Loewen could give Orioles ultimate bad appearance

Tough break, and better luck with the next player you're trying to keep, or attract.

[golfers in the hood]

wa' sup bro? didnt know how to use the race card on this story?

[fkterp]

they did release though. so he was fair game for anyone. and the orioles with 10 or 11 straight losing seasons in a row aren't the most attractove organization to be with.

[Birds_Fan_from_B ethesda]

There's no getting around the fact that this is an embarrassment to the organization. Loewen's situation makes him different from the typical player who gets released and is, therefore, "fair game." The club could have bailed on him when his pitching career ended; instead, he bailed on the O's as soon as the opportunity arose for him to leave for a Canadian club. Adam owed the Orioles organization more, and since it's highly unlikely he'll end up being a star position player, the damage to the organization is, as you noted, one of appearances with respect to other players who currently play for or could play for Baltimore.

[What the F___]

So much wasted space on Loewen this week.

Steele is great at wasting space, so this is not surprising.

I think Loewen left the team because he's white.

(wink)

[John Boy Walton]

Too much being made of this story. In his heart of hearts, Adam Loewen wanted to be a Blue Jay. Given the opportunity, and despite what the Orioles have done for him, he made the break. What else were the Orioles supposed to do for him anyway?

[Bob]

John Boy Walton wrote:

Too much being made of this story. In his heart of hearts, Adam Loewen wanted to be a Blue Jay. Given the opportunity, and despite what the Orioles have done for him, he made the break. What else were the Orioles supposed to do for him anyway?

Don't always agree with you david but in this case i think you are right. I am pretty sure that this team won't miss him at all because i doubt that he will make it as a hitter.But him leaving is the same reason this team can't and won't be able to sign any top free agents only second tier washed up one's like always. If a guy who was shown the ultimate loyalty by a team that didn't have to leaves that just shows the horrible state of this organization.

[phish]

come on Steele, you know you wrote this "'cause he's white" I'm very disappointed you didn't use the race card.

!!!!!!!GO O"S!!!!!!!!

[Wasted Time]

Loewen is, right now, the most inexperienced player on Toronto's Single-A affiliate. And we're worried what other potential free agents will think of his defection?(or rather, Steele is worried about that).

It's not a story, other than the kid has no class. And that's not a story either. The only reason you would write this tripe is:

A. You have a compulsive need to stir the anti-Oriole pot, which loses you respect of the readers and fans.

... or ...

B. It's deadline and you're out of ideas, which loses you the respect of readers and fans.

Which is it?

[European Prof]

If the Orioles had put him on waivers, wouldn't the Jays have claimed him anyway? Is that any different (for better or worse) than what happened? Unless the Orioles were prepared to keep him on the 40 man roster, and wouldn't that have been a waste, they were going to lose this player.

[HRC]

Loyalty and "owed" in a sports story? Man, if you're still in the mental state where teams are loyal to players and vice versa, Brooks is playing third and Johnny U. is at QB. Teams and players deserve each other.

[Billick]

Steele must find it had to write about baseball with us only having one black guy on the team and all.

[Bob Boone]

I don't like his decision to leave, but I did understand his statement that he wanted to play for home team from Canada. Why do you have to be so negative in your commentary and not give the whole story?

[Hermitaj1]

Mr. Steele--the Orioles' reputation to attract free agents will be much more the product of what Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis do. If these highest-quality Orioles players are not signed to long-term extensions we ALL know they do not believe the Orioles will be winners in the near future. If Roberts and Markakis DO sign long-term extensions we can assume they believe in "THE PLAN."

I suspect the words and conduct of Roberts and Markakis and their agents will carry more of a message than what Adam Loewen does or says.

[sembo]

What a silly article . Assumes all major league stars are even interested in a pitcher who blew out his arm and gets to try it as a hitter with the team of his choice .The only thing they can relate to is that he is getting another long odds chance .The only thought they'll have about the orioles is the one everybody has , that the orioles gave him a lot of money and it didn't work out .

[popo]

Loewen leaving is a blessing! McPhail was going to re-sign this guy; a 25 yr-old who had not batted or fielded in over 6 years! Thank Jeebus Loewen left and prevented McPhail from making a boneheaded move and wasting a spot on an unproven player!

[Tom]

Can we beat this horse any more? If you guys were doing your jobs, you would be letting us know some news about extensions for B-Rob and Markakis or any possible trades. I am also hearing that Angelos is still calling most of the shots. If so, does MacPhail quit?

[schlomo]

Regarding Gilchrist, So. Florida is an easier institution academically and he still has not been cleared to play there either. The guy just ain't that bright!

Regarding Loewen, if you could go play at home instead of in a city you have little connection to (he didn't play in Baltimore for more than a couple months each of the last two years due to injuries) you'd choose home too! Unless ML ballplayers are dumb like Gilchrist and their agents are stupid too (not likely), this will not be anything of consequence except to guys like Ghost Oriole who live their lives in a constant state of Chicken Littledom.

[schlomo]

Hermitaj1 wrote:

Mr. Steele--the Orioles' reputation to attract free agents will be much more the product of what Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis do. If these highest-quality Orioles players are not signed to long-term extensions we ALL know they do not believe the Orioles will be winners in the near future. If Roberts and Markakis DO sign long-term extensions we can assume they believe in "THE PLAN."
I suspect the words and conduct of Roberts and Markakis and their agents will carry more of a message than what Adam Loewen does or says.

Absolutely!

[Qstorm376]

Loyalty?

After 11 losing seasons ?

Why would anyone have any loyalty to this organization?

If you were from Canada and could get the same job close to where you grew up, would you stay at your old job out of loyalty?

My worry is that he has already talked to Nick and Mark and he knows they are out of here as soon as they can. End of "THE PLAN"

Last spring showed me something about Oriole loyalty - when they forcibly signed their best player (Markakis) to a minimum salary!

That's some ANGELOS loyalty !!

[brandon]

another awful column by an awful writer. no shock there.