Compiling a 29-25 record over two months was enough for Orioles brass to remove the interim tag from manager Dave Trembley’s neck Wednesday, as Sam Perlozzo’s replacement was given an extension through 2008 with a club option in 2009. That Baltimore’s recently respectable stint neatly coincided with Eric Bedard’s emergence as one of the league’s more dominant starters, can’t be discounted. Though even Davey Johnson knows the O’s weren’t gonna make Bedard player-manager.
Later in the day, Trembley’s pitching staff provided their own special brand of congratulations to the skipper by allowing 30 runs on 29 hits to the visiting Rangers. Texas’ output was the most prodigious in 110 years, and if that wasn’t crazy enough, not one Rangers hitter was knocked down.
Though the Roy Hobbs comparisons have been foisted on Rick Ankiel a few times this month, Oakland’s Jack Cust might feel a bit slighted. The much-traveled Cust hit a 2-run HR off A.J. Burnett earlier today in Oakland’s 4-1 win at Toronto. The A’s Esteban Loaiza, making his first start of ’07, was nothing short of masterful, allowing no serious damage besides a solo HR to Aaron Hill over 7.2 IP.
Though it made little difference given the room service, would-be DP ball hit a few moments later, one of the day’s low moments for the hosts came when Frank Thomas was thrown out trying to advance from first to second on a Greg Zaun line drive…to fairly deep right field. Granted, the Big Hurt had to hold up to see if Zaun’s hit was gonna be caught, but I’m pretty sure several members of the Molina family are getting ready to challenge Thomas to a footrace for charity.
Today marked my first visit to the former Skydome in some 9 years (what’s the matter, Liz, can’t they grow real grass in Canada?), and I’m happy to report that if you’re sitting in the 200 seats, it is impossible to tell if anyone is having sex in the Renaissance Hotel. Not without very powerful binoculars, anyhow.