Peter Angelos, this one goes out to you.
We start with the obvious: Your baseball team is a mess.
It has the worst record in the major leagues. After Wednesday night's 9-1 loss to the New York Yankees, it had lost seven straight games, nine of 10, 14 of the past 17.
It plays with no heart. It plays with no soul.
It's the laughingstock of baseball.
Yet from you, sir, we hear nothing.
A few weeks ago, your president of baseball operations, Andy MacPhail, had the good sense to address the fans via a video on mlb.com after the Orioles began the season 2-16.
MacPhail acknowledged the "terrifically horrendous start" after 12 losing seasons in a row.
He spoke of the problems hampering the team: injuries; a lousy bullpen; no hitting, especially with runners in scoring position; a Bermuda Triangle of an early schedule.
He alluded to changes in the lineup if things didn't improve. He asked fans to "keep the faith."
The fans kept the faith -- well, some did, anyway. But things didn't improve.
Now the team is in another death spiral, with a manager, Dave Trembley, who looks as if he could be fired any minute.
Every game brings a new calamity: a botched fielding play at a critical juncture; a relief pitcher who promptly pours kerosene on the fire; a batter who strikes out with the winning run on second base.
Orioles Village -- yes, that's what it's down to now; soon there might be so few fans we'll call it Orioles Hamlet -- might be more angry and disillusioned than at any other time in the 56-year history of this once-proud franchise.
And still we hear not one word from the principal owner.
We wonder: How does he feel about all this?
Is he frustrated? Is he mad as hell and not going to take it anymore?
Who knows? The owner stays as silent as a BP exec at a "Save the Gulf" rally.
(For the record, I tried to reach you Wednesday at the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos. Your secretary said you were "behind closed doors." I left a phone number. You didn't call back.)
OK, Mr. Angelos, in your defense, the fans and media have ripped you for years for meddling in the team's baseball operations.
They've accused you of running off quality managers and general managers. They blasted you for vetoing trades that would have helped the team and lobbying for deals that proved disastrous.
So maybe now it feels like you're damned if you do and damned if you don't publicly address the team's problems.
After all, you turned the team over to MacPhail a few years ago and essentially said: "OK, you're running the show. I'm keeping a low profile. They can't accuse me of meddling anymore."
Me, I say this: If ever there were a time to meddle, it's now.
What have you got to lose? Things can't get any worse. (Although every time I write that, guess what? Things get worse.)
So, in the unlikely event that you're still reading this, here's what you can do right away to help this team:
Make a decision with Trembley. Is he in or is he out as the manager? Don't torture this guy any longer.
If he's in, come out and tell people: "Trembley's our guy for the rest of the season, no matter what. Then we'll re-evaluate."
It'll help in the clubhouse, too. The longer the managerial death watch goes on, the more distracting it is to the players. And the way these guys are playing, the last thing they need is another distraction.
If Trembley's gone, don't blow the search for his successor. Go out and get a proven major league manager.
Get a fiery guy who can get in a player's face when he screws up -- he'll be doing that a lot.
And if you have to back a Wells Fargo truck up to the guy's house to sign him, do it. (Oh, yeah, I'm great at spending someone else's money -- especially a major league owner's.)
Please, please, please go out and get a legitimate home run hitter. This should have been done last offseason. Everyone knew there wasn't nearly enough pop in the middle of the batting order.
Can we all admit the Garrett Atkins signing is a bust?
And that 36-year-old Miguel Tejada is past his prime as a slugger? And that Ty Wigginton, even with 13 homers and 33 RBIs, isn't a true cleanup hitter?
I think we can. Now let's do something about it.
Before the last fan in Orioles Village turns out the light and goes home.
Listen to Kevin Cowherd Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with Jerry Coleman on Fox 1370 AM Sports.
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