Buster Olney says Perlozzo firing could be hours away...

by nesloq on Jun 17, 2007 5:06 PM EDT

Then goes on to say that Girardi might be in the considerations.

"The first managerial firing may be hours away now, with Sam Perlozzo in serious trouble in Baltimore. The Orioles have lost seven (now eight) straight games, some players are unhappy with Perlozzo, the fans are booing the manager whenever he appears on the field, and an Orioles fan wore a paper bag over his head.

The change may come as soon as the Orioles identify a replacement, and here's one name to keep in mind: Joe Girardi."

Basically he says that pros is that the Cubs and Yanks jobs might not be there after this season, he'd have more power over personnel and there's young talent. On the downside is we suck.

It's all speculation, but the plus side is that Perlozzo might be gone soon!

Buster Olney's blog (espninsider only)

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I bumped this....

....just because I hope it happens.

Peter Schmuck wrote an article before the game that speculated the same thing. It it he remarks,

Angelos is not known for making quick decisions, but there is growing speculation that he is very close to cutting Perlozzo loose. It won't happen today, because he would not fire Perlozzo on Father's Day, but it may not be long.

He also said the Orioles would have to buy out Mazzsone's contract which is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. If Mazzone wants to quit, fine, but he can't demand to leave and expect the Orioles to pay him.

There is much speculation about replacements:

I'd be okay, but not psyched, with Girardi; I'd be truly jazzed about Davey Johnson. If they give the job to Trembley, I'd probably just switch over to football early this year. I can't imagine more mediocrity.

One of the biggest problems is that Perlozzo has lost the clubhouse. There will be major turnover at the trade deadline, with Millar, Williamson and possibly even Cabrera and Tejada playing elsewhere come August. This club will need a coach who commands instant respect from the young minds in the clubhouse and doesn't take shit from spoiled whiny bitches like Jay Gibbons. That coach is not Dave Trembley, or indeed, anyone within the organization. We need someone who has years of experience, and has worked extensively at the major league level...no repeats of the Mazzillli fiasco (this is why I'm not thrilled about Girardi...would he really command any respect?)

Get Johnson, hell get Hargrove or Valentine. Someone to kick these guys' asses.

by zknower on Jun 17, 2007 5:23 PM EDT reply actions

and more speculation....

... in the San Diego Union Trbune:

Unlike most geographic matchups, the wonder at Camden Yards wasn't which club was better, but which was the worst of the worst. There's little doubt about that now.

"We just lost three straight to the Nationals," said Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo. "What would you like me to say?"

Goodbye, maybe? The ax, its blade sharpened by the Nats' sweep, is sure to fall soon. Some wouldn't be surprised if Perlozzo - who was the early runaway leader in speculation over which manager would be fired first, only to be spared such talk by a modest win streak - doesn't make it to San Diego. If he does, awaiting his club Tuesday is Jake Peavy, provided he isn't suspended for entering yesterday's fray at Chicago.

by zknower on Jun 17, 2007 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Might not be so stupid...

I haven't read Mazzone's contract, but there very well could be language in it stipulating the club buy out his contract in the event Perlozzo gets fired. I doubt Angelos would buy it out if he didn't have to.

by rebop on Jun 17, 2007 8:36 PM EDT up reply actions

The man throws around nickels

like manhole covers, so I also seriously doubt PA would pay a dime to Mazzone that PA didn't owe or thought he could get out of paying.

"Someone put this team together, and it wasn't the manager." - John Kruk (But Sam should still go)

by duck on Jun 17, 2007 8:53 PM EDT up reply actions

god i cant wait

i hope that when i open the newspaper in the morning i see that Tom Trebelhorn is now the interm manager

We stink!

by westcoastOfan on Jun 17, 2007 6:27 PM EDT reply actions

it's a start

Next: trade Tejeda, Patterson, Gibbons, Huff, Millar, etc., etc.
THIS TEAM SUCKS, with or without Sam.

by tbone shelby on Jun 17, 2007 6:54 PM EDT reply actions

Gibbons?

Ha!

Who do you think we could trade him to?

by zknower on Jun 17, 2007 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Norfolk

"Baltimore? That's like being hit in the head with a crowbar once a day."

by spike2131 on Jun 17, 2007 10:48 PM EDT up reply actions

sigh

I like Sam the man. I don't like Sam the Manager. However, I've come to dislike the front office (specifically Angelos, Flanagan, and to a lesser degree Duquette) and the players even more. The problems in this organization are systemic and canning Sam is just a tiny step. Replace him, he's not a great manager, but the rot remains. So don't expect any great difference.

Sam is the scapegoat, and there always has to be one. But Flanagan and Duquette masterminded the $42 million "overhaul" of the bullpen. I'll have to look up stats, but I'll venture a safe guess that the bullpen has, on aggregate, one of (if not the) worst winning metric (winshare, vorp, you name it) in baseball. It can't be considered anything but a failure. Can someone convince me that it was solely Sam's misuse of the bullpen that brought us these nightly fiascos? Sure he was no rocket scientist with game matchups, but these clowns (in aggregate) just can't do the job. The bats are just as pathetic. Now the architects of it all sit safe and sound in their offices wile they ready themselves to dial up Perlozzo with bad news. I firmly believe that Angelos is the ultimate ring leader in this pathetic organization. He's never let the club be stripped down and properly rebuilt. I'm not sure how much blame to lay at Flanagan and Duquette, but I do now that is you wrestle with a drunk in the gutter, no one knows who's the drunk. So I am left to assume they at the very least enablers of this joke of an organization.

The players are a despicable lot. I've worked for my share of questionable managers, but at some point it comes down to creating your own sanity. You have to take charge, help your boss, and try to create a livable working environment. If you fail, then you move on. These clowns never attempted that. All they did was take immature potshots at Perlozzo, and never seemed to do much soul searching. I can only hope that they now get what they never really wanted. A no bullshit manager who will hold them accountable. No more whining, no more laziness, no more excuses. I hope they get it good and hard. Fuck them.

I can't recall despising a team as much as I do the 2007 Orioles. There are a few players to admire, but in taken as a group they are a contemptible group. The front office is no better, and the owner is the most despicable of them all.

Hope you land on your feet Sam. Getting out of this hell hole is probably the best thing that could happen. At least I hope that's what you find in retrospect.

Angleos and his O's are a disgrace to Baltimore

by drj on Jun 17, 2007 7:25 PM EDT reply actions

Kruk on BBTN

Maybe one of the smartest things I've heard him say... on firing Perlozzo "Someone put this team together, and it wasn't the manager."

Angelos!...

YOU SUCK! Jack-ass.
Took me a while, 2632.

by dayzd toe on Jun 17, 2007 7:45 PM EDT reply actions

Leave it to John Kruk

one of the worst analysts in baseball, to speak the truth in one sentence.

"One day I'll dance on your grave - even if you're buried at sea." - Dave Mustaine

by duck on Jun 17, 2007 7:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Precisely!

BTW, that head of Angelos on your graphic is frightening me.

Ahh, well, you know. Its a team effort and I guess it took every player working together to lose this one. - Doug Remer

by O face on Jun 17, 2007 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions

re:

That doesn't absolve Perlozzo.

Avoid the clap. - Jimmy Dugan

by Scott Christ on Jun 17, 2007 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Let's just say

there's more than one candidate for the firing squad. Maybe I should have had two more pix in my sig with the words AND WORST GMs EVER, TOO! next to them...

"Someone put this team together, and it wasn't the manager." - John Kruk (But Sam should still go)

by duck on Jun 17, 2007 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Girardi

Is he waiting for the Yank's job? I highly doubt he'll take the O's job although a Girardi and Angelos pairing would be interesting match.

by birdman on Jun 17, 2007 9:04 PM EDT reply actions

Mattingly is the heir in NY these days.

by 2632 on Jun 17, 2007 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Ah Mattingly

That's right, I forgot about him. As far Girardi goes, this is the same dude who told his owner to shut up after yelling at the umpires during a game. Mixing him with Angelos seems like an explosive combination.

by birdman on Jun 18, 2007 12:11 AM EDT up reply actions

The Orioles are a true dynasty

Forget the spurs. Baltimore Orioles: Class of the decade.

by Baltimo on Jun 17, 2007 9:47 PM EDT reply actions

Millar has called a players-only team meeting....

...in San Diego, according to Roch.

Cool. Maybe he'll annnounce he's the new manager.

Unfortunately, this will probalby delay the Perlozzo firing by at least a week, as Petey will hope that the meeting actually "turns things around". Yeah, right.

by zknower on Jun 17, 2007 10:44 PM EDT reply actions

re:

The team had a players only meeting in 2005, too. It was basically to say, "Look guys, screw Mazzilli, we have to try to win even though he's the manager."

Avoid the clap. - Jimmy Dugan

by Scott Christ on Jun 17, 2007 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions

If we lose Millar

we lose the clubhouse. He's not the most productive guy, but I really appreciate his influence now.

by exitfare on Jun 18, 2007 1:34 AM EDT up reply actions

it needs to start now

the whole team needs to go! I said it last year and I'll say it again. the Orioles need to do away with everyone! Start over, yes including Berdard, roberts, kakis, tejeda and the piece of shits gibbons and mora. Why? it's the fucking mojo that's left within the clubhouse that needs to go. Include the worst hitting coach in MLB right now, the bench coach, 1st and 2nd base coaches both GM and sell the team fast.

Plus they need to start calling up players at a faster pace. If a player hasn't made it in 2 to 3 years he's not worth bringing up anymore.

by merdon1332000 on Jun 17, 2007 11:02 PM EDT reply actions

Mother's Day to Father's Day

Things started going REAL bad Mother's Day.
Things ... are going worse on Father's Day...

by dfleis on Jun 17, 2007 11:15 PM EDT reply actions

re:

Are you talking about Mother's Day in 1998? Then yeah, I'm with you.

Angleos and his O's are a disgrace to Baltimore

by drj on Jun 17, 2007 11:32 PM EDT up reply actions

hahaha

guess you're right.

by dfleis on Jun 18, 2007 9:47 AM EDT up reply actions

Don't start from scratch

This team doesn't need a fire sale, unless they could get top-of-the-line prospects in return. At this point I imagine the only guy on the team that could command top-of-the-line in return is Bedard, but I'm not sure if trading him is such a good idea. He's the best pitcher the Orioles have had since Mussina, and he's young. I don't think you should trash the entire roster. I think you should keep the following:

Roberts
Markakis
Bedard
Cabrera (although I'd deal him for the right guys...I still think Cabrera is going to be something in the major leagues, and I don't want to have had to put up with all his development only to watch him blossom somewhere else.)

Everybody else is expendable. Sell high on Guthrie if you can. Deal Tejada only if you can get a quality prospect or two in return. Gut the bullpen. There will be takers for Walker, Ray, Bradford, maybe Williamson. I don't imagine there will be a huge market for Mora, Patterson, or Gibbons. Patterson maybe as a late inning defensive replacement/base runner to a contending team. Millar, Payton, and Huff could be tradeable in July to teams looking for a bat off the bench or something. Trade Trachsel now, for whatever you can get, before his shitty BB/K ratio comes back to bite him in the ass, as it inevitably will in the next six weeks.

Fire Perlozzo, and most of the coaching staff, especially Crowley. Look outside the organization for a replacement. At this point, anything is an improvement. I'd take any of the guys named in this thread, including Girardi. If he flames out, fine. It's not all Perlozzo's fault, but frankly his late-game management has been shit. And yes, the GM deserves plenty of blame and should probably go after the season, but the fact is the bullpen is underperforming based on past results. I don't think the coaches are using these guys optimally.

Oh, and the next time an opposing batter tees off on a belt-high fastball early in the game, the pitcher should be instructed to throw the next pitch at the batter's head. This team could definitely use a good brawl. Better yet, the next time the bullpen blows another close game, start throwing at people until there's a fight. It's not like the suspensions will matter.

by crawjo on Jun 18, 2007 12:28 AM EDT reply actions

RE:

Why would you get rid of Guthrie? Don't we retain the rights to him for 5 more years (not sure how waiver claims work with regard to that). If we were going to get rid of guys and really start to rebuild (which I'm not saying we should), I would get rid of Cabrera or Bedard first. Both of those guys are under arbitration for only 2 more years. Put Roberts out there too; his value is high right now. We could likely trade Walker and Bradford; but most people think we highly overpaid for those two; so the O's would likely have to pick up a large portion of their contracts.

I agree on Trachsel; his value is unlikely to be higher than it is now.

"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle

by BirdFanInPhilly on Jun 18, 2007 9:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Is it really going to help?

I think some of the Orioles problems early on could be placed firmly on Perlozzo; but this latest losing streak I can't really pin on the guy. Is it really his fault that the team can not hit? Is it his fault that absolutely no one in the pen can get anyone out when they need to?

The only thing that maybe his fault is that he used the bullpen unnecessarily so much early on that they are just tired at this point. I find that somewhat hard to believe though.

Maybe I'm just worried that losing Sam means losing Leo; and that Leo maybe much of the reason for the success of the rotation. Or maybe I'm just really tired of having our manager fired every 2 years.

"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle

by BirdFanInPhilly on Jun 18, 2007 9:17 AM EDT reply actions

the latest losing streak is all on the bullpen

by exitfare on Jun 18, 2007 9:34 AM EDT up reply actions

yup

everyone he brought in from the bullpen was a duquette/flanagan signing. and they all blew. that being said, walker and bradford have been used waaaaay too much, and probably not in the ways they were most productive. They signed a bunch of guys who are specialists, and they're usually good for one or two batters at a time. Kind of like late-career Jesse Orosco.

by dfleis on Jun 18, 2007 9:51 AM EDT up reply actions

RE:

I agree, but what choice does he have? Did you want to see more Baez and Todd? I do agree, even though you don't really trust other relievers you can't just go to the same two guys every night and expect them to pitch well.

"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle

by BirdFanInPhilly on Jun 18, 2007 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Sounds like it's about to happen...

Supposedly the O's are trying to setup a meeting with Girardi and they have hired some guy named Andy MacPhail to be their COO.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2907704

"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle

by BirdFanInPhilly on Jun 18, 2007 10:03 AM EDT reply actions

MacFail?

I just wanted to be the first to coin the nickname in Baltimore for when this new brew fucks it all up, again.

by Jonnypops on Jun 18, 2007 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions

Cubs fans...

beat you to that one by like 4 years--that was his nickname in Chicago. Not that I can think of anything more original.

by rebop on Jun 18, 2007 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Failure

Is greatly influenced by one's supporting cast.

Yeah, I see a certain future for this guy.

Angleos and his O's are a disgrace to Baltimore

by drj on Jun 18, 2007 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions

He can't be all bad, he's one of us...

http://www.google.ru/search?hl=ru&q=scotch-irish+mcphail&btnG=%D0%9F%D0%BE%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BA &lr=

Root-a-toot tootin' Vladimir Putin Ain't-a got nootin' On Sammy the P.

by Titov on Jun 18, 2007 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Us, meaning....?

Didn't follow you on that one, Titov.

"It's really hard, but it's not as hard as we've made it look so far." - Michael Waltrip (the NASCAR equivalent of the O's this year)

by duck on Jun 18, 2007 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions

Sorry, an inside joke for another poster

Root-a-toot tootin' Vladimir Putin Ain't-a got nootin' On Sammy the P.

by Titov on Jun 18, 2007 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions

Actually....

Andy and I graduated from the same small liberal arts college (Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA). So I'm going to start kissing his ass on this forum and contact Dickinson's career networking office to try and get a cushy job in the Warehouse. I'm not very bright, refuse to work hard, and know little about baseball, but I couldn't be much worse than the guys working there now.

Let me be the first to say that Andy MacPhail is going to be this organization's savior.

by rebop on Jun 18, 2007 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions