http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/sky_andrecheck/12/10/free.agents/index.html

This was on the Sports Illustrated baseball page.  It's kind of interesting food for thought about what happens to teams that aren't successful and as a result avoid signing free agents.  I've put two interesting quotes below.

For GM's who figure that their teams will probably not contend, it seems like a smart strategy to not squander resources by signing free agents who won't help win a pennant. But is this really the right choice? In principle maybe, but reality is another story.

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I've seen some things that say the Tigers are trying to shop Miguel Cabrera.  This raises the question of why don't the Orioles make a run for him?  He's a great hitter, he fills a desperate need in the middle of their lineup and at first base that the Orioles aren't likely to be able to fill from within, he's only 26, and the Orioles probably have enough in their farm system to at least get the Tigers' attention.  Hitters this good don't become available that often and this is one of the few times where the O's aren't going to be competing with the Yankees and the Red Sox at a disadvantage. 

I like to play in whatifsports.com simulated baseball leagues.  I've joined a theme league where you take a franchise and construct a team using any player who played for that franchise over the past 25 years using any individual season of that player regardless of whether that season took place on the francise you've selected.  I've selected the Baltimore Orioles as my franchise which means (for example) I can take Sammy Sosa and use the season he hit 66 home runs even though he was on the Cubs at the time.

Can you guys think help me think of players who might prove useful for this endeavor?  So far I have Roberto Alomar, Fred Lynn, Albert Belle, Tim Raines, Sammy Sosa, Kevin Brown, Jamie Moyer, Curt Schilling, Mike Timlin, Randy Myers, Arthur Rhodes, and Cla Meredith in addition to guys like Mike Mussina and Jim Palmer who played for the Orioles in their prime.  Who are some other former Orioles who had the best years of their careers on another team?

In the past week or so, it has come to my attention that some of the Camden Chat community are not familiar with why exactly Earl Weaver is probably one of the 5 greatest managers of all time and how far he was ahead of his time.  Below is an excellent starting point, Earl Weaver's 10 Laws.

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One of the things about that I find annoying about living in the land of Yankee fans is not just how stupid most of them are, but how stupid most of them are about their own team.  I mean, you would not believe how many of these clowns genuinely believe that Alex Rodriguez is somehow a liability because he isn't a "true Yankee" or whatever horseshit those morons think.  I usually react to that by saying something along the lines of "OK, how about you trade him to the Orioles for Melvin Mora and another player of your choice?"

What I find particularly asinine is the focus on his post-season problems since he's been on the Yankees.  Nobody on else on that team has been hitting in the postseason since he got there, but somehow those losses are all his fault.  I've even heard fans say stupid shit like "you know, A-Rod is making the rest of them not hit."  Below is a link to an article from the Village Voice that I read about in Rob Neyer's column comparing A-Rod's postseason career (42 games) to Reggie Jackson's first 42 postseason games.  Guess what?  Mr. Un-Clutch has played slightly better than Mr. October did during his first 42 postseason games.   While we're at it, A-Rod's postseason stats really aren't that bad anyway and Reggie Jackson was a bigger asshole.  Hey, you know who also sucked in the postseason?  Ted Williams and Willie Mays.  Losers!

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/10/jockbeat_31.php

I found this on Deadspin.

http://deadspin.com/5377099/the-most-hopeless-franchise-in-football--jamboroo-week-5

It's about Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins, but there was one paragraph that resonated with me as an Orioles fan.

"There are many bad franchises out there in the sports world, but there is a distinct difference between a franchise being shitty and a franchise being utterly hopeless. Even historically bad teams like Arizona are able to shine on occasion. No, I'm talking about the Raiders, Clippers, and Orioles of the world. I'm talking about franchises that have no hope of turning things around because the man who owns the team refuses to relinquish his cold death grip upon it. Those are the truly hopeless teams out there. The teams that refuse to pull themselves out of their own dysfunction. Teams for whom there is no future, just an endless cycle of building up shaky scaffolding and then tearing it back down again."

Despite my displeasure with Dave Trembley's return, I hold out hope that Andy MacPhail has managed to remove Peter Angelos' cold death grip.  So far it seems like MacPhail is in complete control, so maybe the Orioles can get off of that list.

As for the Redskins, I grew up in Baltimore after the Colts were gone, but before the Ravens arrived.  I was taught by the local grownups that the Redskins were not an appropriate football team to root for in place of a local favorite, so I'm kind of happy with the Snyder regime.  That said, I still feel vaguely bad that what was once a great franchise has been brought so low.

I was surprised by the number of people in the Camden Chat community who seem to be pleased that Dave Trembley will return next year.  I really expected a different reaction to the news than what I saw on the thread, but I'm not sure if that thread was representative of the community at large or self-selected.

I thought that the best thing to do is to get to the bottom of it with a poll and see what Camden Chat really thinks.

I just saw that the Orioles are 6-16 since the All-Star break.  That being the case, I thought now is as good a time as ever to once again advocate getting rid of Dave Trembley.  I would suggest doing it right now, but there is no point in doing that considering the season is already lost.  Also, if they got rid of Trembley they would promote some loser from within the organization to replace him and probably keep that chump into the next season, just like Dave got his job.  Regardless, getting rid of him and finding a real manager should me high on off season MacPhail's to-do list.

I've said before that the O's would stink regardless of the manager, but Trembley isn't very good at his job and will have to be replaced at some point anyway and it strikes me that this off season is a perfect time do so.  Although I'm less impressed by their talent than some O's fans, the Orioles are a young team that should be showing some sign of improvement or growth or promise.  I don't see how anyone but the most optimistic of fans can see any signs of any of those things. 

Once again, I also hope this post will resurrect the "Hire John Gibbons" movement.

I just read that the Orioles lost for the 14th time in 18 games and 1-16 in road games within their division.  That seems to put them at the nadir of a pretty disappointing season even by Orioles standards.

Does this mean someone will finally get rid of Dave Trembley?  I don't think that the losses are his fault or that another guy would make a huge difference, but I also don't think he's very good at his job and he'll be removed before they'll ever get any good regardless.  Why not do it now and see if they can stumble upon a real manager?

I also hope this thread will restart the whole "hire John Gibbons" debate.

I'll be in Baltimore on Monday December 29th and Tuesday December 30th.  I'll be in Brooklyn from New Year's Eve until January 9th and would be willing to get together anywhere in New York City within reason (sorry, no Bronx meet-up for me).

If anyone is interested in getting together at either location to talk Orioles or Ravens or whatever, let me know.  For a week or so I should have the time and always have the inclination.