I didn't see any posts about Fan Fest here, and since I don't frequent any other O's blogs on a regular basis, I thought I'd post something that I found.

Over at Sons of Sam Horn (Red Sox community that really puts OH to shame), they have a section where members can "adopt" an MLB team and follow it like a journalist, posting tidbits of info and whatever else they happen to come across about the team. Here's a link to the thread about the Orioles, specifically an entry about Fan Fest:

Orioles Fan Fest observations

The highlights from the Q&A session with the O's coaching staff and brass were really interesting.  You can read them for yourself when you follow the link, and some of the topics (like the blue-collar attitude of the club, the grow arms buy bats philosophy) have been covered here already.  I'll just highlight a few other points that I liked:

• Orioles felt Pedro was asking for reasonable money and would consider him if they were one man away, but they obviously aren't.  Also, Pedro brings his "own program" to the clubhouse and that doesn't jive with the objectives in place right now
• Rick Kranitz will not tolerate people calling his players "clowns"
• O's starters will be given more rope than you might expect - the consensus is that the perennial August collapses are due to overworking the bullpen
• Teixeira comments were the most interesting to me - it doesn't seem like he was ever interested in the Orioles, despite what the media claimed.  The fact that this version of events was revealed at fanfest - you know, April 5th, 2009 - really puts in perspective Teixeira's comments that teams used the media to further their agenda 
• Trembley really, really, really, really, really, really loves the WBC, even if it means less ST time for BRob.

That's it.  I know the whole Teixeira thing is really starting to get old, but it's nice to finally hear what was happening behind the scenes re: Tex and the O's.

Guts is getting straight-up smoked.  It's 5-1 Venezuela in the bottom of the second inning... maybe Ramon and Melvin spilled all of Guthrie's secrets?  Anyway, not a good showing for Guts so far.  What are some thoughts about how this will affect the regular season?  Is Guthrie really going to be this bad?  Is Guthrie's poor performance going to overshadow Jeter's awful performances?  Have I reached the word count yet?

Around 2PM I was driving home and for some reason I had my XM off, so I was listening first to 105.7 The Fan, but changed the station after some inane caller was asking if the Terps could win the tournament.  Um, the answer to that question is no.  Anyway, I switched to WTMD and it was some kind of cool twangy song, so I kept it there.

The next song came on and it sounded really familiar, but I couldn't really place it... it was just a piano and some guy singing about hanging on for the past ten years... and I was totally digging it.  And then the song kicked up a notch and I knew that it was the How Bout Dem O's song.

Even though I've listened to the song a bunch of times on the internet, listening to it on the radio, especially when I wasn't expecting to hear it, was such a joy.  I turned it up and was singing along... I was literally pounding my fist onto my gear shift knob to the beat as I drove.

I'm so ready for the season to begin.  As one spammer on the Midnight Sun blog commented, "0-162 I don't care! Die Hard Fans just love 'em all the time!"

Hell yeah, spammy.  Hell yeah.

http://www.myspace.com/howboutdemos

Matt Eagan of the Hartford Courant seems to think so:

The Red Sox have at least one tough offseason decision to make. Jason Varitek has been the soul of the team for a decade. but he is now a steady drain on their efforts to score runs. The Sox have been wisely unsentimental in the Theo Epstein years. They'll make the captain an offer but won't overpay. Fans should expect to see Varitek getting a standing ovation at Fenway while wearing an Orioles uniform next season. Why the Orioles? Who else would overpay for a 36-year-old catcher? ...

http://www.courant.com/sports/other/hc-onthefly1021.artoct21,0,4792414.story

Oh, Matt.  Based on the other comedic gems found in your blog post, it seems that you fancy yourself as something of a comedian.  Hah hah.  I guess the O's have a reputation for overpaying old, washed-up Red Sox players after they signed Millar and... uh, no one else.

So the game was delayed three hours and ten minutes by rain, but it finally got started at 5PM EST.  Anyone else watching?  I have it up on mlb.tv, and Freddie Garcia just walked the first two White Sock batters.  Does anyone care about this game?

Jermaine Dye base hit = 1-0 White Sox.  The CHW announcers on WGN just did some sort of choreographed chant as the first run crossed the plate.  I wonder if that's something they do every game.  I think it'd get pretty annoying.

Is it three hundred words yet?

So last week I went to Luke Scott T-Shirt night, aka the 50 Millionth fan night.  In honor of Luke Scott, during one of the between-inning breaks, the Orioles showed a Star Wars-themed video on the JumboTron that showed Luke batting with a lightsaber, etc.  They added Star Wars clips, sound effects, and characters to Luke Scott gameplay footae -like the "svoom" lightsaber sound effects when Luke was swinging, R2D2 and C-3PO were behind home plate cheering Luke on, and, at the end, Luke hit a home run so high and far that it blew up the Death Star.

Anyone have it, or know if it's online?  I checked masnsports.com, as well as google/youtube, and can't find it.

This has probably all been said before, but here are my impressions.

Went to a Nats game last night.  Normally I wouldn'tve made the trek all the way down to DC on a weeknight, but was invited by a friend who I don't see much and thought, why the hell not.

I;ve been there twice before - saw a game early in the season, and also went to a Nats/O's game in late June.  Last night they played the Mets, and it was a pretty good game - the Nats had a chance to tie/win the game in the bottom of the ninth, but ultimately the shaky Mets pen held on to beat the Nats.

Sounds like a decent time, right?  We had nosebleeds that were $10 but weren't bad at all.  Even the rowdy New Yorkers in our section slithered away to another part of the park by the second inning.  The fans around us actually seemed to be "real" Nats fans (if there is such a thing), not backing down from the stupid childish taunts from the New Yorkers.  The Rushmores were also awesome, as usual.

But there's a lot of shit that just rubs me the wrong way about the whole experience.  Clint, who for those that don't know, is the on-screen emcee for the stadium.  He travels around with a camera crew, giving out prizes to fans who compete in little mini-game shows and trivia contests.  It doesn't seem like a bad idea I guess, and Clint seems like a decent enough dude himself, but the entire enterprise comes off as trite, corporate, and superfluous.  Does a stadium or a team really need a cheerleader/narrator?

In this case, the answer might be yes, because the stadium sucks. This is probably why Clint exists in the first place - the stadium cannot speak for itself.  I mean, it's new and clean and has decent sight lines and has a beautiful big-ass hd scoreboard, but it's pretty much a modern-day analog of the all-purpose cookie cutter stadiums of the 70s.  Take away the bigass scoreboard (which will probably be obselete in ten years anyway) and the place has no character.  What is the view beyond the outfield?  Parking garages.  You can see the Washington Monument if you sit at JUST the right spot down the first base line, through a tiny gap in the stadium out in left field.  The concessions, while decent, are expensive as all hell.  Same with the seats.  People might come once to see a shitty team play, just for the novelty of baseball/new stadium/etc, but will they come back with prices so high?  Thankfully, this time we didn't have much trouble with the ushers, who, in the past, have been total assholes.  But in the cheap seats they pretty much left everyone alone.

I guess as an O's fan I'm kind of spoiled by Camden Yards.  I've been to Skydome, Fenway, Yankee Stadium, and Nationals Park, and OPACY is by far the best place to watch a game.  But cmon Nationals, your stadium is brand new.  You had a chance to really make something special that reflected the character of DC and included some scenic and historic scenes.

Instead, fans look out onto parking garages, and the dominant archiectural motif is concrete blocks.  No one even uses those parking garages - they were only half-full, and there were 32,000 fans at the game last night.  Everyone uses Metro, and the station is tiny.

End rant.

Tomorrow, the Rays will attempt to do something they have never done before: record a winning month.  In their entire existence, the Rays have never successfully accomplished this feat; however, for the first time in history, they have the chance to taste success.

Continue reading this post »

Over at Sportsline, Scott Miller just posted his 2008 predictions for how each division will end up and how the postseason will happen and etc.  Here's what he has to say about the O's:

5. Baltimore Orioles are livid that Pittsburgh is poised to tie the all-time major-league record of 16 consecutive losing seasons (Phillies, 1933-1948) this year, while the O's, poised for their 11th consecutive losing season, must wait.

Uh, are they?

Anyway, reading that little bit of idiocy just made me wonder what other retarded blurbs are being said about the Orioles around the internet.  I figured we could post them here and laugh at them.

:(

One-emoticon diaries are prohibited on Camden Chat. Give your diary a bit more thought, then give it another emoticon. If you have nothing to add to your proposed diary, then it probably belongs as a comment under another appropriate thread.

The minimum is 300 emoticons.

:( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

Look at this awesomeness:

http://www.draysbay.com/story/2008/3/12/15053/2408

That team just rules.  Already got a full-blown legit rivalry with the big kids on the block and are coming out on top.  Johnny Gomes is pretty much awesomeness personified.  I've said awesomeness two (three) times now while referencing the RAYS.  Can you believe it?

Man, I can't wait for this season to start.  So many great teams and great stories just waiting to happen.  And yes, I will still love the Orioles above all else.

http://www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com/articles/detail/117

Number five is pretty nice, too.

And since I have to use at least 300 characters:

1) Matt Wieters, Honolulu Sharks

Catcher, Baltimore Orioles

As a 6-5, switch-hitting catcher, Wieters is a wall behind the plate with a great arm who can hit to all fields with power. It's no wonder the Orioles invested $6 million in the backstop who made his professional debut in HWB. As a catcher and designated hitter with the Sharks, Wieters hit .283 with nine doubles, a home run and 17 RBIs in 106 at bats. Most impressive, however, was the Goose Creek, S.C. native's plate discipline. Wieters drew 12 walks and amassed a .364 on-base percentage--not an easy feat considering the rookie faced some of the best young prospects from both the U.S. and Japan. Many experts predict Wieters will make his way up to the big league club by 2009, but I see him getting called up late next season by a team desperate to win, and looking to advance a core group of youngsters through its system (see the 2007 Milwaukee Brewers club for a blueprint).

5) Brandon Snyder, Honolulu Sharks

Third Base, Baltimore Orioles

Snyder, a former catcher, spent the HWB campaign working on his skills at third base. The right hander put together a consistent season at the dish, and ended up leading the league with a .378 batting average. It will be interesting to see what Baltimore decides to do with Snyder, as the club has high hopes for top-rated prospect Bill Rowell at the hot corner. If that is indeed the case, look for Snyder to earn time at first base with the Orioles in early 2009 to compete with an aging Aubrey Huff. Snyder has suffered injuries to both shoulders, so a permanent move to first base could prolong his shelf life as an effective hitter.

New $5.2M scoreboard will be ready by March 31:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-scoreboard0109,0,476331.story?track=rss

Here is an "artist's" rendering of what the scoreboard will look like once completed:

The article also says that the right field out-of-town scoreboard is being replaced, as well as  the auxiliary scoreboard that are along the club- and upper-levels.

Now, all they gotta do is replace that awful Legg Mason scoreboard with an old-fashioned hand-operated scoreboard and we're in business.

I say yes.

I've been reading some Red Sox blogs lately.  Also, I'm a big nerd and I chat on mIRC and I frequent a baseball channel and a red sox channel.  The sentiment I've been seeing all year, and especially during this postseason, is one of a lack of respect for the other team.  When the Red Sox lose, the other team just got lucky, or Gagne let them win.  Basically, it's not because the other team is good; it's because the Red Sox decided to let the other team win.

When the Red Sox WIN, it's because they are just 2 SWEET.  They rule the school and no one can touch them etc etc.  Someone was saying last night that the Red Sox wouldn't lose a game all postseason.

Whoops.

I'm probably biased, as an Orioles fan who endures eighteen Red Sox games per year.  I used to like the Red Sox.  Back in 2004, I was pulling for them HARD and was the happiest guy on the block when they came back and beat the Yankees, and then won the World Series.

But then I began to go to Red Sox games at OPACY and met the hordes of Boston fans who would fly down and take over.  "Fenway South" is a term I heard often.  I went to a game this year and was heckled for wearing an Orioles jersey.  Heckled in my home park.  By Boston fans who outnumbered Orioles fans by at LEAST three to one.

I still hate the Yankees, but the Red Sox have surpassed to sit alone atop my list of hated teams.  I'd rather see the Yankees win every world series for the next ten years than see the Red Sox win one.  Did anyone see Ortiz, Manny, and Lowell get curtain calls last night in the MIDDLE OF THE GAME?  It was like, the third or fourth inning.  God.  So ANNOYING.  I'll bet the Indians felt good about winning the game with AUTHORITY after a display like that.  I was, too.

I hope your team loses, Red Sox fans.  You won't give the Indians the respect they are due if they beat you (or if they lose; they're still the second best team in the AL) but at least your team will be out of the playoffs.  I'm rooting hard AGAINST you now, and I think I always will.

Rockies take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth and Julio comes in and gives it right back in the top of the seventh.  Listen to some comments from gloggers at sportsline.com:

[perrdog] "i consider any appearance by julio were he only allows one a success. don't know why he is ever out there."

[Shan18] "Why was Julio even in there? He gives up a run every time he comes in basically. It's in his contract now I think."

Hmm... sound familiar?  Luckily the Rox scored three in the bottom of the eighth and are up 4-1.  GO ROCKIES!

Respect.

I was just listening to the Big Show on XM Home Plate 175.  It's a radio show hosted by Kevin Kennedy (who does Fox Saturday Baseball stuff) and Rob Dibble (former ML pitcher and used to be second mic on the Dan Patrick Show on ESPN Radio) that airs daily from 3-6(?).

They were the first guys to interview Trembley back when he was initially made interim manager after Perlazzo.  I remember catching that interview and really liking what Trembley had to say.  During that first interview, I heard for the first time his mantra: Be on time.  Be professional.  Respect the game.

Today Kennedy and Dibbs had Trembley on the show again to talk about Trembley's extension as manager.  They talked for a bit and Trembley once again brought up his mantra and conveyed his thoughts on how to manage and play the game.  Dibbs and Kennedy really seemed like they were on board and were enthusiastically conversing with Trembley the entire time, and after the interview was over they talked to each other about how the Orioles, under Trembley, are rebuilding to try and approach the sort of organization that they were in the 60's and 70's under Earl Weaver.

There were several callers too - some from Maryland, a fan from West Virginia, and a minor leage beat writer from Mississippi who said that he covered Trembley when he managed for the Cubs organization.  The sportswriter said that he would talk to Trembley almost every day for the better part of six years and that Trembley would even try to teach the intricacies of the game to him, a member of the media.

All the callers conveyed a reverence and respect towards not only Trembley, but the Orioles in general.  Remember just two months ago, when Perlazzo was fired and Girardi shrugged off the O's?  Dark, sad times.  The Orioles seemed like a joke, the laughingstock of all of baseball.  Now, just two months later, people seem to be getting on board with Trembley and the Orioles.  Seeing what he can do, what he has done, what he promises to do, and the way he does it - with respect for the players and respect for the game.

I tell you, I got goosebumps listening to the interview today, and then listening to Kennedy and Dibbs reminisce about the Orioles of old, especially the 1971 Orioles team with four twenty-game winners.  They said they hope Trembley and MacPhail can help the organization approach that level of quality once again.

And while I loved all of the favorable opinions about the future of the Orioles and Trembleu, is it too soon to fall head over heels for this team and this manager?  It's only been about two months since this team was an absolute joke, and now people everywhere seem to be jumping on board and hoping this, Trembley's extension, could be a defining moment for the future of the franchise.

Whatever you or I may think about the new enthusiasm for the Orioles, I gotta tell you that it is so refreshing to hear the Orioles talked about nationally with a respect.  With admiration.  With reverence.  

I hope the honeymoon lasts forever.

I'm just gonna say it here.  I have a good feeling about Guthrie tonight.  So good that I proclaim, for all to see, that Guthrie tosses a CG no-hitter tonight.  I'm not jinxing him, either.  He is at a level beyond the jinxable.  He is, according to the heavenly Joe Angel, the Orioles' ACE.

Am I drinking too much Kool-Aid?  Will we see a gameday thread tonight?  Have I reached 300 characters yet?  You be the judge.