O's gear up for trade deadline
BALTIMORE -- Well, folks, it's been a long time, but the mailbag is back. Some interesting questions have been submitted in the past couple of months, and hopefully you guys will send it a lot more, especially since the Orioles have emerged as such an intriguing story.
With six weeks to go before the trade deadline, the Orioles could be working the phones for potential trades. And two players -- Luis Matos and Javy Lopez -- are going to be back soon, so it should be the most intriguing second half since the wire-to-wire season in 1997.
So keep those questions coming, and we'll have more mailbags in the second half -- promise.
According to The New York Times, the Orioles' average home attendance is 29,346 through 33 home games while the Nationals' average home attendance is 31,913 through 33 games -- almost identical to the Orioles' average home attendance at this point last year (31,946). I am a season-plan ticket holder (I attend about 30 games a year), and I have to believe that the lack of home support for a first-place team in arguably the toughest division in baseball must not go unnoticed.
Do the Orioles have any PR plans? For example, last year the Orioles had advertisements in several D.C. Metro stations, and I haven't seen any this year. I hate to see the team that I support rely on Yankees and Red Sox fans to boost home attendance figures. -- Frank C., Arlington, Va.
I think many in the Orioles' organization are unsure how the club is perceived in the District now that the Nationals have arrived and are playing well. There are still some diehard Orioles fans in the D.C. area, and they should be catered to, but I think the presence of the Nationals, the poor early-season weather and a schedule that has featured the Devil Rays, Tigers, Astros, Mariners and Royals has adversely affected attendance.
I also think many Orioles fans are not convinced that this club is truly a pennant contender and will probably wait until the second half of the season to come out. But the lack of fans is definitely an issue among club officials, and I am sure there will be more promotions later in the season.
Do you think the Orioles may try to see if Mike Mussina would waive his no-trade clause for the chance to return to where he started? -- Pat, Baltimore
I don't think there is any doubt that Mussina will always be linked with the Orioles, as he was one of the more popular players in recent team history. But let's be realistic: There is no way the Orioles and Yankees are ever going to make a trade. Could you see rivals George Steinbrenner and Peter Angelos actually agreeing to a deal that would send Mussina, who many thought betrayed Angelos when he didn't allow the Orioles to make a counter offer, back to Baltimore? The only way Mussina comes back to Camden Yards in an Orioles uniform is through free agency. He will be a free agent after next season and will be 37 at the time, so perhaps Mussina could return to lead the rotation or be a veteran presence. But that will have to wait.
If the Tigers remain out of the race (which seems likely), Sammy Sosa continues to struggle in the No. 5 hole and Javy Lopez doesn't return before the All-Star break, would the Orioles consider trading for Ivan Rodriguez? Lopez could be the designated hitter he wants to be and Jay Gibbons could return to right field, where he has played well and bring his bat back to the lineup. Rafael Palmeiro could DH some and play first base, and Sosa could be a pinch-hitter. -- Nick P., Edmonton, Alb.
This isn't going to happen for several reasons. First of all, Rodriguez is due $10 million per season for the next three years, so why would the Orioles take on such a contract when they backed off signing him two years ago? Rodriguez is not going to be on the block because the Tigers are trying to show their fans they truly intend to field a competitive team, and trading for unproven prospect isn't going to help that cause.
Also, isn't it a little presumptuous to make Sosa a pinch-hitter already? The season is barely two months old. I think Sosa could be a valuable commodity as the season wears on, especially since he is historically a better hitter during the summer. Sosa is already beginning to heat up, and Lopez will be back in about a month, so let's hold off until then before making drastic moves. But I do think the Orioles will be players during the trade deadline.
Us O's fans are still stumped about what is wrong with Larry Bigbie. The guy was on fire for the last half of 2004, and now he can't seem to hit the ball hard. What does the coaching staff think the problem is? Have the scouts found a hole in his swing, or are there injuries or other issues we don't know about? -- Mike M., New York
I think Bigbie was pressing during the beginning of the season and began slumping, then he hurt his hamstring, which cost him some valuable time. The Orioles put Bigbie on the disabled list in the hope that he wouldn't try to rush back too quickly and he could fully heal.
Bigbie has eight hits in the three games since his return and has sprayed the ball to all fields. So let's give the healthy Bigbie until the All-Star break and see what he can do. Although he has been a major disappointment, I think Bigbie deserves some patience.
I went to the Chicago Cubs' Web site looking for Dave Crouthers, to see how he is doing. He doesn't seem to be on any of their rosters. Then I went to minorleaguebaseball.com and searched for him. Nothing. What happened to him? -- Mark F., New York
Crouthers has experienced some emotional issues during the past year and has retired from baseball. The Cubs gave him his unconditional release this week, meaning he will have some time to straighten out his problems and hopefully return to baseball, because he is talented.
Crouthers also had some trouble while with the Orioles, and he fell out of favor after leaving the Arizona Fall League early in 2004. The Cubs will get a chance to pick another mutually-agreed-upon player from the Orioles' system to compensate them for Crouthers.
I have an unusual question, but I wasn't sure whom to write, so I guess it's your lucky day. I've noticed that the Orioles' Web site is now orioles.com, but I know it used to be theorioles.com. When did it change and why? Maybe there's nothing to it, but something tells me that maybe there is. -- Brian Loisel
In past years, it was theorioles.com because orioles.com was already being used. But MLB has obtained the rights to orioles.com, so now the site can be reached using both addresses. While orioles.com is easier for fans to remember and is my personal preference, theorioles.com works just as well.
I know it's a long shot, but with a one-year contract, wouldn't it make sense for the Orioles to try to trade for Roger Clemens? He could be a great asset and keep the Orioles in contention, as well as help Sidney Ponson, Daniel Cabrera, Bruce Chen, Rodrigo Lopez, Hayden Penn and Erik Bedard. Is there any talk of trading for a front-line starter like Clemens? -- John, College Park, Md.
I think the Orioles could use a reliable starter down the stretch, but I don't see them being able to pry Clemens from the Astros, especially since Houston management has maintained it will not move the future Hall of Famer just because the team is not in the race. If anything, Clemens could go to the Yankees or Red Sox, because they are his former teams. I think the Orioles can compete with a solid pitching addition not named Clemens.
Source: http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/
With six weeks to go before the trade deadline, the Orioles could be working the phones for potential trades. And two players -- Luis Matos and Javy Lopez -- are going to be back soon, so it should be the most intriguing second half since the wire-to-wire season in 1997.
So keep those questions coming, and we'll have more mailbags in the second half -- promise.
According to The New York Times, the Orioles' average home attendance is 29,346 through 33 home games while the Nationals' average home attendance is 31,913 through 33 games -- almost identical to the Orioles' average home attendance at this point last year (31,946). I am a season-plan ticket holder (I attend about 30 games a year), and I have to believe that the lack of home support for a first-place team in arguably the toughest division in baseball must not go unnoticed.
Do the Orioles have any PR plans? For example, last year the Orioles had advertisements in several D.C. Metro stations, and I haven't seen any this year. I hate to see the team that I support rely on Yankees and Red Sox fans to boost home attendance figures. -- Frank C., Arlington, Va.
I think many in the Orioles' organization are unsure how the club is perceived in the District now that the Nationals have arrived and are playing well. There are still some diehard Orioles fans in the D.C. area, and they should be catered to, but I think the presence of the Nationals, the poor early-season weather and a schedule that has featured the Devil Rays, Tigers, Astros, Mariners and Royals has adversely affected attendance.
I also think many Orioles fans are not convinced that this club is truly a pennant contender and will probably wait until the second half of the season to come out. But the lack of fans is definitely an issue among club officials, and I am sure there will be more promotions later in the season.
Do you think the Orioles may try to see if Mike Mussina would waive his no-trade clause for the chance to return to where he started? -- Pat, Baltimore
I don't think there is any doubt that Mussina will always be linked with the Orioles, as he was one of the more popular players in recent team history. But let's be realistic: There is no way the Orioles and Yankees are ever going to make a trade. Could you see rivals George Steinbrenner and Peter Angelos actually agreeing to a deal that would send Mussina, who many thought betrayed Angelos when he didn't allow the Orioles to make a counter offer, back to Baltimore? The only way Mussina comes back to Camden Yards in an Orioles uniform is through free agency. He will be a free agent after next season and will be 37 at the time, so perhaps Mussina could return to lead the rotation or be a veteran presence. But that will have to wait.
If the Tigers remain out of the race (which seems likely), Sammy Sosa continues to struggle in the No. 5 hole and Javy Lopez doesn't return before the All-Star break, would the Orioles consider trading for Ivan Rodriguez? Lopez could be the designated hitter he wants to be and Jay Gibbons could return to right field, where he has played well and bring his bat back to the lineup. Rafael Palmeiro could DH some and play first base, and Sosa could be a pinch-hitter. -- Nick P., Edmonton, Alb.
This isn't going to happen for several reasons. First of all, Rodriguez is due $10 million per season for the next three years, so why would the Orioles take on such a contract when they backed off signing him two years ago? Rodriguez is not going to be on the block because the Tigers are trying to show their fans they truly intend to field a competitive team, and trading for unproven prospect isn't going to help that cause.
Also, isn't it a little presumptuous to make Sosa a pinch-hitter already? The season is barely two months old. I think Sosa could be a valuable commodity as the season wears on, especially since he is historically a better hitter during the summer. Sosa is already beginning to heat up, and Lopez will be back in about a month, so let's hold off until then before making drastic moves. But I do think the Orioles will be players during the trade deadline.
Us O's fans are still stumped about what is wrong with Larry Bigbie. The guy was on fire for the last half of 2004, and now he can't seem to hit the ball hard. What does the coaching staff think the problem is? Have the scouts found a hole in his swing, or are there injuries or other issues we don't know about? -- Mike M., New York
I think Bigbie was pressing during the beginning of the season and began slumping, then he hurt his hamstring, which cost him some valuable time. The Orioles put Bigbie on the disabled list in the hope that he wouldn't try to rush back too quickly and he could fully heal.
Bigbie has eight hits in the three games since his return and has sprayed the ball to all fields. So let's give the healthy Bigbie until the All-Star break and see what he can do. Although he has been a major disappointment, I think Bigbie deserves some patience.
I went to the Chicago Cubs' Web site looking for Dave Crouthers, to see how he is doing. He doesn't seem to be on any of their rosters. Then I went to minorleaguebaseball.com and searched for him. Nothing. What happened to him? -- Mark F., New York
Crouthers has experienced some emotional issues during the past year and has retired from baseball. The Cubs gave him his unconditional release this week, meaning he will have some time to straighten out his problems and hopefully return to baseball, because he is talented.
Crouthers also had some trouble while with the Orioles, and he fell out of favor after leaving the Arizona Fall League early in 2004. The Cubs will get a chance to pick another mutually-agreed-upon player from the Orioles' system to compensate them for Crouthers.
I have an unusual question, but I wasn't sure whom to write, so I guess it's your lucky day. I've noticed that the Orioles' Web site is now orioles.com, but I know it used to be theorioles.com. When did it change and why? Maybe there's nothing to it, but something tells me that maybe there is. -- Brian Loisel
In past years, it was theorioles.com because orioles.com was already being used. But MLB has obtained the rights to orioles.com, so now the site can be reached using both addresses. While orioles.com is easier for fans to remember and is my personal preference, theorioles.com works just as well.
I know it's a long shot, but with a one-year contract, wouldn't it make sense for the Orioles to try to trade for Roger Clemens? He could be a great asset and keep the Orioles in contention, as well as help Sidney Ponson, Daniel Cabrera, Bruce Chen, Rodrigo Lopez, Hayden Penn and Erik Bedard. Is there any talk of trading for a front-line starter like Clemens? -- John, College Park, Md.
I think the Orioles could use a reliable starter down the stretch, but I don't see them being able to pry Clemens from the Astros, especially since Houston management has maintained it will not move the future Hall of Famer just because the team is not in the race. If anything, Clemens could go to the Yankees or Red Sox, because they are his former teams. I think the Orioles can compete with a solid pitching addition not named Clemens.
Source: http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/
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