Getting in position
By this time next week, I'll be tossing clothes in a suitcase and wondering how much AirTran will charge me for the privilege of checking in for my flight to Sarasota.
Southwest doesn't fly into that city, which is one strike against the Orioles' spring training relocation. But I'm sure another airline can provide me with the same travel issues that hound me each year. It's a tradition of sorts and I'd hate to see it end.
The Orioles' camp roster isn't set, since they continue to search for another left-handed reliever and also could add a right-hander. And as I've pointed out, they still could sign another starting pitcher despite Erik Bedard being off the board. Only minor league deals at this point.
The position battles in Sarasota figure to be limited. Barring a late trade, you can pencil Nolan Reimold, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis in the outfield, with Felix Pie fighting for innings in left. Miguel Tejada, Cesar Izturis, Brian Roberts and Garrett Atkins comprise the starting infield, with Ty Wigginton backing up at first and third (and second and short in an emergency). Matt Wieters will get the majority of starts behind the plate, though manager Dave Trembley said he doesn't have a total in mind. Luke Scott figures to be the primary designated hitter and fifth outfielder.
That's 11 spots locked up, with only two remaining if Trembley sticks with a 12-man pitching staff, which seems to be the plan.
Chad Moeller, Craig Tatum and Michel Hernandez will try to break camp as the backup catcher. The smart money's on Moeller. And you'd have to be pretty bored to get worked up over it.
We're down to utility infielder. Robert Andino is the incumbent, and Justin Turner, Scott Moore and Blake Davis - a late invite to camp - will provide competition. It's another battle that probably won't raise goosebumps unless the temperature dips.
Some fans have suggested that Michael Aubrey could fill that role, but do you really want to see him at shortstop or any other infield position besides first?
Before anyone else suggests that Miguel Tejada could slide over to short, eliminating the need for a backup at that position, president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail pretty much shot down that idea at Tejada's press conference. It sounds like the Orioles want to keep him at third.
It's possible that the Orioles deal Wigginton before Opening Day, which would free up another spot. He brings some appeal as a right-handed bat off the bench. And remember that he crushed the ball last spring, which raised expectations for him as the Orioles headed north.
First base is going to get pretty crowded at Triple-A Norfolk if the "inventory" stays down there. Rhyne Hughes has been told that he'll probably take fly balls in left field in spring training.
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Categories (click for archive)Roch Kubatko | Roch Kubatko Orioles |
Roch,
Enjoy the Superbowl last night? ;)
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I enjoyed the image of all those Colts fans crying in their beers in sports bars with framed photos of Johnny U. on the wall. - Roch
The only position I see we are really weak in is DH unfortunately. We definitely need more production from Scott throughout the entire year or we will still lose a lot of games if he's hitting 205 or something similar to what he put up for part of the year last year.
Roch,
Just curious,do you pay for your flight down or does MASN?
If they do, who cares about the baggage. Take a extra suitcase just be sure. How many suitcases does Schmuck take for all those shirts?
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MASN pays, of course, but it's still ridiculous that airlines are charging people to check their bags. Then they complain about limited overhead space and bags that won't fit. - Roch
Keep Wiggy, we need depth at 1b / 3b. Plus, Im not convinced Atkins will pan out against AL East pitching. He struggled in the NL West the last couple of seasons. Rhyne Hughes or Michael Aubrey may get a shot as well
Pie should also see AB's in CF spelling Jonesy here & there
Surely Miggie can cover SS for inning or two when we pinch hit for Cesar?? Can't believe we'd tie up a spot for Andino & his Mendoza BA at cost of perhaps losing an Aubrey or Montenez (either out of options??). See late inning scenario where Aubrey or Wiggington pinch hits for Cesar, then moves to 1st, with Atkins to 3rd & Miggy to SS. Really thought Miggy signing was 3-way 'win' i.e. better defense, offense & bench. Pls Pls DT & AM say 'NO to Andino'.
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Izturis isn't going to start 162 games. You'd need someone to make some starts at SS, especially if he's day-to-day with another injury. - Roch
Roch,
Given your well-documented history of bad luck when travelling...I suggest changing the title of this entry to: "Assuming the Position!"
Hi Roch;
I hope you have all that snow under control. My son send me some pictures from Maryland and it doesn't look to good.
What do you think is going to happen to Aubrey? I like him and wish we could keep him,but we are running out of room.
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He could play 1B and DH at Norfolk. Doesn't seem to be a spot for him without a trade. - Roch
Morning Roch, I am still trying to recover from my Colts loss....that really fired me up badly...still do not beleive how bad their D played...no pressure on Brees at all....enough said....time for full attention to the O's. Your assessment of the positon players on the team is right on. I would not be surprised if Turner or Moore gave Andino a bit of competition but Andino will probably win the battle. I think you may be right on Wiggy. It would not be the least bit surprising if he got traded if they could get a relief pitcher for him that they need or another prospect or so at a weak postion in the minors. Rhyne Hughes and Michael Aubrey seem to be up the creek unless a Wiggy trade is made and so does poor Montanez. I think Moeller will win that backup catcher as we talked about over the weekend. I still keep thinking that one day the O's would think about trading Scott but not even sure why I feel that way. I guess it is his streaky batting ways and the bad times are hard to take. I think your weather sucks so bad up there if you had to walk to Sarasota you will be a happy camper...more snow tomorrow now they say.
No mention of Snyder possibly at first? And how does Moore figure to be considered a utility infielder? I mean, can he play second and short?
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Snyder isn't playing first if Garrett Atkins is here. Moore came up as a shortstop, though he hasn't played there in a while. He can move around the infield. - Roch
AirTran has always been bery bery good to me. Bear in mind, that their arrival/departure times are really more "suggestions" and "approximations" than "numbers to rely on". Yeah it's $15/bag, but you can upgrade to business class at the airport for only (I think?) $35 and I'm usually able to effectively distract the guy at the ticket counter with my normal chattiness from charging me for both. Okay, so maybe that won't work for you...
You can always count on me to be un-helpful, can't ya?
Roch,
Let us know how the flight goes. I've booked my family to Sarasota for the last week of March - no direct flights from Raleigh. And no way my wife fits her luggage into the overhead. See you in warm weather!
Hey! Roch,
"In local news", A thirteen year old QB from Delaware has accepted an offer from coach Lane Kiffen to attend USC. Considering the fact that some prep schools can facillitate graduation in as little as two and a half years, is there a chance that a fifteen year old could be on USC's spring rosterin 2012?
Lets see if we can talk him into swithing to baseball, and move his family to Aruba and we can sign him at sixteen with no draft. I mean one good publicty stunt deserves another, Bill Veck would do it.
Roch - May have to travel down to Norfolk for a few games. That team could be very good.
Trade Wiggy for a couple of prospects.
Mike
The only battle this spring that really matters is who will put themselves in the pole position to replace Trembley!
The smart money has to be on Sandberg.
As for camp jobs, I hope there is a legit competition for the closer job. Gonzo hasn't closed since 2006 or 7 I think. How Dandy Andy thinks this guy can be a lights out 9th inning guy in the AL east is beyond me.
Everyone take care and be safe i'm leaving for Florida tomorrow myself. Going to enjoy the Daytona 500 again. With another 4-8 inches of snow coming it couldnt come at a better time. I'm tired of snow shoveling and the cold. Now back to the O's . Lets assume Hughes,Aubrey,Snyder,Bell,Davis,and Turner all start the year at Norfolk the infield should be pretty good. With Erbe,Arrieta,Patton,and possibly Hernandez or Berken on the pitching staff the Tides should be pretty good. Hopefully the O's wont need to call up alot of the Norfolk players because of injury. Cant wait for opening day against Toronto I plan on being there .
Roch, i dont how you predicted the colts, but you cant doubt the saints!who dat who dat, who dat say gonna beat dem saints!!!!!!!!!!!!
Roch, I give you credit. This has to be about the slowest time to year in the baseball world, camp rosters are about set, so no new acquistions on the horizon, but there isn't anyone playiing quite yet. Yet you manage to get a good blog post in about everyday. Great work.
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Thanks Josh. - Roch
Hey Roch -
Should Montanez pretty much assume he is headed to Triple A or does he have a chance at beating out Pie? I feel like the guy can't catch a break. The O's should trade him so that he gets a shot somewhere else if he doesn't have a chance at making the roster.
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Pie's out of options and Montanez isn't, so Lou's a real long-shot at the moment. I'd hold onto him. If he starts the year in Triple-A, he'll probably be the first OF called up. - Roch
andrew said:
2nd is the only logical place to bat Miggy END OF STORY
ANDREW.....Your story has not ended until you explain to me why on earth you want to bat Miggy 2nd with that terrible on base % ???....I want my #2 hitter to have a great OBP ! Miggy drives in runs, bat him 5th or 6th.
Brummie,
George Sherrill wasn't a closer when he came to the Orioles, he was a setup relief pitcher. MacPhail was right about him, actually his scouts were right, he just listened. Gonzo has been a closer, and has more velocity on his fastball.
Roch,
In my opinion, I'd like to see the Orioles faced with a tough decision during Spring Training, the kind that sees Ty Wigginton, Justin Turner, Blake Davis, and Scott Moore all crushing the ball and making strong cases for the roster spot (or for trade activity).
With that said, are the O's in any trade discussions? Or is this an idea they are kicking around in hopes that one or more players step up and increase their trade value?
Thanks!
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Don't know of any trade talks. Looks like the roster is pretty much set. - Roch
I'd like to see Turner make it as the utility player over Andino. Andino gave us some good glovework last year, but he was among the worst hitters in the league. If Turner winds up as a league-average hitter, it'll be a big improvement offensively.
Does Aubrey throw right-handed?
Pie should get 3-4 starts a week. If the O's use a rotating DH, they can give players a pseudo day off once a week and still find time for Scott to get his ABs. I would definitely try to give Reimold and Jones either real day off or a day at DH once a week -- Reimold in case his Achilles is still sore under game conditions, and Jones because he seems injury-prone.
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Aubrey throws left-handed. - Roch
Brummie: Mike Gonzalez was the Pirates regular closer in 2006. In 2007 he got injured (Tommy John) missed most of the season and the beginning of 2008. Despite missing over a third of the season he still led the Braves in Saves and games finished, though his numbers were a bit shaky. Last season he had the best season of his career, which figures since they always say the 2nd year after Tommy John is when you are back to full strength. Now the Braves did closer by committee last season so Gonzalez didn't rack up the saves (10) and still pitched a lot of high leveraged innings. In fact he only faced 11 batters before the 8th inning last year. And before you go off spouting about how his numbers are inflated because all he faced were left handers, here are the splits against him that righties put up .218/.340/.349 and he faced righties twice as much as lefties. And if all those numbers don't paint the picture for you, ESPN's Keith Law ranked Gonzalez as the best reliever on the market and at the signing noted that Gonzalez has the stuff to handle the AL East.
Dont forget Chris Gomez is still out there!
Roch:
Southwest flies to Tampa, which is an hour drive to Sarasota (all Interstate roads).
Six non-stops per day and no luggage issues.
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I should have done that. Never considered it until I heard that a few other writers made those arrangements. - Roch
I heard Lane Kiffin was chased out of a nursery by Al Davis this morning.
Roch,
Do you know if the O's have had any talks about trading for Adrian Gonzalez? I know the asking price is pretty hefty, but he is exactly the kind of bat we need in this lineup, not to mention he is a gold glove first baseman.
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The Orioles know that they'd have to give up their top pitching prospects, and they won't rent Gonzalez for two seasons. - Roch
my family almost always fly into Tampa when we go to Sarasota. It's an incredibly easy drive to Sarasota from there and considerably cheaper.If you're going to rent a car anyway, it's definitely worth it to land in Tampa.
Roch,
What did you think of the Who?
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I've never been a big fan, but I enjoyed watching them. A friend texted me with, "Don't you love bands older than us?" Absolutely. - Roch
Hey Roch,
I know its too late now, I but I lived in St. Petersburg for a few years, and the other posters are right about flying into Tampa, just a straight shot over the Howard Franklin bridge, past the Trop, and over the beautiful Sunshine Skyway bridge to Sarasota. Wish I was living down there now that the O's are only a hop, skip and jump away. Enjoy the weather, and if you ever get a free day, make sure you check out Siesta Key beach. Baby powder sand, and beautiful views of the Gulf. And if you are in St. Petersburg, look for the Green Iguana, Wednesday's used to be $1 Bud Light Bottles, and well drinks, lots of good times! Oh, yeah and Gators right in Treasure Island which is on the coast.....Have fun, be safe!
Steveospeak,
Don't waste your time with him. He'll ignore the FACTS you brought to the table and come back again with more BS. He's a coward, he'll ignore anything you bring to the table. I wish people would learn to ignore these guys and just scroll by...
They're getting everything they want when the entire comments section is about them. We need not reply, simple as that.
Roch:
Southwest goes into Tampa and Ft. Myers. You'll have to rent a car anyway and you can drive an hour to 1 1/2 either way. I'm assuming you'll be going to the opening day in Tampa, so that may be your best bet.
I hope, by this time you purchased some gloves. It's tuff shoveling out wearing a first base or catcher's mit. Not sure what your position was?
I can't wait to read your comments from spring training. Maybe by that time, those reports will keep the snow away.
JO
You got HOW much snow last weekend and you're kvetching about a bag fee to come to Florida? I live 20 minutes from both Ed Smith and Twin Lakes Park. I'll cover ST for you if the extra $25 is an issue for ya ....
STOP THE PRESSES.............. HOLD ALL TICKETS.....
Andy signed Joel Guzman.
A career minor leaguer who has a .251 average at AAA!
This guy shot through the minors until he hit 3A. Then his career went down the toilet!
The heck with this Germany gig. I am on the next flight home to buy season tickets. Yes I used the plural. I want my son to one day tell his kids how he saw the great Joel Guzman play at the Yard!
My only questions are:
1. Why didn't the Warehouse PR machine go all out for this signing? Another top prospect who's career went downt the drain..........until it met Andy's plan.
2. How do the Yankees and Red Sox respond to such a game changing deal?
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The Red Sox signed catcher Gustavo Molina to a minor league deal. You want to rip them for that one? - Roch
...Andino sure isn't getting much respect after playing very well replacing Izturis. I think Andino played better than any of the other post-Tejada shortstop fill-ins prior to signing Izturis the following season.
Brummie_Oriole said:
The only battle this spring that really matters is who will put themselves in the pole position to replace Trembley!
The smart money has to be on Sandberg.
As for camp jobs, I hope there is a legit competition for the closer job. Gonzo hasn't closed since 2006 or 7 I think. How Dandy Andy thinks this guy can be a lights out 9th inning guy in the AL east is beyond me.
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Brummie, taking more time away from your "journalistic" pursuits, huh? I see you've also come up with a new nickname for Andy McPhail; my but you're a clever, clever boy!
Since you have all this time to continue to send your uneducated, nonsensical rants I guess you're busy getting those "articles" you "wrote" to Roch so that he can look at them, right? Because, you know, you're a "journalist". LOL
Hey Roch,
With the predicted weather coming, you might want to hop on a plane today and head to ST early.
roch
has jarrod washburn's name come up as a possible starting pitcher that the orioles are interested in?
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He isn't going to take a minor league deal, so it's doubtful. - Roch
Wow, I have not been on Schmuck's blog in along time. Those guys make brummie seem like a choir boy. Nestor and his cronies have totally taken over that blog and Schmuck has totally let them. Paul, they must be friends of yours.
Roch,
I am sure you can't wait to get down there. If not for anything but the warm weather.
Hey given you a heads up the MLB.com projections are out.
....pretty interesting i must say
(Weiters overrated?)
(Everybody else underrated?)
Let me Know what you think
Hi Roch:
I do not understand why fans think the team is ready for a high priced free agent. This team is at least 3 years away from knowing what the final piece of the winning pieces of the puzzle are. Hopefully,in 3 years we will see an 81 win team to warrant going after a big name high priced superstar. That should make is possible to challenge third or second place if the Orioles are able to sing the home grown superstars.
maybe my expectations are too low
Frustrated fan from Harrisburg ,Pa
I can't believe I made it into work today. The roads in Montgomery County are awful. You would think Wisconsin/Rockville Pike would have been some kinda priority.
I think the bigger battles this spring will be for spots in the lineup.
If Tejada hits into a lot of double plays he'll be at the bottom of the lineup. Someone has to hit fourth. If he hits well he could get plugged in there and drive in a lot of runs. The same could be said for Wieters, Reimold or Scott.
I think we need to keep Andino for his glove if nothing else. We don't have a legitimate middle infield back up. If there was anyone else that could play SS then maybe but to me that is Andino's job to lose. Tejada has no range at SS. My grandmother would be willing to sign a minor league contract and challenge Tejada at SS, we just need to make the dugout wheelchair accessible.
Why would anyone want to trade for Ty Wigginton, unless the Orioles pay most of his salary? The way the market has played out, there are better players available for less money still in free agency.
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I'm talking about toward the end of spring training, not now. - Roch
sheets said:
Ken - The Will Carroll quote on labrum tears was from 2004. He has since noted that the prognosis for full recovery from surgery on labrum tears is much better than it was, although to be fair, still "hardly routine". It's moot since Bedard seems to have made the choice he preferred (option for 2011, pitching in a pitcher's park with insanely good defense behind him, team should contend for playoffs). Still, I'll freely admit to being a strong proponent of Bedard's return to Baltimore. He was just so good in 2007.
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sheets - Yes, progress has been made in the area of labrum surgery, but as Will Carroll says, while the recovery prognosis is better than it was in '04, it's still "not good, by any stretch of the imagination...."
But again, with a pitcher who could pitch like Erik Bedard, even just an 85% to 90% recovery means having a very effective hurler.
Like you, I wish Bedard would have returned to the Orioles but totally understand why he went to Seattle. I hope Erik bucks the odds and has a 100% recovery.
Here's the article with Carroll's remarks:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/mariners/2010986500_mari05.html
I'll see you down there--I am going down Feb 19-22 to watch my son's opening season baseball games for CCBC Catonsville. This will be the first time I will be able to watch some spring training events--I am really looking forward to it.
GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY:
Aparicio number has officially been unretired- (the first venezuelan to have his retired though)
meaning... MELVIN CAN NOW BE THE FIRST!
DO IT MCPHAIL!
Weigh your bags at home before you go to BWI. My family flew Air Tran last month. We had a 38 pound bag turn into 54 pounds on their scale. Overweight bags cost more the 2 bags. I took a pair of shoes from the bag and put them on my carry on. Then it turned into a 44 pound bag.
Hey everyone check out steve's blog...even he is ripping into Dummie_Oriole...What a tool!..he needs to be given an award for the biggest dork who lives in his mom's basement. hey dummie how is germany? and by germany i mean your extended stay in your parents guest room.
Brummie_Oriole said:
The only battle this spring that really matters is who will put themselves in the pole position to replace Trembley!
The smart money has to be on Sandberg.
As for camp jobs, I hope there is a legit competition for the closer job. Gonzo hasn't closed since 2006 or 7 I think. How Dandy Andy thinks this guy can be a lights out 9th inning guy in the AL east is beyond me.
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Brummie: Is your money the "smart money", or is that another veiled shot at MacPhail by linking him to another ex-Cub? Do you think that Sandberg would be a good manager for the Orioles? You don't seem to be actually saying that. Instead, you seem to be writing more insults. Who exactly DO you think should be the next manager, assuming that Tremblay doesn't finish the season? I'd love to see MacPhail reach back into the past and talk Tom Kelly out of retirement. I think that if DT is going to be replaced, it should be with someone who has experience and results. However, if you think they should go with someone with no major league managing experience, I would suggest Ken Oberkfell, who has managed in the Mets organization for several years now and just managed the Dominican Republic team that won the Caribbean World Series.
Others have already pointed out that you are incorrect about Mike Gonzalez and his closer experience, so I don't feel the need to go there. However, I will point out that Sherrill had absolutely zero closer experience when we acquired him and he racked up 51 saves in a year and a half with a team that didn't provide him with an abundance of opportunities. There's no reason to think that Gonzalez can't do it again, and I suspect that he'll be better at it than Jim Johnson was, who at one point gave up hits in 20 straight appearances and pitched to a 10.31 ERA after September 1.
Roch, If you're leaving from BWI, you might want to try Southwest to Tampa, and then rent a car from Tampa. It's an easy drive to Sarasota. I've often traveled to Sarasota that way.
Trade Wiggy to Cleveland, they're looking for corner depth.
Like others have already mentioned, my family is flying into Tampa. The cheap prices, free bag check, and nonstop short flights made it worth the hour drive to Sarasota. I've had nothing but good experiences with Southwest, so I try to stick with them as much as possible. March 2nd cannot get here soon enough.
Warm weather, no work, and baseball... sounds perfect! :D
Roch: I enjoyed the image of all those Colts fans crying in their beers in sports bars with framed photos of Johnny U. on the wall.
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Amen to that, brother. I am generally not a grudge-holder. Life's too short for that, along with a few other reasons.
There's always an expection to the rule.
Looks like you're about to be clobbered again. I guess you have to get all the snow in to truly appreciate Fla.
I, along with most of the comment-types like me, are looking forward to your reports from Spring Training. You're a blog machine.
Best,
Hey Roch,
I really think that Scott Moore should get a shot at making the team. He's had some bad luck with injuries but people seem to forget that he can really rake. I remember a few years ago when he had that grand slam in the game where the O's were wearing the browns throwback jerseys. That ball went a long way. I even have his game worn jersey from that game. Since we know he can play third and you said he used to play shortsop, and can move all around the infield. Why not keep him on the team instead of Andino? Plus if he proves he can play everywhere, then that makes Wigginton more expendable which would open up a spot for a guy like Michael Aubrey or Justin Turner, or maybe even Lou Montanez.
What do you think?
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Moore would have to show the Orioles, if given the chance, that he can play short at this level. It's been a while since he was really tested there. He's mostly been a third baseman. - Roch
Brummie_Oriole said:
STOP THE PRESSES.............. HOLD ALL TICKETS.....
Andy signed Joel Guzman....
...How do the Yankees and Red Sox respond to such a game changing deal?
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The Red Sox signed catcher Gustavo Molina to a minor league deal. You want to rip them for that one? - Roch
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Roch, You should know by now that that won't happen: Brummie's a real homer; he only rips the Orioles!
I don't see anything wrong with the Orioles signing Guzman to a minor league deal; either they can untap his potential, ala Pie or have a decent organizational player. ----------------------------------------------------
Brummie, Questioning a minor league signing is totally ridiculous.
For the umpteenth time, quit your whining and grow up; no one wants to hear it anymore! What don't you understand about that?
trading wiggy not only would free up a roster spot, but also a 42" wide spot in front of the team buffet table