Bullpen collapses again, O's lose to Blue Jays, 6-5 -- baltimoresun.com
"Orioles manager Dave Trembley had Tuesday night set up the way he wanted it. His top two relievers were poised to hold a three-run lead in the late innings, allowing the Orioles to end their losing streak and escape their personal dome of horrors with a much-needed win. But life with the Orioles these days is never that simple." No kidding. -duck
SI.com's Capt. Obvious: Bryce Harper will be crown jewel of pitching-rich 2010 MLB draft
"Like this year, when 11 of the first 15 players selected were pitchers, the strength of next year's class appears to be on the mound. Over the past 20 years there have been just four drafts where 10 or more pitchers were taken within the first 15 picks, and the 2010 draft could mark the first time that it has happened in back-to-back years." Gee, think Andy will want a pitcher? Again? -duck
SI.com: NFL refuses to move site of Pack-Vikes game for baseball playoffs
"The NFL said Monday it will not swap sites for this season's Packers-Vikings games in case the baseball playoffs get in the way at the Metrodome." Bet the Twins are really happy they won home field for a one-game playoff now, eh? -duck
The National Post: The end of hope?
"When they opened the roof in the second inning, one press-box wit noted that it was probably so they could count people watching from the nearby condominium towers. To get a foul ball, you generally had to walk, not run. It was, in a word, depressing." Hey, I'm wallowing in other people's depression. At least it's not us. And the headline? Hyperbole, much? -duck
Sportsnet.ca: At least they're not the Orange birds
"But as bad as they’ve played, with last weekend’s sweep in St. Petersburg providing a solid bedrock, the Blue Jays aren’t even close to being as bad the other fowl in the East: the Baltimore Orioles. Monday night’s 9-2 drubbing of the O’s showed me all that I needed to see. A losing recipe of a bad pitching staff being managed right out of the book of Tosca, an act that we bore witness not so far back in the day." So, apparently, it is possible to be an arrogant Blue Jays fan. -duck
TheChronicleHerald.ca: Few in stands as Jays thump O’s
"There’s very little about a September matchup between the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles that captures the imagination, something reflected in another disturbingly small audience at the Rogers Centre on Monday night..." No kidding. Only 11,598 paid admission, and the actual attendance was smaller than that. It's the third smallest ever at the dome. The all-time dome low is 11,159, set on Sept. 9. -duck
Haunted House Comes To Bowie | Eye On Annapolis
Ok so it's not baseball related, sue me. Haunted house at the Baysox stadium! I'll be honest, stuff like this isn't my bag. But it looks like fun for people who, unlike me, aren't fraidy cats. -Stacey
Trembley on the short list - Sporting News
Stan McNeal at the Sporting News thinks Dave Trembley is a goner after the season, and falls back on the familiar, comfortable position of blaming Peter Angelos for everything. -Stacey
MASNsports.com: MLB decides Sano is maybe, definitely maybe, 16 after all. Maybe.
From Roch: "So is Sano on the backburner? 'I would say it would be fair to categorize it as backburner,' MacPhail said. 'It's been a long process for everybody, not just the Orioles.' " I'd say so. -duck
MASNsports.com - O's in the play for Chapman?
From Roch: "Going back to the international market - and with my luck, I'll get the cart with the wobbly wheel - the Orioles have scouted Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, who soon could become a free agent after establishing residency last week in Andorra. They're being touted on mlbtraderumors.com as one of the teams that's shown particular interest." So, Roch's down to quoting MLBTR.com as a source? Not good, Roch, not good. You're better than that. -duck
Take car. Go to Mum's. Kill Phil. Sorry, Phil. Grab Liz, go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this Open Thread to blow over. How's that for a slice of fried gold?