Please consider the below remarks my off-the-cuff and highly subjective review of the park. Oh yeah, the Mets lost, but it was a good game. Hayden Penn did not pitch for the Marlins, which was disappointing for me and the firend I went with (he's also an O's fan). I'm not giving letter grades or anything, just impressions.

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Does anyone remember the farmhand/brief major league starter that was from Australia? I think he played earlier this decade? He threw approximately 84 mph with a big looping curve that fooled absolutely no major league hitters. I recall that Jim Hunter liked him, or at least liked talking about Australia. His name might've been Sean. I've been looking at old rosters (which is always a trip) but can't seem to locate him. He might not have actually made the majors, but my impression is that he got a couple of starts and got blasted.

This has been bugging me for the last 20 minutes or so. Thanks for your help.

Given the inspired nickname of our current skipper, I thought I'd share a song that gives me a great deal of amusement. The song, by indie-pop band The Bird and the Bee, is about David Lee Roth, but when you think it's about Dave Trembley it's quite amusing. At least I am quite amused.

The lyrics almost work, except for the part about the band. First three verses in bold for emphasis.

When I was a child,
You captured my devotion
I spent so many hours
Exploring mixed emotions

All of the ways you spoke to me
All of the things you provoked in me
I'll always love you

Diamond Dave
No one can hold a candle
Nothing else is quite the same
Pretty Dave
I'll always remember
I still carry such a flame

When you left the band
I couldn't understand it
But I've forgiven you
Now that you've recommitted

All of the time you spent away from me
All of the missed opportunity
I'll always love you

Diamond Dave
No one can hold a candle
Nothing else is quite the same
Pretty Dave
I'll always remember
I still carry such a flame

Come on, Dave
Show me what you got
I can take it

I'll always love you

Diamond Dave
No one can hold a candle
Nothing else is quite the same
Pretty Dave
I'll always remember
Diamond Dave
I'll always remember
Pretty Dave
I'll always remember
I still carry such a flame

Here's a low quality video to go with: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Foj_enLpD4c

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/the-george-grantham-all-stars/

This dude at the Hardball Times (I found this via the wonderful Shysterball) took a concept that Bill James came up with whereby you look for players who were above-average for their careers in thirteen offensive statistics. Only Mr. Willie Mays and a guy named George Grantham met the requirements.

This other dude decided to look at it on a by-season basis. The results may surprise you. Or not, since I just gave them away. Whoops.

I'm watching the O's-Yanks game on New York TV, listening to a team that I think must be Michael Kay and Ken Singleton, and it's really surreal. I don't like it. This is the first game I've watched since I moved to New York three weeks ago. It's strange listening to other announcers.

I'd even take Jim Hunter and Rick Dempsey. Well, maybe not. But I would love to hear Gary & Co.

Michale Kay just said Mussina is going to get Cy Young votes. Which is dumb. dumb. dumb. dumb.

pretty steal.

ed. note - use this as the game thread, since y'all were anyway. Crafty people, you bunch. -duck

Steve Trachsel pitches against the Royals tonight. This is very, vary bad. According to theorioles.com Trax has "the manager's vote of confidence."  Still, he seems to need to pitch well in order to keep his job.

Pitching well against the Royals is really, really easy. They have an inept, historically bad offense. In many ways they're like the Orioles, in that their pitching staff is actually pretty decent and their offense stinks. Trax will probably go out there and pitch a quality start with 4 walks, 2 Ks, 7 hits, and a decent amount of luck. This will fool Diamond Dave into thinking he's worth keeping around for a while longer, that he still has something left in the tank.

I almost would prefer to see him get shelled by this terrible group of hitters in order to get rid of him. Nothing against him personally, of course, but I just don't want him on the team any more. He's not good.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3215817

Seriously, what the hell is he doing? This is not how a successful sports franchise is run. He fires his highly-paid assistants, hires two relative no-names, and yet still doesn't name a coach. If he was gonna hire Fassel he should've already done it, and he just fired his other frontrunner.

Next season is gonna be a disaster. He's the new Al Davis, except without the early success to kinda excuse his behavior.

According to ESPN.com's Rumor Central:

"Orioles owner Peter Angelos killed a 7-for-2 trade that would have sent second baseman Brian Roberts and left-handed pitcher Erik Bedard to the Cubs, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

"I don't think we're going to do anything, to be honest with you," Cubs manager Lou Piniella told the newspaper when asked about trading for an infielder. "If we do, it'll be in the outfield. ? It would be a right-handed bat to help out in center field. I would think that's probably a possibility, as opposed to the other things you all have been hearing about."

The Cubs reportedly are interested in Rangers outfielder Marlon Byrd."

Goddammit. I dunno whether this deal would've been good or not. But I thought we were done with this bullshit.

On another note, FEAR THE TURTLE!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3155417

So, basically, the D-backs trade a bunch of prospects for Dan Haren (wow...he's really good, and they didn't trade any ML guys that i've heard of for him...bad or good for bedard trade?), and also trade Jose Valverde (overrated, but to Ed Wade, which makes sense) for a bunch of different guys.

Can I just say that I dunno who the D-backs gave up, but Dan Haren is gonna eat the NL West for breakfast. He gets to pitch against terrible lineups in San Fran, San Diego, and LA all the time. Even pitching in Phoenix and Coors won't hurt that too much. He was awesome in the good league. Now? Big money, and the quotes in the article show he knows it.