(Peter Angelos is said to have “personal affection” for this lucky, lucky man)

While Buster Olney has been online and on the radio today touting a probable managerial change in Baltimore (with Joe Girardi topping the list of likely candidates to replace Sam Perlozzo), the Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck reminds us “for all the talk about Peter Angelos’ supposed volatility and vindictiveness, he has never had a quick hook.”

Even when he openly feuded with Davey Johnson in 1997, it was Johnson who actually fired himself at the end of a season in which he was named American League Manager of the Year — resigning after Angelos did not respond to his demand for a contract extension. The only time Angelos has fired a manager in the middle of a contract was two years ago, when he jettisoned Lee Mazzilli the same week that Rafael Palmeiro was suspended for a positive steroid test.

The situation is complicated by something that was not a problem when Johnson walked a decade ago or when Mazzilli was sent home from Anaheim in August 2005. Angelos has a personal affection for Perlozzo that has made him even more reluctant than usual to push the button on a managerial change.

Economic considerations and other contingencies also have given Angelos pause. Perlozzo has the rest of this year and all of next year remaining on his contract, which means the Orioles would have to pay him through the end of 2008. In addition, the club likely would have to buy out the contract of pitching coach Leo Mazzone, who is signed through next year and presumably would not want to stay around after the removal of the longtime friend who brought him into the organization.

In all, the Orioles would be on the hook for about $1.5 million, which doesn’t sound like that much until you put it on top of the $7.5 million they’re paying Kris Benson to recover from surgery this season and the $3 million they spent on injured pitcher Jaret Wright.

Arizona completed a three game sweep at Camden Yards with this afternoon’s 6-4 defeat of the O’s, as Chad Bradford, Jamie Walker and Brian Roberts (a crucial throwing error) conspired to squander a a decent outing by Brian Burres (7 IP, 3 earned runs, 9 K’s). The rookie starter retired 15 in a row at one point before the Birds’ pen did their part to ensure Baltimore’s 8th straight loss.