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I just hope he enjoys being a nobody in the New York lineup. I think the choice to go to New York was stupid. I would have respected him more if he would have went to Boston, then he would have at least been "the guy".

This sport has become a joke when one team can spend that much money on 3 players. Thank God the NFL has a salary cap. Teixera is just like every other mercenary in this game and makes me sick.

Well Teixeira is starting at 1B in Camden Yards opening day.

Now the moronic fans that think they should spend the money on pitching can see them pick up the nothing contracts of nobodies like Redding and Hendrickson. Then look at next years FA crop and see all of the good pitching that WONT SIGN HERE.

Say goodbye to Roberts... then Markakis... then Guthrie... then Jones... then Wieters. Its a joke how sad it is. You can't make steps forward when the Yankees and Red Sox will blow you out of the water.

It feels more palatable than him signing with the Red Sox or Nats. I don't know why.

Can we now concentrate on making Nick Markakis our next Cal Ripken? C'mon, just pretend he grew up in Glen Burnie.

Also, let's throw some of that bling to some real pitchers.

I think I'm slightly pissed off. Yes, I am.

lets just hope "agreement in principle" means the O's can still match the offer. I'm still holding out hope, but I'm oddly less pissed if this is the Yanks then the Nats and Red Sox.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

C'mon, is anyone, in their heart of hearts, really surprised?

Now, back to the reality... there's work to be done.

Frustrating. Really, really frustrating. I'm tired of being a second-rate team. Will the young, developing talent step up? I can only hope so. So frustrating. Another missed opportunity. Really frustrating.

This is rediculous. The players union needs to go away. THere must be a salary cap. I would rather watch 30 teams with replacement players than see this happen every year.

I think that you are going to see more people complaining about the state of baseball (lack of salary cap and the fact that every relevant move this offseason has come from the Bronx), then you are about the O's not getting Teixeira.

It's disheartening honestly. But the last two world series have also given me some hope for the overall state of the game...my stomach still hurts from all of this though.

Thanks for everything you did covering this. Really you helped make this process exciting and somewhat humorous despite how disgusting Scott Boras tried to make it.

What a shocker...not.

I do not blame the Orioles one bit. We never had a chance. It was going to be the Yankees or Sox from the beginning.

While I love my O's, I'm rooting for ANYONE else to beat the Yankees and Sox.

They are ruining baseball....it's not a sport anymore, it is a chicken franchise, a product that only money can buy.

The game is being destroyed by the greed of some teams, agents, and players that care more for $$$ than real competition.

Winning a championship is like shooting deer inside fenced fields.

Fans,,,what fans. There may be none left after this.

Roch, you seem to act as if Boras is doing something wrong. He's doing what he is supposed to do,,get his client as much as possible. There is a reason the best of the best sign w/ him. If anyone here is worthy of blame, its your boss Angelos. He has let the Oriole fans down again w/ a half hearted effort. He was never serious about signing Tex. Why even make a weak offer then later have McPhail mention they are not finished yet. By all reports the O's only made one offer. Why get our hopes up?

For one, Im done. Ill be following the York Revolution from here on out. There is no point rooting for a team that is unwilling to do what it takes to compete in the AL east.

I wanted him badly but now that it is over, I realize the guy is just not worth $180 million. If we went 180, yanks would have gone higher. Lets move on to pitching an Nick M.

Thanks for competitive balance Bud Selig.

Since the Yankees weren't able to sign their first round pick last year, they automatically are given a first round pick as compensation. How do Anaheim, Milwaukee, and Toronto get compensated for the losses of their big three free agents?

Baseball is broken. I'm tired of being the Washington Generals. This isn't competitive sport anymore. This is the WWF. What a joke. I won't spend a dollar on baseball until they fix the competitive balance. What a sad way to ruin one of the few things that makes America special.

If that's true and the Yankees have been allowed to make such a freaking mockery out of this sport I don't think I'll be watching any of it next year. I'm so disgusted it's not even funny!!! At least I can save myself $2,600 on season tix for next year now.

just wait till he is striking out to matusz, tillman and arrieta...

Sad day in Baltimore , with many more to come as long as Peter the Great lives on...........Kool-aid anyone ?

Congrats Tex. You might want to set aside part of that 180 mil for some ear plugs when you visit Camden Yards. Now can we finally go get some pitching??

I will throw a beer at Mark Teixeira on opening day and get kicked out of there.

It'll be so worth it.

I'm wondering....If the Yankees get themselves into too much eceonomic trouble, will the government bail them out too?

Roch, when you talk to McPhail again, please ask him why he believes anyone should support this team, when he is not willing to put a product on the field worth watching. Unacceptable!!!

I guess you'll be hearing Boos from the hole 20 Oriole fans at the game. :-(

Roch;

Baseball has got to stop this.

MLB has become a joke. It has nothing AND everything to do with Teixeria.

3 of the 4 MAJOR Free Agents have signed with Yankees and all of the contracts were close to if not records for players at their respective positions. The 4th one is still out there and could very well make it a clean sweep!

This used to be my favorite time of the year "The Hot Stove". It is not even entertaining anymore. I just wait to hear how much.

The seperation between football and baseball is growing and this certainly shines a bright light on the issues.

ALL of us baseball fans need to boycott baseball games. Not just here in Baltimore, but all over.

The game I love is being destroyed and all I can do is "wait to how how much".

I'll have the same reaction for him as I do for all Yankees. I dont look at him as a "traitor" or doing anything wrong, I look at is as the Yankees being the Yankees. I think the Yankees offseason is an embarrassment to the game and is nothing more than showing that you CAN put a price tag on a Championship. I'd never hope for injuries to anyone, and they can dominate all they want right now, but in 3-5 years when the Orioles have their young players reaching maturity and developing, the Orioles, Rays, and Red Sox will be atop the AL East, and the Yankees will be loaded with salary on overpaid veterans on the downside of a once great career. No matter what way you look at it though, Roch, O's fans need to trust MacPhail and support the players on the field if they truly take pride in their team.

Baseball is a joke. The organization is a joke. By all means, let the O's know how you feel:

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/help/email.jsp?c_id=bal&primarySubject=Other&secondarySubject=None&dest=fanfeedback@orioles.mlb.com

Nonsense. I am sick.

$180 mil for Tex. Wow! enjoy the cash. I'm glad the O's didn't go to 8 years. Wait a little while and the market is going to come crashing. Hint-hint- Toyota is losing money for the first time EVER. They opened for business in 1941. You should build the team like the Rays. Stick with the young studs. Lowell, Penn and Cabrera (not to mention trading Maine) killed the O's because they did not hit their potential.

Once again Angelos has the opportunity to make a move to right this franchise. Once again he failed to do it. Once again the Yankees just threw a bunch of money at players after a subpar season and are well on their way to buying yet another championship.

Until MLB decides to get serious about restoring competitive balance to the league, and until the O's get an owner who actually wants to win, I'm out. Goodbye season tickets. Goodbye orange and black. Goodbye baseball. I've got plenty of other less frustrating and fruitless things to waste my time, energy, and money on.

I hate the Yankees and their endless supply of money!

it never made sense to hold 1/5th to 1/6th of your total payroll to a 1B who is not even among the top 5 players in the game. i think this is a win for the orioles. he would have made us better, but i think the consequences of signing him would be have been bad for the future of this team.

At least it's not the Red Sox

figures....

So what do we get for Brian Roberts? Obviously the Orioles don't stand a chance to win anything in the forsseable future. Might as well trade him for some AA filler and a utility guy....

Roch, you are right this is exactly what Boras wanted. He would have never let Tex go to the O's or Nats even if he wanted too. It would have hurt his reputation. This is yet another reason why basseball has become the joke that it is. When Tex comes to town he better watch out because the bounty will be out for him!!!

I'll be there opening day, booing.

This just gives me a little over 3 months to come up with some kind Mark "Traitor" Teixeira chant. Heck, I grew up in Severna Park, too. However, the thought of playing for the Yankees makes ME want to vomit.

I am now an official Tex hater. He has joined the one team that represents all that is wrong with baseball. This sport has become a true discrace because of the Yankees and their buying ways!!

well thanks goes out to Mark Teixeira who never once thought of us, never once considered us, and obviously has no soul what so ever. Lets not forget to thank the yankees for showing why baseball is crap and if anyone wants to see competitive sports its football. 16 game seasons and they nearly make more money than baseball. Baseball should be lucky they have 162 games cause the money would never add up if they didn't. Who wants to watch this crap? And don't say "oh the rays" the DEVIL rays had abunch of people have career years. While Boston lost Ortiz and Yankees had no pitchers. Anyhow bye bye Brian Roberts he'll be a yankee next year, might as well give them wieters too and just move the team to hawaii.

Wow...what a wonderful Christmas gift for his father.

Looks like we're gonna have to transfer "The Curse of the Moose" to "The Curse of the Mook"...[really awful expletive deleted] the Yankers!!!

np: "Blue Christmas"

Assuming that the Orioles made the offer that has been reported (and I have no reason to doubt that), I have no problem with this. $22.5 million first basemen don't win championships. You can't out-hit a rotation with an astronomical ERA. If just a few of the Orioles' young arms pan out, and we find ourselves needing one or two pieces, we have the money to go out and get them. No one has any idea where the Orioles will still need help in 2010.

Roch, great job covering this mess. I hope you get some time off now.

There can not be anything in all of sports more dispicable than the New York Yankess. Thank God for the NFL, which has figured out how to control spending and keep its league respectable for all teams and markets.
I lost a lot of respect for Mark Teixeira today. Just another greedy, classless athlete looking for an easy ring. Here's to hoping the Rays dominate the next decade.
In all honesty, what chance does this Os organization really have of ever again being competitive? I just don't see it. It's not like the Yanks and Sux will ever put an end to this kind of spending. 423 million for 3 players? Come on.

This just goes to show that the whole time he was never a true O's fan, just a closet Yankees fan that lived in the Baltimore area and he was too chicken to admit to it. We know he was a Mattingly fan, but he always said how he'd like to come here and play for the team he grew up rooting for. Load of crock....

Lets all boo him opening day. I hope they don't also get Manny.

The yankees are turning this sport into a joke. How does any one beat them know?

I am not saying I will not continue to drink the orange coolais but I want to know why!!!

Don't blame the Orioles? The difference was 1 year and $20 mil. Thats it. The O's front office dropped the ball and screwed the fans.

Now onto the rotation...

DON'T CRITICIZE BORAS!
He is a strong proponent of the capitalism that this society is based on. The higher the deal he gets for the player he represents, the more money he makes. I thought that was the ideal for this laissez faire system that we are involved in.

I'm curious what sort of reception Teixeira will get on opening day in Camden Yards. Should be interesting. Personnally, I don't blame him at all. You go where the money is, especially when you get to play for the team of your idol growing up.

With that said...just when I think I can't dislike the Yankees more, I do. Though on the positive side (if there is one), I'll love it that much more in October when the evil empire of mercenaries misses out on the playoffs again.

Hey Roch, any details coming out of what the final offers were from each team?

So much for going small market and drafting our way out. Maybe there's a place no one else is scouting? Any good 1B in Siberia?

I no longer care about MLB at all, I only hope that every NY Yankee tear their rotator cuffs and never play again. Until there is some type of hard salary cap I will not ever watch or go to another MLB game.

THIS IS F'ING BS. THANKS FOR NOTHING ANGELOS.

I agree with several of the other comments. This makes me sick.
3 of the biggest free agents go to the Yankees for an obscene amount of money. MLB better take a long hard look at this, because it doesn't sit well with me at all....and I know I'm not the only one. This isn't good for baseball.

This shows me that Tex had NO intentions of signing with the O's. This whole "hometown team" was nothing but CRAP. But its only one player, he wont be the deciding factor in championships.

Now, there is still work to be done. That 20 million a year can be now spread out in areas of need.

I think this also means that Roberts will now want to be traded. And we should be able to get a nice return on him.

Orioles Magic...I guess I can call the ticket office now and tell them I'm not renewing my tickets.

Wow Roch, The rich just got richer and the poor Birds just got cooked again. Seems as the "hometown boy" really didn't want to play for his hometown team afterall. I wish him the best, so now lets get serious about becoming winners the right way.

How does this sit with fans? Well it makes me sick. Baseball is so screwed up, but that is not even the point....I don't think we gave our best effort and that is VERY disappointing, we had 5 years to get ready for this and make this happen, and we can't go all out and give it all we had? Maybe we did, but with this organization playing things so close to vest and tight lipped....we may never really know how much effort was put forth, but given the recent history, the organization will not be given the benefit of the doubt...I still feel this was a move that had to be made. Not just getting Tex, but making this an attractive destination in the future for other big names and more importantly helping us extend our own big names. This had to be done, and I feel the organization failed. Why did PA not attempt to sit down with Mark and gauge his interest and show him ours? Will Angelos ever get tired of being upstaged by the Yankees and Red Sox? Will his sack ever drop?...I mean he says he is committed to winning, but he does not make the deals to even try to steer us in that direction. The Orioles are NOT a small market team...but they are run like one. That is what is disgusting about all of this.

Now we'll get to hear McPhail spin this and do his "code-speak"...but how you don't make this happen is beyond me. And it may very well be that Mark did not want to be here, but again given the recent history of this franchise, and "small market" way of thinking, they will not be given the benefit of the doubt.

Just a sad, sad day.

Just heard from my sources upstairs. According to them, God is saying that this is not, repeat not, the end of the world. Further, he wants people to be aware that there are much more important things to focus on, baseball being low on the list.

It is now time to maybe explore a trade for Votto or Blalock, consider Dunn or Giambi. Most importantly, time to get some pitching help. Tex didn't want to come here, and in the long run that will probably be a good thing for the O's and the rebuilding process. But I would suggest some full-throated "appreciation" directed toward Tex this year, especially toward the end when they yet again are coming up short of the playoffs except this time with deflation of even larger expectations and a 1/2 billion "investment" down the drain.

If he didn't want to play in Baltimore, then screw him. Tex: We take back all those nice things we said about you. We thought you were on our side. You're not. You're a money-grubbing, self-centered jerk just like the rest of them.

Now, can we spend that $140M we offered on a pitcher or two?

Must admit, I am a little disappointed, but I am very glad the whole mess is over. Let's all just get on with what needs to be done: sign our good players and get some pitching.

Thanks for all of the effort through all of this mess, Roch.

Roch how did we not even try? How many times can this team let me down?

Anyone that didn't believe baseball is a business and Teixeira was nothing more than a hired gun should take a long walk off of a short reality pier.

My hatred for the Yankees will now reach an unprecedented level, and leather lungs will be primed to boo the snot out of the "hometown" boy. . .disgusting greed on his part and his agent.

Let's just hope the O's can succeed by building our own great players from within our farm system after our scouts have made solid recommendations.

at least it's over. . .

texiera should be royally boed when he steps on to camden yards.
not only has he turned his back on his home town. he signed with hated yankees.

worst. blog entry. ever.

OPENING DAY TEXERIA....YOU BETTER BEWARE......IT IS GOING TO GUTHRIE, RAY, and FLAT BREEZY..........O'S VICTORY AND WE BETTER NOT SEE YOU AT DA BAR!

Well i guess now the O's will use all that money to sign Markakis and Roberts to new deals. What are the chances of that happening now?

Hey Roch,

As much as I'd like to be there on Opening Day, I just can't watch Tex playing for the Yanks and 30,000 Yankees fans cheering for him at OPACY. I just can't do it.

After attending 30+ games per year each season at Camden Yards, I'm won't be renewing my season tickets.

Its not that Tex signed with the yankees, its just that the Os are hopeless. I wont be going to games this year until they put together a solid 2 or 3 months of baseball... which I dont see happening. The Orioles just depress me and suck money out of my wallet.

I hope Tex loves getting boo'd out of camden yards. Before, texieriera would've got a decent ovation - being a local product - now he's got to deal with the team that he grew up rooting for, their home crowd, surrounding his friends and family members, and everyone boo-ing the crap out of him every time he comes to Baltimore... (and when I say every time, I obviously mean every time that Yankees fans dont buy half the tickets)....

no salary cap in baseball, the rich get richer, and the patience of even the most patient baseball fans is dwindling...

wonder who is going to play first for the birds next year? Huff? Scott? resign Millar? someone wake me up when we can compete....

What are we supposed to root for?

I hope the crap economy makes the Yankees file bankruptcy.

At least nobody will ever again be able to comment that Tex was truely an Orioles fan at any point of his life!!!!!! He would have been watching the 1996 playoff rip job against the yankees when we all saw a ball clearly going to be caught and stolen by a fan and ended our trip to the world series. He would have been sitting in the seats at camden yards seeing first hand why Yankee fans are some of the worst in baseball. Cursing, fighting, hating everything around them and a true Orioles fan would have thought wow these guys are terrible I am sure glad the fans here are respectful and polite. He would have hated the evil empire. There is no way around that. If he was as big of an oriole fan as he said he was and wanted to play for the O's as bad as he said he did "A dream come true" i believe he said this day would have never came. Especially over a few million bucks. He could have never spent 150 million dollars the O's were offering unless he's a sicko like Michael Jackson and needs an amusement park in his backyard. For all you Orioles fans that will be spending christmas like me down, hurt, and in disbelief that our Cal Ripken was stolen from us, dont be! He wasn't Cal Ripken who loved this city, the people in it, and would have done nothing to hurt his fans. this was Mark Texeira. A guy who wanted the most money available and will try and destroy the Orioles in every way he can for the next 8 years. He is the evil empires new Darth Vader and I am not laughing. If anything should go and prove that there should be a hard salary cap on baseball this year with the yankees should prove it. It is destroying baseball even if MLB front office doesnt want to admit it. Now the Fat, greedy yankees will have one more platter to serve up to their spoiled, fat, greedy, fans. Orioles front office should have never let this happen. As optimistic as i will always remain for the Orioles this could cripple the orioles fan base and more importantly the perception for fans of PA and AM and if they should ever come back to the park. Sad day for an Orioles fan. Peter Angelos just doesn't understand how much he has hurt and let down the fans of the Baltimore Orioles. Thanks Roch for all your coverage of the Tex chase. Please come up with some sarcasm that can make us all a little happier when this news comes down officially and we're coming back to you to hear your take.

For the first time in my life, I hate baseball. I still play the game and love to play, but the Yankees are ruining the game. I am so angry I could pull an Alomar. I will be at opening day, you can believe that, and I will be hoarse after booing Teixeira with all my heart and soul. This is Mussina 2.0. Could being an Orioles' fan get any worse?

Let me get this straight... the Yankees are asking for something like $360M in aid for their stadium (designed for the rich to enjoy a game), and are allowed to shell out $423M for the top free agents? If there is any justice in the world, they will go bankrupt and the team will move to Omaha.

If he does sign with the Yankees, I'll be ill. Foolish of me to think better of him, but he's played everyone for money (the lure of his hometown team, how great it was to be with the Angels, etc.).

I went to high school with Tex and I'm happy that he is going to be earning so much money. I'm also glad that he isn't on the Red Sox. Sure, the Yankees are always trying to buy a championship, but at least they have some real history and their fans are dignified about it.

As an Orioles fan, things look pretty hopeless. I'm not mad at the owner or GM because $22.5M/year for one guy (who isn't Bonds circa 2001) isn't going to help you rebuild the team. It is hopeless because you just can't compete against Boston or New York as long as they can simply outspend everybody. The recent NY spending spree does make a mockery of the game and any sense of competitive balance. There should be a national outcry for a salary cap, especially as the economy goes into the tank and the majority of clubs will start to see major declines in attendance.

Until we get a salary cap, I am glad at least that some of that Yankee money is going to a good cause.

I have a Natty O's hangover. Kinda sick to my stomach...the Yankees. I wish we had Cabrera on the team to pitch some high heat to these rich yankees! What now Roch, what now! Is it sad that I now look forward to trading Brob,and signing Markakis to even more than hes probably worth? Gosh i really feel like the O's are starting from sqaure one again. Unfortunately I followed Tex kinda religiously to no prevail. But once and O's fan always an O's fan! Thanks for the tracking Roch.

But I give it to the Yankees. They didn't sit and wait for Boras to call with a counter. They went in and sat down and said 'lets get this done' and a few hours later it was. Wish the O's front office knew how to get things done.

So lets see what magical pitching we can get for that money. That seems to have been the arguement. Well the only top of the roation guy left is Lowe. Wonder if he goes to the Yankees. They have interest. He won't come here.

It was always about the money! Teixeira never had any intentions of playing for the Orioles, let alone the Nationals. Andy Macphail did the right thing by offering what he did. Even that was a steep price to pay.
This team really doesn't need him, there was nothing wrong with the offense the second half of the season. What they need is pitching and getting Markaikis and Roberts extended.

When it comes down to it and 30 out of 32 teams don't really have a shot at signing a guy because the Yankees and Red Sox can throw more money at the player than anyone else there is a HUGE problem with baseball.

I guess that Peter the Great and Mr. AM will be counting the number of O's fans that show at the Yard next year.

I'm not from Baltimore and wasn't necessarily for signing Tex at the cost he wanted but I sincerely hope you in state fans will boo, insult and harass this pig to no end when he comes to visit. I hate the yankees with a passion, as well as Boras, guess Tex might as well end up on the list too.

Looks like the Sox fans sure all upset with there posts on the Globe. They must have pretty short memories up there..

Looks like I won't have to be issuing any apologies to the O's front office on your blog Roch.

That offer sure was "flexible"... we couldn't beat $22.5 million a year. Now let's FOCUS ON PITCHING! YES RANDY WOLFE, TIM REDDINGS, 2 Asian Relievers...SIGN EM ALL...we'll still have the worst rotation in baseball with these castoffs. At least with Tex we got an exciting offensive force to go with our sub par pitching.

Are the Orioles planning to announce they are lowering ticket prices to make up for joke moves like "scrappy" short stop signings and trading Ramon for a utility player?

And who will be booing Tex when he comes to Camden Yards? All four of the Orioles fans or the tens of thousands of Yankees fans? Be realistic people. Tex won't feel right at home when he's here.

I'm cashing in my chips for the next couple of years. Thanks for the great articles Roch. You are the only positive thing about MASN.

Angelos you've officially reinforced what all the publications say about you being the worst owner in professional sports. Thanks for not making me not have to question my agreeing with their opinion.

Now go get us some washed up players! CALL KEVIN MILLAR!

How can anyone compete. This is a joke!! I was mad at Bostons people!! Not anymore they have a payroll 100 million less than the Yankees. The Marlins arent even 1/6 the payroll!! Please put Baseball out of its misery!!! This is the ultimate joke!! I officially do not care anymore!! Boras is an assclown who made it filthy stinking rich destroying one of the few sad things The American people have left!!

You know, as disappointed I am with the O's and baseball in general, it is overall greed. You know, if I were in Tex's shoes, I would have jumped at the chance to come home, make a ton of money, and be the face and savior of the O's. He would have been an idol here. So, we all should temper ourselves a bit and place some of the blame on him. Greed my friends. Greed.

I just want to discuss the label of "homegrown" talent.

To me Tex is NOT "homegrown." Matt Weiters is "homegrown." We drafted him, developed him, and hopefully can watch him develop into a potential superstar.

When you watch a player grow up in your system and turn him into a professional player, that is "homegrown."

Tex is just like any other player to me, especially now.

It's been 10 minutes now, I think can relax. I'm starting to get excited about the rest of the ???s surrounding this team. Whats up with BROB? You better lock up Markakis. Starting Pitching? Utility Player?

Theoretically, we have a lot of money to play around with now. Not advocating spending it all. Just saying...

Why are you people blaming Mark?

This is the fault of the joke franchise we love the orioles.

We had every chance to sign him but were never serious about, a lowball offer is not going to get it done.

The problem with booing Tex when he comes to town with the Yankees is he won't be able to hear the boos, because of all the Yankee fans that fill the place....he'll never know he's being booed and despised.

I just wanted to say, this was a horrible tease to the fans from both Scott Boras and Mark Teixeira. The Orioles were never in it but were teased and told otherwise, just as the Angels were never in it but were also told otherwise as well. I hope Tex is happy and I just want to say Mike Mussina left for more money (second time around after taking a home discount) and to go to a winner, but he never got to the world series in all those years! Have fun Tex! Hope you got what you wanted! Now we can use our money for lots of other needs (ahem pitching). We do have Aubrey Huff still and other needs to tend to. Thanks for being there for us O's fans Roch. Happy Holidays, new years is coming so Auld Lang Syne and no more Tex references! PS as per usual you were right, came of fishy Boras was talking to Macphail about other clients and not Tex in the first place. Boras is just a jerk period.

" Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o' lang syne ?"

Matt Wieters is going to take the orioles franchise out of misery, everybody needs to be patient. Yankees will be a joke when Burnett blows his arm out, and Teixiera is a bust. We dont need Mark, draft a first baseman with the fifth overall pick. Yankees are a joke, they never develop their own talent they just pay talent, what a joke. Wieters will be the best thing since Cal Ripken. Believe it!!!!!!!!!

I'm done with MLB. That is ridiculous for one team to be able to sweep CC, Burnett and Teixeira up in the same off-season. $423 million payroll...BS How can you be a fan of a team in a league that has one team cornering that much talent? The only games I will go to will be the Yankees games to boo viciously Mr. Mark Teixeira. I hope you enjoy as many championships as Moose did Mark.

Opening day. First pitch of the season from CC to BRob. Popup over the mound. ARod charges from 3rd and Tex charges from 1st. Both looking at the ball along with CC. CRASH all three collide and never play another game.

I'm becoming a Royals fan because it's less embarrassing. Go KC!!!!

Alright Roch, let us know what Andy has to say for the Orioles.

Do we want to take bets now on whether the Yanks sign Manny Ramirez now?

The thought would be ludicrous if the team hadn't already spent a quarter of a billion dollars on three employees.

The Yankees are everything that is wrong with sports

SHAWN, WHY ARE PEOPLE BLAMING MARK???????????? BECAUSE HE HAS NO PRIDE. THIS IS A JOKE....ALL THIS MONEY. THE BREWERS BUILT A GOOD TEAM AND ARE LOSING PEOPLE LEFT AND RIGHT. WHERE IS D. CAB WHEN WE NEED HIM WITH TEXERIA AT THE PLATE.

Looks like everybody is wanting to focus on pitching...so who is out there? I would take a shot at Randy Wolf. Any chance we look at Lowe? or rather any chance he would look at us?

Enjoy our bailout money pig!!!!!!! I wonder who buy outrageously priced suites in NY.!! Maybe AIG, Bank of America, Wells Fargo!!! Thanks Us goverment!! our number 1 export The New York Yankees!!! I hope that pig never comes back!!! Teixeira thnks for doing this to your home!!! I hope you choke on that Don mattingly jersey when it is shoved so far up your you know what that tries to come out your throat!!! Opening day should be a frikken blast!!!

What a NIGHTMARE! I would've rather seen the Red Sox pick him up. I guess the Orioles made money on this deal since the Yankees tax has gone up even more. Now lets get some PITCHING!!!!

Bring back Millar, atleast he has respect for the game and the O's. He might not be the best, but he always gives 110%.

I hope tex takes that yankee money and moves to New York. There should be a vote on most hated in B-More: Tex or Angelos!

By the way Ravens rule!!! Atleast we still have Ray, Ed, Joe and the boys!

Hey Roch. How about you ask McPhail what the heck he's been doing all this time? Where is this rebuilding effort we were promised over and over again? If you don't sign Tex because it's too expensive, that's fine. But then how about you sign someone, ANYONE. Getting rid of Ramon was great. Adding a SS was great. And yet, the rotation is trifling, the depth is terrible, and the fans are disillusioned.

If the Ravens lose on Sunday, this will be my last post on any blog or message board.

For 8/180 the Orioles had better been told they never had a chance, because they could have matched that offer.

If Tex never gave them a chance, that's one thing, but if Angelos chose not to step up, that's entirely another situation...

Brian Roberts should ask for a trade now. And the Orioles should see if the Angels are interested in Huff as the Orioles won't be in the picture for the next few years.

To everyone who is saying on to pitching. Are there some free agent pitchers I was not aware of?

We are looking at a staff of Guthrie, Olson, Albers and some sort of Redding, Looper, Liz, Penn combo.

This team on paper looks like one that could easily lose over 100 games this season.

Tex was the key to the offseason because he is a game changer player and someone who fills a position where there are absolutely no prospects in our system. ( much like shortstop, third base, second base)

Roch,

Is there an opt-out in this contract or is it just a straight 8 years?
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I only know what I've read. Didn't see anything about opt-out, but I'm sure more details are coming. - Roch

Though I am not very happy with Mark Teixeira, I feel it is important to place the blame where it belongs. Sadly that is right here in Baltimore. Five teams bid for Mark and his hometown team was low bid. Even the Nationals with virtually no TV revenue were able to outbid us. The only thing obtainable with low bid is a government contract, and we know what that means. Not only will I never attend another game, I will never buy another MLB licensed product until baseball levels the playing field and allows multiple teams to compete and retain their players. The entire sport has become farm teams for the ESPN favorites here in the AL East. What to do now? I for one will be there on opening day simply to deposit everything I own with an Orioles logo on it in front of Babes statue and then I am leaving and never coming back. Andy McPhail you are either incredibly arrogant or stupid if you thought you could sign a Scott Boras client with low bid. So say goodbye to Brian, and be prepared for Markakis' leaving as well. I will never again invest my time or dollar in rooting for a team that has resources that they choose not to use.

I don't know why you people are all freaking out. They're replacing Giambi's HR and RBI with a better hitter for AVG and a great 1st baseman. Aside to that, CC replaces Mussina's 20 wins, Burnett replaces Pettite and Joba/Hughes can't stay healthy.

1/2 billion dollars probably just bought this team 7-10 more wins.

I couldn't imagine a better argument for NFL-type revenue sharing than Tex signing with the Yankees. No other team can come close to the resources the Yankees have from their YES network and huge fan base, so if they really want to buy a championship, only they can do it and it looks like this is the year.

As for Joe who said, "...at least Yankees fans are dignified about it", I have to ask what you're smoking son, because Yankess fans are the most obnoxious ones I've ever encountered with their false sense of entitlement.

Now, the O's can concentrate on getting some pitching.

It would have taken some balls to go to Baltimore and be the "face". It would have shown some real soul. Another Ripken, BRobby, Palmer? But, alas, why be surprised? Just another faceless NY Yankee, blending right in with ARod, Jeter, CC, Burnett, Posada, Damon, blah, blah, blah. I lost respect for Mark Texeria, who's bank account and inter-generational wealth recieptients will thank him but, I suspect, will live to regret his decision to become another NY Yankee.

I gained respect for the Red Sox, who basically said "screw you". Go O's, Go Rays, Go Twins, Go A's- anybody that can win in this broken system. Move on and let's get some pitching...

Why do the Orioles continue to low ball and expect to get things done? Granted 140 million is nothing to sneeze at, but for this situation, it was definitely low ball. I just don't get it.

I was hoping for Tex but actually glad. Now take the money offered and sign MORE pitching!

Tex's mom should be embarrassed at the greed monger she raised.

Please ask MacPhail if he felt Tex had a genuine interest in playing for the O's...or if he felt they were just being used to drive up the price?

It makes all the difference.

If he felt like they were just being used, then it's understandable that they appearently never raised their offer.

Otherwise...well...it's more of the same with this FO (and probably PA)

Ok, so I'm as mad as anybody about him signing with the Yankees, BUT who was in the World Series last year?

How did Tampa Bay of all franchises make it the World Series? Yes, the Yankees had a down year, but contending is not impossible. I look forward to a day when the O's young pitchers maul down the Yankee line-up and the Yankee's pitchers are all hurt on the DL.

Teixeira wasn't the difference maker. I think people are upset because the hometown kid spurned the hometown team. AND, the hometown team wasn't willing to break the bank on him. Maybe we'll be glad the O's have the payroll flexibility when they are closer to competing.

Let me get this straight, McPhail just said that it was just too much money for one player. So we can afford $20 mil per year but we can't afford $22.5 mil per year? Will that $2.5 mil make a difference each year? I doubt it.

Same ole XXXX, different day.

Blame
1. MLB, no cap makes you the joke of all leagues
2. Tex/Boras/union- if it's all about money, you are souless.
3. O's for not being respectable enough to warrant top consideration by a hometown boy.

This has been a three ring circus. I will say one thing...I will never become an ESPN Insider...why pay to hear lies when you can read about them for free? Eventually someone over there was going to guess right...the truth had to be in there somewhere.

I guess now we're back to focusing on where Brian Roberts is going to be Opening Day?

It's obvious Tex wanted to be a Yank all along. Shady Boras and his moves drove up his price. I commend MacPhail for not buying in to that. Trust this front office!!

I'm bringing out my voodoo dolls from the French Quarter that I hav not used since Moose went to the Yanks. The spell will be put on Tex this evening and just like Moose he will not be a World Champion.

Please calm down everyone, I hate the Yankees just as much as the next guy, but all this "not going to go to any games this year" stuff is insane. There is a future in Baltimore, let's look to the bright side, throw a sh*t ton of money at Nick Markakis and move on with our lives.

Screw Mark Teixiera, Screw the spankees, Screw Andy McPhail. Thanks to all of the above for making my Xmas one of the best ever.

*caution sarcasm included*

Roch I'm speechless. I can't believe it. I feel like someone ran over my cat. Said, "Oh I'm sorry." Then put it in reverse and did it again.

O's fans better show up on opening day and that first series against that no pride loser Tex and AFraud.............

Has to be a salary cap!! This is beyond a joke!!

Roch thanks for the great blog it has been great to read. I am divorcing the game that has stuck a knife in my back for the last time and reading your blog won’t serve any purpose for me. I have long worried this game was badly broken and I know people will say a World Series is not guaranteed but the Yankees are guaranteed to never go through what we are going through….and that is not fair. MLB is in bed with Fox and ESPN to get ratings and sorry a Sunday night game between the O’s and Mariners isn’t going to get viewers. Plus how does Tampa Bay feel right now??? They draft and develop and wait their turn for what??? To have the Yankees just spend them back into oblivion. This is a sad day for baseball

P.S. call me when they get a salary cap.

it's not over yet we'll be waving goodbye to roberts and markakis the front office just showed all of us their not serious about building a winner including the clubhouse,everybody players,fans will abondon ship serves mr a. right, also i will hold know ill will toward anyone wanting to leave i would'nt want to play for him either

Roch

OHH MY thats worse then the red sox... First Base? maybe kevin?

I've got an extra $25 for Guthrie if he brushes Teixeira off the plate - $50 if he plunks him - just kidding, sort of. I grew up a Yanks fan, and this is why I USED to a Yankee fan, then grew tired as they signed the best free agent available every year. It was bad enough getting Wade Boggs, but Sheffield, Mussina, Giambi, Damon, A-Rod, Clemens, et al made me run from the club. The WS were won by homegrown Jeter, Posada, Pettitte, Rivera. I always liked the late '60's Orioles and made the switch to the O's several years ago. Although I wanted Tex to sign with the O's, am liking that MacPhail put in due diligence to try and sign Tex, but don't blame the O's - all other teams would have loved to sign him and all others failed to due so beside the Yankees.

I hope Tex realizes that $$$ doesn't buy a championship [ask A-Rod] and hope he never does with the Yankees.

Let's sign Nick and Brian, keep building the pitching and the minors. AM and DT are the right folks to lead the way. A pox on the Evil Empire!

Tex is a scumbag. No integrity. Go get your cash, but there is no need to play on Baltimore's hopes like that. Purely used his hometown and now it will be all dressed up like a pig in lipstick and the Angelos haters will misplace the blame. Tex used you, don't blame Angelos and McPhail, blame Boras and his boy-toy. I live up here and I just hope the NY media chews him up and spits him out.

Knock Freel and Izturis all you want, but I'll root for a team of gritty guys like that all day before I worship at the altar of some greedy, empty-headed 1B. Go get a gamer we can root for, let NY have their dysfunctional prima donnas- Tex will fit right in.

At least now I have one thing to root for...another year where the Yankees fail to purchase a pennant.

Why is anyone even shocked at this? You all knew he was going to be a Yankee or a Red Sox. There was no way in H. E. double tooth pick he was coming here. NO WAY! Now we can do what we need to... trade Roberts and Huff and whoever else!!! Get young Major League talent and lock them up like the Indians did in the 90's. Let AM do what he was brought in to do!!! And on more thing, Peter Gammons EAT IT!!!! Sox Fans EAT IT!!! You were wrong Boston is not getting TEX Ha Ha Ha!!! EAT IT!!!!

I hate ESPN and there New England Sports team bias, makes me sick I want to vomit when I here Gammons and his love of the Sox.

All of you people blaming PA and AM for "not being serious" about signing Tex, that's a ridiculous stand to take. I think they were very serious if they did indeed offer him $20M per year. Tex is probably not in the top ten best players in MLB, but everyone seems to think he should have been paid like one by the O's. Everyone should direct their anger at the system in place that allows the Yankees and Red Sox to outspend every other team. No team can outspend them, and until there is a system similar to the NFL (salary cap), this will continue. The O's would finish in last place with or without Tex next season with the pitching the team currently has. The old saying is very true: "Offense puts butts in seats, but pitching (or defense in the case of NFL) wins championships". Besides, Albert Pujhols will be a free agent when the O's are finally on the verge of contending.

It's time for baseball to wake up. Guys like Boros and teams like the Yankees are going to ruin a wonderful game we all have loved for years. Just having the ability to sign 3 people for over $430 million players is sickening. IF, the Commissioner had any "stones" he'd step in before this thing gets farther out of hand.

I can't wait to hear the boos he receives on Opening Day.

For that kind of money, he better buy his parents and any other relatives a home far away from Baltimore because they won't be able to show their face around town. And, for that kind of money, he can buy his own city.

IT'S CALLED A SALARY CAP!!!!!!!

John10

I am going to boo Teixeira/PA/AM by never showing up to an O's game until PA sells this team... Both sides used us the fans and neithier deserves the time of day let alone any of my $$...

Surprise! Surprise! The Yankees wind up with Texeira. Who saw that coming. It fits right in with the Steinbrenner philosophy: If at first you don't succeed, buy buy again.

Roch,

As disappointed as I am, I am also very glad this is over. We can now move on to more important issues like filling our rotation and finding a mentor/backup catcher. By saving money on Tex, I hope the O's are willing to be more aggressive on a solid starter or two. That's more important for the improvement of our team over the next year or two.

Anyway, thanks for putting up with all the BS you had to deal with during this Teixeira drama. Most people appreciate the facts and constant updates that you provided and continue to provide. Keep on doing what you're doing and ignore the jerks. Thanks!

OK it sucks, but let's move on...

ROCH...

When you mentioned Garko a few days back, was that just random on your part since you heard that he had fallen out of the happy graces of the Indians organization? Or has MacPhail laid some groundwork there and had discussions already?

What are the first base options as of now? Any Adrian Gonzalez types that are out there... guys that are stuck behind stars in the majors, but could come in young and make an impact with the O's?

Later...

I hope MLB sees this past off-season and starts talks about salary cap. I think teams/players are losing site about the game and just inflating the amount players are making even worse. When you compare the highest payroll to the lowest their is so much disparity its sickening and currently there is no correlation between high payroll wins championships either, so why do it? Ticket sales, the Yankees want to win championships but care less about that than profits from the stadium. This is ridiculous, I do not blame Tex, but Boras is a snake. O's fans need to move on this guy wasn't going to take us to the series, he would help but we need to stay the track, build a farm system and get some starting pitching

I'm bringing out my voodoo dolls from the French Quarter that I hav not used since Moose went to the Yanks. The spell will be put on Tex this evening and just like Moose he will not be a World Champion.

I would love to buy an opening day ticket and boo tex and angelos. Can this be done while still supporting nick and brob?

What an opportunity to turn this franchise around, for the fans and players. That is what I am most angered by. Rebuilding? Fine. But this was the opportunity to send a message to the city of Baltimore and O's fans around the country. All lost. That is what I am most angered by.

I hope Teixeira is prepared to be booed in his hometown, because it's going to happen. I can't really say I blame him for going after the big bucks. On the other hand, saying you want to play for the team you rooted for as a kid and then signing with the hated Yankees because they offer more money is pretty much the definition of selling out.

Why is everyone blaming the O's and Angelos for Tex signing with the Yanks? People say we lowballed him, but nobody knows what we really offered. Besides it doesn't matter what we offered him, the Yanks would have raised their offer until all the other teams dropped out. In my opinion he wanted to play for the Yanks all along. He did say Mattingly was his favorite player growing up. He never said Cal was.

I,m not surprized same old stuff,sad sad day in O,s contry.

The only person to dis-like after this is Mark Teixeira. If he wanted to play here, then he would have. What the Yankees gave him is about what the Red Sox were offering so it's pretty clear he didn't want to play in Boston.

Don't blame McPhail, and don't blame Boris. Blame Tex and boo him when the Yanks visit the Yard.

Jarrod brings up a great point. The FO is a joke. Seriously. If you're already offering 20+ million a year, is another 1 or 2 going to break the bank? Nope. When you throw your hat in the ring for a big time free agent like this one, you have to go all the way, instead of 'going through the motions'. Joke Joke Joke.

Perhaps Tex just likes men, like ARod

I'm not ticked at the Orioles, and I'm not even really that upset that Teixeira isn't going to be an O. What makes me most upset is the fact that he signed with the Yankees - ugh! I hope Tampa Bay (and Boston, I guess) kick the heck out of the Yanks next year (hope the O's can do some damage too, but that's just wishful thinking..)

When I saw the headline on ESPN.com that Tex was going to the Yankees, I felt like someone just kicked me in my testicles.

I'll be at Opening Day and I'll be booing Tex just with the rest of the Camden Faithful.

I'm thrilled. We didn't break the bank on one guy at a time when we are at least a couple years away from being competitive anyway. O's fans need to stop looking at the Yankees model of trying to buy championships through free agency and look at the Twins, Marlins, A's and Rays. The economics are such that we have to do it like they have. Signing Tex was not the way to build a winner in Baltimore. Signing Markakis and having money to sign Jones and Wieters long terms when the time comes is the way to do it. I do wish Tex would have signed with the Nads though, so we could get his big bat out of our league. Oh well, I guess it's just one more Yankee to boo. And we he can take the place of Mussina as a target for our grudges.

Should I just cut off my balls and send them to New York? They have the 4 highest paid players in the game? That's a farce.

Roch - with regard to your coverage, nice work - a class act.

I can't stand the Yankees.

Anyone that thinks the Orioles did not do enough to get Tex are very illinformed!

Here are the FACTS:
The Orioles gave an initial offer of 7 yrs 140 million, which is 20 million a year. That offer showed the Orioles were ready, willing, and able to negotiate for Tex's services. The O's were ready to play ball and make Tex an Orioles. Guess what..Scott Boras never came back at them. To Andy MacPhail's credit he was not going to drive up the price unsolicited. Yeah, maybe we could of offered 250 million over 12 years, but the fact is we need more than a "play for pay" player. Farewell Tex...go be another Mussina.

I read the comment that said "Andy and Peter were willing to sit down with Tex if he was interested". I'm guessing the call never came from Boras that said "Hey, Mark is interested in being an Oriole. Why dont we get together and hammer out a deal that is fair market value".

That never happend. Why? Because he never really wanted to be an Oriole.

F- Tex!!

The O's front office is made up with WIMPS! What excuse are they going to use when Roberts wont resign this year and then after that we lose Markakis and you know Boras is already in Wieters head. This is so sad, so pathetic, and so typical. Why do I think things ever change. Best of luck to you all I wish you the very best , IM DONE!

Well after loving the Baltimore Orioles since the age of five, I am not DONE with this organization at the age of 35. Below is the recent quote from the Baltimore Organization, “We would have loved to have had the player, who appealed to us because of the special circumstances of where he’s from and where we are. We diverted from our plan to try to get him,” said Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail. “But at the end of the day, it was just too much to pay for one player. It would handicap our ability to go forward.”
HANDICAP YOU ABILITY TO GO FORWARD???? Yea Ok, Let me see you go forward when not a damn soul is in that freaken stadium. This organization has now hit ann ALL TIME LOW… Maybe them moving forward means bringing in Sir Sidney Ponson, and a bunch of other washed up has beens with ERA’s over 5.00. Go Terps.

Mussina left the O's to win a ring. How did that turn out? The yankees have a great team on paper and have in the past 10 years and they have no ring to show. Lets not crown them yet

I dont blame the O's, that is just too much money. At least we can go on with the rebuilding plan. But I do hope a fastball gets aimed right at his earhole the first time the Yanks visit Camden Yards!

This is not MacPhail's fault, Angelos's fault, Boras's fault or even Teixeira's fault. The problem is Major League Baseball. This is the system we are in now where the top free agents will chase big bucks and best chance to get a ring with the Mets, Sox and Yankees (and maybe a sniff in Chicago or LA) and the rest of the teams are left with the scraps. Let's face it, he was never coming to Baltimore or DC.

Baseball is a joke nowadays. The Rays and Marlins are exceptions to the norm. And until baseball gets a salary cap, things won't change.

Thanks, Roch, for keeping us all informed for the past few weeks. Enjoy a well-deserved break.

Jeremy Guthrie at this point is the bigggest hero to ever wear an oriole uniform!! He fired Boras face to face!!! I have more respect for him than anyone else in baseball!! Bring back Millar at least he is funny!!

If it were simply a matter of not signing Tex, I wouldn't have a problem with this entire situation. There are just too many other factors involved here:
1. MacPhail is talking to the fans, through the media, as though we are simpletons. Too much of this situation makes zero sense:
a. FO is ok with $20-21.5/year
b. FO is not ok with $22.4/year
c. MacPhail didn't remove his offer when he realized it wasn't going to be enough
1.) MacPhail either really thought it was enough (that's a problem if he doesn't have a grasp of the FA market)
2.) He misled fans into thinking the O's were really in it
- He either did or he didn't intentionally allow the fans to think that they were in it. He stated it was a disappointment not to bring Teixeira home from the Winter Meetings. He stated, just today, that they diverted from their plan to sign him. If he didn't mislead the fans, then he has no idea what he's doing, really. If he did, then he assumes we are unable to judge his actions with any sound reasoning.
d. MacPhail was unable to foresee Teixeira not becoming an O
1.) This is a major problem if he was not able to figure this out - you either get him, or you don't. If he thinks it's not likely, then he has to have a back up plan. His plan is seriously flawed. Guthrie and Roberts should have been traded already. What AM is doing is not a rebuild - be upfront with your fans, suck it up for a couple of years, get some real talen in the minors (enough to compete with the paltry salaries they're apparently willing to go up to).

What this is is a complete failure to accurately forecast the conditions in which he was supposed to build a winner. He made a play at Teixeira - if it's important enough to get him, then you make it possible in the time leading up that you can get him. If you cannot get him, then do something else and be honest. He's been dissembling ever since he got here.

It's time for AM to go.

After reading about fans that say they will never return because the Orioles did not play Boras' game, I wish I could afford to buy a full season. I was crushed when I heard the yankees jumped in and signed him, but I don't blame McPhail (or even Angelos, who I still hate for wrecking a once-great franchise). I blame Tex. If he wanted to play for a contender, he could have let all the shmoes in and around Baltimore know that winning was his priority. That would have told us we had no chance. By signing this quickly and out of the blue with the baby steinbrenners, Tex has proven that he had no interest in Baltimore. Otherwise, you have to imagine that he and his personal leech would have seen how "flexible" McPhail's offer was. I hope the yankees sign Manny, Derek Lowe, and any other top free agents that remain. I hope they win 162 games and sweep every playoff series. And then I hope the MLB gets their collective heads out of their [Scott Boras] and institutes a hard salary cap. I will back them if it takes a lockout to do it.

Insane. I don't know whether to hate the Orioles or Bud Selig more. The Yankees are simply taking advantage of a flawed system and an unwillingness/inability of other teams to outbid them on ANYONE. I mean seriously. The Yankees get Teixeira?

The free agency process has become a cartoon.

Is this what baseball wants? Major support among the countries 4-5 most populous and economically viable cities- scraps for every other city. Looks like Baltimore will remain a football town for a long time.

Guthrie is a middle of the rotation guy. Redding sucks. Looper is marginal. THe rest of the staff is garbage. All the more fun when the Yankees come into town with a $250 million dollar payroll. Oh no, they have to give each team a million bucks for their trouble. Chump change. Spend it if you got it. Bud sees no problem "because the league is experiencing unparalleled prosperity".

You are right. If one team spends 4x another team, they possess no competitive advantage. THey are just generous, right? Thanks for the opportunity to vent.

Can I quit baseball? Probably not, but right now, I'd like too. If the Orioles re-sign Kevin Millar, that might just break the addiction...

And just to echo others.... salary cap!!

I remember years ago Bowie Kuhn voided a deal that the owner of the Oakland A's made citing it was not "for the good of baseball" as his justification. Any chance we'll ever see anything like that again?

If the Yankee's spending spree doesn't trigger it I have a hard time imaging anything that would.

When people talk about what's wrong with baseball I don't hear anybody focusing on baseball's lack of a commissioner. And don't bother to tell me that "Milwaukee Bud" fills that role.

Over the past 6 years...

average: teixeira .290 huff .288
homers per year: teixeira 34 huff 26
games played per year : teixeira 151 huff 152

All things considered, I can't wait to boo the guy on opening day, and for many years to come, and I'm glad we didn't overpay for him.

ok i have a lot to say seeing as how i no longer have a reason to post a baseball comment on any blog ever. i hope all read this despite lenth, as it should be my last entry and id like to hear some feedback.
i am no longer a baseball fan after 33 years. i am certainly no longer an Os fan after 33 years... Orioles, i hereby denounce you... thank god for the Ravens. The NFl may be completely fixed by the Vegas casino owning mobsters, but at least fans of every team have some hope almost every yeAR. Tex is like all other celebrities and especially athletes- a greedy soul-less coward who will burn in hell. He will never hear boos at Camden because all 2 of the Os fans there will be drown out by 45000+ a-hole Yankee fans. i will attend 1 game for the rest of my life and it will be a random game vs the yanks- i will sit right behind the yanks dugoout and throw a couple eggs at tex, get kicked out, camp out in either the parking lot or hotel they're at and spit on him and tell him i hope that he developes a "degenerative hip condition!"
Also, i actually really do hope the Yankees sign Manny, or maybe Dunn or Burrell to Dh so everyone on earth can no longer deny how much of a joke this so called sport has become. Its as much a laughing stock as the wwe to me. B-rob will be gone soon, thus opening a hole as big as the one at SS Tejada left. And no the no-count, no hit, zero bum Izturez doesnt count as filling the hole. really good SS and 2b-men are extremely hard to come by- if you have one you usually wont let him go- no Roberts wont go to the Yanks cuz they love Cano there, but he will go somewhere. probably Markakis too, eventually, but he is extremely over-rated anyway. theres really nothing too special about a 290 hitter with 21 hr and 85 rbi...thats just a little above average, Bobby Abreu can do that. can we really expect anything more then 16 Hr/70 rbi each from Huff, Mora, Jones, and the Catcher position? Huff had his career year last year- chances are more likely he regresses to the guy he was the 3 years prior.. Mark my words, unless Dunn AND Burrell both come, the Os will have the lowest Hr and Rbi totals in all of mlb next year. we will be forced to watch scrub pitchers fill the 2 year void till the young guns come up, which makes sense,not rushing them and all, but by then, B-rob, Huff, and Mora will be gone, and Markakis and Guthrie will soon follow suit, and eventually once these guys do develope, they wont have enough around them to compete and they too will choose to leave or be traded before they do so ( along with Weiters as well). so we got a good draft pick this year- that could just mean he will need 3-4 years to pan out and we will continue to lose what few good players we ever have on a yearly basis, leaving us with never enough talent to compete. it is a viciouse cycle i am not willing to be a part of. i may follow the team from a distance, but i will not support them, or spend money on them, or watch games. period!!! thank you for everything Roch- your the only thing about the Os i will miss.
im done- oh and anyone saying, well- Rays this and TB that, they're a 1-2 year fluke. theyre already talking about trading practically the entire stating rotation because they know they cant resign any of there young free agents when its time. same dilema we will be in, we will just never have that much young talent on our club at one time because our good players are so spread out year wise and its a long shot that they all will come out the gates tearing up the league like gangbustersas rookies. Maybe TB has a fairly desent year again with a young team but no way they reach playoffs (then they start to clean house/rebuild again ALA Marlins)- the Yanks have practically guarenteed a world series win with all this at least this year and maybe next but then the big contracts blow up in there face. good bye all good life happy holidays? thaughts? feedback? anyone share my sentiments? Os i hate you!

Bring it on Mark Teixeira, you are going down on Opening Day. You , CC, the whole evil empire. you didnt win a title for LA, Atlanta, or Texas. Hope you like what all the new york sports writers write about you every day for the next 8 years when you go 0-4 and 1-5! Dont expect a warm welcome anymore from us O's fans when we see you at the yard ya bum.

you O's fans, let alone mlb fans think this is bad, wait until the yankees announce they are signing manny for 75 million for 3 years. baseball is the biggest joke, Donald Fehr, Scott Boras, the players union- all big stupid jerks. when will there ever be a salary cap?

hope you yankees fans enjoy paying 30 dollars for a beer and 20 for a hot dog.

Like everyone I have listened to at the card shop, really, was Tex going to help the O's get over the top? They had a good offensive team last year, but the wheels came off the rotation. They should have been going after pitchers this whole time... but who? I think they should take a flier or two on someone like Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, Brad Penny, etc. Along with maybe trying to trade for someone (who again??). I have faith in MacPhail. I have faith in the team, the Yankees have been trying to quash my faith since 1996, and it still hasn't happened. They replaced Giambi with Tex, Moose with CC, and a spot on the DL with AJ. I'm not worried about the Yankees at all. Matsui and Damon will get hurt. Posada will not perform, Jeter is on the decline... A-Rod will choke. Girardi will get fired. Watch and see.

I went to elementary school with Teixeira. I wanted nothing more for Christmas than for him to sign with the O's, but this was just a big middle finger to the fans. He doesn't care about the fans. Not here or anywhere. All he wants is money. I'm sure he and Boras feed us some BS about the best shot at a championship, but if that were true he would have signed with the Red Sox. The Yanks have the biggest wallet--it's as simple as that. I should have known when he contracted with Boras, but I chose to believe. Serves me right, I guess.

first i'm glad this story is over. 2nd tex went for a lot of money to a team that can win this yr and every year. orioles aren't going to win this yr with or without tex and until the orioles show other free agents that they have a decent pitching staff top fight players are not coming to balt. that said if tex was the missing part to put the o's over the top and signed somewhere else fans could be upset but it's pitching and defense that wins. and right now the orioles don't have the starting pitching to win. if a couple of the bowie pichers step up this yr and tillman, arrieta and matusz step up in 2 yrs you'll see players wanting to come to the orioles.

Anyone who says they are done with the O's is pathetic. So what we didn't mortgage our franchises' future for one player (ask Texas how it works out when you give one player more than you can afford). Would I have loved to have had Tex? You bet. But to you fans on here saying that you won't root for the O's anymore because they didn't overpay for Teixeira, I say good riddance. You aren't real fans anyway.

this whole thing has been a charade. disgusting, at least you kept it interesting roch...so where do we go from here. O_o yeah let's get after Paul Byrd. FTL.

Boo that SOB every time he comes to Camden Yards. Another worthless Yankee traitor. I hope he wins as many world series as Mike Mussina did. Oh yeah. ZERO! To he__ with him!

Suckers! We are all suckers. "With all this saved money to spend" on pitchers....... You must be on drugs! They won't even sign Brian or Nick! It's all about profit not winning. Angelos has the money to spend but chooses NOT to. Barring a salary cap lets reallign baseball every 5 years into salary groups. The Red Sox, Yankees, Angels and Blue Jays in one and the Mets, Dodgers, Cubs, and Braves.