Andy Macphail

Lee MacPhail, a Hall of Fame baseball executive who served as Orioles general manager from 1959 to 1965, died Thursday evening at his home in Delray Beach, Fla. He was 95. Mr. MacPhail, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998, represented the middle of a four-generation baseball dynasty. His father, Larry, was also a Hall of Fame executive. His son, Andy, became the Orioles' top baseball executive from 2007 to 2011 after serving in similar roles for the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.-- --The father and son enjoyed the most American of moments yesterday, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder at a ballgame, wearing matching Orioles warm-up jackets and basking in the South Florida sun. The son pointed around the diamond, identifying the players in their pristine uniforms before the first pitch of the Grapefruit League season. When the son got to new Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, he explained to his dad that the 22-year-old had a lot of talent, a lot of upside.

Fired by the Orioles last June, former skipper Dave Trembley -- or Crazy Uncle Dave as I enjoyed calling him during his last weeks in Baltimore -- has landed with the Braves this spring as their minor league field coordinator. He was recently interviewed by David Laurila about the firing, and Trembley gave excellent insight into what it is like for a major-league manager to get fired. He spoke about getting a phone call on an off-day from ESPN's Tim Kurkjian as he drank a cup of coffee at the Whole Foods at the Inner Harbor, and how national writers in the Yankee Stadium press box were wishing him luck in his future endeavors before his final game as Orioles manager.

Each morning, Monday through Friday, I'll hook you up with reading material to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday -- that way I'll have an excuse to do the same at the start of mine.     Running it back: Offensive guard Andrew Gonnella suffered a gruesome knee injury when his leg was severely twisted in Maryland's 21-16 loss at Georgia Tech on Saturday. ... Andy MacPhail is walking away from the Orioles, and manager Buck Showalter will remain in the dugout . ... Somebody threw a hot dog at Tiger Woods . Hitting the links: 1. Kevin Van Valkenburg gives best- and worst-case scenarios for each of the Ravens' 12 remaining games [ Baltimore Sun ]

Cal Ripken Jr. approached the Orioles about joining the club in an unspecified front-office capacity and was turned down by principal owner Peter G. Angelos, according to a story posted Friday night by FoxSports.com that cited several unnamed sources. Fox Sports reported that Ripken, the Hall of Fame infielder and arguably the organization's greatest player, met with Andy MacPhail, the team's president of baseball operations, to discuss a potential job. But, in a separate conversation, Angelos denied the request, stating that "he did not want Ripken to receive credit once the team returned to prominence," according to three Fox Sports' sources.

The Orioles are going to announce some administrative changes over the next few days, though they have been brewing for some time. Dave and John Stockstill essentially will change places in the front office, with John taking over the minor league operation and Dave assuming some of John's international scouting duties. We probably should have realized this a couple of weeks ago, since it was obvious that Dave was traveling internationally more and John was spending more and more time around the minor league operation, but it is kind of an inside baseball situation.

My nerves are frayed in a jangled mess over my once-cherished Baltimore Orioles. Being a fan is no longer fun. I have no more energy to root for the home team that once produced a litany of Hall of Famers and proudly flew World Series pennants. Who are these guys, and why can't the Buck of Baseball wave his managerial wand and transform these guys into winners? For years now they have tried free agency, trades, long-forgotten managers, general managers, etc. Yet they achieve the same result: the stultifying inability to win ball games.

UPDATE : A new list of candidates surfaced Wednesday after a meeting among Orioles owner Peter Angelos, manager Buck Showalter, director of baseball operations Matt Klentak and, presumably, others. The list of general manager candidates is fluid, as club officials exchange ideas and look for the right fit for both Showalter and Angelos. For now, that list is believed to include: * Jerry DiPoto, senior vice president for scouting and player development, Arizona Diamondbacks * Thad Levine, assistant GM, Texas Rangers * Tony LaCava, assistant GM, Toronto Blue Jays * Dan Jennings, assistant GM, Florida Marlins * De Jon Watson, assistant GM, Los Angeles Dodgers * Al Avila, assistant GM, Detroit Tigers * Tony Reagins, former GM, Los Angeles Angels * Logan White, assistant GM, Dodgers Here's a list of possible candidates to replace Andy MacPhail as the Orioles' front office chief: * Gerry Hunsicker, senior vice president, Tampa Bay Rays * Dan Jennings, assistant general manager, Florida Marlins * Wayne Krivsky, former special assistant to GM, New York Mets * Tony LaCava, assistant GM, Toronto Blue Jays * Damon Oppenheimer, scouting director, New York Yankees * Scott Proefrock, assistant GM, Philadelphia Phillies * J.P. Ricciardi, special assistant to GM, Mets * Scott Servais, senior director of player development, Texas Rangers

The Orioles organization announced this past week that they are bringing the "cartoon bird" back. In reality, the current state of this club is no laughing matter. Dan Duquette was recently named the executive vice president of the team. There may a change in the front office, but more years of mediocrity lay ahead for the Birds, who struggle mightily each season to achieve a .500 record. Andy MacPhail left a frustrated man, not being able to change the fortunes of the club during his tenure here.

Orioles owner Peter Angelos will be adding a sizable chunk of change to all of his mesothelioma money after his law firm successfully convinced a Baltimore County jury to force Exxon Mobil to pay more than $495 million in damages to local families and business from a 2006 underground gasoline leak in Jacksonville, Md. What are the chances Angelos will use some of his commission to sign a big-name free agent this winter? OK, slim to none -- we are talking about Peter Angelos and the Orioles here -- but fans can hope, right?