Jay Payton shows me

Jay Payton is, for me, the metaphor for why the Orioles are a poorly-managed team and will continue to be mediocre until the front office is cleared of the likes of Flanagan et el. He is a singles-hitting corner outfielder who, because he might hit .270-.300, people think is a decent player. However, those are totally empty numbers, without any patient or power, and that makes Payton a marginal major leaguer, and certainly not a starting corner outfielder. And he also provides production that several players throughout the high minor leagues and the waiver wire (Jon Knott, languishing in Baltimore's AAA, comes to mind) could provide. But, instead, the O's are dumping several million dollars into him - as well as into mediocre relief pitchers like Danny Baez and Jamie Walker - and wonder why they lose and/or don't have the money to pursue someone like a Carlos Lee.

Well, Mr. Payton showed me last night, when he got three hits and helped lead the Orioles to an 8-1 victory over the hated Indians. The tickets were a gift from a parent, the result of yet another parent conflict I had earlier this year - though this one was about them spreading rumors about me, and me calling them on it. The conflict actually ended healthily and without any fanfare. The kid and the mother wrote me a long letter of apology and gave me Orioles tickets for last night's game. They were in the fourth row behind third base, and we could actually hear the players talking with one another - easily the best seats I've ever experienced in my 23 years of attending major league baseball games. And the night was beautiful and the O's beat the Indians in a victory that put the Tigers into first place, so it was a great night all around.