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Yay :) Way to go A.M. on a very respectable off-season. Thanks for the up to the minute info Roch!

Roch,
What does that mean for Felix Pie and Alfredo Simon if they don't resolve their Visa issues ?
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They will. It's just a matter of when. - Roch

Roch,
Now that the signing is official, what are your immediate thoughts on the Brob extenion? Do you think that the O's overpaid or do you think that they took advantage of a slow market to lock him up? I think he was more valuable to us than any other team and the signing is warranted. I think it was worth it to send fans and our young players a message that if you play well and are a stand up citizen you will be appropriately rewarded.
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Teams weren't beating down their door with big trade offers, the free-agent market is sluggish and Roberts is a valuable member of the organization, so it made sense on both sides to get this done. The money they paid seems right. And it's not mine, which is even better. - Roch

Simon had little shot at making the team, and this probably locks him out. Pie, OTOH, will be making the team and starting in LF. Roch, does this cost him any goodwill amongst his new teammates, or will they be understanding of the problem?
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This stuff happens every spring. Players aren't fazed or upset. - Roch

Maybe it just took a little while longer because he is married now and his body was a little worn out more than last year and they had to make sure he was still strong enough to play a whole season.

Hope Pie gets here soon...he needs to meet everyone and get comfortable and get his self to work to get ready. Hate the thought of him coming in behind and trying extra hard to impress and make up time and possibly get hurt. Injuries are the one big thing that always worries me about the O's. It may be me just being a diehard fan but they seem to get more than their fair share......Simon--he is a long shot at best but same goes for him.

Finishing the extension caps a terrific off season for AM and the O's, contrary to Jack's opinion. They spent money wisely (except for the Hendrickson signing)and filled the voids in the organization while they await the prospects to develop. They may still finish last, though the Jays seem catchable if the O's rotation becomes respectable, but they are heading in the right direction. Of course, they will live or die, in the long term, on the arms of Matusz, Tillman, Arrieta, etal. A few must blossom in the next year or 2 or ..........

Who is Brian Roberts?

Great news! The future is looking better and better.

Hey Roch, this is my first time posting here. Just wanted to thank you for your awesome updates which keep us fans in the loop better than any other source. I also wanted to thank you for posting the notice about "defining moments" last month. I ended up submitting one and now I'm going to be in a MASN commercial this season (we just shot yesterday). I'm the one talking about the slugfest vs the Yankees that went 11 innings back in May at the Yard. I also got to say I hope this season I get to see Teixeira go 0 for whatever in his return to Baltimore. It was such a blast and makes me more excited for this season than I already was!
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Fantastic! I'll be looking for it. - Roch

dan the man said:

Roch, is Nick in camp? Haven't heard about him yet. If not, what's the deal?
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You would have heard something if he wasn't here. That would have been a pretty big story. He just stopped by the media trailer to check out the place. - Roch
February 20, 2009 9:59 AM

A trailer? Is it a double wide Roch? Does it have a wooden front porch or possibly a screened in porch? Nice of potter & Co. to splurge on you guys...
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Believe it or not, it's actually nicer than the old media workroom. More space, which we needed with all the Japanese media here. And guys keep stopping by to take a look. - Roch

This is great new and I heard that it will be on MASN at 1PM

http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2009/02/mark_teixeira_a_likeable_throw.html

Link to lengthy article in the Newark Star Ledger about how happy the Yankees are with Mark Teixeira. Makes you want to practice booing for opening day!

Who is Anita Marks? ;)

I wonder why the visa issues couldn't be resolved before it was time to show up. I imagine this is something that could have been taken care of several weeks ago. I'm not impressed. . .

Roch,

I am down here in Norfolk and just wanted to let all of your bloggers know that they announced today that tickets for the National's and O's game at Harbor Park go on sale on March 14 at 10:00. The game sold out in less than a half hour two years a go so if you want tickets, you should mark the date and time on your calendars. Go O's!

This is great for news for the Orioles and will presumably mean I won't have to read all spring about lunatic trade scenarios, like last year, which makes it even better news.

While obviously you have to cover this intensively, I miss the great coverage of the pitching staff we'd been getting until a couple of days ago. As the composition of the starting rotation arguably will mean at least as much for the O's success this year, I think this topic shouldn't be entirely neglected going forward (at least until exhibition games starts and some of this will start becoming obvious even for those of us not in Ft. Lauderdale).

One thing I've been wondering: neither you nor any of your print/web colleagues down there ever seem to mention Radhames Liz thus far. How's he doing this spring?
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Haven't seen him throw. Lots of mounds here. They have me outnumbered. - Roch

Hey Roch, I love your blogs. It seems that all local sports stations are ignoring the Orioles. Very little time is spent covering them-all Ravens.

Since visa issues are so common among latin american players, why don't they leave for Florida a few days early?? (They wouldn't have to report until the scheduled date, just kick back in Lauderdale or drive around with Ponson's crew.)

Roch, in the name of international relations naturally, have you taken some of the Japanese reporters under your wing & informed them of the other delights of S Fla? Just have them cash out some of their Yen for $1s....
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Giving a whole new meaning to the phrase "international relations." - Roch

Roch. . .thanks again for the timely updates.

Great news that the deal's done.

Outstanding off-season, and based upon your, and others, observations about the young pitchers, it seems the future may be brighter in the near-term than most of us hoped for.

I'm very happy about the Mark and B-Rob signings. I think we are finally headed in the right direction from a loyalty show me the mone ystandpoint from ownership. I did order my 6 pack of tickets which the plan is not advertised on the website which I find suspicious. but anyway the customer service was FANTASTIC!

P.S.

Anita is super fine and a very well thought out intelligent woman.

I'm having a Visa problem too.I'm maxed out of it. J/K. Having BRob signed lifts a cloud over the team they didn't need,especially with the tough April schedule they have.

Just seen the post:

Who is Brian Roberts?

And thought to myself who is this idiot? Then saw the name Anita Marks... almost wet myself! That is classic.

She really takes a beating around here...

Roch since you work with her you most likely won't answer this but I got to ask anyway... what happened that Scott stepped into her show and took over top billing, was it just ratings?
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I'm told the ratings were pretty good. Just the boss wanting to change the format and probably bring in somebody with a deep background in Baltimore sports history to add something extra. Garceau is pretty popular back home. - Roch