So you think you're under pressure?
Anyone want to trade places with Matt Cassel?
OK, maybe it's cool to envision yourself as an NFL quarterback, especially on a really good team, with Randy Moss as one of your receivers. But you're replacing Tom Brady, and you know - deep down in your heart and everywhere close to the surface - that you don't possess his skills, his good looks or his rap with supermodels.
Everybody is waiting for you to fail. The bar has been raised so high, low-flying aircraft aren't allowed within a 50-mile radius.
No thanks. I'll take the 49ers job instead.
Brady's knee injury, sustained in the first quarter on a hit by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard, reportedly will keep him out for the season, though the Patriots haven't made an official announcement.
"He was in a lot of pain," Pollard said. "When you hear a scream, you know that."
Or it was every football fan in New England. Or Matt Cassel.
Chris Simms is expected to take a physical today. Dante Culpepper is expected to insist that he really does want to stay retired and it doesn't bother him that nobody is returning his calls.
Reuniting Culpepper and Randy Moss might not be a bad idea, but I'd like to see Simms receive another chance in the NFL. When you lose out to Todd Bouman, as he did in Baltimore, you should immediately get an opportunity someplace else. And a hug.
A fruit basket would be a nice touch, too.
I'm 8-6 so far picking against the spread, which won't get me a 1-900 number, but it also won't force me to live in a cardboard box. I keep ignoring the advice of teachers who reminded me to always stick with my first choice. I took Carolina +9 against San Diego on Saturday, then reversed it a few minutes later. And never take the Lions on the road, no matter how bad the opponent. I know this, but I continue to ignore it.
I'll be heading to Camden Yards later, wondering again whether we'll see the Orioles Magic video played on the big screen at least one more time in 2008. And whether Jay Payton will take a quick look and think he actually saw a Yankeeography video.
Does anyone want to take a crack at posting a starting lineup for Opening Day 2009? You can include free agents, players already on the roster, minor leaguers who will win jobs in spring training.
Since we're unsure whether the Orioles will face a right-hander or a lefty, you can list two players in a platoon. Nothing wrong with having Scott/Montanez in left field, if that's the direction you choose.
I'll also be curious about the order, not just the names. Is Aubrey Huff your cleanup hitter? Mark Teixeira? You have a strange hunch about Juan Castro?
Roch,
What draft pick do we have to give up if we sign Tex? If it first rounder then I say we pass on signing him. The way we are losing we might get a top 5 pick.
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That's another good question: Is Tex worth a high first-rounder? Should spark an interesting debate. - Roch
2B Roberts
CF Jones
RF Markakis
1B Teixeira
C Wieters
DH Huff
LF Scott/Reimold
3B Mora
SS FA signing
Bench- Quiroz, Millar, Montanez, IF
Roch,
Other than Tex,CC, and AJ...Who will be the high profile free agents this yr.? What shortstops since that will be an area they may search.Also other first basemen they may look at.
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I'll have to do a little research and get back to you. - Roch
Not sure Tex is worth a draft pick -- especially the way Huff is playing (can he do it again next year?)
While Huff is older, his .313 BA, 30 HR, 98 RBI look very good againsts Tex's .302 BA, 29 HR, and 109 RBI. Tex has better hitter's around him and is going to cost $$$ to sign. Huff might be great to keep in the line-up and allow some younger talent (if we have any) to pick up at first.
So how long before Lowen is ready to do his Ankiel impersonation -- isn't he now our first basemen of the future? :-)
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Actually, he'll be an outfielder in the instructional league. - Roch
Roch,
Concverning the draft pick for signing a Tex, the top 15 picks are protected and the O's would be forced to give up the 2nd round pick instead. I do not feel they spend the money. Tex will go to a contender against my wishes. I will say the O's take a flyer on Furcal since the competitors will be minimal and the O's can overpay slightly. No compensation is required for Furcal due to injuries.
Lineup:
Furcal-SS
Roberts-2B
Markakis-RF
Huff- 1B
Mora-3B
Scott-LF
Reimold-DH
Jones-CF
Hernandez-C (replaced by Weiters before May 1)
2B Roberts
CF Jones
RF Markakis
1B Texiera
C Wieters
DH Huff
LF Scott/Montanez
3B Mora
SS Eckstein/O. Cabrera
C Quiroz
IF Fahey
IF Salazar/Castro
OF Reimold/Montanez
SP Sheets (we grab him while Sabathia sweepstakes play out)
SP Guthrie
SP Olson
SP Albers
SP Cabrera/Patton
RP Cormier
RP Liz
RP Bierd
RP Castillo
RP Sarfate
RP Johnson
CL Sherrill
Roch et al,
If the O's have a pick in the first half of the first round (they will) then they don't lose it. Signing Tex will have no impact on our 1st round pick.
Teixeira at first and hitting cleanup of course!
Wieters not in the opening day lineup, but with the team sometime in May.
We need Teixeira...Sign the petition!
http://www.bringmark.com
If we have a draft pick in the top 15 then we would give up the second round pick, outside of the top 15 then we give up the first round pick. Either way, there is no way we come up with the money to sign Tex or he wants to sign here and spend his best years waiting for our young guys to develop. We may have the hitting in pretty good shape but need to wait for Matusz, Tillman and Arrieta before we can start talk about free agents like Tex.
2009 openning day line-up:
2B-Roberts
CF-Jones
RF-Markakis
1B-Huff
C-Wieters
DH-Scott
3B-Mora
LF-Reimold
SS-Blake Davis
SP-Guthrie
If we do spend money on a FA, I hope it's on a second level starter or two. We need guys to keep the team in games and give the offense time to explode.
We would not have to give up a high first round pick to sign Tex. Eventhough Tex will be a Type A, since the Orioles will finish in the bottom half of the league, teams that sign Type A free agents do not lose their high first round pick, I believe the Angels would get a Compensenatory pick for him. Only teams in the top half of the league would lose their first round pick if they signed Tex.
Why sign Tex? How did the Texas Rangers do after signing A-Rod? Or the Yankees for that matter. Unless he can pitch 200+ innings and win 20 games a year he is not what the Orioles need. Good pitching beats good hitting 95% of the time. I like those odds.
The top 15 picks of the first round are protected and a team doesn't lose them for signing a free agent. So, we'd lose our high second rounder for a guy like Teixiera.
Opening day?
1B Aubrey Huff
2B Brian Roberts
3B Melvin Mora
SS Brandon Fahey or a free agent
C Ramon Hernandez
LF Luke Scott
CF Adam Jones
RF Nick Markakis
DH Lou Montanez
Bench Nolan Reimold
Bench Juan Castro
Bench Oscar Salazar
Bench Guillermo Quiroz/Omir Santos?
SP Jeremy Guthrie
SP Daniel Cabrera/free agent
SP Garrett Olson
SP Radhames Liz
SP Hayden Penn
SP/RP Brian Burres
RP Randor Bierd
RP Dennis Sarfate
RP Jim Johnson
RP Danys Baez
SU Chris Ray
CL George Sherrill
I would likely expect to see callups from AAA about halfway through:
SP Brad Bergesen
SP David Hernandez
SP Jason Berken
C Matt Wieters
2B Roberts
CF Jones
RF Markakis
1B Huff
3B Mora
LF Montanez
C Hernandez
DH Wieters
SS Trade
Bench: Quiroz, Castro, Fahey, OF
Hernandez is signed through next year and has low trade value so he'll be around next year. Wieters will share the catching duties and as the year goes on will be behind the plate more often. Eddie Murray broke in this way and if my memory is correct he didn't play a lot of first base, Lee May was the regular. If Reimold shows he can do the job at Norfolk, he may be up within the first 60 days. Scott will be part of a trade for either a SS or starter and Millar will not be resigned.
"That's another good question: Is Tex worth a high first-rounder? Should spark an interesting debate. - Roch"
It would be an interesting debate but not a situation the Orioles would have to worry about. Since the Orioles are going to draft within the top 15 overall picks, we would only have to give the Angels a second round pick for Teixeira. If that's the case, then I would think it's most definitely worth doing, if losing a draft pick is our biggest concern.
2B Roberts
CF Jones
RF Markakis
1B Huff
3B Mora
DH Scott
C Hernandez
LF Montanez
SS Castro/FA
Bench - Quiroz,Fahey,Salazar,Millar?
SP-Guthrie,Burnett?,Cabrera,Olson,Albers
RP-Johnson,Sherrill,Ray,Baez,Sarfate,Liz,Walker,Bierd
This is assuming Roberts is not traded. I think they may re-sign Millar as well. I think they will bow out quickly on the Tex bidding. Wieters and Reimhold will be here by the all-star break, as well as Patton hopefully. If so, it would probably mean Hernandez and Millar getting traded/released. If a FA pitcher is not acquired, I think they might consider making Johnson a SP.
2b roberts
cf jones
rf markakis
1b huff
3b mora
lf montanez
c weiters
dh scott
ss castro/b davis/?
reimold is the 4th outfielder after a couple of weeks at norfolk
Guthrie
Burnett
Liz
Waters
Cabrera