With all of the close losses the Redskins have suffered through this season, it feels like this year has been a disappointment. Aside from the debacle against the Patriots, the 'Skins have lost every game by a touchdown or less. Despite so many close calls going the way of their opponents, the Redskins are still in control of whether or not they make the playoffs. They are only a game back of the Vikings right now for the final Wild Card, but they match up with Minnesota in 2 weeks. A win in that game is necessary for the Redskins to make the playoffs, because they would need at least 8 wins and a tiebreaker over the Vikes. That game truly is a playoff for the Redskins.
In addition to a win in week 16, the Redskins need either a 3-0 finish to their season, or a split with New York and Dallas combined with a Vikings loss to either Chicago or Denver. The other contenders besides Minnesota are Detroit, Arizona, and New Orleans. The Lions and Cardinals would have to go undefeated the rest of the way to beat out an 8-8 'Skins team, while I don't know what the tiebreaker would be with the Saints, who are extreme longshots.
The most important game in this whole NFC Wild Card picture for every team will be the Redskins and Vikings. Before that game is decided, the Redskins can't be knocked out of the playoffs. However, a win against the Giants this week would sure make things a lot easier for the 'Skins. Since there isn't an NFC team that has dominated the Redskins, there is potential for this season to still be successful. However, a lot of things need to go right, and I'm hoping that there is something magical about Todd Collins.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Milledge and Dukes
While most of the local baseball talk so far this offseason is about the probable trades the Orioles will make with Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada, the only real action has come from the Nationals. The Nationals haven't made any blockbuster moves, but they did make two that will draw a lot of attention to the team.
The first trade was with the Mets, with Lastings Milledge coming to DC and Brian Schneider and Ryan Church heading to NY. Milledge might be considered a bit of a gamble, but a pretty safe one in my opinion. He has gotten a bad rep so far for trying to play himself off as a rapper, before he even establishes himself as a baseball player. He was the youngest player to reach the majors in 2006, and only played sparingly in 2007 with the Mets as well. He will turn 23 right about the time the season starts this year, so the Nats did get younger with this move. He hasn't particularly wowed people with his play, but he did improve from an average of .241 to .272, and an OBP of .310 to .341. That is only a one year trend, but I figure it is a good sign. He is still extremely young, and with some maturing I think he should be a great player in a few years.
Losing Brian Schneider in the deal might hurt some in the short term. He appeared to be a likable guy and a capable defensive catcher, but he is getting up there in terms of catcher age. Replacing his production shouldn't be too hard. Church is a good player, who probably won't max out his stats far beyond where they are now. He will probably have a good career in the Majors, but he isn't a potential star.
The other big name the Nats picked up was Elijah Dukes. This kid is another young guy(23 on opening day) with amazing potential. However, the baggage he brings is more severe than Milledge. He didn't play most of last season because of a domestic incident with his wife, that led the Devil Rays to inactivate him. Demonstrating physically aggressive behavior is certainly a warning sign, but the Nationals seem willing to give him a shot. He did hit 10 homeruns in just 180 at bats for the Rays last season, but his average was below .200. If he can get his head on straight, in terms of his personal life and baseball, than he may be a huge steal for the Nats. They only had to give up one minor leaguer in this deal, a player who hasn't yet gone above A ball. So even with the risk of Dukes self destructing, there doesn't seem to be much loss here.
There seems to be some cultural awareness with these moves that the Nationals have made. The team has brought in two young African American players to introduce at their new stadium that is mostly surrounded by African American neighborhoods. In addition to making baseball sense, the club seems to be considering the demographics of their locale, and are making an attempt to connect with local residents. Dmitri Young has already gained some popularity in the city for his recent performance, and with his publicized personal struggles and journey to overcome them, I think he will be looked upon by others to be a guide for Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes. Time will tell how these two moves pan out for Washington, but I admire the team for taking some good chances. This might not be the big name offseason move that people are used to in Boston or NY, but its a pleasant thing to see for a team that is reintroducing itself to the city this season.
The first trade was with the Mets, with Lastings Milledge coming to DC and Brian Schneider and Ryan Church heading to NY. Milledge might be considered a bit of a gamble, but a pretty safe one in my opinion. He has gotten a bad rep so far for trying to play himself off as a rapper, before he even establishes himself as a baseball player. He was the youngest player to reach the majors in 2006, and only played sparingly in 2007 with the Mets as well. He will turn 23 right about the time the season starts this year, so the Nats did get younger with this move. He hasn't particularly wowed people with his play, but he did improve from an average of .241 to .272, and an OBP of .310 to .341. That is only a one year trend, but I figure it is a good sign. He is still extremely young, and with some maturing I think he should be a great player in a few years.
Losing Brian Schneider in the deal might hurt some in the short term. He appeared to be a likable guy and a capable defensive catcher, but he is getting up there in terms of catcher age. Replacing his production shouldn't be too hard. Church is a good player, who probably won't max out his stats far beyond where they are now. He will probably have a good career in the Majors, but he isn't a potential star.
The other big name the Nats picked up was Elijah Dukes. This kid is another young guy(23 on opening day) with amazing potential. However, the baggage he brings is more severe than Milledge. He didn't play most of last season because of a domestic incident with his wife, that led the Devil Rays to inactivate him. Demonstrating physically aggressive behavior is certainly a warning sign, but the Nationals seem willing to give him a shot. He did hit 10 homeruns in just 180 at bats for the Rays last season, but his average was below .200. If he can get his head on straight, in terms of his personal life and baseball, than he may be a huge steal for the Nats. They only had to give up one minor leaguer in this deal, a player who hasn't yet gone above A ball. So even with the risk of Dukes self destructing, there doesn't seem to be much loss here.
There seems to be some cultural awareness with these moves that the Nationals have made. The team has brought in two young African American players to introduce at their new stadium that is mostly surrounded by African American neighborhoods. In addition to making baseball sense, the club seems to be considering the demographics of their locale, and are making an attempt to connect with local residents. Dmitri Young has already gained some popularity in the city for his recent performance, and with his publicized personal struggles and journey to overcome them, I think he will be looked upon by others to be a guide for Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes. Time will tell how these two moves pan out for Washington, but I admire the team for taking some good chances. This might not be the big name offseason move that people are used to in Boston or NY, but its a pleasant thing to see for a team that is reintroducing itself to the city this season.
Pats Still Undefeated
Health concerns kept me from attending the Ravens-Pats game from monday night. I was happy to watch it on TV though and know my father was freezing his ass off the whole night long. Going into that game I had visions of just a few thousand fans holding on until the last whistle after the majority of Baltimorons skipped out after a blowout. However, the Ravens made it one of the more entertaining games this season, and the Baltimore fans seemed to be out in full force.
The big news before the game was that Steve McNair has been put on IR. I respect Air McNair a lot for his great career, but it was apparent this season that his time had past. I thought Billick should have gone to Kyle Boller sooner in the season, but now Boller gets to compete down the stretch to prepare himself for what will likely be his job heading into next season.
Boller did a pretty decent job against the Patriots. His numbers were respectable, over 200 yards, 65.2% with 2 TDs and 1 INT. Those numbers will win the Ravens most games. However, a little bit more is probably needed against New England. The interception was the one mistake Boller made, which is impressive considering how much pressure he was under from the Patriots' rush all night long. Altogether it was a good showing for Boller, and I hope he can keep it up to finish up the season.
The big story on offense though was Willis McGahee. The dude ran hard all night long, and showed why the Ravens were smart to make a deal with Bufallo. He has already rushed for over 1000 yards this season, and has been a better receiving threat than how he was used by the Bills. This is a guy who is in his prime, and should provide several more great years for this team.
Defensively the Ravens played great. Holding the Patriots to 27 points is an accomplishment this season. Brady and the New England offense are just too good to be shut down, but the Ravens have done about as well as anybody else this season. The pass coverage was excellent all night, and Tom Brady was frustrated by that and a good pass rush. He certainly didn't have a Brady like game on the stat sheet. However, Tom Brady is clutch, which nobody can deny. Rex Ryan helped him out by calling the timeout before his failed QB sneak. However, Brady came right back and made plays to lead his team to the win.
I've heard from others, mostly Ravens fans about how the referrees ruined the end of that game. I think that is debatable. The biggest missed call I saw in the game was an obvious block in the back that went unflagged on Laurence Maroney's big 2nd half reception. The 4th down holding call in the end zone was the right decision to make, and the Ravens just had to deal with that. The catch to Gaffney in the endzone is extremely debatable, but the way the NFL replay rules are worded, I understand why it wasn't turned over.
My biggest problem at the end of the game was Bart Scott's terrible actions. I've heard from Ravens fans on message boards about how they were proud of him for standing up to the refs and showing some heart and emotion about wanting to win. Thats a bunch of BS. No doubt Bart Scott has heart...otherwise he wouldn't be nearly the type of player he is. However, he was the only player who picked up 30 yards of personal fouls on just one play. Ed Reed and Ray Lewis have unquestioned heart, but I didn't see them hurting their team's chances to score at the end of the game. I would have been much happier to see Yamon Figurs taking the ball upfield on a kick return than seeing a kickoff from Ravens territory.
Regardless of the loss, this was a great game to watch. As a Ravens fan...it sucked. As a football fan...it was a great game. With a team that has thrown their year away with too many losses, it would have been nice to come up with a signature win.
The big news before the game was that Steve McNair has been put on IR. I respect Air McNair a lot for his great career, but it was apparent this season that his time had past. I thought Billick should have gone to Kyle Boller sooner in the season, but now Boller gets to compete down the stretch to prepare himself for what will likely be his job heading into next season.
Boller did a pretty decent job against the Patriots. His numbers were respectable, over 200 yards, 65.2% with 2 TDs and 1 INT. Those numbers will win the Ravens most games. However, a little bit more is probably needed against New England. The interception was the one mistake Boller made, which is impressive considering how much pressure he was under from the Patriots' rush all night long. Altogether it was a good showing for Boller, and I hope he can keep it up to finish up the season.
The big story on offense though was Willis McGahee. The dude ran hard all night long, and showed why the Ravens were smart to make a deal with Bufallo. He has already rushed for over 1000 yards this season, and has been a better receiving threat than how he was used by the Bills. This is a guy who is in his prime, and should provide several more great years for this team.
Defensively the Ravens played great. Holding the Patriots to 27 points is an accomplishment this season. Brady and the New England offense are just too good to be shut down, but the Ravens have done about as well as anybody else this season. The pass coverage was excellent all night, and Tom Brady was frustrated by that and a good pass rush. He certainly didn't have a Brady like game on the stat sheet. However, Tom Brady is clutch, which nobody can deny. Rex Ryan helped him out by calling the timeout before his failed QB sneak. However, Brady came right back and made plays to lead his team to the win.
I've heard from others, mostly Ravens fans about how the referrees ruined the end of that game. I think that is debatable. The biggest missed call I saw in the game was an obvious block in the back that went unflagged on Laurence Maroney's big 2nd half reception. The 4th down holding call in the end zone was the right decision to make, and the Ravens just had to deal with that. The catch to Gaffney in the endzone is extremely debatable, but the way the NFL replay rules are worded, I understand why it wasn't turned over.
My biggest problem at the end of the game was Bart Scott's terrible actions. I've heard from Ravens fans on message boards about how they were proud of him for standing up to the refs and showing some heart and emotion about wanting to win. Thats a bunch of BS. No doubt Bart Scott has heart...otherwise he wouldn't be nearly the type of player he is. However, he was the only player who picked up 30 yards of personal fouls on just one play. Ed Reed and Ray Lewis have unquestioned heart, but I didn't see them hurting their team's chances to score at the end of the game. I would have been much happier to see Yamon Figurs taking the ball upfield on a kick return than seeing a kickoff from Ravens territory.
Regardless of the loss, this was a great game to watch. As a Ravens fan...it sucked. As a football fan...it was a great game. With a team that has thrown their year away with too many losses, it would have been nice to come up with a signature win.
Funeral for Sean Taylor
I work in a school in Washington DC, and one of my coworkers set up a program for some of the students to watch the media coverage of Sean Taylor's funeral. I'm not a big fan of funerals, and have only attended a few in my lifetime. I prefer those types of situations to be small and family focused, rather than elaborate events. However, as I watched the the funeral coverage with the students, I felt it was appropriate.
It made me proud to be a Redskins fan to see how the team represented itself on Monday. It is obvious that this is a tragic situation, but I think the team handled things in a great way. Everybody probably wanted a win on Sunday to honor Taylor, and its too bad the 'Skins couldn't pull it off. However, having the entire organization visit Miami for Taylor's funeral shows what a team and a family should be about. The Redskins went out of their way to show support to their teammate and his grieving family.
I give a lot of credit to Dan Snyder, a thing that Redskins fans rarely do. He is a great businessman, and has obviously been blessed with immense wealth. His generosity in terms of what he pledged for Taylor's daughter, and in shutting down Redskins operations for a day to fly the team to Miami were a sign of how much he cares for one of his players. The example that he and Joe Gibbs sent to the team an to the public was that their season and their game was not more important than Sean Taylor or any other individual that is part of the Redskins.
It certainly is a sobering time to be a Redskins fan right now, and I know it can't compare to what those who were truly close to Sean Taylor have to go through. However, I am proud of the organization that I have grown up cheering for dealing with this loss in such a classy way. The team appears to be handling things as best they can, and I look forward to the game on Thursday night. Although they had maybe the shortest week of preparation and practice in NFL history, I have a feeling that they will come out ready to play against the Bears this week.
It made me proud to be a Redskins fan to see how the team represented itself on Monday. It is obvious that this is a tragic situation, but I think the team handled things in a great way. Everybody probably wanted a win on Sunday to honor Taylor, and its too bad the 'Skins couldn't pull it off. However, having the entire organization visit Miami for Taylor's funeral shows what a team and a family should be about. The Redskins went out of their way to show support to their teammate and his grieving family.
I give a lot of credit to Dan Snyder, a thing that Redskins fans rarely do. He is a great businessman, and has obviously been blessed with immense wealth. His generosity in terms of what he pledged for Taylor's daughter, and in shutting down Redskins operations for a day to fly the team to Miami were a sign of how much he cares for one of his players. The example that he and Joe Gibbs sent to the team an to the public was that their season and their game was not more important than Sean Taylor or any other individual that is part of the Redskins.
It certainly is a sobering time to be a Redskins fan right now, and I know it can't compare to what those who were truly close to Sean Taylor have to go through. However, I am proud of the organization that I have grown up cheering for dealing with this loss in such a classy way. The team appears to be handling things as best they can, and I look forward to the game on Thursday night. Although they had maybe the shortest week of preparation and practice in NFL history, I have a feeling that they will come out ready to play against the Bears this week.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
RIP Sean Taylor
Its been 2 full days for me since I heard Sean Taylor was shot, and a full day since it was announced that he had passed away. This is truly a tragc incident to see a person near my own age, with a child about the same age as my own, shot and killed in his own home. Life changed for me when my wife and I had our son, and I understand the fear of an intruder coming into your home. While listening to some of the radio coverage in the area, it seems to me that a lot of emphasis is being put on Taylor's past and what he did or did not do leading up to his murder. This annoys me. People want to break down the situation, and find reasons for why this happened already. I'd rather wait and see what comes out after a real investigation is completed then people guessing what might have happened or what Sean Taylor should have done differently. I understand that he is a public figure and the public wants to have answers about what happened to him. However, there is too much gossip going on, and none of it is helping honor this man's life. I am eager to hear from official sources about what happened leading up to Taylor's death, but I am tired of fans and media personalities voicing their under-informed opinions on what he should have done and what might have happened.
Any thoughts about the Redskins game for me this week are gone. I know the players will have to head out on Sunday and take care of their business, because thats what the NFL is. It won't be easy for a lot of them, but they need to carry out their jobs just like everybody else. Thats how I feel after this tragedy. It seems the fun of playing a game is temporarily lost when you lose a teammate, and there won't be a lot of joy for the Redskins leading up to their game this week. They will get over this setback...maybe in a few weeks or maybe next season. But for now the Redskins' season takes a back seat. Dealing with the tragedy of losing a teammate to murder is a lot more pressing of an issue.
My prayers go out to Taylor's family, friends, and teammates. I pray that they find strength in themselves to deal with this horrible situation, and to make the best future for themselves and those they love.
Any thoughts about the Redskins game for me this week are gone. I know the players will have to head out on Sunday and take care of their business, because thats what the NFL is. It won't be easy for a lot of them, but they need to carry out their jobs just like everybody else. Thats how I feel after this tragedy. It seems the fun of playing a game is temporarily lost when you lose a teammate, and there won't be a lot of joy for the Redskins leading up to their game this week. They will get over this setback...maybe in a few weeks or maybe next season. But for now the Redskins' season takes a back seat. Dealing with the tragedy of losing a teammate to murder is a lot more pressing of an issue.
My prayers go out to Taylor's family, friends, and teammates. I pray that they find strength in themselves to deal with this horrible situation, and to make the best future for themselves and those they love.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sean Taylor Shot
http://www3.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI68880/
The Redskins loss yesterday looks like it is becoming less of a story right now, as Sean Taylor appears to be in critical condition after being shot at his Miami home. This is certainly an injury that appears to be threatening his life, and not just his football career right now. My prayers go out to his family, friends, and teammates that this situation will be resolved as best as it possibly can be.
The Redskins loss yesterday looks like it is becoming less of a story right now, as Sean Taylor appears to be in critical condition after being shot at his Miami home. This is certainly an injury that appears to be threatening his life, and not just his football career right now. My prayers go out to his family, friends, and teammates that this situation will be resolved as best as it possibly can be.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Terps Lose
Last night was my first opportunity to see the Maryland Terrapins this season. Thanks to their matchup with #1 UCLA, they got a nationally televised game on ESPN. I came away from that game not feeling too enthused about the team.
Maryland hoops fans have had things good for a long time. Gary Williams has done a great job of always fielding a good team. Even with some of their relative struggles over the last few years, they have still been a winning team in one of the best conferences in college basketball. However, it is hard to predict a great year from a team as young as this year's Terps. They return just 2 seniors(big men James Gist and Bambale Osby), 1 junior(Dave Neal 4.4 mpg and 1.6 ppg in 06-07), and 3 sophomores(Eric Hayes, Greivis Vasquez, and Landon Milbourne). Milbourne barely played last season and is basically a freshman in terms of experience, and Neal doesn't have much big game minutes under his belt. So basically the team is coming back with 4 proven contributors.
Williams seems to have Vasquez at the 1 with Hayes at the 2. Although Hayes is the better pure shooter, I don't think this is the best use of their combined talents. Eric played PG in high school, and seems to have that mentality. While Vasquez is a capable ball handler, his aggressive nature isn't suited for running the point full time. Both are capable players though, however neither is a true shooting guard. Vasquez is too inconsistent from beyond the arc, and Hayes doesn't have the mindset or physical ability to create his own shot. I like them on the court together, but I think they would both flourish more if the Terps had a legitimate 2 guard.
Gist and Osby look solid down low. Boom definitely improved his offensive game since last season, although he still turns the ball over way too much. I would like to see the Terps get the ball to Gist more, and for James to act quicker when he feels a double team. These two guys will be relied on game in and game out to put up solid numbers.
Watching the game last night was an introduction for me to the 5 freshman and Milbourne. What I saw from them wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't make me feel good about this season. Milbourne got the start next to the 4 players who got time last season, and he also saw the most minutes of the newcomers. He had a few promising moments, and ended up with 6 points and 5 rebounds. As the starter in the 3 spot, he should be putting up more than just 6 points. He seems like a good enough athlete to start at that spot, but I didn't witness a ton of intensity out of him. Considering that he didn't get time last season, and is still adjusting to being on the floor full time, I'll cut him some slack. However, I hope he comes out a little more determined to make plays later on this season.
Adrian Bowie had the next best showing among the new guys. He played 15 minutes, and had a solid stat sheet with 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. His quickness was evident the whole time he was on the court, but there were several times when it seemed he struggled to control the ball. Unlike Milbourne he didn't lack aggressiveness, but it seemed like his game wasn't quite developed enough to be a reliable weapon. I can see him having some big games off of the bench this year, and he should be fun to watch.
Cliff Tucker had just 8 minutes, and never seemed to get into the flow of the game while he was on the court. He seemed to handle the ball well for a taller guy, but that was all I noticed from him. I'd definitely like to see more of him soon.
Calvert Hall product Braxton Dupree got decent minutes against UCLA's freshman big man Kevin Love. Dupree has a body that reminds me of Lonny Baxter. He is a short, yet muscular center who will rely on positioning more so than athleticism to be successful. Love definitely outplayed him on the boards when they went up against each other. Braxton seemed to have a soft touch around the rim, but needs to work on boxing out when he goes up against other physical big men.
The last freshman to get in the game was Dino Gregory, who I only saw for the final minute when James Gist had fouled out. It looks like he may find himself outside of the main rotation right now.
Overall there seems to be some promise with this large recruiting class. However, there isn't a guy who appears ready to step in and be a major contributor yet. With the lack of experienced depth on the team, they will all see good time this season and hopefully one of them shows they are ready to step up and carry a greater load for this team. Otherwise I don't know if Maryland has what it takes to be near the top of the ACC this season.
Maryland hoops fans have had things good for a long time. Gary Williams has done a great job of always fielding a good team. Even with some of their relative struggles over the last few years, they have still been a winning team in one of the best conferences in college basketball. However, it is hard to predict a great year from a team as young as this year's Terps. They return just 2 seniors(big men James Gist and Bambale Osby), 1 junior(Dave Neal 4.4 mpg and 1.6 ppg in 06-07), and 3 sophomores(Eric Hayes, Greivis Vasquez, and Landon Milbourne). Milbourne barely played last season and is basically a freshman in terms of experience, and Neal doesn't have much big game minutes under his belt. So basically the team is coming back with 4 proven contributors.
Williams seems to have Vasquez at the 1 with Hayes at the 2. Although Hayes is the better pure shooter, I don't think this is the best use of their combined talents. Eric played PG in high school, and seems to have that mentality. While Vasquez is a capable ball handler, his aggressive nature isn't suited for running the point full time. Both are capable players though, however neither is a true shooting guard. Vasquez is too inconsistent from beyond the arc, and Hayes doesn't have the mindset or physical ability to create his own shot. I like them on the court together, but I think they would both flourish more if the Terps had a legitimate 2 guard.
Gist and Osby look solid down low. Boom definitely improved his offensive game since last season, although he still turns the ball over way too much. I would like to see the Terps get the ball to Gist more, and for James to act quicker when he feels a double team. These two guys will be relied on game in and game out to put up solid numbers.
Watching the game last night was an introduction for me to the 5 freshman and Milbourne. What I saw from them wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't make me feel good about this season. Milbourne got the start next to the 4 players who got time last season, and he also saw the most minutes of the newcomers. He had a few promising moments, and ended up with 6 points and 5 rebounds. As the starter in the 3 spot, he should be putting up more than just 6 points. He seems like a good enough athlete to start at that spot, but I didn't witness a ton of intensity out of him. Considering that he didn't get time last season, and is still adjusting to being on the floor full time, I'll cut him some slack. However, I hope he comes out a little more determined to make plays later on this season.
Adrian Bowie had the next best showing among the new guys. He played 15 minutes, and had a solid stat sheet with 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. His quickness was evident the whole time he was on the court, but there were several times when it seemed he struggled to control the ball. Unlike Milbourne he didn't lack aggressiveness, but it seemed like his game wasn't quite developed enough to be a reliable weapon. I can see him having some big games off of the bench this year, and he should be fun to watch.
Cliff Tucker had just 8 minutes, and never seemed to get into the flow of the game while he was on the court. He seemed to handle the ball well for a taller guy, but that was all I noticed from him. I'd definitely like to see more of him soon.
Calvert Hall product Braxton Dupree got decent minutes against UCLA's freshman big man Kevin Love. Dupree has a body that reminds me of Lonny Baxter. He is a short, yet muscular center who will rely on positioning more so than athleticism to be successful. Love definitely outplayed him on the boards when they went up against each other. Braxton seemed to have a soft touch around the rim, but needs to work on boxing out when he goes up against other physical big men.
The last freshman to get in the game was Dino Gregory, who I only saw for the final minute when James Gist had fouled out. It looks like he may find himself outside of the main rotation right now.
Overall there seems to be some promise with this large recruiting class. However, there isn't a guy who appears ready to step in and be a major contributor yet. With the lack of experienced depth on the team, they will all see good time this season and hopefully one of them shows they are ready to step up and carry a greater load for this team. Otherwise I don't know if Maryland has what it takes to be near the top of the ACC this season.
Monday, November 19, 2007
T.O. 28 - Redskins 23
I missed the 1st half of this game because I was watching the Ravens up in Baltimore. I was pleased to see when I started watching during the 2nd half that the 'Skins were only down 14-13. From what I saw, the Redskins looked pretty good. Clinton Portis' back to back 100+ games were forgotten, and Washington went to the air. Jason Campbell had a career game in terms of yardage, and for the 2nd week in a row he threw a TD to a wide receiver. This seems like a new offense when compared to where they were a few weeks ago. Santana Moss' big game was great to see, especially considering his heel was supposed to be killing him. The offense had a chance to win the game late, and it was tough to see them come up short. However, it was definitely a moral victory after seeing the team lose a close one that should have been a win the week before.
Sean Taylor was definitely missed though. T.O is a great player, but he doesn't score 4 TDs if Sean Taylor is back there. He might get 2 or 3, but not 4. Even with a Detroit loss on Sunday, the Skins are still on the outside looking in for the Wild Card. The Giants will probably grab one spot, and the Lions are in the lead for the next one. However, the 'Skins now have the Eagles and Cardinals at 5-5 to worry about as well. Washington holds the tiebreaker with both Detroit and Arizona, and I'm not sure about the tiebreaker with Philly. So the Redskins might need to just match their competition in wins to get the Wild Card slot. However, there aren't any more acceptable losses for this team.
Sean Taylor was definitely missed though. T.O is a great player, but he doesn't score 4 TDs if Sean Taylor is back there. He might get 2 or 3, but not 4. Even with a Detroit loss on Sunday, the Skins are still on the outside looking in for the Wild Card. The Giants will probably grab one spot, and the Lions are in the lead for the next one. However, the 'Skins now have the Eagles and Cardinals at 5-5 to worry about as well. Washington holds the tiebreaker with both Detroit and Arizona, and I'm not sure about the tiebreaker with Philly. So the Redskins might need to just match their competition in wins to get the Wild Card slot. However, there aren't any more acceptable losses for this team.
OT is a Debacle
I attended the Ravens-Browns game yesterday, which will become infamous for Phil Dawson's game-tieing field goal that landed in the endzone. A lot of people had already left the stadium after Matt Stover hit the go-ahead field goal with less than a minute left. Those who were still there had already started filing out of the stadium before most realized that the game might not be over. It was obvious from where I was on the opposing 30 yard line and hundreds of feet up, that the ball landed in the endzone. However, I began to realize without the help of replay that the ball must have hit the support and not the horizontal goal post. Word came back as people waited in the aisles, that the FG was good and the game was going to OT. Most Baltimorons were incredulous at this point, but I wasn't upset. The kick was good and the refs got the call right in the end. It sucked...but Ravens fans would have wanted it that way if the situation was flipped.
I've always hated the way the NFL plays overtime games. The idea that a team can lose a game in overtime without ever running an offensive play is ridiculous. Sudden death works in hockey or soccer when there is most likely to be multiple change of possessions before the deciding score. However, with football it is a failure. I would much rather see the alternating possession system that the NCAA uses. Each team's offense and defense atleast has an impact in overtime. If the NFL doesn't want to go that route...then let the game end in a tie. That would have been a much more deserving result to yesterday's game.
The game itself was entertaining in the 2nd half. Baltimore's 37 yards of offense in the 1st half was pitiful. However, they looked like a great team at times in the 2nd half. How a team can go from looking that bad to that good is astounding. Kyle Boller looked good throwing the ball down the field in the 2nd half. Of course he still overthrew the soft passes over the middle, and gave up a pick-6 when he got rocked in the red zone. The offensive line was absolutely horrible in pass protection. Boller was sacked six times, and was pressured into a lot of bad throws. For some reason it took the coaching staff a whole half to realize that the offense could be successful when Boller took a three step drop instead of five or seven.
In regards to the coaching...where was it on special teams? Josh Cribbs has been an individual highlight reel for the Browns lately, yet the Ravens kicked the ball off to him SEVEN TIMES! Matt Stover was able to squib one kickoff threw the endzone, but otherwise they tried nothing different. Cribbs had 245 yards on kickoffs alone! Cribbs fielded each kick to his left, and Cleveland ran the same return each time. Since Stover has a weak leg, why not squib it more than once. How about a sky kick to a blocker, or kicking it to Cribbs' right. Of all the miscues in this game, the kickoff team was the worst. On Cleveland's tieing drive and game winning drive in OT, they got the ball on their 43 and 41 yard lines. It was impressive that they came back to win that game, but the Ravens certainly made it easy at times.
I've always hated the way the NFL plays overtime games. The idea that a team can lose a game in overtime without ever running an offensive play is ridiculous. Sudden death works in hockey or soccer when there is most likely to be multiple change of possessions before the deciding score. However, with football it is a failure. I would much rather see the alternating possession system that the NCAA uses. Each team's offense and defense atleast has an impact in overtime. If the NFL doesn't want to go that route...then let the game end in a tie. That would have been a much more deserving result to yesterday's game.
The game itself was entertaining in the 2nd half. Baltimore's 37 yards of offense in the 1st half was pitiful. However, they looked like a great team at times in the 2nd half. How a team can go from looking that bad to that good is astounding. Kyle Boller looked good throwing the ball down the field in the 2nd half. Of course he still overthrew the soft passes over the middle, and gave up a pick-6 when he got rocked in the red zone. The offensive line was absolutely horrible in pass protection. Boller was sacked six times, and was pressured into a lot of bad throws. For some reason it took the coaching staff a whole half to realize that the offense could be successful when Boller took a three step drop instead of five or seven.
In regards to the coaching...where was it on special teams? Josh Cribbs has been an individual highlight reel for the Browns lately, yet the Ravens kicked the ball off to him SEVEN TIMES! Matt Stover was able to squib one kickoff threw the endzone, but otherwise they tried nothing different. Cribbs had 245 yards on kickoffs alone! Cribbs fielded each kick to his left, and Cleveland ran the same return each time. Since Stover has a weak leg, why not squib it more than once. How about a sky kick to a blocker, or kicking it to Cribbs' right. Of all the miscues in this game, the kickoff team was the worst. On Cleveland's tieing drive and game winning drive in OT, they got the ball on their 43 and 41 yard lines. It was impressive that they came back to win that game, but the Ravens certainly made it easy at times.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Redskins Playoff Outlook
I feel decent about the Redskins because they have a winning record and still are barely on the outside of the playoffs. I hear the pessimists saying they should be 3-5, and the optimists saying they should be 7-2. Look! The reality is that they are slightly ahead of the middle in the NFC. 5-4 is perfectly reasonable for this team right now. They have had a fair amount of injuries to key guys, and are still keeping themselves in games. (Note...the Patriots game never actually happened). Injuries to Carlos Rogers and Sean Taylor will surely hurt the team's potential over the rest of the year, but that doesn't spell doom.
Currently the 'Skins are 7th in the NFC. That leaves them as the last team out of the playoffs. At 8-1, Green Bay and Dallas look to have spots wrapped up already. The Buccaneers and Seahawks, both at 5-4, are no better than the 'Skins on the field, but have the benefit of playing in crappy divisons. They or some other mediocre team will take those 2 divisonal slots. So that leaves the Lions and Giants, both 6-4, as the Redskins primary competition for one of the 2 Wild Card spots.
Detroit and NY play each other this week, which gives the Skins an opportunity to pick up a game on atleast one of them. However, the Burgundy and Gold also have to travel to Dallas for their first test against the Cowboys this year. A win in Big D would be huge for the 'Skins' playoff picture. However, even with a loss and a drop back to .500 they have a chance for the Wild Card.
The Giants have the best road ahead of these 3 teams. After the Lions they have Minnesota, Chicago, Philly, Washington, Buffalo, and New England. I see them getting 4 0r 5 wins out of that stretch, which would put them at 10-6 or 11-5 to finish the season. Thats a solid Wild Card team.
Detroit has a much tougher finish to their season. After their matchup with the Giants, they still have to face Green Bay twice and Dallas.(Likely outcome, 1-2) Its hard to predict wins for Jon Kitna during those weeks. While KC and Minnesota look to be struggling now, San Diego is a team that is hard to judge. That game is a toss up to predict. (Likely outcome 2-1). So I see Detroit going 3-3 after this weeks matchup. Three or four more wins would have them looking at 9-7 or 10-6.
Now I'm not up to date on all of my playoff tiebreakers for the NFL, but I would assume the Redskins beat the Lions for a playoff spot because of the Redskins win over Detroit during the regular season. So the 'Skins should be realistically aiming for a 10-6 finish. The Redskins schedule finishing up looks like this.
Dal - W/L
TB - W/L
Buf - W
Chi - W
NYG - W/L
Min - W
Dal - W/L
The three games with the W next to them are must wins for Washington. A loss to Buffalo, Chicago, or Minnesota could be a nail in the Skins' coffin. However, even with those 3 wins the team would still have just 8 victories. To get to 10-6 and to feel comfortable with a playoff spot, the Redskins would have to split their 4 games with likely playoff opponents. All but one of those games will be on the road.
It looks like the Giants will likely get one of the two Wild Card spots. Detroit and Washington both have a shaky road towards the end, but have the best shots of any other NFC teams. DC fans really need to cheer hard for anybody coming up against the Lions this year, and the 2 Dallas games for the Skins take on even more of a meaning this year with where the standings are now.
Currently the 'Skins are 7th in the NFC. That leaves them as the last team out of the playoffs. At 8-1, Green Bay and Dallas look to have spots wrapped up already. The Buccaneers and Seahawks, both at 5-4, are no better than the 'Skins on the field, but have the benefit of playing in crappy divisons. They or some other mediocre team will take those 2 divisonal slots. So that leaves the Lions and Giants, both 6-4, as the Redskins primary competition for one of the 2 Wild Card spots.
Detroit and NY play each other this week, which gives the Skins an opportunity to pick up a game on atleast one of them. However, the Burgundy and Gold also have to travel to Dallas for their first test against the Cowboys this year. A win in Big D would be huge for the 'Skins' playoff picture. However, even with a loss and a drop back to .500 they have a chance for the Wild Card.
The Giants have the best road ahead of these 3 teams. After the Lions they have Minnesota, Chicago, Philly, Washington, Buffalo, and New England. I see them getting 4 0r 5 wins out of that stretch, which would put them at 10-6 or 11-5 to finish the season. Thats a solid Wild Card team.
Detroit has a much tougher finish to their season. After their matchup with the Giants, they still have to face Green Bay twice and Dallas.(Likely outcome, 1-2) Its hard to predict wins for Jon Kitna during those weeks. While KC and Minnesota look to be struggling now, San Diego is a team that is hard to judge. That game is a toss up to predict. (Likely outcome 2-1). So I see Detroit going 3-3 after this weeks matchup. Three or four more wins would have them looking at 9-7 or 10-6.
Now I'm not up to date on all of my playoff tiebreakers for the NFL, but I would assume the Redskins beat the Lions for a playoff spot because of the Redskins win over Detroit during the regular season. So the 'Skins should be realistically aiming for a 10-6 finish. The Redskins schedule finishing up looks like this.
Dal - W/L
TB - W/L
Buf - W
Chi - W
NYG - W/L
Min - W
Dal - W/L
The three games with the W next to them are must wins for Washington. A loss to Buffalo, Chicago, or Minnesota could be a nail in the Skins' coffin. However, even with those 3 wins the team would still have just 8 victories. To get to 10-6 and to feel comfortable with a playoff spot, the Redskins would have to split their 4 games with likely playoff opponents. All but one of those games will be on the road.
It looks like the Giants will likely get one of the two Wild Card spots. Detroit and Washington both have a shaky road towards the end, but have the best shots of any other NFC teams. DC fans really need to cheer hard for anybody coming up against the Lions this year, and the 2 Dallas games for the Skins take on even more of a meaning this year with where the standings are now.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Ravens 22 - Rams 3
My dad is a Ravens season ticket holder, and I was able to meet up with him for my first Ravens game of the year yesterday. Its always great to see a win, but it would have been nice if the Rams showed up to play yesterday. After yesterday's game, it is obvious why they are at 0-6. Their offense is absolutely horrible. Obviously the Ravens are a tough defense to play against. However, Gus Frerotte's 5 interceptions were laughable. One was a dropped ball by a St. Louis receiver, but the others looked like he was just throwing things up in a crowd. Ol' Gus also suffered 4 sacks from the Ravens D. So this is a chicken or the egg scenario. Did the Ravens defense play that well, or were the Rams just that bad. Considering Frerotte threw 3 TDs and 3 INTs last week against the Cardinals, I would have to say a bit of both.
Offensively the Ravens were only slightly better than the Rams. Although the game was never in doubt, the Ravens didn't do much with the ball, and were actually outgained by the Rams. I think the Ravens are struggling offensively because of the general inexperience of their offensive line. Jason Brown had three key penalties in the game, and Chris Chester was flagged for holding on the one yard line. Kyle Boller started the game in place of Steve McNair, and did a good job with the offense. He did have an interception after Chester's penalty put the Ravens back off the goal line, but that pick was the result of Jared Gaither getting beat with a speed rush from Boller's blind side. Its great to see Matt Stover hit 5 field goals, but it would be a lot sweeter for the Ravens if they could manage a few more TDs from those situations.
At the end of the day the only thing that matters is a win. However, the usual frustration with the Ravens offense remains. Atleast Kyle Boller continues to play decently backing up Steve McNair.
Offensively the Ravens were only slightly better than the Rams. Although the game was never in doubt, the Ravens didn't do much with the ball, and were actually outgained by the Rams. I think the Ravens are struggling offensively because of the general inexperience of their offensive line. Jason Brown had three key penalties in the game, and Chris Chester was flagged for holding on the one yard line. Kyle Boller started the game in place of Steve McNair, and did a good job with the offense. He did have an interception after Chester's penalty put the Ravens back off the goal line, but that pick was the result of Jared Gaither getting beat with a speed rush from Boller's blind side. Its great to see Matt Stover hit 5 field goals, but it would be a lot sweeter for the Ravens if they could manage a few more TDs from those situations.
At the end of the day the only thing that matters is a win. However, the usual frustration with the Ravens offense remains. Atleast Kyle Boller continues to play decently backing up Steve McNair.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
So Close!
Whats the only thing as good as a Redskins win?
Answer - A Cowboys loss.
For a good amount of time last night I thought I was going to witness both of those great things happen this weekend. However, the Tony "INT" Romo was able to pull things off in the last few minutes last night to give the Cowboys a victory they certainly shouldn't have had in Buffalo. How bad was that Bills loss? They were +5 in turnover ratio, with 3 returns for touchdowns and still lost the game. Even without scoring an offensive touchdown they could have won it, but the one mistake by Trent Edwards ended up costing them. The other thing that had me upset was Buffalo's effort on the onsides kick. They had 4 guys on the 40 yard line, and not one of them went for the ball. Behind those front line guys, there was only one player lined up to field the ball. Two other guys ran in from out of the picture to help him out, but that really didn't do any good. It looked like the Bills had never practiced for an onsides kick. That was embarassing.
So I'm disappointed that the Cowboys are still undefeated, but atleast the Redskins looked great on Sunday. Jason Campbell has impressed me all year, and he took another step forward with his 23-29, 2 TD performance against the Lions. He didn't make any mistakes all game, and he did that without probably his biggest weapon in Santana Moss. The whole Redskins team played great Sunday. Mike Sellers was an absolute beast. Cooley came through when needed. The Skins were able to rush the ball effectively. Now Clinton just needs to hold on to the ball better.
Defensively they were excellent. The D-line put a ton of pressure on Kitna. Hopefully this is a sign that they are coming around, and not a sign that Detroit is a pass happy team with no O-line. Carlos Rogers also stepped his game up after being criticized a lot early in the season. He and the rest of the secondary shut down all of Detroit's talented receivers. This was definitely one of the best Redskins' performances that I've seen in a while, and it gets me even more excited for the rest of the season.
Answer - A Cowboys loss.
For a good amount of time last night I thought I was going to witness both of those great things happen this weekend. However, the Tony "INT" Romo was able to pull things off in the last few minutes last night to give the Cowboys a victory they certainly shouldn't have had in Buffalo. How bad was that Bills loss? They were +5 in turnover ratio, with 3 returns for touchdowns and still lost the game. Even without scoring an offensive touchdown they could have won it, but the one mistake by Trent Edwards ended up costing them. The other thing that had me upset was Buffalo's effort on the onsides kick. They had 4 guys on the 40 yard line, and not one of them went for the ball. Behind those front line guys, there was only one player lined up to field the ball. Two other guys ran in from out of the picture to help him out, but that really didn't do any good. It looked like the Bills had never practiced for an onsides kick. That was embarassing.
So I'm disappointed that the Cowboys are still undefeated, but atleast the Redskins looked great on Sunday. Jason Campbell has impressed me all year, and he took another step forward with his 23-29, 2 TD performance against the Lions. He didn't make any mistakes all game, and he did that without probably his biggest weapon in Santana Moss. The whole Redskins team played great Sunday. Mike Sellers was an absolute beast. Cooley came through when needed. The Skins were able to rush the ball effectively. Now Clinton just needs to hold on to the ball better.
Defensively they were excellent. The D-line put a ton of pressure on Kitna. Hopefully this is a sign that they are coming around, and not a sign that Detroit is a pass happy team with no O-line. Carlos Rogers also stepped his game up after being criticized a lot early in the season. He and the rest of the secondary shut down all of Detroit's talented receivers. This was definitely one of the best Redskins' performances that I've seen in a while, and it gets me even more excited for the rest of the season.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Terps Win
Maryland needs to be thankful after Saturday that Georgia Tech wasn't lined up in the middle of the field on their last FG attempt. If GT's kicker had placed the ball just several feet to his left, then the Jackets end up with a win and hand the Terps another crushing ACC loss. Luckily though a W is all that matters at the end of the day.
The big deal coming into this week was how Chris Turner had led the Terps to victory over Rutgers, and the offense looked as good as it has all year with him at QB. Ralph Friedgen made statements during the week that Jordan Steffy will be back at starter if he is healthy, which obviously wasn't the case Saturday. I thought Turner looked good again on Saturday. He did have one crucial mistake, which was the fumble that GT returned for a TD before the half. That definitely gave the Jackets momentum and 7 points which kept it close down the stretch. However, he showed poise the rest of the game in the pocket, and made throws that I have never seen Steffy make.
I think the Fridge has a situation here that will be tough to resolve with his QBs. The traditional thinking is that players don't lose their jobs because of injury. However, do you rock the boat when things are going so well. Right now Turner has been at the helm for wins over 2 previously winning teams. If he is grading out at a high level, which I imagine he has to be, then I don't think you bring back Steffy yet. Jordan Steffy seems like a great guy and a great teammate. However, he doesn't look to me to be a great quarterback. He seems to have a Chad Pennington style of playing the position. He looks for the short easy pass and expects his receivers to do all the work. Turner is capable of making those passes, but also stretches the field. I think he makes a defense have to worry about more things than Steffy at this point.
Anyways...I don't make those decisions, and I'll support whoever the Terps have under center. Regardless of who has been playing at QB, the Terps running game has excelled, and deserves a lot of credit. Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball are a great 1-2 punch that don't get a ton of credit for how they play. Hopefully a few more wins in a row will get MD into the Top 25 and a little bit more national exposure.
The big deal coming into this week was how Chris Turner had led the Terps to victory over Rutgers, and the offense looked as good as it has all year with him at QB. Ralph Friedgen made statements during the week that Jordan Steffy will be back at starter if he is healthy, which obviously wasn't the case Saturday. I thought Turner looked good again on Saturday. He did have one crucial mistake, which was the fumble that GT returned for a TD before the half. That definitely gave the Jackets momentum and 7 points which kept it close down the stretch. However, he showed poise the rest of the game in the pocket, and made throws that I have never seen Steffy make.
I think the Fridge has a situation here that will be tough to resolve with his QBs. The traditional thinking is that players don't lose their jobs because of injury. However, do you rock the boat when things are going so well. Right now Turner has been at the helm for wins over 2 previously winning teams. If he is grading out at a high level, which I imagine he has to be, then I don't think you bring back Steffy yet. Jordan Steffy seems like a great guy and a great teammate. However, he doesn't look to me to be a great quarterback. He seems to have a Chad Pennington style of playing the position. He looks for the short easy pass and expects his receivers to do all the work. Turner is capable of making those passes, but also stretches the field. I think he makes a defense have to worry about more things than Steffy at this point.
Anyways...I don't make those decisions, and I'll support whoever the Terps have under center. Regardless of who has been playing at QB, the Terps running game has excelled, and deserves a lot of credit. Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball are a great 1-2 punch that don't get a ton of credit for how they play. Hopefully a few more wins in a row will get MD into the Top 25 and a little bit more national exposure.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Long Time No Post
So I had a pretty good rate of posting I thought over the summer, but with my work kicking back in and other personal things going on...I haven't been able to put my thoughts out that often. So here I go with a little bit of rambling about whats been going on lately.
The baseball season is over...well atleast locally. The Nats did a good job to finish above expectations in the NL East. It still isn't fun cheering for a loser though. There should be a lot more excitement with the opening of the new stadium next spring, and hopefully the team makes some moves to improve the club as well.
The Orioles had their usual 6 week collapse to end the regular season. After Erik Bedard went down with his injury, there really wasn't anything to get excited about. Their pitching was absolutely horrible over the last month, with guys who were signed just to get them through the rest of the season. The bright spot for the O's was Nick Markakis. He finished top 10 in RBI for the year, and improved upon his rookie year. The Orioles seem to finally have an up and coming star, and hopefully they can develop a few more players sooner rather than later.
Football is in full effect now. The Redskins got off to a great start at 2-0, and then blew their perfect start with a depressing 2nd half against the Giants. It seems like fans are waiting on the Detroit game this week to see if the Redskins' season will be heading up or down. I'm happy with where the team is right now, especially with how Jason Campbell has played. He hasn't been amazing, but he is consistent and has a great attitude when he is on the field. I like him as a leader for this team.
The Ravens have gone 2-2, and look to be struggling a bit more. Steve McNair is frustrating to watch, because he seems to be past his time. His nagging injuries won't keep him off of the field, but his passing ability isn't where it should be. The stats aren't awful, but the plays just aren't being made on the field when they should be. Meanwhile the defense is struggling. Adalius Thomas was obviously a big loss, however, the whole scheme seems to be off. Plays that used to be made in the backfield are happening 4 yards down the field, and thats what separates a middle of the pack defense from a top 5 D.
And finally Maryland football has my attention. Well I try to give it my attention, but its hard to see a live game on TV. Of course the die hards make it out to the stadium, but I'm not that lucky. Rutgers was the first game I was able to see live this year, and that was only because the Knights were somehow ranked 10th in the nation. Maryland played great to beat them, and would be in a nice spot right now if they hadn't dropped their game to Wake. I watched most of that game...on Comcast about 5 days later. The Terps truly gave away a game against an ACC opponent. That one hurts, but atleast the Terps bounced back well.
The baseball season is over...well atleast locally. The Nats did a good job to finish above expectations in the NL East. It still isn't fun cheering for a loser though. There should be a lot more excitement with the opening of the new stadium next spring, and hopefully the team makes some moves to improve the club as well.
The Orioles had their usual 6 week collapse to end the regular season. After Erik Bedard went down with his injury, there really wasn't anything to get excited about. Their pitching was absolutely horrible over the last month, with guys who were signed just to get them through the rest of the season. The bright spot for the O's was Nick Markakis. He finished top 10 in RBI for the year, and improved upon his rookie year. The Orioles seem to finally have an up and coming star, and hopefully they can develop a few more players sooner rather than later.
Football is in full effect now. The Redskins got off to a great start at 2-0, and then blew their perfect start with a depressing 2nd half against the Giants. It seems like fans are waiting on the Detroit game this week to see if the Redskins' season will be heading up or down. I'm happy with where the team is right now, especially with how Jason Campbell has played. He hasn't been amazing, but he is consistent and has a great attitude when he is on the field. I like him as a leader for this team.
The Ravens have gone 2-2, and look to be struggling a bit more. Steve McNair is frustrating to watch, because he seems to be past his time. His nagging injuries won't keep him off of the field, but his passing ability isn't where it should be. The stats aren't awful, but the plays just aren't being made on the field when they should be. Meanwhile the defense is struggling. Adalius Thomas was obviously a big loss, however, the whole scheme seems to be off. Plays that used to be made in the backfield are happening 4 yards down the field, and thats what separates a middle of the pack defense from a top 5 D.
And finally Maryland football has my attention. Well I try to give it my attention, but its hard to see a live game on TV. Of course the die hards make it out to the stadium, but I'm not that lucky. Rutgers was the first game I was able to see live this year, and that was only because the Knights were somehow ranked 10th in the nation. Maryland played great to beat them, and would be in a nice spot right now if they hadn't dropped their game to Wake. I watched most of that game...on Comcast about 5 days later. The Terps truly gave away a game against an ACC opponent. That one hurts, but atleast the Terps bounced back well.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
NFL Kicks Off
So the Colts are already 1-0, but the season really kicks off this afternoon. The Redskins face the Dolphins which should result in a W for Washington. If Miami pulls something off with Trent Green, then I'll be worried for this upcoming season. I have Miami as one of the bottom feeders in the league this season. I have confidence that Jason Campbell will have a decent start. He looked pretty good in his limited work in pre-season, and I think Santana Moss was excellent. Hopefully Portis and Betts are ready to roll and will show us something with the running game as well.
The D-line will continue to be a question mark until they start getting pressure with 4 rushing the QB. With Laron Landry replacing Adam Archuletta, I feel very confident about our secondary improving. I also think London Fletcher will hold things down at the MLB spot as well. Well...the results will be there for us in just over 3 hours.
As for the Ravens, they get a tough divisional game against Cincy on Monday night. I would love to see Chad Johnson held out of the endzone, so he can save his antics for another week. I'm also wanting to see Willis McGahee break out, because it looks like he was held back during the pre-season.
The D-line will continue to be a question mark until they start getting pressure with 4 rushing the QB. With Laron Landry replacing Adam Archuletta, I feel very confident about our secondary improving. I also think London Fletcher will hold things down at the MLB spot as well. Well...the results will be there for us in just over 3 hours.
As for the Ravens, they get a tough divisional game against Cincy on Monday night. I would love to see Chad Johnson held out of the endzone, so he can save his antics for another week. I'm also wanting to see Willis McGahee break out, because it looks like he was held back during the pre-season.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
'Skins - Ravens Preseason
Well it looks like I took August off from blogging until now. A good amount of vacation can be credited for that. So I was excited to see last night's game between Maryland's 2 NFL teams. The lightning delay meant the O's and the football game were delayed, so my viewing started off with some NASCAR. When the game did finally come around, it was disappointing of course thast Jason Campbell wasn't playing. It would be nice to see him get some good reps since we still haven't seen much of him as a player. I'm not interested in Todd Collins or Mark Brunell in preseason. If the Redskins are forced to play either of them in the regular season, then I guess I'll have to come around. Washington also didn't have what will be their #1 O-line on the field. Chris Samuels is still taking the preseason off, and Pete Kendall didn't start. Clinton Portis is still enjoying his non-contact summer, so we really haven't seen the Redskins' top offense, and probably won't see it until Miami. Santana Moss did look great though on the first play of the game. I'm expecting a big year from him.
On defense the 'Skins are looking really impressive. I questioned after the draft about whether drafting a safety was a great idea for the Redskins. I don't doubt that any more after watching Laron Landry play. He is a stud athlete who seems to play smart, unlike the other safety for Washington. I've also always loved London Fletcher. He still has a lot in the tank apparently, because he is making plays and obviously is a leader on the field. The Redskins gave up their first TD of the preseason last night to the Ravens, which has to make any Redskins fan feel great about the defense when compared to last year.
The Ravens looked decent last night, even with the Redskins D playing well. Steve McNair was playing like an efficient vet with his 14-19 performance. There weren't really any big plays for the Ravens offense, but they kept things mistake free. I would like to have seen more from Willis McGahee this preseason, but I think the Ravens are probably holding back on what their offense will look like with him on the field.
The Ravens D looked like the same old dominating D that Baltimorons have come to expect. They were aggressive and made the Redskins work hard for yardage. They didn't allow a touchdown to the Skin's, which should probably be expected of them. They look prepared and ready for the season.
Its a shame the game was called early for those guys trying to make an impact on the coaches, but its probably not bad for each team to get their guys off of a wet field in a preseason game. Entering the season healthy should be the main concern, and I don't think the final preseason game for either team will show us much more about them. At this point I'm ready for the season to begin, so I have something to do at 1:00 on a Sunday afternoon besides finishing this blog.
On defense the 'Skins are looking really impressive. I questioned after the draft about whether drafting a safety was a great idea for the Redskins. I don't doubt that any more after watching Laron Landry play. He is a stud athlete who seems to play smart, unlike the other safety for Washington. I've also always loved London Fletcher. He still has a lot in the tank apparently, because he is making plays and obviously is a leader on the field. The Redskins gave up their first TD of the preseason last night to the Ravens, which has to make any Redskins fan feel great about the defense when compared to last year.
The Ravens looked decent last night, even with the Redskins D playing well. Steve McNair was playing like an efficient vet with his 14-19 performance. There weren't really any big plays for the Ravens offense, but they kept things mistake free. I would like to have seen more from Willis McGahee this preseason, but I think the Ravens are probably holding back on what their offense will look like with him on the field.
The Ravens D looked like the same old dominating D that Baltimorons have come to expect. They were aggressive and made the Redskins work hard for yardage. They didn't allow a touchdown to the Skin's, which should probably be expected of them. They look prepared and ready for the season.
Its a shame the game was called early for those guys trying to make an impact on the coaches, but its probably not bad for each team to get their guys off of a wet field in a preseason game. Entering the season healthy should be the main concern, and I don't think the final preseason game for either team will show us much more about them. At this point I'm ready for the season to begin, so I have something to do at 1:00 on a Sunday afternoon besides finishing this blog.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Yesterday at the O's Game
So yesterday at the O's game was a disappointment. The Yanks took one from the O's in what was a long, badly pitched game by both teams. It was a frustrating game to watch because of how many men were left on base. It seemed that there were plenty of opportunities for the O's to score, but they only took advantage of a few.
Daniel Cabrera is incredibly inconsistent. He can be completely awful one inning while looking amazing the next. He gave up 8 baserunners in the first 2 innings, while giving up 4 runs. However, he managed to retire 13 of 15 batters after that. There is no doubt that he will lead the league for the 2nd year in a row in base on balls, but will the Orioles really allow him another chance to make it 3 straight years? Its hard to watch him when he is off, but its amazing how much potential to be a dominating pitcher he has.
The atmosphere at the game was decent. It was nice to see a full crowd, even if many of the fans are Yankee fans. The New Yorkers usually show up in force, but with many O's fans in Cooperstown this weekend, it did seem like they had an easier time getting tickets. Atleast A-Rod didn't hit his 500th to a roaring Yankees crowd at Camden Yards.
O's fans showed they were there when the scoreboard said to cheer on a 3-2 pitch. Of course if Cabrera had a guy 0-2, hardly a peep was made. Yanks fans showed that they are superior to Orioles fans, by starting random cheers, and making noise when they should.
Daniel Cabrera is incredibly inconsistent. He can be completely awful one inning while looking amazing the next. He gave up 8 baserunners in the first 2 innings, while giving up 4 runs. However, he managed to retire 13 of 15 batters after that. There is no doubt that he will lead the league for the 2nd year in a row in base on balls, but will the Orioles really allow him another chance to make it 3 straight years? Its hard to watch him when he is off, but its amazing how much potential to be a dominating pitcher he has.
The atmosphere at the game was decent. It was nice to see a full crowd, even if many of the fans are Yankee fans. The New Yorkers usually show up in force, but with many O's fans in Cooperstown this weekend, it did seem like they had an easier time getting tickets. Atleast A-Rod didn't hit his 500th to a roaring Yankees crowd at Camden Yards.
O's fans showed they were there when the scoreboard said to cheer on a 3-2 pitch. Of course if Cabrera had a guy 0-2, hardly a peep was made. Yanks fans showed that they are superior to Orioles fans, by starting random cheers, and making noise when they should.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Orioles Look to Sweep Yanks
Well the Orioles have taken the series from the Yanks, and look to get a sweep today with D-Cab on the mound. This will be my first game attending Camden Yards this season. Its hard to believe, but its hard to make it up for a game with a child under 2 years old. More day games would definitely make attending easier. My wife and her Yankee fan cousins will be coming along and rooting for Alex Rodriguez to hit his 500th and lead the Yanks to a win. However, my son is 1-0 in favor of the Orioles in this series so far. Going up 2 games in his young career as a fan would definitely be a great start. So lets make it a sweep, and keep the Yankees as far away from the playoffs as possible!
Training Camp Begins
Well the training camps have started, and football will only pick up steam from here. The Ravens and Redskins have both had mostly quiet offseasons, which I take as being a good thing.
The Ravens have made the switch from Jamal Lewis to Willis McGahee. While it is sad to see Jamal go, his best years are likely over. McGahee should be in his prime, and ready to show it now that he is out of the hell known as Buffalo. I am excited to see what McGahee does this season. I think the offense will do well with McNair in his second year, and with Clayton and Demetrius Williams having improved. One of the big questions is how much Jon Ogden has left in the tank. I think this will be his last year, so the Ravens need to get as much out of him while they can.
Defensively the Ravens lost Adalius Thomas, which is a huge blow. However, the Ravens have always been good at replacing defensive starters. They should still be very strong on D, and a top 10 defense seems likely. Like Ogden, Ray Lewis is winding down. However, his energy is great for this team, and I see him leading them to the playoffs again in 2007.
More surpisingly than the Ravens having a quiet offseason was the Redskins having one. Isn't it this time of year that Sean Taylor should be running over somebody in his car or drinking himself into an embarassing stupor? Not this time around! And much hasn't even been said about him having issues with the coaching staff. Thats a great sign.
The 'Skins also didn't have any stupid Archuleta-like signings this offseason. London Fletcher was brought in, and he is a great pro who should help the defense mentally as well as on the field. They made reasonable picks in the draft, and didn't kill themselves with any stupid trades. Is TJ Duckett available again? Of course I would have liked to have seen them address the D-line more, but can the production along the line truly get any worse than last year?
Offensively, 2007 will be an interesting year for the Skins. Under Al Saunders' offense for a second year, I expect to see a lot of growth. Jason Campell now has some experience as well, so I expect a lot out of him as well. Its great to have Portis and Betts back, and hopefully their health isn't an issue this year. I definitely expect the Redskins to improve this season. With a first year coach in Dallas, a Tiki-less Giants team, and a moody Donovan McNabb leading the Eagles, the Redskins should have a good chance to work their way towards a playoff spot this season.
The Ravens have made the switch from Jamal Lewis to Willis McGahee. While it is sad to see Jamal go, his best years are likely over. McGahee should be in his prime, and ready to show it now that he is out of the hell known as Buffalo. I am excited to see what McGahee does this season. I think the offense will do well with McNair in his second year, and with Clayton and Demetrius Williams having improved. One of the big questions is how much Jon Ogden has left in the tank. I think this will be his last year, so the Ravens need to get as much out of him while they can.
Defensively the Ravens lost Adalius Thomas, which is a huge blow. However, the Ravens have always been good at replacing defensive starters. They should still be very strong on D, and a top 10 defense seems likely. Like Ogden, Ray Lewis is winding down. However, his energy is great for this team, and I see him leading them to the playoffs again in 2007.
More surpisingly than the Ravens having a quiet offseason was the Redskins having one. Isn't it this time of year that Sean Taylor should be running over somebody in his car or drinking himself into an embarassing stupor? Not this time around! And much hasn't even been said about him having issues with the coaching staff. Thats a great sign.
The 'Skins also didn't have any stupid Archuleta-like signings this offseason. London Fletcher was brought in, and he is a great pro who should help the defense mentally as well as on the field. They made reasonable picks in the draft, and didn't kill themselves with any stupid trades. Is TJ Duckett available again? Of course I would have liked to have seen them address the D-line more, but can the production along the line truly get any worse than last year?
Offensively, 2007 will be an interesting year for the Skins. Under Al Saunders' offense for a second year, I expect to see a lot of growth. Jason Campell now has some experience as well, so I expect a lot out of him as well. Its great to have Portis and Betts back, and hopefully their health isn't an issue this year. I definitely expect the Redskins to improve this season. With a first year coach in Dallas, a Tiki-less Giants team, and a moody Donovan McNabb leading the Eagles, the Redskins should have a good chance to work their way towards a playoff spot this season.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
O's take Series from Chicago
So a young pitcher for the Orioles leaves the game with a lead on a Sunday afternoon. I've seen this before. Danys Baez and Chris Ray enter the game late in order to protect the lead, and the Orioles win!!! What? Baez and Ray came through to keep a win from slipping away from a deserving starter? Thats right...it happened.
While Jeremy Guthrie wasn't so lucky on Mother's Day, Garrett Olson got the help he deserved today to earn his first Major League win. Its great to see a 23 year-old pitcher come to the Majors and pitch well in his first 2 games. Olson hasn't been brilliant, but he has shown a lot of potential and pretty good composure on the mound. He improved in his 2nd start today by going longer in the game, giving up fewer walks, and striking guys out at key times. If not for Jermaine Dye tapping into his 2006 season, then Olson might not have given up any runs today.
Now Steve Trachsel is slated to retake his position the next time through the rotation, but I think the O's feel very confident now that Olson will be able to come up from Norfolk again and help them out. I like that he got 2 starts under his belt rather than just one emergency start and a quick trip back to AAA. Hopefully, Trachsel's bit of rest got him back on track, but if it hasn't I would like to see Olson back in B-more sooner than later.
As mentioned before...I was pleased that Chris Ray and Danys Baez didn't ruin this for Olson today. Baez looked much better than he was before hitting the DL. Of course that shouldn't be hard to do. Just one more good outing, and his ERA is likely to dip below 6.00! Chris Ray got things done, but he still looks shaky to me. However, I can't complain if these guys keep runs off of the board.
While Jeremy Guthrie wasn't so lucky on Mother's Day, Garrett Olson got the help he deserved today to earn his first Major League win. Its great to see a 23 year-old pitcher come to the Majors and pitch well in his first 2 games. Olson hasn't been brilliant, but he has shown a lot of potential and pretty good composure on the mound. He improved in his 2nd start today by going longer in the game, giving up fewer walks, and striking guys out at key times. If not for Jermaine Dye tapping into his 2006 season, then Olson might not have given up any runs today.
Now Steve Trachsel is slated to retake his position the next time through the rotation, but I think the O's feel very confident now that Olson will be able to come up from Norfolk again and help them out. I like that he got 2 starts under his belt rather than just one emergency start and a quick trip back to AAA. Hopefully, Trachsel's bit of rest got him back on track, but if it hasn't I would like to see Olson back in B-more sooner than later.
As mentioned before...I was pleased that Chris Ray and Danys Baez didn't ruin this for Olson today. Baez looked much better than he was before hitting the DL. Of course that shouldn't be hard to do. Just one more good outing, and his ERA is likely to dip below 6.00! Chris Ray got things done, but he still looks shaky to me. However, I can't complain if these guys keep runs off of the board.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Markakis Heating Up?
Its beginning to look like Nick Markakis might be a second half player. He came up huge tonight with a 3-5 night with a walk and 2 RBI. The O's don't win against the ChiSox without Nick. He is currently hitting .342, with a .432 OBP, and a .984 OPS in July. Thats a hell of a month so far. If you look at his progression each month this seasons, he has gone from .245 in April, to .286 in May, to .292 in June, to .342 in July. Maybe he is a guy who just plays better as the weather heats up.
I remember hearing people say after Nick's rough start to his career that the O's made a mistake in bringing Markakis up too early. However, he acclimated well, and was an amazing player in the 2nd half of '06. He has done well so far in 2007, but he hasn't been amazing. However, his play seems to be picking up lately, and he is starting the second half of '07 in a much better place than he did in '06. If he has a similar 2nd half this season, his numbers will be extremely impressive. While I have a tendency to root for homegrown guys with the Orioles like Larry Bigbie and Luis Matos, Nick Markakis is not just another prospect. He is a legitimate big leaguer, who will be a top player for a long time. This is one of the bright spots to savor as an O's fan.
I remember hearing people say after Nick's rough start to his career that the O's made a mistake in bringing Markakis up too early. However, he acclimated well, and was an amazing player in the 2nd half of '06. He has done well so far in 2007, but he hasn't been amazing. However, his play seems to be picking up lately, and he is starting the second half of '07 in a much better place than he did in '06. If he has a similar 2nd half this season, his numbers will be extremely impressive. While I have a tendency to root for homegrown guys with the Orioles like Larry Bigbie and Luis Matos, Nick Markakis is not just another prospect. He is a legitimate big leaguer, who will be a top player for a long time. This is one of the bright spots to savor as an O's fan.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Slowest Sports Week of Summer
The slowest sports week of the summer has hit, and its time to move on towards more exciting times. However, football season is still some time away. Baseball is the only sport going on right now, unless you want to count international soccer or summer league basketball. The Orioles have gone past the halfway point of the season and find themselves 15 games out of 1st in the AL East and 14 in the Wild Card. Erik Bedard has had two exciting performances in a row after last night's outing. He truly is a stud, and the O's need to make sure he stays with this team for a while. However, there really isn't too much to get excited for right now with the O's. They really aren't scoring runs consistently lately. Miguel Tejada's absence seems to really be felt.
They have yet to score 400 runs on the year, and only Chicago and Oakland have yet to do so as well in the AL. Chicago is a joke like the O's, but atleast the A's still have a positive run differential. Orioles pitching has been decent this year, but its wasted with an unproductive offense.
They have yet to score 400 runs on the year, and only Chicago and Oakland have yet to do so as well in the AL. Chicago is a joke like the O's, but atleast the A's still have a positive run differential. Orioles pitching has been decent this year, but its wasted with an unproductive offense.
Monday, July 2, 2007
All Stars Announced
So the All Stars were announced yesterday evening, and the Nats and O's each got just one lone representative. This really isn't a surprise for two teams who are way below even through the 1st half of the season. Dmitri Young is a decent choice for the Nats. Obviously there won't be any pitching representatives from this team with its awful staff. So an everyday player makes the most sense. Ryan Zimmerman is a player I would argue could have made it over Dmitri Young. He has more RBI and runs, which I feel are the most important stats for an offensive player, but he is only batting .245. Young's .340 batting average is a lot more impressive, and he is slugging over .500 as well.
Brian Roberts definitely earned his place for the Orioles. He is one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball, plays good 2nd base, and leads the league in SB. Miguel Tejada was another possibility before his injury, but it would be odd to see him rewarded in somewhat of an off year. There is also a lot more competition for the All Star spot at SS then there is at 2B. Erik Bedard and Jeremy Guthrie are having good years pitching, but neither has too much of a track record, especially Guthrie. Bedard's strikeout totals are impressive, but there are too many players with a better win-loss record and superior ERA this year in the AL for Bedard to get a spot.
Brian Roberts definitely earned his place for the Orioles. He is one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball, plays good 2nd base, and leads the league in SB. Miguel Tejada was another possibility before his injury, but it would be odd to see him rewarded in somewhat of an off year. There is also a lot more competition for the All Star spot at SS then there is at 2B. Erik Bedard and Jeremy Guthrie are having good years pitching, but neither has too much of a track record, especially Guthrie. Bedard's strikeout totals are impressive, but there are too many players with a better win-loss record and superior ERA this year in the AL for Bedard to get a spot.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Wizards' Draft
The NBA draft has come and once again I am not impressed with what the Wizards have done. With the 16th pick in the draft they selected Nick Young. He is a SG from USC, who I admit I don't know a lot about. Atleast he has put up good numbers throughout his college career and appears to have been highly rated. He is described as having the classic basketball body, tall and lean with long arms. However, from what I've read his motivation in college has been questioned. Cons about his game have dealt with his effort on defense and when he doesn't have the ball. That doesn't exactly sound like a ringing endorsement. This seems like the Wizards still feel that scoring 105 every night is the best way to make a winning team, even if they can't stop anybody on defense.
I also don't know much about Dominic McGuire. While his stats in college have improved as he went through school, they aren't that impressive. He had 3.7 TOs per game last season at Fresno State. He appears to rebound well and block shots, but his offensive game is described as underdeveloped. He is another guy who seems to be well rated because of his athleticism, but doesn't have the skills to match. He is also listed around 6-8 or 6-9, with a weight of 210-220. That doesn't sound like a bruiser to me. With the uninspiring play of the Haywood/Thomas tandem at center in 2006-2007, I would have thought the Wizards would have addressed that need better.
In addition to the flaws in each of these players games that I read about, I also just don't trust the Wizards because of their draft history. The last great draft pick they had was Rip Hamilton in 1999, and he was only given 3 years to play in DC.
Recently the Wiz have chosen...
2006 - Oleksiy Pecherov and Vladimir Veremeenko - Both have yet to play for the team...hell I don't know if either of them has even been in the country yet.
2005 - Andray Blatche - He was a prep schooler taken in the second round, so he is undeveloped and still has time to grow. Although he has only averaged 3.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in his first 2 seasons, without really cracking the rotation.
2004 - Devin Harris and Peter John Ramos - Devin Harris was a good pick, but he was essentially picked by Dallas in order for the trade for Antawn Jamison to go through. PJR scored a total of 11 points with the Wizards.
2003 - Jarvis Hayes and Steve Blake - Hayes has been a disappointment for a # 10 pick. He has averaged 8.9 points and 3.4 rebounds for his career, and simply has not gotten better from year to year. He is what he is, and its nothing special. Blake was a good second rounde choice. He is a good backup/part time starter at PG. His numbers aren't huge, but he was 7th in the NBA last year in assist to TO ratio. That certainly isn't a bad thing to have on your bench, but the Wizards didn't think Blake was worth keeping.
2002 - Jared Jeffries, Juan Dixon, Rod Grizzard, and Juan Navarro - Jared Jeffries looks like he will never average double figures in the NBA, and his rebounding isn't great for a big guy. He truly has been a disappointment for a lottery pick. Juan Dixon has better scoring numbers than more highly touted picks Hayes, Jeffries, and Brown. Atleast with Dixon you knew you were getting a guy who would bust his ass on the floor. He is a decent bench guy, but the Wizards and him went their separate ways. Grizzard was waived before playing in an NBA game, and has yet to do so. Navarro seems to be a great player, but apparently he has no wish to come to the US.
2001 - Kwame Brown and Bobby Simmons - Everybody knows about Kwame. His potential right now seems to be a 10 and 8 type of guy over the course of a season. His pick wouldn't be bad if he was chosen late in the 1st or in the 2nd, but for a number one overall guy he has been a huge disappointment. The 2-4 picks in that draft were Tyson Chandler, Pau Gasol, and Eddy Curry, who have all been better players so far then Kwame. Bobby Simmons actually averagd over 16 points one year for the Clippers, but he never averaged 4 ppg in his first two years for the Wizards. Not a bad 2nd round choice, but didn't show his talent in Washington.
That recent history has been abysmal. Only Jarvis Hayes started for the Wizards this past year, and he couldn't keep that status for most of the year. None of their early picks have been great, and their later picks have had a few misses just like everybody else. Only two of their draftees played for the Wizards this year, Hayes and Blatche, and their futures aren't exactly going to be stellar with Washington. While the Wizards have created a good team through free agency and trades, they certainly have not taken advantage of the draft. While I hope for the best for Nick Young and Dominic McGuire, something is telling me that these two guys will be like most of the rest. They will toil along with the Wizards for several years without truly making a mark.
I also don't know much about Dominic McGuire. While his stats in college have improved as he went through school, they aren't that impressive. He had 3.7 TOs per game last season at Fresno State. He appears to rebound well and block shots, but his offensive game is described as underdeveloped. He is another guy who seems to be well rated because of his athleticism, but doesn't have the skills to match. He is also listed around 6-8 or 6-9, with a weight of 210-220. That doesn't sound like a bruiser to me. With the uninspiring play of the Haywood/Thomas tandem at center in 2006-2007, I would have thought the Wizards would have addressed that need better.
In addition to the flaws in each of these players games that I read about, I also just don't trust the Wizards because of their draft history. The last great draft pick they had was Rip Hamilton in 1999, and he was only given 3 years to play in DC.
Recently the Wiz have chosen...
2006 - Oleksiy Pecherov and Vladimir Veremeenko - Both have yet to play for the team...hell I don't know if either of them has even been in the country yet.
2005 - Andray Blatche - He was a prep schooler taken in the second round, so he is undeveloped and still has time to grow. Although he has only averaged 3.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in his first 2 seasons, without really cracking the rotation.
2004 - Devin Harris and Peter John Ramos - Devin Harris was a good pick, but he was essentially picked by Dallas in order for the trade for Antawn Jamison to go through. PJR scored a total of 11 points with the Wizards.
2003 - Jarvis Hayes and Steve Blake - Hayes has been a disappointment for a # 10 pick. He has averaged 8.9 points and 3.4 rebounds for his career, and simply has not gotten better from year to year. He is what he is, and its nothing special. Blake was a good second rounde choice. He is a good backup/part time starter at PG. His numbers aren't huge, but he was 7th in the NBA last year in assist to TO ratio. That certainly isn't a bad thing to have on your bench, but the Wizards didn't think Blake was worth keeping.
2002 - Jared Jeffries, Juan Dixon, Rod Grizzard, and Juan Navarro - Jared Jeffries looks like he will never average double figures in the NBA, and his rebounding isn't great for a big guy. He truly has been a disappointment for a lottery pick. Juan Dixon has better scoring numbers than more highly touted picks Hayes, Jeffries, and Brown. Atleast with Dixon you knew you were getting a guy who would bust his ass on the floor. He is a decent bench guy, but the Wizards and him went their separate ways. Grizzard was waived before playing in an NBA game, and has yet to do so. Navarro seems to be a great player, but apparently he has no wish to come to the US.
2001 - Kwame Brown and Bobby Simmons - Everybody knows about Kwame. His potential right now seems to be a 10 and 8 type of guy over the course of a season. His pick wouldn't be bad if he was chosen late in the 1st or in the 2nd, but for a number one overall guy he has been a huge disappointment. The 2-4 picks in that draft were Tyson Chandler, Pau Gasol, and Eddy Curry, who have all been better players so far then Kwame. Bobby Simmons actually averagd over 16 points one year for the Clippers, but he never averaged 4 ppg in his first two years for the Wizards. Not a bad 2nd round choice, but didn't show his talent in Washington.
That recent history has been abysmal. Only Jarvis Hayes started for the Wizards this past year, and he couldn't keep that status for most of the year. None of their early picks have been great, and their later picks have had a few misses just like everybody else. Only two of their draftees played for the Wizards this year, Hayes and Blatche, and their futures aren't exactly going to be stellar with Washington. While the Wizards have created a good team through free agency and trades, they certainly have not taken advantage of the draft. While I hope for the best for Nick Young and Dominic McGuire, something is telling me that these two guys will be like most of the rest. They will toil along with the Wizards for several years without truly making a mark.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
2 Over the Yanks
Well I have plans to see the Yankees and O's tommorow for my first O's game of the year. Should I bring a broom?
Its been great to see the O's beat NY the last 2 days. It helps boost the Orioles a little bit closer to respectability, while moving the Yankees a bit further away from the playoffs. Bedard was great today in beating Clemens, and Guthrie was good Tuesday despite not having his best stuff. Hopefully Daniel Cabrera brings what he had against the D-Backs last weekend to tommorow's game. Before that game it had been more than a month since his last good start.
On today's game...it was nice to see Aubrey Huff hit a 3 run homerun. He is having a decent year average wise, but I was expecting better power. He is on track for 11 homeruns, which certainly isn't what the Orioles need from their 1B/DH. At least he is showing more power than Jay Gibbons. What a mess there. Huff hit 21 homeruns last season with both TB and Houston. I was expecting along those lines this year. His OBP is also lower for the O's this year than what it has recently been. I've heard all year long that he is a second half player, so I hope he really turns it on after the All Star break.
Its been great to see the O's beat NY the last 2 days. It helps boost the Orioles a little bit closer to respectability, while moving the Yankees a bit further away from the playoffs. Bedard was great today in beating Clemens, and Guthrie was good Tuesday despite not having his best stuff. Hopefully Daniel Cabrera brings what he had against the D-Backs last weekend to tommorow's game. Before that game it had been more than a month since his last good start.
On today's game...it was nice to see Aubrey Huff hit a 3 run homerun. He is having a decent year average wise, but I was expecting better power. He is on track for 11 homeruns, which certainly isn't what the Orioles need from their 1B/DH. At least he is showing more power than Jay Gibbons. What a mess there. Huff hit 21 homeruns last season with both TB and Houston. I was expecting along those lines this year. His OBP is also lower for the O's this year than what it has recently been. I've heard all year long that he is a second half player, so I hope he really turns it on after the All Star break.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Tejada to DL and Cabrera Shines
So Miguel Tejada won't break Cal Ripken's consecutive games played streak. Well...not unless he comes back and plays until he is in his 50's. I don't think his range at SS will be that great by then. I'm somewhat glad that the streak is over, so that the O's don't feel as obligated to play him every day as they have felt. A little rest is a good idea for a player who is starting to age. This trip to the DL will give Freddy Bynum more of a chance to prove what he is capable of, whie Chris Gomez will continue to do his great job with everything that is thrown at him.
Tejada's roster space was taken by Jon Knott. The guy was only hitting .210 in Norfolk, but he has been hot lately, getting a hit in each of his last 9 games. His power is probably as good as anybody the O's have, so I would like to see him given a shot. With Corey Patterson and Jay Gibbons providing minimal offensive help, I would love to see somebody who atleast has a shot at knocking a ball out of the park.
And Daniel Cabrera has done it again. After giving up earned run totals of 5,7,4,3,4, and 5 over his last six starts, he goes on to no hit a good team for 5 innings and got the win while giving up just 1 run. I don't think he will ever be a great pitcher. However, I feel he will always be a good pitcher who will give you either amazing performances or terrifying ones at any time. He truly is a roller coaster of a player, and I'm pumped that he helped the Orioles build a winning streak after 9 games of losing this month.
Tejada's roster space was taken by Jon Knott. The guy was only hitting .210 in Norfolk, but he has been hot lately, getting a hit in each of his last 9 games. His power is probably as good as anybody the O's have, so I would like to see him given a shot. With Corey Patterson and Jay Gibbons providing minimal offensive help, I would love to see somebody who atleast has a shot at knocking a ball out of the park.
And Daniel Cabrera has done it again. After giving up earned run totals of 5,7,4,3,4, and 5 over his last six starts, he goes on to no hit a good team for 5 innings and got the win while giving up just 1 run. I don't think he will ever be a great pitcher. However, I feel he will always be a good pitcher who will give you either amazing performances or terrifying ones at any time. He truly is a roller coaster of a player, and I'm pumped that he helped the Orioles build a winning streak after 9 games of losing this month.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Orioles Shake Things Up
Well the Orioles certainly made some news today, despite not winning a game in over a week. First thing is Sam Perlozzo was fired. I think people saw this coming. The O's are playing awful, and the issues with Gibbons, Millar, and Perlozzo have been in the paper for a while. Perlozzo certainly seems like a good guy, and while he hasn't really been given a great team to work with, I don't see a problem with the firing right now. He doesn't seem like the guy who will lead them back to glory.
The O's managerial situation has been awful over the last decade. Davey Johnson did a great job in 96-97, but that was when the team was actually paying for the services of superstars while they were in their prime. Since then Ray Miller, Mike Hargrove, Lee Mazzilli, and Sam Perlozzo have all come and gone. Hargrove somehow managed 4 losing years at the helm, but the others didn't receive more than 2 years to get the job done. The Orioles just haven't given most guys enough of a chance to get the job done. Davey Johnson never should have been run out of town. Miller wasn't given enough time. Mazzilli wasn't given enough time or enough control. Perlozzo wasn't given much time.
The rumor now is that Joe Girardi is the frontrunner for the job. That would be great news for the O's to take a guy who has been successful as a manager before at the Major League level. However, I hope they don't give him a raw deal like Mazzilli. Lee wasn't allowed to hire his own assistants, and had to change the environment around him with those who were carried over from other losing regimes. If Girardi comes in it would be wise to give him total control over personnel. If he wants his own coaches...let him have it. The O's coaches that are around now aren't coming from a winning tradition anymore. They have all been part of a losing organization for a decade, and I wouldn't mind seeing them go at all. Supposedly Girardi meets with O's management tommorow. O's fans need to pray they don't let this opportunity pass them by.
The other news today is that Andy McPhail, formerly of the Cubs, will be the new COO. Seems like an important job to fill. Good work O's. Hopefully hiring an outsider to run things will bring some new ideas and some positive change into the organization.
The O's managerial situation has been awful over the last decade. Davey Johnson did a great job in 96-97, but that was when the team was actually paying for the services of superstars while they were in their prime. Since then Ray Miller, Mike Hargrove, Lee Mazzilli, and Sam Perlozzo have all come and gone. Hargrove somehow managed 4 losing years at the helm, but the others didn't receive more than 2 years to get the job done. The Orioles just haven't given most guys enough of a chance to get the job done. Davey Johnson never should have been run out of town. Miller wasn't given enough time. Mazzilli wasn't given enough time or enough control. Perlozzo wasn't given much time.
The rumor now is that Joe Girardi is the frontrunner for the job. That would be great news for the O's to take a guy who has been successful as a manager before at the Major League level. However, I hope they don't give him a raw deal like Mazzilli. Lee wasn't allowed to hire his own assistants, and had to change the environment around him with those who were carried over from other losing regimes. If Girardi comes in it would be wise to give him total control over personnel. If he wants his own coaches...let him have it. The O's coaches that are around now aren't coming from a winning tradition anymore. They have all been part of a losing organization for a decade, and I wouldn't mind seeing them go at all. Supposedly Girardi meets with O's management tommorow. O's fans need to pray they don't let this opportunity pass them by.
The other news today is that Andy McPhail, formerly of the Cubs, will be the new COO. Seems like an important job to fill. Good work O's. Hopefully hiring an outsider to run things will bring some new ideas and some positive change into the organization.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
8 in a Row
8 losses in a row for the Orioles. Things just really aren't good right now. I like how the O's management made a move to shake things up by releasing Todd Williams and moving Danys Baez to the DL. Hopefully Corey Doyne and James Hoey are able to step up and prove they can be major league caliber pitchers.
I feel the O's also need to shake up their lineup and give some chances to some guys in the minors right now. The runs scored over the losing streak have been 4,4,3,1,6,4,1,2. That comes out to 3.13 runs per game over that stretch. The O's obviously don't deserve to win games over that time period.
The problem driving in runs really is troubling. Miguel Tejada is hitting well, but is still struggling for power. After a decent power surge a couple of weeks ago, he has gone the last week with just one extra base hit, and still has just 17 on the year. Nick Markakis is hitting for power and driving in runs, but isn't reaching base like I expected him too. Those two offensive leaders for the O's could be doing better, but are still helping this team.
The greatest problem is coming from 2 of your key contributors. Jay Gibbons and Corey Patterson have OBP's of .257 and .258. When one of those guys should be a key RBI guy and the other is a critical baserunner for your team, that doesn't bode well for your team's success. I really feel that there are players in the minors who should be given the chance to play with these guys struggling so badly. Both have done decently for the Orioles in the past, but neither should get a free ride for bad play.
One solid move I've seen lately is to give Freddy Bynum more at bats. He is no superstar, but has done better than Patterson and Gibbons in his small number of at bats. He has earned the right to play more with those 2 players struggling so badly. Just because he started the season as your 25th guy on the bench doesn't mean he has to stay there all year.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&cid=418
I'm looking at Bowie for guys who could help the O's, because the O's roster at Norfolk looks abyssmal. Although the Tides' Tike Redman would probably be a better option in the OF right now for the O's.
Since Nolan Reimold is on the DL, he isn't an option to be called up. He is an impressive player who was hitting .329 in Bowie to start the year. He will likely be a starting outfielder for the O's next season. However, Jeff Fiorentino and Val Majewski are decent options who could produce better than Gibbons or Patterson. They are both hitting in the .270's with decent power numbers. At this point I would rather have a couple of young guys who are eager to prove themselves getting at bats than a couple of sulking young veterans.
I feel the O's also need to shake up their lineup and give some chances to some guys in the minors right now. The runs scored over the losing streak have been 4,4,3,1,6,4,1,2. That comes out to 3.13 runs per game over that stretch. The O's obviously don't deserve to win games over that time period.
The problem driving in runs really is troubling. Miguel Tejada is hitting well, but is still struggling for power. After a decent power surge a couple of weeks ago, he has gone the last week with just one extra base hit, and still has just 17 on the year. Nick Markakis is hitting for power and driving in runs, but isn't reaching base like I expected him too. Those two offensive leaders for the O's could be doing better, but are still helping this team.
The greatest problem is coming from 2 of your key contributors. Jay Gibbons and Corey Patterson have OBP's of .257 and .258. When one of those guys should be a key RBI guy and the other is a critical baserunner for your team, that doesn't bode well for your team's success. I really feel that there are players in the minors who should be given the chance to play with these guys struggling so badly. Both have done decently for the Orioles in the past, but neither should get a free ride for bad play.
One solid move I've seen lately is to give Freddy Bynum more at bats. He is no superstar, but has done better than Patterson and Gibbons in his small number of at bats. He has earned the right to play more with those 2 players struggling so badly. Just because he started the season as your 25th guy on the bench doesn't mean he has to stay there all year.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ibp&cid=418
I'm looking at Bowie for guys who could help the O's, because the O's roster at Norfolk looks abyssmal. Although the Tides' Tike Redman would probably be a better option in the OF right now for the O's.
Since Nolan Reimold is on the DL, he isn't an option to be called up. He is an impressive player who was hitting .329 in Bowie to start the year. He will likely be a starting outfielder for the O's next season. However, Jeff Fiorentino and Val Majewski are decent options who could produce better than Gibbons or Patterson. They are both hitting in the .270's with decent power numbers. At this point I would rather have a couple of young guys who are eager to prove themselves getting at bats than a couple of sulking young veterans.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Chris Ray = Closer?
Chris Ray has had a stellar start to his career with the Baltimore Orioles. After doing brilliantly as BJ Ryan's set up guy for one year, he was given the closer's role last season and appeared to earn that spot with his performance. So far this season Ray has looked like anything but a closer.
The idea of a closer isn't just of a great reliever, but also of a guy who has some fire when he is on the mound. He is the type of guy who might only get one inning of work, but he will give you everything he has in that one inning and walk off knowing he helped win that game. Ray doesn't seem like that guy right now. Its obvious that he is trying, but his demeanor makes it appear that he isn't comfortable that he is that guy right now.
Ray's peripheral stats are fairly decent right now. His WHIP of 1.24 isn't bad. Not as nice as his 1.09 last season, but still respectable. His K/BB ratio is better this year than last, 2.33 to 1.88. He also hasn't give up a lot of homeruns, 3 in over 30 innings. Despite these decent stats, his ERA is almost 2 whole points higher than it was last year, and he already has 5 losses.
So if most of his stats reflect that he is pitching well, why has he struggled in critical games? What causes him to come up short when it seems the O's need him most.
Looking at the Nationals' closer Chad Cordero seems like a good impression to me. He and Ray are the same age, although Cordero has had a longer length of experience as a closer. They both play for teams that are near the bottom of the standings and don't give them as many save opportunities as other closers. Cordero's WHIP this season is 1.48, K/BB is 1.66, and he has given up 4 homeruns in the same amount of innings as Ray. By those stats Ray is having the better season. However, Cordero has just one loss and an ERA of 2.90.
Cordero obviously is being more productive this season than Ray. However, his numbers don't reflect that he is necessarily superior to Ray. What separates the two players is the mindset. Cordero has the confidence of a closer, while I am not seeing that confidence from Ray this season. At this point Chris Ray is the closer by default. The O's don't have anybody in their pen to come in and take his spot away. Maybe thats a problem. If Danys Baez was pitching well, maybe it would push Chris Ray a bit. Hopefully Ray is able to turn things around this season and prove he is the O's guy at the end of games, but his confidence, and my confidence in him, certainly isn't there right now.
The idea of a closer isn't just of a great reliever, but also of a guy who has some fire when he is on the mound. He is the type of guy who might only get one inning of work, but he will give you everything he has in that one inning and walk off knowing he helped win that game. Ray doesn't seem like that guy right now. Its obvious that he is trying, but his demeanor makes it appear that he isn't comfortable that he is that guy right now.
Ray's peripheral stats are fairly decent right now. His WHIP of 1.24 isn't bad. Not as nice as his 1.09 last season, but still respectable. His K/BB ratio is better this year than last, 2.33 to 1.88. He also hasn't give up a lot of homeruns, 3 in over 30 innings. Despite these decent stats, his ERA is almost 2 whole points higher than it was last year, and he already has 5 losses.
So if most of his stats reflect that he is pitching well, why has he struggled in critical games? What causes him to come up short when it seems the O's need him most.
Looking at the Nationals' closer Chad Cordero seems like a good impression to me. He and Ray are the same age, although Cordero has had a longer length of experience as a closer. They both play for teams that are near the bottom of the standings and don't give them as many save opportunities as other closers. Cordero's WHIP this season is 1.48, K/BB is 1.66, and he has given up 4 homeruns in the same amount of innings as Ray. By those stats Ray is having the better season. However, Cordero has just one loss and an ERA of 2.90.
Cordero obviously is being more productive this season than Ray. However, his numbers don't reflect that he is necessarily superior to Ray. What separates the two players is the mindset. Cordero has the confidence of a closer, while I am not seeing that confidence from Ray this season. At this point Chris Ray is the closer by default. The O's don't have anybody in their pen to come in and take his spot away. Maybe thats a problem. If Danys Baez was pitching well, maybe it would push Chris Ray a bit. Hopefully Ray is able to turn things around this season and prove he is the O's guy at the end of games, but his confidence, and my confidence in him, certainly isn't there right now.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Daniel Cabrera
Daniel Cabrera had a rough outing last night in the O's loss to the Nationals. 7 earned runs in 4.2 innings pitched will certainly hurt his numbers. Cabrera is 26 and still a young pitcher, however, this is his 4th year in the Orioles rotation. I wanted to take a look at his numbers to see if there are any noticeable signs of improvement.
Currently Cabrera has a 36-38 career record. Granted some of those losses come from the O's being a below average team, but he has earned his fair share of those losses as well. So far in his career he has been a .500 pitcher. His best year in terms of W/L was his rookie year in 2004 when he went 12-8. Since then he has been 10-13, 9-10, and currently 5-7. The trend seems to be that he is a slightly below .500 pitcher.
The most innings he has pitched in a year has been 161.3 in 2005. He is on track to surpass that this year if everything continues like it has. His innings per start has increased from 5.4, 5.5, 5.7, to 6.3 in 2007. Its a good sign to see that he is able to go further in games. However, that stat means nothing if it doesn't translate into wins.
In Cabrera's rookie year he had more walks than strikeouts. That certainly isn't a good sign for a pitcher. However, he has improved over the years. His K to BB ratio has been 1.8, 1.5, and 1.6 the last 3 years. Those are solid numbers, but again there are a lot of walks involved.
Cabrera's ERA has never been great. He has always been described as having great stuff, but being unable to control it. His best era was 4.52 in 2005. That followed his debut of 5.00, and in 2006 he had a 4.74. This season he currently has a 5.16 ERA.
His WHIPs have been 1.585, 1.432, 1.581, and 1.472. His WHIP appears to reflect his ERA except for this season. I think the difference this year has been the 11 home runs he has given up. In his first 3 seasons Cabrera allowed 14, 14, and 11 homeruns. Having 11 before the All Star break certainly explains why his era has jumped to higher than it has been in his career.
Overall I am slightly disappointed in Cabrera's progress. He has made improvements since his rookie year, but they have yet to translate into on field success. He still leads the AL in walks like he did in 2006. He is also in the top 10 for wild pitches and hit batsmen. He seems to always have starts that open your eyes and wow you. However, we also are used to nights like last night when he gets in a rut that he can't seem to buy his way out of.
I'm not about to give up on a guy who is as talented as Cabrera is at his age. O's fans might have to live through his rough starts, but the possibility of him pitching a great game is always there. If his overall statistics don't improve, and the O's don't see more wins, than they need to consider upgrading their rotation. However, I know that is very unlikely to happen with Angelos and crew running the business. As long as additions to the rotation include guys like Benson, Trachsel, and Wright, then Cabrera will have a place in Baltimore. I would rather see Daniel truly find control of his ability, and cement himself as an Orioles starter by his results, rather than the O's reluctance to acquire better talent.
Currently Cabrera has a 36-38 career record. Granted some of those losses come from the O's being a below average team, but he has earned his fair share of those losses as well. So far in his career he has been a .500 pitcher. His best year in terms of W/L was his rookie year in 2004 when he went 12-8. Since then he has been 10-13, 9-10, and currently 5-7. The trend seems to be that he is a slightly below .500 pitcher.
The most innings he has pitched in a year has been 161.3 in 2005. He is on track to surpass that this year if everything continues like it has. His innings per start has increased from 5.4, 5.5, 5.7, to 6.3 in 2007. Its a good sign to see that he is able to go further in games. However, that stat means nothing if it doesn't translate into wins.
In Cabrera's rookie year he had more walks than strikeouts. That certainly isn't a good sign for a pitcher. However, he has improved over the years. His K to BB ratio has been 1.8, 1.5, and 1.6 the last 3 years. Those are solid numbers, but again there are a lot of walks involved.
Cabrera's ERA has never been great. He has always been described as having great stuff, but being unable to control it. His best era was 4.52 in 2005. That followed his debut of 5.00, and in 2006 he had a 4.74. This season he currently has a 5.16 ERA.
His WHIPs have been 1.585, 1.432, 1.581, and 1.472. His WHIP appears to reflect his ERA except for this season. I think the difference this year has been the 11 home runs he has given up. In his first 3 seasons Cabrera allowed 14, 14, and 11 homeruns. Having 11 before the All Star break certainly explains why his era has jumped to higher than it has been in his career.
Overall I am slightly disappointed in Cabrera's progress. He has made improvements since his rookie year, but they have yet to translate into on field success. He still leads the AL in walks like he did in 2006. He is also in the top 10 for wild pitches and hit batsmen. He seems to always have starts that open your eyes and wow you. However, we also are used to nights like last night when he gets in a rut that he can't seem to buy his way out of.
I'm not about to give up on a guy who is as talented as Cabrera is at his age. O's fans might have to live through his rough starts, but the possibility of him pitching a great game is always there. If his overall statistics don't improve, and the O's don't see more wins, than they need to consider upgrading their rotation. However, I know that is very unlikely to happen with Angelos and crew running the business. As long as additions to the rotation include guys like Benson, Trachsel, and Wright, then Cabrera will have a place in Baltimore. I would rather see Daniel truly find control of his ability, and cement himself as an Orioles starter by his results, rather than the O's reluctance to acquire better talent.
Monday, June 11, 2007
4th in the East
4th in the East is where the O's currently stand right now. The O's did not take care of business in a very winnable series against the Rockies, and now find themselves just .001 percentage points ahead of the D-Rays for last in the East. Just looking at the loss column, only the Rangers and Royals have more losses than the O's do right now.
What is truly frustrating about the O's record, is that they aren't as bad of a team as their record shows. The number of 1 run games that the O's have lost is a sign of this. This team might not be clutch or whatever you want to call it, but they are playing a huge amount of close games, and have come up short more than their share of times. On the year the O's have scored 5 more runs than they have allowed. That should translate to a record somewhere around .500.
The teams lower than the O's in the standings are -60(Rangers), -71(Royals), -51(White Sox), and -67(Tampa Bay). Looking at those numbers, those teams should definitely be near the bottom of the AL.
On the opposite end there are teams whose run differential clearly shows that they are the better teams in the league...+80(Rex Sox), +56(Angels), +47(Indians), +67(Detroit), +51(Yankees), and +45(A's). Those 6 teams should be the one's competing for the 4 AL playoff spots with winning records. The Yankees are the only team in that bunch without a current winning record, but I don't see that staying that way for much longer. They have underachieved all year, and are likely to make their way back into the Wild Card spot.
That leaves several other teams whose run differential is somewhere near even. In addition to the O's at +5, there are +2(Twins), -1(Blue Jays), and +13(Seattle).
Minnesota and the Blue Jays are a game and 2 games below .500 respectively. That is right where they should be. The Mariners have been the opposite of the O's, in that they have won a lot of close games. Their 33-26 record has them in the Wild Card hunt early in the summer while their run differential is nowhere near as good as the other teams near the top of the standings.
Whats my point in all of this. The run differential so far this year is impressive to me for an O's team. Since 2000 the Orioles have only had one year, 2004 (+12), where they have finished the season with a positive run differential. Most of those years the O's have finished with a run differential greater than -100. It shows me that during the O's stretch of losing seasons, they truly have not deserved to be winners. That +12 differential under Lee Mazzili in 2004 is miniscule over the course of 162 games. After a run differential of -131 last season, it is a step in the right direction for the O's to turn that number around to +5 in June. However, the wins still aren't coming for the Orioles. Its as if the team has improved, but they still haven't learned how to win.
What is truly frustrating about the O's record, is that they aren't as bad of a team as their record shows. The number of 1 run games that the O's have lost is a sign of this. This team might not be clutch or whatever you want to call it, but they are playing a huge amount of close games, and have come up short more than their share of times. On the year the O's have scored 5 more runs than they have allowed. That should translate to a record somewhere around .500.
The teams lower than the O's in the standings are -60(Rangers), -71(Royals), -51(White Sox), and -67(Tampa Bay). Looking at those numbers, those teams should definitely be near the bottom of the AL.
On the opposite end there are teams whose run differential clearly shows that they are the better teams in the league...+80(Rex Sox), +56(Angels), +47(Indians), +67(Detroit), +51(Yankees), and +45(A's). Those 6 teams should be the one's competing for the 4 AL playoff spots with winning records. The Yankees are the only team in that bunch without a current winning record, but I don't see that staying that way for much longer. They have underachieved all year, and are likely to make their way back into the Wild Card spot.
That leaves several other teams whose run differential is somewhere near even. In addition to the O's at +5, there are +2(Twins), -1(Blue Jays), and +13(Seattle).
Minnesota and the Blue Jays are a game and 2 games below .500 respectively. That is right where they should be. The Mariners have been the opposite of the O's, in that they have won a lot of close games. Their 33-26 record has them in the Wild Card hunt early in the summer while their run differential is nowhere near as good as the other teams near the top of the standings.
Whats my point in all of this. The run differential so far this year is impressive to me for an O's team. Since 2000 the Orioles have only had one year, 2004 (+12), where they have finished the season with a positive run differential. Most of those years the O's have finished with a run differential greater than -100. It shows me that during the O's stretch of losing seasons, they truly have not deserved to be winners. That +12 differential under Lee Mazzili in 2004 is miniscule over the course of 162 games. After a run differential of -131 last season, it is a step in the right direction for the O's to turn that number around to +5 in June. However, the wins still aren't coming for the Orioles. Its as if the team has improved, but they still haven't learned how to win.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Big News on Off Day
The Orioles had a day off yesterday after making their way back to Baltimore from the west coast. Hopefully that bit of rest will have them refreshed this weekend to take out the Rockies. However, there was still big news for the Orioles on Thursday. They used the 5th pick in the draft to select Matt Wieters from Georgia Tech. Wieters is a switch hitting catcher, who appears to be arguably one of the best players in the draft. Hearing him described as the 2nd best catching prospect ever drafted behind Joe Mauer is pretty impressive.
He has good power(.592 SLG), hits for a high average(.358), and is supposedly a great defensive catcher as well. Everything about this guy seems to hint that he will be a future star.
The one drawback that was mentioned about Wieters is that he is represented by Scott Boras. Ok...so the O's will have to spend big time money on this kid. But if Wieters is as good as advertised, I don't see a problem with that. He is 21, and has excelled at a good baseball school for 3 years. His time in the minors probably won't be very long. It would be a different issue if this were a Boras client who was 18 years old and may never reach the majors.
Its also a good sign that the Orioles management is willing to work with Boras. Remember that Boras is the agent for Maryland native Mark Teixeira, who isn't showing any sign of wanting to re-sign in Texas. Getting a deal done with Wieters can only make Boras' relationship with the O's better. This guy represents a lot of big name players in baseball, and its important for the O's to be on his list of teams he likes to work with.
He has good power(.592 SLG), hits for a high average(.358), and is supposedly a great defensive catcher as well. Everything about this guy seems to hint that he will be a future star.
The one drawback that was mentioned about Wieters is that he is represented by Scott Boras. Ok...so the O's will have to spend big time money on this kid. But if Wieters is as good as advertised, I don't see a problem with that. He is 21, and has excelled at a good baseball school for 3 years. His time in the minors probably won't be very long. It would be a different issue if this were a Boras client who was 18 years old and may never reach the majors.
Its also a good sign that the Orioles management is willing to work with Boras. Remember that Boras is the agent for Maryland native Mark Teixeira, who isn't showing any sign of wanting to re-sign in Texas. Getting a deal done with Wieters can only make Boras' relationship with the O's better. This guy represents a lot of big name players in baseball, and its important for the O's to be on his list of teams he likes to work with.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Streak Snapped
So the Orioles snapped another losing streak last night. I had pretty much given up on that game when the O's got down early, but the offense sparked and saved the day. It was good to see Daniel Cabrera tough it out when he got down early, and stay in until the 8th. Although he gave up 4 runs, he earned that win by overcoming adversity and pitching great down the stretch.
So if the O's trend of alternating winning and losing streaks continues, hopefully this win gets the O's started on a run of wins. With Colorado(28-31) and Washington(24-35) coming to town in the next week, this looks like a good time to get that done. It certainly will be easier than their next 3 series, which will be against the top 2 in the NL West...Arizona(36-24) and San Diego(35-23).
So if the O's trend of alternating winning and losing streaks continues, hopefully this win gets the O's started on a run of wins. With Colorado(28-31) and Washington(24-35) coming to town in the next week, this looks like a good time to get that done. It certainly will be easier than their next 3 series, which will be against the top 2 in the NL West...Arizona(36-24) and San Diego(35-23).
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Cold Streak
I had a post earlier in the baseball season regarding how the O's appear to be a team of streaks. That trend is definitely keeping up. Win a bunch, lose a bunch...repeat the process. It doesn't seem to get them anywhere. However, there have been times when I love the team, and then times like right now, when watching them play just pisses me off. On the year the O's have winning streaks of 4,4,4, and 6, while losing 3,5,4,5, and 5. Each time the O's snap off a good winning streak, there has always been a equal losing streak to bring them back into the rear of the AL standings. Its a depressing way to follow a team.
Currently the O's have lost 5 straight...the last 3 of those losses earned by the bullpen. The supposed strength of the 2007 O's sure is disappointing.
How worthless is a Hold? Well...Danys Baez earned a hold last night(12th on the year) despite getting just 1 out and giving up 3 earned runs. That stat is meaningless...and Baez's era continues to rise...now at 6.84. Perlozzo just can't trust this guy in a game the O's have the lead any more.
Good news from last night is that Burres continues to do well. I wish he could pitch more efficiently and log some more innings, but its hard to complain with just 1 run given up.
10 hits is also a good sign, although Cory Patterson's .214 average is pretty trifling.
The O's really don't have somebody in the minors who can come up and hit better than Patterson or Gibbons right now? I'd love to atleast see somebody else given a chance in LF, with Payton moving over to CF. Maybe a little benching would inspire one of those guys to get out of their prolonged slumps.
Currently the O's have lost 5 straight...the last 3 of those losses earned by the bullpen. The supposed strength of the 2007 O's sure is disappointing.
How worthless is a Hold? Well...Danys Baez earned a hold last night(12th on the year) despite getting just 1 out and giving up 3 earned runs. That stat is meaningless...and Baez's era continues to rise...now at 6.84. Perlozzo just can't trust this guy in a game the O's have the lead any more.
Good news from last night is that Burres continues to do well. I wish he could pitch more efficiently and log some more innings, but its hard to complain with just 1 run given up.
10 hits is also a good sign, although Cory Patterson's .214 average is pretty trifling.
The O's really don't have somebody in the minors who can come up and hit better than Patterson or Gibbons right now? I'd love to atleast see somebody else given a chance in LF, with Payton moving over to CF. Maybe a little benching would inspire one of those guys to get out of their prolonged slumps.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Pick Up Basketball
I was looking through the Washington City Paper, a free "alternative" newspaper for DC. They always have a small sports column, that usually focuses on something besides the traditional sports stories covered by cable programs or the newspapers. I read the column by Dave McKenna about pick up basektball in DC. He wrote about seeing a game of "loser's out" at a playground in the city. He was appalled that loser's out was played in DC, where winner's out has always been the rule. Growing up in a suburb of DC, it was always winners ball. Loser's out was described as a white way to play the game, but in my majority white community we always played winners.
When we wouldn't have enough players for a true game, we would always play 21. The idea behind the game is every person for themself. 2 points for a field goal and 1 for a free throw. Free throws were earned by making a bucket, and after 3 made free throws, you had to check it up and play ball. Gettinn tapped meant you lost all of your points, and if you didn't hit 21 exactly, you dropped down to 13.
McKenna mentions in the article how 21 was the suburban(white) game, while 33 was the city(black) way of playing it. I remember playing 33 when I was a kid, but it was predominantly 21. I probably played 33 when I went to basketball camp, where kids from other neighborhoods all came together to play ball. When I was 13 my family moved from the DC area to the Baltimore area. In Baltimore they played 50(both black and white). 21 or 33 never came up.
This was an interesting article because it discussed some of the differences in pick up ball between different groups of people and areas. It would be interesting to me to hear from other people who might have other variances on pick up ball in different places they have played.
When we wouldn't have enough players for a true game, we would always play 21. The idea behind the game is every person for themself. 2 points for a field goal and 1 for a free throw. Free throws were earned by making a bucket, and after 3 made free throws, you had to check it up and play ball. Gettinn tapped meant you lost all of your points, and if you didn't hit 21 exactly, you dropped down to 13.
McKenna mentions in the article how 21 was the suburban(white) game, while 33 was the city(black) way of playing it. I remember playing 33 when I was a kid, but it was predominantly 21. I probably played 33 when I went to basketball camp, where kids from other neighborhoods all came together to play ball. When I was 13 my family moved from the DC area to the Baltimore area. In Baltimore they played 50(both black and white). 21 or 33 never came up.
This was an interesting article because it discussed some of the differences in pick up ball between different groups of people and areas. It would be interesting to me to hear from other people who might have other variances on pick up ball in different places they have played.
Guthrie Let Down Again
Does Chris Ray have a problem with Jeremy Guthrie? It seems like Ray just doesn't want to do Guthrie right. Yesterday's homerun offered up by Chris Ray meant another blown save after Guthrie has gone 8 innings versus a division leading team. That type of game makes it hurt to be an O's fan.
The good news for the O's is that Jeremy Guthrie is showing no signs of slowing down. Against the West leading Angels, Guthrie went 8 innings with no walks, 3 hits, and just 1 earned run. Now unlike the game against the Red Sox, Guthrie looked shaky in the 8th inning before coming out. I understand why you might go to the closer in that situation after 2 hits and a run in the previous inning. However, shouldn't a starting pitcher have the right to close out his own game when he has the lead after 8 innings? Especially after the Boston debacle on Mother's Day, I would have given Guthrie control over this game.
Guthrie now has a WHIP under 1.00, and an ERA of 2.76. Hands down...right now he is your best pitcher. If you need to get 3 outs against a division leader with their best 3 hitters coming up...wouldn't you want your best pitcher on the mound?
Chris Ray has had a great young career for the Orioles. He has stepped in nicely for BJ Ryan, and I'm proud to have him as an Oriole. However, his failure in clutch situations against tough teams has me a bit worried. His 4 losses this year were against the Angels, Yankees, and twice to Boston. Those are games that the O's can't afford to be losing when they have a lead. Blowing a game to potential playoff teams is what is keeping the O's out of playoff contention.
If you take the 4 blown saves by Ray that ended in losses for the O's, and flipped them into wins. The O's would be at 31-26 right now. Thats just 1.5 games back of Detroit for the Wild Card. I'm a bit suprised by this, but the O's aren't that far away from being Wild Card contenders. They just completed a 6 game winning streak before the Angels took 3 of 4 from them. However, another prolonged winning streak, and the O's can put themselves right in the mix for the 4th playoff spot.
I know other O's teams over the last decade have had great starts to their seasons, only to return to 4th place by September. I truly hope this O's team has the right mix of guys and a little bit better luck, so they can show themselves and their fans that they can be a better team.
The good news for the O's is that Jeremy Guthrie is showing no signs of slowing down. Against the West leading Angels, Guthrie went 8 innings with no walks, 3 hits, and just 1 earned run. Now unlike the game against the Red Sox, Guthrie looked shaky in the 8th inning before coming out. I understand why you might go to the closer in that situation after 2 hits and a run in the previous inning. However, shouldn't a starting pitcher have the right to close out his own game when he has the lead after 8 innings? Especially after the Boston debacle on Mother's Day, I would have given Guthrie control over this game.
Guthrie now has a WHIP under 1.00, and an ERA of 2.76. Hands down...right now he is your best pitcher. If you need to get 3 outs against a division leader with their best 3 hitters coming up...wouldn't you want your best pitcher on the mound?
Chris Ray has had a great young career for the Orioles. He has stepped in nicely for BJ Ryan, and I'm proud to have him as an Oriole. However, his failure in clutch situations against tough teams has me a bit worried. His 4 losses this year were against the Angels, Yankees, and twice to Boston. Those are games that the O's can't afford to be losing when they have a lead. Blowing a game to potential playoff teams is what is keeping the O's out of playoff contention.
If you take the 4 blown saves by Ray that ended in losses for the O's, and flipped them into wins. The O's would be at 31-26 right now. Thats just 1.5 games back of Detroit for the Wild Card. I'm a bit suprised by this, but the O's aren't that far away from being Wild Card contenders. They just completed a 6 game winning streak before the Angels took 3 of 4 from them. However, another prolonged winning streak, and the O's can put themselves right in the mix for the 4th playoff spot.
I know other O's teams over the last decade have had great starts to their seasons, only to return to 4th place by September. I truly hope this O's team has the right mix of guys and a little bit better luck, so they can show themselves and their fans that they can be a better team.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Nick Markakis
Nick Markakis' rookie year was a big deal for O's fans. Its been a while(try Cal Ripken) since the O's have seen such a young, everyday prospect come up and perform so well at the Major League level. The only organizational position players to truly have more than brief stay in Baltimore in recent history have been Roberts, Hairston, Bigbie, and Matos. Only Roberts has had true success with Baltimore. The Marlins had more talent come up through their system last year than the Orioles have had in the last decade. In Markakis, it seems like the O's had finally drafted and developed a player who would not be merely good, but one of the best players in the league at some point.
I've been somewhat disappointed in Nick Markakis this season, but truly pleased at the same time. The negatives are that he hasn't been able to hold down the 3rd spot in the batting order. I think that he is a true #3 hitter, and I would like to see him earn the right to keep that spot in the Orioles lineup. The issue has been his consistency in my opinion. His average isn't where I expected it to be, and he seems to be hitting into more than his fair share of double plays(currently 3rd in the AL with 11).
However, while his average is currently 26 points below where he ended up last year, I remember that he struggled a lot early in 2006. Markakis had one of the top averages in the AL following the All Star break last season, after struggling early on as a rookie. I definitely feel that he won't be batting .265 at the end of the season, and that his average and OBP will come up. Nick Markakis' potential is huge when you consider he is leading the team in RBI with 33, and that he is currently 8th in the AL in both doubles and extra base hits. He is doing that without hitting for the average that is expected of him. If Markakis gets on a tear during the summer months like he did last season, this surely will be a season to remember for O's fans.
I've been somewhat disappointed in Nick Markakis this season, but truly pleased at the same time. The negatives are that he hasn't been able to hold down the 3rd spot in the batting order. I think that he is a true #3 hitter, and I would like to see him earn the right to keep that spot in the Orioles lineup. The issue has been his consistency in my opinion. His average isn't where I expected it to be, and he seems to be hitting into more than his fair share of double plays(currently 3rd in the AL with 11).
However, while his average is currently 26 points below where he ended up last year, I remember that he struggled a lot early in 2006. Markakis had one of the top averages in the AL following the All Star break last season, after struggling early on as a rookie. I definitely feel that he won't be batting .265 at the end of the season, and that his average and OBP will come up. Nick Markakis' potential is huge when you consider he is leading the team in RBI with 33, and that he is currently 8th in the AL in both doubles and extra base hits. He is doing that without hitting for the average that is expected of him. If Markakis gets on a tear during the summer months like he did last season, this surely will be a season to remember for O's fans.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
5 in a Row
Nothing like a series against the Royals to give a team a boost. The Orioles followed up taking the final two from the A's over Memorial Day weekend to sweep the Royals in KC. The best thing about this win streak is that each starter has gotten a win over the last five days. Erik Bedard was great last night. The great thing about yesterday's win was that he outlasted Gil Meche, who was just as good as Bedard until the Orioles produced a run with some small ball in the 8th. For those who criticize Sam Perlozzo, I think you have to agree with his decisions late in the game last night. Having Bynum pinch run and the bunts by Patterson and Roberts were the difference in the game. As Perlozzo has said before...his decisions come down to the players getting it done, and that is certainly what they did last night.
With the possibility of getting back over .500 this weekend, I saw some good news for the Orioles on the bottom line of ESPN last night. Apparently Bartolo Colon will not be pitching Saturday because of an injury to his triceps. Right now it looks like Joe Saunders(2-0, 1.96 era) is scheduled to go in Colon's place. Saunders initial stats look good, but he does have a WHIP over 1.5, and a mediocre BB/K ratio.
Playing the Angels certainly won't be easy, because they have been hot lately, and are currently the 3rd best team in the AL. Their pitching staff is very solid. John Lackey is having an extremely good year, and their rotation is one of the tops in the AL. Their bullpen is also tough with guys like Rodriguez and Shields to close out games. Hopefully Brian Burres can be tough against the Angels tonight, and get this series off to a great start.
With the possibility of getting back over .500 this weekend, I saw some good news for the Orioles on the bottom line of ESPN last night. Apparently Bartolo Colon will not be pitching Saturday because of an injury to his triceps. Right now it looks like Joe Saunders(2-0, 1.96 era) is scheduled to go in Colon's place. Saunders initial stats look good, but he does have a WHIP over 1.5, and a mediocre BB/K ratio.
Playing the Angels certainly won't be easy, because they have been hot lately, and are currently the 3rd best team in the AL. Their pitching staff is very solid. John Lackey is having an extremely good year, and their rotation is one of the tops in the AL. Their bullpen is also tough with guys like Rodriguez and Shields to close out games. Hopefully Brian Burres can be tough against the Angels tonight, and get this series off to a great start.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Guthrie
I don't think I'm alone among O's fans when I state that I am starting to love Jeremy Guthrie. He has been absolutely spectacular in his 6 starts this year, and is performing better than any of our starters over that stretch of time. His era is currently at 3.02, but that includes several lousy bullpen performances at the beginning of the year. With my math, his era has been 1.91 as a starter. With a .232 BAA and 1.02 WHIP, it certainly doesn't look like an aberration that he has given up so few runs. His BB/K ratio is good and so are his homerun totals. At some point Guthrie may drop off in his performance, but I don't think he will slide far. He appears very athletic out on the field. I loved watching the O's game against the Nats when he almost beat out an infield hit by busting his ass down the line. At the same time though, he seems to be a very cool guy on the field. He doesn't seem to get worked up, and has a very efficient business-like approach on the mound.
Its amazing to me that the O's got this guy for practically nothing with the way he has been playing. I understand a bit why Cleveland couldn't keep him. They have a pretty good rotation, and Guthrie didn't really show them much according to his stats.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/guthrje01.shtml
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Jeremy%2520Guthrie&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=425386
However, he had a good year in the minors in 2006. Perhaps he just wasn't accustomed to coming out of the bullpen, which is all he did with Cleveland besides 1 start.
Guthrie is making it very easy for O's fans to forget the O's acquired Jaret Wright this past offseason. I truly don't care about the progress Wright may be making, because his spot has been taken by somebody who is pitching like an All Star lately. Its pretty impressive that a guy who was waived back in January is now proving his worth as a big league starter.
Its amazing to me that the O's got this guy for practically nothing with the way he has been playing. I understand a bit why Cleveland couldn't keep him. They have a pretty good rotation, and Guthrie didn't really show them much according to his stats.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/guthrje01.shtml
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Jeremy%2520Guthrie&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=425386
However, he had a good year in the minors in 2006. Perhaps he just wasn't accustomed to coming out of the bullpen, which is all he did with Cleveland besides 1 start.
Guthrie is making it very easy for O's fans to forget the O's acquired Jaret Wright this past offseason. I truly don't care about the progress Wright may be making, because his spot has been taken by somebody who is pitching like an All Star lately. Its pretty impressive that a guy who was waived back in January is now proving his worth as a big league starter.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Memorial Day Wrapup
Well Memorial Day weekend is over, and the summer tourist season is officially under way. The standings in baseball are beginning to separate the contenders from the back of the pack. Currently the Maryland area's 2 teams are both outside of the contender region. The Nationals have been playing their best lately, but still can't make any headway in the standings. They have won 10 of 14 games, but still find themselves last in the NL East, 12 games behing the Mets. They are also 3 games behind the Phillies for the next spot in the standings. So the Nationals right now appear to be headed to another season in the cellar. I truly hope the team is able to make some big moves this offseason in anticipation of the increased revenue from the new stadium.
The Orioles are 2nd in the AL East. The problem is that 2nd in the AL East doesn't appear to signify what it has for the last decade. The O's are 3 games under .500, and are barely performing better than the other mediocre teams in this division. Two days of play could easily put the O's last in the division. So the current 2nd place standing is not much to cheer about. The O's are currently 5.5 games back in the Wild Card after Detroit was swept by the Indians, so while they are not out of conention, they certainly have a long way to go as well.
It was a good thing to see the O's score 8 runs in 3 straight games over Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully the Royals continue to play like the Royals against Baltimore, and the O's can even themselves up in the standings this week.
The Orioles are 2nd in the AL East. The problem is that 2nd in the AL East doesn't appear to signify what it has for the last decade. The O's are 3 games under .500, and are barely performing better than the other mediocre teams in this division. Two days of play could easily put the O's last in the division. So the current 2nd place standing is not much to cheer about. The O's are currently 5.5 games back in the Wild Card after Detroit was swept by the Indians, so while they are not out of conention, they certainly have a long way to go as well.
It was a good thing to see the O's score 8 runs in 3 straight games over Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully the Royals continue to play like the Royals against Baltimore, and the O's can even themselves up in the standings this week.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Orioles Win and College Lacrosse
Saturday was the semi-finals for Division I lacrosse at Ravens Stadium. I watched the first game on TV between Delaware and Johns Hopkins. I really liked the Blue Hens' aggressive style. They got after the Blue Jays early, and tried to put a hit on their offensive players any time they went for a shot. They pushed around the Blue Jays for a while, but really didn't have an offense. While a combination of Delaware's aggressive style of play and missed chances by Hopkins kept the game close, it ultimately was won by the better team.
I missed most of Duke and Cornell in the other semi-final, but did catch Duke's dramatic goal to win the game with just seconds left. This just seems like a fairy tale story for the Duke program. Previous season was cancelled over false allegations, and now they come back to win the National Championship. Sounds like a movice script. I truly hope Hopkins crushes them today. As a fan of the University of Maryland, I have learned to hate Duke. Maybe the hatred starts with Coach K, but it definitely spreads to the rest of the University as well. So combine the Duke hatred with the support for the Hopkins team from Baltimore, and I will definitely be looking for a Blue Jays victory.
Now while I was watching the lacrosse games on Saturday I thought what a great day it would be to be tailgating at the stadium. You could start early before the Hopkins game...Take a break before the other semi-final matchup to fill up on food and booze, and then head over to Camden Yards for the O's game that night after a couple lacrosse games at M&T. That would truly be a great day of sports watching in Baltimore.
So on to the O's. They managed to get a win on that Saturday night game...even with Danys Baez pitching. I'd love to say that Baez pitched well, but he did give up another run on 1 hit and 2 walks. Luckily the O's bats finally came alive for 8 runs. So the O's got the win, but Baez has now given up runs in 6 of his last 7 outings. His problems certainly don't appear to be solved.
Great news however is that Miguel Tejada seems to have figured things out a bit. In his last 4 games he has 3 homeruns and 8 RBI. This is a big turnaround after hitting just two long balls in the first 6 weeks of the season.
The other guy that is playing where he is expected to is Brian Roberts. His OBP is now over .400, and he continues to steal bases and give the players behind him a chance for RBI. If these two guys can stay hot, then the O's offense will definitely pick up.
While the O's only went 3-3 on their homestand, they did win 2 out of 3 against the A's. It feels good to beat a solid team, even though they aren't the A's of a few years ago. Hopefully the O's beat up on the Royals in KC this week, and get their long road trip off to a great start.
I missed most of Duke and Cornell in the other semi-final, but did catch Duke's dramatic goal to win the game with just seconds left. This just seems like a fairy tale story for the Duke program. Previous season was cancelled over false allegations, and now they come back to win the National Championship. Sounds like a movice script. I truly hope Hopkins crushes them today. As a fan of the University of Maryland, I have learned to hate Duke. Maybe the hatred starts with Coach K, but it definitely spreads to the rest of the University as well. So combine the Duke hatred with the support for the Hopkins team from Baltimore, and I will definitely be looking for a Blue Jays victory.
Now while I was watching the lacrosse games on Saturday I thought what a great day it would be to be tailgating at the stadium. You could start early before the Hopkins game...Take a break before the other semi-final matchup to fill up on food and booze, and then head over to Camden Yards for the O's game that night after a couple lacrosse games at M&T. That would truly be a great day of sports watching in Baltimore.
So on to the O's. They managed to get a win on that Saturday night game...even with Danys Baez pitching. I'd love to say that Baez pitched well, but he did give up another run on 1 hit and 2 walks. Luckily the O's bats finally came alive for 8 runs. So the O's got the win, but Baez has now given up runs in 6 of his last 7 outings. His problems certainly don't appear to be solved.
Great news however is that Miguel Tejada seems to have figured things out a bit. In his last 4 games he has 3 homeruns and 8 RBI. This is a big turnaround after hitting just two long balls in the first 6 weeks of the season.
The other guy that is playing where he is expected to is Brian Roberts. His OBP is now over .400, and he continues to steal bases and give the players behind him a chance for RBI. If these two guys can stay hot, then the O's offense will definitely pick up.
While the O's only went 3-3 on their homestand, they did win 2 out of 3 against the A's. It feels good to beat a solid team, even though they aren't the A's of a few years ago. Hopefully the O's beat up on the Royals in KC this week, and get their long road trip off to a great start.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Baez does it Again
Danys Baez's right arm is killing the O's all by itself. 1 inning...2 hits 1 run...and Baez is 0-4 in the month of May.
Is there a record for losses by a reliever in a single month? Baez has to atleast be in sight of that record! Maybe its time for the O's to create an injury...send him to the DL..and give him a week off to get himself together before having him rehab in the minors for a little while. Something has to be done, because he cannot be trusted in a high pressure situation right now.
Its also upsetting to see that the Orioles blew it for Jeremy Guthrie again. What does this guy have to do for them to give him a win. His 4 May appearances have looked like this...
Innings Earned Runs
6 - 1
8.1 - 0
7 - 1
7 - 3
Thats an amazing month for a guy just working his way into the rotation. He should be 3-1 or 4-0 over that span, but instead he has settled for 3 No Decisions and just one win. Hopefully the guy stays positive and keeps pitching like he has. I love what I've seen so far, and will be a big fan of his if he can stay in the rotation.
Other O's notes...Great to see Tejada with a 3 run homer. Hopefully he will pull out the power a little more often in the future.
Bad News... O's continue to hit into double plays...3 more tonight, including two by Melvin Mora...who has looked awful at the plate lately. He isn't taking pitches and seems to be swinging at everything. In his last 10 games he has just 2 walks, 3 RBI, and his average has dropped 21 points. Hopefully Melvin turns things around soon, or the O's might need to start thinking about who will be playing 3rd in 2008.
Is there a record for losses by a reliever in a single month? Baez has to atleast be in sight of that record! Maybe its time for the O's to create an injury...send him to the DL..and give him a week off to get himself together before having him rehab in the minors for a little while. Something has to be done, because he cannot be trusted in a high pressure situation right now.
Its also upsetting to see that the Orioles blew it for Jeremy Guthrie again. What does this guy have to do for them to give him a win. His 4 May appearances have looked like this...
Innings Earned Runs
6 - 1
8.1 - 0
7 - 1
7 - 3
Thats an amazing month for a guy just working his way into the rotation. He should be 3-1 or 4-0 over that span, but instead he has settled for 3 No Decisions and just one win. Hopefully the guy stays positive and keeps pitching like he has. I love what I've seen so far, and will be a big fan of his if he can stay in the rotation.
Other O's notes...Great to see Tejada with a 3 run homer. Hopefully he will pull out the power a little more often in the future.
Bad News... O's continue to hit into double plays...3 more tonight, including two by Melvin Mora...who has looked awful at the plate lately. He isn't taking pitches and seems to be swinging at everything. In his last 10 games he has just 2 walks, 3 RBI, and his average has dropped 21 points. Hopefully Melvin turns things around soon, or the O's might need to start thinking about who will be playing 3rd in 2008.
Georgetown Wins One and Loses One
Georgetown had a great basketball season in 06-07, largely in thanks to the play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert. I think they would have been frontrunners for the National Championship next season if both guys came back next season, because Ohio State lost Oden and Conley, while Florida's starting 5 are all gone. Yesterday it was announced that Hibbert will return for another year while Jeff Green will enter the draft. While it certainly won't help Georgetown to lose the current Big East POY, it seems to be a good decision by both players.
Green is ready for the NBA. From what I've seen in draft write-ups, experts think he will go between 10 and 20 in the draft. While I think it would be more advantageous for a player to come out next year instead of now because of the Oden-Durant effect, Green's game doesn't have a ton of room for improvement. He is a polished player who is likely to have a similar draft potential next year as well. He can handle getting minutes off of the bench in the NBA next season, and won't have to risk getting hurt in college before his pay day.
Hibbert is a slightly different story. While some people have him ranked higher on draft charts than Green, he still has more room to develop than Jeff. He has a lot of skill for a guy his size, but he wouldn't be able to get away with a lot of his moves with the athletic big men in the NBA. Another year in school will provide him with a chance to hone his skills while getting stronger. The possibility of earning National POY will also increase his exposure before next year's draft. I don't think there are a combination like Oden and Durant who will be draft eligible next season, so Hibbert will also have less competition next season for a top draft spot.
Both of these guys seem like quality guys and quality players. Its great to see two Maryland high school products get the chance to star close to home, and also move on to the Pro level. Either one would probably be successful with any decision they made, but I think they both chose well for where they are right now.
Green is ready for the NBA. From what I've seen in draft write-ups, experts think he will go between 10 and 20 in the draft. While I think it would be more advantageous for a player to come out next year instead of now because of the Oden-Durant effect, Green's game doesn't have a ton of room for improvement. He is a polished player who is likely to have a similar draft potential next year as well. He can handle getting minutes off of the bench in the NBA next season, and won't have to risk getting hurt in college before his pay day.
Hibbert is a slightly different story. While some people have him ranked higher on draft charts than Green, he still has more room to develop than Jeff. He has a lot of skill for a guy his size, but he wouldn't be able to get away with a lot of his moves with the athletic big men in the NBA. Another year in school will provide him with a chance to hone his skills while getting stronger. The possibility of earning National POY will also increase his exposure before next year's draft. I don't think there are a combination like Oden and Durant who will be draft eligible next season, so Hibbert will also have less competition next season for a top draft spot.
Both of these guys seem like quality guys and quality players. Its great to see two Maryland high school products get the chance to star close to home, and also move on to the Pro level. Either one would probably be successful with any decision they made, but I think they both chose well for where they are right now.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Baseball is On...Everything else is Off
At this time of year there really isn't much going on in sports in this area besides baseball. The biggest news recently in local football is that Clinton Portis thinks its acceptable to hold dog fights on private property...even if it is a felony. Clinton should have went with a "No Comment!" when asked about Mike Vick, and went on planning what he will do during his weekly news conferences this fall.
The Ravens are having a mostly quiet offseason...except for Steve McNair getting into a little trouble with his brother in law. Can't wait to see if Willis McGahee can really bring some explosion back to Baltimore's running game.
I watched the NBA Draft Lottery last night expecting to see the Wizards represented. With the way they finished their season, they felt like a lottery team. The Wizards greatly need an impact player, especially down low. Hopefully they can find that player outside the lottery, and don't keep drafting projects like Andray Blatche and the 2 Russian guys they selected and haven't even signed yet from 2006. The Zards are a playoff team, and need help now...not 5 years down the road. I'd much rather have a solid player who has proven himself in the NCAA than a guy who is playing in some obscure foreign league or not living up to his potential in college.
The Nats are proving to be irrelevant this year. Even with their winning ways of late, they are still 5.5 games behind the 4th place NL East Phillies. Ryan Zimmerman has been heating up lately, but nobody else on that team really interests me much.
The Orioles lost to the Jays again last night. O's are really bumming me out right now with how they are playing, because each loss seems to be by just 1 or 2 runs. They are capable of winning these games, but are really not coming through in tough spots. Particularly disappointing is Miguel Tejada. Not only is he not hitting homeruns(2), but he isn't hitting anything for power with just 6 doubles on the year. I love the high average, but he is supposed to be an RBI guy for this club. Not an average guy.
The Ravens are having a mostly quiet offseason...except for Steve McNair getting into a little trouble with his brother in law. Can't wait to see if Willis McGahee can really bring some explosion back to Baltimore's running game.
I watched the NBA Draft Lottery last night expecting to see the Wizards represented. With the way they finished their season, they felt like a lottery team. The Wizards greatly need an impact player, especially down low. Hopefully they can find that player outside the lottery, and don't keep drafting projects like Andray Blatche and the 2 Russian guys they selected and haven't even signed yet from 2006. The Zards are a playoff team, and need help now...not 5 years down the road. I'd much rather have a solid player who has proven himself in the NCAA than a guy who is playing in some obscure foreign league or not living up to his potential in college.
The Nats are proving to be irrelevant this year. Even with their winning ways of late, they are still 5.5 games behind the 4th place NL East Phillies. Ryan Zimmerman has been heating up lately, but nobody else on that team really interests me much.
The Orioles lost to the Jays again last night. O's are really bumming me out right now with how they are playing, because each loss seems to be by just 1 or 2 runs. They are capable of winning these games, but are really not coming through in tough spots. Particularly disappointing is Miguel Tejada. Not only is he not hitting homeruns(2), but he isn't hitting anything for power with just 6 doubles on the year. I love the high average, but he is supposed to be an RBI guy for this club. Not an average guy.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Baez hurting the O's
I thought Danys Baez's signing was a good one by the O's this offseason. While he isn't a great pitcher, he is very capable of helping a bullpen out. However, he is severely struggling right now, and its really hurt the Orioles lately.
Since last Sunday when he gave up 2 runs without getting an out against the Red Sox, Baez has only had one solid outing. He has pitched 4 more times, and given up 2 runs in 3 of those 4 outings. Baez has two losses over the last week, and all 3 of his losses have come in May. When this month started he had a 2.92 ERA, but now he is sporting one of 6.10. He isn't just blowing things in meaningless situations though. His pitching has directly led to 3 losses in the last week. That is way too much damage for a setup man to cause a team. The O's have deserved better lately, and its a shame their bullpen has let them down.
The good news for the O's is that the rotation has remained solid despite several injuries. Erik Bedard has lowered his ERA over his last 5 starts, and his team has won his games 3 times, despite Erik now getting the W's. Jeremy Guthrie backed up his Red Sox gem with a great game this weekend. 7 innings and 10 k's was surely impressive, and it looks like Wright's spot has been adequately filled.
Hopefully the team uses their day off tommorow to get things on track before the Jays come to town. It would be great to see the O's redeem themselves after getting swept by Toronto last week.
Since last Sunday when he gave up 2 runs without getting an out against the Red Sox, Baez has only had one solid outing. He has pitched 4 more times, and given up 2 runs in 3 of those 4 outings. Baez has two losses over the last week, and all 3 of his losses have come in May. When this month started he had a 2.92 ERA, but now he is sporting one of 6.10. He isn't just blowing things in meaningless situations though. His pitching has directly led to 3 losses in the last week. That is way too much damage for a setup man to cause a team. The O's have deserved better lately, and its a shame their bullpen has let them down.
The good news for the O's is that the rotation has remained solid despite several injuries. Erik Bedard has lowered his ERA over his last 5 starts, and his team has won his games 3 times, despite Erik now getting the W's. Jeremy Guthrie backed up his Red Sox gem with a great game this weekend. 7 innings and 10 k's was surely impressive, and it looks like Wright's spot has been adequately filled.
Hopefully the team uses their day off tommorow to get things on track before the Jays come to town. It would be great to see the O's redeem themselves after getting swept by Toronto last week.
Curlin beats out Street Sense
I wasn't one of the revelers at Pimlico yesterday, but did enjoy the racing from the comfort of home. One of my favorite moments from the weekend was watching ESPN's bottom line Friday night and learning that Panty Raid won the Black Eyed Susan Stakes. Props to whoever named that horse, and its sad to think I may never see the words panty raid written on ESPN ever again.
I also enjoyed ESPN's Today at the Preakness coverage of all the early races. Its fun to see the other races and not just tune in for the big one. Kenny Mayne does a great job with Randy Moss(not the Patriot) on the coverage. I loved his comment, "It so exciting I could just put the slots in myself." It also gives them time to show some of Baltimore's finest. The segments with Rob Stone walking the infield with cans of Bud Light strewn about were great. I loved watching him interview one of the trash cleanup guys who I believe was named Willy. Let me reenact part of that conversation as best I can
"Whats the worst thing you've seen today Willy?"
"Probably the urination on the ground. People just going anywhere."
"So what will you do when you get home from all of this?"
"I'll take a shower and have a few cocktails."
Great interview...especially when you throw in the drunk ass white kids posing for the camera behind all of this.
As for the race...it lived up to its top billing. The horses that had been talked about most were the ones who were contending down the stretch. Hard Spun was easily caught by Street Sense. And while it looked like there would easily be another Triple Crown bid at Belmont, Curlin turned it up a notch to grab the win. Great race, and the Preakness proved to me again why it is the most exciting horse race in the country.
I also enjoyed ESPN's Today at the Preakness coverage of all the early races. Its fun to see the other races and not just tune in for the big one. Kenny Mayne does a great job with Randy Moss(not the Patriot) on the coverage. I loved his comment, "It so exciting I could just put the slots in myself." It also gives them time to show some of Baltimore's finest. The segments with Rob Stone walking the infield with cans of Bud Light strewn about were great. I loved watching him interview one of the trash cleanup guys who I believe was named Willy. Let me reenact part of that conversation as best I can
"Whats the worst thing you've seen today Willy?"
"Probably the urination on the ground. People just going anywhere."
"So what will you do when you get home from all of this?"
"I'll take a shower and have a few cocktails."
Great interview...especially when you throw in the drunk ass white kids posing for the camera behind all of this.
As for the race...it lived up to its top billing. The horses that had been talked about most were the ones who were contending down the stretch. Hard Spun was easily caught by Street Sense. And while it looked like there would easily be another Triple Crown bid at Belmont, Curlin turned it up a notch to grab the win. Great race, and the Preakness proved to me again why it is the most exciting horse race in the country.
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