DIAMOND NOTES: Jan. 6
Syd Thrift is an easy target. He's older, sometimes talks in parables while recalling the lessons of Branch Rickey, and has become the poster boy for an Orioles franchise in free fall since a botched squeeze and two Armando Benitez gopherballs ended their '97 season. He has made some mistakes, but while some of the lampooning has been fair, some stories about Thrift have been exaggerated.

	The Orioles would like to make Juan Gonzalez the centerpiece of the post-Cal Ripken era.

A lot has happened to the Baltimore Orioles over the past five years. But while Tony DiMacio has re-established the Orioles' scouting department, many problems remain as the team begins the post-Cal Ripken era -- though booking a second team hotel for every road series won't be among them. The Orioles once were a glamour franchise, Camden Yards remains a national treasure and the community remains attractive for players and their families, but good players don't seem to want to play there.

"We can't seem to get anyone to take our money," Thrift said last winter. This winter, it has been much the same, save for Marty Cordova's three-year, $9.1 million deal with the team. "We've got our payroll down into the low 50s (million-dollar range) and we've got some money to spend," Thrift said. "But thus far we've had trouble getting what we want."

Thrift would love to land Juan Gonzalez, as a marquee attraction and major force in the middle of the lineup. Thrift even reminded Gonzalez that the Orioles are moving in the fences 7 feet to remedy siteline problems. But despite a two-year offer this weekend, it seems likely Gonzalez will land with the New York Mets or Texas Rangers. "They'd have to blow him away, and that's not going to happen because Peter Angelos isn't going to give four years to a player with Juan's medical history," a major-league general manager said. The Mets are comfortable with their reported two-year, $25 million offer, despite reports that the Rangers sweetened their pitch to him over the weekend. They are confident he will stick with a team he is familiar with, though everyone seems wary that Oakland suddenly could become involved.

And Thrift continues to search high and low for a closer. "We really need one badly," the Orioles' GM admitted. "We've got some good relievers to set up -- Jorge Julio has a great arm, Willis Roberts, Buddy Groom, B.J. Ryan -- but we need someone at the end." Thrift made a run at Jason Isringhausen, but he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. Thrift has tried to get Jeff Shaw into Baltimore for a visit, but agent Joe Bick says, "Jeff would rather watch his son play, so if it's not going to happen in Cincinnati, then I'd guess he'll retire."

The Orioles need the closer to protect what Thrift feels is the future of the franchise: starting pitching. "Scott Erickson was throwing in the 90s in September, and if we get him back healthy he takes pressure off Jason Johnson, Sidney Ponson and Josh Towers," the GM said. "We have the makings of a good rotation. If Ponson matures, he can be a big winner. I spent a lot of this winter turning down deals for Ponson and Johnson, so I obviously believe they can be winners." Thift said he also wants to take a look at 21-year-old Australian John Stephens, who was 13-9 between Class AA and AAA last season, and Sean Douglass, who was 8-9 with 156 strikeouts in 152 innings at Rochester.

It is obvious that the Orioles have to get good pitching performances, because the fact is that they are painfully thin in young, everyday players. Chris Richard will be 28 when he gets back after knee surgery. Jay Gibbons has power to all fields, and will be helped by moving in the fences since he hit six opposite-field homers. Thrift also is hopeful Tony Batista can come back.

But the talent is thin.

"The fastest way back to contention is with pitching, and we think we have it," Thrift said. "But we have other needs. We have some money, but we just haven't been able to get the right fit."

Notes and tidbits