September 14, 2007
Orioles a Mess
Despite the shutout victory last night, the Orioles are falling apart. Apart from the suspensions (it is now officially illegal to throw at the Red Sox), Miguel Tejada wants out:
Asked whether he was OK with the fact that the club might want to get a look at some younger players, Tejada said, "It would be nice. Then I can go somewhere else next year. They have somebody that can play short. That would be nice for me."
When asked if that meant that he wanted to be traded, Tejada said, "It's not like that's what I want, but at least if they have somebody else, they can trade me somewhere else."
Later, given another opportunity by a reporter to clarify his statement, Tejada said that he wasn't saying whether he wanted a trade or not. "That's up to them," he said. "I just work here."
And Mazzone rippled the pitching staff:
"They've been given an opportunity, and the majority of them have not responded," Mazzone said. "I think it's enabling us to see for a fact what kind of depth we really do have. Basically, there is no depth. They're giving us reasons to why they wouldn't fit in as opposed to why they would.
"I mean, golly, we're walking in runs and not being able to get one out or two outs. You're asking somebody to go five innings. If you're here, you should be able to get close to that or do that. It isn't like we're asking you to be a huge part of a machine trying to win a pennant."
So their star shortstop wants to leave and there's no depth to the pitching staff. Doesn't sound like this team is getting better any time soon.
Maybe they should fire the owner.
It doesn't help that their farm system is terrible. The guy who was their Minor League Player of the Year last year was traded during spring training for Alberto Castillo.
Combine this with an apparent reluctance on the part of the front office to make any trades for youth. They waited until August to deal Parrish and Trachsel, and probably sacrificed leverage to do so. Baez, Hernandez, Huff, Mora, Patterson, Payton and Tejada are making a combined $46 million this year. If you aren't winning with them, why are they still there?
"If you aren't winning with them, why are they still there?"
Because Mr Angelos cares so much for us fans that he wants to make sure that we have our favorite "stars" in the line up.
Check out this article from today's Baltimore Sun:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.osfans14sep14,0,7327617.story
I'm sure Mr. Angelos will make sure that this doesn't happen again. Can't afford to disappoint the few people left that actually show up for a game (and root for the Orioles), now can they?
Besides, Cal Ripken played everyday. No excuse for these guys slacking...
Illegal to throw at the Red Sox? So...you didn't think a suspension was warranted when Cabrera threw at Pedroia's head one pitch after he balked in a run, then proceeded to utterly (further) lose his temper, challenging the whole team to a fight, ripping his jersey open, and having his manager apologize to the media for his pitcher's "unprofessional" actions? The Red Sox had nothing whatsoever to do with his meltdown, they just happened to be on the receiving end (and note, maybe because it was clear nobody on the O's supported Cabrera's actions, there was no retaliation). Man, those damn Red Sox, putting their heads in the way of fastballs delivered by unhinged lunatics. Somebody should do something, probably.
I think dave trembley came into a very tough situation. He will do well if they go young, having managed in the minors for 20 years maybe he can turn this team around.
That was more of a joke, Matt. Chamberlain and Cabrera get suspended after throwing at Red Sox players.
The Orioles had been structuring recent contracts with an eye to deciding if they should blow up the team in 2009. It seems like they need to trade Tejada, and maybe some of the other older players on this team for whatever they can get. At the same time, they need to try to convince Bedard that there is a future with this, and to re-sign. without him, the team has no future. MacPhail has his work cut out for him.