wayward cOleridge

During trying times such as these, Blog finds itself turning to CLASSICS* for GUIDANCE ...

Gather 'round, kiddies, for RIME of SCAPEGOAT MANAGER.

Hear the Rime of the Scapegoat Manager
See his eye as he stops one of three
Mesmerises one of the minor leaguers
Stay here and listen to the nightmares of The Show.

And the games play on, as the innings pass by
Caught by his spell and the Manager tells his tale.

Flying West to the land of the Losing Streaks
To a place where few Teams have been
Through the boots and the Ks comes a Rookie
Hailed in Team's name, hoping good luck he brings.

And the Team plays on, back to the East
Through insult and injury and the Rookie pitches on.

The Manager pulls the Rook of good omen
The Bloggers cry against what he's done
But when the game ends, some justify him
And make themselves a part of the crime.

Playing on and on and East across the streak
Playing on and on and East the losses mount.

The baseball Gods begin with their vengeance
A terrible curse a thirst has begun
The organization blames bad luck on the Manager
About his neck, the losses are hung.

And the curse goes on and on for Team.
And the verse goes on and on for them and me.

Day after day, night after night,
Team struck no win nor home run
As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean
Victories, victories everywhere and
all the averages did stink
Victories, victories everywhere
from Team's grasp did shrink.

There sits the Manager
There comes the call from the GM.
But how can he win with so little talent in the 'Pen?

See … onward he comes
Onward he nears out of the sun
See, he has no crew
He has no life, wait but there’s two.

Andy and Angelos
They tell the Manager it's Time...

The Manager's bound to tell of his story
To tell this tale back in Double A
To teach Team's word by his own example
That's just the game, that's just Baseball's way.

And the minor leaguers are sad and wiser men
And the tale goes on and on and on.
Sure beats working at DENNY'S!

* uhh. Classics as re-imagined by Iron Maiden, to be accurate

diaspOra, part XIV

name: guru
status: recently passed-away mc and rapper, probably NOT fan of team
gear of choice: custom-fitted, 1960s-retro, limited issue Os cap and matching Nylon pullover


Image via N.Y. Daily News
quote:
you puny protozoa, you're so minute you didnt know the
gang has been watchin you but instead of just squashin you
i'm scoopin you up out of the muck you wallow in
like a chief chemist, other scientists are followin'
wayward o says: viva 1994! those were some good days. blog guesses guru probably was fan of red sox (born in mass.) but doesn't know

prOminence!

Look at news stories!! Team returning to prominence!!

Hahahah. Get it???

This is driving fans of Team to AIRWAVES to POINT OUT that Team cannot win baseball games as Team Returns to Prominence! Sometimes it's important to STATE OBVIOUS.

But look what Pete Schmuck said, which is true:

Cal Ripken Jr. "certainly has no experience in the kind of crisis management
necessary to turn around this particular organization."

Him, Owner and Blog all three! CRISIS MANGEMENT!!!!

Wayward O has different take. Blog thinks Ripken and Peter G. Angelos, attorney at law, have no intention of working together and Rip feels it's Angelos' duty to ultimately hand over keys and let baseball people take over.

Angelos could sell Team for $200 million profit!! But Petey doesn't need any more money!! He is RICH OLD MANG.

Angelos said Rip doesn't want a "baseball" or a "secondary" position. Rip wants to be the owner and or top dog!

Some say Rip doesn't have enough LOOT to be owner. But he could raise LOOT in about THREE WEEKS. And he's probably already got his MUNI BOND DOGS all lined up and ready to chase rabbit!!!

This is OPENING SALVO in DECADE-LONG struggle by RIP to TAKE OWNERSHIP CONTROL of Team. Will he succeed? YES. <--- (This is PREDICTION!!!!!)

As for RETURN TO PROMINENCE. Wayward O kind of thinks Team has enough talent to RETURN FROM BEING COMPLETELY TERRIBLE. As for PROMINENCE, that's another story.

Word is goodish on Brian Roberts. That's most important. Blog still holds out hope for Mike Gonzalez. Also sort of important. As for Koji Uehara, not so important; he has unfortunately become a BUST. Who else hurt? BLOG CAn'T REMEMBER RIGHT NOW! Tejada apparently not!

EASIER TO FIX OFFENSE THAN PITCHING. WE HAVE PITCHING!!! David Hernandez for CLOSER!!!!

bright spOts

Wayward O has been perusing O-sphere last couple days. Some people think Team will be fine. Others think world ending. Anyway here is Wayward O's analysis of current state of Team:


Brilliant, Blog Knows.
So yeah. Given all that, we could still make surprise run at .500 right?

sOmeplace

Team is someplace bad. Someplace between 1988 and 2005, where tender hopes met with crushing defeats, sparse attendance and little for fans to hang hats on. Loss of Brian Roberts clearly has caught Team off-guard, and maybe wasn't handled right, and has helped gut offense output. Adam Jones looks lost. Last night's "new" lineup scored six runs so Manager has done what he can. Starting rotation has been more than acceptable. But there's just low-grade play and probably low-grade talent at too many key offensive positions right now. Wayward O, long a critic of Luke Scott, tried to find way to like him as player this Spring. It hasn't worked. Blog feels he has no business on Team, his home run last night notwithstanding. It's not personal or anything with Luke, it's just that he doesn't have any real ability to contribute with glove and his bat is just not reliable. Ty Wigginton and Garrett Atkins are OKish but, again, just not inspiring. Scott, Wigginton and Atkins are good enough, however, to help team back away from precipice, hopefully.

It's probably important to note that Tampa Bay Rays, who are beating Team up and down, are very good. They pitch well. They play good D and they hit up and down lineup. Getting swept at home by Toronto, however, is not to be explained away. Team doesn't seem to know how to finish games; you can feel it coming almost every night -- they'll spin a poor running play into a quick inning on offense and parlay same into a pitching meltdown in top of next. Closer Mike Gonzalez, having come back from excused road trip, is all but jobless, which means Team may have reason to doubt his physical ability or just his ability period.

If Team comes back from West Coast / Boston without putting a couple wins together, as Wayward O noted back in February, you might see bigger and bigger shakeups. Players, manager, coaches and front office, Wayward O believes, are standing on edge of precipice. Optimistically, this April debacle will yield to hope later in season, provided pitching continues above expectations. But if losses continue to pile up it's unclear what drastic measures will come by June.

every at-bat is a negOtiation

Blog is very full of Blogself today because Wayward O and managing editor [redacted] met Team President of Baseball Operations, Maj. Brig. Gen. Andrew MacPhail on Sunday at baseball place.


Here's how it is, nerds...
Here's what MacP. told bloggers:

• don't look for Adrian Gonzalez deadline trade
• although Team could be seen making a free agency offer in event AG goes on market*
• front office NOT 100% SOLD on Adam Jones yet and 2010 is crucial year for beloved CF
• Team wants to rest dinged-up Brian Roberts, keep him off 10-day West Coast / Boston swing, hence DL likely**

MacP. also very focused on art of signing talent controlled by Team a) before free agent value goes through roof and b) after it's clear talent is legit. He noted that, while some teams can afford to evaluate non-free agent talent for as long as 5 years, Team feels its window is about 3+ years. Reading between lines, it's pretty clear this Season is Big One for Team and Adam Jones.

Team has plenty of dough, of course, and offer Jones gets will tell you what Andy & Co.'s verdict is with respect to long-term potential.

Sunday was nice day until Team gave away another lead and lost. Team is 1-5. Which is pretty bad. Team keeps leaving runs on board but pitching is wayyyy better. Of course if Offense doesn't start finding way soon, pitching likely to collapse at some point.

* talent more prized than Team dollars right now
** this does NOT bode well for already ailing offense, which will have to find some kind of spark

the angst Of april

the designated hitter, brian rOberts...

Team's superstar second baseman has baddish back. Diving around in dirt for grounders isn't going to make it any better. And Wayward O thinks it's pretty clear, when it comes to offense, we need him on that wall.

Roberts DH
Jones CF
Nick RF
Miguel 3B
Matt C
Lugo / Wiggy 2B
Atkins / Luke 1B
Pie / Reimold LF
Izzy SS

Not everyday or anything like that. Sundays and holidays. Maybe occasionally on Thursday.

Know who else Team needs on said wall? Is Cesar Izturis at short. His defense is head and shoulder above rest of infielders on Team; maybe entire organization.

Rest in Peace, Mike Cuellar.