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You dodged the rain today. The Daytona 500 is a wet mess at the moment.

How did Matt Albers look at least from a PFP standpoint? Any arm issues to speak from those simple tasks? If possible, could you take a look at his bullpen session?

I just hope he does not rush himself because I think his makeup is suited for this division. I would not mind one bit seeing him in the minor complex or extended spring training simply to ease him back into the game. It would also allow the team more time to view Pauley, Hendrickson, Hill, etc...
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He was putting a little extra on the ball while playing catch. He looks fine so far. - Roch

The facial hair thing continues to be laughable.

I can't believe its baseball season already! I know by august I'll be disappointed, but right now I'm excited. Who knows, if a couple of the young arms pan out we could have an exciting year! Thanks for all your hard work Roch!
Go Orioles!

Deion Sanders once said, look good, feel good, play good" If these guys are more comfortable w/ beards, they should be allowed to wear them. Again, this is not a law firm. Ballplayers for the most part are blue collar guys...let them be who they want to be.

Roch,

Can we please get a picture of Luke Scott the lumberjack before he shaves that thing off?

Roch-

How does Troy Patton look? Remember, Andy Macphail called him his sleeper on the Hot Stove Show. I heard somewhere that he is throwing up to 95mph!!!! Could a stop to Bowie be on hold if he outperforms everyone this spring?
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I haven't seen him throw. Media isn't allowed in one area where some guys were throwing off a mound. - Roch

Even Rocky had to shave before facing Drago. Considering Luke Scott just did the Rocky IV workout this offseason, that would be quite fitting, LOL!

It's in the low 40's in Baltimore, but it feels like summer with ST starting. The O's are not the only team with a facial hair policy.

Bill G:
I am not at all disgusted with dumping aging veterans in place of promising young prospects. What I am totally disgusted in is the fact that every year either OLE PETER or the last two years ANDREW promises the world in October only to come up with more excuses to why they dont do anything substantial. The asian pitcher is not substantial, either is a "no hitting" shortstop. Ituzu was not brought in as stop gap until someone else in the farm system is groomed. We dont have anybody ready, so that is one position where they should have invested in a FA who would be a) here for a long term and b) can hit at least his weight. But no, they took the cheap route while MASN and other assets continue to make the owner richer.

To build a team you need to develop younger players and supplement positions you dont have with QUALITY FA. That is how winners continue to win and if you dont...well Losers continue to be like the Orioles. There were quality hitting and defensive shortstops out there..they just took the CHEAP route YET AGAIN! They should have save a couple of mil and just thrown Blake Davis out there.

ANDREW is only a minor part of the problem. He is the PR man for OLE PETER (the main source of the problems) who doesnt give a rats butt about winning....ONLY THE BOTTOM LINE

I am just sick of it after 11 years and decided enought is enought. If you dont do something, you are part of the problem! No use in pretending everything is rah rah at spring training only to be dejected, disgusted and downright miserable come the All Star break EVERY year!

WAY TO GO OLE PETER!
What is the slogan for this year?
Welcome to Birdland where we are now in HD
It is about time...but again that cost money!

I can imagine that Luke Scott looks like a lumber jack with a beard.

D,
I applaud your efforts. Keep it up until it works or until you get totally frustrated like Baron!

Baron,
Thanks for the effort. I understand why you think it is hopeless.

Jack,
As I have said before, I appreciate your service to the community. I also understand why you have disregard for PA. Your constant jabs at AM are more difficult to understand. Few of his moves have been jaw dropping, but of that I am glad. It was trying to keep up with the Yankees in the FA era is largely responsible for the past 11 years. The moves that AM has made have helped with scouting and development which harkens back to the glory decades of the franchise. So could you shed a little light on why you are so negative about AM since to most of us he is doing exactly what we have been hoping some front office group would for over a decade? As for your answers to D's questions, thanks! Some of them brought back some really good memories. (I've been a fan since 67.)

As to Simon, he has been playing ball, so he does not need spring training to get in baseball shape and there are 36 pitchers in camp who need innings. I don't think too many folks are worried.

As to Roberts, given the state of economic affairs in baseball (not to mention the rest of the world), it just doesn't make sense for a deal to not get done. I do wonder how confident management is that Miclat will project as a major league SS.

Darn, I wasted my facial hair rant a couple posts back. Cliff notes version - It's a organizational policy that doesn't HURT anyone so collect your millions of dollars and stop whining. If you can wax your legs you shouldn't have a problem shaving your goatee.

So we were in the top 5 of teams spending $$ this offseason AND signed our 2 most recent draft picks WITH Boras AND we've opened a Caribbean scouting academy AND our games will be in HD, you're right Jack we're not spending any money, how cheap of the team.

Yea, Roch, what about getting a camera? Does that require another media credential?

Jack - Interesting post, but it seems like you're thinking that there are just FA SS who hit their weight and are plus defenders just "out there" for the taking. I think we'll see the O's looking for middle infield help in the draft (the USC SS comes to mind) and via trade. Even if there were a FA SS out there like you described, why tie up the money that it would take to sign such an individual when we A) won't be contending for at least 2 years; B) could use that same money to lock up our young, homegrown talent (a la Markakis)?

Save the money, spend it when the timing is right. The time will be right when we have young, home-grown starting pitching. That is still a year plus from now (I'm hoping we'll see either Tillman or Matusz with the O's around June of 2010, but definitely by the Sept. call ups).

I enjoy the conversation, thanks.

JackA$$,

I'm going to continue to be part of the problem...I just bought a whole sh!tload of orange kool-aid in the form of season tickets to watch my beloved O's this season. I'm reveling in the fact that I just made OLE PETE richer, and, man, this kool-aid tastes good!

I may even take a bath in orange kool-aid later to celebrate my purchase and the start of spring training. I'll be there on opening day to cheer the the losers, OLE PETE and ANDREW, while you're at home wallowing in self-misery and becoming more of an idiot each day.

Since you say "enought is enought", maybe you'll finally now go away.

By the way - judging by your spelling, I can see that you're not only an idiot, but fairly uneducated as well. Maybe you should consider buying an Idiot-to-English dictionary.

Jack:

Don't know why you are so delusional and constantly negative.....why are you even a fan or better yet how can you qualify yourself as a fan? ST brings on an aura of hope and love for the game and you have NONE. PA is PA and has done a great job of backing off and letting AM do his thing.......you mention that you have coached and played ball. Obviously, you don't get it. If you had any vision (or dare I say hope) you'd get what the O's are doing. I played ball for most of my life and have coached Little League forever......all I have to say is GO AWAY because it's obvious you have no clue.

WAY TO GO OLE JACK! Tell them just what you think of them JACK..

OLE JACKIE DOLL...Wake up! Texeira was the only probable 'impact' free agent out there. We'll see how he fares in the AL east, probably not as well as Puff Daddy Huff did last year! PS....did you leave the fungo bat in the dugout AGAIN? It's not in the bag....pull the RING on the STRING and listen to OLE JACK SING!

Jack said, blah blah blah blah. Get some new material.

Roch,
Is the facial hair thing an Angelos or MacPhail rule? What happens if a player refused to shave? I'm guessing they get fine?

PV,
I tried to see if Jack is human. I understand his frustration, but I think its become so great with him that its blinded him from seeing the good things. There are a lot of people like that. One of my best friends is like that but I was able to get him to separate MacPhail from Angelos. It took a long time though. Bottom line is MacPhail has been honest and straight forward since he's got here. He's promised nothing but to build up the minor league system, player development and international scouting in hopes that our young pitching will be ready to compete in 2010, when at that point we'll start spending on high price free-agents when it makes sense too when we actually have a chance at the playoffs. If I'm wrong, and he's promised us a winner over the past few years somebody please correct me, but I haven't heard anything otherwise. This will be one of the most exciting years we O's fans have had over the past 12 years. We may not win but the future is just getting here.
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It was here before MacPhail, too. I could be wrong, but I seem to remember it getting more attention when Mazzilli was managing. - Roch

Tom C.

I salute you, (actually, I will as soon as I can stop laughing).
Obviously Jack has been an O's fan (make that follower, a fan? Never!)for all of about 10 minutes. It seems that the O's of yesteryear were known more for fielding shortstops than hitting ones. Jack, ever heard of Willy Miranda, Mark Belanger, Luis Aparicio (ok, he could hit too)?
Anyway, again, Tom, thanks for the laugh, and could ya share a glass of Kool-Aid there, brother?

Go O's!

StevO's:

Gotta say that your pull the ring on the string props to Jack are hilarious! Nicely done!! Keep em coming!!!

Tom C,

Also a strong post! I'm building a pool and filling it with orange kool-aid!! Might even send the kids to school looking like that kool-aid pitcher, but all in orange.

OK, Jack on to your moronic last post. So where in this year's FA class was that killer shortstop? And don't give me Khalil Greene. The only SS of true interest out there was Cabreara, and he's lost a step. Still a good player, but winding down the career. And these power hitters you keep ranting about? Let's see Tex wants to be a Yankee, Manny wants at least 28 mil a season, oh and play for a contender now. And Abreu took a discount to play for a contender. He wasn't coming here either. That leaves, uh, no one! Dunn, is a bum, who ended up taking a crappy deal to play for a crappy team. Why, because no one else really wanted the guy. He's strictly DH material, and most likely will end up a LH version of Sexton. Oh yeah, that'll speed up the move to respectability. And the pitching? Well, let's see, CC wasn't coming here. Burnett wanted at least a 4 yr deal. You'd give him that based on what? Sheets, injured, and no one made a play for the guy. Penny or Looper? No thanks!! Lowe, too old for that type of investment. So just where was the killer FA pitcher?

As usual Jack, lots of filler from you, but no substance.

Hey ANDREW, I'm throwing a pool party, and heated up the Orange Kool-Aid. Wanna stop by since Jack said you are nowhere to be found in Florida.