Find MASN on your cable or satellite provider.

If Bud needs a committee to tell him what's wrong w/ baseball, then he no longer needs to be commissioner.
Too many meetings, no enough real work.

There is no doubt that MacPhail is a respected man in the baseball world. Sadly though (for his supporters)...this appointment is just another step closer to his rise to become the commissioner.

This sounds pretty exciting. Hopefully McPhail can convince some people to have more even scheduling but really, the main reason this is being put together is salary cap issues, right?

Ooooh hopefully I beat the peanut gallery to the punch...
"Another example of the FO not doing anything about the Orioles. Way to go Andrew! Get back on the phones and off the golf course etc, etc".
I'm hoping you booted that Chris guy Roch. That was more of a blatant and unwarranted attack then anything else that has been said here by anyone. You don't deserve that for providing us all with a forum and updates on the team. Probably wont post again until sometime in January so, Hope EVERYONE has a happy holiday!

As much as I think Andy is perfect for this role, I am not thrilled he is part of it because it takes away time he could be concentrating on fixing and building our O's.
In fact, I'm not sure where ANY of these gentlemen will get the time to partake in this ... I will assume they won't be meeting that often.
Hopefully something good comes from it.

I wouldn't mind seeing a replay system come into baseball like in football or tennis. Each team gets a certain amount challenges per game for stuff like close base running calls. It would be nice if Baseball could go to an automated strike zone but don't know if the technology is ready yet.

Add selective replay and adjourn committee

Five ideas to start with:

1. Institute a salary floor and cap that are kept within $5m of each other, and indexed to inflation annually. Also, cap every team's non-payroll expenses (allowing for local cost differentials).

2. Eliminate the DH.

3. Add two teams to MLB (for a total of 32 teams), and re-balance the leagues to create four leagues of four teams each. (Ideally, return the Dodgers and Giants to Brooklyn and NY, and put new teams in LA and SF.) Use the NFL's playoff system.

4. Include all international players who have never played in MLB or MiLB in the MLB draft.

5. Rescind the exclusive licensing agreement with 2k sports for computer baseball games.

Skindooley said:

I'm hoping you booted that Chris guy Roch.

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You misspelled Rock, and I'm not sure his middle name is "guy."

Eh? No? Maybe?

The die hards are really going to be disappointed when andy becomes the commish. They will have to find another cult leader to follow. But i already know what the reaction will be, AT LEAST THE ORIOLES ARE BETTER OFF NOW THEN BEFORE HE GOT HERE>. You already see how this so called plan is playing out for 2010, andy signed MILLWOOD to throw the die hards a bone and now will fall back into the normal signing of the leftover scrapes. The real teams are relentless in signing players regardless of the cost to show there fans that we will do what ever it takes to remain on top. Jim D the former Gm was interviewed this morning and he specifically said that the orioles will now be looking to at least to 2012 before they will ascend to 3 place. He didn't say 3rd place Roch but you already knew that it was me who said that.NO MATTER WHATEVER HAPPENS BOSTON

Congrats to MacPhail. It does show the respect he's earned over the years. I don't have the knowledge to determine if any of those on these committees could be considered game changers, although I've read enough of George Will that he'd probably not be advocating the use of electronic equipment to call balls/strikes. Anybody with some insight -- are these guys all traditionalists? Moderates? Not enough info to tell? If you are inside the game, especially as a manager, would you even risk making a suggestion, adopted or not, that would go against the umpires and their long-held roles? You don't want deconstructionists or iconoclasts for a project like this, but you also don't want a committee for committees sake, which leaves only an archive of meeting minutes to prove that it once existed.

From the last thread, Flanny would be my first choice. I started watching the O's when he was the analyst. Not having a background in baseball as a kid, I found his discourse to be erudite, free of any bombast, and his personal demeanor humble (unlike Palmer, who sometimes can come off as arrogant). I just like listening to him, and, hopefully, learning a bit. The recent past with the team may affect the viability, but I'd love to have that back (Buck I thought brought many of these attributes too, though with a little more flubbing than I'd like.) In addition to the others I'd like -- Lowenstein, Ripkin, Surhoff, Millar, Weaver, and Roch -- I'd also like to hear Ray Miller, Eric Davis, or Eddie Murray. I know Murray isn't known as a talker, but I imagine when he says something it's important and to the point. Plus both Miller and Murray, I imagine, would bring some surliness at times, which would be nice.

I want to chime in (get the Xmas reference Roch?) on the play by play thing...

First, did Buck leave for another offer or was he Jon Miller'ed by potter? I liked Buck, he was energetic, called it even, no homer... frankly, IMHO, FEW of the names you posed could do any better. I'll miss Buck.

Palmer is OK, he has mellowed, & even he seems to have gotten tired of talking about Palmer. Why don't they just make him the P by P guy, or is a 160 game schedule more than he wants?

PLEASE no Flanagan, he mumbled too much. Great insight, but hard to understand sometimes. Brady? Please, another less than clear enunciator & hearing "dude" 20+ times in the broadcast would drive me nuts!

Brooks would be GREAT, but I doubt it will happen now.

Dave Johnson would be a great choice, good guy, well versed, hometown guy & all that.... however, I fear the FO might not go there. I hope I am wrong.

As for the others, none of them excited me much. PLEASE no Dibble or Sutton, they are carpetbaggers.

Just give Palmer more of a workload & use Johnson to fill in for him. Martinez will be missed. Those bashing him must not know much because the guy certainly does seem to be in demand & was getting plenty of work elsewhere.

Can't believe they overlooked Dave Trembelly. That dude would be key for late night pizza ordering when the meetings ran long.

Dayum, when I first looked at your title, I thought they were bringing these people in to come up with a winning strategy for the Orioles.

"....and to whatever other issues the Committee deems appropriate. There will be no sacred cows."

I think MacPhail should put us on the table. We may play like cows, but we ain't sacred... not after 12 losing seasons.

Instead of replay, why don't they assign 2 or 3 extra field umpires to each regular season game? Like they do in playoff baseball? The game is already slow enough, additional replay (while taking out the human element) will just make it worst. We all know MLB can afford it.

I wonder if they will address the revenue issues that so impact the game today. In my view, the elephant in the room is the differences in resources between small/big market teams with the hugh payroll differences being the end result. Let's see this group tackle that one.

Hey Roch way off topic here but i was just wonderin if youve heard if the Os are workin on anything, cause ive heard nothin sense the meetings .What Andy and the F.O take off 4 the hollidays already???? lol. i mean The Yanks got Granderson, rumored 2 be in on Bay. Boston got Lackey,Scutaro,and Cameron, and mite get A-GON. Rays got Soriano and Toronto just got some nice prospects 4 Halladay, and WE got Millwood solid move , but we need 2 get our Closer, 1st base, 3rd base filled asap. b4 we wait 2 long n got 2 settle 4 the leftovers. CMON ANDY just sign Atkins, Garko, Rodney or Gonzalez and it would be a decent off season.
sorry man 2 long of a day lol

I would like to see a balanced schedule. If there is going to be a Wild Card then each team should play a similar schedule.

Roch,

I think the O's need to go out and make a big offer to Chapman and get him on this team. This will show other teams and other players that the O's are for real. Go get this kid and add him to the already potential studs in our rotation.

I feel sorry for Andy and the other members of the committee having to listen to the pontifications of that windbag George Will.

Realign the divisions should be priority number 1!

Christopher...'add extra umps like in the playoffs'?
Are you kidding me?
That extra ump down the LF line in the Yankee-Twins game called a ball foul that was at least a foot fair.
The extra umps didn't help all the missed calls on the bases!

All that being said, I'd rather not have any more replay then already exists.
OR
Just get rid of the umps altogether and use video.

It would be interesting to see when such an accomplished group like that can all meet at the same time and if they feel compelled to do something?

I wonder who would be in charge of the meeting? Perhaps the next Commish?

Force Steinbrenar to buy the Royals and then enforce a new rule stating the Royals and Yankees payrolls can't be more than $20 million apart from each other. There's parity (parody in this case) for you.

Is Tillman going to change his number?
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Haven't heard. Sorry. - Roch

two words: salary cap

Roch,
Any idea when the Orioles will announce the minor league coaching staffs? It's usually around this time, right? Granted, however, they need to replace Williams in Norfolk. Would Moe Hill get a shot there?
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Could be later this week. Don't know who's replacing him, but Hill would be a logical candidate. - Roch

Dear Bob "Roch" Cratchett,

First, who spilled the beans about our 24-hour monitoring of your writing and approval of comments? That was OUR SECRET.

Second, we expect you to toe the company line EXCLUSIVELY, and your balanced reporting and offering of your personal opinion, while fine when they make the team LOOK GOOD, are unacceptable in any other circumstance.

If you can't keep our "little deal" under wraps, can't restrict opinions appearing on the blog to only the most uncritical posters slavering for Kool-Aid drops (you've been doing well, certainly noone has offered criticism of the winter meetings as yet), and tap down your penchant for high-ethics professionalism, well...

Merry Christmas,
-- Scrooge

Anthony said:

Force Steinbrenar to buy the Royals and then enforce a new rule stating the Royals and Yankees payrolls can't be more than $20 million apart from each other. There's parity (parody in this case) for you.
December 15, 2009 3:10 PM

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The hell with the Royals, force him to buy the O's & then use your $20M apart plan....

Isn't it interesting to watch several other teams make moves, be proactive...but the O's just kick tires...

The first thing they need to address is how to wear the uniform, if you don't know how to organize the league on uniform dress your not going to get the rest of it right.Selig,take notes from the NFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

KyleProBoller said:
"Replacing Buck...You could...1) Mic a random fan (preferrably drunk) up at each game drunk one"

KPB, how did you know I was auditioning? Roch, I WAS a Hampton-Wythe LL Oriole about 20 years ago and have been on stage and screen. The School can vouch for my ability to go on and on if necessary, or unnecessary...Seriously, Dave Johnson tells it like it is. I like Bill Ripken, too. I wouldn't mind a rotating schedule for Palmer, Johnson, Ripken, and Brooksie (probably wishful thinking)

Lucky, I wondered if you'd address the "shareholders" thing, and I'm glad I deferred. I really appreciate Ryan's point, that an entity like a local baseball team OUGHT NOT be simply a Wal-Mart for baseball, ready to bolt when the profits dip 2%. But clouding that point with corporate governance issues -- clouds the point. And to your good point about capitalism; I don't fear it going anywhere anytime soon, but it's not equivalent to freedom generally or democracy or good government or any other social good -- it's a (efficient) method to distribute resources.

Chris, if you're reading, and I know you never appreciated it, but a bunch of people a bunch of times on this blog took the worthless attempt to be inclusive of your view and answer your question (Why do those people call me...?) instead of assuming you were a "troll". We WANTED you to be something else than someone looking to yell "CHEAP!" at the FO in a poorly disguised fashion thrice daily. You complain of "bullies" (sticks and stones, Chris), yet when you failed to bully Roch into banning or chiding 20% of his blog, you called him a coward and a yes-man (based on your experience of, what, three weeks of posting? And calling someone else a coward via Internet...?). Boy, why does everyone think you're like that other %*&^#!*?

Thanks again, Roch - we felt good about the naming combo too. And truth be told, if I had gone with my personal favorite former catcher, his name would be SAL. (Also, his mom's name starts with "J," so it works on multiple levels. It's a desert topping AND a floorwax).

Speaking of beloved former O's catchers - nothing about the story of the Season? Dempsey's Christmas album???? I heard a radio spot when I was in a Royal Farms going back to the hospital last week. Have you heard it??? How about an interview with the singer?? The fans NEED TO KNOW!!!
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I mentioned it in an earlier post, and I heard snippets while he joined Scott and Anita in studio. By the way, love the dessert topping/floor wax reference. I wonder how many people get it. A classic! - Roch

McPhail is going to be commish & everything is going to go back down the crapper....sigh

Roch, love your blog and love the O's. I try to stay positive no matter what. But today sucks. With the blockbuster trades, and the free agent signings, and we are talking about who's going to be our next broadcaster and McPhail being on a committee. Horrible.

We all can only hope Mac is on the final list to be the next commish!
The faster he gets elected, the faster we can get him the heck out of the warehouse and rid ourselves of his "budget baseball"

Y'all are being just brutal today.

Cheer up, have some egg nog, and it's going to get better.

We're a little bit more than two months from pitchers and catchers reporting to Sarasota and the season will be here before you know it.

Have faith!

Have the Orioles discussed Vlad Guerrero for the #4 spot?
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They didn't meet with Boras during the winter meetings. Don't have any updates at the moment. - Roch

Brian - Buck Marinez left to become the play by play guy for the Toronto Blue Jays. Here is some info on the subject:

Rogers Sportsnet announced today that Martinez, a former Jays player, manager and television analyst, will do play-by-play for all 110 of its broadcasts. He replaces Jamie Campbell, who was reassigned after five years in the job.

``The opportunity to do something different came up and I think it's an interesting challenge for me," said Martinez, who last worked as an analyst with the Baltimore Orioles. He has done only a handful of play-by-play assignments, but believes he is prepared for the job.

``Obviously, it's a different role but because I've been blessed with so many play-by-play partners – Jim Hughson, Tom Cheek and Dan Shulman and the guys at ESPN – I think I can take something from all of them."

here is the full article
http://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/mlb/bluejays/article/737294--buck-martinez-returns-as-blue-jays-tv-announcer

Interesting that he did not mention Jim Hunter or Gary Thorne.

Bill G - You're always going to have missed calls. Umpires will never be perfect, they never have been. Yes, adding extra umpires will not erase all the missed calls, but it couldn't hurt either. That's the beauty of the game, the human element. Screw replay! Don't mess with a good thing. Besides, if we didn't have awful umpiring from time to time...then we wouldn't have the Earl Weaver type classic rants!

Regarding this posting, the top three for changes in baseball:

1) Go back to balanced schedules;
2) Allow draft choices to be traded;
3) Give pitchers back 6 of the 9 inches on the mound they took away in '69.

Subgroup list:

1) Limit amount of games Joe Buck can be a part of;
2) Do not allow Boston journalists to wail about the purchase power disparity between the Yankees and Sox the same day the Sox spend nearly $90 M on a pitcher;
3) Never allow a post WS interviewer use a nickname when speaking to a player such as, 'Jetes'.

Roch -

Any thoughts on the decade's best games/matches on ESPN? I give my vote for either Federer/Nadal or D-backs/Yankees.

The former is the only one on the list that features an awesome game between two best of the game right now, and maybe someday of all time.

As for the latter, 9/11, Byung Hyun Kim, Brosius, Tino, Derek, underdog vs. the only real baseball dynasty of the decade, best closer in history of postseason... could it have been any better?

I'm biased against the Red Sox and their curse here - they won't ever get a vote from this long time Oriole fan.
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I must be behind the times. I didn't know there was a poll. I'll have to check it out. -Roch

Chris and Other Aggrieved Student-Posters,
If one day, I wake up and find myself in the Elysian Fields, holding an Ignore Button, I will realize I died a happy member of the School of Roch.

Until that morning, I know not what explanation others may make; but, as for me, give me freedom from trolls, or turn me loose.

There have been very few times – perhaps only the times Brummie attacked Matt Hobgood for carrying 245 lbs. on an athletic 6’4’ frame – his insensitive worst – that I have tried to shame Brummie for something, which barely makes the cut as an idea.

The point: I side-step baseball opinions, lineup suggestions, polite criticism, and everything else that belongs on this grand board. Ideas of all descriptions are not attacked

However – mea culpa – I just did go after KPB for putting forth two predictions, which are unlikely consequences of signing Capps; I always remind, when in this bind, that the “exception proves the rule.” In addition, the main part of the indictment was that KPB constructs his posts backwards – starting with his conclusion, which is The Warehouse is incompetent.)

The RULES OF ENGAGEMENT are my justifications for leveling broadsides at, primarily, Brummie followed by Jack, KPB, Battling Bob, and Brian.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT: WHEN IS IT APPROPRIATE TO “DROP YOUR GLOVES?”
– Repetition, ad nauseam, of an opinion, suggestion, or criticism.
– A firmly established reputation for submitting negative comments, which sometimes strain credulity to find in those comments a scintilla of evidence of critical thought.
– Uncalled for venomous criticisms of posters, falsely accused of wrongdoing, or in any other context.
– Degrading language – slipped by the moderator because of the number of posts to approve, comments to write, or NFL outcomes to divine; the vulgarisms may have been disguised as British, Spanish, or Aussie jargon or slang.

Chris,
It is not a perfect system, but it works for me. This is an internet community for which we have a shared responsibility with Roch aka Headmaster, Teacher/Teach, Schoolman, and Rock to reign in student-posters who transgress one-time - in a catastrophic way; or SPs who – over time – reveal themselves to be disruptive, refusing to follow even minimal standards of content and conduct.

Anonymity does not confer license upon anyone to abuse the privilege of contributing to this board. All of this has been said before; by now, everyone should know the limits. Suspend your submissions until you develop a sense of appropriate social interaction, or until the Orioles return to competitiveness – whenever that is, we should collectively be a happier student body

McPhail will give his imput a week after everybody else does.

Even though I'm not really a fan, I have maintained for some time that Bud Selig will be in the Hall of Fame someday.

Sheila Dixon? hopefully she'll be unemployed soon.

It's funny how so many bloggers kill our GM for his inactions, but watch how much they miss him when he's named Commissioner after Selig retires.

Roch-

Thanks for passing along this tidbit - I'm not sure I would have heard about this group and MacPhail's inclusion in it were it not for you.

I'm curious as to your take on this group. It seems like a well rounded group of people, and helps MacPhail pad his resume to be in line for the Commish job in 2012. What does it say to you about Selig's inability to make these decisions himself? Is the study group bound by any deadlines, and do you think they will be able to enact changes before this season begins?

It seems like this group will have the chance to make a variety of long lasting changes to the entire game of baseball as we know it.

Please don't forget to ask MacPhail for thoughts on what he would like to accomplish in this group the next time you talk.
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It's an impressive group, for sure. Don't know much about the committee beyond the names and the purpose for its formation. I have no problem with Selig seeking outside ideas if it makes the ship run more smoothly. - Roch