In a surprising move, the Orioles announced this afternoon that they will pick up manager Dave Trembley's option for the 2010 season. The Orioles are currently in danger of losing 100 games with their 61-98 record and it's their 21-50 record since the All-Star break that made this news particularly unexpected.
It's true that much of the O's talent (particularly their pitching talent) is very young and that this year was going to be a difficult year for any manager. Team president Andy MacPhail acknowledged as much in his statement on the move, saying that record wasn't the only thing he used to evaluate his manager. Even with that knowledge, however, Trembley seemed to be a sure candidate for Monday's chopping block.
Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.
The most remarkable thing about this season as we hit the not-halfway halfway point of the All-Star break isn't Albert Pujols' RBI total. Or Zack Greinke's ERA. Or the PED suspension of one of the game's biggest stars.
It's the standings. And they not only reflect the season so far, they give us a clue as to the weeks head leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline.
The Phillies and Dodgers are the only first-place team with a lead of more than 2 1/2 games. And 21 of the 30 teams are within 7 1/2 games of a playoff spot: nine of 14 in the AL and 12 of 16 in the NL.
A few years ago that notion would have seemed unfathomable. The Orioles have reeled off 11 straight losing seasons and appear headed for a 12th. Frustration grew so high among fans in the Charm City in 2006 that almost 1,000 fans walked out of Camden Yards in late September of that season.
Baltimore was once a proud baseball town. Earl Weaver. Brooks Robinson. Cal Ripken Jr.Jim Palmer. We all know the names. But that glory has faded over the last decade as the team has become an afterthought in the loaded AL East.
Given that his reign as Orioles owner has coincided with one of the darkest periods in the franchise's history on the field, it probably isn't much of a surprise that Sports Illustrated recently named him the worst owner in baseball.
The Charm City will not have to wait much longer for the most anticipated rookie debut of 2009. The Orioles are planning to call up and start catching prospect Matt Wieters Friday night against the Tigers, Baltimore general manager Andy MacPhail said during MASN's broadcast of Tuesday night's O's-Blue Jays game.
Wieters, currently playing for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides, was widely considered to be the best prospect in baseball entering the 2009 season after he hit .355 with 27 home runs and 91 RBI across two levels last year.
He's done little to douse that optimism so far this season, hitting .285 with a .367 on-base percentage, 15 extra-base hits and 26 RBI in 38 games at Norfolk.
Whether it's Steve Trachsel, Corey Patterson, Felix Pie or Rich Hill, the Cubs and Orioles seem to really enjoy talking trades with each other. It makes a bit of sense, considering Jim Hendry and Andy MacPhail worked together as members of the Cubs front office for several years, because they probably feel very comfortable with each other and like many of the same players. The most recent rumor is utility player Ryan Freel.
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs are interested in the services of Freel, who was acquired in the offseason by the Orioles. Freel is a bit frustrated with sitting on the bench for the O's, and he's still owed over $3 million this season.
I considered skipping the Orioles and the AL East entirely, making their Dugout be an ASCII drawing of the phrase "A-ROID, 'NUFF SAID" and moving on to the Nationals, which would be much more fun to write, because I could have cop standoffs and gunfights.
By doing that I would be betraying the chronology of Beware the Dugouts of March, as well as letting down my father, who did not move to Cleveland when I did and did not discover the joy of rooting for a WINNING franchise, the Cleveland Indians! No more of this "maybe next year" jazz. No more "we stink, but this guy in AA is outstanding!" Just hard-nosed, championship baseball.
Also, I would not be able to fill up my comic with Wire references. Okay, I'm lying, I would still be able to do that. Tonight's Dugout is after the jump.
FanHouse continues its 2009 MLB Preview with a look at the Baltimore Orioles.
The Charm City hasn't had much to feel good about when it comes to its baseball team lately. In this case, lately means more than a decade. The last time the Orioles ended the season with a winning record "Honey" by Mariah Carey was the No. 1 song in America and Bill Clinton was in the first year of his second term as president. The year was 1997.
The Daily Jolt is a dose of baseball reality every weekday morning.
Why Brian Roberts and why now? The Orioles haven't had a winning season this millennium. Andy MacPhail is entering his second full season in control of the team's baseball operations. The five-year plan, it would seem, is still several seasons away from coming to fruition.
Baltimore handed Roberts a four-year, $40 million contract extension over the weekend. He is 31, and that question lingers. Why give Roberts $10 million a season when he figures to be on the down slope of his career before the O's are in any position to win?
The Orioles have had themselves quite the busy offseason. They've made about 23 trades with the Cubs (OK, so it was only two), and they've also managed to theoretically trade Brian Roberts about ten times. Perhaps more important than any move they've made to bring players in, though, they also managed to sign Nick Markakis to a contract extension a few weeks ago.
Now they've gone and made another addition to the team, as they've signed free agent Ty Wiggington to a two-year deal pending a physical.
There haven't been a lot of things that have gone right for the Baltimore Orioles in recent years as the team just hasn't been able to find a way to compete with the big dogs of the AL East despite repeated attempts to buy legitimacy in free agency. It seems as if the Orioles haven't paid much attention to the fact that while big free agents are nice additions to a ballclub, a team can't win if it doesn't accumulate young talent and keep those kids in town.
Which is why Orioles fans are going to be happy to hear that Nick Markakis will be manning right field in Camden Yards until sometime in 2014, or the end of the world, whichever comes first. According to the Baltimore Sun, the team is on the verge of signing Markakis to a six-year extension.
In a surprising move, the Orioles announced this afternoon that they will pick up manager Dave Trembley's option for the 2010 season. The Orioles are currently in danger of losing 100 games with their 61-98 record and it's their 21-50 record since the All-Star break that made this news particularly unexpected.
The Charm City will not have to wait much longer for the most anticipated rookie debut of 2009. The Orioles are planning to call up and start catching prospect 
UPDATE: The Cubs ended up 
I considered skipping the Orioles and the AL East entirely, making their Dugout be an ASCII drawing of the phrase "A-ROID, 'NUFF SAID" and moving on to the Nationals, which would be much more fun to write, because I could have cop standoffs and gunfights. 
The 
The Orioles have had themselves quite the busy offseason. They've made about 23 trades with the Cubs (OK, so it was only two), and they've also managed to theoretically trade 
There haven't been a lot of things that have gone right for the Baltimore Orioles in recent years as the team just hasn't been able to find a way to compete with the big dogs of the AL East despite repeated attempts to buy legitimacy in free agency. It seems as if the Orioles haven't paid much attention to the fact that while big free agents are nice additions to a ballclub, a team can't win if it doesn't accumulate young talent and keep those kids in town.
