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The Baltimore Orioles began offering 2011 playoff tickets today to all fans who purchase season tickets for the 2012 season.

"This is a great opportunity for fans to lock in playoff seats before there is a rush," said Orioles ticket sales director Neil Nicosia. "And, trust me, there would be a rush. Coming from 27 games out in early August to the playoffs? The Orioles would be the talk of the sports world."

Although the Orioles are 25 games below .500 in baseball's best division and have the second-worst record in baseball, team owner Peter Angelos made the push to offer playoff tickets.

"Despite the years and years of futility we have had, Peter wants to still present a positive, upbeat mindset to our fans. There is no surrender," said Nicosia. "Also, he said that if even one idiot buys playoff tickets, that's found money."

The Baltimore Orioles are reportedly considering moving their spring training location from the small town of Atgasuk, Alaska, to a warmer climate.

"It turns out it's hard to prepare well for the season in those icy conditions," said Orioles general manager Andy MacPhail. "We've found that it has left us behind our competition when we break camp every April and start the season in the lower 48. The lack of preparation, paired with our lack of talent, is really a tough combo to overcome."

But while Baltimore's baseball staff is behind moving the team's spring training to Florida or Arizona, where every other major league team trains, team owner Peter Angelos must still be convinced.

"The reason I moved our spring training up here more than 15 years ago from Fort Lauderdale is because of the cost savings Atgasuk and the State of Alaska provided," said Angelos. "Tax breaks, no travel costs for games because there are no other teams here, zero field maintenance costs because everything is covered in ice and, of course, very cheap smoked salmon for the players to eat. Unless some Florida town can give me all of that, it will be tough to convince me to leave Alaska."

Orioles reliever Frank Mata gave up a season high 13 runs, including the game winner in the top of the 6thinning, as the Baltimore Orioles company softball team suffered yet another heartbreaking loss toBig Al’s Oil and Heatingbefore a crowd of 11 at the City Of Baltimore Memorial Park. The defeat brings the Orioles current losing streak to 15 games, surpassing the local Subway franchise andDim Sum Asian Cuisinefor longest in league history.

Outfielder Nick Markakis, who struck out looking to end the contest, was visibly frustrated after the game. “I didn’t sign up for this, man”, said Markakis while talking to reporters at the ice cream stand across the street from the field. “I mean, literally, I did not sign up for the company softball team. I thought it was the list for the annual bake sale. I even wrote ‘Brownies- Nick ’. ”

“I don’t know what to say to those guys in there," said interim manager Juan Samuel at the postgame press conference by his Ford F-150. “Each guy gave 35-percent of everything he had, more than anyone has ever given for a softball game, and it tears me apart when we lose games like this," said the former third base coach in between sips of his can of Coors Light.

Some players have attribute a lack of team unity and cohesion to their recent struggles, and point to the fact that they’re too busy with their day jobs as professional baseball players to have any time to work on a game like softball.

“I don’t want to sound like a sore loser,” said outfielder Adam Jones, “But I’m pretty sure the other team had a couple of ringers. I mean, I bet at least a few of those guys definitely played baseball in high school.”