interloper

It really, really sucks.

Hm, well I stand corrected. Looks like the Sox don't either, but it's a vast majority, and every game is at least on radio, which I'm glad the O's are doing this year. I would watch every single spring training game (or archive of it later that night) like my life depended on it. Because I am just that ready for baseball by this point each year. I'm not this way for the regular season, but I will voraciously consume Orioles ST baseball even if it's just the scrubbiest of scrub travel lineups.

Absolutely. Yankees and Red Sox among others.

I believe he's a AAA Nats guy? If it's this guy: https://espnmediazone.com/us/bios/kevin-brown/

Sure. I think the big takeaway here is that Joe wants to exit on good terms, and he went all in on praising the Orioles when saying goodbye. If folks want to create drama, they can feel free I suppose, but Joe wants a classy exit and that's how I'm going to view it because that's what he wants. It seems to me that there's enough of his own hesitance about continuing here to basically throw out any controversy. The guy is ok with hanging it up. Anyway, it's going to be an interesting piecemeal kind of season with Melewski for 16 games and some ex-Orioles joining the broadcast it seems. That's at least more interesting than Hunter and Bordick all season.

“I feel great about it. After 42 years of doing that, I think that’s enough. I think I’ve had my time. I think it’s a good idea to let a young guy have a chance to do what I’ve done for 42 years. The Orioles have been fantastic. This is something that has been in the works for several months. We finally came to the point where both the Orioles and I agreed this was a good time to say goodbye. I’m looking forward to it. I don’t know what it feels like yet, but I can’t wait to find out. I’m going to miss all of it. But I think it’s time. “When the game starts, you try to talk to one person. If you do that, you talk to a lot of people at the same time. All the great comments on Twitter and the Internet and the phone calls that I’ve heard, it’s been flattering. It’s a reminder how people feel about you and it’s humbling. I’m going to miss the everyday communication and the banter, but I think it’s time and I think it’s good for everyone concerned.” http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2019/02/after-19-years-in-the-booth-joe-angel-had-a-classy-goodbye-for-os-fans.html What a cool quote.

Which is fine, if true. It doesn't need to be some big controversy or anything. Guy had a great run.

That's an improvement, so credit there. However, every single game should be televised, IMO. As other RSN's do.

Retiring. We'll miss you Joe!

We shall see! Buck also said this, although I tend to believe Hyde more just because he's younger and probably gets it.

"Caleb Joseph remains unsigned after the Orioles non-tendered him, but he won’t return. This is guaranteed." http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2019/02/springing-ahead-to-the-start-of-camp.html He does not elaborate.

Nice get here. Pays to be aggressive with claiming/DFAing sometimes. Not that this guy is anything to write home about. I just like when we get (essentially) free young players who don't take up 40-man spots.

I like it, he seems to be settling in. I like the thing about having the minor league coaches stick around and absorb the New Deal.

Buck was the best bullpen manager the team had seen in decades, certainly of the modern bullpen era. That's what makes his Ubaldo move all the more tough to swallow.

Maybe. IMO there is no higher leverage than tied on the road in extra innings in the playoffs. You play your best guys to extend the game at any cost. You figure out protecting a lead when you have one.

He'd probably like to take that one back considering it single-handedly brought his record into the red.

It's supremely ironic that it was managing to the save stat that resulted in the worst managerial decision of Showalter's career.

That's because there's not enough of a sample size yet to have actual evidence.

It's odd that we haven't heard anything about this yet with spring games fast approaching.

I would very much agree with what Susac did here. Go home and take care of business with your arm in a cast. No brainer.

What this means is that, on the team selection screen in MLB The Show, it will now show the bird as you cycle through and land on the Orioles, instead of the dumb letters. This is fantastic news.

I encourage folks to find a cheap trial for The Athletic. There's a great Connolly interview with Elias up right now. Here are three excerpts without totally copy/pasting the article. There are tons of questions and Elias, as usual, answers them impressively and as honestly as possible. https://theathletic.com/810663/

69 wins. nice

That's one way to put it, I guess. Hyde did say he wanted good baserunning.