With 15 home games left in the season, the Baltimore Orioles are staring down an abysmal attendance hole they won’t remedy before the end of the year.

Just 1.37 million people have gone to Camden Yards this year through 65 games — a 13.5 percent drop in attendance from this point last year. I doubt it will end that low with the Red Sox and Yankees each due for one more weekend visit here before the end of the season. But a 10 percent drop in overall attendance and a total of just over 1.7 million total fans isn’t out of the question either.

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Hey, remember that deal Peter Angelos finagled back in 2005 when the Nationals came to D.C.? You know, the one where the Orioles retain majority ownership of MASN while getting the rights to broadcast Nationals games?

You know where I’m going with this.

While not so impressive last year when the Nationals ratings were just flat-out embarrassing (so bad that the Orioles broadcasts were outdrawing the Nationals in the D.C. market), the expected ratings boost for rookie Stephen Strasburg’s starts this year will mean more money in Angelos’ pocket. Without having to lift a finger.

I asked MASN Spokesman Todd Webster about that relationship and he said good ratings benefits both clubs.

“The Orioles are the majority owner of MASN and the Nationals are also an owner,” he said. “And the better both teams do and the better the ratings do, the better it is for both teams.”

MASN ad rates have doubled since Strasburg’s start tonight was announced. Whether that keeps up depends on his performance. A few nights of good ratings and boosted ad sales does not make that big of a difference in the grand scheme of things. But if Strasburg performs well this season, demand for MASN ad space will be higher next season and the Orioles owner will reap the benefits of that.

Yes, I know the Nationals’ financial rewards if Strasburg pans out will be far greater than the Orioles’ rewards … but they’re not the ones who took a $15.1 million chance on a rookie pitcher, either.

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Cal Ripken Jr. issued a statement yesterday regarding recent rumors O’s owner Peter Angelos rejected his proposition of working for the team.

After confirming Angelos’ denial that the Orioles owner did not turn Ripken down (that, in fact, no such offer was made), Ripken did confirm they have been talking:

I have enjoyed those talks very much, and yes the subject has been broached about me potentially joining the organization. I look forward to those talks continuing.

I have been consistent in my statements about a return to baseball since my retirement in 2001. With my son Ryan approaching the end of high school in a couple of years I have been thinking more seriously about a return to the big league game. I am more excited now to explore all opportunities and find the right situation that could lead me to the next phase of my life.

I have said and written many times that Cal Ripken is a guy who just never seems to mess up. He was a role model on the field during his career and has continued that example off the field in his business career.

If he returned to the Orioles now, it would be a mistake. After a dozen losing seasons and a 2-12 start this year, O’s fans are ready to jump on ANYTHING significant and hail it as a tidal wave of new hope for the organization.

Realistically, Ripken cannot single-handedly turn the Orioles from losers into winners, but that’s what the expectation will be if he signs back on now. Ripken is so revered that if he doesn’t meet expectations, he’s not going to lose fans. But my bet is he’ll lose some respect. There will be a chink in the armor.

Of course, now that the cat’s out of the bag, things are more difficult if Ripken ends up not joining the team. If both parties do the PR-neutral thing and announce together that they agreed to keep things as they are, Angelos will probably be blamed by Baltimore fans.

If Angelos offers Ripken a job and Ripken declines, well, Angelos will still probably be blamed because that’s just how O’s fans roll now.

But Ripken won’t look too good either.

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A fun article by Tom Verducci in this week’s Sports Illustrated takes a neat look at numbers and baseball and uses payroll, wins and post season success to determine which teams are getting the most bang for their buck.

Not surprisingly, the Orioles are one of the least-efficient teams in Major League Baseball in terms of the money spent for players vs. on-the-field success. According to Verducci’s numbers, over the last decade the Orioles have spent $717.2 million and won 698 games, or $1.03 million per win.

OK, it’s less than the $1.75 million the New York Yankees spent per win…but then again the Yanks did grab two World Series titles and four pennants in nine post season appearances. And with 12 straight losing seasons, the O’s have posted big fat “zeros” in those categories.

Sure, you could argue that the Orioles play in the toughest division in baseball. But when you look at Tampa Bay’s numbers — 694 wins at $577,522 per win and one pennant — that argument starts getting weak. True, the Rays caught lightening in a bottle the year they made it to the World Series…but at least the team didn’t waste its money the other nine years.

Hopefully with this change of focus on the farm system the Orioles can manage their payroll better. It’s funny — fans often complain that owner Peter Angelos won’t spend money on good talent. And maybe that’s been true at times…but obviously money isn’t everything.

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You’d think the Internet pranksters would have had their fill by now of Mayor Sheila Dixon’s admonishment, but I guess if you get a rise out of someone once…

Last week, somebody  launched a Twitter site for FakeSheilaDixon. As the name indicates, this is not an attempt to fool anybody, especially after the Manchester, England confusion of a few weeks ago. Then,  a trickster set up a doppelganger city Web site, and made it appear as though Dixon was spouting off about negative comments made by a Tory politician.

The fake site duped publications including The Guardian and The Baltimore Sun, and drew a quick clarification from Dixon’s office.

FakeSheilaDixon is taking a lighthearted approach, and has been tweeting up a storm . Whoever it is appears to be paying attention to Dixon’s schedule, though. This one came out Monday just before the mayor announced that an event to honor garbage men had been postponed:

“I took the day off today,” FakeSheilaDixon said. “Let’s just say I enjoyed the Mayor’s Box at the Ravens game a little too much.”

Was the mayor at the game? I didn’t see it on her schedule.

I must admit that this is not my favorite fake Baltimore twitter account. That honor stays with unpeterangelos, the famed impersonator of Orioles owner and prominent attorney Peter Angelos. He (or maybe Twitter) had his own problems with the real Peter Angelos.

But apparently the fakers are enjoying the company. Unpeterangelos had this to say in response to Ms. Fake Dixon.

“I admire your administrative style. You’re a civic treasure, madame. PS: Now, about that zoning permit…”

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