BALTIMORE -- It was billed as a FanFest and developed into a love fest for Leo Mazzone, Baltimore's new pitching coach and a man the Orioles' fan base can rally around.

Several fans had hard questions for some of the team's decision-makers on Saturday, but Mazzone was hailed all three times he stepped on the main stage during the day-long event.

"Maybe we can bring some of that pitching magic that's been going on down south for about 14 years," Mazzone said at one point, referring to his successful tenure with the Atlanta Braves. "Great pitchers make for a good pitching coach. And a good pitching coach doesn't mess it up."

Those were just some of the public comments from the new fan favorite, who served as the highlight of an interesting day at the Baltimore Convention Center. The Orioles hosted more than 7,000 fans, providing a variety of interactive games and merchandise stands for baseball related products.

The biggest attraction was the presence of several Baltimore players and front office personnel, who signed autographs and engaged in several question-and-answer sessions with the fans. Some of those questions expressed frustration with the team's current direction, a sentiment that manager Sam Perlozzo met head-on.

"I'm not angry with them a bit, and I'm tickled to death they're frustrated," Perlozzo said. "Our fans keep yelling at us. They want to win -- and so do we."

The most popular topics were the Orioles' relatively quiet offseason and the plan for returning to prominence in the American League's East Division. Mike Flanagan, the team's executive vice president of baseball operations, also answered a flurry of questions about Miguel Tejada to both the public and the local media.

Tejada, Baltimore's most decorated player, went on record with a trade request in December. Flanagan said the Orioles have tried to accommodate their shortstop but have struggled to find equal value -- and not for lack of effort. The O's have entertained several offers from several teams, but they haven't found anything intriguing enough to make them pull the trigger.

"We're just not going to do something for the sake of doing something," said Flanagan. "It's taken a lot of time. It hasn't made us work harder. It's made it harder to work."

The most difficult part may have passed. The Associated Press reported Saturday that Tejada made contact with the Orioles late in the day, officially rescinding his request and ending his turbulent offseason. The AP quoted Jim Duquette, Baltimore's vice president of baseball operations, who seemed relieved to have the issue behind him.

"This is the first time we heard this directly from him," Duquette told the AP. "We're elated that he's chosen to stay. We're all committed to improving the team, and it's easier to do it with Miguel than without him."

Earlier in the day, Duquette had mentioned how difficult it was to have the entire issue out in the open.

"That's part of the difficulty of going public," he said. "If there was something that made sense, we would've done it by now."

"It just knocks you back a step or two, but then you pick yourself up," added Perlozzo. "We're looking for players that want to be a Baltimore Oriole.

"I've gotta believe that if we don't trade Miguel, he's going to come in and play as hard as he's supposed to play."

There were several lighter moments during the day, and many of them involved Mazzone. The coach shared some of his goals for the upcoming season and let everyone know what they can expect under his watch. For instance, he said that he'd like to see four of Baltimore's starters log at least 200 innings.

When a reporter told him that only one of the incumbents had ever reached the 200-inning mark, Mazzone responded immediately.

"Let me tell you something. If you want to win, you better have four starters doing something," he said. "There isn't a bullpen in the Major Leagues that can't be overexposed. Your starting pitchers determine how good your bullpen will be."

That vigor was evident in several other responses -- and if you listen to people close to him, it hardly ever leaves.

"Talking to Leo is infectious. It makes me believe I could be in the middle of the rotation," joked Flanagan, who won 167 games as a Major League pitcher and retired in 1992. "Leo's parameters are simple: 'Get me someone with a good arm. We'll work with him and make him better.'"

"The pitchers, last night, were thrilled to be around Leo," said Perlozzo, who has known Mazzone for decades. "We hope that results in a good working relationship."

"It's exciting to know he signed with the Orioles," said Rodrigo Lopez, who led the Orioles in wins and innings pitched last season. "I look forward to working with him. ... He's worked with a lot of pitchers I admire."

Mazzone said he has no plans to resurrect Camp Leo, a weeklong early throwing program that he conducted with the Braves. He also brushed off the supposed difficulty of working with a completely new pitching staff, pointing out that he had new pet projects nearly every year with the Braves.

"You have to be able to manage wholesale change, if that makes any sense," Mazzone said. "I'm revitalized every spring, whether it's in Atlanta for 14 years or Baltimore for one.

"Everything always excites me. Anytime you talk about pitching, it excites me."

For one day, at least, he couldn't find anyone in the room that would disagree.