The Loss Column — Baltimore Sports Blog and Community

Ahhh, the west coast night game. Nothing like falling asleep with the O’s still playing in the background.

It’s Brian Burres (2-2, 3.27) vs. Kelvim Escobar (6-2. 2.64). I think it’s reasonable to expect a split in this series, don’t you?

The O’s go for the sweep tonight against the Royals, as Erik Bedard tries to outduel KC’s biggest free agent signing in years, Gil Meche. As of this writing it’s 0-0 in the fifth. Post thoughts on the game and the result in the comments.

As we watch/listen…

I’m intrigued like all of you about the possibility of hometown boy Mark Teixeira ending up in black and orange. I’ve spent what amounts to way too much time thinking about it. It makes so much sense on so many levels that it almost seems destined to happen.

Unfortunately, it’ll take more than destiny. There are two ways to do it, each presenting its own set of issues.

The first is simple: wait until he becomes a free agent after the ‘08 season. In that case it’s all about money. I’d be willing to bet that it’ll take (deep breath) something on the order of eight years and $152 million (or $19 mil/year). If that sounds insane, it shouldn’t. He’ll be 28 years old and has already cemented himself as one of the premier power bats of this era. Plus, he’s represented by Scott Boras. There will be no hometown discount — we’ll have to match or top bids from teams like Boston, New York, Anaheim, and Los Angeles (to name a few). Simple, but not easy.

The second is to get him early through a trade and hope to negotiate an extension before he hits the market. In order to pull that off the offer will have to be not just adequate, not just substantial, but exceptional. Texas will not — will not — give him up for a pittance. They hold all the cards in this situation and you can bet they’ll play them one-by-one until they get what they want.

Let’s assume, then, that there are a handful of guys we won’t give up. And by a “handful” I mean Markakis and Bedard. Those are the only guys we should think of as untouchable when it comes to getting a player of Teixeira’s caliber.

We won’t get him for Jay Gibbons and Jon Knott. It’ll take giving up guys like Chris Ray, Daniel Cabrera, Miguel Tejada, etc. It just will. Maybe you can package one of them with a prospect or two (Nolan Reimold?), but it will take legitimate talent. Spare parts won’t do it.

If it’s me making the decision, I say it’s worth it as long a long-term deal is part of the negotiations. But that’s a lot to put together.

update: I just noticed that frequent commenter Wayward O also has some thoughts up on a possible Teixeira trade. Check ‘em out here.

They’re underway in KC after a brief rain delay, Jeremy Guthrie vs. Jorge De La Rosa. Post ‘em if you got ‘em.

While things got a little quiet around here for the holiday weekend, the Orioles managed to get back on track by taking two out of three at home from Oakland.

The offense came alive and outscored the A’s 18-10, highlighted by a much-needed Miguel Tejada power surge . The pitchers were solid all around, and the defense committed only two errors, both of which came in Friday’s series-opening 3-2 loss.

The swing that Nick Markakis put on Joe Blanton today in the sixth was a thing of absolute beauty, a brilliant combination of bat speed through the zone, minimal extraneous movement, and overall symphonic fluidity. If he hadn’t gotten a little bit under the ball it probably would have gone 400 feet. Don’t be surprised if he finds the warehouse in a game setting.

The moral of the story being that when guys play to a level somewhere in line with what’s expected, this team is good enough to rack up some wins. Things are clicking at the right time, too, because the upcoming ten-game road trip to KC, Anaheim, and Seattle will be their longest of the season. If they can manage to win six out of ten they’ll come home to face the Rockies at 29-31.

Here’s hoping you’ve all had a nice holiday weekend so far, and that tomorrow will be no exception.

I’ve been reading the Orioles tea leaves over the past couple of days, trying to divine what might be in store for this frustrating, mercurial bunch. And I think I might have figured something out.

Let’s assume that Sam Perlozzo isn’t long for this team, and that at most he’ll serve out the year and then be done. I’m not necessarily saying that should happen, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that it might happen. Whenever the topic comes up someone inevitably asks: who should replace him? Bobby Valentine and Joe Girardi have been mentioned on a speculative basis, and I’m sure you could add another handful of attractive candidates to the list if you thought real hard. But there’s no need, because I think I know who the next Oriole manager is going to be, if/when Sammy P gets canned.

Jim Palmer.

I say this for two reasons. One, there have been rumblings (and I wish I could cite a source but nothing’s been published) that he’s interested in moving into the dugout. He’s also been increasingly outspoken lately, both on the broadcasts and in interviews, regarding the things these players need to do to succeed. And he would know, wouldn’t you say?

The other reason is perhaps even more persuasive, and that is his connection to the best years of the Orioles and his apparently solid relationship with Peter Angelos. If they decide to make a change Palmer would represent both the vaunted “Oriole Way” and a dose of new blood. He’s been around the team in an intimate capacity throughout all of the losing but he hasn’t been tainted by it in the clubhouse and on the field.

If I sound like I’m actually advocating for this then, well…maybe I am to some extent. I still say Perlozzo should get this year, but if we finish the season no better off than we were when it started, why not make a change? And if you do make the change, why not go to Palmer?

It’s food for thought at least.

As you mull it, enjoy tonight’s matchup of Erik Bedard and Dan Haren. Melvin Mora’s not in the lineup, and I can’t say that bothers me much.

Before I go any further, quick note: that hockey post was by Chris, not me. I accidentally left “neal s” as the post author. Gots to give credit where credit is dooooo.

Also in the works: I’ve got a piece cooking regarding an interesting O’s observation from the past couple days, and a theory I’ve developed accordingly, but it’s not quite ready yet. Look for that later tonight or tomorrow morning. And more hockey soon, as well, but from a historical perspective. And, of course, whatever else comes up.

In the meantime let us marvel once more at the find that is Jeremy Guthrie. At the risk of making too much of a hot start, I’ve got a hunch he just might be better than Adam Loewen right now. 2-1, 2.95 is no joke, even if he has only pitched 36.2 innings.

While you watch the game, chew on this: as much as the bullpen seems to have been struggling lately the team is still 15-4 when leading after seven innings. It seems like everywhere you look the stats are encouraging. The only thing that’s missing is making it all work at one time. They had it earlier in the year — does it take another step back tonight?

There is a faction of hockey pundits that will be disappointed with this year’s NHL finals matchup between The California Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Ottawa Senators. Some may see it as a battle of no-names. But upon closer inspection, this is a hockey holy war pitting good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, pure vs. diluted.

If you’re a fan of traditional hockey, it’s likely that you have become disenfranchised with the game over the years, what with the over-expansion to nonsensical markets and rule-changes bent on placating those fans who believe that goals translate to exciting hockey. This matchup is a prefectly-timed metaphorical battle between what used to be great about hockey and what has poisoned the frozen well. You have a team hailing from the game’s country of origin, whose original roots date back to the 19th century and who are named for the governing body of the Roman Empire. They’re going against a team from a suburb of the most ambivalent, fair-weather sports city in America, who are named after a fictional children’s hockey team in a Disney movie.

If you grew up loving the game of hockey that included the illegal two-line pass, the tie game, the Patrick, Norris, Smythe, Adams divisions, and the occasional bench clearing brawl, then you saw the steady decline in quality that came with the enforcement of new rules and the expansion that has dispersed talent and spit on tradition. Not that this is a new phenomenon: the same expansion that has diluted today’s game had a hand in killing the original Senators.

That came in 1934, partly because of the depression and partly because no one wanted to see the new American expansion teams from Detroit and Boston. The only draw came when the other Canadian teams were in town. And yet 73 years later, the new Ottawa Senators are playing in the 2007 Stanley Cup finals against the embodiment of the insidiousness of rampant expansion, the 2nd of two ice hockey teams in southern California.

Any city where ice can only be found in freezers should not have an ice hockey team. It’s just common sense. There are no surfing competitions in Iowa, nor should there be hockey in southern California. The LA Kings get a pass since they’ve been a solid, perennial laughing stock for 40 years, but there’s no reason for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. The name itself is an affront to the game.

So if you used to be a hockey fan, but have lost touch with today’s bloated, sanitized, goal-fest NHL, you have a rooting interest.

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