Even though the call went against us, a few days ago I appreciated seeing Andino lose an out at second because his foot was planted 8 inches away from second base during an attempt to turn two.    Calling runners out when the pivot man does not touch 2nd base has never made sense to me.    The runner should be called safe.  A LOT.    Umps get ragged for missing every other call but this one, it seems.    Seeing it finally called right has made me watch closely again, and sure enough Andino slid his foot behind the bag and never touched it on the Alber's induced double play that saved Saturday night's game.   Later in the game, Mora makes a "force" at second on a shift play with his foot at least 4 inches off the bag.   Etc. Etc.

Maybe I'm also against calling the 'proximity play' because Tim McCarver is for it.   In "Baseball For Brain Surgeons" he defends umps calling 1-2 of every 100 times the pivot man misses the bag on grounds of protecting the safety of the infielder.   Yeah, if you put a guy out properly during a wipeout slide, you risk injury.   But so does the sliding player -- a knee to the face can undo your whole season.    So why isn't that a wash?   

What think you CCers?  Should outs be called carefully except when there is a double play involved? 

btw -- I learned this morning that "The simple fact is Tim McCarver is the best analyst in the history of the game."    John Feinstein "Play Ball."        I'm speechless.

Before I start complaining, let me admit my own bit of the problem.    I'm slipping on attendance.   04 & 05 I started the season with Spring Training visits.  06 I didn't get out until the Nats/O's exhibition two days before Opening Day, and I felt late.    Then last year, I didn't get to the park until 3rd week of April.   This year, I didn't make it until yesterday -- IN MAY.    Birdland won't be it's true self until all the folks who feel hardcore inside are outside -- taking the air in the stands at OPACY. 

That said, I was admiring the new scoreboards yesterday.   You can, like, read what they say -- even in daylight at a bad angle (looking up from Eutaw Street Reserves).    A big step forward, I think and then ...  Kiss Cam.   I can't believe I'm actually watching this nonsense at my home park.    Let 'em do that crap in DC, I've believed in years past, but not HERE.     At first I'm encouraged by the lack of response.   We want sports trivia between innings, or least cartoon hot dogs running the bases -- something remotely baseball.   Right?  Then, some fools actually smooch.  The cheer is louder than when Adam Jones' shot cleared the left field wall.   Ugh.  That cheer is real crowd noise too.

I know pumped in crowd noise has been around since the 90s, but the park management needs to do something about it now.    Blended into real crowd noise, you don't notice so much.   In the quiet, empty place right now, the sudden bursts of shrill screaming are just plain disconcerting.     So obvious.   So WEAK.   It's enough to inspire your offense to only get three hits.    Create excitement on the field, don't try to manufacture it in the PA.   Do laugh tracks make bland sitcoms funny?  C'mon.

In good news, the Orioles Hall of Fade is again a Hall of Fame -- brand new plaques behind the scoreboard.     You can actually read Al Bumbry's inscription again.    That's the deal.  That's Birdland.    Honor the tradition and do the hard, smart organizational work to recreate it between the lines.     Whoever in the Warehouse approves tarting up Birdland with the other stuff can kiss somethin' you can't show on the Jumbotron.

Hey, all.   I've been lurking for a year or more and thought I should come out into the open.   I've figured out my furtive Erik Bedard thing isn't working.

I have a sticker on my van says "Proud Orioles Fan."    For years (old van) I've wondered why I have it, since there's been so little to be proud of.   Lately I realized I keep it on there because I'm proud to be a fan, regardless of the team on the field (current fluke set well aside).   If you're still an Orioles fan after the last decade it says something about loyalty, long memory, and perseverant hope tempered by a taste for good black humor (not to say voyeurism around trainwrecks, it's black humor, really it is, it is).    Over the course of my lurk, I've admired these qualities in the regular posters.  I'm glad to get to know ya.

I'm certain to spout old baseball, pre-SABRmetric myths from time to time and tend to forget to take off my rosy shades when evaluating talent.  Apologies in advance. 

I also really love parentheses (I don't know why).