I am not a traitor.
Although, I admit, this might not look too good.
I’ve been sitting around for weeks waiting for the Baltimore Orioles to just get on with things and re-sign Nick Markakis.
How hard can it be? It’s not like he’s asking for $300 million. Or, 13 years.
Really, guys, sign someone. Anyone.
But, mostly Nick.
This happens every year. Thanksgiving comes. Thanksgiving goes. Christmas comes. Christmas goes. New Year’s …
Other teams spend money. The Orioles sit tight.
Patience is not my strong suit.
I was planning on a silent protest. Not saying a word on here until the Orioles did something.
(I know, that’d show ‘em.)
But, I miss you. So, I’m cancelling the boycott.
So, here’s the traitor thing. With no Orioles news to report, this post is about the Boston Red Sox.
As an Orioles fan, I’ve got no love for the Red Sox. Those are the rules.
That’s why I post this video from 2011, the only highlight in a lousy Orioles season, on here from time to time.
Just to relive a moment when we weren’t supposed to, but we beat the Red Sox anyway.
This weekend, the Red Sox apparently spent nearly $200 million to sign free agents Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval. (Why, Panda, why?)
And, they’ve still got money to throw around.
The Orioles swept up a few minor leaguers last week, which is sweet and all, sort of like a hot night out at the Dollar Store. But, it’s always so sad to watch the free agent list scroll by … “nope” … “nope” … “can’t afford him” … “nope” … “nope” … “too expensive.”
Bye, bye Andrew Miller. Bye, bye, Nelson Cruz, too. (Probably.) We’ll miss you.
I hate all this off-season money business. But, this post isn’t about money.
(Well, it’s not anymore.)
In September, my Red Sox-loving, baseball guru Jay arranged for us to go down on the field for batting practice when the Sox played the Orioles at Camden Yards.
So, while I wait for the Orioles to get Nick to sign on the dotted line, here are the Red Sox doing Yoga.
Second baseman Mookie Betts was so joyful in his stretch that this photo has become one of my favorites.
© The Baseball Bloggess
Mookie Betts doing a modified “Cat Tail Asana.”
© The Baseball Bloggess
Ryan Lavarnway moving into “Supta Padangusthasana.” (That’s fancy talk for leg stretch.)
© The Baseball Bloggess
Jackie Bradley, Jr. reaching into “Janu Sirsasana.” (That’s head to knee pose.)
How can I dislike a team that has a Mookie doing Yoga?
Now, how about some “Free Agent Sign-asana”, Orioles, so I can stop writing about the Red Sox?
© The Baseball Bloggess
Photos: Red Sox vs. Orioles, September 20, 2014 & Royals vs. Orioles (ALCS Game 2), October 11, 2014. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore. © The Baseball Bloggess
The Baseball Bloggess 
Really Jackie? The Red Sox? I know the wait for spring training to start can get on one’s nerves, but isn’t this blog a bit of a — wait for it — stretch? :)
Ahh, Gloria … I just wanted to find a reason to post that photo of Mookie Betts doing Yoga. Red Sox or not, it’s one of my favorites! :)
Take comfort in the fact that the Sox over payed for both players and will probably be desperate to dump both contracts in a couple of years.
Well, the Orioles had a few fun months with Andrew Miller, when the Sox cleaned house last season. Maybe we’ll get some cast-offs next season, too.
The BoSox still need someone to throw the ball. Hang in there.
v
Yikes, how can they still have money lying around to pay Jon Lester? And, I think they’re one of the 10 teams in the mix to get Andrew Miller. The O’s usually don’t do anything until January. The fact that they re-signed J.J. Hardy during the playoffs was not a reflection of awkward timing on their part, or a fear that that the Yankees would snap him up in free agency. It was that the O’s began the extension negotiations with Hardy during spring training and everything takes 8 months with the O’s. OK, I’ll sit tight! :)
As one of my friends, a lifelong Dodgers fan and very knoweldgeagble baseball fan, told me today, if anyone wanted to mess things up, sign Ramirez. He’ll find a way to lose games, mostly by dogging it or creating unnecessary problems. He must be right, because I agree with him. I would not want that player on the Bay Area teams. No thanks. As for Sandoval, what are you going to do? Nobody will like him as much as Giants fans did. But that’s not what this is all about.
Good to see you back at it. BTW, I was in your town and saw your ballpark. The same day that the Giants and The Orioles were supposed to be playing in the World Series. See “But I Got Time to Hear His Story.”
I’m really sad about everything I’m reading about Sandoval. That the Giants went to $95MM/5 years and invited Panda to come back to the table … suggesting that $100MM/5 was not out of the question. So that he signed for $98MM/5 with the Red Sox, without allowing the Giants one final offer, is sad. I guess he figures that he is heir-apparent to Ortiz … the DH job must look mighty sweet to him. On the plus side, I’ll get to see more of him in the AL East … won’t be cheering though!
Yes, I saw you were in Baltimore, we could have met at the game! :) Even though we live 3 hours away from Baltimore and the Nationals are actually an hour closer to us (and the Giant’s AA team the Richmond Flying Squirrels are two hours closer) … Birdland is my baseball “home”.
verdun2 is right; the Red Sox may be saying goodbye to their ace, Lester. “Why, Panda, why?” Money talks, lesser compensation runs the marathon is the free agent market. Pablo won three World Series titles with the Giants, so if you attend a Red Sox game at Camden Yard, I expect you to merely cover your face with your program when he bats. You may boo the rest of the Sox. Popi and Panda, I like the way that rolls out. Happy tofurkey day!
Kevin Gausman is going to own Panda. I’m looking forward to that.
There was something more than $$ at play with Sandoval. The Red Sox went $98MM/5 years while the Giants were clear that they could go to $100MM/5. I think that Panda likes the idea of being DH some day.
I’d never boo Pablo Sandoval … but, no more cheers from me.
Oh, in case you were wondering … David Ortiz appears to be exempt from pre-game Yoga practice. Because you know I would have gotten a photo of that! Tofurkey is thawing. And, snow is coming. Hope Thanksgiving is good in your world too!
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I’m into communism; not the corrupt kind, but the sharing pizza and medical care for all, but if the Red Sox or Yankees or Dodgers lose their money and stop spending it on whoever is available, baseball might lose darth vader and star wars without darth vader would be kind of not star wars or really boring in my opinion.
Or probably when you’re team has no money or refuses to spend any, this type of thinking is a survival reflex to keep one from plucking hairs out their head, but I can’t think of anything more satisfying than a pitcher drafted and developed by a team who plays out those 5 years or whatever until free agency. A pitcher or third baseman or any position. I will always love how Milwaukee handled Prince Fielder; milking him form draft day thru minor leagues and all of his 50 homer seasons and reaching NLCS in 2011 and then setting him free. San Francisco is lucky,
I agree with you … because the Orioles always seem to do better with home-grown talent. Free Agency for the Orioles is really a late January saunter down the “Scratch and Dent” aisle. Sometimes we get lucky (Nelson Cruz), sometimes the dents can’t be polished out (Ubaldo Jimenz) (although, I’m not giving up hope … because we spent a lot for his scratches and dents).
But, our frugal ways will be considered genius when we win the World Series in 2015. :)
Baseball yoga. Very nice, as they say. Still a Red Sox fan. They will rise again. Someday. So will the Orioles. Maybe.
I think the Red Sox will be a tough team in 2016 … they finished very strong and looked like a team primed for the future. Not so sure about the Orioles. :(
I’ve softened on the Red Sox over the past couple years. Here’s proof — I even named my new cat for one of ’em: https://thebaseballbloggess.com/2015/09/27/three-mookies/
I just like the hats. And the green wall. Smooches to your cat.