If you owned the Orioles...

[eddiejc1]

I'm a Nats fan, but I come in peace. I will not bash the Orioles, but I do know that many Oriole fans are unhappy with how Peter Angelos has run the club. What would you do differently if you could?

Eddie Cunningham

[joepepsi]

I would stop paying ridiculous amounts of money for washed up mediocrities like Conine, Surhoff, Millar and Patterson. I would have traded Javy Lopez during the winter meetings. I would have tried like Hell to sign two more veteran starters during the offseason.

Frankly, I would have traded Tejada before he came public with his demands. There is no use in having him just so you can stay ahead of Tampa Bay in the standings every year. Like Milwaukee's Sexson trade a few years back, Tejada could bring 5-6 major league caliber players to the team.

By mid June this season I would bring up Majewski and make him play the rest of the year at 1B. I'd dangle Mora for a 3B prospect who's almost ready, a ML bench player, and a good reliever. If Hayden Penn continues to pitch well I'd have him in the Orioles' rotation after Memorial Day and keep Lopez or Chen in the pen.

By the trading deadline I'd deal Conine, Javy, Patterson and Millar for whatever pieces of crap I coulde get. I'd also trade Rodrigo Lopez if I could steal real quality from a contender.

In the offseason I'd entertain offers for Tejada.

What this team has lacked the courage to do since 1999, is to totally strip the roster to its bones and start over. They keep "retooling" for another 70 win season. They have to stop thinking in the old school manner. They don't need players with "tools", they need players who get on base and win ballgames.

[Buckdodgers]

Ill Keep The Team as of it is now but the only two things id do would be Dump the pitching except Eric Beddard, Kris Benson Rodrigo López, and Chris Ray and ill sign,Rich Harden From Oakland And Brad Penny From the Dodgers.And ill get 2 big bats Eric Chávez From Oakland and Lance Berkman from houston And ill trade Mora To the Marlins for 2 Relief Pitchers Joe Borowski and Josh Johnson.

[Knick9]

First of all, I'd fire the co-GMs. I would hire Kim Ng, assistant GM of the Dodgers.

Secondly, I would keep Tejada. I would trade Mora, though. I would like to acquire pitching that is actually good. Not Bruce Chen or Kris Benson type of good. Prospects if need be. I'd like to build the pitching staff from the bullpen. The bullpen should be the core.

Trade bait:
Mora (he's getting old)
Conine (he's getting old)
Millar (he's a bum)
Patterson (too inconsistent)

Can't trade list:
Bedard
Tejada
Javy
Rorigo
Cabrera


Starting rotation:
Bedard
Rodrigo
Cabrera
(stud P)
(stud P)
2 backup spot starters

Bullpen: [this has to be flat out electric to compete in the AL East]

[Buckdodgers]

Ill do one more thing. Ill Hire Yankees assistant GM Jean Afterman.I know he doesnt wanna be around with George Stienbrenner.Then if the Braves fire bobby cox ill hire him as new orioles manager and ill fire Sam Perlozzo cause Leo Mazzone has been close to Bobby Cox and Together they work like a team.

Plus ill Get real orioles Anouncers back John Miller and Michael Reghi.
John Miller will do TV his partner will be Jim Palmer,And Michael Reghi will do radio with Steve Stone.

[Chelle]

I would trade Mora (he's getting old). Use him to get someone solid at 1B. Obviously I'd trade Millar. No use having him around except as someone jolly in the clubhouse. I could do that for 1/2 his salary.

I'd move Tejada over to 3B. He doesn't have the reach that he used to. Face it...he's getting old too. Put Fehey in at SS. See how the kid does for the rest of the year. Keep B-Rob at 2B. At OF I'd have Markakis, Patterson and Gibby. Get rid of Matos. He is one of the worst players out there. Ugh, has he even gotten on base since he's been back? Don't get me started...I'm off topic.

Maybe keep Conine for another year at DH and work on obtaining someone better for the following year. Keep Bedard, Cabrera and Benson. Bring up Penn and get another starter for this year. Bring up Loewen for next year. Trade Chen and Lopez. Keep Birkins (sp?) in the bullpen so we have someone solid. Keep Ray as the closer.

How's that? Oh, fire Sammy. He blows. Hire any bum of the street. Is Davey Johnson still alive?

[Buckdodgers]

I dont Discriminate age of an ballplayer.Look at the yanks they have a bunch of old players and theyre still winning.

[eddiejc1]

Although by itself it would not improve the team, I would put "Baltimore" on the road jerseys. It would be popular with most Oriole fans---even the ones driving up from the D.C. area. I would also put a "42" monument in Eutah Street before SOMEBODY at the Sun notices. The Yankees have a legitimate reason not to have "42" amongst their retired numbers yet (Mariano Rivera is still an active player) but the Orioles have no good excuse.

Eddie Cunningham

[eddiejc1]

Another thing I would do is make sure that I would have the GM talk to players who were approaching the end of their contract fairly early rather than procrastinate. If it's possible, sign good players to long-term contracts. If it's clear somebody does NOT want to re-sign with you, trade them away for some quality prospects.

I once sat at Memorial Stadium with 50,000 others cheering one of the worst teams in baseball history. Baltimore fans do not need a pennant contender to come to the ballpark, but they do need hope and a reason to believe that things will get better in the future. If Angelos can't do this, then maybe it's time to sell the club to somebody who can.

Eddie Cunningham

[Buckdodgers]

Eddie ,Baltimore fans will support you win or lose if you show them youre trying to build a winner.Look at the Baltimore Colts during the 80s.Why yiou think colts fans didnt sellout a game at memorial stadium? Its because of Bob Irsay.Irsay didnt even try to build a contender for the colts.All irsay was doing was scamming the fans.Pay a buck for a buck and baltimore fans are not stupid when youre trying to do that.Peter Angelos is doing the exact same thing that irsay did in baltimore back in the 80s.Irsays son is being very slick in indianapolis right now and the fans dont even know what jim irsay is doing.Sure he got peyton manning,Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.But for how long he`ll keep those players? Jim irsay wont even spend money on Defense plus Irsay Raise colt tickets to $55 a Pop and that offense puts fans in seats but they choke in the playoffs without advancing to the super bowl.Plus Irsay raised playoff ticket prices to $90 a Pop! Now dont tell me irsay is scaming the fans in indy? Look at the ravens.Fans support them cause they try to win but the orioles arent trying to win.Theres your differance.

[Elvis]

First of all, I'd fire the co-GMs. I would hire Kim Ng, assistant GM of the Dodgers.

Hey! You all keep your hands off Kim! She's not going anywhere - I hope...yet! :p

[runningshoes]

I would set aside a block of seats for each game so underprivileged children could see a game.

[jonathanwood]

what id do if i owend the orioles. first id start fresh id get a gm who actually has some experiance with some past success. lanny is not the man for the team, dequette i like his ideas alot but not in the gm role. then id overhaul the coaching staff. i believe in going away with the oriole family and bring in a outsider. i know what veryone is thinking we tried with grover and mazz with little success if any. well grover isnt the manager to deal with young guys he does better with vets and mazz had no experiance. id keep mazzone and id keep crowley simply cause the hitting is never the problem. then what wins game its the pitching rotation and bullpen. id keep bedard, benson and cabrera and get rid of lopez and chen for whatever i could get. then throw big money at two big time proven starters with alot left in the tank. adding depth to the bullpen would be a key role in adding to the pitching problem. then id get rid of millar, matos, lopez. id get a 1b hopefully a left handed bat with power and move gibbons to the dh spot. id get a lf and add a second catcher. bring roberts to the plate and give him the extension he deserves and listen to every trade proposal for miggy.

[Chelle]

It's been sometime since my original "what would I do" post.

I would fire the entire FO and start from scratch. I would fire Sammy and get Leyland (if he would come) or bring back Davey Johnson.

I would trade Millar (still), Conine, Chen, Lopez and Javy. I would try and get a 1B with some power. I would focus on my pitching with Cabrera, Bedard, Benson, Penn and Loewen (depending on his Sat start).

I'd keep the infield with Mora, Tejada, B-Rob (my new 1B) and have Fehey, Newhan (when he's healthy) and Gomez as my utility. Keep Ramon as catcher.

Outfield is Markakis, Patterson and Gibbons.

The bullpen stays as is.

At the end of 2007 I bring up Nolan from (AAA..where he will be by that time...and give him a shot). Depending on how he/Markakis are doing I would look at a trade involving him/Gibbons or Markakis/Gibbons for an established solid powerhitter/OF for 2008.

Then...watch out.

But, alas...I'm sitting on my couch. Watching the O's lose to Yankees on a Friday night.

[edsachs1]

I would fire the entire FO and start from scratch. I would fire Sammy and get Leyland (if he would come) or bring back Davey Johnson.


The only problem with firing Sammy is that Mazzone would probably not want to stay. The only reason that Mazzone even came here was because he wanted to coach with his friend. Also Perlozzo hasn't even coached an entire season yet (including the games he coached at the end of last season). Let's at least give him 2 seasons before we give up on him.

I'd also keep the GMs for a little while. The main reason they suck is because Angelos won't let them do what they want. However they have improved the minors drastically. If I were owner I'd like to see what they could actually do.

I'd trade Javy, Rodrigo, Conine, and Chen by the trade deadline. They probably are not worth much now, so I'd wait for the value to go up. If it doesn't I'd just trade them for anything I could get. I'd probably keep Millar just because we have no one to replace him and he seems to be good for the clubhouse. I'd also try and get Casey Kotchman from the Angels while his value is down and Morales's is up.

Finally I'd put Baltimore back on the road jerseys.

[Chelle]

Amen to putting Baltimore back on the road jerseys. I can't think of anyone who doesn't agree with that move.