Prospects

Sometimes, I toss about the names of ballplayers who may not be familiar to the casual fan or even the casual fantasy baseball player. I do this without much introduction or explanation, and I wonder if it's occasionally a disservice. The guys bound to be least familiar to the masses are prospects. So, in an attempt to lay better groundwork for this year's baseball coverage, I'm devoting this space to an introductory list of interesting talents who may play their first full or partial major league seasons in 2007.

It's time to call Joe Torre's bluff.The most accomplished manager in baseball is convinced that he can handle Albert Belle, so why not let him give it a try?The New York Yankees still need an everyday left fielder, and owner George Steinbrenner proved with the Roger Clemens deal last spring that he is not afraid to fiddle with the great chemistry of a defending world championship club.So, this should be the new Orioles motto: "If you can't beat 'em, let Albert join 'em."The Yankees are too good.

The road leading to the top prospects in the Orioles' organization no longer makes a wide detour around Rochester, N.Y., before cutting through the lower levels of the minor-league system. And it no longer is covered with skid marks from all the retreads who traveled to the club's Triple-A affiliate.Five of the Orioles' 10 leading prospects, as chosen last month by Baseball America, are expected to begin the coming season at Rochester. And a sixth, left-hander Matt Riley, could be there by the second half.

SYKESVILLE'S referendum on development of the newly annexed Warfield property may not have been necessary, but a sufficient number of residents petitioned for the vote, and it will be held this winter. No date has been set.Opponents of the project say it could impose higher municipal taxes and debt on town residents. They collected 576 signatures to hold the referendum, well above the 350 names the law requires. Critics say the arguments used to persuade petition signers were misleading, that many signers viewed it as a referendum on tax increases.

Kevin Brown or Roger Clemens? Which should the Orioles add to their rotation?How about either?The Orioles apparently are lagging far behind in the race for Clemens, who lives outside Houston and probably will end up with the Astros. Brown? He's probably more serious about the Los Angeles Dodgers and several other National League teams than the Orioles.In other words, the Orioles will be lucky if either is pitching for them next season.If they sign Brown, terrific. If they reel in the long shot and trade for Clemens, terrific.

The Orioles' decision-makers are contemplating a series of changes, some for this season and some for next season. Apparently, they also have seen enough of the self-satisfied, underachieving team they put together.What the decision-makers should do in the coming months is clear.What they will do isn't.What they should do is stop playing solely for the present. Start looking to the future, too.No trade should be made unless it makes the club younger, faster and hungrier.If Roberto Alomar and/or Rafael Palmeiro and/or anyone else is traded, at least one top prospect should be included in the return package.

In its vision for the future, the Greater Baltimore Alliance hopes to build on its success of the past 11 months, when it helped to bring three firms to the Baltimore area -- two regional distribution centers and an engineering company.The two distribution centers, County Seat Stores Inc., locating in Rosedale, and Aero Fulfillment Services, locating in the White Marsh area, together will employ 183. They will directly and indirectly generate more than 500 new jobs, $50 million in economic output and $18 million in annual personal income, and increase total business tax revenue by $4 million, according to an economic impact study conducted for GBA.The engineering firm, Trident QRV, locating near Abingdon, will employ 40. The study projects that Trident will directly and indirectly generate more than 117 new jobs, $9 million in economic output, $3.7 million in annual personal income and more than $300,000 in additional business tax revenue.

Tarsha Lomax, 22, a freshman majoring in pre-engineering and mathematics at Coppin State College, was looking for a summer internship or a chance to persuade a company to create one for her. By midday, she said she had a few prospects to follow up.Although the Woodlawn resident offered scientific and technical potential, the 145 companies and agencies represented at the 31st annual Central Maryland College Job Fair yesterday at Towson University were seeking...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Orioles were drubbed in Kauffman Stadium but gained in the clubhouse last night as they secured a much-desired starting pitcher, Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Juan Guzman, for rookie pitcher Nerio Rodriguez and 19-year-old outfield prospect Shannon Carter.In fortifying their starting rotation, the move satisfied every condition general manager Pat Gillick and assistant general manager Kevin Malone had laid out for a possible acquisition. Guzman, 31, provides help not only for this year's improbable run at the wild card but beyond.

New polls: Results suggest Americans are content with their lives, finances and prospects.PUBLIC OPINION polls continue to confirm that Americans feel good about the economy, the country and their own lives.Add two recent surveys to the list -- by the Gallup Organization and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.Gallup found that 85 percent of respondents expressed satisfaction with their personal well-being, a percentage that has risen steadily since the 1980s. Most said they expected things to even better five years from now.The Joint Center's poll of African Americans showed that 51 percent reported they were better off financially this year than last, the same percentage that felt the nation was headed in the right direction.

Ronnie Welty understands where he is in pro baseball's hierarchy. The Single-A Delmarva right fielder is flying under the prospect radar. "That's how I kind of feel," said Welty, who is leading the Shorebirds with a .303 average (90-for-297) and 45 RBIs and is tied for the club lead with seven homers. "Every game is an opportunity to show what I've got and to turn some heads in the future." This status is nothing new for Welty, whom the Orioles selected in the 20th round of the 2008 draft.

It's fun to be an Orioles fan right now. I heard so over and over the past week as I talked to Baltimoreans about this year's team. They love the comebacks, the daily effort and George Sherrill's straight-brimmed cap. They believe in Andy MacPhail and applaud his bold moves this past offseason. They might even trust Peter Angelos not to meddle with MacPhail, though they're not completely sold on that one. The hints of passion sounded lovely in a town that had been forced to shut its heart to baseball during 10 long years of losing.

When Mike Mussina embraced the bright lights and big money of New York in 2000, the Orioles were left without an ace, a No. 1 pitcher who evokes fear in the opponent and gives his team the belief that it will win every time he is on the mound. That void lasted until 2006, when hard-throwing, low-talking lefty Erik Bedard truly emerged. He gained national prominence last season when he was a legitimate Cy Young candidate before missing September with a strained oblique. So why, after being without one for so long, would the Orioles deal away a 28-year-old homegrown ace for five unproven players?

I know I'm going to be sorry for opening this can of worms again, but I just can't resist. About that Miguel Tejada trade. When I first wrote about this on the blog, some readers were upset that I was dismissive of some of the players coming to Orioleland. I referred to some of them as not being household names. Well, for a much better rundown of the haul Baltimore might have made, I refer you to Roch Kubatko and Jeff Zrebiec's excellent scouting report earlier this week in The Sun. But I was taken by some readers being particularly keen on the notion that two of the players, pitcher Troy Patton and third baseman Mike Costanzo, were the No. 3 and No. 6-rated prospects in the Houston Astros' organization, according to Baseball America.

Nashville, Tenn. -- The Orioles' front office contingent left here yesterday with an oft-injured, journeyman catcher and a Rule 5 minor league reliever in its winter meeting shopping cart. And nothing else. It could have been worse. The Orioles could have taken home one of those tacky "Grand Old Opry" plastic boots and a garish "Country Christmas" T-shirt. Actually, it could have been much worse. The Orioles could have acquired a bunch of expensive, mediocre veterans as they have in the past.

It looks more and more like the Orioles have shifted into a serious rebuilding mode. I'm guessing team president Andy MacPhail wasn't overly impressed with what he saw this summer or what he heard at the organizational meetings. Unfortunately, the "rebuilding" should have started sooner and been done more effectively. A lot of years have been lost. Now fans will be asked to remain patient while prospects work their way up from the lower levels of the farm system and veterans are dealt for more prospects who are closer to the majors but aren't going to bring you a title in 2008.

Sometimes, I toss about the names of ballplayers who may not be familiar to the casual fan or even the casual fantasy baseball player. I do this without much introduction or explanation, and I wonder if it's occasionally a disservice. The guys bound to be least familiar to the masses are prospects. So, in an attempt to lay better groundwork for this year's baseball coverage, I'm devoting this space to an introductory list of interesting talents who may play their first full or partial major league seasons in 2007.

With another losing Orioles season at a close, the inclination to look toward a better future is strong. But the reality is that with Nick Markakis and Adam Loewen already established in the big leagues, Orioles fans might not have another elite prospect to look forward to until at least 2008. Because it's still recovering from a series of weak drafts, the franchise lacks talent in the upper minor leagues, say talent evaluators around baseball. The Orioles have few outstanding positional prospects at any level.

The Orioles' farm system has been drawing its best reviews in years, and with four teams starting play this week, prospect watchers should have plenty to talk about. The three teams within easy driving distance of Baltimore - low Single-A Delmarva, high Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie - all feature players considered vital to the Orioles' future. "We very strongly expect this to be a very exciting year," said David Stockstill, the Orioles' director of minor league operations. Triple-A Ottawa lies farther from reach but is stocked with major league veterans who could be called up quickly if the club's bullpen or utility players falter.

The last team scheduled to make a pick is taking a first-rate mentality into today's NFL draft. Ravens officials said there is a solid chance of landing a player they graded as first-round talent with the 51st overall selection. An analysis of the past five drafts showed, on average, that the Ravens' 29th-rated player would have been available at No. 51. It's a finding that shouldn't raise too many eyebrows because highly regarded prospects falling to the Ravens have become as much a fixture on draft day as ESPN analyst Mel Kiper's towering coif.