Best News I've Seen in Some Time

In a rare classy move on the part of the Baltimore Orioles' organization, the World Series winners of 1970 were brought back today for a special 40th anniversary celebration.

As part of a panel, Davey Johnson faced the media.

When asked about the possibility of managing the O's, Davey said, "I have not been contacted, but I will always have interest in Baltimore." He later said, "Anything is possible."

Angelos/MacPhail seem to have zero interest in bringing back the great Davey Johnson and lifting the 13-year curse that befell the team with Davey's forced "resignation," but this offered a small glimmer of hope, right?

Well, maybe not, but let me dream ...

A Grim Reminder

Bobby Valentine's recent comments about the available job as O's skipper were painful to read. Anyone reading between the lines (and you really didn't have to look that carefully) was able to surmise not only that Bobby V. had no interest in accepting the job, but that he thought the Orioles were far from righting the ship.

Once again, the Orioles are in the typical position of not even being able to lure talent to this city. It's a vicious cycle. Top names won't come here till things get better ... and things won't get better till top names start signing here. Look, I'm not saying Bobby Valentine is the answer to any of the team's problems (although he's a clear upgrade on Dave Trembley), but the fact remains that this organization is continually spurned by the best available options. 

Why is Eric Wedge such an interesting choice? He did post some good records in Cleveland, but has a .495 winning percentage in the majors.

Is Davey Johnson primed for a return to Baltimore? Davey Johnson, of course, was the last manager to win in Baltimore, and owns a career .564 winning percentage. And the hire of Davey Johnson would - of course - break the curse that his "resignation" (read "firing") put on this organization.

Still, there are factors working against him. There's his age (he's 67). There's his job with the up-and-coming Nats. But most problematic is his well-known adversarial relationship with Peter Angelos. It's been said they've made amends, but still, Angelos is not the type to make that hire. He's no George Steinbrenner (and how sad is it that this is a BAD thing?). 

But one thing this whole managerial search has once again proved is that the O's are a second-rate organization getting second-rate talent. How depressing.