Orioles need a major overhaul; Cardinals' woes

	The Orioles would be better off trading Miguel Tejada for young talent. AP

The Orioles have been a huge disappointment for several years now. The current ownership is bad, the front office is bad, the pitching is bad and attendance is bad. Everything is bad. What do you see as a turning point in getting this franchise as it was during their Earl Weaver glory years?
-- Charlie Lusco, Baltimore

Peter Angelos either has to sell the team (which I don't think is happening) or change his philosophy on running this team. He has to realize this team has not been anywhere close to contending with the Red Sox and Yankees, so he has to strip it down and forge a three- or four-year plan to grow with younger players. They should have traded Melvin Mora, for instance, rather than extend his contract and should have traded Miguel Tejada last winter to get young players. But Angelos won't trade Tejada unless he gets established star players in return, which only means more spinning of the wheels.

Outside media love bashing the Cardinals. Writers bring up the new stadium, the lack of apparent cash the management has spent on new talent, the downfall of closer Jason Isringhausen, etc. No one brings up Albert Pujols being out for several weeks, Jim Edmonds being in and out of the line up constantly, Mark Mulder being out and then playing hurt, David Eckstein hurt among others. I would say that having four-plus All-Star caliber players out of the lineup, having two seven-game-plus losing streaks and still being in first place is a testament to this team's tenacity and its leadership.
-- Ed Durham, St. Louis

Actually, I think you've summed up their season very well. All of those factors are legit. It's OK to question some of the moves management did or didn't make, but the biggest problem has been starting pitching, with Mulder at the top of the list. And sure, leadership from the manager and veterans has helped, but the mediocrity of the NL also has allowed St. Louis to hang on to first place in the Central.

I'm a lifelong Cardinals fan, and would like to know what has gotten into the Cardinals' front office lately. What was the rationale behind picking up Jeff Weaver, who's been atrocious, and Ronnie Belliard? What has he done that the reliable Hector Luna hasn't done? And what are the Cardinals' plans in the offseason?
-- Brian Hitt, Charlotte, N.C.

The Cardinals spent $90 million on this team and when they needed in-season fixes they felt like they should not spend much more, so they stuck to bargain shopping: picking up veteran players who had been given up by other teams and would cost very little. They were hoping to get lucky with some of these guys, but the results have been bad. Weaver, in particular, has been terrible. His strikeout rate and hits allowed, even while pitching in the NL, have been brutal. I don't see much hope there.