angelos & devils: the 2005 o's thread...

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have at it...

featuring: sir fat sidney legal news, daniel cabrera hit batsmen counter, luis matos injury watch, the great pending sosa controversy and much, much more!

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Friday, 8 April 2005 19:23 (twenty years ago)

The O's are now the Dodgers cir. 1999

― Jimmy Mod Knows You Eat Your Own Farts (ModJ), Friday, 8 April 2005 19:46 (twenty years ago)

Ouch. So would Ponson be Carlos Perez or Darren Dreifort? (Also, I phear the O's would KILL to have the D's '99 staff, and that includes CP.)

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 8 April 2005 19:49 (twenty years ago)

all i can say to that is, who the fuck is jeff shaw? i mean...that's a lot of saves for a dude i've never heard of.

how 'bout that?

and i will say that sir fat sidney is both darren dreifort AND carlos perez! in size, if not alternate personalities.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Friday, 8 April 2005 20:02 (twenty years ago)

rodrigo lopez no-hitter through four!

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Sunday, 10 April 2005 17:25 (twenty years ago)

very good outing by lopez today. is mel mental starting to wake up? raffy sure has had it dialed in the last couple games.

but i gotta say: all those hard shots comin back up the middle...it was like 'nam out there, man!

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Sunday, 10 April 2005 19:33 (twenty years ago)

Is Albert Belle still under contract?

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Monday, 11 April 2005 12:05 (twenty years ago)

"[He had] nothing. Probably the worst stuff I've ever seen. The guy throws 83-84 mph. Come on! He was like [Baltimore's] Rodrigo [Lopez] -- very mediocre stuff. You think that we could get 20 hits off a guy like that. That's the way it is in baseball. Sometimes it's hard to explain."
--A’s third baseman Eric Chavez, on opposing pitcher Hideo Nomo, who defeated the A’s this week (Contra Costa Times)

didn't know whether to put this in a's or o's, but...

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Monday, 11 April 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)

Eric Chavez sounds like he's describing every 6th-7th-8th inning guy on the A's for the past 4 years.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 11 April 2005 20:52 (twenty years ago)

PS: search I Love Baseball and I Love Everything Fantasy Baseball threads for my Rodrigo Lopez love.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 11 April 2005 20:53 (twenty years ago)

thing is, it's not like rodrigo lopez is a completely unknown quantity. looking at his 2002 & 2004 numbers, you can't help but be at least a little impressed. i noticed in the yanks game yesterday that it looked like he was starting to lose it the 3rd time through the order, but regained his composure. i think he's 5-3 against the yanks w/ a sub 3 era and that even figures in his injury-riddled 2003.

it'll be interesting to see if he can go deeper in to games a little more consistently this year as he didn't pitch winter ball in mexico.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Monday, 11 April 2005 21:13 (twenty years ago)

Exactly, I think you and I discussed at length last season his tendency to run out of gas after the 5th inning.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 11 April 2005 21:31 (twenty years ago)

Washington haven't played at home yet (I mean wtf, NINE road games to start the season? Truly, the former Spos are still the redheaded stepchild of MLB), but Camden Yards attendance looked low for the season opening series (besides opening day).

Soon, we'll get actual answers about whether or not Washington leeches fans from Baltimore.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 00:04 (twenty years ago)

ha!

i'd characterize it as how many washingtonians angelos has alienated, but, hey...reasonable people can disagree.

given the growth of the region since 1954 (when the griffith family welcomed baseball up the road), there is no reason b'more should not be able to support itself w/o getting big $ from washington.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 11:41 (twenty years ago)

Exactly, although of course Angelos has been saying the opposite for years. I'm pretty sure that Angelos will end up eating crow here, it would teach him (and Selig, who frequently caves to the whims of individual owners) right.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 12 April 2005 13:21 (twenty years ago)

is it just that i've actually seen more would be homers off the foul pole ruled foul this year, or is there higher incident of this in the early going this season?

looked like sammy was feeling it last night.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Wednesday, 13 April 2005 15:11 (twenty years ago)

beasts of the east! best record in al east play.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Saturday, 16 April 2005 14:55 (twenty years ago)

...and sammy sosa is on pace for 80 Ks.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Saturday, 16 April 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

...and it looks like last night just made the o's angry. 6-nil bottom of 4.

sir fat sidney has only walked one and allowed 4 hits through 4 ip. a season low, i reckon.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 23:20 (twenty years ago)

per my earlier comments on o's prospects, see #2 & #19 on attached...

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/hotsheet2005.html

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 13:06 (twenty years ago)

walter young boosted his average to .500 after 12 games. 6 Ks in 48 ab & .750 slg.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 20:31 (twenty years ago)

brian roberts, back on the horse w/ a leadoff hr against toronto.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Saturday, 23 April 2005 16:18 (twenty years ago)

BOOOOO - should be a tie game right now.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 23 April 2005 18:19 (twenty years ago)

was it a controversial play?

you know zaun is rick dempsey's nephew, right?

it's not on tv in de today...which doesn't exactly matter b/c i'm at the library.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Saturday, 23 April 2005 18:24 (twenty years ago)

I did not know that!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 23 April 2005 18:27 (twenty years ago)

blue jays implosion.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Saturday, 23 April 2005 18:52 (twenty years ago)

Fat Sidney needed special permission from the Canadian govt to enter the country, stemming from his DUI charge. They issued him a three-day visa and he arrived in the 8th inning of Friday's game.

He's taking out his frustration on us right now.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 24 April 2005 17:18 (twenty years ago)

from what i can tell, he's really pitched a hell of a game. 3 hits, 3 bb, 0 er & 7 k in 8 innings is okay by me.

kind of funny that a dude w/ a 6 + era is looking to lead the starters in wins, though.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Sunday, 24 April 2005 18:14 (twenty years ago)

You know, maybe I'm completely nuts, but I think there's a realistic (albeit not likely) chance that the O's could finish ahead of the Yanks and BoSox. Their offense is comparable, and if things go wrong(er) for NY and Boston, their pitching might also be on the same level.

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:09 (twenty years ago)

not so much the dui charge but the assaulting th' judge thing but yeah both are bad

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:19 (twenty years ago)

If the O's can, on a consistent basis, get Erik Bedard to pitch even close to the way he pitched in that game against Danny Haren a few weeks back, I like Baltimore's chances very much.

― rasheed wallace (rasheed wallace), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 11:10 (twenty years ago)

i'll definitely be curious to see how things stand at the end of the boston series. everything i read at the outset of the season said 11 of the first 22 against boston & new york could be the nail in mazzilli's coffin. if they come out of this series w/ the best overall record in the east, and the best record against east opponents...i wonder.

the o's have a pretty soft run after this series.

there ought to be some adjustments w/ the rotation. i think bedard can pitch near the level he pitched in that a's game, cabrera and ponson will settle down and chen will probably get figured out. i don't think it's unrealistic that rodrigo lopez could win more than 15.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:27 (twenty years ago)

cabrera and ponson will settle down

If wishes were horses, I'd be starring in Equus.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:31 (twenty years ago)

perhaps...but maybe you didn't see ponson pitch at all second half last year where he was 8-3 w/ a 3 something era? only schilling, randy johnson and livan hernandez have more complete games that aruba fats going back to 1999.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

from the sun:

"No team can make a case like the Orioles'. Through 21 games, they lead the AL in batting average (.303), slugging percentage (.489) and runs scored (125). They are second in the AL with 29 home runs, but as a result of their versatile lineup, they also are second in the league with 22 steals."

also #5 in the mlb in obp.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Thursday, 28 April 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

it's certainly tough to question their offense. roberts has to come back to earth, but palmeiro is starting to perk up a bit.

rodrigo didn't look too hot the other night, but the sox and yankee staffs seem worse off these days. the o's are in a nice spot as underdogs who don't have the insane expectations to face, either.

and good lord does ray miller have some gargantuan ears.

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 28 April 2005 14:18 (twenty years ago)

well, i heard something to the effect that since he's been w/ the o's, rodrigo has the best record against the sox among active pitchers (8-3), but has averaged 8 er in his losses.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Thursday, 28 April 2005 14:34 (twenty years ago)

okay, so miggy tejada is one shy of the o's record for april rbi set by, who, you ask?

mike bordick. i guess that was that season he played well and the o's traded him to the mets for mel mental.

another fun fact: the o's have no 'murikans in their starting rotation.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Saturday, 30 April 2005 16:39 (twenty years ago)

btw...outside of his shellacking in detroit, bedard has looked incredible this year. apparently, he's done a lot of work w/ miller in getting his pitch counts down. averaged 21.1 per inning last year...thinks it's in the 11-15 range this year. is that possible?

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Saturday, 30 April 2005 17:04 (twenty years ago)

crank up your truth machines, kids...o's have the resurgent (again) jays this week, minnesota and chicago next week.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Monday, 2 May 2005 11:56 (twenty years ago)

i kind of love miguel tejada

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Monday, 2 May 2005 19:04 (twenty years ago)

Get in line!

I'd love to know what happened to turn Miggy from the .260 strugglebunny folks saw leaving Oakland to the world-beating god he's become in CrabCakeVille.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 2 May 2005 19:05 (twenty years ago)

Miggy's greatness as a player is the ONE PLACE where I see eye-to-eye w/ Joe Morgan.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 2 May 2005 19:10 (twenty years ago)

gotta love the miggy AND mel mental. they just seem like swell guys. it is kind of funny, at his current contract, mora is one of the best bargains in baseball, and the man has quintuplets!

and it seems to me that tejada was a mvp before he left oaktown w/ numbers.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Monday, 2 May 2005 19:21 (twenty years ago)

Well, yeah, but that last year was subpar (by his standards), so for him to do even BETTER than he ever did as AL MVP is shocking. In a good way. Except when he's playing the Red Sox. Dammit.

& actually, his "struggles" his last year in Oaktown weren't as bad as I had thought. Please strike my "strugglebunny" comment from the official record, plz.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 2 May 2005 19:27 (twenty years ago)

He was not the best choice the year he won the MVP tho ... peaking in September will do that for you. But yeah, he might have his best season.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 2 May 2005 19:32 (twenty years ago)

it all comes out in the wash, though...i think you can make a pretty strong case for tejada over vlad last year.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Monday, 2 May 2005 19:39 (twenty years ago)

Tejada finished strong in his last year in Oakland. He was horrible for the first couple of months and caught a lot of bad publicity for that as the reigning MVP. That's probably why you remember him having a bad year.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Monday, 2 May 2005 20:59 (twenty years ago)

rodrigo lopez going for the cycle: 3 singles, a k, a hit batsman...wild pitch? balk?

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Monday, 2 May 2005 22:22 (twenty years ago)

Lopez never does well vs the J's

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Monday, 2 May 2005 22:51 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 92 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

i will say, if sosa is being a baby about gettign shifted around this year in the lineup and b/w dh & the field, the o's are doing a whale of a job keeping it under wraps. his public comments have been all smiles and sunshine and a lot of folks attribute hsi change in attitude to tejada. we'll see, though.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Monday, 25 July 2005 18:40 (twenty years ago)

Sammy can't really pout too much with his numbers, though. I hope he is coming around, because I think he got a bad rap on the way out of Chicago for a couple of relatively minor incidents ('he's gone! now things are gonna be cleaned-up...'), when any "blame" should have fallen on the shoulders of the entire organization, not least of all Dusty and Hendry.

― gear (gear), Monday, 25 July 2005 21:27 (twenty years ago)

Nevin has killed the deal and will remain a Padre.

― gear (gear), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 01:22 (twenty years ago)

what a mutt!

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 11:18 (twenty years ago)

btw...it's looking more likely that the o's will dump ponson in the rangers' lap. it's sounding like they'll come away w/ hidalgo and/or adrian gonzalez. someone asked about the o's looking for offense?

"A team source said that the Orioles are not only committed to improving the top of their rotation, they are dissatisfied with both the offensive and defensive production of their outfield. None of their starting outfielders, Larry Bigbie, Luis Matos and Sammy Sosa, is hitting above .271. And the three have combined for 20 home runs and 74 RBIs.

"The infield is carrying the outfield right now, which is ridiculous," the team source said."

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 13:21 (twenty years ago)

Hell, ain't no shame to have the IF carry the OF when your double play combo is beating the shit out of the ball. If the O's can get Adrian Gonzalez, that'd be such a steal (unless he turns into Carlos Pena II).

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 13:24 (twenty years ago)

maz?

gone!!!

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Thursday, 4 August 2005 17:34 (twenty years ago)

wow. i didn't see that coming.

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 4 August 2005 17:54 (twenty years ago)

only b/c angelos is so proud of not firing dudes, but it's definitely something that needed to be done.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Thursday, 4 August 2005 18:04 (twenty years ago)

daniel cabrera is apparently having one of the best seasons against right handed batters in quite some time...

http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2005/08/a_tale_of_two_p.php

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Tuesday, 9 August 2005 15:31 (twenty years ago)

Chris Carpenter has a lower OBPA against RHBs than Cabrera and his OPSA is only .015 higher...

...not to mention that Carpenter is equally as dominant against LHBs allowing him to pitch average 7.5 IP a start whereas Cabrera only averages 5.5 IP.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 9 August 2005 15:45 (twenty years ago)

i guess w/ cabrera it's really kind of a man bites dog story, though, innit? i mean hsi walk numbers are obscene and his combined numbers are iffy at best, though he has a solid number of total ks.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Tuesday, 9 August 2005 15:47 (twenty years ago)

so, palmeiro returns to a mixed bag.

perlozzo seems more committed to using younger dudes over surhoff, palmeiro and sosa. they just brought up this guy freire who is a 30 year old rook that's just been mashing stuff at aaa and he's trying to find ways to keep newhan in the lineup.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Friday, 12 August 2005 11:13 (twenty years ago)

and i forgot to mention...

FREE WALTER YOUNG!!!

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Friday, 12 August 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

O's fans -- I'm going to the Monday night Sept 26 game vs the Yanks but staying in D.C. I see there's a Number 701 bus from Camden Yards to Washington's Union Station, but on weeknights it's only a return trip after the game (wtf?). What's the most efficient semi-cheap way to get TO Balt on mass transit then?

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 12:24 (twenty years ago)

OK, I think I found my answer; this MARC train?

http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/marc/schedulesSystemMaps/MARC_CAMDEN_LINE_HTML.cfm

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 12:39 (twenty years ago)

http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/marc/schedulesSystemMaps/MARC_CAMDEN_LINE_HTML.cfm

Morbs - MARC Camden line drops off at Camden station a block away from Camden Yards. I think it's a $7 one-way fare, although I could be mistaken.

Regular MARC train service is available for weekday Oriole games at Camden Yards. The MTA 701 Express Bus operates 20 minutes after the last out of the ball game to Savage, Greenbelt & Union Station. A valid MARC ticket to the appropriate station is accepted for the return trip. In the absence of a MARC ticket, the cash fare is $10.

On Saturday, Sunday & Holidays, there is no train service. The MTA 703 Bus leaves the Metro Greenbelt Station for Camden Yards 2 hours, 90 minutes & 1 hour before game time. Buses return to Greenbelt 20 minutes after the last out. The fare is $6 each way.

(xpost, obv.)

― Daniel Cohen (dayan), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 12:46 (twenty years ago)

i'm sorry...but what does xpost mean?

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 12:58 (twenty years ago)

xpost = what happens when you're writing a response to someone's post, and someone else posts before you post.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 13:02 (twenty years ago)

huh.

how bout dat?

btw...last night i went to see phillies & nats (a dollar dog night, no less) and i made it home in time for o's & a's. joy.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 13:10 (twenty years ago)

wow, so first series sweepin oaktown since labor day '93.

that was unexpected.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:57 (twenty years ago)

wow.

sir fat sidney's been busted for another dewey...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-ponson0825,1,2473216.story?coll=bal-sports-baseball&ctrack=1&cset=true

y'know...free walter young! free nick markakis! there is nothing to lose!

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Thursday, 25 August 2005 12:06 (twenty years ago)

Sir Fat Sidney's no longer an O*

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2148842

*until the union gets involved, that is.

― Jimmy Mod Loves Alan Canseco (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Thursday, 1 September 2005 18:45 (twenty years ago)

walter young: FREED!

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Thursday, 1 September 2005 19:04 (twenty years ago)

http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/AJW10908310221.jpg

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 1 September 2005 20:54 (twenty years ago)

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20050901/capt.ajw11109010144.orioles_blue_jays_ajw111.jpg

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 1 September 2005 21:11 (twenty years ago)

I've gotta believe Palmeiro's gonna just quietly retire at the end of this year, right?

― gear (gear), Thursday, 1 September 2005 21:51 (twenty years ago)

i would imagine.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Friday, 2 September 2005 13:25 (twenty years ago)

from BP's Will Carroll:

Sammy Sosa may have played his last game in Baltimore and, just maybe, his last in the U.S. Multiple sources believe that Sosa will head to Japan next season for a retirement-fund contract and a chance to hit as many home runs as Tuffy Rhodes, his former Cub teammate, did.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 9 September 2005 16:40 (twenty years ago)

brian roberts just got his arm torn off. bad scene. feel bad for the dude, and it was a really nasty looking injury, to boot. roberts seemed almost in shock...

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 22:57 (twenty years ago)

what happened?

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 23:03 (twenty years ago)

bubba crosby bunts. surhoff charges and throws to first, where roberts is covering. throw is offline, roberts reaches for it and crosby nails it. replays showed his arm bending backward the wrong way. roberts collapses, not even able to move the live ball sitting right in front of him as bernie williams scores. trainer runs out and roberts is fighting off tears. won't even let the trainer take off his glove. nasty stuff.

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 23:06 (twenty years ago)

nails HIS ARM that should say

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 23:06 (twenty years ago)

Too bad it wasn't A-Rod.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 23:11 (twenty years ago)

with the feeble wrist slap that is...

must have been a controversial play:

BALTIMORE'S BRIAN ROBERTS HAS LEFT THE GAME IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SECOND INNING WITH A LEFT ELBOW INJURY.

BALTIMORE MANAGER SAM PERLOZZO HAS BEEN EJECTED BY HOME PLATE UMPIRE SAM HOLBROOK IN THE SECOND INNING FOR ARGUING A PLAY AT FIRST BASE.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 23:25 (twenty years ago)

it was unclear what he was arguing. you could read the ump's lips at one point, and he yelled, "what can i do about it?" maybe it was about the wire.

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 23:27 (twenty years ago)

ugh. 'dislocated elbow', which i don't want to think about too hard

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Wednesday, 21 September 2005 01:13 (twenty years ago)

Awesome.

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 23 September 2005 00:21 (twenty years ago)

I don't ask for much. Just a respectable effort. Just don't roll over for, say, FOUR STRAIGHT GAMES.

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 23 September 2005 00:22 (twenty years ago)

anyone with times select wanna tell me what this is about?

http://select.nytimes.com/2005/09/28/sports/baseball/28rhoden.html?8hpib

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 29 September 2005 01:17 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

ao, allegedly sam perlozzo and leo mazzone are old buddies from western md and perlozzo is making a big push to bring mazzone to b'more.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Friday, 14 October 2005 12:02 (twenty years ago)

from a new piece in the sun about the great unravelling:

"Standing nearby was Sosa, who, according to one player, had grown tired of Tejada's constant dugout chatter and told the shortstop as much. Both players later denied the rift, but Hendricks and several other players confirmed it. Tejada was much quieter after Sosa rebuked him, the players said.

Palmeiro and Ponson were also in the clubhouse that night in Oakland.

Palmeiro had recently returned from his 10-day suspension to a clubhouse reception more dubious than publicly alleged. Several players did not even get off their cell phones to speak to him when he tried to shake hands upon returning. A clubhouse loner to begin with, he was now an island.

And Ponson, who would soon face his second drunken-driving charge in seven months, had already turned off teammates. On the day after his final arrest weeks later, as word of it filtered through the clubhouse, many players frowned and shook their heads, no longer surprised at any news involving Ponson.

Running the team that night in Oakland was an interim manager, Sam Perlozzo, who had replaced Mazzilli in early August and had no idea if he would be retained for next year. (He was given a three-year contract last week.)

Mazzilli's firing on Aug. 4 delighted many players. They had long before become disenchanted with the second-year manager.

"Pretty much everybody was unhappy with him," one player later said."

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Monday, 17 October 2005 20:23 (twenty years ago)

is this team going to recover? they seem to have the parts for it, if the pitching matures.

the second half of their season was as thorough a collapse, in every way, as any i can recall in sport. about the only plus is that they didn't trade cabrera for a.j. burnett.

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 21:19 (twenty years ago)

I think they need pitching, but I don't think AJ Burnett is the solution. Burnett is going to get ace money somewhere, which is silly because he's a three at best, so far. I think I might give him 8 million per, four years. Someone is going to give him a lot more than that.

But there are always plenty of lesser light guys that become available, guys who can make a big difference. Last year, it was pitchers like Loiaza, El Duque, Paul Byrd, Glendon Rusch, etc.

This year, guys like Joe Mays, Tomko, Moyer could potentially help give starting pitcher depth, and won't cost nearly as much. I'm not saying this will bring the Orioles to the playoffs, but these are the kind of guys that the Orioles haven't even bothered to acquire in the previous few years. They seem to have been using a pitching-from-within philosophy that I'm not sure can work in a division with Toronto, the Yankees and the Sox in it.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 22:03 (twenty years ago)

Leo Mazzone, anyone?

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 20 October 2005 13:56 (twenty years ago)

Fuck.

― I do feel guilty for getting any perverse amusement out of it (Rock Hardy), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:08 (twenty years ago)

that's what i'm talking about.

i am a happy camper. the fact that the yanks were gunning for him is icing on the cake.

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Thursday, 20 October 2005 16:17 (twenty years ago)

Fuck is right! As if the division wasn't competitive enough already!

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 20 October 2005 16:19 (twenty years ago)

d'oh!

braves are asking for a prospect in exchange for releasing mazzone prior to the end date of his contract.

bastards!

― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Thursday, 20 October 2005 16:20 (twenty years ago)

Maybe he'll help the O's more than Rick Peterson helped the Mets.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Thursday, 20 October 2005 16:26 (twenty years ago)

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