Once again the Ravens preview has taken a backseat to a mountain of work-related activities, but I promise to get back on the horse next week. In the meantime, enjoy some Free Kicks to get you through the weekend. Unfortunately I have to start with the Yankees, so get ready for some extra obnoxious New York fans next season while we line up for the kick…
Yankees Win 27th World Series Title
I won’t go into the popular refrain that they bought this World Series title, though I will say that they are perennial contenders because of that payroll- there is no way that much money doesn’t at least put you in the playoffs. This year they were the best team in baseball, though hardly a great story. Most years there is something to rally behind, and last year was the king of that- you had the Tampa Bay Rays with the first winning season in team history and the Phillies who were carrying a 25 year city-wide title drought. This year you had the Phillies as defending champs and the big, bad Yankees. Sure I was disappointed when the Phillies lost, but it wasn’t exactly a heartbreaker either. I just can’t stand the Yankees. My biggest worry is that the Yankees fans will become even more obnoxious, puffing out their chests even more while the nation-wide band-wagoners trade their Red Sox caps for Yankees caps. Either way it’ll be more misery for us O’s fans.
No Ravens Preview, But Here’s a Prediction
The Ravens will not shut down the Bengals the way they shut down the Broncos last week, but I will bet they do a better job on Cedric Benson, holding him to under 100 yards. As for Carson Palmer, he will get his share of big plays down the field, but I think that the Broncos game was a change in attitude for this defense. It gave them the confidence they need and inspired Greg Mattison to send blitzers more often and make use of the Ravens linebackers. I will take Baltimore’s defense to make a stop when it needs to. The offense has adjusted since its last game against the Bengals, and will be able to score on this defense. Joe Flacco has been incredible in pressure situations, and I will take Ray Rice to have a big game this weekend. The nod goes to the Ravens, 27-21.
Hill, Fiorentino, Rodriguez Declare for Free Agency
Rich Hill will look around, but I doubt that he gets a major league contract. Whether it was his health or his throwing motion (or both) we don’t know, but his 2007 performance is looking like a long time ago. This makes two straight seasons that he has struggled mightily and then, late in the season, said he was pitching hurt all year. I still think he can be a great starting pitcher in theory, but he might just be too far gone at this point. He was hanging every pitch over the plate this past season, and there will be a limited number of teams willing to commit a lot of money on a reclamation project. The best place for Hill is a year at Norfolk, and I hope he realizes it.
As for Jeff Fiorentino, he has been good to the Orioles after they mishandled his development three years ago. He deserves a shot at another team and perhaps become an everyday outfielder on another squad- there is no room in the outfield for Baltimore and he has been a class act since he arrived in the organization. Best wishes to him as he goes to yet another club. The Orioles will find a catcher, Guillermo Rodriguez won’t be missed all that much. Matt Wieters has the position pretty safely locked up.
Prediction for the Weekend:
Well, last weekend I recovered with the Oregon win over USC, bringing me to 2-4 in my dicey predictions. So this week, how about I go back to college football. Navy takes on Notre Dame, and excuse me if I want to go for the Midshipmen. The Irish defense has been suspect to say the least this season, and a well-executed triple option can tear that apart. The risk here is that Navy’s defenders won’t be able to keep up with ND’s explosive skill position players and that their undersized defensive line won’t stand up to the Irish offensive line. I agree that this will be a high scoring affair, but Notre Dame makes every game a close call. The nod goes to Navy, 45-42.
Showing posts with label Yankees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yankees. Show all posts
Friday, November 6, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Free Kicks: Baseball & Unscrupulous Sports Leagues Edition
Work has forced me to delay this until late in the day, but hopefully I can get the most out of another opportunity to look silly this weekend- and no, I am not talking about my Halloween costume. Though maybe that too, we’ll see. Lots to get to, so let’s line up for the kick…
Yanks Even the Series at 1-1
This was still a great start for the Phillies, who have wrested homefield advantage from the Yankees and had a chance to win last night. That was an exemplary performance from Pedro Martinez where I expected him to implode last night, but the Phillies were unable to get runners across when they needed to and that right field wall was again kind to the New York hitters. Of course, it was that same jet stream that helped Utley homer twice in the opener. Now we travel to Philadelphia where the park will again be friendly to power hitters of both teams, and Cole Hamels will look to rediscover his magic from last year’s postseason.
I still don’t trust the back end of the Phil’s rotation, and if they have to go into that bullpen with a tied game in the 8th, I have to think that the Yankees will score first. Not that the Yankees bullpen has been lights out either… Still, the pressure is on Philadelphia to make the most out of their 3 games at home. It won’t be easy to take one (much less two) games in New York in Games 6 or 7.
Brett Favre Returns to Green Bay
Just kidding, I will let every single other sports outlet cover this story. They can have it, I am burned out on Favre.
Jeff Datz Hired as O’s Bench Coach
I am no expert on MLB coaching staffs (though I wouldn’t be surprised if Falco knew all about them), but this seems like a solid hire to me. He has 29 years of major league experience, he has been a player (something Trembley was not and at times could have taken away from his legitimacy in the clubhouse), and most importantly, he played as a catcher. He will be able to serve as a mentor to Matt Wieters but is not a “hot” manager-in-waiting who will threaten Dave Trembley’s authority. Yes, he was with the Indians when they went into free fall over the last couple seasons, but I won’t fault the bench coach for the team’s failure. Datz is a good pickup, and seems to know the game. He isn’t a flashy name, but who were you expecting, Davey Johnson?
Sports Leagues Silencing Critics Instead of Changing for the Better
Okay, so the SEC is now fining coaches who criticize the refs following a set of massive gaffes that helped Alabama and Florida stay undefeated in recent games. The Redskins have banned signs in the stadium after fans started criticizing the ownership. Bud Selig has shut the door on expanded replay right as his umpires commit horrible mistakes in the postseason. Earlier this season, the Coaches Poll mulled making their ballots secret to avoid criticizing coaches for their individual ballots that were self-serving or uninformed. It seems like every league is electing to punish their critics or hide their acknowledged failings rather than confront them and make change for the better. They would rather sit back and hope that nothing goes wrong for the rest of the season, and we over time forget until the next controversial move.
Believe it or not, the SEC, Redskins, MLB, and the Coaches Poll officials could learn something from an unlikely league- the NHL. Hockey has not been afraid of changing rules- even in the middle of the postseason- in order to make the game better. When did these leagues forget that there was a game involved, a sport that needed to be nurtured and maintained even as players, coaches, and schemes changed? The integrity of sports has been violated by their only arbiters, the leagues and conferences that support them. We the fans are left with this intentionally imperfect product, with the commissioners’ pride taking precedence over what made the games great to begin with.
And the lack of signs in the stadium? Come on Dan Snyder, a big boy like you should be able to handle a little bit of criticism. If you can handle watching the team you put together, you should have a pretty thick skin by now.
Weekend Prediction:
Should I even do this anymore? Okay, I will take another shot at this after getting burned since my first attempt. Looking at the sports landscape, I try to take picks that I still think will happen but are a little bit of a stretch. I am not going to sit here and predict Arizona over Carolina or Jacksonville over Tennessee, but how about taking another stab at college football? I am drinking the Oregon Kool-Aid, as they have thumped every team since Boise State, and regardless of the Pete Carroll love-fest USC has not looked consistently great for any stretch this season. The nod goes to the Ducks, 38-35.
Yanks Even the Series at 1-1
This was still a great start for the Phillies, who have wrested homefield advantage from the Yankees and had a chance to win last night. That was an exemplary performance from Pedro Martinez where I expected him to implode last night, but the Phillies were unable to get runners across when they needed to and that right field wall was again kind to the New York hitters. Of course, it was that same jet stream that helped Utley homer twice in the opener. Now we travel to Philadelphia where the park will again be friendly to power hitters of both teams, and Cole Hamels will look to rediscover his magic from last year’s postseason.
I still don’t trust the back end of the Phil’s rotation, and if they have to go into that bullpen with a tied game in the 8th, I have to think that the Yankees will score first. Not that the Yankees bullpen has been lights out either… Still, the pressure is on Philadelphia to make the most out of their 3 games at home. It won’t be easy to take one (much less two) games in New York in Games 6 or 7.
Brett Favre Returns to Green Bay
Just kidding, I will let every single other sports outlet cover this story. They can have it, I am burned out on Favre.
Jeff Datz Hired as O’s Bench Coach
I am no expert on MLB coaching staffs (though I wouldn’t be surprised if Falco knew all about them), but this seems like a solid hire to me. He has 29 years of major league experience, he has been a player (something Trembley was not and at times could have taken away from his legitimacy in the clubhouse), and most importantly, he played as a catcher. He will be able to serve as a mentor to Matt Wieters but is not a “hot” manager-in-waiting who will threaten Dave Trembley’s authority. Yes, he was with the Indians when they went into free fall over the last couple seasons, but I won’t fault the bench coach for the team’s failure. Datz is a good pickup, and seems to know the game. He isn’t a flashy name, but who were you expecting, Davey Johnson?
Sports Leagues Silencing Critics Instead of Changing for the Better
Okay, so the SEC is now fining coaches who criticize the refs following a set of massive gaffes that helped Alabama and Florida stay undefeated in recent games. The Redskins have banned signs in the stadium after fans started criticizing the ownership. Bud Selig has shut the door on expanded replay right as his umpires commit horrible mistakes in the postseason. Earlier this season, the Coaches Poll mulled making their ballots secret to avoid criticizing coaches for their individual ballots that were self-serving or uninformed. It seems like every league is electing to punish their critics or hide their acknowledged failings rather than confront them and make change for the better. They would rather sit back and hope that nothing goes wrong for the rest of the season, and we over time forget until the next controversial move.
Believe it or not, the SEC, Redskins, MLB, and the Coaches Poll officials could learn something from an unlikely league- the NHL. Hockey has not been afraid of changing rules- even in the middle of the postseason- in order to make the game better. When did these leagues forget that there was a game involved, a sport that needed to be nurtured and maintained even as players, coaches, and schemes changed? The integrity of sports has been violated by their only arbiters, the leagues and conferences that support them. We the fans are left with this intentionally imperfect product, with the commissioners’ pride taking precedence over what made the games great to begin with.
And the lack of signs in the stadium? Come on Dan Snyder, a big boy like you should be able to handle a little bit of criticism. If you can handle watching the team you put together, you should have a pretty thick skin by now.
Weekend Prediction:
Should I even do this anymore? Okay, I will take another shot at this after getting burned since my first attempt. Looking at the sports landscape, I try to take picks that I still think will happen but are a little bit of a stretch. I am not going to sit here and predict Arizona over Carolina or Jacksonville over Tennessee, but how about taking another stab at college football? I am drinking the Oregon Kool-Aid, as they have thumped every team since Boise State, and regardless of the Pete Carroll love-fest USC has not looked consistently great for any stretch this season. The nod goes to the Ducks, 38-35.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Free Kicks: Abbreviated Kinda Late in the Day Edition
Okay, today might be a once in a lifetime moment for Free Kicks- I am going to be defending the Yankees and the defending a Buckeye (kind of). Windsor is coming up to see the Penn State-Michigan game, and so you may have to put up with a Michigan mention next week if the Wolverines take down the Nittany Lions. Probably won’t happen, but I can dream. Let’s line up for the kick…
Unlikely Yankee Apologist
I won’t be the guy to pile on Girardi for keeping A.J. Burnett in the game after the Yankees took the lead in the top of the seventh. Through six innings, Burnett had only thrown 80 pitches, and hadn’t allowed a run since the first inning. I prefer a manager let his starter keep pitching until he shows that he is slowing down or struggling. Burnett had been solid since his disastrous first, and deserved the chance to go out there. Granted, he then put the first two runners on board, but New York still held a 2 run lead at that point. That vaunted Yankees bullpen allowed not just those baserunners to score, but then tacked on one of their own.
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And what would have happened if he had brought in a reliever at that point and they had given up the lead on their own? We would be toasting Girardi for not letting Burnett stay on a roll. Baltimore fans have watched Dave Trembley give his starters a quick hook and lose the game as a result. He made a judgment call, and it went the wrong way- it has gotten to the point that we inherently question every pitching call Girardi made last night because of the Yanks revolving bullpen door a couple games ago. He hasn’t been particularly solid in his decision making in the playoffs, but he stuck with his starter, and I won’t fault him for that.
An Overrated/Underutilized Buckeye
Terrelle Pryor has been under fire (and rightly so) for his deplorable performance with Ohio State this year, his poor play dragging down a team that could easily be undefeated with their staunch defense and overall talent. If you recall, Pryor was adamant that he wanted to play in a pro-style offense to increase his draft stock. However, he did this assuming that he could play in a pro-style offense. He assumed that he had the accuracy, poise, and arm to stand back in the pocket, read defenses, and deliver the ball to his receivers in tight windows. One problem: he wasn’t ready for it, still isn’t ready for it, and is asking to be put into a role he isn’t comfortable with. No matter how hard he wants to be Peyton Manning, he isn’t. He’s a better version of Pat White- and that isn’t anything to shy away from.
It seems that the Buckeye coaching staff is relenting to what was obvious two years ago about Pryor’s talents, and have begun incorporating the zone read into their offense- incidentally the foundation of the Rich Rodriguez offense that has made mobile quarterbacks so successful. And if Pryor was worried about lacking the opportunity to throw in Rich Rod’s offense, he could look no further than Tate Forcier’s success this season. But Pryor is getting what he wanted, with teammates telling reporters “He couldn’t do any worse.” This #1 recruit, the “LeBron in Cleats” may be wasting his talent the same way a great writer tries to be a math major and fails miserably despite their best efforts. OSU will turn it around, but only after they start calling the right plays, and forcing Pryor to start playing to his strengths.
Prediction for the Weekend:
Why do I keep doing this? I keep going out on a limb and getting crushed out here, but I will keep throwing them out there and see what happens. I am 1-3 now, in stark contrast to the 5-1 Ravens predictions. Well, I will return to college football to feature the matchup of mid-major ranked teams- how often does this happen in mid-season? TCU will travel to BYU, and while I would love to say that the Horned Frogs will show that they belong in the top 10 with a convincing win on the road, I can’t go there. I am going to give this one to BYU at home, where, Florida State game not withstanding, it is a very difficult place to play. TCU gets winded in Utah, and BYU takes it 34-21.
Unlikely Yankee Apologist
I won’t be the guy to pile on Girardi for keeping A.J. Burnett in the game after the Yankees took the lead in the top of the seventh. Through six innings, Burnett had only thrown 80 pitches, and hadn’t allowed a run since the first inning. I prefer a manager let his starter keep pitching until he shows that he is slowing down or struggling. Burnett had been solid since his disastrous first, and deserved the chance to go out there. Granted, he then put the first two runners on board, but New York still held a 2 run lead at that point. That vaunted Yankees bullpen allowed not just those baserunners to score, but then tacked on one of their own.
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And what would have happened if he had brought in a reliever at that point and they had given up the lead on their own? We would be toasting Girardi for not letting Burnett stay on a roll. Baltimore fans have watched Dave Trembley give his starters a quick hook and lose the game as a result. He made a judgment call, and it went the wrong way- it has gotten to the point that we inherently question every pitching call Girardi made last night because of the Yanks revolving bullpen door a couple games ago. He hasn’t been particularly solid in his decision making in the playoffs, but he stuck with his starter, and I won’t fault him for that.An Overrated/Underutilized Buckeye
Terrelle Pryor has been under fire (and rightly so) for his deplorable performance with Ohio State this year, his poor play dragging down a team that could easily be undefeated with their staunch defense and overall talent. If you recall, Pryor was adamant that he wanted to play in a pro-style offense to increase his draft stock. However, he did this assuming that he could play in a pro-style offense. He assumed that he had the accuracy, poise, and arm to stand back in the pocket, read defenses, and deliver the ball to his receivers in tight windows. One problem: he wasn’t ready for it, still isn’t ready for it, and is asking to be put into a role he isn’t comfortable with. No matter how hard he wants to be Peyton Manning, he isn’t. He’s a better version of Pat White- and that isn’t anything to shy away from.
It seems that the Buckeye coaching staff is relenting to what was obvious two years ago about Pryor’s talents, and have begun incorporating the zone read into their offense- incidentally the foundation of the Rich Rodriguez offense that has made mobile quarterbacks so successful. And if Pryor was worried about lacking the opportunity to throw in Rich Rod’s offense, he could look no further than Tate Forcier’s success this season. But Pryor is getting what he wanted, with teammates telling reporters “He couldn’t do any worse.” This #1 recruit, the “LeBron in Cleats” may be wasting his talent the same way a great writer tries to be a math major and fails miserably despite their best efforts. OSU will turn it around, but only after they start calling the right plays, and forcing Pryor to start playing to his strengths.
Prediction for the Weekend:
Why do I keep doing this? I keep going out on a limb and getting crushed out here, but I will keep throwing them out there and see what happens. I am 1-3 now, in stark contrast to the 5-1 Ravens predictions. Well, I will return to college football to feature the matchup of mid-major ranked teams- how often does this happen in mid-season? TCU will travel to BYU, and while I would love to say that the Horned Frogs will show that they belong in the top 10 with a convincing win on the road, I can’t go there. I am going to give this one to BYU at home, where, Florida State game not withstanding, it is a very difficult place to play. TCU gets winded in Utah, and BYU takes it 34-21.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
MLB Division Series Playoff Preview
Not everything in the baseball world is dark and miserable, hoping against hope that there is light at the end of this 12 year losing tunnel. However, if you ask most of my friends and neighbors in Michigan, they would probably disagree with that sentiment. The Tigers fell in 12 innings to the surging Twins, who will truck their physically and emotionally exhausted team to New York to take on the best team in baseball. Not to ignore the climax of the baseball season for the sake of the first half of football season, I thought it might be nice to give some thoughts on the four opening round playoff matchups, and give myself another opportunity to make some bad predictions (however, I have predicted the winner of all the Ravens games so far, with pretty close margins of victory/loss compared to the final result).
Yankees – Twins
The Yankees have it all- solid starting pitchers (though they complain that they want to add more starting pitching, every team says that and the Yankees are in better position than most), a lock-down closer in Mariano Rivera, and a team of position player All-Stars. The Twins come in with almost no advantage save for Joe Mauer and the guts they used to catch up with the Tigers down the stretch. The Rangers, Marlins, and Giants all had records good enough to win the AL Central. That tells me that the Twins will need a little bit more of that 17-4 finish to the season in order to ride this series to a win. Their run will bring back recollections of the 2007 Rockies who rode a 21-1 end of September, including a playoff game against the Padres to take the Wild Card. However, this is not the 2007 Rockies. The Twins were not unbeatable in September and the 2009 AL is a heck of a lot tougher than the 2007 NL. Minnesota will take a game at home, but nothing more.
Yankees advance to ALCS, 3-1.
Yankees – Twins
The Yankees have it all- solid starting pitchers (though they complain that they want to add more starting pitching, every team says that and the Yankees are in better position than most), a lock-down closer in Mariano Rivera, and a team of position player All-Stars. The Twins come in with almost no advantage save for Joe Mauer and the guts they used to catch up with the Tigers down the stretch. The Rangers, Marlins, and Giants all had records good enough to win the AL Central. That tells me that the Twins will need a little bit more of that 17-4 finish to the season in order to ride this series to a win. Their run will bring back recollections of the 2007 Rockies who rode a 21-1 end of September, including a playoff game against the Padres to take the Wild Card. However, this is not the 2007 Rockies. The Twins were not unbeatable in September and the 2009 AL is a heck of a lot tougher than the 2007 NL. Minnesota will take a game at home, but nothing more.
Yankees advance to ALCS, 3-1.
Dodgers – Cardinals 
Does Los Angeles really have a better record than St. Louis? It certainly hasn’t looked like a better team over the second half of the season. There are plenty of teams that missed out on the playoffs entirely that are looking better than the Dodgers have. They did well to put away the Rockies and keep them from the division lead, but this team had the division wrapped up in May, they should not have had to hold anyone off to win this one. Meanwhile, the Cardinals emerged from a crowded NL Central and thumped any other contenders to the curb as they took over mid-season. They have the best pitching duo left in the playoffs in Carpenter and Wainwright, and they are going up against one of the better hitting lineups in the majors. However, so are the Dodgers, but Randy Wolf and Chad Billingsley aren’t exactly earth-shattering pitchers. L.A. flamed out last year, and they give a repeat performance. A few homers from Manny might give L.A. a game, but I am betting that the bats of Matt Holiday and Albert Puhols will keep the Cards on top.
Cardinals advance to the NLCS, 3-0.
Does Los Angeles really have a better record than St. Louis? It certainly hasn’t looked like a better team over the second half of the season. There are plenty of teams that missed out on the playoffs entirely that are looking better than the Dodgers have. They did well to put away the Rockies and keep them from the division lead, but this team had the division wrapped up in May, they should not have had to hold anyone off to win this one. Meanwhile, the Cardinals emerged from a crowded NL Central and thumped any other contenders to the curb as they took over mid-season. They have the best pitching duo left in the playoffs in Carpenter and Wainwright, and they are going up against one of the better hitting lineups in the majors. However, so are the Dodgers, but Randy Wolf and Chad Billingsley aren’t exactly earth-shattering pitchers. L.A. flamed out last year, and they give a repeat performance. A few homers from Manny might give L.A. a game, but I am betting that the bats of Matt Holiday and Albert Puhols will keep the Cards on top.
Cardinals advance to the NLCS, 3-0.
Phillies – Rockies
“In the playoffs it is all about pitching.” “In the playoffs you have to be able to win in the clutch.” Take these two (cliché) sayings together and you have why people are worried about the Phillies. In a word, it’s the closer. Brad Lidge is a shell of last season’s perfect self, but everything else about the Phils is either static or slightly improved from last year from a personnel standpoint. Then again, if you are leading by 4 runs in the 9th, who closes it out isn’t all that important. What does worry me is that Philadelphia hasn’t played a meaningful game in a while; this team had the NL East all but wrapped up by August, some ephemeral Marlins and Braves runs notwithstanding. The Rockies haven’t exactly been gangbusters lately, but they were forced to take control of the Wild Card chase and hold off the loaded Giants head to head. This team knows how to win in the playoffs, but the rested and talented Phils have too much starting pitching. J.A. Happ, Cliff Lee, Pedro Martinez, and Cole Hamels make this team too deep for the Rockies to beat… but they will make it tough on the defending champs.
Phillies advance to the NLCS, 3-2.
Angels – Red Sox
The Angels in the playoffs are like the Texans in the regular season. Every year you look at their roster and want to predict success, and every year those hopes are dashed by the perennial powerhouse teams. However, the Angels don’t usually play against a team that has had as many questions as the Red Sox have this last month. Josh Beckett hasn’t been his old self, and Jon Lester is the only Sox starter who I trust to pitch a lights-out game. Tonight he goes up against John Lackey, with Jered Weaver waiting in the wings. If Lester goes down, Boston will have to hope that their postseason pitching finds its familiar magic. The Red Sox will make this one difficult due to their success against the Angels in the past, but the Angels have plenty of bulletin board ammunition after they were robbed by the umpires at Fenway Park earlier in the season. Scott Kazmir is a wild card here. If he gets the ball against his former division foe, it could be feast or famine. If he plays like he has in 6 starts with the L.A./Anaheim/California/Golden State/Greater Western U.S. Angels, the Red Sox could let this one slip. This could be determined on the basepaths, where the Angels steal crazy while the Red Sox catchers couldn’t throw out Magglio Ordonez. This one is by far the toughest one to pick.
Angels advance to ALCS, 3-2.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
For the Orioles, the Numbers Tell the Story
Well after last night’s flameout at the hands of Yankees pitching (and perhaps a bit more evidence as to why George Sherrill may be more valuable than we thought with Jim Johnson not quite there yet), I thought back to a familiar adage that has grown this season about the Orioles’ habit of scoring in bunches one game and then going completely cold in the next game. Is this complaint legitimate? Do the Orioles suffer from such massive inconsistencies that one can’t predict whether they will actually score a decent number of runs? Baseball is all about numbers, so I decided to take a look at the numbers. You may be surprised at the results.
The Orioles have scored 10 or more runs 10 times so far this season, and in those games they are 10-0, as one might expect. However, in the games immediately following these offensive explosions, the Orioles score an average of 4.5 runs, and are 5-5 in those contests. Being as the average runs scored by the O’s in a game this season is about 5 runs per game, this is a slight dip but not enough for anyone to claim a massive amount of inconsistency. True, the Orioles have been shut out 6 times this season and failed to score more than 2 runs another 18 times. The problem to me is in missed opportunities.
The Orioles have solid offensive numbers in terms of hits and even on base percentage, but fail to put enough runners across when compared to other teams. Baltimore actually has the 6th highest team average in the American League, though it ranks behind all AL East teams except for the Red Sox, who aren’t that far behind. What should probably be of more concern to Baltimore fans is the lack of home runs and the inability to translate that average into runs scored, where the O’s rank near the bottom of the league and in the middle of the league, respectively. The latter can be attributed largely to poor base running and (yes, I am going to go there) bad calls by the umpires, who seem to believe that a tie goes to the team higher in the standings instead of the runner. The bat aren’t going cold necessarily, but they are certainly timid with runners in scoring position or on the base paths.
The pitching is terrible, yesterday’s performance aside. The 4.93 team ERA ranks only above Cleveland in the American League, and the rotation ERA is abysmal itself. However, we have been over this ad nauseam and it would do little good to rehash the pitching woes of this team. The fact of the matter is that while the Baby Birds can hit, they can’t score- and they aren’t exactly stopping people either.
However, the law of averages says this team is doing about as well as it should. My last calculation was of the Pythagorean Win-Loss formula, using the total runs scored and runs allowed to calculate what Baltimore’s winning percentage should be given those values. I won’t bore you with the math, but the result? The O’s should be winning 45.2% of their games, or roughly 42 games at this point in the season. They are currently 41-51. This tells me that for every time the Orioles score big, they give it right back even bigger. In baseball, stats are everything. While there are some indications that this team could (or probably should) be scoring more, this team is about where they should be right now. Losses like the one last night are maddening to put up with, but from a macro level it unfortunately makes all too much sense.
The Orioles have scored 10 or more runs 10 times so far this season, and in those games they are 10-0, as one might expect. However, in the games immediately following these offensive explosions, the Orioles score an average of 4.5 runs, and are 5-5 in those contests. Being as the average runs scored by the O’s in a game this season is about 5 runs per game, this is a slight dip but not enough for anyone to claim a massive amount of inconsistency. True, the Orioles have been shut out 6 times this season and failed to score more than 2 runs another 18 times. The problem to me is in missed opportunities.
The Orioles have solid offensive numbers in terms of hits and even on base percentage, but fail to put enough runners across when compared to other teams. Baltimore actually has the 6th highest team average in the American League, though it ranks behind all AL East teams except for the Red Sox, who aren’t that far behind. What should probably be of more concern to Baltimore fans is the lack of home runs and the inability to translate that average into runs scored, where the O’s rank near the bottom of the league and in the middle of the league, respectively. The latter can be attributed largely to poor base running and (yes, I am going to go there) bad calls by the umpires, who seem to believe that a tie goes to the team higher in the standings instead of the runner. The bat aren’t going cold necessarily, but they are certainly timid with runners in scoring position or on the base paths.The pitching is terrible, yesterday’s performance aside. The 4.93 team ERA ranks only above Cleveland in the American League, and the rotation ERA is abysmal itself. However, we have been over this ad nauseam and it would do little good to rehash the pitching woes of this team. The fact of the matter is that while the Baby Birds can hit, they can’t score- and they aren’t exactly stopping people either.
However, the law of averages says this team is doing about as well as it should. My last calculation was of the Pythagorean Win-Loss formula, using the total runs scored and runs allowed to calculate what Baltimore’s winning percentage should be given those values. I won’t bore you with the math, but the result? The O’s should be winning 45.2% of their games, or roughly 42 games at this point in the season. They are currently 41-51. This tells me that for every time the Orioles score big, they give it right back even bigger. In baseball, stats are everything. While there are some indications that this team could (or probably should) be scoring more, this team is about where they should be right now. Losses like the one last night are maddening to put up with, but from a macro level it unfortunately makes all too much sense.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Orioles Win Series Against Yankees, Looking For a Sweep
The Orioles have started their season off well, winning their first two games of the season against the hated New York Yankees at sit in first place in the AL East. Now they look to sweep the Evil Empire tomorrow night. Yes we all know this is only two games out of 162, but Baltimore sure is happy tonight. They have the chance to win their first three games for the first time in over a decade.The two Baltimore starters, Jeremy Guthrie and Koji Uehara, both earned wins. Each game involved a destruction of the Yankee starter, either C.C Sabathia or Chien-Ming Wang. Neither lasted more than 4.1 innings and neither notched a strikeout. The O's bullpen has had its shaky moments, but in the end they have at least held to win each game.
But this team seems to have developed some character and an image. Some were wondering if the departure of Kevin Millar and the depression of last season would hurt the clubhouse. But this team seems to be having a good time. From Gregg Zaun learning some Japanese to help Uehara to Adam Jones smiling in the outfield to a strange Aubrey Huff catch, to Dave Trembley working well with the team, this team seems to be enjoying themselves and not being afraid of their opponents. This could be because of the winning, but it is a nice sight to see considering last season. The fans are also getting more into the game. Despite that it was clear a Yankees contingent was in Camden Yards, the park was clearly in the hands of the Orioles fans. The constant booing attack on Mark Teixeira has clearly bothered him during this series. All in all, this has the look of a different Orioles team.
But make no mistake, this season has just started. Guthrie and Uehara are Baltimore's most reliable starters, and the O's don't have anyone else that is proven in the long term. Starters like Alfredo Simon and Mark Hendrickson will need to be ready. The bullpen has held on in the end in both games, but if the back of the rotation does not hold up, then the bullpen will fall with it. The Orioles look good to start, let's hope they can continue the success.
Tomorrow Alfredo Simon gets the call against A.J. Burnett as the O's go for the sweep.
(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
What We Learned from Opening Day
It is very easy to make too much out of Opening Day and view it under a microscope. After all, you don’t judge a marathon on how a runner takes his first steps. However, yesterday afternoon’s 10-5 smash over many analyst’s pick to win the AL East (and perennial heart of evil in baseball) can give Orioles fans a host of reasons for jubilation, and a few reasons for concern moving forward. If nothing else, every win is one step closer to an improvement on last season. No matter what happens this season (100 losses is not out of the question), there will be plenty of story lines to follow.
Well, if yesterday’s game was any indication, the defense is for real. Aside from a ball falling out of Nick Markakis’ glove in foul territory late in the game, the fielding was exemplary. While the waterlogged infield may have helped slow the ball down slightly, Cesar Izturis played up to and beyond expectations in keeping balls from getting to the outfield and hustling to complete double plays. Brian Roberts should be able to play to his side and not worry about covering for a shortstop with limited range.
Additionally, it seems as though Melvin Mora is putting off the defensive decline that comes with age for another year. His incredible grab to rob a base hit on a line drive showed that his reflexes are as good as ever- every year I am convinced that he will start to break down and every year he seems to prove me wrong at third. He isn’t the best defensive third baseman in the game, but he still does a solid job.
On the other hand, the bullpen might not be as strong as we thought. Chris Ray, coming off of a year-long absence from the game and a 0.00 ERA in spring training, served up a two run shot to Jorge Posada and Ray simply did not look like his old self. Let’s hope this was just due to jitters and not a greater problem with his health. He may need some time to readjust to the big leagues, but this pitching staff might not have much time to let him tinker away. Jamie Walker does not appear to have rebounded very well from last season (which he insisted was due to injury, but this writer is starting to doubt that), with the left-handed specialist struggling and failing to get out his one batter. Overall the Orioles had to burn through 6 relievers in 3 innings of work, with only Dennis Sarfate not allowing a man to get on base. Jim Johnson’s command was off, throwing way off the plate and showing obvious signs of frustration. He is going to have to get under control, as the 7-8-9 line of Ray, Johnson, and Sherrill will be critical for the starters to have a bit of rest now and then. Yesterday it didn’t happen, but Johnson’s wild pitching could have made things a lot worse for Baltimore.
As expected, these boys can hit. Every player except Luke Scott got at least one hit, but the biggest surprise has got to be Adam Jones’ patience at the plate. Jones consistently made pitchers throw him a good pitch before he’d swing, and it led to his 2 walks and 3 hits, with not a single at-bat wasted. Generally hitters who are impatient tend to stay that way; they can get slightly better or slightly worse but a high strike-out rate usually stays with a guy through his career. We had heard rumblings of Jones improving in that department, but I didn’t expect what I saw yesterday. It bodes very well for a 1-2 high on-base-percentage punch in Roberts and Jones at the top of the order. As I said earlier, Cesar Izturis came to play yesterday. His home run might or might not have come due to fan interference, but until I hear Yankee fans bemoaning the illegitimate “Jeffrey Maier” home run of 1996, I will take it with a shrug when playing New York. It was close enough not to overturn anything, anyway. Any time you score 10 runs it is a great output, and please let’s not pull the ESPN routine and blame the Oriole’s offense on CC’s bad day. As Manager Dave Trembley said in his postgame press conference, his players simply worked the count and forced CC to give them the pitch they wanted. No, the $161 million man didn’t have a great outing, but the O’s were not just cherry picking out there.
This was a great way to open the season, but there are still plenty of concerns. Luckily O’s fans have until Wednesday to bask in the glory of an Opening Day win. Enjoy it- there may be a rough season ahead, but yesterday’s performance was certainly uplifting. Let’s see how Koji Uehara fares in his MLB debut against this same vaunted Yankee lineup.
Well, if yesterday’s game was any indication, the defense is for real. Aside from a ball falling out of Nick Markakis’ glove in foul territory late in the game, the fielding was exemplary. While the waterlogged infield may have helped slow the ball down slightly, Cesar Izturis played up to and beyond expectations in keeping balls from getting to the outfield and hustling to complete double plays. Brian Roberts should be able to play to his side and not worry about covering for a shortstop with limited range.
Additionally, it seems as though Melvin Mora is putting off the defensive decline that comes with age for another year. His incredible grab to rob a base hit on a line drive showed that his reflexes are as good as ever- every year I am convinced that he will start to break down and every year he seems to prove me wrong at third. He isn’t the best defensive third baseman in the game, but he still does a solid job.On the other hand, the bullpen might not be as strong as we thought. Chris Ray, coming off of a year-long absence from the game and a 0.00 ERA in spring training, served up a two run shot to Jorge Posada and Ray simply did not look like his old self. Let’s hope this was just due to jitters and not a greater problem with his health. He may need some time to readjust to the big leagues, but this pitching staff might not have much time to let him tinker away. Jamie Walker does not appear to have rebounded very well from last season (which he insisted was due to injury, but this writer is starting to doubt that), with the left-handed specialist struggling and failing to get out his one batter. Overall the Orioles had to burn through 6 relievers in 3 innings of work, with only Dennis Sarfate not allowing a man to get on base. Jim Johnson’s command was off, throwing way off the plate and showing obvious signs of frustration. He is going to have to get under control, as the 7-8-9 line of Ray, Johnson, and Sherrill will be critical for the starters to have a bit of rest now and then. Yesterday it didn’t happen, but Johnson’s wild pitching could have made things a lot worse for Baltimore.
As expected, these boys can hit. Every player except Luke Scott got at least one hit, but the biggest surprise has got to be Adam Jones’ patience at the plate. Jones consistently made pitchers throw him a good pitch before he’d swing, and it led to his 2 walks and 3 hits, with not a single at-bat wasted. Generally hitters who are impatient tend to stay that way; they can get slightly better or slightly worse but a high strike-out rate usually stays with a guy through his career. We had heard rumblings of Jones improving in that department, but I didn’t expect what I saw yesterday. It bodes very well for a 1-2 high on-base-percentage punch in Roberts and Jones at the top of the order. As I said earlier, Cesar Izturis came to play yesterday. His home run might or might not have come due to fan interference, but until I hear Yankee fans bemoaning the illegitimate “Jeffrey Maier” home run of 1996, I will take it with a shrug when playing New York. It was close enough not to overturn anything, anyway. Any time you score 10 runs it is a great output, and please let’s not pull the ESPN routine and blame the Oriole’s offense on CC’s bad day. As Manager Dave Trembley said in his postgame press conference, his players simply worked the count and forced CC to give them the pitch they wanted. No, the $161 million man didn’t have a great outing, but the O’s were not just cherry picking out there.
This was a great way to open the season, but there are still plenty of concerns. Luckily O’s fans have until Wednesday to bask in the glory of an Opening Day win. Enjoy it- there may be a rough season ahead, but yesterday’s performance was certainly uplifting. Let’s see how Koji Uehara fares in his MLB debut against this same vaunted Yankee lineup.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Mark Teixeira Deserves The Oriole Fan Treatment
Sure it was for the money. Sure the hometown team did not give a great offer. Sure everything about the circumstances makes sense. The Severna Park native did what any player would do when offered 20+ million over eight years, take the money and play. But Mark Teixeira should expect everything he gets at Camden Yards forever.Before the game, Teixeira said that in a perfect world he'd be an Oriole and that he has a lot of respect for the organization and loves the city.
Odd that it comes after he stated that he always wanted to be a Yankee and that he would wear Yankees gear to games.
The fact is that he is speaking both sides and expecting just the status quo to happen, Orioles fans booing him because he is a Yankee. Not from a local kid who was constantly saying he would love to be an Oriole before this season then says completely opposite things when he signs with New York. Nothing was going to stop booing from Orioles fans, but it is not helped at all by his statements or his attitude. He has not handled it well and he can't expect Orioles fans to understand that.
The fact is Orioles fans have a right to boo him incessantly for the rest of his career. Mark Teixeira should not be blamed period for taking the money, but for all the things he said teasing the city, he deserves any booing or harsh treatment he gets. Welcome to Baltimore Mark Teixeira, enjoy your stay.
(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)
Friday, March 6, 2009
Free Kicks
Well, I called in sick today with what feels like the flu so I am not sure how this post will turn out. However, I didn’t want to miss a week and then hear about it from Falco and Windsor. Anyways, without further or due, let’s line up for the kick…
Sorry, Matt
Matt Stover is clearly upset and disappointed with the Ravens indications that they want to acquire a new kicker to replace the 41-year old veteran. However, as much as we all love Matt, we have to realize that his time has come. His field goal average (81.4) was the worst it has been since 1998, and well below the league average. Additionally, he has become increasingly erratic from outside 40 yards, leading to the acquisition of Steve Hauschka to take over the longer field
goals and kickoff duties. I know I have written about this before, but with Stover going public it seems like the perfect time. Matt has meant a great deal to this organization, but at a certain point it becomes about a player’s ability and not nostalgia. NFL players are paid for what they will do for the franchise, not what they have done in the past. I am sure everyone in the organization wishes he could still perform, but he has not shown any indication that he is worth a brand new contract.
Who Will Sign T.O.?
Well apparently Jerry Jones isn’t completely impervious to reason, and has elected to released malcontent wide receiver Terrell Owens. Jerry Jones might be a jumpsuit away from being a younger Al Davis, but there is no question he made the right call- both for the lockerroom and production on the field. It is much easier to run an offense when you don’t have to force the ball to an egotistical wideout, particularly when your quarterback is not the most accurate in the league. However, the list of teams unlikely to sign the receiver is very long. Please rule out the Vikings- head coach Brad Childress wasn’t even on speaking terms with the receiver when he was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia. I personally don’t think that Tennessee will pull the trigger, either. Can you imagine the ripping that Owens would give that coaching staff after their conservative offense fails to score enough to win? Tennessee already has gotten a hold of Nate Washington, and the draft is so stacked with receivers that I doubt the Titans will feel the need to take that risk.
An owner would have to be out of his mind to sign a 35 year old receiver who will demand that the offense be tailored around him and his ego. Al Davis, step right up.
A-Rod’s Convenient Hip
This might be the best injury… ever. Alex Rodriguez has an excellent excuse to duck away from this steroid issue for another 3 months after discovering a torn labrum and a cyst in his hip. The Yankees don’t want him to get surgery and instead play through the pain, but we know how that plays out- A-Rod scuffles for 2 months and then the pain gets worse or the injury gets worse and he elects to have the surgery anyway. You know Alex wants the surgery. He gets to wait out the media on the steroid issue, and watch the Yankees struggle a bit more than usual in April, and then have Rodriguez return as a savior to the franchise. He will be seen as spurring on the June-July turnaround that the Yankees have had in recent years, and his success will take much of the steroid pressure off of him. Winning solves everything, especially if it seems like you are the reason. Go under the knife, A-Rod, and everything else will take care of itself.
Sorry, Matt
Matt Stover is clearly upset and disappointed with the Ravens indications that they want to acquire a new kicker to replace the 41-year old veteran. However, as much as we all love Matt, we have to realize that his time has come. His field goal average (81.4) was the worst it has been since 1998, and well below the league average. Additionally, he has become increasingly erratic from outside 40 yards, leading to the acquisition of Steve Hauschka to take over the longer field
goals and kickoff duties. I know I have written about this before, but with Stover going public it seems like the perfect time. Matt has meant a great deal to this organization, but at a certain point it becomes about a player’s ability and not nostalgia. NFL players are paid for what they will do for the franchise, not what they have done in the past. I am sure everyone in the organization wishes he could still perform, but he has not shown any indication that he is worth a brand new contract.Who Will Sign T.O.?
Well apparently Jerry Jones isn’t completely impervious to reason, and has elected to released malcontent wide receiver Terrell Owens. Jerry Jones might be a jumpsuit away from being a younger Al Davis, but there is no question he made the right call- both for the lockerroom and production on the field. It is much easier to run an offense when you don’t have to force the ball to an egotistical wideout, particularly when your quarterback is not the most accurate in the league. However, the list of teams unlikely to sign the receiver is very long. Please rule out the Vikings- head coach Brad Childress wasn’t even on speaking terms with the receiver when he was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia. I personally don’t think that Tennessee will pull the trigger, either. Can you imagine the ripping that Owens would give that coaching staff after their conservative offense fails to score enough to win? Tennessee already has gotten a hold of Nate Washington, and the draft is so stacked with receivers that I doubt the Titans will feel the need to take that risk.
An owner would have to be out of his mind to sign a 35 year old receiver who will demand that the offense be tailored around him and his ego. Al Davis, step right up.
A-Rod’s Convenient Hip
This might be the best injury… ever. Alex Rodriguez has an excellent excuse to duck away from this steroid issue for another 3 months after discovering a torn labrum and a cyst in his hip. The Yankees don’t want him to get surgery and instead play through the pain, but we know how that plays out- A-Rod scuffles for 2 months and then the pain gets worse or the injury gets worse and he elects to have the surgery anyway. You know Alex wants the surgery. He gets to wait out the media on the steroid issue, and watch the Yankees struggle a bit more than usual in April, and then have Rodriguez return as a savior to the franchise. He will be seen as spurring on the June-July turnaround that the Yankees have had in recent years, and his success will take much of the steroid pressure off of him. Winning solves everything, especially if it seems like you are the reason. Go under the knife, A-Rod, and everything else will take care of itself.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Free Kicks- Post Christmas Edition
Well, despite my best efforts, we closed up the shop here on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, though we will do our best down the road to keep our doors open through the new year. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with family, a nice meal and some NBA (if you cared to watch any). There wasn’t much in the way of sports on Christmas Day, but that might be because everything is building up to Week 17. The Ravens will be looking for a playoff spot against the Jags, the Jets, Pats, and Dolphins are all fighting for the AFC East, the Chargers and Broncos will go head to head for the AFC West, and the Bears will be looking to spoil the Vikings’ first division title since 1998. How great is that? In the meantime, let’s line up for the kick…
Much-Delayed Response to Teixeira Fallout
A couple weeks ago I wrote about the A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia signings by the Yankees as examples of how it had taken the team all of about 6 months to throw out the idea of building from within and avoiding the temptation to try to buy a ring. Well, that was before the Yankees took control of the top 4 most expensive contracts in all of baseball and make their earlier signings look like a pittance. This team got one taste of what the other 29 teams have to put up with every season and threw their hands up and walked away. They could not handle the growing pains of young talent, the long-term scouting and evaluation process, the complex scheme of building up the farm system and working young players through the system. This is a team- no, an organization, that is so utterly unprepared for baseball as it is becoming that they are forced to fall back on the familiar formula after it has shown to be ineffective. They do not
have the patience or fortitude to endure anything less than excellence, and will spend however they can to have it every single year. Let them do it. I am terrified of that rotation and that lineup, and I think they have just vastly improved themselves and will be a major factor in the AL East (I know, I am really going out on a limb there). In the long run however, this organization is weak-minded and slow to recognize the changing landscape of Major League Baseball, and will suffer for it as they hammer away at the same tired (and ineffective) formula.
As for Tex, I don’t care much about losing him. If he doesn’t want to play here, then that is perfectly understandable- he wants a ring. I wouldn’t expect him to suffer through 5 years of agony in the hopes of maybe making the playoffs- it doesn’t make sense for a player entering his prime. Oh well, take that cash and spend it elsewhere… Nick Markakis perhaps?
Nationals Looking like O’s of Old
So, the Nationals just signed Daniel Cabrera, and Corey Patterson among others to try to rebuild their team on the run as they look to try to fill their new stadium in their 4th year since becoming the Washington Expos Nationals from Montreal. This is starting to get rather silly for me, to be honest. They ought to be taking a lesson from their neighbors in Baltimore and realize that a set of free agent also-rans from other organizations isn’t going to save the franchise, especially in the NL East. Like the AL East, their division is stacked with quality competition- the World Champion Phillies, the Mets, the Marlins, and even the Braves are superior teams, and no number of Cabreras or Pattersons will change that. I mean, if Patterson couldn’t earn a spot in Cincinnati’s outfield and Daniel Cabrera couldn’t cut it in the god-awful Orioles rotation, they aren’t players who will help you compete. Rather than desperately throwing cash at Mark Teixeira, perhaps Washington should focus on building up their empty farm system before trying to make a half hearted move in the division. They shouldn’t have to look far to figure out how.
I am Getting Tired of Brett Favre
For those of you who were reading back in the summer, you will remember my adamant defense of Brett Favre and the abysmal treatment he was receiving from Packer’s management. I still believe he was mistreated, abused, and shoved out the door like yesterday’s garbage when he attempted to come back. He should have been allowed to come back, the Pack owed that much to him (unless they planned to give him back the division titles, NFC crowns, and the Superbowl win he gave them). However, I am now finding myself on the other side of the fence. Favre has no business talking retirement right now. I am not nostalgic this time around, and this is not a time to be discussing it. There is a game to be played that might- MIGHT get the Jets in the playoffs, not to mention any playoff games after that. I know he was pushed into a question about his future, but that was all to easy to dodge. He could have easily said that he was going to wait until the season end, or give some cliché answer about how he is “only thinking about next week.” That would have been fine. Instead, he goes down the road about his arm injury, how he is tired, etc. We have heard it before, and if he drags it out a second time I won’t be by his side. The Pack owed him… the Jets don’t.
Much-Delayed Response to Teixeira Fallout
A couple weeks ago I wrote about the A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia signings by the Yankees as examples of how it had taken the team all of about 6 months to throw out the idea of building from within and avoiding the temptation to try to buy a ring. Well, that was before the Yankees took control of the top 4 most expensive contracts in all of baseball and make their earlier signings look like a pittance. This team got one taste of what the other 29 teams have to put up with every season and threw their hands up and walked away. They could not handle the growing pains of young talent, the long-term scouting and evaluation process, the complex scheme of building up the farm system and working young players through the system. This is a team- no, an organization, that is so utterly unprepared for baseball as it is becoming that they are forced to fall back on the familiar formula after it has shown to be ineffective. They do not
have the patience or fortitude to endure anything less than excellence, and will spend however they can to have it every single year. Let them do it. I am terrified of that rotation and that lineup, and I think they have just vastly improved themselves and will be a major factor in the AL East (I know, I am really going out on a limb there). In the long run however, this organization is weak-minded and slow to recognize the changing landscape of Major League Baseball, and will suffer for it as they hammer away at the same tired (and ineffective) formula.As for Tex, I don’t care much about losing him. If he doesn’t want to play here, then that is perfectly understandable- he wants a ring. I wouldn’t expect him to suffer through 5 years of agony in the hopes of maybe making the playoffs- it doesn’t make sense for a player entering his prime. Oh well, take that cash and spend it elsewhere… Nick Markakis perhaps?
Nationals Looking like O’s of Old
So, the Nationals just signed Daniel Cabrera, and Corey Patterson among others to try to rebuild their team on the run as they look to try to fill their new stadium in their 4th year since becoming the Washington Expos Nationals from Montreal. This is starting to get rather silly for me, to be honest. They ought to be taking a lesson from their neighbors in Baltimore and realize that a set of free agent also-rans from other organizations isn’t going to save the franchise, especially in the NL East. Like the AL East, their division is stacked with quality competition- the World Champion Phillies, the Mets, the Marlins, and even the Braves are superior teams, and no number of Cabreras or Pattersons will change that. I mean, if Patterson couldn’t earn a spot in Cincinnati’s outfield and Daniel Cabrera couldn’t cut it in the god-awful Orioles rotation, they aren’t players who will help you compete. Rather than desperately throwing cash at Mark Teixeira, perhaps Washington should focus on building up their empty farm system before trying to make a half hearted move in the division. They shouldn’t have to look far to figure out how.
I am Getting Tired of Brett Favre
For those of you who were reading back in the summer, you will remember my adamant defense of Brett Favre and the abysmal treatment he was receiving from Packer’s management. I still believe he was mistreated, abused, and shoved out the door like yesterday’s garbage when he attempted to come back. He should have been allowed to come back, the Pack owed that much to him (unless they planned to give him back the division titles, NFC crowns, and the Superbowl win he gave them). However, I am now finding myself on the other side of the fence. Favre has no business talking retirement right now. I am not nostalgic this time around, and this is not a time to be discussing it. There is a game to be played that might- MIGHT get the Jets in the playoffs, not to mention any playoff games after that. I know he was pushed into a question about his future, but that was all to easy to dodge. He could have easily said that he was going to wait until the season end, or give some cliché answer about how he is “only thinking about next week.” That would have been fine. Instead, he goes down the road about his arm injury, how he is tired, etc. We have heard it before, and if he drags it out a second time I won’t be by his side. The Pack owed him… the Jets don’t.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Teixeira Goes to the Yankees, Baltimore Shouldn't be Surprised
Let's face it, none of us expected Mark Teixeira to sign with the Orioles. Andy MacPhail made it clear he would need to take a hometown discount to play here, and knowing Scott Boras, "hometown discount" is not in the Boras negotiation dictionary. Though we may be surprised Tex will be with the Evil Empire, the fact is 8-years, $180 million is too good to pass up. We can't blame Tex for going, the Yankees for offering, or the Orioles for not offering. In baseball, you play to win, and the Yankees are willing to spend a ton of money. But for the Orioles, signing Teixeira was not going to mean a playoff appearance or even a chance at one. There is too much to do and too many positions to improve. The Orioles still have serious work to do, and now that this is over, MacPhail and company can focus back on rebuilding.According to Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles are still going after free agents, some of whom include Braden Looper, a decent starter of the last two years for St. Louis, and former Nats starter Tim Redding. Neither are considered future pieces, both are in their early 30s. After letting Daniel Cabrera go, they need a new starter to eat up innings, since they want to keep their future starters in the farm system until they are ready. I hope they go after a bullpen pitcher and a temporary position player, whether it be left field or first base.
The fact is there will not be a star or very well known player signed by the Orioles this offseason, but that is probably a good thing. The Orioles do not want to waste money right now especially in these times. Not getting Mark Teixeira may hurt in the short term, but the Orioles knew they probably were not going to get him, and perhaps it is better this way.
(Photo credit: MLB)
Friday, December 12, 2008
Free Kicks- Baseball Free Agency Edition
The Winter Meetings have wrapped up, and a lot more happened than I expected. Tex is down to 4 teams and the O’s are bringing up the rear (has the season started already?), CC has donned the hideous pinstripes, and Baltimore picked up a decent shortstop, dumped Ramon Hernandez for a good deal, and and set themselves up to get another stop-gap at catcher while Matt Wieters waits until June or July to take over. I will take it, though I would have liked some talk of pitchers… for now though, it seems like MacPhail is picking up where he left off last offseason. So, for the first Free Kicks bereft of football in what feels like months, let’s line up for the kick…
Silver Lining is Bigger than the Cloud for Teixeira Sweepstakes
Okay, so it looks like the Orioles may be falling out of the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes, and perhaps even the Nationals could get him (if the Red Sox don’t get him first). Now the Red Sox effort is pretty transparent- as soon as the Yankees sign CC Sabathia, the Red Sox became interested in Teixeira. These franchises are constantly trying to one-up the other, and this is as much a PR stunt as anything. Having Tex would mean moving Kevin Youkilis and trading Mike Lowell, and while it would upgrade a position, it is by far not their biggest deficiency. Unfortunately for
teams like the Orioles, the Sox have $160 million to spare on a PR stunt and a slight upgrade. As for the Nationals, I would hate to have him across the state but at least he isn’t in the division and honestly, the Washington Expos aren’t going anywhere. They are not rebuilding like the Orioles are, and a free agent bat or two isn’t going to help them. What does this mean for the O’s? I would celebrate if we got him, but I will also be celebrating if we don’t. When A.J. Burnett costs $80 million to sign, the Orioles could get some great pieces to their rebuilding project with the $150 million they would save from not signing him. I mean, couldn’t that money be used to get 2 (or even 3) decent starters, and a lower-tier utility man? I think the Orioles need that a lot more than a superstar first baseman, even if he is home-grown.
Manny Ramirez is like the Stock Market- Volatile, and Losing Value
Do you remember the time before “Hot Stove” became the most overused cliché of the month? Remember when Manny Ramirez was among the superstars up for free agency? Nowadays it sounds like we are hearing more about Raul Ibanez than one of the best pure hitters of our time (I say “pure hitter” to sugarcoat the fact that he is an idiot in the field), and when you look back at it, it makes sense. In this economy (yes, it does matter even to the big fish), teams are looking for solid investments. Manny is not one of them. While everyone seemed to gloss over the fact that he completely gave up on his team last season and only plays hard when he feels like it or has been properly pampered, it seems to be hitting home as teams start to back off and wait for his demands to decrease as the winter wears on. Sure, Manny was happy in L.A. But who knows about next year? What about next week? There is no consistency, and anyone who can pull the antics he does WHILE he packs it in in June is not a player who GMs want to invest a lot of money in. In a bull market year, sure, they might be more apt to take a risk, but nowadays no one wants to make this clown the centerpiece of his franchise, and I don’t blame them. Manny will get signed for a boatload, but perhaps on someone else’s terms this time.
The Yankees Back to the Traditional Formula
It was only last year that we heard that the Yankees were adopting a more nuanced approach to baseball. They would focus on their farm system, build from within, save their money for contracts to their young talent, try not to get older as a team. It sounded smart, and it was the familiar trend that has been sweeping baseball over the last few years. How funny is it that that has already fallen by the wayside. No, I am not only referring to buying a starting rotation in A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia, which smacks of classic Yankees spending sprees of the past, but the upcoming trade of Melky Cabrera for Mike Cameron. Cameron, a 35 year old outfielder with his best year’s behind him, could not be more opposite to Cabrera, a 24 year old outfielder who had a down year this year but is still a solid young prospect. Sure, Carbera hit .249 this season, but the whole Yankees team was down this year, not just him. The fact of the matter is that Mike Cameron did even worse last year. This is an old-school Yankees move- dump the youth for the old veteran who can only get worse. Hey, as a division rival I will take it, but this makes all that talk from Yanks GM Brian Cashman last year sound like that much hot air. Forget the youth movement, these Yankees can’t (or won’t) change their pinstripes.
Photo Credit: AP
Silver Lining is Bigger than the Cloud for Teixeira Sweepstakes
Okay, so it looks like the Orioles may be falling out of the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes, and perhaps even the Nationals could get him (if the Red Sox don’t get him first). Now the Red Sox effort is pretty transparent- as soon as the Yankees sign CC Sabathia, the Red Sox became interested in Teixeira. These franchises are constantly trying to one-up the other, and this is as much a PR stunt as anything. Having Tex would mean moving Kevin Youkilis and trading Mike Lowell, and while it would upgrade a position, it is by far not their biggest deficiency. Unfortunately for
teams like the Orioles, the Sox have $160 million to spare on a PR stunt and a slight upgrade. As for the Nationals, I would hate to have him across the state but at least he isn’t in the division and honestly, the Washington Expos aren’t going anywhere. They are not rebuilding like the Orioles are, and a free agent bat or two isn’t going to help them. What does this mean for the O’s? I would celebrate if we got him, but I will also be celebrating if we don’t. When A.J. Burnett costs $80 million to sign, the Orioles could get some great pieces to their rebuilding project with the $150 million they would save from not signing him. I mean, couldn’t that money be used to get 2 (or even 3) decent starters, and a lower-tier utility man? I think the Orioles need that a lot more than a superstar first baseman, even if he is home-grown.Manny Ramirez is like the Stock Market- Volatile, and Losing Value
Do you remember the time before “Hot Stove” became the most overused cliché of the month? Remember when Manny Ramirez was among the superstars up for free agency? Nowadays it sounds like we are hearing more about Raul Ibanez than one of the best pure hitters of our time (I say “pure hitter” to sugarcoat the fact that he is an idiot in the field), and when you look back at it, it makes sense. In this economy (yes, it does matter even to the big fish), teams are looking for solid investments. Manny is not one of them. While everyone seemed to gloss over the fact that he completely gave up on his team last season and only plays hard when he feels like it or has been properly pampered, it seems to be hitting home as teams start to back off and wait for his demands to decrease as the winter wears on. Sure, Manny was happy in L.A. But who knows about next year? What about next week? There is no consistency, and anyone who can pull the antics he does WHILE he packs it in in June is not a player who GMs want to invest a lot of money in. In a bull market year, sure, they might be more apt to take a risk, but nowadays no one wants to make this clown the centerpiece of his franchise, and I don’t blame them. Manny will get signed for a boatload, but perhaps on someone else’s terms this time.
The Yankees Back to the Traditional Formula
It was only last year that we heard that the Yankees were adopting a more nuanced approach to baseball. They would focus on their farm system, build from within, save their money for contracts to their young talent, try not to get older as a team. It sounded smart, and it was the familiar trend that has been sweeping baseball over the last few years. How funny is it that that has already fallen by the wayside. No, I am not only referring to buying a starting rotation in A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia, which smacks of classic Yankees spending sprees of the past, but the upcoming trade of Melky Cabrera for Mike Cameron. Cameron, a 35 year old outfielder with his best year’s behind him, could not be more opposite to Cabrera, a 24 year old outfielder who had a down year this year but is still a solid young prospect. Sure, Carbera hit .249 this season, but the whole Yankees team was down this year, not just him. The fact of the matter is that Mike Cameron did even worse last year. This is an old-school Yankees move- dump the youth for the old veteran who can only get worse. Hey, as a division rival I will take it, but this makes all that talk from Yanks GM Brian Cashman last year sound like that much hot air. Forget the youth movement, these Yankees can’t (or won’t) change their pinstripes.
Photo Credit: AP
Friday, September 19, 2008
Free Kicks
With Falco posting up a storm I wanted to give y’all a chance to breathe in between all the O’s and Terps postings before the Free Kicks came in. While we had a very illuminating post up earlier today, I have to mention West Virginia again. Is there a head coach on that team? This is for all those WVU fans who thought “Pat White made Rich Rod.” Bill “Nice Guy” Stewart has the same team, folks. That team was so awful last night, I wondered if they could even line up for the kick…
The Ryder Cup Matters
Okay, so there’s no Tiger. But it is still the respectability of the country on the line at the Ryder Cup this weekend. It isn’t a major, but like the Olympics it is a stage where pride is on the line. Our claim to have the best athletes in the world is under fire. We took back basketball (finally), but we lost out on softball and have long since been out of the talk for baseball (Japan and Cuba seem to steal that one). The United States cannot simply sit back and expect to dominate. I love sports because it enables me to root for my city, my state, or my school through a certain outlet-
and like it or not the Ryder Cup allows that avenue. So what if an American player is the best in the world? If the best of Europe can wipe the floor with the best of our nation, that is a problem.
The Americans fall from grace in the Ryder Cup is even worse than the recent basketball slump- the US has lost 5 of the last 6 Ryder Cups, losing the last two matches 18 ½ to 9 ½. For those of you uncertain of the scoring, that’s bad. Going into the second day this year, the U.S. leads 5 ½ 2 ½. We got basketball back, let’s take back golf.
The Kicker Matters
Obi Egekeze is still the starting kicker for the Terps this weekend against Eastern Michigan. Luckily it’s Eastern Michigan so the pressure level might be down (though you never know with the way Maryland plays down to the competition- but I’ll save that for the guys’ preview post), but you have to keep in mind that this is a mental game. There are a million guys who can kick the ball 50 yards, it takes psychological fortitude to do it in front of 55,000 screaming fanatics with the game (and possibly your career) on the line. Just ask Mike Vanderjagt, who shanked the big one (again) against Pittsburgh in the playoffs, struggled with Dallas and was unemployed for a year before signing with the Toronto Argonauts! This is the same Vanderjagt who holds the NFL record for kicking accuracy at 86.4%! Does keeping Egekeze the starter a result of Friegen’s loyalty or the incompetence of his backups? I would argue that it must be a little bit of both because no matter how loyal you are to a player you have to win the game- if there was a star in the wings, Ralph would not have the choice of holding him back.
The Orioles Matter
No, not next year’s Orioles. Not the Orioles of 5 years from now. Not the Orioles team you come up with in your head when you read Windsor’s top 20 prospects list. Yes, this year’s Orioles. The Orioles have the pleasure/misfortune of playing the last series ever at Yankee Stadium in the most drawn out funeral procession since Barbara Streisand announced her “final show” about 8 shows ago. The O’s dropped the opener, 3-2, but still have a chance to win the last series ever at Yankee Stadium tomorrow and *gulp* Sunday. There is nothing that would make me happier than to have the Yankees remember this series as they are sitting at home in October with nothing but excuses to warm them while they watch the playoffs. While the season may have gotten rough for Baltimore, the Orioles still have a chance to start tearing down Yankee Stadium before the season even ends.
The Ryder Cup Matters
Okay, so there’s no Tiger. But it is still the respectability of the country on the line at the Ryder Cup this weekend. It isn’t a major, but like the Olympics it is a stage where pride is on the line. Our claim to have the best athletes in the world is under fire. We took back basketball (finally), but we lost out on softball and have long since been out of the talk for baseball (Japan and Cuba seem to steal that one). The United States cannot simply sit back and expect to dominate. I love sports because it enables me to root for my city, my state, or my school through a certain outlet-
and like it or not the Ryder Cup allows that avenue. So what if an American player is the best in the world? If the best of Europe can wipe the floor with the best of our nation, that is a problem.The Americans fall from grace in the Ryder Cup is even worse than the recent basketball slump- the US has lost 5 of the last 6 Ryder Cups, losing the last two matches 18 ½ to 9 ½. For those of you uncertain of the scoring, that’s bad. Going into the second day this year, the U.S. leads 5 ½ 2 ½. We got basketball back, let’s take back golf.
The Kicker Matters
Obi Egekeze is still the starting kicker for the Terps this weekend against Eastern Michigan. Luckily it’s Eastern Michigan so the pressure level might be down (though you never know with the way Maryland plays down to the competition- but I’ll save that for the guys’ preview post), but you have to keep in mind that this is a mental game. There are a million guys who can kick the ball 50 yards, it takes psychological fortitude to do it in front of 55,000 screaming fanatics with the game (and possibly your career) on the line. Just ask Mike Vanderjagt, who shanked the big one (again) against Pittsburgh in the playoffs, struggled with Dallas and was unemployed for a year before signing with the Toronto Argonauts! This is the same Vanderjagt who holds the NFL record for kicking accuracy at 86.4%! Does keeping Egekeze the starter a result of Friegen’s loyalty or the incompetence of his backups? I would argue that it must be a little bit of both because no matter how loyal you are to a player you have to win the game- if there was a star in the wings, Ralph would not have the choice of holding him back.
The Orioles Matter
No, not next year’s Orioles. Not the Orioles of 5 years from now. Not the Orioles team you come up with in your head when you read Windsor’s top 20 prospects list. Yes, this year’s Orioles. The Orioles have the pleasure/misfortune of playing the last series ever at Yankee Stadium in the most drawn out funeral procession since Barbara Streisand announced her “final show” about 8 shows ago. The O’s dropped the opener, 3-2, but still have a chance to win the last series ever at Yankee Stadium tomorrow and *gulp* Sunday. There is nothing that would make me happier than to have the Yankees remember this series as they are sitting at home in October with nothing but excuses to warm them while they watch the playoffs. While the season may have gotten rough for Baltimore, the Orioles still have a chance to start tearing down Yankee Stadium before the season even ends.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Free Kicks
Whew, is it the evening already? Are there still sports to report? Not the Orioles at least. The Ravens are short a quarterback (or three), the Terps can’t decide what to do with their quarterbacks (though Jordan Steffy’s hand is helping clear that up), and Shun White is so good Navy might not even need a quarterback. Oh well, I guess the quarterback position is overrated. Or at least if you are a Maryland sports fan you should hope that’s true… You know, back in the 50’s even the quarterback would line up for the kick.
The Redskins are NOT Ready for Some Football
The Giants/Redskins opener to the NFL season was… disappointing. All of this 365 day a year coverage of the NFL and we get that on day one? I mean, everyone is always clamoring to cut the number of NFL preseason games, but with all that extra practice (Coach Zorn actually elected to play his starters into the 4th preseason game), Jason Campbell didn’t complete a pass until deep into the second half! Do you think the Giants are missing Michael Strahan much? If you watched that defensive line it didn’t look like it. This defense might be thin, but last night they looked absolutely dominant. It could be that Jim Zorn is still adjusting to being a head coach, it could be that the offense hasn’t had sufficient time to be installed, or maybe the Redskins are not that great after all. I know it’s only Week One, but the Redskins haven’t been consistently good since the 1980’s and without am emotional run over the last 6 games last year, they would not have even made the playoffs.
Are the Yankees Done?
Yes, let’s move on.
Choosing the Right Option
In the most predictable move of the Orioles offseason checklist, the front office has elected to exercise Dave Trembley’s option for 2009, adding an option for 2010. This is great news if you are an O’s fan, but was it too little? I mean, will we be having the same conversation next year? Things are likely to get worse before they get better, or at least that is what we signed up for. The job of a major league manager is about far more than in-game management. Rarely is a team a bad team because of the manager. The manager is more important in how he is able to relate to the players, connect with their needs and get them to play hard every day. He is essential for the morale of the club more than anything else- though Trembley’s emphasis on fundamental exercises has certainly helped the club more tangibly. Qualities like that are necessary for a losing ballclub like the O’s. If the front office believes in this man, they need to lock him up to a longer deal. After the Mazzilli and Perlozzo failures I understand the caution over a long term deal, but a 2 or 3 year guaranteed deal would have gone a long way with Trembley and the team. Still, in the meantime it was enough. I have questioned a good number of his moves, but he is too good a manager and too good a man not to be retained. He deserves a trip to the postseason one day, and I hope the O’s can give that to him.
Thinking Outside the Pocket
Has it ever occurred to Ralph Friegen that perhaps there isn’t one quarterback who can do everything? I mean, Jordan Steffy is great in practice but an emotional mess in games. Chris Turner can win when the odds are against him but not when he is handed a cupcake opponent. We keep being told that Josh Portis can’t seem to grasp the offense but is such a great athlete (I recommend just have someone next to him with the call and he will instinctively cheat off their paper). Why doesn’t Ralph rotate QB’s according to the situation? I mean, clearly the offense isn’t working that well so who cares whether Josh can completely understand it? Put Steffy in to protect a lead, put Turner in when you are down, and put Portis in when you need to keep that drive going and change the pace. With Virginia Tech doing it successfully last year and countless other college programs breaking the old adage that “If you have more than one quarterback you don’t have any quarterbacks,” why can’t Maryland? We constantly hear that none of these quarterbacks have come out and taken the job. Fine, don’t let any one of them have it.
The Redskins are NOT Ready for Some Football
The Giants/Redskins opener to the NFL season was… disappointing. All of this 365 day a year coverage of the NFL and we get that on day one? I mean, everyone is always clamoring to cut the number of NFL preseason games, but with all that extra practice (Coach Zorn actually elected to play his starters into the 4th preseason game), Jason Campbell didn’t complete a pass until deep into the second half! Do you think the Giants are missing Michael Strahan much? If you watched that defensive line it didn’t look like it. This defense might be thin, but last night they looked absolutely dominant. It could be that Jim Zorn is still adjusting to being a head coach, it could be that the offense hasn’t had sufficient time to be installed, or maybe the Redskins are not that great after all. I know it’s only Week One, but the Redskins haven’t been consistently good since the 1980’s and without am emotional run over the last 6 games last year, they would not have even made the playoffs.
Are the Yankees Done?Yes, let’s move on.
Choosing the Right Option
In the most predictable move of the Orioles offseason checklist, the front office has elected to exercise Dave Trembley’s option for 2009, adding an option for 2010. This is great news if you are an O’s fan, but was it too little? I mean, will we be having the same conversation next year? Things are likely to get worse before they get better, or at least that is what we signed up for. The job of a major league manager is about far more than in-game management. Rarely is a team a bad team because of the manager. The manager is more important in how he is able to relate to the players, connect with their needs and get them to play hard every day. He is essential for the morale of the club more than anything else- though Trembley’s emphasis on fundamental exercises has certainly helped the club more tangibly. Qualities like that are necessary for a losing ballclub like the O’s. If the front office believes in this man, they need to lock him up to a longer deal. After the Mazzilli and Perlozzo failures I understand the caution over a long term deal, but a 2 or 3 year guaranteed deal would have gone a long way with Trembley and the team. Still, in the meantime it was enough. I have questioned a good number of his moves, but he is too good a manager and too good a man not to be retained. He deserves a trip to the postseason one day, and I hope the O’s can give that to him.
Thinking Outside the Pocket
Has it ever occurred to Ralph Friegen that perhaps there isn’t one quarterback who can do everything? I mean, Jordan Steffy is great in practice but an emotional mess in games. Chris Turner can win when the odds are against him but not when he is handed a cupcake opponent. We keep being told that Josh Portis can’t seem to grasp the offense but is such a great athlete (I recommend just have someone next to him with the call and he will instinctively cheat off their paper). Why doesn’t Ralph rotate QB’s according to the situation? I mean, clearly the offense isn’t working that well so who cares whether Josh can completely understand it? Put Steffy in to protect a lead, put Turner in when you are down, and put Portis in when you need to keep that drive going and change the pace. With Virginia Tech doing it successfully last year and countless other college programs breaking the old adage that “If you have more than one quarterback you don’t have any quarterbacks,” why can’t Maryland? We constantly hear that none of these quarterbacks have come out and taken the job. Fine, don’t let any one of them have it.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Star Treatment
Let me set the scene for you in case you didn’t get to see the game last night. It is the bottom of the 8th, and the Orioles lead the Yankees, 6-1. Daniel Cabrera is cruising through the game, and Bobby Abreu is at the plate. Abreu lines to right field, bouncing to Nick Markakis as he launches a rocket to Juan Castro covering second base. Castro tags Abreu out as he attempts to slide into seond, but is called safe. It was a close play, I will admit that much. However, the umpire was in perfect position to see the Orioles shortstop apply the tag to Abreu’s back. Nevertheless, I take a deep breath and await the next pitch, this time to Alex Rodriguez.
“Plunk.” Rodriguez is hit in the shoulder and takes a long walk around the backstop, milking his time for all it’s worth. At first I wondered whether it was retaliation, but for what? Either way I expected nothing more than a bench warning. I watch Daniel Cabrera suddenly stare open-mouthed at the umpire behind home plate- he has been tossed from the game. He raises his arms in genuine disbelief as Dave Trembley comes out on the obligatory argument.
Cabrera is known as one of the wildest pitchers in the major leagues. He regularly ranks among the top of the majors in walks and hit batters as Joe Angel indicated, and had made close to 100 pitches in the game by this point. If you don’t expect Cabrera to make a bad pitch, then you don’t know your pitchers. And clearly they must, as the strike zone seems to shrink when the umpire sees Cabrera step up to the mound. There was no warning, not hesitation, no angry rant before tossing Cabrera from the game. The moment A-Rod was plunked, Cabrera was gone.
And for what? Retaliation? So what if Rodriguez had fired a home run at this previous at bat? The Orioles were leading by 5 runs; there was no sense in making things interesting by adding another batter. Did the umpire think that Cabrera was trying to send the Yankees a message? Look, if A-Rod can put up with divorce, Madonna, and the crippling paralysis he endures every October, he can certainly handle a wild pitch. Moreover, this is not Trembley’s style. He wants to win- he would never risk a game by hitting batters. I have seen the O’s get banged up by wild or vindictive pitchers and managers, but I have never once seen Trembley go after them in response. He believes in the purity of the game. He would gladly take his bases and not give them back to the opposition.
It is no secret that the calls get fewer and farther between when you are playing the Yankees. It is what we in Maryland experience whenever the Terps travel to Cameron Indoor, or when the Patriots visit the Ravens (I still get chills from last year’s stolen win).
What followed this travesty in judgment? Jim Johnson was forced in early without having warmed up, and quickly loaded the bases and allowed two more runs to score, aided in no small part by Adam Jones’ fielding mistake. A bad call or a rash decision can have a tremendous impact on a baseball game. The down time allowed between plays allows tension and distraction to sink in; it is incredibly difficult to keep your focus through the long pauses between pitches. Sure enough, in the 9th inning Sherrill continued the team’s implosion, allowing a walk, single, and double, struck out A-Rod, allowed a two-run single before striking out the last two batters to end the game.
Not only was Cabrera forced to exit a game he could have completed, he was charged with two more runs to ruin one of his only strong performances of the last two months. The Orioles were compelled to use up their two best relievers in Johnson and George Sherrill in a game that should have been over at that point.
After Cabrera was ejected I sat down to start writing this post and I heard something on the radio behind me. “…and it doesn’t look like the Orioles will get the call.” Don’t hold your breath.
(AP Photo)
“Plunk.” Rodriguez is hit in the shoulder and takes a long walk around the backstop, milking his time for all it’s worth. At first I wondered whether it was retaliation, but for what? Either way I expected nothing more than a bench warning. I watch Daniel Cabrera suddenly stare open-mouthed at the umpire behind home plate- he has been tossed from the game. He raises his arms in genuine disbelief as Dave Trembley comes out on the obligatory argument.
Cabrera is known as one of the wildest pitchers in the major leagues. He regularly ranks among the top of the majors in walks and hit batters as Joe Angel indicated, and had made close to 100 pitches in the game by this point. If you don’t expect Cabrera to make a bad pitch, then you don’t know your pitchers. And clearly they must, as the strike zone seems to shrink when the umpire sees Cabrera step up to the mound. There was no warning, not hesitation, no angry rant before tossing Cabrera from the game. The moment A-Rod was plunked, Cabrera was gone.
And for what? Retaliation? So what if Rodriguez had fired a home run at this previous at bat? The Orioles were leading by 5 runs; there was no sense in making things interesting by adding another batter. Did the umpire think that Cabrera was trying to send the Yankees a message? Look, if A-Rod can put up with divorce, Madonna, and the crippling paralysis he endures every October, he can certainly handle a wild pitch. Moreover, this is not Trembley’s style. He wants to win- he would never risk a game by hitting batters. I have seen the O’s get banged up by wild or vindictive pitchers and managers, but I have never once seen Trembley go after them in response. He believes in the purity of the game. He would gladly take his bases and not give them back to the opposition.It is no secret that the calls get fewer and farther between when you are playing the Yankees. It is what we in Maryland experience whenever the Terps travel to Cameron Indoor, or when the Patriots visit the Ravens (I still get chills from last year’s stolen win).
What followed this travesty in judgment? Jim Johnson was forced in early without having warmed up, and quickly loaded the bases and allowed two more runs to score, aided in no small part by Adam Jones’ fielding mistake. A bad call or a rash decision can have a tremendous impact on a baseball game. The down time allowed between plays allows tension and distraction to sink in; it is incredibly difficult to keep your focus through the long pauses between pitches. Sure enough, in the 9th inning Sherrill continued the team’s implosion, allowing a walk, single, and double, struck out A-Rod, allowed a two-run single before striking out the last two batters to end the game.
Not only was Cabrera forced to exit a game he could have completed, he was charged with two more runs to ruin one of his only strong performances of the last two months. The Orioles were compelled to use up their two best relievers in Johnson and George Sherrill in a game that should have been over at that point.
After Cabrera was ejected I sat down to start writing this post and I heard something on the radio behind me. “…and it doesn’t look like the Orioles will get the call.” Don’t hold your breath.
(AP Photo)
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