For the love of God, let Spring be around the corner. Having survived Snowpocalypse II it appears that Baltimore is in store for Snowpocalypse III: The Quickening Tuesday into Wednesday. Seriously, another 12 inches of snow with local amounts approaching 20?! The Hell nature? Seriously.

Baltimore City officials have stated that they may not "...get to some [sidestreets] for many days..." one of those streets is most certainly my street with four foot snow drifts blocking all cars. The city has actually asked that people start digging out themselves, as some Baltimore neighborhoods have very tiny streets that no plow can get through. Now more snow?

Only ten days until spring training. God I can't wait for Spring at this point. The Super Bowl is over, congrats to the Saints by the way you made me look smart; I should have taken all those bets, so now it is time to think baseball again.

My potential opening day lineup and rotation:

There really shouldn't be anything very shocking in there. And of course this is not much more than the ravings of a lunatic suffering from the beginnings of cabin fever but I think that this is the likely lineup for the start of the season. I could see Tejada in the two-spot and Jones batting sixth but that top three worked very well together for most of the year so why mess with what was working? Reimold gets to start in the clean-up spot with Wieters backing him up. Frankly this is six of one - half'a'dozen of the other. Reimold is a right handed-bat to bat behind Markakis and the switch-hitting Wieters should disrupt the weirdly huge amount of left-handed pitchers that Markakis had to face in 2009. The high average Tejada batting behind Scott may help him get better pitches to hit and keep him from season dumping slumps that plagued him in 2009. Izzy is where he needs to be and Atkins is the hole, until he proves otherwise.

What say you internet?

It is snowing in Baltimore  - like a lot.

If I don't make it out, if I don't survive SNOWPOCALYPSE 2010, I need someone to make sure that the following things happen in 2010:

1) Brian Matusz becomes the official "Ace" of the staff by July

2) Miguel Tejada will not be retained simply because he IS Miguel Tejada if the young Josh Bell is tearing through AAA.

3) Movie night at the Ballpark will return multiple times in 2010. Also, the following movies will be shown: "The Sandlot," "The Blues Brothers," "Ghostbusters" and "Major League."

4) National Bohemian returns to Camden Yards. It costs no more than four dollars. I was spoiled for one glorious summer and I want more. Moreover, if the Orioles need to add local flavor then they need to go to Clipper City's McHenry brew.

5) The second Garrett Atkins struggles Brandon Snyder gets brought up.

6) Blogger Night at the Ballpark becomes an annual event. However, it gets renamed: "Tha James C. Baker Memorial Festival of Internet Baseball Reporting, with Free Crabcakes"

7) Someone needs to step up and lead section 334, everynight, in the Baltimore Community Spelling Bee. It is a Baltimore tradition that simply can not freeze and die with me.

8) Nick Markakis needs to have a new intro-song. Seriously Nick, seriously. I know you like country music but there has to be something better than that you can pull out. They are called The Old 97's, learn them - love them.

9) Anyone who snarkily criticizes the "Oh!" during the national anthem earns nothing but scorn and derision.

10) Last, but most importantly. Please, continue to support the Orioles. No matter how bad it gets, always get behind the orange and black. Baseball can not go the way of the dinosaur in Baltimore. The hill is tall, the fight will be intense but I have the feeling we are on the verge of something special.

If I don't make it out of the blizzard - make sure these things happen.

It looks like Erik Bedard will be indeed staying in Seattle. He confirmed as much yesterday if the reports are correct...

From the Seattle Times: Free-agent pitcher Erik Bedard confirmed to a Canadian newspaper that he has agreed to terms with the Mariners on a one-year contract for 2010.

Bedard, who turns 31 on March 5, was in Seattle undergoing a physical examination on Friday. The Mariners' medical staff was believed to be still evaluating test results on Friday, but an announcement of the deal could come as soon as Saturday, barring unforeseen issues.

According to Le Droit, a Canadian French-language newspaper in Ottawa — Bedard is from Navan, Ontario — the left-hander said he accepted a one-year deal with a base salary of $1.5 million. He can earn considerably more with incentives, likely based on how much he pitches and time spent on the active roster.

The paper quoted Bedard saying he "hopefully" could make "roughly the same" as the $7.5 million he earned last year if he hit all his incentives.

"I am truly happy. It was my first choice to return to Seattle," he told the newspaper in French. "I think the team will be really good this season. I very much like the direction the team is going."

Bedard underwent shoulder surgery in Los Angeles on Aug. 14, during which Dr. Lewis Yocum repaired a torn labrum, an injury that typically has a 10- to 12-month recovery period.

That means Bedard won't be ready for the start of the season, but could be a dynamic midseason addition to the rotation if his shoulder responds. Torn labrums, however, are notorious for being a problematic injury for a pitcher to come back from.

Who could blame him for wanting to stay in Seattle? With the team they have on paper so far, they look like a contender and if Bedard's healthy, he'll be part of probably one of the strongest starting rotations in the game.

Other Stuff:

• Roch Kubatko has more insight as to why Bedard would want to stay with Seattle.
  
• Dennis Sarfate - who was designated for assignment after Miguel Tejada re-joined the team - cleared waivers and will vie for a bullpen spot for the Orioles in Spring Training. He, for right now, has been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.
• Spencer Fordin has a piece on reliever Jim Johnson.
• Steve Melewski had a great post on his blog (via MASN) about the future of the Orioles payroll and the young players.
  
• These days, I have no idea why some players still dabble with PED's and substances banned by Major League Basbeall along with their minor league affiliates, but Orioleminor league pitcher Brian Parker was given a 50-game suspension. According to the Baltimore Sun, he was suspended for testing positive for a second time for drug violations.
• Former Oriole Larry Bigbie was inducted into the Ball State Hall of Fame for his baseball acheivements. It's too bad he never really made it the Baltimore organization. Fans seemed to like Larry and he was a nice guy; however, things didn't go as planned.
• Kevin Millar has signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs and will be given a chance to make the team out of Spring Training. I guess Millar's personality, clubhouse presence and the way he goes about himself has paid off. He's been given another chance to stick around in the majors.
  

From the Baltimore Sun:

The Babe Ruth Museum today announced it is postponing Friday's "Babe's Birthday Bash" event because of the inclement weather expected in the Baltimore area.

The new date for the Bash is next Friday (Feb. 12).

"Since weather forecasts are predicting the snow will begin Friday morning and continue through Saturday, we felt the appropriate thing to do was postpone the Bash by one week," said Mike Gibbons, executive director of the museum. "With the potential for 12 to 20 inches of snow, our thoughts immediately centered on the safety of our guests and we did not want anyone to put themselves at risk."

Well, it looks like the dream of Erik Bedard of being an Oriole again may be dead. Word is that he will probably return to the Mariners fairly soon...

From the Baltimore Sun (Pete's blog): MLB.com's Jim Street is reporting on his blog that the Mariners are closing in on a one-year deal with left-hander Erik Bedard worth $1.5 million and "a shipload of incentives." The base seems low, but it would be a reflection that Bedard probably won't be ready to pitch until midsummer.

Roch also has his say on the matter, as well as Pressbox's Pete Kerzel. All the chatter all came from a post from MLB.com's Jim Streeton his blog.

Too bad. However, considering Ben Sheets got $10 million to pitch for the A's & Rich Harden got $7 million from the Rangers, would not one think that Erik could hold out for more money? Granted, he may not be in their class as a starting pitcher, but maybe he likes Seattle.

As we know, if Bedard is healthy, he's a solid and top of the rotation guy. If he can go for Seattle with Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee in their starting corps, Seattle will be one hell of a tough team during the regular season and could rival any team in the playoffs -- at least on the mound.

Baltimore obviously could still use him and he would be a great addition to their rotation as well. As it is right now, it looks the Orioles will have Kevin Millwood, Jeremy Guthrie, Brad Bergesen, and presumably Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman slotted into starting roles.

Then again, considering his injury history - should the Orioles let another of their youngsters (Hernandez, Berken, etc.) sink or swim again at the major league level?

It's cold out right now and most -- if not all -- of the conversation on sports talk radio centers around the Super Bowl (with good reason); however, I guess now is a good time as any to see how the American League East may shape out this season.

As always, it will be one tough division.

Obviously, this is just an opinion, but the big dogs - the Yankees and Red Sox -- will finish in the top two spots. The Rays will finish a solid third, the Orioles fourth and the Jays fifth.

Here's the reasoning why the teams will place where they will and why.

• Boston Red Sox: I think this is the year they take the division. To begin with, they always have a fairly solid team, but they have added a bulldog pitcher - John Lackey - and have a starting rotation that can match the Yankees. Their offense suffered at times last season, but if David Ortiz can reclaim his career, if Adrian Beltre can benefit from Fenway and if Victor Martinez can continue to hit, they'll be difficult to beat. I think the Red Sox bullpen is fairly strong; however, Jonathan Papelbon did look shaky at times in 2009. All things considered, they still have a complete team and should win the division.
• The New York Yankees: Yes, they are the reigning World Champions, and yes, they do have C.C. Sabathia, Jeter, A-Rod, Mariano Rivera, Mark Teixiera and team full of other great players. Their problem is I see on the horizon: age. As talented as they are, the Yankees have several guys -- some of their top guys -- on the wrong side of 30. Everything came together for them last year, but I would think the issue of age, plus A-Rod's hip would have to play a role in how the they in 2010 and beyond. But, I do think at some point, some of their top guys will start to play their age than at continually at an elite level. I do think the addition of Javier Vasquez was a plus, but I have my doubts about Granderson in the Bronx and the loss of key guys - Damon and Matsui. Their bullpen is solid, and if Mariano is still healthy, then there's no reason to see why the Yankees won't win.
  
• Tampa Bay Rays: They have a nice young core, plus nice players in Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford - in which the last two could be traded if Tampa of the playoff hunt mid-season -- but, they don't have the firepower to contend with the Yankees. Tampa has some nice young starting pitching, but their bullpen seems to somewhat shaky, and their lineup is weak in comparison to New York and Boston. Sadly, because of money issues, they cannot build upon what they have for most part in the free agent market and have do everything from within.
  
• Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles seem to have a plan in place and young players to hopefully acheive their goals with. They won't contend in 2010, but if the youngsters play to their potential and the mainstays play as they always have, Andy MacPhail and the organization may a grab a free agent or two in the next off-season to put things seriously into high gear. The starting pitching will need to perform a lot better than last year, the starting lineup doesn't have a bopper, and while the bullpen may be better -- consistency will be the key.
  
• Toronto Blue Jays: Much like Baltimore, they have a young staff and they have a lot of potential. However, with Roy Halladay gone, a bloated lineup and lack of offense from some positions, in addition to rumored money problems, the Jays much like the Orioles are rebuilding. Toronto over the past several seasons have always seemed to put a competitive team on the field, but those days may be numbered for now.

Pitchers and catchers show up to Sarasota in a little more than two weeks, and it goes without saying, most fans are happy and ready for baseball at this time of year. Hope does really spring eternal, but as it is right now, the Orioles will more than likely finish up in the second division or close to .500.

Forget about contending this year or maybe in 2012; however, if the Orioles do show signs of improvement this season, then maybe they could finally spend the dollars and get a free agent or two.

Right now, the problem is that the Red Sox and the Yankees have finances and the wherewithal to seemingly do as they please. Then again, both teams -- especially the Red Sox -- are vey well run, so let's hope Andy MacPhail and the scouting can keep up with both of those organizations.

The Orioles have to keep piling up the prospects, finding young arms and players they can have under their control for many, many years. Defeating the Beats of the East won't be easy, but the organization does seem to be trending in the right direction.

Looking back though, although the Red Sox and Yankees have done exceedingly well with the wealth, talent and personnel they've acquired, much of the Orioles problems the have faced in the past decade have been their own doing.

Bad free agent signings, horrible drafts, trades, production of talent from the minors to an extent has led the organization to stand where they are today. In addition, once you add the deteroriation of a fan base over some time and attendance falling to less than two million last season, baseball seemed to be dying a slow death in Baltimore.

However, you cannot say within the past few seasons that the Orioles have improved leaps and bounds within their minor league system.

The organization has the tools, like youngsters Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold, and mainstays such as Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts; therefore, can the next step be taken towards respectability? They have the core, but can they stay consistent and keep up with the rest of the AL, especially the East.

Yes, a lot has to go right, but the Orioles seem to have a plan in place and young players to hopefully acheive their goals with. I don't see contention in '10, but they should not come close to losing 100 games again -- I hope.

Even though he's been gone from Baltimore since the 1996 season, former announcer Jon Miller still is remembered quite fondly by Oriole fans all over.

Now, he's being bestowed with a special honor -- the National Baseball Hall of Fame has selected him as the 2010 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award.

Although Miller can still be heard with the San Francisco Giants and seen on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, the man should have still been retained with Baltimore.

I'm sure a lot of Orioles fans feel the same way right now. Seeing and hearing Miller today, it still looks like he's having fun and that voice...

Below is a video I found on Youtube from 1989 profiling Jon Miller and his work with the Orioles. In the video, you'll see a younger Joe Angel, who despite several decades doesn't look much different.

It looks like Melvin Mora has officially moved on from the Orioles. Today, he signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Rockies.

From the Rockies MLB Website: The Rockies agreed a one-year, $1.275 million deal with infielder Melvin Mora on Sunday, pending the results of a physical, Major League sources told MLB.com.

Signing Mora, a two-time All-Star who turns 38 on Tuesday, means the Rockies have the right-handed-hitting utility player they've been seeking this winter. They've also signed left-handed-hitting Jason Giambi.

Mora, a career .278 hitter who hit .260 with eight home runs and 48 RBIs for the Orioles last season, appeared in 124 games at third in 2009, giving the team an experienced third baseman to step in, should Ian Stewart be injured or need to be spelled against left-handed pitching. Mora, who has also seen time at shortstop, can also spell Troy Tulowitzki, has extensive experience in center field, and has worked at second base.

Did Father Time catch up with Mora? Yes.

Did he pop off his mouth at inopportune times? Definitely.

However, he was one of the few Orioles who made his home in the region full-time and made himself part of the community through his charity work. Therefore, I respect him a ton.

It's too bad he could not finish his career in Baltimore; however, maybe down the road, he'll be inducted into the team Hall of Fame and have some type of role in the organization.