– I’m experimenting with a version of TLC that’s optimized for touch-based mobile devices (iPhone, iPod touch, Android, etc). I installed a plugin called WPtouch that detects if you’re viewing the site that way and feeds you a stripped down version. I’ve tested it on my phone and it feels pretty good. I’m not in love, but it seems like a net win.

If you see it, please chime in with thoughts. I can easily go back if need be. Also, for everyone, if you experience any weirdness that’s new as of today please let me know about that as well. Sometimes new plugins break things that I don’t immediately notice.

– Along those same lines, it came to my attention last night that the “comment preview” function is busted. I didn’t realize that because it still works fine for logged-in users, which is me when I’m on the site. Only problem is that’s only me.

I’d like to find a way to restore it, but as of now that doesn’t seem feasible. My apologies if it’s something you miss. Know that if I find a way to bring it back I definitely will.

– On a broader level, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the overall direction for TLC going forward. I think there’s a need to return to my/our roots.

Let me draw an analogy. If we think of the whole of New Media as a newspaper, most of the other blogs are the news stories, the “notes” sections, the features, and the other kinds of day-to-day stuff. TLC, on the other hand, is the columns (that’s actually part of the reason it’s called “The Loss Column”). It’s less frequent and it’s more driven by voice. I don’t think I ever really strayed from that, but I do think I drifted. Over the past month or so I’ve been making an effort to return, even if (and this is a possibility) it comes with a hit to traffic.

This isn’t a place for daily news links or game recaps (we handle those pretty well in the comments). It isn’t a place for rants on the news of the day. All of those things are good, but they’re being handled pretty well already at other sites. To me, those sites complement TLC and TLC complements them.

In the comings months I’m going to place more emphasis on being the columnist. I’ll still provide a place to talk O’s day-to-day but the main focus will shift a bit. I expect that will include more posts that don’t directly relate to sports (such as the the “Randoms” series) and more talk about things like beer and whisky (like in the early days). I expect it’ll include more posts like the 2010 Position-By-Position series, as well (thought/opinion pieces that aren’t necessarily tied directly to the news of the day).

I’m also open to suggestions. This is your site, too, so let me know what you want to see. I can’t guarantee I’ll provide it but I’ll certainly take everything under consideration.

By the way, that picture up there is of some Field Notes notebooks. They’re my favorite by far, and I highly recommend them. Affordable, disposable, yet worthwhile in a way that’s hard to explain until you’ve bought a pack.

(photo via)

No disrespect meant to Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, or any of the other talented players who figure to form this club’s nucleus for years to come. It’s just that Jones is unique among them for that rare combination of skill and personality that often — not always, but often — paves the way to superstardom.

I followed him more closely than any other player this winter (thanks, Twitter) and came away impressed. He works hard, keeps himself in great shape, has a great attitude, and he gives a damn about the game and the team. But you’d expect any great player to have those attributes, right? There’s something else about this kid. Something that can’t be quantified but which is nonetheless very real. Charisma, confidence, leadership, presence. Whatever “it” is, that’s what Jones has.

That wouldn’t mean much in the hands of a guy who can’t deliver on the field. We know, though, that Jones has that end more than covered. He’s a beast out there. The intangibles just make him that much more valuable.

I expect giant things, starting this year. I expect the All Star-caliber production to continue, and I expect him to grow into the kind of attention-generating personality this team has lacked for so many years. When the wins start coming and the fans make their way back to the park, they’re going to fall in love with this guy. Much in the same way that most of us probably already have.

(photo via Keith Allison)

We’ve known for years that the Ravens needed a player like Boldin. The price to get him — third and fourth round draft picks — can only be described as reasonable. That the Ravens also got a fifth round pick makes it that much more so.

Plus you’ve got to love a guy who arrives in town saying “The Ravens play a certain way. They play as hard and as physical as any team in the league, and I want to add to that. I think I play the way they play.”.

Boldin’s injury history is a concern worth noting, but that sometimes comes with the territory for a guy who plays hard. Call it acceptable risk.

A tip of the cap is in order for Ozzie Newsome and the rest of the braintrust. If you didn’t already understand that they know what the hell they’re doing out in Owings Mills, you do now.

Of course you can’t mention that achievement without the caveat that “…it’s just Spring Training.” The games don’t count, the stats don’t count, the pitchers are more focused on getting tuned up than making outs. Et cetera. Read too much into it either way and you’re bound to be disappointed.

Yet I’m absolutely against the idea that none of it means anything. Preparation is a big part of performance. These guys are down there for a reason, and that reason is to put themselves — individually and as a team — in position to get the most out of their abilities when the games start to count.

So what should we, as fans, take away from it?

Spring is about how things look and feel. How’s the ball coming out of a pitcher’s hand and how’s his arm angle? Is the guy who needs to take more pitches looking more selective? Is the guy who takes too many pitches identifying the good ones to pounce on early in the count? What kind of reads are the outfielders getting on fly balls? How’s Garrett Atkins‘ footwork, and how’s Tejada’s judgement? Are the base stealers getting good jumps?

These kinds of things don’t show up in the box score. They never do, but that’s OK when we can actually watch them happen. Few such opportunities exist for the Grapefruit League.

We’re left, then, to cobble it together as best we can. To read the recaps and the interviews and get little more than a sense of things. It’s an imperfect but thoroughly enjoyable art.

And if along the way a top prospect blows us away? I’m not going to look that particular gift horse in the mouth. It’s enough for now.

May as well use the comments here as a catch-all for early camp thoughts, as well. See anything that surprised you? Encouraged you? Disappointed you? Let’s have it.