Baseball

All-Star Game

The upcoming All-Star Game will be held in Houston. The Red Sox's Curt Schilling will not pitch in Tuesday's game because of an ankle injury.

Post staff writer Dave Sheinin was online Tuesday, July 13, at 11 a.m. ET to talk about baseball and the All-Star Game.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Dave Sheinin: Hello, everyone... Greetings from Houston. Let's get right to your questions.

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Silver Spring, Md.: The O's made the right choice in hiring Mazzilli but handcuffed him by dictating his coaching staff so it's no surprise that there have been "communication" issues. What happens first: Maz gets fired or he gets to choose his own coaches? Thanks.

Dave Sheinin: One or the other is likely to occur this offseason, if not sooner -- which one depends on how much the Orioles' front office and ownership believes in Mazzilli. If they decide to keep him, I foresee at least two coaching changes this winter.

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Washington, D.C.: Dave,

I'm sure this will be one of dozens of submissions on this topic.

What do you make of Robert Dupuy's comments about next month's meeting in Philly where the Relocation Committe may make recommendations on the Expos?

Is a decision by MLB finally close or will they punt yet again?

Thanks.

Dave Sheinin: I interpret DuPuy's latest comments the same way I have always interpreted comments by him, Bud Selig or anyone else from MLB: the decision will be made when Selig wants it to be made. Judging by Selig's history, there will be no vote taken of ownership until he is certain what the outcome will be.

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Washington, D.C.: Where is Randy Johnson going to end up?

Dave Sheinin: I still believe Johnson will stay in Arizona. For any team to be able to trade for him, that team will have to make it worth the Diamondbacks' while, and worth Johnson's while. A team like the Yankees, for instance, can take care of Johnson (by extending his contract), but they don't have the young players available to trade. Now, they might be able to involve a third team -- but I still predict Johnson is in Arizona at the end of the year.

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Arlington, Va.: After watching Palmeiro and especially Tejada crushing the ball out of the stadium, why are the Orioles so bad?

Dave Sheinin: Because real baseball is not played at batting-practice speed, and because Tejada and Palmeiro are just eight percent of the Orioles' roster.

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Falls Church, Va.: The cubs need at least another bat and maybe an arm or two in the bullpen down the stretch due to injuries. Who do you see them picking up before the deadline?

Dave Sheinin: There's quite a bit of buzz here in Houston about the Cubs focusing on Montreal Expos shortstop Orlando Cabrera (the Cubs presumably would give up Alex Gonzalez in exchange). Although Cabrera is having an off-year, players who leave Montreal (such as Michael Barrett, the Cubs' current catcher) routinely pick up their production as soon as they have escaped that awful situation.

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Harrisburg, Pa.: Has the decision on where to move the Expos already been made and we are just awaiting the announcement, or are they still deciding?

Dave Sheinin: I don't believe the decision has been made. There's still a long ways to go in this thing.

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Washington, D.C.: Based on what I have heard and read, am I correct to assume that there could be an announcement regarding the Expos' fate and potential move in the very near future? I had heard such a decision will be shortly after the All Star game. Correct?

Dave Sheinin: There is an owners' meeting scheduled for Aug. 18-18 in Philadelphia, and the latest word from MLB is that an announcement could come then.

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Baltimore, Md.: Dave, Will Miguel Tejada be the starting shortstop, or second string?

Dave Sheinin: Tejada will not be the starting shortstop tonight -- that honor goes to Derek Jeter, who was voted in by the fans. Tejada, Michael Young and Carlos Guillen are backups. Joe Torre is going to have to be pretty inventive to get all of them an at-bat. But Tejada's win in the Home Run Derby last night probably ensures him at least one trip to the plate tonight.

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Harrisburg, Ill.: Do you think the Cardinals can keep up the momentum that they built late in the first half and roll on to an NL Central championship? All the pre-season talk was about the Astros and Cubs, do you expect either of them to make a serious run late in the season?

Dave Sheinin: I was skeptical about the Cardinals for a long time, but they have made a believer out of me. That said, I think both the Cubs and Astros have a big surge left in them. The Cubs finally have Mark Prior and Kerry Wood together in their rotation for the first time, and the Astros could get an energy boost this week if (as many people here expect) they fire Manager Jimy Williams. The Astros are too good to be 10 1/2 games out.

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Boston, Mass.: Please, please, please tell me Randy Johnson will not go to the Yankees!

Dave Sheinin: I hear you, Boston.

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Rockville, Md.: Given the divisiveness among the City's politicans concerning stadium funding, and the ludicrous nature of the Dulles proposal, hasn't it become less likely the area will get the Expos?

Dave Sheinin: No, I wouldn't say that. In fact, if anything, I'd say the atmosphere has never been more encouraging for DC/northern Virginia.

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Washington, D.C.: Is Derek Lowe worth anything anymore? His season is a disaster (at least the first half) and his confidence looks shot. What can we expect to see him go for on the open market? And can he perform anywhere without Jason Varitek?

Dave Sheinin: I do think Lowe still has a lot of value. He may be a classic case of a guy who needs a change of scenery.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Dave, do you think there is any chance MLB would flip-flop the DH for inter-league play -- i.e., have the pitchers bat in the AL parks, and have the DH in the NL parks? I think the fans would rather see that as a change from the ordinary situation.

Dave Sheinin: That proposal has been making the rounds (mostly through the media) for a couple of years now. I doubt it would happen, though.

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Rockville, Md.: Greetings Dave,

How about a grade (report card style) on Lee Mazzilli's first half in Bal'mer?

I'd give him a solid C. Don't think he's cost them many games, but probably hasn't won them any either.

Dave Sheinin: I think a C is fairly generous, given the team's dismal first half and the expectations that were in place at season's start. It's very hard to pinpoint a number of games a manager either wins or loses, but the team's win-loss record at this point is a pretty serious indictment.

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Washington, D.C.: With most of baseball's focus this year on the Yanks-Sox and the NL Central race, I feel like the NL East race has been overlooked (and only the Expos get press down here!;).

Who do you see coming out of the tight race in the NL East and who should the DC Expos set their sights on next year?

Dave Sheinin: The NL East is indeed fascinating. I've thought all along the Phillies were the best team in the division. But look at what the Braves have done -- surging to within a couple games of first place in the last couple of weeks. Plus, they get Marcus Giles back this week. This is a race that could be decided at the trade deadline -- remember how huge the Marlins' summer acquisitions last year (Jeff Conine and Ugueth Urbina) turned out to be.

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Rockville, Md.: How long until we see John Maine in the big leagues? Have you seen him pitch? And what do you think his prospects are?

Dave Sheinin: Good question, Rockville. I saw John Maine pitch this spring, and was very, very impressed. He carries himself like a big-league pitcher, and that's to say nothing about his excellent command. The Orioles have a difficult decision to make with Maine -- some would say it is best to leave him at Class AAA and let him experience some success there, especially when the Orioles are not in contention. However, there will be a strong temptation to bring him up, especially with so many holes in the Orioles' rotation. If it were up to me, I would leave him in the minors until September when rosters expand, then bring him up to give him a brief taste of the majors.

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Silver Spring, Md.: The O's continue to score runs even with their injury problems, which suggests they could afford to trade some bats. What do you think are the prospects for getting another pitcher or two?

Dave Sheinin: The Orioles absolutely need to resolve their second base situation -- by trading either Jerry Hairston or Brian Roberts -- before the trade deadline. They can also afford to give up a young outfielder, such as Jay Gibbons, Luis Matos or Larry Bigbie. That's not to say they WILL trade one. But to get major-league-ready starting pitching (which is in short supply these days), you have to give up something.

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Baltimore, Md.: What is your assessment of David Newhan? At first I thought he was just another Jeff Manto, but the longer this goes on the more we have to consider the possibility that Newhan is a bona fide major league player.

Dave Sheinin: Great question. I agree with you -- the more we see of him, the more I believe Newhan might be a classic late-bloomer who needed two shoulder surgeries and a couple of failed experiences with other teams before maturing into a solid big-leaguer. The guy can flat-out hit.

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Boston, Mass.: This is the third year in a row that Manny Ramirez has pulled out of the all-star game right before because of an injury. Is he really injured or is this typical Manny laziness?

Dave Sheinin: I can't speak to whether Ramirez is injured or not, but the fact that he showed up here in Houston for all the on-field festivities tells me he wasn't faking an injury to get out of coming to the game.

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Silver Spring Re: BJ Ryan: What do you think is the O's plans for the future for BJ? I dont htink he has given up a run in well over a month and he has the overpowering striekout stuff that is perfect for a closer. Julio has been medicro in that role at best. Do you see BJ moving into the role of closer before the end of the year?

Dave Sheinin: B.J. Ryan has developed into one of the most dominating relievers in the game. I predicted before the season began that Julio would not be the closer at the end of the season, and Ryan appears to be next in line if the team decides to make a change. It is possible Julio could be traded before the trade deadline -- if nothing else, Ryan's amazing performance has made Julio a little more expendable.

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Baltimore, Md.: Which free agents do you think the orioles will chase before the 2005 season?

Dave Sheinin: The Orioles have coveted Carlos Beltran for a long time, and I see them going after him this winter. However, many people think it's a foregone conclusion he will wind up with the Yankees.

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Rockville, Md.: I'm disappointed by the Orioles first half along with everyone else. But I think there is a lot of reason to be excited for NEXT season. Although Sir Sidney, Matt Riley, Eric DuBose, and Kurt Ainsworth have been horrible, the emergence of Daniel Cabrera and Erik Bedard and the possible call-up of John Maine are reason for optimism. Add that to the free cash they will have over the winter to sign some more pitching, and next years team could be special. Your thoughts?

Dave Sheinin: I think the main reason the first half of this season was so disappointing was that the Orioles believed they were only a couple of players away from being real contenders, and the events of the last three months have proven they are actually quite a bit further away than they thought. Yes, there will be a lot of money freed up when the contracts of David Segui, Omar Daal, Buddy Groom and Marty Cordova come off the books, and yes there are some good young pitchers in the pipeline (one of whom, Cabrera, is already in Baltimore). But this team is more than a couple of players away from being a contender.

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Boston, Mass.: What about Nomar? Any chance he'll remain with the Red Sox?

Dave Sheinin: I don't think there's much chance at all that Nomar stays with the Red Sox past this season.

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Phila, Pa.: Up here, (and as native B'morean), I'm astounded by the patience being shown Bowa. He's right down there with Jimy Williams and I truly believe the team would be better w/ no manager at all than with this guy. But the fans here are sticking by him, with many saying that they overestimated this team -- which is ridiculous, the team is complete, playoff ready talent and composition, and should be ten games in front. Is Steinbrenner the only person who's fired a first-place manager? (Bob Lemon, right?)

Dave Sheinin: I agree with you about Bowa -- the Phillies have shown enormous patience with him, partly, I suspect, due to the fact he is such a beloved institution there. However, the stakes are very high this season, and I don't think ownership will tolerate another collapse.

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Washington, D.C.: Is baseball more expensive now (tickets, foods, parking, etc?)

Dave Sheinin: Have you been to a game lately?

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Washington, D.C.: I've missed your by-line on the O's stories lately. Will you be back on the beat for the 2nd half?

Dave Sheinin: I've got a nine-game road trip with the Orioles starting Thursday. Pray for me.

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Arlington, Va.: Everyone talks about the Cards, Cubs, and Astros in the NL central, but can't we give give Ned Yost a little credit...I know eight games back is a bit, but the Crew did sweep the Cubs recently... of course that abismal series in Pittsburg...Just hoping that there is a little life from the old home team...It's been a few years.

Dave Sheinin: You're abolutely right. Yost and the Brewers deserve major kudos for their first half. I just think it's unrealistic to expect them to keep pace in the division -- particularly when there are three solid teams to contend with.

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Washington, D.C.: It's time to put the Expos decision to rest. MLB needs to stick to a deadline for once. If the decision is not made for the 2005 season, do you see them being contracted instead of moved?

I'm sick of this waiting game (and Virginia's Dulles site is a nightmare waiting to happen, BTW)

Dave Sheinin: Yes, the contraction scenario is still hanging out there -- the owners can revisit contraction after the 2006 season. However, I believe there will be a resolution to the Expos' siutation this summer. I just don't know if it will be the decision Washington-area fans want to hear.

OK, everyone, gotta run. Thanks for stopping by. And thanks for all your excellent questions. Enjoy tonight's game. See you next time.

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