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MLB WINTER MEETINGS

December 6, 2005

Sam Perlozzo

DALLAS, TEXAS

Q. Sam, do you get a sense that the Orioles are now starting over without Palmeiro and Sosa; it's a new era?
SAM PERLOZZO: Well, I tell you what happened. You know, all of the things that happened last year, we hope that we have gotten past that. I think the year that we want to start is getting back to just good, solid baseball, good baseball people, people that make us proud and the city proud.
You know, we're not looking for headaches, we're looking for good baseball men. You know, we've lost for a number of years now and it's time to start moving forward and the city deserves it and we deserve it and that's exactly what we're going to try to get done.

Q. What did you take out of your managing experience last season?
SAM PERLOZZO: It was a great two months, actually. Tons and tons of negative things happen but a lot of positive things. It was a great experience for me to go into a situation and get hands on where I was really the one in charge and I got two months of managing under my belt to give me a head start for this year. I think it's going to be an invaluable experience.

Q. Does that give you more comfort level?
SAM PERLOZZO: Absolutely. You've been through it, and if it is worse than what it got last year, then I don't want to be around -- (Laughter.)
Again, those things I felt took care of themselves. It's just one of those distractions; it was more of a distraction to me and I was more concerned about what was going on out on the field and getting that job done. In that sense it was a great experience for me to have that.

Q. How has this experience been for you, winter meeting, it's a whirlwind experience, have you ever been in the process before?
SAM PERLOZZO: I have not. This is my first time. It's a real education, it is. And I'm impressed with the hard work that we've put into going about our business and the type of day that we put in all day yesterday and how we're going at it again today. It's fun. It's fun, you're right there trying to get your club better and you're talking to the people right there up close and personal to the people that can do it for you.
I'd like to see us make a couple of deals to get us better, fair deals. I know a lot of these people through my years, so it's kind of fun talking to them.

Q. Do you feel you've had a lot of input, that they have asked your opinion a lot?
SAM PERLOZZO: I've had a lot of input as far as who I liked, who I don't like, how they would fit in, how I would use them and it's basically a team effort. But I've gotten more than my share of time. If I don't get it, I take it.
But I think that's part of it. I mean, I think that's what the job of managing is. I really don't believe it's a here is what you get, do the best you can with it. I think you should speak your beliefs and you're living it day-in and day-out, so I think it's my job as the manager to just try to make us better. If I want to say, this will make us better, then I should do it because that's the way it's supposed to be.

Q. Can you gauge your level of interest in Kris Benson; does he make you better?
SAM PERLOZZO: Yes, he does. I'm actually interested in any starter right now. We got Leo to come on board with us, and I'm maybe overconfident you could say that he could help some of the guys that maybe need to get over the hump; that maybe our No. 4 guy, maybe he can help make a No. 3 and can't have enough arms, we can't. We have a lot of pieces to fill. Nine out of ten times, you're filling it by trading away some pitching. So if we can sign some guys, get some starters somehow, get lucky enough to do that, then we can use somebody to fill out another hole.

Q. It's obvious the holes you want to fill, has it been tough seeing teams in the division spending all of this money and filling different holes while you haven't necessarily brought anyone in yet?
SAM PERLOZZO: It's not tough. It's just, you know, we have a certain budget and I know that we do that. And you know, the creativity part of it comes in when you say you've got X amount of dollars, how many of these holes can we fill and try to be as good as you can at trying to be to get that done and that's what we're trying to do right now.

Q. What is your reaction to the Burnett signing?
SAM PERLOZZO: You know, nothing surprises me anymore. I would have liked to take a shot at somebody out there. I mean, for me he was a perfect guy for Leo to really get as good as his stuff is. But there's other people out there, there's other people out there, too. Certainly, you can't come in here looking at one particular person and go home crying if you don't get him. You know, I don't think anybody comes in here without a little bit of a plan and another plan and a fourth plan and a fifth plan.

Q. You guys lost B.J. obviously, do you see a guy on the team that you feel comfortable right now as a closer and would you try Julio out there again or Ray?
SAM PERLOZZO: You know, one of the guys that draws a ton of interest so far here has been Chris Ray. Everyone comes in and wants Chris Ray. Obviously they see some good stuff when he faces them and their scouts have seen good stuff, so it's not like we don't think he's a pretty darned good pitcher. You know, it could come to be that, you know, we drop it on his shoulders. What we would like to do if that's the case, if we can't get somebody that we're really comfortable with, then we need to shore up our late bullpen so that if -- give him a little cushion in case he struggles a little bit and give us a little insurance in case something like that would happen.
We'll see. We have another couple of days here and we have until Spring Training and we have to figure that out. But I would not be afraid to do it. I wouldn't be afraid to did it. Sooner or later, we have good arms, sooner or later the good young arm has got to be good young arms in the big leagues, because that's the way everyone does it that's good.

Q. What would you say Julio's role is?
SAM PERLOZZO: Right now, you know, he's going to have to pitch well in the spring. If he's going to come to Spring Training in shape and throwing the ball like he did before, he'll earn a late role. And if he comes in really good, then maybe you don't have to do what you want to do, maybe he's the insurance guy or maybe he comes out as the closer and then if he falters, then Chris Ray or somebody else steps into that spot.
There's a lot of little things there at the end of there that have not been answered yet that we're working on right now.

Q. Have you had any encouraging words about him, his conditioning in the off-season, has he done anything different?
SAM PERLOZZO: I heard he's pitching. I think Jorge is going to come in in good shape and ready to go. I think he had a difficult season last year. He knows he has a difficult season, and I doubt that he liked it. It would surprise me if he doesn't come in ready to go.

Q. What can Leo do with him? There's talk about his confidence shattered and he's going to have to try to build that, what can Leo do with that arm?
SAM PERLOZZO: Well, you all know Leo, his plan is down and away. He's going to work on location with all our guys. I've said something to him, he asked me about him and I said this is what he does and this is -- so you think that you can help him. You have to tell me -- when you tell him he's got a good arm, you know, he's not afraid of that. You tell Leo, well, does he have I good arm, he's got a good arm. Can you make him lights out? I don't know. But I certainly believe that he's going to make every one of our guys a little bit better.

Q. Do you think Palmeiro will ever play again?
SAM PERLOZZO: I haven't heard anything about him so far. I would wish good things on him. I've been around him a long time in my career. I don't know. I don't know what he's going to do.

Q. Did you suggest that he retire?
SAM PERLOZZO: I'm not into getting into other people's business. Whatever's comfortable for him, I wish him all the best.

Q. Have you talked to him at all?
SAM PERLOZZO: Not lately.

Q. With some of the congressional stuff that came out, Tejada getting involved with a lot of injections, B-12 in the clubhouse as many as 50, 60 times; have you as an organization looked at players and told them not to do those kind of things because of the way it looks?
SAM PERLOZZO: I would think that we would probably address numerous topics to our ballclub. And I think that we, just like myself, want to get things back the way this game of baseball should be. Good men, clean it up, and let's play some baseball.

Q. Can Sosa play anymore?
SAM PERLOZZO: I think he can, yeah. Yeah, I think he can. You know what happens is when you see a guy that doesn't -- can't hit in batting practice and doesn't show any about the speed, things like that, then you say, well, he can't play. But Sammy still has a little bit of that and he still hits good in BP, and I know that's not games. But it would not surprise me for him to come out and play a lot better than he played for us. But I don't know that that's -- you'll know that pretty quickly I think.

Q. Is Nomar Garciaparra that type of player?
SAM PERLOZZO: You know what he is, he's a baseball player. I'm talking about guys that are smart, that know how to play the game that have a little bit of talent that maybe, you know, fit your budget, just when you go out there and when you put your nine guys out on the field, the other team has to beat you because you're not going to make a lot of mistakes. You're smart, you know how to play the game and you understand your teammates around you and you understand the concept of winning and team play and that's kind of what we want to do.
You watch the teams that were in the playoffs and the World Series, White Sox, all their guys did all of the little things. That's playing the game. Can we get any of those guys or can we get a lot of them or one or two? We need to get some and we need to continue to build on that until we get enough of them to put us over the hump.

Q. Would you feel comfortable if he is your every day first baseman?
SAM PERLOZZO: Yes, and I haven't seen him play, but if he can play on the left side of the infield, you can play anywhere. That's what I was always told. Gene Mauch put me in centerfield one time in Spring Training. "You can play short, you can play center, go on out there, son." First ball was a low liner at my shoe tops that I missed.

Q. Is third base the main spot to improve?
SAM PERLOZZO: We have several that we're trying to address. I wish I could tell you that. The game is built on pitching for me, starting pitching, and if I had my druthers, I'd rather for us sign two starting pitchers, I mean, anyone here would say that. Then you've got enough pitching to trade to get some of the other people that you can get. But that's not always possible.

Q. Talk about the impact of Leo.
SAM PERLOZZO: It's a little different when you're talking about the coach. You know, his reputation has been for 14 years, it's not like it's a little thing, and he's resurrected a lot of the good -- some good veterans and his pitchers stay healthy and he puts them on a different routine than almost every one. For those reasons, I think he's been successful and for those reasons, pitchers would like to work with him. Everyone wants to do well.

Q. How important was that for you to get him?
SAM PERLOZZO: It's something that he and I have been, as kids and stuff have talked about. I was always a stumbling block because I couldn't get the job. It's important for an attitude and for an organization, especially where we were at the end of last year, to make a positive, big commitment and Peter was able to do that for us. I think that's an organizational direction step for us, and we need to make more.

Q. Has he made any attempt?
SAM PERLOZZO: He has not. I think that's probably a difficult situation now with the World Baseball Classic coming. So I think he's probably going to just, first year out, come on in, assess what we have, get to learn our personnel and then I think we'll worry about Camp Leo after that.

Q. The trade talk has involved hitters, would you like to sign two pitchers before you make a trade like that?
SAM PERLOZZO: I want to sign any place that we have a need and we're able to do it. If it's this one pops up, let's do it. I mean, I don't think you can sit and do those things. If you feel like you can go get a pitcher and get him quick, then we should go get him. We're trying to do all that, trust me. You know, just one of the areas might pop up to be a little more viable to do at that particular moment and then we'll try to do it.

Q. Would you feel comfortable trading Eric before you added two pitchers or a starter?
SAM PERLOZZO: Would I? No, I wouldn't. We have some good, young pitching and we've got some good young guys coming. I just, it's an awful difficult thing for to you say, trade some pitching when you don't have any coming in. So I don't think we'll do it.

Q. Last year the perception was with the dual GMs that the Orioles were stagnant in getting things done, with more stability in the front office do you feel you'll be a little more proactive?
SAM PERLOZZO: I think so. I think so. I think we've shown an aggressiveness and some passion, excitement and energy. I think that will stay with us, whether we get a whole lot done here or not, we still have the entire spring and the rest of the winter to get something done. I'm sure all teams are not -- they all want to come out of here with some good things happening and we all know they are not going to get fixed right now.

Q. Have you talked to Brian?
SAM PERLOZZO: I talk to him once a week, he's doing good. He's on schedule and certainly we would hope that he would be -- that's a situation that we'll look at a little later on that if he's going to be a little later that we may have to look for a little help if it's a long-term situation -- we're confident that Brian is going to be fine.
We're in the room, looking at our board, looking at things that we can do and this and that and talking about how we're going to arrange this if we can do it. If we can only make two moves here, two big moves, then we should make two that are going to last three or four years. We can't keep filling five holes with one-year guys, because next year we have five holes again to fill. If we can fill two big holes to extend us three to four years, then next year we fill two more, and that should put us in the thick of everything you know what I mean, that's kind of the way those things work, then you've got three and four years and then this guy is three and four years and you give your kids that we feel are coming now a chance to get up there.
And that's how organizations get to where they are and you just keep rolling it over. We're going to have to sign probably some guys one-year deals to patch up but we would like to also, we would like to patch up with more than a few with a three year, four year guys, or a couple free agent signings that we sign for three- or four-year contracts that we know are good players and are going to be there for us.

Q. A lot was made of Miguel and his whole mind set towards the end of the season where he was tired, distracting him, have you made any effort to contact him in the off-season? You talked to him at all?
SAM PERLOZZO: I have not. I understand he wants to play winter ball I guess for the last week and he's going to play in the Classic and he made the comment and I read in the paper that he wants to get himself in shape.
My plan is as soon as these meetings are over is to contract some of our guys or most of our guys and just check on them and tell them I'm thinking about them and making sure I'm on track with what they are supposed to be doing and.

Q. When you talk about plugging three or four years down the road, was not bringing back Ryan a big setback?
SAM PERLOZZO: Was he never coming back? I wasn't resigned to that. I always think there's a chance and I'm also -- there's a certain amount of loyalties that you kind of hope that stays out there and it gives you a chance, so we traded for the guy, we pitch the guy, we put him in as a closer and I understand he has to do what he has to do, but you always go, he might give us a shot as soon as we brought him over here, so you're always thinking you've got a shot at him still.

Q. Did you talk to him during the process?
SAM PERLOZZO: No.

Q. Money surprise you, what he got?
SAM PERLOZZO: Money surprises me, what everyone's getting.

End of FastScripts...

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