The conversation carried on long after the crowd dispersed from the Ed Smith Stadium concourse, where local business leaders line-danced to the Cupid Shuffle and got to hear from the new faces of the Orioles at Wednesday’s Chamber of Commerce dinner.
New executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias bantered with relievers Mychal Givens and Richard Bleier for long after their teammates left, an exchange that in Bleier's mind is a vital piece to helping the Orioles' long, daunting road back to winning begin smoothly.
"I think he got to know the players and our thought process on some things, where I've never really had that kind of interaction with a GM before," Bleier said.