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As you all probably know, the Baltimore Orioles held a press conference at 3pm today to re-introduce Miguel Tejada to Birdland. If you were at work -- like I was -- the press conference was online at orioles.com, mlb.com and wjz.com.
From what I saw via the Internet, both Tejada and MacPhail said all the right things and looked to be on the same page. I was happy to hear that Tejada was happy to have been invited back to Baltimore, and much like all of us fans, he wants to be part of a winner.
The man said he's willing to work at becoming a third baseman and obviously help out the Orioles.
From the Sports Network: The two sides came to terms on a one-year contract last week, pending a physical for Tejada, who will be plugged in at the hot corner in 2010 for the first time in his career after 13 seasons at shortstop.
Tejada said while he knows it's a different position, he was open to playing at either third or short coming into the offseason.
"It's not going to be an easy thing to do, but I'll have a lot of time to work with the coaches," Tejada said.
The 35-year-old gets to make the transition with his former club, as he returns to Baltimore after spending the last two seasons in Houston. He played for the Orioles from 2004-07 before being traded to the Astros for five players, including current Baltimore designated hitter Luke Scott.
Tejada said Tuesday he followed the Orioles while he was with Houston, and is happy to be back in Baltimore, where he can easily transition into familiar surroundings. Moreover, Tejada said it's a chance for him to be on a winning Orioles team, as they were never above .500 in his first stint.
"It's not about me, it's about everybody," Tejada said. "Now they have pitching, outfielding, young talent. They don't have to do too much to be a winner here."
Obviously, he's only going to be an Oriole for a year -- or even just part of the season -- unless another plan unfolds. However, let's hope his words today can turn into action over the 2010 season.
I'll be also be intrigued as to where he'll bat in the lineup. Does he bat in the two-hole, or further down -- like in the 5th spot or so? Certainly, despite some cyncism from a few people, he definitely will make the Baltimore offense better.
On top of the news today, Ben Sheets -- a pitcher who I was really intrigued with -- signed with the A's. They agreed on $10 million, one-year contract for the oft-injured, but talented hurler. He was not coming to Baltimore at all, and for the amount of money Oakland signed him for, he'd better stay healthy.
Assuming Sheets can still pitch and stay in shape, I'd imagine the A's would flip him for draft picks if he has a solid year at the trade deadline and they are out of the playoff hunt.
We are probably about three weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting to camp, and a name that keeps popping up in discussions about the pitching is Erik Bedard. Based on some of the discussions during the fan forums on Saturday – especially with Andy MacPhail/Dave Trembley along with the press – the former Oriole still is on the team's radar.
However, listening to 105.7 this morning on my way into work, and also what I got from FanFest, no one really knows if Bedard is ready to come back or if he’s fully healthy, but he should be able to pitch in the early part of 2010.
Then again, he’s not said much – if anything all – nor, have I heard his name elsewhere when it comes to rumors.
Well, I can understand the aversion to Bedard -- he seems to be a surly guy, always seemed to be hurt, a lot of people in the media sound like they don’t care for him, and didn't seem to be willing to go deep into games. However, he can pitch – when motivated or healthy.
It looks like Miguel Tejada according to Roch will be flying into Baltimore today to have his physical. Thereafter, the team will hold a press conference at 3pm to be shown on MASN.
There’s just very little upside in any of these deals. Even in a best case scenario, Tejada and Millwood continue to be above average players, make the team good enough to fight the Rays for third place in the AL East, and then file for free agency again next year. Or, I guess, you could hope to trade them at the deadline for a prospect if they’re playing well, but then that raises the question of why the team didn’t just take the $15 million they gave those two and plow it into the draft and international free agents in the first place.
This just isn’t the off-season that I thought the Orioles had in them. This is a safe, low risk, low upside winter that doesn’t really change the fate of the franchise much at all. They got a little bit better for next year, but lost an opportunity to really help the 2011/2012 teams that could actually be quite good.
I brought this up, not to bury him; he makes good points. However, I do disagree. While the Orioles offseason has not been the headline-grabbing juggernaut that some thought it might be I feel the Orioles offseason has been fine. I think the moves we made are fine complementary moves. The key word there is complementary. These moves are made to compliment the development of our younger players, something Mr. Cameron virtually ignores in his text.
Maybe his projection don't show him a vastly different team from last year. But he doesn't really go into all of that. He is right in the consideration that these moves alone will have a negligible effect on the 2010, I don't think anyone can deny that. but I fail to see how Adrian Beltre was a lock to do that much better. I have said it before and I will say it here one more time: Success in 2010 is not tied to any one or, in this case, group of moves it will pretty much rely on the progression of the yung players on this roster.
Miguel Tejada is a one-year stop gap to keep the bag warm for Josh Bell. Kevin Millwood is there to take the pressure of of Matusz, Tillman and Hernandez (if he makes the rotation). Garrett Atkins is a reclamation project who has had more success than Beltre and could easily have just a big a year with a change of scenery.
While we are on the subject, can someone please explain to me why so many people seem to be all over a guy who is considered to be one of the largest free-agent busts of all time? Honestly, I have a feeling that Garrett Atkins is more likely to bounce back than Adrian Beltre.
It looks like Anita and CBS Radio -- who employed her -- could not come to agreement on a new contract. Too bad, as I think her show with Scott Garceau made for some interesting banter at times.
I know a lot of people derided Anita for always talking about her Miami ties and lack of Baltimore Sports knowledge at times -- especially when it came to the Orioles; however, she was rarely ever boring and always shared her opinion emphatically.
Good luck, Anita.
Note: I know she had her faults, but based on the vast majority of reader comments from an article in the Baltimore Sun, few are giving her any praise at all.
What a game I just saw with the Saints and Vikings -- that was one hell of an overtime thriller.
Then again, if this is Brett Favre's last game, did he ever go out in style. However, I can imagine he will be thinking about that last interception he threw in the 4th quarter for the rest of his time on earth...
I'm going to say it right now -- I'm rooting for the Saints all the way. Nothing against the Colts or Peyton Manning, but if there's any city that deserves a championship, it's New Orleans.
Just here watching some of the NFC Championship football game and I wanted to get a greater perspective as to what the various blogs and websites are saying about the Tejada deal.
I'm really quite amazed as to what I found at least in the hour I spent searching. It seems that the vast majority of Baltimore blogs want Tejada on the team; meanwhile, most of the Astros blogs are actually kind of glad he's gone.
The Houston blogs have really nothing against Tejada, but a few wanted to see some prospects play in the big leagues rather than see him take a roster spot.
Unless you’ve been under a rock or out of the country for the past 24 hours, most know by now that the Orioles have re-signed Miguel Tejada to a one-year, $6 million deal with incentives.
Obviously, since the Orioles have Cesar Izturis at shortstop, Miguel Tejada will more than likely play third base.
As most remember, when he was with in Baltimore during his first stint, he objected to a position change and considered himself to be a viable major league shortstop; however, during the past few years with the Astros, his range – according to most scouts – had slipped.
Amazingly, he was still available into late January – a shocker to me; however, the trend over the past few years (especially with the decrease of steroid use in the game), teams are avoiding older players in favor of younger ones. That being said, the Orioles had a need, Tejada needed a job and both sides came to an agreement.
It will be interesting to see how Tejada does at third, considering he’s been a major league shortstop for his entire career. I know he played third at the World Baseball Classic in 2009, but never for an extended period of time.
The good thing with Tejada is the the bat is still there. Although he’s not the same player that he was when he first signed with Baltimore, he did hit .313 last year with 14 homers and 46 doubles. Then again, keep in mind he played half his games in Houston’s Minute Maid Park – a hitter’s haven.
His numbers at the plate have dipped in the past few years, but he’s been durable and can produce at the plate.
Over the past few days, I’ve been reading pretty much all the blogs, plus news sites for varying opinions of Teajda. Some like him and his bat, some are indifferent, some think he was a great teammate, while some just didn’t care for him to ever return to Baltimore.
Considering what was left on the market at third and first base, signing Tejada for one year will not be a death knell for the Orioles; in fact, it could only help the offense. Baltimore needs all the offensive firepower it can get considering they play in AL East, and Tejada’s signing will hopefully fortify a lineup with a lot of youth, but amazing potential.
Really, I know a lot of people have criticized Tejada for his drug use, his sometimes apathetic nature, some of his lies, but from what I saw out of him in Baltimore, he’s a man – much like the departed Mora – with a sense of immense pride.
I can also mention he’s been through a lot with his trial for perjury, the age thing, scrunity into his drug use and also the death of his brother; therefore, it might be safe to assume he’s a far different person than he was a few seasons ago. The Orioles are a different organization now, and perhaps the infusion of youth will embolden Tejada to be a spark for everyone.
(To read the log of tweets from Fan Fest, check out our Twitter Page...)
Yesterday was a big day.
First off, fanfest was hugely entertaining and successful. According to the Orioles over 12,000 people filed into the Baltimore Convention Center downtown to grab some swag and talk shop with other O's fans. After the morning Q+A session with Andy MacPhail and Dave Trembley, a wonderful complete recap can be seen right here, my friends and I pondered what to do next.
Barry got in line to grab a Nick Markakis signature and the rest of us aided our friend Matt's quest for as many O's car magnets as possible. Esskay booth - two magnets; Chik Fil A booth - five more magnets; Back up-stairs at the entrance - five more magnets. More on this later.
Fanfest is always sort of a nomadic thing for me, I prefer to wander around and find adventure as it comes (wandering around netted us four more magnets). After buying a great 1960 score card (Senators v Orioles, Orioles won) and grabbing some free stuff from the free stuff line ('09 Orioles yearbook and size small Ryan Freel shirts, HOLY CRAP! But surprisingly no magnets) We decided to forgo the high priced concessions and trek across the street to the Pratt St Ale House. A very nice place, a little more formal than Pickles or Sliders, but still a comfy local establishment.
After we had our fill we pondered our next move. Upstairs at the convention center there sat two autograph stations and a room full of memorabilia. The memorabilia in this case was game-worn unis of former Orioles for super cheap. Even the pants. Seriously, the table said "Used Pants $15". The silent auction showcased some fine items including a 50th anniversary autograhed bat. The bat was signed by virtually every great Oriole in history and pulled in an easily over $500. All the proceeds from the auction were going to UNICEF's on-going Haiti campaign. Portions of the gate and concession sales also were going to Haiti moreover the Orioles were matching all money raised that day. With 12,000 fans in attendance I am sure that hundreds of thousands of dollars will be going to a fantastic cause.
Matt, his brother Brian, Josh and myself decided to grab an autograph or two while we were near the station. The new autograph policy was either annoying or exciting depending on who you asked. No one knew who would be signing until one hour prior to that signing. So if you were looking for the four o'clock signing, they would be announced at three. Then you would have to be one of the first 250 to queue up and then the line would be closed. I liked the idea, in theory. I have been to autograph signings and waited in line for hours only to have the session end with me nowhere near the front. With this system, if you were in the line, you were getting an autograph no matter how long it took, which usually wasn't that bad. And because of that the atmosphere in the line was a bit more relaxed. Friends and family that were separated were allowed to move around, within reason, people could get out of line to go to the bathroom without fear of reprisal.
My girlfriend Kate, saying she did not feel like spending two hours in line, trotted off somewhere else. But man did she get me. She got in the Matt Wieters line downstairs and was able to score me a nice, fresh, Matt Wieters ball. I am a lucky man I tell you what.
My friends and I were treated to three young stars: Josh Bell, Jason Berken and Brad Bergesen. The one thing that struck me about all the players at fanfest was they all seemed just delighted to be there. Berken and Bergesen were joking around with the fans. Bell was genuinely trying to have conversations with people as he signed various balls and bats. On the subject of Bell for a second, when he does make his way to the Orioles he will definitely hold the record for most ink on the team. Bell is rocking the full sleeve.
Most of the key players on the team were in attendance. Roberts, Jones and Markakis (who looks like he spent the winter in a cabin living off of "varmints") were their normal jovial selves at their forums. Guthrie and Berken challenged kids at Guitar Hero all day. Dave was nothing but smiles. It was a good day.
At 5:00 the time came for the "Blogging the Birds" forum hosted by MASN's Steve Melewski.The last forum of the day was still well attended and it was a lot of fun. Frankly, being up there I was a bit nervous at first. But I settled in nicely and fielded questions like a pro. A huge thanks to the Orioles for allowing us to do that. The Orioles are not obligated in anyway to show us the kindness they did yesterday and last year.
The day though can honestly be divided in half. There was the part before the announcement, and then after. Right in the middle of the day it was leaked that the Orioles signed Miguel Tejada to a one-year deal. And the news rippled through the crowd. Honestly I saw nothing but faces light up at the sound of the news. All of the sudden fans seemed genuinely excited at the prospect of Tejada coming back.
The question was posed our forum and the panel seemed rather non-plussed about the whole affiar. Stacey from Camden Chat seemed downright against it. In her view every Miguel Tejada is "taking at bats away from Felix Pie, Michael Aubrey and Brandon Snyder." To her signing both Garrett Atkins and Miguel Tejada is "redundant". I didn't respond at the time because I didn't want to monopolize the forum with this issue but I really disagree with that assertion.
Miguel Tejada is not blocking any one that we can look at right now and say "this guy is the future". Michael Aubrey projects out to be a back-up at best. Yes he had a fine September and I like him as well, but I am not counting on Michael Aubrey being the Opening Day first baseman. And if we were counting on Aubrey being that then we are in real trouble. Snyder is intriguing but we really need to see what he can do in AAA. As for the Pie situation, we are less than a month from "pitchers and catchers" and Felix Pie is still struggling with a quadricep injury and at last check was not running at "full-speed" the same can be said for Nolan Reimold and his injury. Can we really sit here and rely on them at this point?
While we are on the subject of Pie. I love Pie, I want Pie to succeed and I want to seem him play more on this team. But right now he is blocked by a superior bat in Reimold and a superior all-around player in Jones. If Pie has a future on this team it is as a fourth outfielder for right now, but that can change in a heartbeat.
The thing that makes the Tejada deal good is the contract. One year, six million dollars with incentives that could make it seven. Not only it is a great money-wise but this could be a very easy contract to move in the middle of the year if Josh Bell is tearing through minor leagues. This is an all-around good move for the Orioles. Tejada's bat in the lineup makes the offense much more competitive and while he may have some defensive struggles at third to start I believe that Tejada is a good enough defensive baseball player that he will figure it out and be at least above league average.
All in all it was another great Fanfest. My band of fans left as the staff was striking the booths and sets. Matt went off to find more magnets, having collected roughly two dozen that day on his own. He returned with his brother each carrying a small box with giant grins on their faces. Each box contained 300 (!) magnets. For 20 dollars Matt had secured over 600 magnets. Look out for the "O-mobile" this summer, trust me you will know it when you see it.
(video from the Baltimore Sun - players' reaction to Tejada coming back to Baltimore...)
(To read the log of tweets from Fan Fest, check out our Twitter Page...)
For a long time, the resounding notion amongst some in the area was that fans really don't care much about Orioles baseball anymore because of the losing for the past twelve years.
Despite the dwindling attendance at Oriole Park for several years and the bashing of the organization -- deserved or not -- has received, fans do very much care about Baltimore baseball based on the turnout at today's Fan Fest. Although were in the dead of winter here, people were happy to see some reminder of baseball in the region along with the black and orange again.
More than 12,000 fans showed up at the annual event this year. This time around, FanFest was held at the Baltimore Convention Center rather than at Camden Yards, and was held today rather than in April because the Orioles open the season at Tampa. It didn't make much sense to fly home to hold the event in April and then fly back to Florida.
The Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck predicted that a player would be introduced to Baltimore this weekend in a blog post, and he was right on the money. Fans at the event found out through the word of mouth, texts, and emails that Miguel Tejada would be coming back on a one-year deal to Baltimore for a second tour of duty.
Based on talking with other bloggers towards the end of the day, the reaction ranged from happiness such as "yes, the Orioles did well and it was a good signing", to indignation, plus the sounds of "why again -- he's old?"
In about two-and-half months, we'll see if Tejada can deliver and help the team improve, or if his signing was another in a long line of many with the Orioles over the current losing spell that will prove to be ill-advised. The million dollar is question is aside from Miguel being able to still produce -- which he probably will in one shape or another -- can he even play third?
As well, the Orioles trotted out their new additions -- Mike Gonzalez, Kevin Millwood and Garrett Atkins.
For fans, Saturday was fun as they got to see pretty much the entire team in one fashion or another with the various forums that took place on the main stage, during autograph sessions and demonstrations on a practice field. As well, team executives, the press, old-school Orioles participated in Q&A sessions with those in attendance, plus the were a multitude of vendors, memorabilia sales, and games set up for kids at the convention center.
It was great to see the players relaxed and in street clothes for the event. Considering it is off-season, many of the players didn't feel the need to abide the team's grooming policy and quite a few really looked different than the norm. Two men in particular stood out -- Luke Scott and Nick Markakis.
Seriously, Luke Scott looked like he was trying out for Hugh Jackman's role in 'X-Men", while Markakis sported a beard (um, looked really looked like a grifter or perhaps a rabbi...)
Aside from everything else listed above, the Orioles also included a select group of bloggers to participate during Fan Fest as well. My tag team partner James represented the blog, and the panel included Stacey Long from Camden Chat, Neal from the Loss Column, Chris from Baltimore Sports and Life, and last, but not least, Kate Wheeler along with Steve Melewski from MASN Sports (who was the moderator).
The Baltimore Orioles should be given a credit for realizing that the online community can play a vital part in the dissemination of news, commentary and analysis. They extended their hand out to bloggers to be part of things, and I'm sure everyone who took the in the event was greatly appreciative.
This year's Fan Fest surely did create a lot of buzz along with tons of excitement. With the New Year, fans seemed to forgive the past -- if only for Saturday -- and look toward the future.
Whether or not it's bright or a gilded one, we'll find out in October when the 2010 season ends.
For inquires, feel free to email me at mdguy2415@aol.com or follow me on Twitter under the username oriolepost. You can also join My Facebook blog page here!
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We are probably about three weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting to camp, and a name that keeps popping up in discussions about the pitching is Erik Bedard. Based on some of the discussions during the fan forums on Saturday – especially with Andy MacPhail/Dave Trembley along with the press – 
Just here watching some of the NFC Championship football game and I wanted to get a greater perspective as to what the various blogs and websites are saying about the Tejada deal.
Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. Here are some of our high-priority areas that we're specifically looking to grow. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 