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Low & Outside: AL Notes

Orioles fire Trembley The Baltimore Orioles dropped manager Dave Trembley Friday. The O's had the worst record in the major leagues (15-39) entering Friday night's game against Boston. They had lost eight straight and were coming off an 0-6 road trip in which they were outscored by 34-8.

Orioles fire Trembley

The Baltimore Orioles dropped manager Dave Trembley Friday. The O's had the worst record in the major leagues (15-39) entering Friday night's game against Boston. They had lost eight straight and were coming off an 0-6 road trip in which they were outscored by 34-8.

The change didn't help. They were routed by the Red Sox, 11-0.

It appears the 58-year-old Trembley, who had a 187-283 record with the Orioles, wasn't surprised by the move.

"When Dave came up to see me, I hadn't even gotten a sentence out, he just waved me off and said: 'Don't worry about it,' " president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said. "I didn't even need to go into any kind of speech."

Former Phillie Juan Samuel, the team's third base coach, was appointed interim manager by Andy MacPhail.

Samuel's only managerial experience came in 2006, with Binghamton of the Eastern League. He becomes Baltimore's sixth manager since 1997, the last time the team had a winning season.

Baltimore ranks near the bottom in virtually every AL offensive category. The pitching staff has allowed more home runs than any team in the majors except for Arizona and ranked 12th in the AL with a 4.70 ERA. The bullpen has more blown saves (10) than saves (9).

Starter Kevin Millwood, another former Phillie, said, "In some ways, we have to feel somewhat responsible."

"This is a negative reflection on the entire baseball operations department, starting with me," MacPhail said.

And yet, Trembley is the only one leaving.

A-Rod on the case

For this one, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez could still wear pinstripes, but it will be a suit.

Bloomberg News reports that the U.S. Trustee, an arm of the Justice Department that monitors bankruptcies, has named Rodriguez to a three-member committee representing Texas Rangers creditors during the team's bankruptcy case.

The former Rangers shortstop holds the largest unsecured claim against his old team: $24.9 million in deferred compensation, according to court documents.

Imperfect game opinions

Everybody has something to say about Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga's bid for a perfect game Wednesday, lost on a blown call by umpire Jim Joyce on what would have been the final out.

U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley lauded the Venezuelan-born pitcher Friday for the "the display of grace and sportsmanship that he has given us in the wake of his 28-out perfect game."

Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, issued an official proclamation declaring Galarraga to have a perfect game.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich.) issued a statement saying commissioner Bud Selig should "invoke the 'best interests of the game clause' " to award the perfecto.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said he hoped baseball would give Galarraga the perfect game.

Meanwhile, Jim Joyce, of Toledo, Ohio, had to turn off his phone because he shares the same name with the umpire. The Tigers fan told WTOL-TV the harassing calls started not long after the game on Wednesday night.

And, finally, U.S. bookstores report sales of James Joyce's Finnegans Wake dropped precipitously following the game. (Just kidding about that one, but the others are all true.)