"4M" News of the Weekend: Mora, Mason, Matusz, and More

What a weekend for Baltimore, wouldn't you say? Lots of Orioles news plus Derrick Mason returning all in the long weekend. Let's get to the news and my opinions on it:

Derrick Mason Unretires, Returns to the Ravens

Derrick Mason has returned to the Ravens after retiring after a few weeks ago. After he left the team, the front office tried out a number of wide receivers in hope of finding a temporary replacement, but after Drew Bennett's retirement the Ravens were short of options. But their #1 wide receiver has returned to training camp and will be playing for the Ravens again this season.

I'm not sure what happened to change Mason's mind or if he was serious about retiring in the first place. Maybe he wanted a new contract, maybe he was still upset about the recent murder of Steve McNair, or maybe he felt that it was his time to leave. But whatever the reason, he has returned and he is ready to play again. So I don't consider this to be a big deal, and with his great career and recent injuries, it would have been reasonable if he had retired. But he is back and that will ease some concerns at receiver.

But only some. Keep in mind that the talk around the draft and free agency was that the current pair was not enough for the Ravens offense. The wide receiver corps is still a problem, but at least now the Ravens have two reliable targets at receiver plus two good tight ends. And I still say trading for Brandon Marshall would be a huge mistake for the Ravens; some issues are not worth dealing with like that.

Melvin Mora Feels "Disrespected" by Dave Trembley

This was getting hot around the weekend, with Mora, the most senior Oriole who was benched for the third time in four games, saying that he feels "disrespected" by Trembley. Trembley says he is disappointed to hear that. Rumor is even going around that the Orioles may release him due to this.

Mora has been here nine years and has been a solid third baseman for most of the time. This season has been rough, hitting just .256 with just three home runs and 27 RBI in 79 games, his worst year since 2002 (.233, 19 HR, 64 RBI). He has only seven errors at third, which is about normal pace for him at third.

On the one hand, I understand that Mora is frustrated. It has been a tough year and he wants to play, and at 37, he may not have many years left. And he has done a lot for this organization in his time here, including nearly getting a batting title. On the other hand, Trembley is trying to win games plus prepare for the future. All signs point to Mora not returning next year, plus the fact that Ty Wigginton is doing pretty well right now. It is perfectly reasonable that Mora loses his spot at third, and although Trembley does not want to upset Mora, he needs to do his best to win right now.

I personally hope the Orioles do not release Mora. It would seem like a quick judgement based on recent events, plus it is unclear who in the short run would replace him.

Brian Matusz Called Up to Start Tuesday?

This comes as quite the surprise to many. In wake of Brad Bergeson's injury and another bad start by Jason Berken, the Orioles may send up their 2008 1st Round Pick Brian Matusz to the mound from the Bowie Baysox for Tuesday's start. Matsuz would be the second of the big three to come up; Chris Tillman is already with the Orioles and will have his second start today, while Jake Arrieta remains with the Norfolk Tides.

First off, Matsuz is tearing up his double-A competition. In eight starts he has a 7-0 record with a 1.55 ERA and 46 Ks to just 11 BB. No doubt he is ready to go up to the next level. Plus, chances are this is only a temporary move until the return of Bergeson, and because he is already on the 40-man roster his clock has already begun. The Orioles will not be worrying about options with Matsuz, as he will be in the orange and black permanently by next year.

But this still worries me to a degree. Normally it is not a good thing to rush a player up, and the Orioles especially have a bad history of rushing people too quickly. Jeff Fiorentino, Jim Hoey and Daniel Cabrera are prime examples. Brian Matsuz is a prospect the Orioles can not screw up with, as he is the most highly touted pitcher in the farm system. Why risk Matsuz when there are a few other players in triple-A that can go with no penalty? Players like Chris Waters and David Pauley would not be that solid in the majors based on their triple-A faring, but wouldn't they be safer options right now? The Orioles will not have Pauley or Waters as part of the future, but let's see if they can go with causing issues with the premier prospects.

I wish Matsuz well against Detroit, I just hope that this is not a mistake the Orioles will regret.

Other news:
--Darrius Heyward-Bey, former Maryland receiver and 7th overall pick by the Oakland Raiders, has signed five-year deal with $23.5 million guaranteed and a base salary of $38.5 million. (Facts courtesy of the Baltimore Sun)
--The trade deadline passed on Friday with no dealing from the Orioles after the Sherrill trade. George Sherrill has appeared in two games for the Dodgers, going 1.1 scoreless innings combined with three strikeouts and a walk with no hits.
--Michael Phelps earned five golds and a silver in Rome, continuing his dominance in swimming.

(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun (Matsuz), The Examiner (Mason)

ESPN's Maryland Mount Rushmore

ESPN has released Mount Rushmore for each state, emcompassing all sports. Here is the state of Maryland:

-Brooks Robinson: The "Vacuum Cleaner" at third base, the Hall of Famer had 16 Gold Gloves, 15 All-Star Games, an MVP award in 1964, plus two World Series rings in his 22-year Oriole career.

-Cal Ripken Jr.: The "Iron Man," at shortstop/third base, the Hall of Famer played in 2,632 straight games. He had 19 All-Star Games, two MVPs, had over 3,000 hits and 400 home runs.

-Johnny Unitas: The "Golden Arm," the Baltimore Colts Hall of Famer was a 10-time Pro Bowler, threw a touchdown in 47 straight games, and won three championships, including "The Greatest Game Ever Played" in 1958.

-Michael Phelps: Called by many as the best ever Olympian, this swimmer amassing 14 gold medals in the 2004 and 2008 Games out of 16 events in those contests. He currently holds seven world records.

For me, I would keep Robinson, Ripken, and Unitas. Though I feel Ray Lewis should be on instead of Phelps, just because of how much the Ravens have meant to the state, and Lewis has been the leader of the team throughout its history, including when they won the Super Bowl in 2000. But Phelps is a good choice. Overall, ESPN did a very good job.

So this is a nice Mount Rushmore. The question I pose to you all, who would be on your Maryland Mount Rushmore?

(Photo credits: SI (Ripken), Oriolesnumbers.com (Robinson), US Magazine (Phelps), Pro Football Hall of Fame (Unitas))

Free Kicks

Well, I was going to have a whole Free Kicks about what to watch and not to watch this February as we await March Madness or any other championship season, but then the news broke of Maryland’s decision to designate a Coach-in-Waiting for Ralph Friegen, and I tore it up and pieced together a new one. As you will see, I am not happy with the situation in College Park. Let’s line up for the kick…

Another Coach-in-Waiting?
My God, it has happened again. At Maryland, no less! Offensive coordinator James Franklin has been designated as the eventual successor to Head Football Coach Ralph Friegen, and no one is more baffled than I am. Look, I am no huge fan of the mediocrity of Maryland football and the perennial underachievement of the last few years, but I can understand allowing Friegen to keep his job. However, the designation of a successor not only guarantees that Friegen will have the head job for a long while, but also puts in place a successor in Franklin who, while innovative, as not done enough with his offensive pieces to be considered a mastermind of anything. I will repeat myself once again the point I have made several times before on this blog: a coach-in-waiting does far more harm than good. If Franklin’s offenses struggle over the next few years, what happens to his job security? If Friegen’s team struggles over the next few years, is he fired and replaced with his own designated successor? That seems ineffective if the goal is to change things up. The only person this is good for is Ralph Friegen, as it assures him that he will likely be able to keep his job for years to come and leave on his own terms.

It makes a bit more sense to have a coach in waiting when you are a championship-winning coach with a long history of success and a hopeful future to look forward to, as in Texas or Florida State. It even makes sense when an aging coach close to retirement and beloved by his fans wants to designate a pupil of his as head coach, as at Purdue or in the NFL with Mike Holmgren and Jim Mora Jr. But it doesn’t make sense at Maryland, and it will very likely come back to bite them.

Avoid the Pro Bowl
I love the idea of all star games. You get the most talented players and put them on the same team, in theory leading to watching the best football. However, as any loyal fan can tell you, the best football doesn’t always come when the most talented teams play- it is when players are fighting because their season (or bragging rights) is on the line. The Pro Bowl is simply disheartening to watch, particularly if you are a Ravens fan. Sure, the coaching staff will be there, but it won’t be Ravens football- no blitzing, no hard hits, no tough football of any kind. I don’t blame the players, they have had a long grueling season and the last thing they want is to suffer another injury. I will let them bask in their glory and perhaps take a peek at some amusing skills challenges (they are so lighthearted that it makes it a lot of fun to watch), but aside from that I will take my Law & Order reruns over half-played football.

Getting out of the Kiddie Pool
Okay, as a recent Michigan grad who (technically) went to school with Michael Phelps and a Towson native who grew up in the same town, I have heard my share of stories about Phelps and aside from the ones on NBC Olympic coverage, they haven’t been particularly positive. I will reserve judgment on him as a person as I don’t personally know him, but this current story is being blown way out of proportion. He is not a kid who is known for his smart decisions or abstaining from alcohol, so I am not surprised that he would take a hit from a bong some time or another. Nowadays, everyone has a camera phone and invariably someone will see every misstep this kid makes. Up until now Phelps has gotten the kid gloves treatment from the media and now he has to answer for some things he has done. However, this is a tiny story and it is hypocritical of the media to suddenly chastise him after coddling him for the last 5 years.

Christmas Comes Early for Maryland Sports Figures

Even though the economy is down (understatement, I know, but bear with me), we here at ATH have a wealth of generosity in our hearts, and an overabundance of the giving spirit this time of year. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa (please comment if you celebrate Kwanzaa, I have yet to meet someone who does), you must agree that our Maryland sports figures are in need of gifts as much as anyone else. Here are some gifts we had in mind for our favorite (or least favorite) athletes, coaches, and executives…

Michael Phelps: Acting lessons for a year. Trust me Michael, or have you not seen that episode of Saturday Night Live yet?

Joe Flacco: Eyebrow trimmer/tweezers. Those things are out of control, and with his success this season he has to look good for those offseason interviews.

Ralph Friegen: A blindfold. That way, he won’t know whether the Terps are playing a good or a bad team that week. I know it isn’t on him, but I couldn’t very well give them to the players!

Nick Markakis: A contract extension. No joke here, get this man his extension before his price tag goes through the roof- the cost of this great player is only going up with time.

Cal Ripken Jr.: $398 million. That is the value of the Baltimore Orioles according to Forbes. Yes, Peter Angelos has given up some of his power to Andy MacPhail, but the man is still in charge and still has the final say over what this team does. Am I the only one who sees a time bomb ready to blow up this rebuilding project? Buy it, Cal.

Andy MacPhail: 2 starting pitchers. It is the least we can give him, though it might be tough just to get one.

Rex Ryan: A head coaching job. I want him to stay as badly as anyone, but if you need a motivator and a leader, this is your guy.

John Harbaugh: A candy cane. I know the offense seems to be reverting, but someone please tell coach it’s okay to smile sometimes, even to Ray. Maybe that’ll help him cheer up some.

Gary Williams: A big man. Braxton Dupree can’t seem to play his size, and in a wide open competition, no one else was able to set up. He needs a big man who can play up to his size and occasionally score.

Mark Teixeira: A Nationals uniform. Look, I don’t want him elsewhere in the division, and I am not sure that the money on him couldn’t be spent better elsewhere. Let him lose 90 games a year for 3 years, then opt out, then maybe sign with the O’s when they are good again.

Ed Reed: Defensive Player of the Year Award. Just give it to him already. Right now.

Dave Trembley: Position prospects in the minors. It won’t do him much good right now, but he’ll thank me later.

Daniel Cabrera: Nothing. I think Baltimore already gave him everything they could, including way too many chances to be successful.

Good luck shopping everyone!

Michael Phelps Is Who Everyone Wants to Be

Michael Phelps continues to be absolutely spectacular in Beijing, earning five gold medals with five world records set in the pool.

He must be in the best shape of any swimmer who ever existed, having a pure fruit and veggie diet and exercising ten hours a day, right?

According to the New York Post and ESPN, his diet is, get this, 12,000 calories a day!!!!! Man, I'm taking the wrong approach towards athletics. Normally an average diet is 2,000 calories per day, but Phelps is six times that.

From the New York Post (Clemente Lisi): "starting off his day by eating three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise.

He follows that up with two cups of coffee, a five-egg omelet, a bowl of grits, three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar and three chocolate-chip pancakes.

At lunch, Phelps gobbles up a pound of enriched pasta and two large ham and cheese sandwiches slathered with mayo on white bread - capping off the meal by chugging about 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks.

For dinner, Phelps really loads up on the carbs - what he needs to give him plenty of energy for his five-hours-a-day, six-days-a-week regimen - with a pound of pasta and an entire pizza.

He washes all that down with another 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks."

Damn that's awesome. This will likely make doctors and other swimmers nuts. He does burn all of that off with five hours of swimming a day, but still, wouldn't you have expected America's greatest ever swimmer to be an extreme health nut? Nope, he's a regular guy who eats a ton and sets world records. And right now, this "fat" American from the Harbor is on the verge of getting eight gold medals.

(Photo credit: CBC. By the way, nice to have you back Windsor.)

Witnessing Greatness

Or, what it means to be a sports fan. I was instructed upon my return from vacation (very nice job by my colleagues by the way) to write a posting on Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff, both admirably representing our great State and Country in Beijing. However I have to slightly deviate from that, as I witnessed something last night which touched home for me and, in my opinion, for any sports fan who watched it. The event I am referring to is the United States 4x100m relay team surging past the heavily favored French to take the gold medal.

This event, this moment in sports, epitomized the ideals of the Olympics; of national pride, of athletic competition in its purest form, of standing in the moment while feeling the weight of history and legend. Cynics dismiss the Olympics as being meaningless and outdated, but what is so outdated about thousands of athletes and spectators from across the globe coming together in the spirit of competition? What makes Olympic competition trite while professional football meaningful? I daresay what we all witnessed last night served as a wakeup call to every Olympic cynic out there that there is something truly special about Olympic competition.

Four Americans– Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones, Jason Lezak – lined up to challenge a race in which they all, as one commentator put it, had to each run a perfect race to have a chance at gold. Famed swimmer and 100m world record holder Alain Bernard of the French team boldly proclaimed before the race that the French would “smash” the Americans, and by most all accounts, they were going to. In the race that ensued, the relay teams of five countries would break the world record and combine for arguably the greatest Olympic swimming race in history. Drama, national pride, teamwork, and unparalleled greatness within this event were presented both by the victors and the entire competitive field.

Here is how the race unfolded:
-At the starting buzzer Phelps took off strongly, gaining an early lead over the French. As they approached the first turn at least three teams were already ahead of the world record pace.

-Phelps hands off to Garett Weber-Gale in one of three seamless switches for the United States. The lead notably slimmed heading into the turn, with France gaining the lead as Weber-Gale’s leg came to a finish.

-Cullen Jones takes over for Weber-Gale, losing ground to the French in transition. France increased it’s lead to over half of a body length going into the final stretch. The smashing, it seemed, was on.

-Enter Jason Lezak for the United States and Alain Bernard for France. Alain Bernard is the world record holder for the 100m freestyle, and a sure-thing closer. Jason Lezak, a 3-time Olympian who has never taken gold in the relay (his premier event), had a daunting challenge. Through the first turn Lezak was desperately riding the wave of Bernard but seemingly could not gain any ground on the Frenchman. With 50 meters left to go I remember distinctly one person in the room I was with shake his head – the race seemed all but over. Heading into the final 30 meters Jason Lezak made a furious comeback, and as he gained ground I could hardly hear the play-by-play over the growing roar of the crowd both in the stands and in the room I was in. Michael Phelps and Garrett Weber-Gale frantically stomped, shouted along with the rest of the viewing audience to bring Jason home.

With a flourish the race was over, and the stadium erupted. The world record was smashed. The hard-luck 32 year old swimmer beat the elite French swimmer’s lap time by over .6 seconds, and the US team edged out the French by eight hundredths of a second. Michael Phelps’ potentially history-making drive for eight gold medals was still alive. The heavily favored French who bragged about smashing the Americans were stunned.

In conclusion, we watch sports to witness greatness. We see it in the coverage of Tiger Woods, Brett Favre, even Barry Bonds. And sports fans are constantly looking for the next great player, the next great moment which can be retold for years to come. So I say this to all of the Olympic cynics out there: Try and beat that.

Photo Credit (above): Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Photo Credit (right): AP