-bats for Kevin. Its a shame because Millar is one of the great clubhouse guys in the league, as well as a steady defender and an effective though streaky hitter. The Orioles are working towards being younger, more athletic, and better defensively so Pie is coming and Millar is going. Its the type of change the organization needs to make, but I'll miss Kev.

Jim Salisbury with The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Millar is on the Phillies' radar as a right-handed bat off the bench. Nomar is the Phil's first choice but they are tired of him using the threat of retirement to push up his price. They are starting to look at other options and Millar is one of them. I'd love to see Millar in Philadelphia. His personality and baseball knowledge makes him a natural for coaching or broadcasting, but he isn't ready to go there yet. He deserves one more shot at being part of a contender. In Philadelphia he won't be competing directly with the O's and I think his attitude would help the Phillies keep their intensity as they try to repeat. I wish him luck.

Celebrate!

Celebrate because the Nick Markakis deal is done! Six years, sixty-six million dollars. 6/66? Is there a Nickname in there? Mark the Beast? Nick "The Beast" Markakis? Nah. Who cares, its official!

Celebrate because we have a new starting pitcher in the mix. I know David Pauley isn't much, but what else do you have to think about? Do you really have a strong urge to deconstruct the Ravens' loss? We only gave up Randor Beird, a reliever who didn't even rate a spring training invite. I didn't think Beird was so bad last year that we should give up on him, but it seems the organization did. David Pauley put up nice numbers in AAA (in '08, 14-4, 3.55 ERA, 41 BB, 103 K) but looked bad in 28 major league innings over two years. Sort of a right-handed Garrett Olson. Fan Graphs says he is a fastball/curve/changeup pitcher who has started mixing in an occasional slider. Roch says he is out of options, which implies that the Sox had to make a quick deal for him after signing Smoltz. MacPhail jumped on the opportunity. Like the Orioles' other new pitcher, Koji Uehara, Pauley is a control pitcher with 270 MiL walks vs. 670 Ks. Those two signings give us a little insight into what Trembley and MacPhail are looking for in their pitchers this year. If you are a young pitcher who wants to make the Orioles rotation, take a bit off the pitch and make sure it gets over the plate. BTW, I loved the BostonHerald.com headline: "Pauley? You won't see him no more!"

One more reason to celebrate. Leo Mazzone freed me from my uncertainty over his tenure here. I felt bad for him after his dismissal. He didn't have many good pitchers to work with and his bosses were not...competent? Right, not competent. On the other hand, you don't always get to coach Glavine, Maddux, and Smoltz. That's just the way it crumbles. Cookiewise. Leo never seemed to understand that so I was always of two minds when it came to his time here. No more! Leo decided to take a verbal punch at the Orioles, apparently in an effort to ingratiate himself to the Braves faithful and maybe pave the way for a return. Here are his words to Terence Moore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"Once I got there and saw how they operated compared to the Braves, I knew I made a mistake the first week of spring training,” he said, before chuckling and adding, “I said to myself, ‘You know what? I done messed up.’ “The lack of organization. The lack of discipline. The lack of overall professionalism. I was shocked, and I couldn’t believe it."

Well OK, some of that was true back then and being fired is hard on a man's pride. I understand some bitterness, but the Orioles have improved themselves greatly and Mazzone has had a year to reflect while collecting Oriole paychecks. He could have shown a little class. Moore piles on, claiming "He inherited a bunch of soft pitchers in Baltimore who couldn’t adjust to his hard but effective style." If his style was particularly effective I didn't notice. You can argue that he didn't hurt Bedard or Guthrie and may have even helped them. Otherwise, he seemed to ignore his expensive and ineffective bullpen and he had no fixes for the struggling young starters. Thanks to his comments, I can dislike Coach Mazzone with a clear conscience. Celebrate!

A Big weekend

First thing, it was total coincidence that I revisited the Felix Pie to Orioles scenario on Thursday. I'd love to claim that much foresight but no. While I'm busy referring to that post, I didn't really MEAN that he was a quad A outfielder. What I MEANT to say was that Pie is a young outfielder with tremendous potential who was never given the opportunity he so richly deserved. Now Pie is an Oriole and Garrett Olson is headed to the Cubs organization along with 2007 14th round pick Henry Williamson.

I know all we are doing is trading a guy we gave up on for a guy they gave up on, but I like the trade in a mild way. We have lots of quad A pitchers but very few positional prospects who are close to the majors. Plus Pie has a higher ceiling and its time for the Orioles to take a risk and shake things up. I like it that this move seems to cement Huff at 1st, which I think is hugely preferable to signing Sexson or Edmonds. I understand the worry that our starting pitching will be even worse without Olson. There is a down side to this trade. I hope that Andy MacPhail has one more move left in him for a veteran starter. My bigger worry is that is leaves us awfully unbalanced. Unless Hendrickson, Waters, Burres, or Patton make the rotation, we will not have a lefty starting. Conversely, our lineup leans even farther to the left than before with Pie. Here is an ugly statistic for you. In limited opportunities against lefties, Pie has a slugging pct. of .106 against lefties. Slugging! Still, I think the pros slightly outweigh the cons. Pie's would have slugged a lot more than .106 if he had been hitting against lefty Olson.

What really makes this weekend special is the long-awaited signing of Nick Markakis. It is one thing to say you are rebuilding with youth when it is cheap. The Orioles made a strong statement with this signing. They aren't just going this route to save money. They are unquestionably committed to their young players to the tune of 64 million or so. I have not been so pleased with news from the Warehouse in years. I love the idea that I'll be able to watch Nick for the next six years. I have to admit to being disappointed when talks stalled back in November. To me the O's didn't have anything more important to do this winter. They came through in the end though; now we have stability in our outfield for years.

The best trade we never made

Looking back at old posts, I remember thinking about the oft rumored trade of Brian Roberts to the Cubs. I have been in favor of trading Roberts for quite a while but I always stopped short of endorsing a Roberts-to-Cubs deal because the right pieces never seemed to be on the table, at least according to rumor mill. I want to look at some of the players the Cubs were allegedly offering and see what we would have had if we had made the trade at this time last year.

Rich Hill--He was so good in '07 that there were Cubs fans complaining a straight up Hill/Roberts trade was unfair to the Cubbies. They were WAY wrong. Hill imploded like the housing market last year. He played terribly at several different minor league stops and spent time on the DL with back pain. He is out of options and if the Orioles still want him, all they have to do is wait until the Cubs waive him.

Donnie Veal--The knock on flamethrower Veal was that he had trouble hitting the strike zone. He didn't get any better in '08. The Cubs let him go in the Rule 5 draft and he will be one of the Pirates many reclamation projects this year.

Ronny Cedeno--Cedeno had a nice year for the Cubs as a utility man. Nobody thinks he is a starter though. He is just one of those guys that never quite lived up to his hype. Maybe he will one day but he'll be 26 on Opening Day. He had better hurry.

Felix Pie--Last year he was such a hot prospect that people doubted the Cubs would really include him in a package for Roberts. How times have changed. He hit the logo off the ball at AAA but couldn't hit anything in the majors. He is only 23 but there is no room for growing pains in the Cubs "win now" organization. He is out of options and the Cubs are out of patience.

Jose Ceda--The Cubs thought so highly of him, they traded him for a one year rental of Kevin Gregg. I don't believe he is that bad though. The trade was more the result of the Cubs sacrificing their future for a shot at the Series in 2009. This trade will come back to haunt them in my opinion. He struggled in High A as a starter but was very good in AA as a reliever. I'd bet next week's paycheck that Ceda makes it to the majors as an 8th inning guy or even a closer. He'll have every chance in Florida.

Those are the players the O's could have had for Roberts last year. Two busts (Hill, Veal), a utility infielder (Cedeno), a quad A outfielder the Cubs are about to show to the door (Pie), and one solid relief prospect (Ceda). Of course the Cubs weren't giving up all five, just some of them. It kind of makes you grateful for inaction, doesn't it?

Happy Birthday WeaTa

One year ago today I took the plunge and starting writing Weaver's Tantrum. I only did so after months of lurking on Orioles boards, commenting very rarely. There was one false start before this one. I wrote a couple entries, decided I didn't like them and started over in this space. Looking back at what I was writing a year ago, I'm a little embarrassed at my literary clumsiness, but the flip side is that I seem to have found my voice and maybe even developed a little bit as a writer. With writing, practice doesn't make perfect, but it does make you better and better. I've been lucky to have excellent writers in the Orioles blogosphere to use as role models. If you catch me copying a technique or a method from you, its meant as flattery.

One year ago, I was wondering how the acquisition of Scott, Albers, et al would impact us. I was wondering if we would get a good enough return for Erik Bedard. I was also following the Brian Roberts trade rumors so I guess some things don't change. I wanted to try Cabrera in the pen and still wish we had conducted that experiment. We were sure to finish last but everybody thought there was hope for 2009. Hmm. I barely talked about the minors, I guess because we barely had a farm then.

Its been a big year for me and the O's. We both made some big moves but we both have more questions to answer than ever. The next twelve months will be exciting.

Even MLB can't screw it up

Welcome Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice to the Hall of Fame. If you have not been there, its an awesome place. You walk down the rows of plaques and see the game's fathers like Ruth and McGraw displayed next to the idols of my youth like Palmer and Ripken and you really understand how much baseball is a part of America. You see your father's heroes. Ted Williams in my Dad's case, then you come to see how baseball is passed from generation to generation. You can see displays of the great dynasties, including the Orioles' glory years, and know that you were lucky to see them play. If you have visited the Hall, I think we can agree it is a great place.

You can skim the web and find articles wondering how Henderson wasn't unanimous. I wonder that myself. To me it is a sign that the print journalists who vote are out of touch with the modern game. You can find articles bemoaning the election of Jim Rice. I agree with them also. I wish the Hall were a little more selective. But in the big picture, it doesn't matter. I'm told by smart people that Red Ruffing and Rabbit Maranville don't belong in the HOF, but their presence didn't detract from my experience at all. The Hall of Fame is as close to perfect as anything can be that is created by a committee. You will find what you want to find there. I found the Orioles greats, Ted Williams, and a shrine to Thurman Munson. One day I'll go back. I'll find the same things waiting for me and some new exhibits. It won't bother me that Ruffing, Maranville, and Rice are in there also.

Make the arguments if you are so inclined because that is part of what keeps the Hall great. When you go there though, put them out of your head and enjoy one of the best places in America. A place so good, even Major League Baseball can't really hurt it.

Non-baseball post

I know some of you followed my hike up the Appalachian Trail. A bunch of the people I hiked with are using Facebook to show/share/trade trail pictures, so now I am on Facebook. If you have a Facebook account and are interested in looking at the pics, try this link. I think that link will work but I am new to the site and don't know the ins and outs. If that link doesn't work, I'm sure you could search for me under Dave Vegas McNeill. I have about 60 pics up now but that will grow to two or three hundred in the next week or two.

Congratulations to Ravens fans on the big win yesterday.

D-Cab Strikes Again

Now that Daniel Cabrera isn't ours, the rest of his career could be really entertaining. River Ave. Blues reports that the Dominican wild man plunked Melky Cabrera on the elbow during a winter league game. Melky left the game, no word yet on the extent of his injury. There are sensationalist accounts that claim it was a 96 mph beanball, but given Danny's control and the fact that he never once hit 96 last season, I'm not buying. I'm more inclined to believe the River Ave. commentor who was watching the game on ESPN Deportes. He said it was a 91 mph two seamer that got away. Daniel can't stop knocking down Yankees. He'll be lots of fun to watch from afar.

Seriously!

While ESPN was redoing their ENTIRE STINKING WEBSITE couldn't they have taken down that fifteen week old P.O.S. Blue Jays game? Do they have to make me look at that thing every time I go to the Orioles page? Bastard lazy IT geeks with their excuses for not seeing a job all the way through. Take it down! TAKE IT DOWN!!!

Yeah, I've been drinking.

What's next?

Hard to believe but there is only a bit more than a month left before pitchers and catchers report for spring training. Its exciting to think that soon the Hot Stove supposition and gossip will be over and we can watch our team on the field instead of surmising about their activities in the conference room. Its scary too though, because there are still holes to be filled. Having signed Hendrickson and Uehara, the O's can relax a little bit about the rotation. Yeah, our pitching still sucks, but everybody knew that. At least we have some bodies now with some experience. We may sign another starter but I would image we will wait a few weeks and see who is left unsigned and desperate for a deal. So, what's next?

The obvious hole is at catcher, but that doesn't seem to be a major worry to me. Everyone says it will be Zaun or I-Rod and that makes sense. Both are vets who can do a decent job with a young staff. Neither will be too expensive and they should understand that their primary job is to develop their successor. I would guess that the Orioles are waiting to see which of the two gets nervous and accepts a lower offer. Whoever does that first is our opening day catcher. I'm partial to Pudge because I lived in Arlington when he was in his prime with the Rangers and I enjoyed going to the games and watching him play. I'm fine with either though. We just have to accept their role. I cringe at the thought of either getting significant time at DH or 1b.

That brings me to the spot I can't figure out; first base. I keep hearing rumors that we are looking for a stopgap first baseman. The Sexson rumors just won't die, there is talk about one of the Yankee's glut of 1b-ers coming here, possible trades with the Royals, and I've even heard Ty Wigginton's name mentioned. Wigginton seems like the best of the bunch, but he would also be the most expensive. I'm not sure why we are getting anyone though. The easy solution is to move Huff to first and set up a competition between Scott, Montanez, Reimold, and Freel for playing time at LF and DH. Those guys have very different skill sets and I can imagine several different platoons and offensive/defensive replacment rotations that make sense. The rumors that we are chasing a new first baseman are so persistant that it seems clear Trembley and MacPhail don't like that plan. Maybe Huff is a worse defender than I think he is? Maybe there is concern that Huff's offensive production will slip if he has to worry about defense? I don't know, but I hate seeing us bring in a third rate stopgap. Salazar looked good against major league pitching and Millar brings a solid glove and great attitude. I'd rather see one of those guys. They will both be affordable. I don't see why we seem so set on bringing someone else in.

About the only other thing we might look at is a backup shortstop unless we are really sold on Donnie Murphy, who looks like Fahey Redux. There isn't that much else to do. A couple more signings and we can go to spring training to build a false sense of optimism. Go team!

Ac-cent-tuate the Positive...

Thanks Bing!

You've got to accentuate the positive...
The O's signed Koji Uehara, a pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants. They are like the Japanese Yankees. Uehara can start or close, he hardly walks anyone, and he has been a winner for a winning organization. He can start or go to the pen if the kids make a strong statement.

Eliminate the negative...
Yeah, Tex said some obnoxious things in his first meeting with the New York press. I'm letting it go. I've said some things I didn't mean when taking a new job. Its not like he plays for us or anything. I'm not letting him get to me.

Latch on to the affirmative...
We have opened up the Japanese market! It will only be easier now for us to chase Japanese free agents.

Don't mess with Mr. In-Between!
Keith Law describes the signing thusly:

In an ideal environment -- National League, non-hitters' park -- he could be a midrotation innings-eater because he'll allow so few baserunners. In the American League, he'd be more of a fourth starter, but would have to have some luck keeping the ball in the park to keep his ERA under 4.00.

Maybe under 4.00? WOOT!

Mano a Mano

That's right, hand to hand, man to man. Everyone is so busy dissecting Gavin Floyd's ERA+ that they are overlooking the cat fight between Roch and Schmuck, two normally friendly competitors. Roch broke the Roberts/Floyd rumor back on January 2, and quickly posted a follow-up. I clicked over to Schmuck and found nothing. A couple of Schmuck's commentors...or commentators...I'm never sure...but some of them teased him for getting scooped by Roch. In fact, there was nothing at all coming from the Sunsite until the next afternoon. Schmuck's eventual snarky response held that its "not because I don't believe that those conversations occurred," but "I don't have any corroborating information." Further, "Even if those talks were very advanced, the deal would remain a longshot..." SNAP!!!

So who do you believe? Roch and his Deep Throat mystery source or the master of the flowered shirt? One will have a little egg on his face once these rumors get settled.

Personally, I agree with the Schmucker. I can't quite get my mind around this trade. There could well be more than is being reported but if not, does it really make sense? Would Baltimore trade their second baseman and leadoff hitter when they have no replacement for either? I know we need a solid pitcher but NOBODY thinks Ryan Freel is an everyday player. From the White Sox side, they just traded one starter and they have several good second base prospects. Why would they trade young pitching for a thirty-something second baseman? The only way this one works is if there are a lot of add-ons to the deal.