dc.

Yeah, said the same thing in the other thread.... he said that on the radio the other day apparently, but it was a weird interview. The whole way he was talking was weird. So, I dunno. It's not quite a no yet.

Sounds like Valentine is out of managerial search... Nothing official, but a blog post on Orioles Insider at the Sun has some comments from him about his interview on Friday... and to me, it sounds like he is saying he doesn't want the job. He says he likes challenges, but he also likes rewards. And he not so subtly makes it known that it seems like the O's job would have no rewards. He also apparently got in a good jab at Angelos.

Also... while last night seemed to be some regression for Jones... he's actually been the one improving hugely. Since May 8, when his average was 218, he's hit 292 (including last night's 0-4) to raise his average to 256. Hardly All-Star like, but he is coming around again slowly. His strikeouts in that span are still WAY too high... but his bat is slowly getting better. And he's slugging over 400 in that span too.

Until last night Wigginton HADN'T been doing what he knew how to do... it was of course skimmed by the announcers who never mention these things about streaky hitters, but it was there... First... did you see the stat in game? 7 HR in April... 6 in May... Hm... he's got 13 on the year, that means NONE in 2 weeks in June. His average fell from nearly 300 to under 280... only 4 RBI in June so far... In fact... INCLUDING last night's 2 hit, 2b and RBI night... Since his last HR on May 22, Wiggy's numbers look like this: 224 AVG in 67 AB, 0 HR, 2 2B (both last night), 5 RBI, 11 K, and a whopping 254 SLG. But.. overall his numbers are still decent enough (especially compared to anyone else on this team), so it will get NO mention until someone overtakes him. That's the Orioles way. Pump up the buffoon until you have to mention his shortcomings. And then, of course, talk about him like Luke Scott or Garrett Atkins and only talk about "what he COULD do" or "what he did in April"

We're just 6 outs from going 2-16 in an 18 game stretch for the second time this season.

Also... why are they dressed like boy scouts? (the main guy and his little partner who joins him?)

I just love that attitude that we have all been confronted with at some point in our lives too... "I'm here to do this job..." "Under who's authority?" "Well, I've been hired..." "By who? Are you the police? Because last I knew, no one but the police have "authority" over this." My favorite response, though I rarely am rude enough to use it... "Sir, I'm just doing my job." "Your job is made up."

... It's in South Africa. Games have been starting at 7:30am ... that's how it goes. Remember, we were just talking about how when it was in South Korea you had to watch at 3 or 4 am? It will likely be replayed on Friday night... but still.

The NCAA and this whole thing is a joke. If the NCAA is the governing body, they should decide the conference alignments. There is too loose a relationship between teams/schools and conferences and the NCAA. The movement is too frequent, too motivated by money and bad for the sports and students as a whole. And the rules on everything are just stupid - as evidenced by the USC BS taking place right now.

He's right. Though, I will say that I don't think Henry cheated. It was not intentional or at least not 'conscious.' I am torn on replay in soccer just like in baseball. The officials are incredibly good at on/off side, handball, etc etc... the 'slip ups' like in that game are very, very rare. So do you slow down/stop the game (a game that is always played continuously) or let them go? The problem with stopping the game is that we obviously won't be stopping just for calls that were wrong... there will be questions at all times, just like in football... but that doesn't work with a continuous 90 minute clock.

Yes. Everyone remembers that. Dempsey, in fact, doesn't deny that part of that is still in him. And if you listen to him pre-game, post-game, etc etc... you see and hear that. But his goofiness is not the sole factor - we need MORE than what Dempsey can offer. I love it when people say we need a "fundamentals" guy. Do we seriously believe that none of the Orioles past 5 manager cared about fundamentals? In fact, when Trembley came in some said he was TOO ingrained in fundamentals - he made the team take extra fielding and batting practice daily. What we need is a FRESH message. And Dempsey cannot offer that. Do you really believe that Dempsey's fundamentals message can be any more powerful than Trembley or anyone else that's been in the clubhouse over the last decade? (Remember, Dempsey was on this team as a coach as recently as 05).

MD football, performance-wise, has already met its demise. But playing more and more good schools will only get us more attention and maybe more recruits. UMD has poured a lot of money into the program and stadium upgrades... they'll find ways to get those seats filled.

I'm always into it... In 02 I was up at 3 or 4am to watch the SK matches. Meanwhile... been haunted over buying a jersey all day... I love the US, but find their jerseys and stuff boring - just like in the Olympics and all. But they are still on the list. Meanwhile, have always liked Spain, Italy and Argentina. Also like Ireland, but they aren't even in it this year. Suggestions??

First... there are plenty of good coaches out there we've been in touch with and they are willing to come. Second... that's exactly the attitude we need to avoid: "what's there to lose?" plenty. We need to make a decision and find the man that is truly right for this team. And the class clown Dempsey is NOT that guy.

Trembley won multiple minor league titles and manager of the year awards.

Yes, Maz was not given free reign. Not only because he was new, but because he was an outsider and because were still in the era of PA's hands-on moderating.

I was interested to hear MacPhail say at the Samuel conference that "coaching personnel decisions are entirely the realm of the manager" and that he only makes suggestions, starts conversations. It struck me as relatively unbelievable given the extremely low turnover in coaching we've seen for so long. In other words, it seems like MacPhail is saying that "starting clean" has always been a possibility since he's been there at least. So why it hasn't happened, who knows? Meanwhile, I don't think Wedge would be the right fit. But the more I hear it talked about, the more I like Valentine. Buster Olney and Tim Kurkjian have both been saying that they expect it to happen soon - it won't be all season before the change happens. Olney was stressing in a video on ESPN.com yesterday that the O's desperately need the change to turn their young players around. He and many scouts seem to think that the youngsters are "getting weighed down" by the losing. No shit. Also, I think it was Olney, who said that Valentine could "jump" at the challenge the Orioles would present. This is about the only road into the AL East these days. Perhaps Cito will just retire, but Maddon, Girardi and Francona aren't moving any time soon. So the only way into baseball's best division is to manage its worst team... and apparently many think Valentine likes the idea of being the man that turned it around. hah

I also love, by the way, that the Israeli forces still claim that the flotilla was headed "for a fight" and that the fact that they were "armed with weapons" proves that. And yet, even in the Israeli videos you can find on YouTube, the worst you will find is a kitchen knife... but more frequently plastic chairs, plates, glasses and bottles. Certainly a boat aiming for a fight would arm its sailors with such items against an international armed force.

That's about as disgusting as it gets. I mean, the political view and words are pretty bad to begin with... but the visual racist stereotypes are just sad. Meanwhile... I like how they show those videos of "demonstrators throwing soldier overboard" and "hitting soldiers with pipes." Um, yes. The soldiers were jumping onto their boats in the middle of the night with weapons - they responded. I did not see any of the demonstrators jumping onto or outwardly going after soldiers on other vessels. I mean, in one of the last scenes they show from the boat you can see a soldier dropping from a copter by a rope onto the boats. I am not pro-Palestine or Hamas or Gaza or whatever... but I'm just as tired of Israel's unbelievable and inhumane actions. You raided a boat in international waters that, so far, seems to have been largely unarmed. You killed nine people on that boat. And you want us to believe that it was justified because the soldiers were attacked... after boarding the boats.

Forrestor's a moron... Almost no former players were invited to Sarasota this year with the O's because of the "transition" to the new stadium and facilities. It was highly publicized that almost everyone failed to receive their normal invite. The facilities in particular were cramped and undergoing huge changes and needed the space, not the bodies. Meanwhile... I personally remember Dempsey's reported temper-tantrum a few years back, either around the time of Mazzilli or Perlozzo or Trembley... one time it was about not getting an interview, the next about not getting the job... I think when Sammie was fired there were stories about him storming through the warehouse saying "If I don't get an interview...!" I don't think Dempsey is the angel some make him out to be. Meanwhile, I have nothing against Dempsey based on his on-air personality. I simply do not think he is the right fit for the club. And if he and MacPhail don't see eye-to-eye, that's just another strike. Because right now this is MacPhail's club to run, and you have to have a GM-Manager team that agree on a lot of things. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the Orioles and the fans need to get away from the "good PR move" hires. That means Dempsey, Ripken (Bill or Cal), Murray, and whoever else are off the list. We cannot make a hire with even the THOUGHT that we're doing it to draw fans in because of the name. Davey Johnson, too. I'm sorry, but this team needs to SHAKE things up, no reminisce. Post-Script: If Dempsey is really serious about becoming a major league manager, he needs plenty more experience anyway... get out of the booth, stop 'talking' baseball to the fans, and get back 'in the game' at some capacity.

Well, what's "doing worse?" Trembley didn't have anything to work with, this year especially... so yeah, if you give Dempsey or anyone a decent bat they'll "do better." But is that him or the players? Not that it's necessarily relevant, but given Trembley, Perlozzo, Mazzilli and Hargrove... I would pick Dempsey last.

Ugh. I cannot believe the support Dempers has to manage this club. He is a nice guy, he is a fun guy... I love him as an Oriole. But he is NOT a major league manager. Have you watched/heard him post-game? I cannot see him being effective leading a major league team.

Actually, Spen, I have heard Miller consistently corroborate that story - after a history of 'no comment.' He tends to blame Angelos for his departure and remains unhappy about it. In either case, we have gotten away from the real issue: who will the Orioles bring in and who is willing to come in? I certainly agree with Spen here... several of the names out there actually work as perfect examples. Buck Showalter joined the Arizona Diamondbacks before they were even playing... After his stint there he joined the Texas Rangers following a last place finish. Both situations came after relatively successful jobs with the Yankees. Do you really think has suddenly built up the ego of not being able/wanting to take on a fixer-upper? Bobby Valentine hasn't managed in the majors in nearly a decade. Do we really believe he'll turn down any offers he sees? Lastly, and perhaps the biggest problem with your theory Papa, is that a better job will come around. Says who? The Braves will have an opening after this year ... but that's one job and how many qualified candidates? With that very notable exception, what other "respectable" clubs do we project will have openings? Good teams don't fire their managers. Any opening is going to come with a club that has struggled. The Cubs are the one, off the top of my head, that I could see having an opening - but they are hardly more successful than the O's in many ways (just ask Cub fans). But where else will we see openings? Not in New York or St Louis or Los Angeles...

But you at least acknowledge that it's not as easy as "just win" as you went sour on Brian in a year when he went 10-6 and made the playoffs.

Well, it's possible Juan won't be around that long anyway... MacPhail said they could find a guy next week, next month, end of season... I would bet they will aim for within a month if there are decent candidates. I just hope, again, that Crow goes too when the new manager comes in.