Orioles’ Executive Vice-President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette, who is under contract until 2018, de- serves a one-way ticket to Toronto — if that’s where he now wants to work — to be paid for by the Blue Jays.

SOON-TO-BE-UNEMPLOYED O’MALLEY
DESERVES LIFETIME CASINO JOB OFFER;
EHRLICH NEEDS A GHOSTWRITER

Personalized speed/red-light cameras
would make nice stocking stuffer
for Mayor Rawlings-Blake

ORIOLES’ EXECUTIVE VP DAN DUQUETTE
QUALIFIES FOR ONE-WAY TICKET
TO TORONTO, PAID BY BLUE JAYS
 
By David Maril
 
With time running out for this year’s holiday gift shopping, here’s a list to get us into the New Year:

For retiring Gov. Martin O’Malley:  A lifetime job offer to be a dealer at one of the Maryland casinos. Helping bring legalized gambling to Maryland will go down as O’Malley’s biggest legacy.

For Comptroller Peter Franchot:  The chance to steer the state Democratic party back into common sense, smart economic liberalism.

For Congressman Andy Harris:  An issue he can support without taking a contrarian stand.

For Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake:  Personalized, working speed and traffic-light cameras for City Hall to make sure nobody runs too aggressively against her.

For former Gov. Robert Ehrlich:  A ghostwriter to make his Sunday political column in the Baltimore Sun readable if he decides not to run for president and it resumes in the newspaper. Ehrlich was a much better radio-show host than he is a columnist.

For Orioles Executive VP Dan Duquette:  A one-way ticket to Toronto, with compensation from the Blue Jays, if that is where he wants to work. Years ago, Hall of Fame broadcaster Jon Miller was not rehired as voice of the team (1983-96) because he “didn’t bleed” Orioles orange. The same standard should apply to the executive making player personnel decisions.

For Manager Buck Showalter:  A five-year contract extension with an option that he moves up to the Orioles’ front office if he tires of managing. Showalter, not Duquette, is the key to the refurbished standing of the team.

CHUCK THOMPSON’S VOICE AND GRACE

For Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman:  More runs. He could have been a 20-game winner each of the last two seasons with better run support.

Thomas J. D’Alesandro Jr., father of former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, served three terms as Mayor of Baltimore (1947-59).

For Ravens fans:  A play-by-play broadcaster with the voice and play-by-play grace of the late Chuck Thompson.

For WBAL’s Keith Mills, the active dean of local sportscasters:  A prime-time TV sports-interview show.

For the late Jim Karvellas, longtime Bullets and Knicks voice:  Posthumous enshrinement into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Nobody stayed on top of the action of an NBA game on radio better than Karvellas.

For House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi:  The pragmatic skills her father, the late Thomas D’Alesandro Jr., practiced as a Congressman (1939-47) and Mayor of Baltimore (1947-59) to find common ground and get things done.

For incoming Gov. Larry Hogan:  Reasonable, sensible and responsible action on the state budget, to back up all of his rhetoric and campaign promises, and a commitment to supporting public transportation and the Chesapeake Bay cleanup.

OPPOSITION LEADERS HE DOESN’T LIKE

For President Barack Obama:  Newly developed skills as a negotiator, expanding his effectiveness at sitting down, behind closed doors, with opposition leaders in Washington he doesn’t like and making deals to get things done.

For Fox News and MSNBC:  More reporting and less commentary.

For CNN:  A return to covering the world the way it did when the network first went on the air.

For Norah O’Donnell:  The chance to showcase the talents that make her the best anchor-journalist on network television, by hosting the CBS Evening News.

For 60 Minutes:  The return of Scott Pelley to full-time duty and less fluff content for the once hard-hitting investigative reporting program.

For Sunday news shows Meet The Press (NBC), This Week (ABC) and Sunday Morning (Fox):  More journalists on the panels and the elimination of political-party consultants and organizers.

For NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell:  A chance to show he deserves his $40 million a year salary.

For Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco:  Improved offensive-line protection and recognition of his skills, focus and leadership.

A STATUE FOR LENNY MOORE

For retired Baltimore Colts’ great Lenny Moore:  A statue outside Ravens Stadium, near John Unitas’s, to recognize his stature as an NFL player and his lifetime commitment to Baltimore.

For Democratic Party voters:  Quality candidates to run against Hillary Clinton for the 2016 presidential primaries so there can be spirited debates and choices.

For Republican Party voters:  New faces who say what they believe and don’t pander to the Right.

For incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell:  The backbone to stand up to the Tea Party.

For outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:  A personality transplant.

For the ESPN Classic network:  Some classic sports programming.

For police and law enforcement officers:  The best possible training, qualified administrative leadership, and good judgment, which translates into respect from the public.

For all elected officials:  Less selfishness and a focus on serving the voters.

For everyone:  Health and happiness.
 
davidmaril@voiceofbaltimore.org
 
“Inside Pitch” is a weekly opinion column written for Voice of Baltimore by David Maril.
 
EDITOR’S NOTE/HOLIDAY GIFT: 
For Dave Maril’s “Inside Pitch” column:  Continued steady increase in readership for 2015
and all the Happy New Years to come.
 
CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S “INSIDE PITCH” COLUMN:  click here
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