Andy MacPhail was hired Wednesday as president of baseball operations for the Orioles, two days after the team fired manager Sam Perlozzo. MacPhail will oversee all baseball operations for the club, which has not had a winning season since 1997. He said he believes owner Peter Angelos will allow him the independence he needs to run the team. "If I didn't feel that way, I wouldn't be here," MacPhail said noting he outlined to Angelos where he thinks the boundaries of the owner's influence are.